The Magic of Disney World: A Family Adventure You’ll Never Forget

If you're looking for a family holiday destination where childhood dreams come true, magic fills the air, and memories are made at every corner, look no further than Disney World! The air is different at Disney World and there’s something about the atmosphere that just puts everyone in a great mood.

Located in Orlando, Florida, this iconic theme park is a dream destination for families, couples, and anyone young at heart. This travel blog is about our visit to Disneyworld in 2022 and sharing the tips, tricks and lessons we learnt for making the most of your trip.

NOTE:  What worked for us, may not be what's best for your family. These are just things that we found helpful and/or made our trip go much more smoothly.

Tips for planning before you arrive

Before you arrive at Orlando, here are a few things you may need to pre-book, buy and consider:

• Entrance Tickets - even though theme park reservations are no longer required (they were when we went), and even though you can buy tickets at the front entrance it is still worthwhile considering pre-booking your tickets to make entering theme parks more streamlined and easier. When looking to buy your tickets you can start with the official Disneyworld website but I would also suggest comparing prices on Undercover Tourist or at GetYourGuide.

• Special events - we visited Disneyworld during Christmas, so we decided to spend the extra money and purchase the Very Merry Christmas Party tickets. While the tickets were expensive it did mean we could visit the Park for longer and with less crowds. There was hot chocolate and cookies spread out across the park for free.

• Crowd calendar - If possible refer to the crowd calendars to determine best days to visit each theme park

• Accommodation - are you staying on site at a Disney World themed hotel or off-site? To make things more affordable (particularly with the exchange rate from Australia we stayed off site). We stayed at the Blue Heron Beach Resort and highly recommend it for families. We had 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and laundry - making it feel like a home away from home rather than a small hotel room

• Car hire - will you need to rent a car or will you rely on ubers? Having a car meant we could have more flexibility and allowed us to drive into Orlando to watch a basketball game or drive to Universal Studios

• Stroller hire - if you have a child under the age of about 5 years old then YES you need to hire a stroller. We hired ours from World Strollers . They delivered our stroller to our hotel and it had our name on the stroller so we couldn't lose it at Disney World. It made moving around the theme parks so much easier as we didn't have to drag or carry our 4 1/2 year old and we could put our drinks and bags in the storage compartment of the stroller. You may also want to consider including an air tag into your stroller so you can easily find yours amongst the hundreds of other strollers

• Themed family shirts and outfits - this may sound like overkill or weird but yes it is a thing and not unusual to see families wearing matching Disney-themed shirts or outfits. If you want to save money then I recommend buying personalised shirts (e.g. we bought ours on Etsy), princess dresses or buying mouse ears and lanyards on-line before arriving as you will save money compared to buying at Disney World shops

• Autograph books - it is such a simple souvenir, but I would recommend bringing an autograph book for your children to ask characters to sign

• Agree on 'bucket list rides and attractions' - as there is so much to see and do in each of the 4 theme parks it is a good idea to do some research and create a 'bucket list' of each person's rides and attractions and focus on these first. Refer to the itinerary I have created below

• Download the Disney World App - this will help to understand the layout of the theme parks, what is the current wait time for rides and location of restaurants and parades

• Dining experiences - pre-book your preferred dining experiences

• Virtual Queue Guardians of the Galaxy - you will need to join the virtual queue using the My Disney Experience app, available at 7:00 AM (Eastern Time) and potentially again at 1:00 PM, or 6:00 PM for select hotels, with a valid park admission and potentially a theme park reservation.  I jumped on at 6:55AM and had to keep refreshing the app. At 7:00AM I was able to get a queue time of 1:00PM

• Pre-book workshops to build your own lightsabers or droid - this is an amazing experience (and not cheap!) but you will need to pre-book your time to attend. Tip - book a late afternoon timeslot so that you don't have to carry your droid or lightsaber around the park all day.

Tips to make your trip more enjoyable

• Battery packs - as you will be at the theme parks for a long day and using your phone regularly for photos and the Disney app you may find you need to recharge your phone or devices

• Comfortable shoes and clothes - this is a no brainer as you don't want blisters or sore feet to stop you from having fun. I highly recommend these Columbia walking / hiking shoes as they provided excellent support and are waterproof for those water rides

• Pack ponchos - in case it rains or for water rides

• Bring water and snacks - you can easily fill up plastic / reusable water bottles and it will save you lots of money. Also bring lots of snacks!

