5 Must-Do’s For Disney World First-Timers

We like to think of ourselves as Disney Adults around these parts, but as many times as we’ve been to Walt Disney Resorts we’re still constantly discovering new experiences at the parks.

Lucky for us, we were recently invited to a special media event that allowed us to bring a first timer friend for a visit which made for the perfect opportunity to introduce our newbie guest to our favorite attractions while also giving us a fresh perspective on how to plan a truly incredible first time visit to the parks.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

First things first, once you know you’re going to anything Disney we advise you not to play it totally by ear and instead to use all the tools available to make your trip as seamless as possible. Download the app for the park and get familiar with My Genie, the virtual queue and the lightning passes. You also may want to start booking meal reservations at your resort hotel and Disney Springs — but if you forget, you might want to check if you can finagle a res via the app once you arrive for your vacation.

Some tips – a normal day at the parks could clock you between 5K-20K steps so don’t neglect function for fashion. As much as we love our Air Force Ones and Jordans we typically opt for our most comfy shoes… so invest in a good pair of Hoka, On Cloud, Merrell, Adidas, New Balance, dad shoe etc… now and break it in before you land!

Stay hydrated! It’s almost always a hot day in the sun — unless you go during hurricane season like we did – which brings us to our next tip – check the weather and if the forecast calls for rain bring a poncho or hooded jacket to the park with you. Shoe covers also come in handy if you want to avid wet shoes/socks. All of this advice comes from experience!

If you stay at a Disney resort you get early access to the park — we advise you to take advantage. If you get a park hopper ticket it’s super easy to go enjoy your morning reservation before the park opens to the general public. Lines should be lighter and you’ll be starting your day with fun. Then once you’ve hit your favorite rides you can go eat and/or nap before you head to a second park after 2pm!

While there are lots of great rides at all of the Disney Parks, there are two we would say are can’t miss experiences for anyone and especially first timers.

EPCOT’s Cosmic Rewind And Animal Kingdom’s Flight Of Passage Are The Rides Of Your Life

1. EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

We can’t say enough about how much we love this ride. We got a chance to preview it before it opened last year and rode it multiple times. That said, if you get motion sickness, don’t like roller coasters or are afraid of heights – this bad boy is not your friend. This is also a ride that comes with a legendary line so invest in a lightning pass!

If you’re already at Epcot we also highly recommend stopping by the new Journey of Water experience, Inspired by Moana. It’s an awesome interactive attraction that offers a great opportunity to cool off – you can also stay dry if you prefer. The space gives zen island vibes and lots of play opportunity for kids of all ages.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is another great option for the kids and Soarin’ Around The World is an oldie but goodie. Also make sure to take advantage of Epcot’s seasonal offerings! Check your calendars if you want to time your visit around their International Food & Wine festival. Our visit coincided with the festival and we found our favorite eats in the Japan and Spain sections of the park.

You also may want to check the schedule for their Eat To The Beat concert series. We saw BoyzIIMen while we were there and they put on a great show.

If you’re visiting later in the day evening fireworks at Epcot are also phenomenal.

2. Flight of Passage

If you’re visiting Disney Parks we highly suggest getting Park Hopper passes and/or making reservations at multiple parks because while the Magic Kingdown is great, no visit is complete for us without going to Animal Kingdom: to ride the Flight of Passage in Pandora. It amazes me that I didn’t name this attraction first because it’s without a doubt my hands down favorite. This thrilling ride is a visual wonderland – you’ll get to experience life in Pandora through the eyes of an Avatar – 3D glasses included. It’s also relatively gentle on the non-coaster riders while also offering just enough bobbing and weaving for thrill seekers to stay engaged. This is another one we would advise you to invest in a lightning pass for bc the wait time can get lengthy.

While you’re at Animal Kingdom make sure any fans of rollercoasters pay a visit to Expedition Everest, it’s another fave. We also recommend catching the Festival of the Lion King performance and doing the Safari ride there. We haven’t had a chance to do the Safari After Dark yet but it’s on our to-do list for our next visit. One first time experience we did have on this visit was the Animation Experience at Conservation Station. During our lesson we also learned about Floyd Norman, who was Disney’s first full-time Black animator and is legendary for bringing characters to life such as Shere Khan and Kaa from Disney’s “The Jungle Book.” Today, Black animators such as Bruce Smith and Marlon West

continue the tradition. They have worked with the Walt Disney Animation Studios in films ranging from “The Jungle Book” to

“The Princess and the Frog” to “Frozen” and beyond.

3. DisneySprings

While options for food and shopping abound at Disney, some of our favorite places to do so happen to be at Disney Springs.

For the pescatarians and seafood lovers who find themselves at the parks — we highly recommend making a reservation at either Boat House or Paddlefish. Trust us, your tastebuds will thank you.

While you’re at Disney Springs we also highly recommend touring the ArtWalk there. The Disney Springs Art Walk features artists from Central Florida and beyond, who create murals. There are several Black artists whose works are currently being featured at the outdoor art walk. One of our favorites was this painting Crossing Gods by Ernest Shaw who says the mural is part of a series that “highlights the humanity of inner-city youth who are stereotyped, misunderstood and demonized.”

If you like shows, we also recommend checking out the Drawn to Life Cirque du Soleil show which is at Disney Springs, but be forewarned that it deals with some adult themes, like death, so it might be a little intense for the kiddos. If healthy eats and Black-owned restaurants are your thing we also suggest checking out the Local Green food truck at Disney Springs.

4. Character Meet & Greets

If you’re lucky you may encounter some of your favorite Disney characters while visiting the parks, but if there is a certain character you’re trying to meet, we suggest using My Disney Experience to reserve a time to take a photo with them! It’s great because years later you can always come back and try and recreate the moment.

Another great opportunity can be found by making a reservation to dine at Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom. You can get a great steakhouse quality meal there and have the opportunity to be greeted by the Beast himself while dining at his castle. Great photo opportunities abound here — we recommend walking around to different dining sections and paying close attention to the artwork — it’s got a life of it’s own!

5. Star Wars: Rise Of The Resistance

We definitely don’t want to leave Hollywood Studios out of the conversation. While we don’t have the stomach for Tower of Terror, we love the whole Galaxy’s Edge section of Hollywood Studios — especially because the cast there really get into character and you will feel transported to the films. The ride itself is our favorite of a trio of rides that are all Star Wars based — the other two are fun as well but this one is the most thrilling and while it includes a few drops, it’s also fine for kids.

Have fun! And May the Force be with You!