How to Plan a Day at Disney World Parks
By Chad Buleen
Regardless of the Disney World park you plan to visit, you must take some time to plan your day before you go. Although you can visit the parks without planning, if you have a plan, you might be able to end up saving some time. Likewise, if you want to squeeze in a tee time, you probably will need to plan ahead to see if there is an opening at the time you want to play.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Call to set up a tee time. It is best to get the tee time set up first so that you can plan the rest of your day around it. There are five golf courses at Walt Disney World. If you are trying to keep playing time to a minimum, you might want to consider playing on the Oak Trail golf course, which you can get through more quickly because it is only nine holes.
Plan on attending during extra magic hours. Every day in Disney World, at least one of the parks has extra magic hours, meaning that it opens earlier or closes later than the rest of the parks that day. Attending during these hours can allow you to maximize your day at the Disney World parks. Disney provides a schedule of extra magic hours in the parks on its website.
Compile a family wish list before you arrive. There undoubtedly will be certain rides that some members of the family definitely want to ride. Other family members might want to see particular shows or eat at particular restaurants. Make a list before you go so you know what and where these attractions are. Try to appease each family member who has an item on the wish list.
Use others' expertise. Because you are going a place that millions have gone before, suffice it to say that there are some people who might be able to give you advice on how to plan a day at Disney World based on different factors such as age, park and even gender. There are websites that will provide detailed plans based on these criteria. For example, if you are visiting the Magic Kingdom with 4-8 year-old girls, you can find a plan for this.
Find out which rides will be closed during your visit and plan around them. If you are traveling with young children, it is best to avoid getting their hopes up that they will ride a particular ride only to be disappointed when you get to the park to find out the ride is closed because of maintenance or another issue. There are Disney-related websites that compile this information from each park and update them consistently.
Tips & Warnings
Talk to your kids before you go about what they should do and about what you will do if one of them gets lost.
About The Author
Chad Buleen is a Society of Professional Journalists-award winning newspaper and magazine writer and editor with more than 10 years' experience. He has been published in "Utah Spirit," "Charleston Gazette," "Idaho Falls Post Register" and numerous other publications. Buleen holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications with an emphasis in print journalism from Brigham Young University-Idaho.