• Parades and fireworks - find a good spot EARLY to watch the parade and fireworks and be prepared to sit down and wait

• Buy the popcorn keep-sake buckets - then save money next time you refill them. It is a great way to keep the little ones fed and it is a bring home souvenir

• Build in rest time - visiting Disney World is a marathon experience and we easily spent 10-12 hours a day. We only ended up spending half a day at Animal Kingdom as we were tired and found it didn't inspire us like the other 3 theme parks.

Below is an overview of the 4 theme parks and what we did at each.

Day 1: Epcot

We started at Epcot and were immediately swept up in the excitement. Epcot is known for its futuristic designs and the World Showcase. It’s an excellent park for both kids and adults to learn and explore.

• Spaceship Earth: The iconic giant geodesic sphere is a perfect starting point.

• World Showcase: This part of Epcot is where cultures from around the world come to life. From the streets of France to the temples of Japan, we explored different countries without ever leaving the park.

• Guardians of the Galaxy ride: voted one of the best rides across all 4 theme parks

• Food & Dining: Epcot is also a food lover's paradise! Try the free international Coke samples

Epcot Map

Day 2 - Animal Kingdom – Where Adventure Meets Nature

Our next stop was Animal Kingdom, a park that blends adventure with wildlife.

• Avatar Flight of Passage: If there’s one ride you don’t want to miss, it’s this one. Set in the world of Pandora, it’s a 3D simulation where you “ride” a banshee through the floating mountains of Pandora. It’s breathtaking!

• Kilimanjaro Safaris: This is an absolute must. Hop on a safari truck and drive through an African savanna, where you’ll encounter real animals in their natural habitats, including lions, elephants, and giraffes.

• Expedition Everest: For those looking for more thrills, this rollercoaster takes you through the Himalayas on an exhilarating ride while trying to escape the Yeti

• Lion King Show: A great live show for all inside the theatre

Animal Kingdom Map

Day 3 - Hollywood Studios – Lights, Camera, Action!

Hollywood Studios, a place where movies and TV come to life. It’s especially great for families who love the magic of film.

• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: This immersive land is a dream come true for Star Wars fans. We had a blast flying the Millennium Falcon on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and the atmosphere in Galaxy’s Edge is unbelievable—it really feels like you’ve stepped into a Star Wars movie! Build your own lightsaber or droid!

• Toy Story Land: The kids adored this colorful, playful land. We rode Slinky Dog Dash, which was an adorable rollercoaster, and Toy Story Mania, a fun interactive shooting game.

• Radiator Springs: Take the cable cars to Art of Animation Hotel to visit Radiator Springs and 'Cars'.

Hollywood Studios Map

Day 4 - Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is the ultimate theme park and a place where fairy tales come to life. From Cinderella’s Castle to the enchanting rides, there’s an endless amount of fun to be had.

• Character Meet-and-Greets: One of the highlights for us as a family was meeting the iconic Disney characters. Don’t forget to check the app for character locations to make sure you don’t miss any favorites.

• Parades & Fireworks: The evening parade and fireworks show, “Happily Ever After,” was absolutely breathtaking. The fireworks lit up the sky, and the music and lights made it a truly magical experience.

Magic Kingdom Map

We have so many photos from our trip and it just isn't possible to put them all into this article.

Disney World truly lives up to its reputation as the happiest place on Earth. The joy, excitement, and wonder that you experience here is unlike anywhere else. From the rides and parades to the character meet-and-greets, there’s something magical for every member of the family to enjoy. We left with our hearts full of memories, already planning our next visit!

I was surprised at how much we all enjoyed this - not just our youngest child. Even my eldest son who was 16 at the time commented on how he loved the atmosphere, and we even found him in the line-up to do a character greet with Winnie the Pooh!

Whether you're 5 or 50, Disney World will make you feel like a kid again. So, if you're thinking about a family vacation, trust me—this is one destination you won’t regret. We can't wait to come back.