Now, here’s how to work it.
- Aim for the most popular park, Magic Kingdom, on a weekday, the other parks on weekends. Arrive at the pearly gates of the parks before the 9 a.m. opening so your first several attractions will be hassle-free.
- Always begin with a few of the most popular rides whose lines will grow exponentially as the day grows long (see sidebar).
- Then it’s FASTPASS time. For select rides, kiosks allow your park pass to receive express tickets to rides at upcoming times, but you can get only one at a time. Hint: Before sitting down to a show, submit for a FASTPASS to a nearby crowded ride so by the time the show finishes, you’re good to go on the ride.
- Next up is parade time, which at Magic Kingdom is 3 p.m., varying at other parks. Once seen, the parade is a perfect time to hit usually crowded rides while everyone else is waiting street-side for Mickey. Another hint: Always pack disposable raincoats so when it pours and lines dissipate, you can roam dry. They also come in awfully handy for fun but drenching rides like Animal Kingdom’s Kali River Rapids.
Best Rides by Theme Park
Our writer, Anne Kazel-Wilcox, says go early or go FASTPASS. Here are her top recommended rides at the Walt Disney World parks.
Magic Kingdom
Splash Mountain (logs plunge five stories)
Thunder Mountain Railroad
Peter Pan’s Flight
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Space Mountain
MGM Studios
Star Tours
Tower of Terror (not for the faint-hearted)
Rock ‘n Roller Coaster (ditto)
Animal Kingdom
Kali River Rapids (prepare to be soaked!)
Expedition Everest (new!)
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Epcot
Soarin (new & fabulous!)
Mission: Space
Test Track
How to Make Dad Happy
My husband swears that if he ever gets married again, it will be in the pre-nup that he does not have to go to Disney World. So how to keep Dad happy? If you're like me, your husband is not keen on singing “A Small World” for the umpteenth time, a suggestion: Agree on some swapping.
Let Dad sleep in at the hotel and watch football, play golf or attend a spring-training game in the area while Mom and the kids enjoy princes and princesses swirling around Cinderella’s castle.
When the kids tire with the afternoon parade, Mom deposits the kids with Dad for a few hours of cooling off in a pool with huge waterslides while she does some strategic shopping at any of Orlando’s great outlet malls. When Mom returns laden with goods, then it’s time for family dinner before Mom and kids collapse, and Dad can then hit Downtown Disney for an evening of fun.
This works for me every time. I’m happy (and have new clothes); Dad’s not complaining about sitting through the Lion King yet again, and the kids just love it all.
Now, that is one successful outing to Disney World!
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