Disney In One Day ... Is It Possible ?
Copyright 2005 Chris Neilson
As a Florida villa owner, this is one of the most commonly asked
questions I receive from guests. In truth, there is no
definitive answer. Various factors will affect your ability to
seek out all that Disney has to offer within a limited
timescale, but with a little common sense and some handy tips,
you'll certainly be on track to achieving your goal!
So here is a list of ideas to help smooth your day:
1: Ensure everyone has a hearty breakfast. The "all you can eat
breakfast buffets" are very popular, or diners such as Dennys
offer excellent value for money.
2: Buy your Disney tickets in advance to save valuable time
standing in line at the ticket window when you arrive at your
chosen park.
3: Choose which Disney Park you are going to visit. Fairly
obvious ~ But you would be amazed how many families just head
off to Disney, and then decide in the car ! Not conducive to
good debate or safe driving !
4: Arrive early. Check the park times and arrive when the gates
open. It will give you a head start on those guests who take a
leisurely breakfast and arrive mid morning.
5: Pick up a couple of park maps and timetables at the park
entrance. This way if any members of your party decide to split
up, you can easily arrange a meeting point to find each other
again, as there is no excuse for getting lost.
6: Talking of getting lost. Don't allow members of your group to
just wander off. Before anyone separates from your group for
whatever reason, decide on a specific meeting point, to link up
again. Many valuable minutes can be wasted looking for a
"wanderer" !
7: When you enter the park, go straight to the farthest
attraction, and work backwards toward the front entrance during
the day.
8: If you travel in a counter clockwise direction around the
parks, your journey time will be quicker, as most folks enter a
park and turn right ~ it's a right handed thing !)
9: Decide ahead of time which attractions if any you want to
miss out, and any that are definite must sees.
10: Co-ordinate your travels in conjunction with the various
parades and shows that are continually being performed
throughout the day.
11: Take advantage of Disney's Fast Pass service, which allows
you to avoid the lines at the more popular attractions, by
giving you a designated ride time. Details are available at the
entrance to all participating rides.
12: There is usually one big afternoon parade and up to two
night time parades. However, if parades are not your thing,
these times are an excellent opportunity to visit other
attractions, as the majority of guests will be out on the
streets waving at Mickey Mouse !
13: Taking a supply of nutritional snacks and fruit will save
you time and money, as opposed to waiting in restaurants.
14: Use the Tip Boards. All Disney parks have Tip Boards,
showing the average wait time for each attraction. This
information is updated regularly throughout the day.
15: Save any shopping until you are ready to exit the park.
Shops will stay open for at least an hour after the park
officially closes, and if you buy your souvenirs as you exit, it
will save you having to carry them around the park all day !
So is it possible to "do Disney in a day" ? Probably not !
Although the above tips will give you a better chance than "Mr
and Mrs Average". Seasoned veterans of theme parks may be able
to notch up every ride and attraction on their visit, but they
have the advantage of being on familiar territory.
The good news however is that there is always something
different, new and exciting to see, experience and explore in a
Disney park, so even if you don't manage to cross off everything
on your theme park list, there is no better excuse for a return
visit at a more leisurely pace !