How to Prepare for your first Disney World Trip

We have told you how to plan for Disney World and now we are going to tell you how to prepare for Disney World. There is a difference!

A Disney World Holiday is unlike any other kind of holiday. It is not a relaxing beach holiday. It is an exciting, thrill-seeking, jaw-dropping adventure. But it can be incredibly gruelling. You can expect long queues in the sweltering heat. You can expect rides to break down occasionally and big storms. There will be times when your family starts to wilt in the heat like a thirsty plant. You may start to get irritable and hangry. And let’s not even talk about the cost! (Actually, we will be talking about the cost). Preparing for your first Disney World trip is like preparing for a marathon. You have to get fit, get organised and get saving to make the most out of your holiday.

But Fear Not! Our guide on how to prepare for your first Disney World Trip is full of great advice to help you prepare for the most magical place on earth.

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Prepare your body for Disney World

When you go to Disney World you will be walking a lot. You could easily tread at least 20,000 steps a day. So you are going to need really comfortable shoes. You will also need to build up your stamina to be able to walk in the heat. You may also need to prepare your body for fast rides and exotic foods.

So here are some tips on preparing your body for Disney World:

• Go for long walks with your party in your own country. (It’s even better if there is a heatwave in your country just before you fly to Florida.)
• Test the shoes you are using for comfort. Don’t break into new shoes on your holiday.
• Use padded running socks.
• Work on losing weight if you need to. The less weight your feet and legs have to carry the better (within reason).
• Expand your palette. Disney World serves more than just theme park food. They often have food festivals that serve dishes from around the world. What flavours can your body tolerate? Test it out before you go. Try foods from around the world by playing the magic carpet game.
• Test your tolerance on fast rides. Some of the rides at Disney World have been known to cause nausea. Test your tolerance for fast rides in your local theme park.

Treatments for nausea:

(These are over-the-counter treatments. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before using them if you have any medical conditions or concerns.)

MQ Anti Nausea Patches
Vertigo Complex anti-nausea tablets
Essential Oil inhalation Stick
Acupressure wrist bands

Be prepared for the heat. Read our post 10 hacks to stay cool in hot weather.

NB: See what rides your child can manage too. If they are very young, they may want to try some smaller rollercoasters at home before trying the Seven Dwarves Mine Train. You don’t want to freak your child out whilst on holiday.

Have a health check to prepare for Disney World

It is highly advisable to book a health check before going to Disney World. Make sure your blood pressure is normal and you have a check on any medications you are taking. Seek advice from a medical professional about any health concerns you may have before you leave. Make sure you order enough prescription medicines in advance.

NB: If you have any damaged veins in your legs, even a small spider vein be sure to wear compression socks on the plane to reduce the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Useful over-the-counter-medication to take:

Paracetamol
Calpol
Diarrhoea tablets
Constipation Tablets

Prepare your Mind for Disney World

Do your research, watch videos, and know what to expect. It is easy to get excited about Disney World, but then it might not meet your expectations. This is because Disney World is full of stimuli and people. So many people! Expect to wait in long queues. Whatever you budget for your holiday, expect to pay more. Expect to get ridiculously tired and factor in rest days. Be sure to measure your expectations. Disney World is great fun, but if you are overtired, overstimulated or not organised it can cause unnecessary stress and arguments in the family. Make sure you have prepared your mind for Disney World.

Prepare your wallet for Disney World

I have said it before and I will say it again, Disney World is jolly expensive. Some of the perks that used to be free cost money now. Disney World does not even offer a free dining plan anymore for UK residents. It’s just dining credit now, which won’t cover the whole holiday. So you need to budget well.

Buy all the essentials you need before you leave. Use our Packing List as a guide of things to pack for Disney World.

If you are staying in a hotel without self-catering facilities it is worth bringing your own plastic bowls and spoons so you can have breakfast in your room.

Order Groceries to be delivered

You can order groceries to be delivered to your hotel, even if you are staying at a Disney Hotel.

