Every time we visit the Parks I seem to think of a tip I must remember for our next visit to Orlando.
If you going to visit a Park more than once in a year investigate buying an Annual Pass. I am not sure if non residents can do this for the Disney/Universal Parks but they can definitely do this at Seaworld/Aquatica and Busch Gardens. These include discounts on food, merchandise and clothing and at Seaworld/Aquatica and Busch Gardens parking is then free. I believe there is an option to include the parking in the purchase of your Disney/Universal passes.
If you want to avoid the big crowds and it you have the option go the Parks on weekdays particularly during holiday periods.
Be sure to apply sunscreen before you set out and top up every few hours whilst in the Parks. We find the aerosol cans that you can buy in the US very simple to use particularly for children.
Put some bottles of water in the freezer or the freezer compartment of your fridge the night before you go to the Park. These will stay frozen for many hours of your visit and there will be no shortage of volunteers to carry them!
We often take a back pack with snacks of food and fruit to eat while are in the park this can save money.
If you plan on going on water rides, bring a zip lock sandwich bag for your cell phone. It is a good idea if rain is likely or you if you don' t like getting soaked on water rides to take your own poncho. You can usually buy them for about $1 at stores like Wal-Mart and they cost quite a lot more in the Parks. When you have only paid a $ you do not really mind if you dispose of them after the rides.
On hot days we take a wet washcloth in a zip lock bag often with a few pieces of ice. This is good for a quick cool off on the back of your neck
Do not forget to wear comfortable shoes as there is plenty of walking to be done, also bring a few plasters/bandaids with you.
When you park your car you will need to remember where it is when you leave the Park many hours later. Some people take a photo on their digital camera but I prefer to put the row number in my cell phone.
Be sure you always choose a place to meet in case someone from your family gets lost. When the girls were smaller we always dressed them in bright clothes so they were easily identifiable. We also pinned our name and cell phone number inside their pockets.
Always work your way backwards through a Park instead of stopping at the first attraction you get to. You will see and do far more this way as most visitors start at the front.
At Hollywood Studios if you arrive at the Park at opening time and you want to ride Rock ' n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror get a FastPass for one of these before getting in line for the other.
Overall the attractions you MUST get a Fastpass for are:
Splash Mountain, Peter Pan' s Flight, Space Mountain, Toy Story Mania, Test Track, Soarin, Rockin Roller Coaster and Kilimanjaro Safaris.
I hope you find these tips useful I am sure you will find many more of your own.
If you going to visit a Park more than once in a year investigate buying an Annual Pass. I am not sure if non residents can do this for the Disney/Universal Parks but they can definitely do this at Seaworld/Aquatica and Busch Gardens. These include discounts on food, merchandise and clothing and at Seaworld/Aquatica and Busch Gardens parking is then free. I believe there is an option to include the parking in the purchase of your Disney/Universal passes.
If you want to avoid the big crowds and it you have the option go the Parks on weekdays particularly during holiday periods.
Be sure to apply sunscreen before you set out and top up every few hours whilst in the Parks. We find the aerosol cans that you can buy in the US very simple to use particularly for children.
Put some bottles of water in the freezer or the freezer compartment of your fridge the night before you go to the Park. These will stay frozen for many hours of your visit and there will be no shortage of volunteers to carry them!
We often take a back pack with snacks of food and fruit to eat while are in the park this can save money.
If you plan on going on water rides, bring a zip lock sandwich bag for your cell phone. It is a good idea if rain is likely or you if you don' t like getting soaked on water rides to take your own poncho. You can usually buy them for about $1 at stores like Wal-Mart and they cost quite a lot more in the Parks. When you have only paid a $ you do not really mind if you dispose of them after the rides.
On hot days we take a wet washcloth in a zip lock bag often with a few pieces of ice. This is good for a quick cool off on the back of your neck
Do not forget to wear comfortable shoes as there is plenty of walking to be done, also bring a few plasters/bandaids with you.
When you park your car you will need to remember where it is when you leave the Park many hours later. Some people take a photo on their digital camera but I prefer to put the row number in my cell phone.
Be sure you always choose a place to meet in case someone from your family gets lost. When the girls were smaller we always dressed them in bright clothes so they were easily identifiable. We also pinned our name and cell phone number inside their pockets.
Always work your way backwards through a Park instead of stopping at the first attraction you get to. You will see and do far more this way as most visitors start at the front.
At Hollywood Studios if you arrive at the Park at opening time and you want to ride Rock ' n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror get a FastPass for one of these before getting in line for the other.
Overall the attractions you MUST get a Fastpass for are:
Splash Mountain, Peter Pan' s Flight, Space Mountain, Toy Story Mania, Test Track, Soarin, Rockin Roller Coaster and Kilimanjaro Safaris.
I hope you find these tips useful I am sure you will find many more of your own.