Disney Advice Compilation :)

[mikaylart]

Hi!
This is just a fun thread for everyone to share their tips and advice for visiting the Disney parks! This can be anything from restaurants to rides and hotels to photo spots. I have been to WDW 4 times and DLR one time, and I think it's time I shared some of my tips and advice.

**Please reply with advice of your own!** Lets share our Disney tips!!


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Here's all my advice! I'll add to it as I think of more!

I have many restaurant recommendations at WDW!
First, O'hana (in the Polynesian hotel) is always a must for brunch; I love the Polynesian theme and the view from the windows is incredible! Plus, the food is delicious and they give you ginormous portions. And don't miss the POG drink- yum!
Second, Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot feels like you're under the sea! And the food, especially the chocolate cake, is yummy!
Third, Be Our Guest at MK has good food, but the most magical part is just being there and seeing all the rooms and decorations!
Fourth, also at MK, Tony's Town Square is delicious (I had the caprese and ravioli) and conveniently right on Main Street!
Next, The Tusker House is my favorite at Animal Kingdom- it's just a fun place with a huge assortment of food and drinks! And sometimes they have characters there.
Next, 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian is super yummy and it just feels fancy! I've been for both breakfast and dinner many times and have never been disappointed. Love it there!
Finally, Boma is in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The first time I went there was for dinner and it wasn't great. But I went again for breakfast and YUM!

At WDW, make sure you get a chance to ride: (At MK) Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan's Flight, (At Epcot) Test Track, Soarin', Frozen Ever After, (At AK) Expedition Everest, Avatar Flight of Passage, (At HS) Rock 'n Roller Coaster, Slinky Dog Dash, and Toy Story Midway Mania. They usually have really long lines so definitely use FastPasses and get extra magic hours! Trust me, you don't want to miss these especially if you're a thrill seeker like me!

At DLR, don't miss these rides: (At Disneyland) Splash Mountain, Peter Pan's Flight, Matterhorn Bobsleds, (At CA Adventure) Incredicoaster (my fave!!), Goofy's Sky School, Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout, Monsters Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue (super cute!), Pixar Ferris Wheel, Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin' Around the World, and Toy Story Midway Mania. Again, use FastPasses and get extra hours- you won't regret it!

The best snacks in the Parks in my opinion (at least at WDW) are Mickey ice cream bars (on the stick), Dole Whip (the parks have only the pineapple flavor, but the Polynesian resort also serves vanilla!), churros, chocolate mousse (in France at Epcot), and strawberry popsicles!

In all of the Disney Parks, any restaurant or counter-service will give you a free cup of water. All you have to do is ask!

All the Disney hotels are magical, but my advice to save money is stay in a cheaper one (such as the All-Star resorts at WDW). It's not like you'll be sitting in your hotel all day! But if you're in the mood to spend some serious cash, the Polynesian Village resort at WDW is the best (and fanciest) hotel I've ever stayed in! I haven't stayed in a Disney hotel at DLR, but they all look very nice.

The best times to visit the parks, in my opinion, are around September and January. It's still nice weather (especially in FL!), but crowds are a lot smaller than other times of year. The worst times to go are anytime in the summer and Christmastime!

 

[PrincessAlex]

^ I second the rec of Tony's Town Square...IIRC it used to have a rep for bad food, but I ate there in 2017 and really enjoyed it (I had the cheese flatbread). If you can, try to get a table with a view out onto Main Street...it's very nice.

As for some other advice...(I'm a passholder at WDW and go almost annually, so I have a lot of tips):

• Try to get a seat on the balcony of the Main Street train station for the fireworks. It's the best view, IMHO.
• Ride the monorail at least once. It's a lot of fun.
• My favorite souvenir to get is a pin. They're relatively inexpensive compared to the other items Disney sells, and they're very cute. If pins aren't your thing, though...go for a bag, cup, t-shirt or a jacket. They're pricier, but you'll get plenty of use out of them, so they're worth it.
• Take time to sit down and just...take in the atmosphere. It's nice to just sit and enjoy the ambiance of Disney, and your feet will thank you.
• If you can pick when you get to go, I recommend September/early October or late January/early February. WDW crowds get really bad during the spring, winter, and summer breaks, and it's also just unpleasant to be stuck in Florida's summer heat.
• I recommend downloading the Disney Parks app before you go; you get wait times for all the rides (it also tells you if any are broken down before you walk over to them), and you can book fastpasses and dining reservations with it. It is incredibly handy.
• There's a show with the Muppets that you can watch next to the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square at MK every afternoon. It's super-cute and I recommend it.
• One of my favorite photo spots is with the sword in the stone in front of the carousel at MK! It makes for a great photo op, and if you're lucky it might even come out when you try to pull it.

I'll update my post as well if I think of anymore tips...but my biggest one is to just relax and have fun!

 

[BTdisney]

My Disney advice is:
*Try to go in September/October- the crowds aren't near as bad as they are in summer and during spring break
*Some of the best restaurants (in my opinion) are Coral Reef Restaurant (I love the underwater feel and they have great dessert), Tony's Town Square (I'm not a huge Lady and the Tramp fan, but their food was amazing and when a parade is going on you can sit near the window and watch it without a huge crowd), Be Our Guest (I honestly don't remember their food that well but I know the desserts were great and the rooms are really cool, especially the West Wing), O'hana (I love the Polynesian feel of O'hana, and they give you huge portions and great food), and Boma (this place is highly underrated- it's a delicious breakfast buffet at AK lodge)
*Make sure to get Mickey ice cream bars and splurge on all the Disney snacks
*Don't miss out on Flight of Passage (Avatar banshee ride) in Animal Kingdom- it's one of the best rides there!
If I think of more I'll edit this post and add them! Great idea @mikaylart!