Everything You Need to Know for Your 1st Visit to Walt Disney World

I can’t lie. A trip to DisneyWorld is extremely costly. Between theme park tickets, plane travel, food and accommodations, it can be thousands of dollars. However, if you plan far enough in advance, you can use a payment plan and pay it off in installments. There are also special offers available through Disney and organizations like the Auto Club, AARP and others. Plus, there are extras like the dining plan and Memory Maker for photos, that you can add on to lessen the expense during your trip.

If you’re planning to stay on Disney property, you can choose from value, moderate or deluxe hotels. Value is a very nice basic hotel with a food court, a pool, and probably not much else for amenities. What they lack in extras, they make up for in cool themes and charm. If you have younger kids, these are smart, cost-effective choices.

One step up from that is a slightly more expensive moderate hotel that offers unique dining, activities and alternate resort transportation like Friendship Boats and the Disney Skyliner. These are great for families with teenagers who may want a little freedom and space.

If you want to splurge, go deluxe at a fancier hotel with a unique theme. These also tend to be closer to the parks, meaning you can use other forms of transportation, or even view fireworks from them. They’re definitely going to be more expensive, but if you want luxury, it’s worth the price.

Personal Observation: I’ve stayed at hotels at all three levels, and they’re all solid choices for your trip. As much as I enjoyed deluxe, I would recommend moderate, as it’s a practical blend of comfort and budget.

There’s plenty of delicious food to be found all over DisneyWorld. A few of the can’t miss bites include beignets at Scat Cat’s Club – Lounge in Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, amazing barbecue at The Polite Pig at Disney Springs and African-inspired cuisine at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Personal Observation: There is endless DisneyWorld food content scattered around the internet. I highly recommend doing research ahead of time and narrowing down your list of food choices. Side Note: If you only splurge on one costly meal, make sure it’s Ohana in the Polynesian Village Resort. It’s all-you-care-to-eat shrimp, chicken and beef that is life-changing.

Set to make its return in January, the dining plan offers guests the chance to essentially pre-pay for their meals. You select a tier that works for you, receiving snack, quick service and table service credits. Yes, it adds a bigger price tag to your trip, but it lets you enjoy the fun without constantly worrying about how expensive food is.

Personal Observation: If you’re planning to visit DisneyWorld for five days or longer, this is absolutely worth the price. When you’re not fretting over the cost of specific foods and restaurants, you can relax and be more adventurous with your choices.

Magic Kingdom is essentially an east coast Disneyland. This is where you’ll find Cinderella’s Castle, as well as classics like Space Mountain, It’s a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the brand new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Personal Observation: TRON Lightcycle Run is a spectacular experience, and I’m not a roller coaster person. It’s always cool to see Barack Obama in the Hall of Presidents, but you will also have to see you know who, so it’s up to you whether it’s worth the headache.

As a diehard Star Wars fan, I’m admittedly biased. However, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is amazing and Rise of the Resistance feels like you’ve stepped right into the movies. Toy Story Land is also a fantastic representation of the beloved classics. Popsicle stick benches and straw lightpoles make you feel like you’ve shrunk down to the size of a toy and are playing in Andy’s backyard.

Avatar: Flight of the Passage and Expedition Everest are fun rides, but this park is all about the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Guests go on a 10-15 minute ride through the park’s savanna, getting up close looks at elephants, zebras, rhinos, giraffes and other assorted animals. It’s fantastic and new every time you experience it.

Personal Observation: Whatever you do, do not miss the absolutely awesome Festival of the Lion King show.

Test Track, Soarin’ Around the World and Frozen Ever After are all worth waiting in line for, but the real draw at EPCOT is the World Showcase. You can explore countries like Mexico, Germany, Norway, France, Italy and England, discovering food, learning about new countries and meeting characters from stories set in those countries.

