Instructions for Your First Visit to Walt Disney World

By Dave Shute

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR FIRST DISNEY WORLD VISIT

Follow the instructions that follow for your first family visit to Walt Disney World to save thousands of dollars, and avoid dozens of hours waiting in line, while seeing all the best of Walt Disney World!

1. When to Go to Walt Disney World:

Most years, I suggest that if you can, you should arrive at Walt Disney World one of the first two, sometimes three, Saturdays after Thanksgiving. In 2026, I recommend the first three weeks after Thanksgiving. More… Next best dates to go…

2. How Long to Stay:

You can have a wonderful trip spending as few as 5 days. However, if you can, be in Orlando for 9 days–a Saturday through a Sunday. More… Going for a shorter trip…

3. How Old/Tall Your Children Should be:

Kids of any age can have a wonderful time at Disney World. However, if this may be your kids’ only childhood visit, consider going when your youngest child is at least 8 or 9, and your shortest child at least 48 inches tall. More… Planning for going with younger/shorter kids…

4. Where to Stay at Walt Disney World:

Stay at Disney’s Polynesian Resort if you can afford it, or at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort if you can’t. More… Next best resort options…

5. How Much to Budget:

You can have a wonderful first visit for $3,000 or less. However, to see all the best of Walt Disney World at the best time of the year to visit, budget if you can $14,000 if you are staying at the Polynesian, or $9,500 if at Art of Animation. More… Developing a much lower or a different budget…

6. When Your Plans Need to be Firm:

Your plans should be firm at least 181 days before your arrival date. More… Planning if it’s already later than that…

7. How to Eat at Walt Disney World:

8. Where to Eat:

The Basic Itinerary tells you exactly where to eat (as do the Other Itineraries). More… Next best dining choices…

9. How to Spend Your Time at Walt Disney World:

The Basic Itinerary tells you exactly how to spend your time in Orlando (as do the Other Itineraries). More… Other Itineraries…

10. What to do When:

See the To-Do List for an exact list of what to do when to prepare for your trip. More… To-Do Lists for Other Itineraries…

