Disney World Tips and ReviewsGood Disney World Tips and reviews can save you a tremenous amount of grief. Disney be can a confusing whirlwind but what would any trip to central Florida be without Disney? If you’re coming to Kissimmee and you’ve got kids, you’re going to see the mouse. Face it, it’s a fact. I’m going to focus my T2K reviews on the “Big 5” and give you some great tips that I wish I knew years ago. Magic Kingdom – Welcome to the mouse house Epcot – What’s this big globe thingy anyways? Animal Kingdom – a zoo on steroids Disney Hollywood Studios – Where movie magic happens Downtown Disney – get ready to shop Here are the key overall Disney World Tips to help you save some money… and your sanity. Get your tickets before you get to the parks So simple but I think this is the most important Disney World Tip. You could end up waiting over an hour to buy a ticket if you hit a busy period at the Disney gates. Your kids will HATE watching other families walk right in while they are waiting in line with their unprepared parents! (I know mine did). And please buy them from a reputable dealer. Always remember, if it's too good to be true it usually is. Really cheap Disney tickets in Florida will always come with strings attached – Can you say “TIMESHARE PRESENATION”??? Get the ticket that’s right for you! (not for those selling it to you) You’ve got to understand how the Disney ticket system works - If you don’t you can end up wasting a considerable amount of money. This can be confusing, but I will try to lay it out for you. How many days am I going to be in the parks? Obviously this is a key question but you’d be surprised how many people overestimate this. A day at the park is tiring! Really tiring! If you’re on a one week vacation do you really want to spend 7 days in the Disney parks? This an odd Disney World Tip but don’t forget there are other non-Disney places to visit like Universal Studios, Gatorland and SeaWorld. How about the pool? How about shopping? Spend 7 days at Disney and you will need a vacation after your vacation. It is enticing to buy a greater number of days than you need because of the way Disney prices the tickets…the more days you take the lower the “per day” cost. But don’t forget that even if the per day cost is less, the hole in your pocket will be bigger! The regular tickets expire 14 days after their initial use. So Disney offers a ‘no-expiration’ option which effectively allows you to come back on another Florida vacation anytime (forever) and continue to use the same ticket. Combine this with the fact that if you buy more days the price per day is cheaper and… MANY PEOPLE OVER PURCHASE THE NUMBER OF DAYS AND SPEND ON THE EXPENSIVE NO EXPIRATION OPTION AND NEVER EVER USE IT. You’ve been warned.
What about the other ticket options? For an additional cost you can add the Disney water parks or Disney Quest to your tickets. “Park Hopper” is an option that can be purchased which allows you to be able to visit more than one park a day. This sounds useful but in my experience one park a day was more than enough! I purchased Park Hopper and only used it once in 5 days. One good thing to know is that you will only pay for parking once a day as your parking ticket is transferable between the various parks on the same day. THESE OPTIONS ARE ALSO GENERALLY MONEY WASTERS. Again, you’ve been warned! Think about where to stay Where ever you decide to stay will take a big chuck out of your budget. Check out the T2K Villa and our thoughts on Kissimmee hotels. Hopefully you’ll find these helpful to make a decision. Snack smart! Thinking ahead a little can save you a lot! Bring a little cooler with you. This works best if you have a kid in a stroller. Pack the cooler with bottles of water, some soda and chips or cookies and you’ll save a bundle. I’m not suggesting you bring a 3 course meal with you but these little things at the park can really add up quickly.
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