Mickey Mouse and Friends! Who doesn’t love these wonderful characters. Ask pretty much anyone and most will say that they want to experience the magic of Disneyland and/or Disney World at some point in their lives. And my family is no different. Disney World has been a favorite destination us through the years. Our first visit was when my daughter was just 3 — over 20 years ago! Daddy and her Uncle flew down with her to meet mommy who was finishing up a business trip. The four of us had a wonderful time! And over the next twenty years, she and her new baby brother got to enjoy this magical destination with mom and dad and even their Oma. This family are Disney lovers. And I’m here to tell you that ANYONE at ANY AGE can enjoy these parks. So read on and discover how to have the most Disney fun for anyone! First and foremost…
Disney is NOT just for kids!
Disney fun is for anyone! So please park the thought that only families and kids enjoy DIsney out at the curb. These magical parks offer something for everyone. Millions of visitors can certainly attest to that.
Singles, couples, seniors…all can enjoy the magic of these parks. After all, sharing experiences together, no matter the age, is really what life is all about. Right? Read more about my thoughts on this in my post “Sharing experiences eclipse material things” by clicking here: https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?paged=9&cat=1
To the left is a wonderful memory of my daughter with her Oma and Minnie! And ten years later riding Dumbo with her mom!
Whether you love thrill rides, great meals, immersing yourself into your favorite movie’s setting — visiting these parks will certainly satisfy. And everyone comes away with their favorite park. That’s just pretty much par for the course.
Don’t rush your visit!
This has to be the biggest mistake that I have seen friends and family make. These parks offer A LOT. Even during these capacity controlled times with park reservations being necessary, it is hard not to feel the need to see everything and to push yourself to do so. Try – really try – to enjoy your days. Lines for rides and food can be long. The weather can be unforgiving. Even in the most magical of places, people get cranky. Everyone wants to go on very ride and see it all. Try and pace yourself. And this leads me to my next tip…
Don’t park hop!
Each park has SO much to do. Why do you want to rush from one to another? I really never understood why anyone would want to put themselves through the hassle of leaving one park to get to another.
Animal Kingdom 
The Magic Kingdom 
Hollywood Studios
If you plan well, this won’t be necessary. If you have tickets to a show or reservations for dinner at a specific park, plan to spend your day at THAT park. This leads me to another tip…
Research what you want to see, do and eat!
Really! At the minimum, decide what park you will be at each day. Then fill in your day. It’s like building a sandwich with the bread on the outside and then filling it up with all the great stuff on the inside.
For example a highlight of a past Disney trip was participating in an Animation workshop which required advanced booking. Here’s an example of my daughter’s artwork. Amazing!
Plan a daily itinerary.
Traveling to Disney is really no different than heading off to New York City or Paris for a week. Be the best travel architect and build an itinerary. I can’t tell you how my family appreciated (probably without really knowing) how smoothly each day at the parks went because there was a framework of what we were going to do for the day.
And one very important aspect is meal times. When, where and what you eat fuels your day. We always bring into the parks, at a minimum, some snacks and waters for the day. Sometimes, we even bring in our lunch. Sandwiches and sushi bought outside the parks is a big hit. And Disney allows you to do so. Make sure to make reservations at the more popular restaurants, especially at Epcot’s restaurants, or you’ll be waiting quite awhile for a table.
Stick to some sort of routine.
Get up each day at a similar time, eat your meals at the same time. You get the picture. This is not only important for families with young kids but for everyone. Days are long at these parks. Keep hydrated and try to infuse some healthy food into your diet. After all, you want to keep up your energy for all there is to do and see.
Try to visit during Christmas time.
This is truly a magical time at the parks. And yes, it is crowded but it is so amazing. We’ve visited Disney at Christmas three times already and I would go back again in a heartbeat.
Disney does this season so well. All the parks are decorated so beautifully. One of my favorite things about this time is that each park has Christmas trees decorated to reflect their theme. For example, in the picture below is the Christmas tree at Animal Kingdom, adorned with ornaments reflecting African art and the animals found in their safari.
There are a multitude of Christmas-themed shows throughout the parks, some requiring reservations, some that don’t. The list is endless.
And last but not least…
Book whatever you can AHEAD of time!
Currently, at of the time of posting this article, Disney has put all “fast passes” to get on rides on hold. So everyone has to wait on the same line for every ride. But this could change at any moment. Keep checking their website for updates.
But there are other aspects of your visit that you can book ahead of time. Meals for example are one aspect you have control over.
I always encourage enjoying at least ONE character meal during your stay. Epcot is a family favorite and we love trying different ethnic cuisines so make sure to book your reservations for lunch or dinners at Epcot establishments.
