Smart travel tips • July 2017
The Club’s guide to acing your first trip to Disney World
Orlando’s Disney World is not a destination where you can ‘wing it’. It really can be the happiest place on earth or what nightmares are made of, and it all comes down to one thing: how much you prepare. Jill Smokler, founder and editor-in-chief of parenting website Scary Mommy, shares her tried-and-tested tips to help make your trip a breeze for everyone
Bring a cheap stroller, even if your kids don’t need one
Disney means a lot of walking, and unless you want to carry your children around all day, give them a place to rest. A stroller also provides a nice place to store things, and there are designated stroller parking spots throughout the parks. If you don’t want to bring one, you can always rent a stroller there (from $15) – it’s the best investment you can make in your sanity.
Plan your meals
Disney offers dining plans, which is a fantastic deal if you have big eaters on your hands. Table service restaurants at the Magic Kingdom book up within days of being released, so be sure to get in when reservations open six months in advance. Food and water can be brought into the park, so stock up on essentials such as granola bars, crisps, fruit and water. And save room for Disney’s famous funnel cake – you won’t regret it.
Prepare for breaks
Find places to rest in shady or calm areas or, better yet, map out the parks beforehand and schedule time to return to your hotel or resort for a rest in between. Disney is exhausting at any age, and much more fun when you and the kids aren’t cranky and tired.
Use the Baby Care Centre
Each park has a Baby Care Centre, where you’ll find changing tables, rocking chairs in the private nursing area, high chairs… even a full kitchen where you can prepare food or warm milk. They also have a shop stocking baby items such as jars of food, extra formula, diapers, wipes and sunscreen – the stuff you inevitably forget to pack – which can be a lifesaver.
Get a PhotoPass
There are professional photographers around each park in the best locations for family photos. It ensures amazing pictures of your trip with everyone actually in the picture, and that’s worth a lot. Better yet? Ask the professionals to use your camera and skip the expensive prints.
Queue jump
Kids plus queues don’t mix. Add a FastPass+ to your booking up to 60 days before you visit the parks, and you’ll skip to the front of the standby line for certain attractions, and reserve seating for the ever-popular parades. Or download an app such as Disney World Wait Times (free on iOS), which shares up-to-the-minute waiting times for rides and attractions, and a predictive crowd calendar telling you the best times to visit certain areas of the park. Smart, right?
British Airways flies direct to Orlando. Book your unforgettable 2018 holiday now at ba.com/orlando
This article has been tagged Opinion, Travel Tips