What I wish I knew on my first Disney World trip
We took our daughter on her first Disney trip in 2022. This was the first time I’d been to Disney World since the 5th grade in 1998, so needless to say, ALOT had changed! Our trip was magical! It was everything I hoped it to be, however, there were several times throughout the trip that I thought, “I wish I would have known that before-hand” or “Note to self, if we ever come back, we are NEVER doing that again” So here is my list of “wish I would have known before’s” and my “never agains”
WHAT I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOW BEFORE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD…
Download Your My Disney Experience App. EVERYTHING is done through this app! Room check in, photo pass photos, Genie+, maps, dining reservations, quick service ordering, Park hours, attraction wait times and much more!
Learn Genie+ BEFORE your trip! We had Genie+ but didn’t know what it was, and didn’t even use it on our first trip! We tried to figure it out in the park, but were wasting more time doing that than just waiting in the standby ques. It was frustrating trying to navigate Genie+ in the park for the first time with no familiarity to it whatsoever. Can you do a trip without Genie+? Absolutely. But if you pay for it, you should know what you're paying for. Now, we always use Genie+ and have gotten quite savvy with it to make the most of our time!
Know the difference between quick service meals and table service meals. I know this sounds like a no brainer, but Disney is an overwhelming place, and if you don’t know ahead of time what these things are, you could catch yourself very hungry and hot, waiting to be seated at a quick service place. (spoiler alert: nobody is coming! It’s quick service, you order yourself and pick it up yourself and then go snag a table!) It’s pretty self explainitory when you look at your My Disney Experience App and take the time to read through it, but on the fly, I missed all these details. So be sure to be familiar with quick service ordering and table service reservations in your app. Side note, most table services and all character dining should to be made in advance for the best chances of getting your requested time and dining location. The reservation window opens 60 days prior to your trip.
Characters don’t wonder around the park anymore. In 1998, all the characters would be walking around the park and you could go up to them and get your pictures and autographs. But things have significantly changed at Disney World since then. If you want to see characters now, you’ll wait in a line and a character designated spot. You can find where the characters are meeting in your My Disney Experience App. Our favorite way to meet characters is at character dining’s, but if this is something that is not in your plans, use your app to find them in the parks!
The Memory Maker Photo Pass is SO worth it! We skipped this on our first trip, and I was so sad that we only had selfie family pictures. Now, memory maker is a MUST for us on every trip!
I’LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN…
Leave Magic Kingdom immediately after fireworks. This was a nightmare. Everyone makes a V-line for the exit following the fireworks and it does not bring out the best in people. People were pushing into our stroller (with our daughter in it) to cut us off and get in front of us. It was insanely crowded and frustrating trying to navigate through it. Now, we remain in the park until the crowds die down. While we wait, we grab a snack or ride a few more rides, makes for a much better way to end the night!
Bring new sunscreen that I haven’t tested prior to the trip. I had packed a new sunscreen for my daughter. It was a hypoallergenic sunscreen for babies, so I assumed it would be a safe product to use on my daughter. She ended up having a significant allergic reaction in Magic Kingdom and we ended up in first aid station. Tip, know your child’s medication doses for over-the-counter meds. My daughter’s age didn’t provide a does amount, but according to the first aid staff, because I knew to correct dose, they were able to give her the medicine.