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1,261 comments

1 Julie { 01.23.13 at 10:17 am }: Hi Dave: Thank you so much for responding to my questions. I called the Polynesian directly and asked about the larger standard rooms and she told me that all the standard rooms are exactly the same at 404 sq feet . I told her the buildings I had learned had bigger rooms and she told me that wasnt the case. Additonally she also told me that ALL the rooms have either a patio or balcony even though i told her i was pretty sure the second floor in some of the buildings did not so she said she would make that a request on my res. Didnt give me much confidence as to her knowledge of the resort.
Do you think that the parkhopper is worht it with such young kids? We are getting the amazine florida residents rate for four day passes, i think its around $`150.00 for al four days per person.
Thank you again!
2 Dave { 01.23.13 at 5:39 pm }: Hi again Julie. I’m appalled at the conversation you had…and no, I don’t think the park hopper is needed…
3 Selma { 01.25.13 at 2:45 pm }: Hello again Dave!
I have some last minute questions before arriving in Orlando this weekend. We are sooo excited! We are doing MK for 2 days and have Chef Mickey’s breakfast Monday at 11.20am. Should we park at MK parking lot and then ferry or monorail there? Or park at Epcot and Monorail over? My friends are giving different advice and I’m more comfortable with your advice. Do we need to arrive at the park around 9 to make it to the breakfast on time? And last question which app do you recommend for wait times for the lines? I’m hoping the low crowds (and rain in the forecast) means less people at the park. Thanks so much again for easying my mind!
4 Dave { 01.26.13 at 8:15 am }: Hi Selma, I’m here at Disney World too–through Feb 4! Umm, whoever told you to park at Epcot is …umm… nuts to put it kindly. (Don’t tell em I said that.) If you park at Epcot, you then have to take the Epcot monorail to TTC, and then a second monorail, or ferry, to MK. If you park at MK, you are at the TTC, so get right on the the monorail or ferry, skipping the whole Epcot monorail step.
Arrive at the MK parking lot by 8.15a. This will put you near the front of the line when the turnstile open, and will save you waiting time.
I haven’t tested the wait time apps for a while so don’t have a recommendation. But much more important is a plan–see some of the popular rides as soon as the park opens, then start using FASTPASSSES
5 annie { 01.25.13 at 5:36 pm }: Hi Dave! We are thinking about tent camping at Ft.Wilderness this October. I know they offered the free dining plan on some days last October, and I have read that campers are given the same benefits as others at the resorts. So will they let campers have the free dining plan if it is offered?
6 Dave { 01.26.13 at 8:19 am }: Annie, while Fort Wilderness campers have all the benefits of any other WDW resort guests, that is not the same as sharing in discounts. Specific resorts and room types are excluded from discounts all the time. Fort Wilderness tent and RV campers are pretty much ALWAYS excluded from free dining…
7 Selma { 01.26.13 at 12:52 pm }: Thanks so much for your advice Dave!!!! Have fun at WDW too! We might bump into you and not know it.
8 Dave { 01.26.13 at 6:18 pm }: Selma, have fun and let me know how it goes!
9 Mary { 01.28.13 at 8:46 pm }: I have a question about wait times to get into the parks in the mornings if we are staying outside of WDW. Our second week, we are renting a house and were wondering what time we should be at the park entrance and how long it will take to get in once we are there. We will already have our tickets. How early should we be there and do we park first and then get in line or do we stay in our cars in line to park and then have to also get in line to get into the park after we park the car ? Confusing ?? To me too !! thanks.
10 Dave { 01.29.13 at 6:43 am }: Hiya Mary, there’s two cases.
AT Epcot, AK, and HS, you pay for parking, for which early in the mornings there’s not usually much of a line, park, and either walk to the park, or wait for and take the parking lot tram to take you to the park. Depending on where you are directed to park and how many trams are operating, it can take 15-30 mins to make it from the parking pay area to the turnstiles.
At MK there’s an additional step. There you make your way (on foot or by tram) to the TTC, and form the TTC take either the monorail or the ferry to MK. So you’d add another 15 minutes to the range to make it 30-45 minutes from the parking pay lane…
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11 Melissa { 01.30.13 at 1:44 pm }: Hi Dave. I have some questions on parking too. We are staying off site and renting a car the week of March 30th. Is it worth it to purchase a AAA diamond parking pass that gets us to the front of the lots? Also on Easter Sunday we were thinking of parking at the Contemporary since we have dinner reservations at Chef Mickeys there the first night. Would we be able to park there and take the tram to Magic Kingdom for the day? Or our last option would be to take a cab from the hotel instead of using our rental car but I am not sure how costly that would be. From what I have seen online it looks like parking at the Magic Kingdom may be a bit of a hassle? I am not too concerned about Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios parking as those seem more convenient.
12 Dave { 01.31.13 at 7:07 am }: Hi Melissa!
I’ve never used a diamond pass, so can’t advise you on its worth. At that wildly crowded time of the year, the only approach is to arrive at the parking lots well before the parks open–which, other than on days when the parks open first to WDW resort hotel guests for morning extra magic hours, means you’ll be at the front of the lot anyway. The problem will be MK, whihc has morning EMH every day that week–so your diamond pass will be more valuable there.
At these wildly busy times of the year, Disney is pretty strict about parking at the Contemporary, so they may not let you park there in the morning for an evening reservation at Chef Mickey…if they don’t let you park, you can just roll back around to the MK parking lot…
And FYI you can walk from MK to the Contemporary or take the monorail, but there’s no “tram” at the Contemporary…
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13 Jonathan { 01.30.13 at 9:36 pm }: Looking to head to Orlando and Disney World Feb 9-16. You predict low crowds but every resort hotel is booked. Is that typical? Is there a special event? Thanks for any insight.
14 Dave { 01.31.13 at 7:25 am }: Hey Jonathan, see this response to an almost identical question: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/09/12/disney-world-crowds-in-2013/#comment-126645
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15 Karen { 01.31.13 at 9:53 pm }: Is there a site like this for Disneyland? I want to plan my first trip there and I have no idea where to start.
16 Dave { 02.01.13 at 7:42 am }: Hi Karen, not that I’m aware of. I have some (out of date) thoughts here: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/11/17/suggestions-for-your-first-trip-to-the-disneyland-resort/