Personal Observation: Due to an ancient pre-Disney contract, Marvel characters aren’t allowed in DisneyWorld. However, EPCOT does feature the brand new and totally amazing Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind! The roller coaster exits into a Marvel-themed shop, and Marvel merchandise is available everywhere. But if you want to meet actual Marvel characters, you’ll have to go to Avengers Campus at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif. for that.

Everything in the resort operates through the My Disney Experience app, so download and set up your account well in advance. On the app you can find Genie+. This is an extra feature that ranges from $20-36 per day/per person. It allows you to procure Lightning Lanes for popular rides, so you can avoid ridiculously long lines. Whether you want to pay this price depends on how you feel about waiting three hours for Space Mountain. TRON Lightcycle Run; Seven Dwarfs Mine Train; Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind!; Rise of the Resistance; and Avatar: Flight of the Passage offer Individual Lightning Lanes that you can purchase without having Genie+. Depending on the crowd size these range from $18-30 per person.

Personal Observation: You can navigate the parks without Genie+, but if it’s during the busy time of year this may be worth the extra expense. It really comes down to how valuable your time is.

This is the shopping and food district that is basically a huge outdoor mall. If you’re a foodie, this is where you want to go for everything from food trucks to award-winning restaurants from celebrity chefs. If you’re staying at certain hotels, you can catch a Friendship Boat to Disney Springs.

All hotels and theme parks offer bus transportation around the resort. EPCOT and Magic Kingdom and hotels in that area have Monorail service. The Magic Kingdom area also uses Friendship Boats. EPCOT and Hollywood Studios are accessible through Friendship Boats and Disney’s Skyliner, which is an air gondola operating between the two parks.

Personal Observation: Buses are usually going to be your most reliable choice because they go everywhere. The Monorail is the fastest, but it’s only available in a specific location. If you’re not in a rush, try the Skyliner at least once. I’m not a fan of heights and I was fine. However, it’s the slowest form of transportation, so if you have a Lightning Lane or dining reservation, go another route.

Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy do meet and greets almost everywhere. Be sure to keep an eye on those wait times, they can skyrocket quickly. Of course, I know you’re interested in fan favorite Black characters, so mark down that Tiana meets her fans at the Princess Faire in Magic Kingdom, while Frozone can be found in Pixar Place at Hollywood Studios. The new live-action Ariel is currently appearing in Hollywood Studios. For the little ones, Doc McStuffins hangs out with other Disney Junior friends in Hollywood Studios. Pay close attention, because characters can pop up anywhere.

If you’re planning for all day fun, you need to have a few essentials handy. Backpack must-haves include: ponchos; phone chargers; extra socks; sunscreen; aspirin; refillable water bottles; and resealable plastic bags. Most of these are obvious, but the plastic bags are useful when you don’t want to put wet items in your backpack after one of Orlando’s freak rainstorms.

Personal Observation: It’s important to remember that DisneyWorld is a marathon, not a sprint. You will never fit everything in. Also, leave room for spontaneity and surprises. Once, I happened to find myself in Magic Kingdom when they were filming the Christmas parade for TV, and during my most recent visit, there was a Boyz II Men concert happening. These are the times when you need to just relax and enjoy the experience.

DisneyWorld is in Florida, which means the weather ranges from scorching hot with ridiculous humidity, to sudden thunderstorms that shuts everything down. Ponchos are preferable over umbrellas, as the wind often makes them useless. Word to the wise, weather apps are your friend.

As someone with disabilities, I’ve rarely ever had a problem at DisneyWorld or Disneyland. Most rides, shows, restaurants and hotels will easily help you with any extra accommodations. Some rides have accessible seating or lines, so be aware of those. You can also find information on the Disability Access Service program on the resort’s website.

Personal Observation: If you’re using an ECV scooter, leave extra time for buses and park entrances. DisneyWorld only rents wheelchairs and ECVs on a park visit basis, so I’ve found it easier to do a weeklong rental from one of the many companies offering them in the Orlando area. Before you purchase Lightning Lanes, double check which rides you’ll be comfortable on. I found this out the hard way with Avatar: Flight of the Passage.