You have been waiting for weeks or months for your Disney World Vacation to finally begin.  Follow these tips to plan your arrival day to get your trip off to a magical start.

1. Take Advantage Of On-Line Check-In

Reduce your time in line during Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Check-in by utilizing the On-Line Check-in Process found at MyDisneyExperience.com .  This allows you to utilize the special lines at Resort Check-in and greatly reduces the time spent checking-in.

No matter whether you are flying or driving to the Walt Disney World Resort, if you are staying on property, it is best to check-in at your resort first, before doing anything else.  By utilizing this free service you can reduce the time spent here and save more time for enjoying your vacation.

2. Get FastPasses Ahead Of Time With FastPass+

This new feature of MyMagic+ at Disney World has changed arrival day more than anything else.  It used to be that you needed to spend a lot of time researching which park would be the least crowded on arrival day, but that has all changed!

With the advent of being able to make FastPasses up to 60 days ahead of time if you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, you can visit the park that you and your family want to visit the most on your arrival day and still get to experience your favorite attractions regardless of the crowds.

The key is to plan ahead of time and choose your FastPasses as close to the 60 day window as possible.  The other key is to know when you are arriving at Disney World and make sure that your FastPasses align with the times that you will be getting to the park.

As a recommendation if you are flying into Orlando: Do not have your 1st FastPass+ start less than 3 hours from when your plane lands.  This should give you plenty of time to get to your resort then catch Disney Transportation to your favorite theme park without missing the FastPass+ time window.

3. Choose a Dining Location Within The Theme Park

In order to save time on arrival day, choose a Restaurant for Dinner that is located within the Disney World Theme Park that you are visiting.  That can give you over an hour of additional time to enjoy the theme park attractions on that time-crunched 1st day.

Don't forget that you can make dining reservations up to 180 days ahead of time on-line.  Don't take a chance at finding available dining times after you arrive at Disney World.  The risk is too great that your favorite restaurants may not have availability and it is not worth the time spent trying to seek out a place during your vacation.

4. Epcot Is The Best Park For An Afternoon Arrival

If you want to reduce stress at the start of your vacation, then pick Epcot for your arrival day destination, especially if you will not get to the park until later in the day.

Epcot can easily handle large crowds, even during the busiest seasons without making it feel claustrophobic or packed.  This can greatly reduce the stress level and make it easier to see more attractions beyond what you may have FastPasses for.

This advice works no matter what the season or day all year.  The only exception can be on the weekends during the Food & Wine Festival where the World Showcase can become quite congested.

5. Adding One More Day To Magic Your Way Is Inexpensive

Many people have tended to avoid going to a Disney World Theme Park on their arrival day for fear of "wasting" an expensive day of park tickets.  While this may be true for short vacations, if you are staying more than 4 days, the extra day will only cost about $10 per person.  This makes it very inexpensive to add the extra day of park tickets and not be afraid to visit a Disney World park on arrival day.

You have waited so long for this trip, don't deprive yourselves of that amazing feeling of walking through the gates of your favorite Disney World Park.  For many this is when their vacation truly begins.

6. End your day with Fireworks!

The perfect way to end your arrival day at Disney World is to see fireworks!  Both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot have nightly fireworks shows that are truly amazing.  If you are not going to be at either of those parks you can see most of the Magic Kingdom fireworks show from the beach at the Polynesian Resort or catch the Epcot show from the Board Walk.   Both of those options are free and do not require a ticket.

A Walt Disney World Vacation is a magical experience. In order to make the most of each visit, you want to make sure that you avoid some of the pitfalls that can consume your valuable vacation time. Instead follow these Top 6 Time Saving Tips and experience more attractions and have more time to relax instead of waiting in lines.


Disney World Vacation Top 6 Time Saving Tips

6. If you have a car drive yourself to all parks except the Magic Kingdom – Although the free Disney World Transportation is wonderful, it can be slow at times. If you are lucky enough to have a car, you can save time by driving yourself from your resort on days that you visit Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom. If you are visiting the Magic Kingdom, the fastest way to get from your Disney World Resort Hotel to the Magic Kingdom is to take the Disney transportation. This is because the Disney transportation delivers you right to the gate of the Magic Kingdom, where the parking lot is for the Ticket & Transportation Center and you still have to catch either a ferry or monorail to get to the front gate.

5. Make Dining Reservations ahead of time (up to 180 days) – Don’t get caught waiting in long lines or be forced to eat at your 3rd or 4th choice of restaurant during your vacation. Make reservations ahead of time at your desired restaurants with Disney’s easy on-line Dining Reservation system. This will reduce wait time and prevent you wasting time searching for a restaurant that has available space for your hungry family.

