Touring the Parks with a Plan!

The one area where most families are not prepared when it comes to their vacation is park-touring. Most newcomers (and even people who make return trips) really do think that they can wing it and be just fine. And honestly, if you choose this approach, you WILL ride a few rides. However, most of your time will be spent 1) Wandering and 2) Waiting. You didn't pay big bucks to wander and wait! Make a plan!

Sit down at your computer and go to Disney's website. Click on "Parks." For another option, WDW Info has a great listing as well.

Go through each Theme Park and make a list of the attractions and rides that sound enjoyable to your family. List any that sound remotely interesting. Now, go through and highlight or circle ones that you think are absolute must-sees. These will be your priority rides, and you'll do these first in your day. The rest of the rides/attractions you listed will be after you've completed your priorities.

Now CLICK HERE to view detailed park maps (thanks to the Orlando Welcome Center's website), and zoom in to where you can see exactly what the layout of each park is. Your best best is to get to the parks before they open, and when the rope drops, make a beeline for your #1 Priority Ride. If a line has already formed, someone from your party can go to another priority ride (close by) and get Fastpasses. [Sidenote: Always make sure you have some sort of Fastpass in your hand that is ready to be used. It's a great system, and it's a shame to not utilize it!]

Looking at your map, plan out your priority rides in the order in which you plan to go. Trust me on this. It's so nice to get off of a ride and immediately know where you're headed next. It takes a load off your shoulders and everyone is on the same page.

Of course, I always recommend using The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. Their whole book is divine, but the touring plans alone make it worth the purchase. I use a blend of their plan and my priority list.

After you've mapped everything out, I recommend typing out your (flexible) schedule, and include your Advanced Dining Reservations (which I highly recommend having for sit-down meals). That way, your entire day is on paper, and you're not searching for miscellaneous papers and notes. Doing your homework ahead of time will save you so much stress during your time in the parks!

Here are my Priority Rides and Attractions for each park. Keep in mind that these are with MY specific tastes in mind. Your list could be completely different!

Magic Kingdom

• The Haunted Mansion
• It's a Small World
• Mickey's Philarmagic
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
  
• Space Mountain

Epcot

• SOARIN'
• Spaceship Earth
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Hollywood Studios

• Beauty and the Beast Stage Show
• The Great Movie Ride
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Animal Kingdom

• Festival of the Lion King
• Finding Nemo : The Musical
• Expedition Everest
• Kali River Rapids

Break down your planning into small steps, and it won't seem as overwhelming. This is an overview of plan-making, so if you have any questions, please let me know!