Tips and Tricks to a Magical Disney Vacation!

By: Megan Biller

It all started when I was two years old. My parents brought me to the magical land of Disney World, and I was hooked. I've been there at least 15 times since that first trip, including my honeymoon! 

Every vacation there has been magical even in the heat and humidity of Florida in August! Although most of this was due to the magic of Disney itself, it was also due to the tips I have learned, and the tricks we use frequently! Allow me to share a few with you so that your Disney vacation can be just as magical as mine are! 

Utilize Extra Magic Hours 

Being a Disney resort guest, your family can enter certain parks an hour early, or stay up to three hours later at night! These are great times to ride on those popular rides before crowds start to form, or when the crowds are leaving. 

Take an Afternoon Break 

This is extremely important if you are traveling with kids, or are visiting in the summer. Taking a break from the parks in the afternoon allows you to enjoy your resort pool, or take a nap so you can ride more rides in the evening. It also lessens the chances of a mid-day breakdown in the middle of Main Street USA! 

Make Dining Reservations 

Even if you are traveling during a value season, it is important to make dining reservations! It is very difficult to walk up to a restaurant and be able to have a meal. Disney allows you to make these 180 days before your arrival date, so research what restaurants you are interested in first, then make those reservations! 

Use Disney's FASTPASS 

Disney's FASTPASS is available for any guest who has a park ticket. Head to your favorite ride (that usually has a longer line) and put your park ticket in the kiosk. It will print out a ticket with a return time for you to come back to the ride, walk in a shorter line to the front of the line! After using your FASTPASS (or 2 hours after getting one) you can do the same for another ride. (Another note: if the stand-by line is 20 minutes or less, it is better to just wait in line.) 

Explore the Resorts 

Disney's attention to detail goes beyond the theme parks. Explore the resorts as well! At the Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can view animals outside the hotel room, roaming in the savannah. At the Polynesian Resort, listen to the sounds of the Pacific islands while relaxing on a white sand beach. At Coronado Springs Resort, explore ancient Mayan ruins. At the Boardwalk Resort, watch entertainers along the actual boardwalk! (Another note: If traveling around the holidays, the resorts are decorated with trees, lights and even gingerbread houses!) 

The tips and tricks are endless! Each Disney vacation is different in its own way but always magical!

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Combine your Disneyland Paris trip with other family attractions

By: Samuel Turner

Theme parks are a mainstay of the family holiday options, especially in the summer. Something about amusement parks makes kids believe they are characters in their own favourite cartoons or on the set of their adventures movies exercising their right to one thrilling experience after the other. 

Adults, we all know, are not much different. While we're happy to claim to be at these hubs of boundless enjoyment purely for the sake of the kids, we secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) enjoy the experience. If you have already visited a theme park with children you may have already experienced the transformation from strict and orderly parent to 21st century Peter Pan for a few weeks in these modern day Neverlands. 

There are many theme parks to choose from in the UK (such as Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, Legoland and Chessington World Adventures). Europe offers many more options, from the oldest theme park in Europe at the Tivoli Gardens (Copenhagen, Denmark) to the home of the biggest rollercoaster at Europa-Park (Rust, Germany). However, no theme park evokes as much excitement in children, or entices as many visits, as Disneyland in Paris, France. Over 12 million people visit the park annually, dwarfing second place Europa-Park's 4 million annual visitors. 

Opened in 1992 in Marne-la-Vallee in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France, Disneyland Paris is one of France's and Europe's most visited tourist attractions. Its unique appeal to families stems from the longevity of the brand and its characters. It is one of very few childhood crazes that can be said to be shared by the children of today, their parents and grandparents. Perhaps only sports share this privileged status. 

With a combination of theme parks (Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park), retail, dining, entertainment hubs, golf courses and seven hotels there is lots for every member of the family to enjoy, both on their own and together as a family. Impressive, but you would not expect anything less from an attraction that is one fifth the size of Paris. 

The icing on the cake is that Paris - a cultural centre and one of Europe's top tourist destinations is only a few minutes away and can easily be added into the mix of your holiday plans. While the city may suit parents more than children, the whole family can enjoy the fruits of cooking classes that are becoming increasingly popular weekend holiday excuses in themselves. The Pompidou centre also offers a variety of weird and wonderful exhibitions, and several installations aimed directly at children and young adults. 

Close by, outside of Paris, the Parc Des Felins in Lumigny-Nesles-Ormeaux is a theme park with more genuine animal entertainment than Mickey & Minnie Mouse. This park is home to 25 species of cats, plus Lemurs and Farm Animals. The cats are afforded a lot of space and the many tame and non-dangerous species are allowed to walk freely so you can observe them in their natural behaviour. 

There are many Chateaux to enjoy, and the open spaces and beautiful gardens are well suited to kids with a lot of energy or walks with very young children pushchairs. The Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte in Maincy is perhaps the most beautiful of all, and every summer Saturday sees the exterior lit by 2,000 candles, while every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month features a firework display.

Article to the Author: Samuel Turner

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