4. Visit The Park That Had Extra Magic Hours LAST NIGHT – One useful trick is to find out which park had Extra Magic Hours the night before and head to that park for opening the next morning. Rarely do the crowds that flock to evening Extra magic Hours return to the same park the next morning. This results in smaller initial crowds and shorter lines, making it easier for your family to enjoy the most popular rides and attractions.

3. Use a Touring Plan – Whether you use a Touring Plan from a website like http://www.touringplans.com/ (recommended) or you devise your own, it is a very good idea to have a plan for each day you are visiting the Disney World Theme Parks (Here are some FREE example Touring Plans from Only WDWorld: Disney's Hollywood Studios Touring Plan, Epcot Touring Plan, Disney's Animal Kingdom Touring Plan.) The touring plan will help guide you to the most popular rides and attractions in a manner that is most efficient and will reduce the time you spend waiting in lines.

2. Use Disney’s FastPass System – The FastPass system is totally FREE and is a necessary part of any touring plan or strategy to avoid spending your day stuck waiting in long lines. Disney World’s most popular attractions all have kiosks whether you insert your park entrance ticket and receive a special FastPass that entitles you to return to a special short line for that attraction at a specific time later in the day.

1. Arrive At Park Opening – The single most important strategy for minimizing wait times at Disney World includes arriving at Park Opening. Each day the first two hours are the least crowded and the time when you can get the most done. Even if that means that you leave the park in the early afternoon to go back to your resort to take a nap, you need to make every effort to arrive at park opening. All Disney World tickets include free re-entry to the same park later in the day.


Less Waiting = Less Stress!
Take advantage of the Disney World Vacation Top 6 Time Saving Tips and you will be able to successfully reduce your time spent in lines and increase your time enjoying the magical Disney World rides and attractions. You will also be amazed at how much your stress level will go down, when you avoid standing in the long lines.

Disney World Guests are often overwhelmed when they visit the Disney World Theme Parks since there is so much to do and see.  Only WDWorld will help guide you to the best attractions, entertainment, and dining for the Disney World visitor that only has one day to experience all they can.

In this article we look at Disney's Animal Kingdom and present: The Disney's Animal Kingdom One Day Must See Guide!

This Disney World Park is the newest, opening in 1998, and most highly themed of the 4 Disney World Theme Parks.  Although sometimes confused with a zoo, because of its inclusion of live animals, this park has more details to take in and enjoy than the other parks, as well as, top notch use of technology in the premier thrill rides, and two of the best lives shows at Disney World.  Don't ever let anyone tell you that this is only a half day park.

One Day To Do It All
One day is not enough to see and do it all in any of the four Disney World Theme Parks, but if you only have one day available to spend at a Disney World Park you want to see the best entertainment, experience the best attractions, and eat the best food.  From experience the Editors at Only WDWorld can tell you that Disney World is not best experienced as a race, but rather at a pace where you have time to enjoy not only the main attractions, but also many of the details that the Disney Imagineers have painstakingly included throughout the Parks.  These details are what makes Disney World different from any other Theme Park or Resort vacation that you will experience, and it is the reason that so many people come back to Disney World year after year.


The Disney's Animal Kingdom One Day Must See Guide!This guide will help you get the most out of your day at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  If you visit the attractions in the order presented you will minimize your wait time during the day which will allow you to see more and spend less time waiting in lines.  Take advantage of the Disney FastPass System.  It is free and it will also help you minimize you time spent waiting in line.
Arrive at Disney's Animal Kingdom before the park opens and get a Park Guide to familiarize yourself with the layout of the park.  From the park entrance you proceed to Discovery Island which houses the Tree Of Life, the iconic feature of Disney's Animal Kingdom.  From there the park branches off into 4 additional lands: Camp Minnie Mickey, Africa, Asia, and Dinoland.

1. Expedition Everest - Once the park opens head directly to Expedition Everest, the park's premier thrill ride.  Get a FastPass and then get in the regular line if the wait is under 20 minutes.  This attraction is one of the best themed attractions start to finish of any Disney attraction anywhere.  As you proceed through the lines, take the time to take it all in and learn about the legend of the Yeti and how it is both respected and feared.  The ride mechanism is state of the art in this roller coaster that has segments that go both forward and backwards.  This is a great way to start out your day and by riding it first thing in the morning, you avoid waiting in the lines that will exceed 60 minutes later in the day.
   
   Use the FastPass later in the day if you decide that you would like to experience this attraction again.  Feel free to ride two or three times if the lines are still short at the beginning of the day.  If the lines grow quickly, ride once and then move on.

