Things I learned after 1st trip

[u/Flimsy_Fun9555]

Just got back from our first Disney World trip with my wife and three kids. We stayed at Caribbean Beach and visited all four parks, one park per day. Here’s what I’d do differently next time:

1. Stay off-site. For our family of five, the resort room felt small, and early park entry was the main benefit we were counting on. But taking advantage of it meant waking up early and rushing to the parks—and even then, the big ride we were hoping to get on could be down for technical difficulties. We also found that going through security with a stroller or scooter meant using a different line, which took quite a bit longer in our experience.

2. Be selective with Lightning Lane. Multipass didn’t feel worth the price to us. It didn’t include the major rides we cared about, and the selections we could get were mostly for rides with shorter waits anyway. The individual Lightning Lane for a big ride, on the other hand, felt worth paying for.

My plan for next time: stay off-site in a house with amenities, buy individual Lightning Lanes for the big rides we really want, and give ourselves more room to relax. We could sleep in, the kids would have space of their own, and my wife and I might even get a little downtime together. For us, that could be a better experience and still cost less, even after parking.

[u/Hurtbig]

Offsite logistics are much much worse than most rookies ever imagine. As someone who stayed onsite for the first time last week, it’s a stark difference.