Disney World Florida: Park Tips

Once you’ve made up your mind to see what Disney World Florida has to offer, you’ll no doubt start to think of all kinds of questions regarding life inside the parks. With so much to see and do, and a whole host of practicalities to think of, we‘ve put together a useful guide to try to equip you with all the information you’ll need.

Accessibility & Restrictions

Wheelchair access for getting around the parks is as simple as regular access. Wheelchairs are available to rent for $12 a day or for $10 a day for the duration of your stay. For waterparks and Disney Springs, it's $12 a day but a $100 refundable deposit is also taken. In Disney hotels, it’s possible to book accessible rooms.

Service animals are allowed in most areas of the parks, as long as they are kept on a lead and under control. There are some service animal relief areas across the parks, and if you wish to visit an attraction which they are not allowed on, there are a range of options available to you - just ask a cast member.

There are assistive listening and captioning systems, sign language interpretations, and Braille guidebooks available.

For some attractions, mostly the rollercoasters, there are height restrictions in place to keep everyone safe. Other restrictions include no selfie sticks or unauthorised ‘professional’ camera equipment, no skateboards, scooters or roller-skates, and no clothes with inappropriate designs. Restricted items will be confiscated by security on arrival.

Parades & Festivities

There are two main parades in Walt Disney World, both in Magic Kingdom. They are the ‘Festival of Fantasy Parade’ and ‘Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street Party’. They happen at certain times throughout the day although the times are subject to change. If you are desperate to see a certain parade or show, make sure you ask a cast member when you get to the park what times they begin, and get yourself into a good viewing position in plenty of time. The times will also be printed on the park maps that you can pick up as you enter. The parades generally start at Adventureland, pass through Liberty Square, head down Main Street USA, and then end right by the entrance.

The parks get festive makeovers at Christmas and Halloween, with a few heart-shaped projections on Valentine’s Day. They also litter a few ornamental eggs around at Easter and give you the chance to meet the Easter Bunny. If you plan to go to Disney over the October half term you can get tickets for Mickey’s not-so-scary Halloween Party, where everyone can dress up and head around the park on a trick or treat trail, on which you’ll get a LOT of candy. Or, if you plan on celebrating Christmas with Mickey and Minnie, you can get tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for some festive fun and frolics. Whenever there’s a widely celebrated event, Magic Kingdom will often host a special parade.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is available throughout the parks and is surprisingly fast. You should take advantage of this during rest time spent at your hotels, however, as it’s doubtful that you’ll want to lug a laptop or tablet around all day, and besides, you won’t have time to surf the web in the parks. Having said this, posting a quick social media update on your holiday on your phone while out and about is quick and easy.

Nap Time!

Disney World = a lot of walking, a lot of exercise, a lot of energy, and a lot of excitement. Taking regular breaks throughout the day will seriously benefit all your family – both the little ones and the parents! Allocate some time to sit and relax in one of the park’s resting areas, or if you’re staying in a Disney hotel, take advantage of the free transport and head back for a swim or a quick siesta, once or even twice during the day. It can help you revitalise and get back in the game a little later on, ready for fireworks and evening festivities.

Dressing Up

You may not know this, but excluding Mickey’s not-so-scary Halloween Party, anyone over the age of 14 is prohibited from dressing up as any Disney character you can meet in the park. This has to do with something Disney call “character integrity” - a feature of which is to ensure that no more than one of any character can be found in any one place. This is because the young mind might not know the difference between an amateur and a professional, so seeing another park guest walk past dressed as Cinderella while they’re on their way to meet the real princess, is likely to confuse them and risk ruining the magic. This is only the case for older guests, however, so if your little ones are under 14 and enjoy donning an Elsa dress or a Buzz Lightyear suit, they can show it off in the parks all they like.

One way guests get around this is something called ‘Disney-Bounding’ which involves choosing your outfit with a character in mind. For example, a party of seven guests could each be assigned one of Snow White’s dwarves, and wear a t-shirt that matches their coat. Or, if you love Frozen, you could wear a simple blue dress and plait your hair to look somewhat Elsa-like. If you do decide to try this, make sure you go and visit the character you’re dressed as and point it out, as they will make a huge fuss of you making for some fantastic photos!

When To Go

Unsurprisingly, the summer season is always the busiest time of year for any sunny, child-oriented holiday - with spikes at school holidays and other international holidays. But generally speaking, Disney World is fairly busy all the time. Be on the look-out for new rides or additions to the parks, as these will always have an effect on how busy the parks are – and might also impact on the opening times.

If you want to make your trip extra special, you should see what’s on and go when there is an event. As well as the aforementioned Christmas and Halloween celebrations, Earth Day is celebrated in Animal Kingdom (which is also its anniversary), there are Star Wars days at Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT celebrates multiple global events throughout the year.

Find out more about holidaying at Disney World Florida, and about Disney Cruise Line holidays. Or for more practical and helpful advice, take a look at our packing tips for Disney World Florida.

Magic Kingdom  -  Animal Kingdom  -  Hollywood Studios  -  EPCOT  -  Water Parks & Other Attractions