US East Coast 2018: A Parent’s Guide to Surviving Disney (& Having a Blast)!

Thanks to our uncle’s most generous gift of a week of timeshare in Orlando, the three cousins and their entourage of parents and grandparents all got the chance to visit Disney World this time round!

Due to the varied interests of our boys and their 2-year-old cousin N, we decided to divide and conquer in order to save costs and to make the best of our limited time there. Different combinations of adults and children went to the Magic Kingdom, the Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios as well as Universal Studios and Kennedy Space Center during the week. Our sister, who figured out the complex algorithm, took pains to ensure there were breaks in-between for the grandparents to rest, as well as taking into account early closing times for the various parks. It all worked out well, and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Here are some tips we have for surviving and conquering a trip to the theme parks:

1) Plan ahead and do some reading - This will ensure that you make the most of those costly entrance fees to the parks. What characters do your kids love? For our boys, it was the Star Wars and Toy Story experiences we knew they would appreciate. For Little N, Anna and Elsa were going to be the highlight. Also check the crowd calendar and opening and closing timings to schedule your visits to different parks.

2) Do some pre-trip logistical prep - Florida is hot, hot, hot! It can be unpleasant queueing for a long time in the heat, so bring - caps, sunglasses, water, comfy shoes and socks, portable fans, and sports towels which can keep you cool. Pack sandwiches and snacks to save costs. They are all allowed in the park. And make sure the kids sleep early the night before, as the day ahead will be a long one! If you have a baby or toddler, bring a stroller with a cover so he can rest or nap in it, or go back to the hotel for nap time and come back in the late afternoon when the park is less busy. Dress comfortably! We were wondering how the cute princesses survived in their lacy gowns the whole day long, but a possibility is bringing the change of outfit along and only dressing up before the Character Meet and Greet.

3) On the actual day - Go as early as you can. We did not anticipate the length of time it takes from the car park to the theme park entrance. Magic Kingdom, in particular, takes one 30-45 minutes to get in or out from the parking lot to the actual entrance. This involved a tram, a ferry or monorail, and a bag check at the gate. And remember the same applies for closing time - even more so, as one gets squashed in the flood of people all leaving the park at the same time!

4) Plan for the "must-sees" and the "it’s-ok-if-we-skip-this" attractions - We had two or three rides we aimed to accomplish for each theme park, and told ourselves any of the others would be an added bonus. For the boys, fighting Darth Vader was something they had been looking forward to for months before the trip, so we made sure we went straight away to the Traders’ Post to book a slot for the Jedi Training!

5) Manage expectations - of ourselves and of our kids. It is impossible to cover everything each park has to offer, and there is no perfect plan! Allow for contingencies such as the weather, toilet breaks, tantrums. And give one another some slack!

6) Take plenty of breaks - We gave plenty allowance for rest stops, especially when the sun got too hot. We realised there were two "witching hours" for potential kid meltdowns. One was just before lunch, when they were exhausted and hungry, and the other, in the late afternoon and early evening when they had already had a long day out. We found that retreating into an air-conditioned shop for some respite, or an ice cream treat for the kids, helped to lift everyone’s spirits.

7) About memories - Get ready your cameras for the important moments, such as Character Meets and Greets. My sister ordered autograph books and lanyards with badges on them for the kids from Etsy. The boys had fun getting autographs and also exchanging badges with cast members.

8) Make use of your Fast Passes - Disney has an amazing system of crowd management in the form of Fast Passes. You are allowed to book up to 3 Fast Passes prior to your visit. These give you a reporting time for each ride, so that you can skip the main queue and go straight in. You are allowed to modify your Fast Pass timings and selections if needed on the app or at kiosks. Try not to book your fast passes later in the day at first, because they need to be all used up before you book new ones.

9) Test the rides - There are rides you may think are not scary, but which your toddler might find terrifying. Our little niece was scared at the Winnie the Pooh ride because of a scene with the Heffalumps. Our boys are not major roller coaster fans, and found the Seven Dwarves mine train nerve-wracking!

10) Lastly, let your hair down and enjoy the moment - There is so much magic in Disney and Universal to be appreciated. As an adult, I found myself with a newfound appreciation of the cutting-edge animation and technology which go into each ride, and the whole customer-oriented ethos which in particular Disney has. As entrepreneurs, we have much to learn from them! For the kids, just seeing the magic in their eyes was worth it. Our boys still jabber on about defeating Kylo Ren, and my little niece makes us smile when she says, “I’m gonna bring back summer!” The most unexpected rides were their favourites too. Z loved the People Mover in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland as it provided a brief respite from the crowds. We were amazed to see how it ran under, over or beside some of the other rides like Space Mountain. It was cool to hear the people screaming just above us! Another unexpected family favourite was Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. They are still singing ,“It’s a beautiful tomorrow!” They also loved the Kali River Rapids at the Animal Kingdom, and were very proud of themselves for completing a "gentle" ride which doesn't get one too wet.

The fireworks display at Magic Kingdom always gives the "feels"!

Always a nice way to end off your Disney experience!

The Previous Page - Where Children Learn Through Play. Read here.
What's Next? - Space: the Next Frontier. Read here.
From the Beginning - Start reading the record pages of our US East Coast Travel Adventure here.

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