2. Dinosaur - Near Expedition Everest is Dinoland which is home to the state of the art Dinosaur attraction.  Here you are transported via time machine back to the time of the dinosaurs and see some of Disney's best audio animatronic creations in the form of life sized dinosaurs.  You experience it all on Disney's Patented state of the art ride vehicle that makes the adventure feel real.  By visiting this attraction early in the morning you avoid the lines that develop later in the day.
   
   
3. Kilimanjaro Safari - Walk to Africa and get a FastPass for Kilimanjaro Safari.  While you wait for the time to ride, consider grabbing breakfast (or morning snack) at Pizzafari.  This restaurant area is filled with incredible theming with each room representing a different group of animals.  Take the time to check out each room.  The carved wooden figures come from craftsman from Oaxacan, Mexico.
   
   Once it is time to ride Kilimanjaro Safari, Disney's Animal Kingdom's Signature Attraction, you will get to experience the "two week" safari on 110 acres of Disney's own African Savannah.  Here you will encounter a wide variety of African creatures that will vary with each ride as many of the animals will be roaming freely, possibly getting in the way of the safari vehicles.  Make sure that you bring your camera as there are excellent opportunities to take create pictures of these impressive animals.  Favorites include: Elephants, White & Black Rhinoceros, Crocodile, Hippos, Giraffes, Wildebeests, Warthogs, Lions, Cheetahs, Flamingos, Bongos, Ostriches, Thompson's Gazelles, Ankole Cattle, and many more.

4. Festival Of The Lion King - The entertainment at Disney's Animal Kingdom is top notch.  It is hard to decide which of their shows is best so make sure that you make time to see the Festival Of The Lion King and the show mentioned in #5.  This show features singing, dancing, comedy, audience participation, and amazing costumes.  The enclosed theater is air conditioned, which also makes it a nice escape from the heat.  This is a show that the entire family will love and is a must do on every visit to Disney's Animal Kingdom.

5. Finding Nemo The Musical - Disney's Animal Kingdom's other highly regarded show is Finding Nemo The Musical.  In a twist, Disney took a movie that wasn't a musical and turned it into a musical production for this attraction.  Combining great songs, and unbelievable puppetry, you will see the Finding Nemo story told in a whole new way.  This is another great show for the entire family.
   

6. Yak & Yeti - There are no shortages of places to eat at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  If you are looking for a table service meal in order to take a break and relax, consider eating at Yak & Yeti.  This restaurant with the Asian inspired menu has great food and more incredible theming to enjoy while you are dining.  Other options to consider if you would prefer Quick Service would be to visit the Flame Tree Barbeque.  Here you can enjoy BBQ Ribs or Chicken with some of the best outdoor seating areas at Disney World.

7. Kali River Rapids - When you are ready to cool off, then it is time for the only ride at Disney World where you are guaranteed to get wet.  In the warmer months you will want to get a FastPass for this attraction.  If you do, you can skip ahead to #9 while you wait for your return time.
   
   At Kali River Rapids you take a wild rafting ride through the forest and learn of the struggle of nature versus man's interference.  This is a thrilling ride that is lots of fun.  Take notice of all of the interesting artifacts while you are waiting in line.

8. Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade - Don't forget to catch the unique daily parade that occurs each day at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade feature Disney Characters and unique Animal Based Puppets and vehicles.  There is also a lively music track to accompany the parade.  This is a very good parade, that doesn't get the attention it deserves.

9. Maharaja Jungle Trek - Journey through Asia to see a variety of its native animals.  You will see Bats, Tigers, and a multitude of color birds along this self guided walking tour through the well-themed area.

10. It's Tough To Be A Bug! - Based upon the movie A Bug's Life is the 4-D movie spectacular called It's Tough To Be A Bug!  Disney Imagineers combine a 3-D movie with audio-animatronic creatures, water sprays and other surprises for its guests in this fun presentation featuring all manner of bugs.  Warning:  Some parts may be too intense for young children.

11. DeVine - There are no Disney entertainers that make as much of an impression as DeVine.  This mysterious living vine moves slowly and hides amongst the forests of Disney's Animal Kingdom.  If you walk by too quickly, you will never even know she was there.

12. Pangani Forest Exploration Trail - A self-guided walking trail where you will encounter research stations, gorillas, hippos, and many more African animals.  Disney Cast Members are available to answer questions that you may have about the animals.

Developing A Touring Plan
A Touring Plan is a “plan” or strategy for seeing the attractions that you wish to see, while minimizing the amount of time that is spent waiting in lines. It takes into account the potential wait times and popularity of various attractions and it also looks at trends for typical park going crowds.

A good touring plan for your visit to a Walt Disney World Park can make the difference between a long, tired, frustrating day, and the best vacation ever.