Garden Grocer – Garden Grocer delivers to most Disney hotels and good neighbour hotels. But not to Swan and Dolphin. They don’t have a minimum order purchase, but they charge $14 for deliveries under $200.

Walmart – Good ol’ Walmart stocks just about everything you will possibly need, and they also offer same-day deliveries. The delivery charges vary depending on how large your order is. Walmart does not deliver alcohol.

Instacart – The cool thing about Instacart is that you can choose what shops to use and your personal shopper will go to them all. The main drawback is you won’t know exactly how much your bill will come to until check out.

Amazon Grocery Delivery – If you are an Amazon Prime member you can order your groceries from Amazon. They shop at Whole Foods for groceries, but can also deliver other items you may have forgotten such as a USA plug.

Create a Clear Budget Excel Spreadsheet

If you want a clear idea of how much spending money you need, start to research the cost of food, travel and souvenirs before your trip.

Food – Disney World has three kinds of restaurants: Signature Dining, Table Service and Quick Service. Plus, some of these restaurants include character dining. Signature dining is the most expensive option but offers the best quality food. The Table Service restaurants are also a bit pricey and many Table Service restaurants have a fixed menu. The costs for character meals are a little higher than usual. Quick Service restaurants offer the most affordable options in Disney World. For a clear idea of the average cost of food check out the menus of every Disney-owned restaurant on the official Disney World site.

Transport – Transport around the parks and to Disney hotels is free. However, if you want to go out of Disney World you will have to use either a car share app, bus or hired car. Download the Uber and Lyft apps onto your phone before you leave to check out prices.

If you are thinking about hiring a car for your holiday be aware of the price of gas in the USA and the parking fees at Disney World.

For more information on Disney Transport options check out our post on Planning for your first Disney World trip.

Souveniers – Think very carefully about what souvenirs you want to buy at Disney World. People can easily impulse buy items and then never use them.

I have already decided on the sort of things I want when I am in Disney World such as wall art, a Pandora charm and a handbag. These items are to last.

Purchase Disney toys before you travel or in the nearby outlets rather than in Disney World itself. If your child wants something in a shop give them a toy you bought beforehand.

If your child wants an experience such as building their own droid or light sabre in Galaxy’s edge, be sure to budget that cost.

Check out videos on shopping in Disney World for an idea of the cost of things or on the Disney online shop.

Add all of these costs to your budget spreadsheet before you leave so you have a good idea of how much things will cost in Orlando.

Use a VPN app

Here in the UK, we cannot always purchase what we want in advance in America. You need to download a VPN (virtual private network) app. When you have done this you are able to book experiences at Disney World such as Build a Droid or Savi’s workshop. You can also book the O2 party at Typhoon Lagoon.

There are some paid VPNs out there and some free ones. The good thing about a VPN is it encrypts your data, which can help protect against hackers trying to glean your personal information and search history.

Here are some VPNs to use:

Windscribe – I use this one on my phone. It is free to use. When I want to look like I am in America I just turn it on and then I can book stuff on the Disneyworld website.

Tunnel Bear – Free to use on the basic package. Very simple to use.

UK Expat – This is a paid service, but you can use it globally to access UK media content.

Express VPN – One of the top 10 VPNs globally. It is a paid service, but only £11.22 for one month’s use.

Get Organised

• Print off all your paperwork and double checks names and dates correlate.
• Purchase a folder to carry all your paperwork. I use one like this. But I added Disney pictures on the front.
• Start packing at least two weeks before you leave.
• Write a to-do list of things to do before you leave e.g. find someone to feed your cat.
• Watch loads of YouTube videos about Disney World to find out what to expect.
• Join social media groups on planning for Disney World for even more tips.
• Sign up for our newsletter for your FREE Activity Book. This will amuse your child on a long flight.

Comments

Hopefully, some of these tips will help you prepare for Disney World. What would you advise when going to the most magical place on the earth? Please add your comments below.