However, since I wrote them, DCA has greatly expanded, so you’ll want to add half a day to my thoughts on how long to stay, and also supplement then with a guidebook–e.g. The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2013
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17 Mary { 02.01.13 at 9:41 pm }: Hi Dave. Just wondering about Pop Warner week ?? We are arriving at WDW on Dec. 16/13 and were wondering if that crowd would be there at that time or would that be over by then. Thanks.
18 Dave { 02.02.13 at 7:31 am }: Mary, Pop crowds are tiny to start with, and won’t affect you on your dates. You will see the holiday crowds start to arrive the 19th and 20th, however, although they won’t really be mobbing the parks until that weekend…
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19 Penaz Virji { 02.03.13 at 2:21 am }: Hi Dave,
This is a great and informative site. We are planning our trip Aug this year and are a group of 8 (including 2 kids of 12 & 8 years). We have finalized on the Art of Animation resort and after reading all the reviews we are concerned about booking the Mermaid Standard rooms as they are the furtherest from the transfer points to the parks. We also wanted to check that even if we go for the Building 7 options of the mermaid rooms as suggested by you and they arent comfortable can we upgrade to a Family Suite. What would be the charges for an upgrade in this case? Would it be cheaper than booking a Suite in the first place? Also does Disney offer any free upgrades incase we are celebrating an occasion? Looking forward to hearing from your end. Regards, Penaz
20 Dave { 02.03.13 at 7:08 am }: Hi Penaz, and thanks!
You will only be able to upgrade your room to a family suite if one is available, and it will cost the same as if you booked it now. Every now and then a free upgrade happens when Disney has oversold the Little Mermaid rooms, but nothing to count on. And they won’t upgrade you because of a celebration…
If walking distance is really a problem for you, then book a preferred room at Pop Century… https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/03/22/review-disneys-pop-century-resort/
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21 Deb Wright { 02.05.13 at 3:12 pm }: Hi Dave! Incredible job you’re doing here. Question: My husband and I will be attending the Food & Wine Fest in October. We’ve been to WDW at least 10 times. We’ve stayed at several of the resorts. We want to be at the Fest during the time Mickey Thomas and Star ship are playing at Eat to the Beat.Any chance of finding out when he’ll be there so we can book as soon as possible? Also, any sites for attending the fest – besides the obvious ones. Thank you so very much for your time, talents and service!
22 Dave { 02.05.13 at 5:13 pm }: Hi Deb, I’m sorry but I don’t track food and wine closely…maybe check with AJ here http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/food-and-wine-festivals/
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23 Deb Wright { 02.06.13 at 9:35 pm }: Thanks, Dave! Will do.
24 Alisha { 02.07.13 at 2:04 pm }: My family (two adults, four children 8, 4, 3, 6 mo) will be arriving at the Polynesian Tuesday 2/12 and departing Friday 2/15. We are dedicating all of our visit to MK. I would like to know: what route do you recommend concerning visiting each “land”?
25 Dave { 02.07.13 at 2:18 pm }: Hi Alisha!–I responded to your earlier question here: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/03/09/the-comprehensive-guide-to-walt-disney-world-rides-and-attractions/#comment-132662
26 Jennifer M { 02.07.13 at 3:56 pm }: Hi Dave! I was wondering if you could reccomend something similar to the BBB for a 6 yo boy. I will definitly be doing the BBB for my daughter who will be 8 at the time we are planning on going. I would like to know more about things similar for my son, as he will be wanting to do something like that.
27 Dave { 02.07.13 at 4:05 pm }: Hey Jennifer! For him, check out the Pirate’s League: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/pirates-league/
28 Jennifer M { 02.07.13 at 4:17 pm }: Thanks a bunch Dave! I will definitly be booking that for him. He loves Pirates.
29 Dave { 02.07.13 at 5:23 pm }: Great, Jennifer!
30 Jennifer M { 02.07.13 at 6:39 pm }: One more question. Is there anything for adults only to do? We may have a spare evening and a babysitter while we are there, so we thought there was something fun to do for adults only.
31 Dave { 02.08.13 at 7:04 am }: Hi Jennifer there’s not much at WDW that’s truly adults only. The closest would be Jellyrolls, the piano bar on the Boardwalk, which does not let kids in at all, and is usually a hoot. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/01/17/review-disneys-boardwalk/
32 Catríona { 02.08.13 at 7:17 am }: Hi Dave, i love your insight and knowledge into the world of Disney and all it entails. Myself, my husband and two girls { 13 years and 8 years} youngest has been reacently diagnoised with ADHD, are heading over to Orlando on April 10th through 27th 2013 ,from Ireland, and i see from your site this is a great time to visit Disneyland.We have planned a Orlando FlexTicket. Not to include (WDW). We are staying in a villa in Davenport and have car hire for the duration. We may head down to Miami for an overnight or take in some sights.We are full of questions like Is it advisable to arrive early to the parks and what about parking? Our daughter’s adhd is of great consern to us as we’re new to all of this and the worry is hugh, we have a letter of her diagnois. HELP! any tips for an easy stress free vacation with itenary would be welcome and very much appreacheted. We plan to visit Harry Potter, Wet N Wild Universal, Bush Gardens, not too sure about the rest.Thanks Catríona.x
33 Dave { 02.08.13 at 7:31 am }: Hi Catriona, I don’t have a lot to say about the non Disney parks, and in particular don’t know how they deal with special needs kids. But this stuff has gotta be on their websites and on fan sites–e.g. I just Googled “SeaWorld and ADHD” and got this: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1685517
It’s always the right move to show up at the turnstiles before the park opens, anywhere in the world!
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34 Stephen Freeze { 02.10.13 at 3:51 pm }: My wife and I are planning a Disney World trip in 2014 and are looking for some help. We are hoping to spend less than $4000 for 6 nights, including airfare from Charlotte. We have a daughter who will be four at the time. We would need a meal plan with one sit down per night and park pass. Our daughter is big into the princesses and would be interested in some of the Princess meals. What should we do?
35 Dave { 02.11.13 at 7:53 am }: Stephen, I think you can get pretty close if you go at a less expensvie time of the year and stay in a standard value resort room. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/what-to-budget/estimating-budgets/designing-your-walt-disney-world-vacation-to-a-lower-target-budget/ It’s designed for a 4 person family wit the second kid older than ten, so you’d be less expensive than what it models…
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