Epcot: A Tale of Two Worlds
Upon entering Epcot you will want to familiarize yourself with the layout. Look at a map of Epcot prior to entering the park.

Epcot is divided into two Main Sections: Future World and the World Showcase.  Future World opens 2 hours before the World Showcase each day so you typically will start your day there.

There are two attractions in Epcot that develop long lines and will form the basis for your Touring Plan: Soarin’ and Test Track.

Enter the park at rope drop (Disney lingo for opening which is typically 9:00 am). Send a designated person from your party to Soarin’ to get FastPasses for the group. (If you are not familiar with FastPasses read more here: FastPass - the Ticket to Maximizing Your Fun At Disney World)


After riding Test Track proceed to Mission: Space. There are two versions of this ride: mild and wild. Choose the one that best suits your style, but we highly recommend riding this attraction.

A good touring plan for your visit to a Walt Disney World Park can make the difference between a long, tired, frustrating day, and the best vacation ever.

What is a touring plan?

A touring plan is a strategy or gameplan for visiting the attractions in a park. It takes into account the potential wait times and popularity of various attractions, and it also looks at trends for typical park going crowds. A good touring plan will allow you to see the attractions that you want to see with minimal time spent waiting in lines during the day.


If you wish to have a detailed, customizable touring plan here are three web sites that charge a fee, but have these available for Walt Disney World Theme Parks. You can check out their site for details as to what they offer.

http://www.touringplans.com/
http://www.ridemax.com/
http://www.tourguidemike.com/

I have not personally used any of these, but they are all reputable sites.

If you are looking for a Touring Plan developed through 25+ visits of experience that is free of charge, here it is:

The Only WDWorld Hollywood Studios Touring Plan

Strategy

Hollywood Studios currently has 3 extremely popular attractions (The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith) and 2 live action shows (Lights, Motors, Action! and Indiana Jones Eric Stunt Spectacular) that your visit should be planned around.

The other attractions will be worked in around these in order to minimize wait time and walking distance.

Starting Point

In order to minimize wait times it is important to arrive at the park prior to opening. Familiarize yourself with the layout of the park and find out the schedule for the live shows.

If we use this week as an example, Hollywood Studios opens at 9:00 am each day. Lights, Motors, Action! has 2 shows each day at: 1:20pm & 4:30 pm. Indiana Jones has 5 shows each day with the first at 11:30 am and the last at 5:30 pm.

The Plan

• The plan is to hit the 3 most popular attractions first, as soon as the park opens. I would recommend heading to Toy Story Mania first. Get a FastPass (to learn more about FastPasses click: here ), and if the regular line is not long get in it. That way you can ride the newest, most popular attraction twice.
  


• If the wait time is 30 minutes or more, skip it and head to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Ride that and then go to Tower of Terror. After riding both, check the time to see if you can go back to Toy Story Mania to use your FastPass.
  


• If any of these attractions has a wait time posted over 30 minutes skip it and get a FastPass later to ride it. Do not waste your time in line if you do not have to.
  


• After riding the “big” 3 you want to work your way around the park to get to Lights, Motors, Action! by 1:00 pm for the 1:30pm show.
  


• Visit Little Mermaid, Great Movie Ride, and Back Lot Studio Tour as you work your way to the back of the park. Grab lunch before the 1:30pm LMA! show if there is time.
  


• After the show head towards Star Tours and Muppet 3-D. Get a FastPass at Star Tours if necessary and then go see the Muppet 3-D Show.
  


• Target the 4:15pm show for Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, if you are running late then catch the 5:30pm show.
  


• If you are an American Idol fan they have 7 shows daily with the Finale at the 7:00 pm show pitting the winners from the earlier shows against each other for the day’s grand prize winner.
  

The Fallback

During busy times use the FastPass to avoid the long waits in lines. Use 30 minutes as your guide whether to wait or to get the FastPass and come back later.

Visit the other attractions that I didn’t mention, get character autographs, watch the spontaneous entertainment that goes on throughout the day as you make your way around the park. If you see something that looks interesting, stop and check it out.

If you race your way around the park to get to each attraction and try to keep to an exact schedule, you WILL MISS what Disney World is all about.

It is about noticing the details, taking in the atmosphere, and relaxing while you become immersed in this fantasy world. It is about having fun!

If you miss an attraction due to excessive lines, don’t worry about it. You can hit it next time.

Conclusion:

Have a basic plan in mind, but be willing to deviate if something interesting catches your eye. Having an enjoyable time is more important than keeping a strict schedule. Starting with the most popular attractions when the park opens and utilizing FastPasses will go a long way towards making sure you are able to see what you want to see.