Gadling

I’ve been to Disneyland four times and Disney World twice; none of these outings were any longer than a day. Instead, I’ve gotten to know a bit about how to make the best of a short time and feel satisfied at the exit gate. Although I’m not an expert, here are some strategies that have worked for me and my gang—or at least for me, and doesn’t that count?

Once, when I went with a group of special education high-schoolers, there was only 6 ½ hours to pack in what we could. (We flew out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and back in the same day.) Still, that was enough to hit everyone’s must-see attractions and eat lunch at the Golden Horseshoe. (This is a quick service restaurant with a show that suits every age group.) One reason everyone felt cheerful about their choices throughout the day was that everyone knew what they wanted to see beforehand. I had maps sent to us so the students could plot out their strategies about what they wanted to see most and what attractions were near each other so they could hit those at the same time. They knew which way to go to get to their choice destinations before we entered the gate.

2. Know how to beat the crowds, or at least get ahead of them.

Start from the back and move to the front. Many people start at the front and move towards the back. In the beginning of the day, the ride lines will be shorter further back. The reverse happens by the end. Also, when there are two lines, pick the one on the left. More people go right. If you’re passing by a ride you really want to go on, get a Fast Pass. This is the ticket that will get you on the ride during a certain time period. I only remembered to do this for Splash Mountain and it worked great. We went to the Fast Pass kiosk at Splash Mountain, scanned our park admission tickets, got the next available Fast Pass tickets which were for about 1 1/2 hours later, went on another ride, and then headed back when it was our scheduled time. Then we skipped on through without spending loads of time in line. I wish we had done this for Peter Pan’s Flight ride. That line was horrific all day long and I didn’t think of the Fast Pass until after it wouldn’t have done us any good since we weren’t going to stay that late, so we never went on it. The photo is of the Splash Mountain lines. If you click on the photo, you’ll get a larger image where you can see where it says Fast Pass. (Thanks to Cookie Bandit on Flickr.)

3. Don’t approach the day as if everyone has to stick together the whole time.

Also, the students were allowed to go where they wanted to go with designated meeting places. This kept everyone happy since they could follow their own heart’s desire instead of taking in rides they didn’t want to go on or waiting for someone to make a decision. This strategy also works when you are with multiple ages. This past Christmas day when I was at Disney World with my exuberant 5 year-old son, my 14 year-old daughter and my 71 year-old father (my husband opted out) my daughter and I went on Splash Mountain while my dad and son took in Pirates of the Caribbean for the second time. When she and I went on Space Mountain, they went on Buzz Light Year again. Knowing which rides are near each other can help.

4. Take time out to regroup by eating a healthy, relaxing meal.

Each time I’ve been to either place, we’ve stopped for a sit down lunch in a restaurant. This helps to get some relaxing and regrouping time in. Even with the high-schoolers, I insisted that we meet up for a meal. Regrouping around a meal gives the sense that you are sharing the experience somewhat. From what I’ve experienced, the restaurants are affordable, the quality is good and you can make sure if you have kids, they get something healthy, at least once instead of grabbing French fries to nibble at in line.

5. Stay for the fireworks.

There’s something about that last burst of fireworks that says, okay, if we go now, we won’t have missed anything. They really are fantastic. Even if it means bedtime is going to be late, it’s the Magic Kingdom.

6. Spring the money for the plastic ponchos if it rains.

I’ve been caught in the rain twice and each time we bought the ponchos. They aren’t cheap, but staying somewhat dry is worth every penny. If this is your one day, make it a good one. You can buy them in about any of the gift shops. As a hint, if the kids size runs out, buy the adult size. You can tie up the corners of the bottom to make it shorter and it actually keeps a child drier. This is a tried and true fix.

7.. Decide how much money each person can spend on souvenirs beforehand.

Because both Disneys are essentially grand marketing tools to get you to buy everything Disney from morning to night-they’ve got to be the biggest gift shops on the planet-be clear about what the buying rules are. My son bought the smallest Stitch doll (Lilo and Stitch) that I could find towards the end of the day. Our dog has since chewed it up, so I’m glad I didn’t fold and let him go nuts.

8. Pick the day you go wisely. The middle of the week has less people.

The great thing about going to either of these places during the week now, is that with school kids back in session, the lines should be more manageable-just go during the week.

9. Buy tickets on-line beforehand so you don’t need to wait in line at the gate.

I’ve never done this, but it makes sense. As the instructions warn, the e-ticket, is a ticket so protect it like you would a regular ticket.

Get more information on Disneyworld in Orlando.