6 Tips for Disney World in a Day - The Cactus Chronicles

Disney World in a day. Can it be done? Should it be done? I recently visited Orlando with my family (consisting of my husband, our almost 4 year old son, and my mom). Our focus for this particular trip was not Disney World, but how can you visit Orlando and not visit Disney World? As a result, here are 6 tips for Disney World in a Day!

Tips for Disney World in a Day!

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Tips for Disney World in a Day

1. Do Your Research and Be Realistic

Think of it as the two Rs. You aren’t going to be able to experience everything in all four parks in one day, especially if you have young children with you. It’s important to do your research and narrow down the parks and attractions that you really want to experience. Do you and your children like the more traditional rides? If so, Magic Kingdom would be your best bet. However, my family visits Disneyland on a regular basis. As a result, we were not really focused on many of the rides at Magic Kingdom, such as Dumbo and Pirates of the Caribbean. BUT, I really wanted to go on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at the Magic Kingdom, so we decided to start off there. We went to Epcot after Magic Kingdom, mostly to ride the new Frozen ride, and then ended our day at Animal Kingdom.

The sky’s the limit, but make sure you are realistic and do your research when planning a day at Disney World.

2. Be Prepared…..

Be sure to download the official Disney World app. It will not only tell you the wait times for the rides, but it will also tell you the locations and times of character greetings, as well as locations of restrooms and where you can find food.

We also ended up experiencing rain during our day at Disney World but we were prepared for it. Make sure you check the weather forecast, and pack ponchos and umbrellas just in case. You can purchase ponchos at places like Walmart for less than $1. I bought my son an inexpensive raincoat through amazon and it was a huge hit.
Cloudnine Children’s Froggy Raincoat, for ages 5-12 One size fits all (affiliate link)

3. But Don’t Get Disappointed When Plans Don’t Go Accordingly

I should have known better. I’d read that lines can get really long at the end of the day, waiting for the monorail or the boats. But, we needed to get back to our hotel shuttle by a certain time, and the line was extremely long for the monorail and the boats. Some of the cast members ended up taking pity on us and let us on the monorail so we could get to our hotel shuttle in time. Make sure you have plenty of time to get back to your hotel, especially if you’re not staying at a Disney hotel.

4. Fastpass, Fastpass, FASTPASS!

I can’t stress this enough. One of the main differences between Disney World and Disneyland is that you can reserve fast passes ahead of time at Disney World. Guests staying at Disney resorts can reserve fast passes 60 days in advance. Guests who stay off property (like we did) can reserve fast passes 30 days in advance.

One of the things I really enjoyed about Disney World is that you can reserve fast passes for character experiences. I ended up reserving a fast pass for our visit at Epcot, and my son was able to get pictures with Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy in less than 10 minutes. It would’ve taken a lot longer at Disneyland.

Reserving fast passes for character experiences is one way you can experience Disney World in a Day.

5. Pick a Park

Pick a park that you know that all members of your family will enjoy. I knew that my son would love Animal Kingdom so that’s the park we wanted to really focus on.

Another tip for Disney World in a Day? Pick a park you want to focus on.

We eventually had to call it a day when it starting raining in full force. But not before we were able to go on the Kilimanjaro Safari. This was one of my son’s favorite attractions and I highly recommend it for all family members.

Once the downpour started, we went to one of the theaters to see a Lion King performance and we all loved it!

6. Have Fun!!

Don’t forget your reason for visiting in the first place. At the end of the day, it’s not about how many rides you go on, or how many attractions you experience - it’s about the memories you make with your family.

My son loved the Gran Fiesta ride at Epcot and tried on a sombrero!

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