Doing Disney In One Day? Read This First
Last year, FTD, Ollie and I were challenged to do Disney in one day. We had three free ‘one-day hopper’ passes allowing us to visit each of the four parks; Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood studios. Needless to say, with a complimentary hotel stay and Disney passes, we would have been fools to pass it up.
Saturday morning, we arrived at Hollywood Studios prepared for a long day of epic fun. Since the boys were desperate to see the new Star Wars attractions, specifically the Star Wars Star Tours ride, we made it our first Fast Pass, which, allowed us to skip the line and go right to the front!
As we stepped off the ride, minds fully blown, FTD and I looked at each other, giddy with excitement; this was going to be a magical day, no doubt about it. We had the game plan to fast pass and fast track ourselves from one park to the next. Which, we did. But. In doing so, we learned a few very valuable lessons, starting with, never ever do Disney in one day again.
Below are five lessons learned.
Make a realistic wish list. A.k.a This is not about you, it’s about your child. We drug that poor child from pillar to post. Luckily, he was in a stroller for half of it. Still, I was so focused on using our fast passes and seeing as much as possible, that I sort of lost sight at times of the ultimate goal, letting my son experience as much of the magic of Disney as possible. Setting realistic goals and putting your wish list aside, to let your child’s wish list shine, will, in the end, prove to be the very best thing, for all involved. (Keep reading to see why)
Bring a stroller. You can rent them for $15 a day, but you can’t take it from park-to-park. Which, can be trying when transferring buses to go from park-to-park.
BRING SNACKS AND WATER! You are more than welcome to bring your own snacks and water to Disney. DO THIS. Or, pay stupid prices for soft pretzels and ice cream. Sure, it’s the experience, but with the insane amount of crap available, you’ll surely find other things to spend ALL of your money on.
Plan your Fast Passes the night before. Did you know, you can download the Disney Experience App, add your tickets and plan out your first three rides or attractions before even stepping foot in the park? DO THIS!
We were able to plan our Star Wars attack the night before. Which, took a huge weight off my shoulders. The boys were desperate to see the Star Wars Star Tours ride and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. In a matter of minutes, I reserved our spots on both rides. I also went ahead and got a seat for the Aerosmith Rock ‘n Roller coaster. (DO THAT!) TIP: Tag team with fast passes so both parents can ride the rides the kids are too short or scared to ride.
We were able to plan our Star Wars attack the night before. Which, took a huge weight off my shoulders. The boys were desperate to see the Star Wars Star Tours ride and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. In a matter of minutes, I reserved our spots on both rides. I also went ahead and got a seat for the Aerosmith Rock ‘n Roller coaster. (DO THAT!) TIP: Tag team with fast passes so both parents can ride the rides the kids are too short or scared to ride.
Pick a park, or two… not three or four. Even though we proved visiting all four parks in one day can be done, it’s definitely NOT a good idea. In fact, It’s a horrible idea. DON’T DO THIS. We basically managed to see 60% of Hollywood, 40% of Animal Kingdom, 20% of Magic Kingdom and 5% of EPCOT. This left us wanting so much more, and sad our toddler missed so much. The poor guy didn’t even get to meet Mickey. (I felt like the worst mother. For like 10 seconds.)
Above all, Disney is magical and worth every penny. We were beyond blessed to have this time and experience as a family. Which, that’s what it was all about, walking away from technology, phone calls and most of all work, to spend a weekend as a family, bonding and making memories. DO THIS.
