TRAVEL
TOPPING THE CHART OF ‘ BUCKET LIST ’ DESTINATIONS AND FLYING THE FLAG FOR THE ‘ CAN ’ T-WAIT-TO-RETURN ’ LISTS FOR A MYRIAD OF VACATIONERS , WALT DISNEY WORLD ® RESORT LAYS RIGHTFUL CLAIM TO OFFERING THE MOST MAGICAL OF HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS AND EXPERIENCES . FROM CHARACTER PARADES TO SHOPPING PARADISES , RIDING THE WAVES TO RIDING THE MOST INCREDIBLE COASTERS , DELVING INTO PARK SPECIALITY TREATS TO AWE-INSPIRING FIREWORKS , THERE REALLY IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE . BUT HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY ‘ DO ’ DISNEY ? SAMANTHA READY IS AT THE READY WITH SOME TOP TIPS FOR A MAGICAL ADVENTURE …
The excitement was palpable as the littlest Readys opened a special October half-term package . Amongst the long-haul flight must-haves of a cabin case full of snacks , charged iPads , colouring books , and yet more snacks , was an obvious giveaway of our next family holiday destination . Lifting their de-rigeur mouseemblazoned t-shirts and clutching a pair of iconic black mouse ears each , a crescendo of “ We ’ re going to Disney World ?”, “ Are we ?”, “ Are you serious ?”, “ WE ARE GOING TO Disney World !” rang out at deafening decibels .
And this was before we had even dropped off the car with Holiday Extras ’ handy ‘ Meet & Greet ’ car parking at Gatwick , touched down at Orlando International ’ s new international terminal , made our short journey to the iconically accessible Lake Buena Vista , nor checked into Marriott ’ s Fairfield Inn & Suites ; which is conveniently situated affording you an easy drive to the plethora of Disney days out that await .
Now , be prepared , Disney World is the size of a large county in the UK , a vast swathe of parks , waterparks , destination dining hotspots and more , it even has its own road , monorail and water ferry network ! You will , therefore , need time to ‘ do ’ Disney World full justice which is where the multi-day hopper passes ( we had the 5-day Hopper , with most UK visitors cleverly opting for the 7- and 14- day options to slow down the pace ), and Disney ’ s incredible Genie and Genie + services comes into their own …
So where to begin ?
Planning your Disney trip can very easily start to veer from magical to mental as you become bombarded with hints , tips , forums , chat rooms , social media groups and more … But the most important thing is to work out what brings you the most magic ? Is it thrill rides , shows , meandering the magic or , like us , a combination of all ? Then plan a day that mixes up the action with some sit down shows , some thrills with some delicious snacks and utilise virtual queues with Genie + to maximise your time .
Start by knowing your parks .
Each park has its own entrance , car park , premium parking ( which is more
expensive but super close to park entrances ), shuttle bus stops and different ways of arriving . Some , like Animal Kingdom , are a walk in from the carpark . For others , like Magic Kingdom , you can choose either the monorail or ferry transfer for example .
The most iconic park has to be Disney ’ s Magic Kingdom . Home of Cinderella ’ s Castle , 40 attractions and the park where the real magic begins as fairy tales come to life , a day here culminates in the most jaw-dropping of parades and fireworks displays each evening .
Ready ’ s Magic Kingdom Must Rides / Sees : Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ; Big Thunder Mountain ; TRON Lightcycle / Run ( opening April 2023 ); meet Mickey & Minnie at the Town Hall ; the main Parade ; and of course closing fireworks at the Castle .
Disney ’ s Hollywood Studios is the place to step into the magical world of showbiz , where amongst the incredible Star Wars experiences , and Toy Story Land you ’ ll find live-action displays and backstage adventures .
Ready ’ s Hollywood Studios Must Rides / Sees : Slinky Dog Dash ( 5 year old Jaxon ’ s top pick !); Millennium Falcon : Smugglers Run ; Star Wars : Rise of the Resistance ; The Twilight Zone : Tower of Terror ; Toy Story Mania ; watch Beauty & The Beast ; and end with Disney Movie Magic , a projection film and music extravaganza !
Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom , as the name suggests is home to Disney ’ s animal attractions ; with everything from Lion King shows , to safaris and bird displays , as well as access to a whole other realm , Pandora from Avatar , to explore .
Ready ’ s Animal Kingdom Must Rides / Sees : Avatar : Flight of Passage ( 8 year old Lyla ’ s top pick and a simply incredible VR ride experience !); Dinosaur ; Expedition Everest ; Kilimanjaro Safaris ; Na ’ vi River Journey ( but be prepared to get wet !); and don ’ t miss watching the Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo : The Big Blue shows .
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