If there’s one thing Orlando is famous for, it has to be its theme parks! There are so many exciting locations to discover, from the vast fantasy worlds of Disney World and Universal Studios to ocean wonders like SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. With so much fun to be had for all ages, it’s no surprise that people refer to Orlando as ‘the theme park capital of the world’!

If you’re planning on visiting Orlando for the first time, you’ll want to make the most of your time here, because there’s so much to see and do! At Debbie’s Villas, we love helping people make the most of their stay, and we recently wrote all about planning your first trip to Orlando. In this article, we take a look specifically at maximising your time in the region’s theme parks.

Buy Your Tickets in Advance

Orlando’s major theme parks are hugely popular and receive millions of visitors every year. Similar to most tickets, prices for the parks tend to go up the closer it gets to your holiday, while buying tickets on the day can be even more costly! If you know you are visiting Orlando and will want to enjoy its theme parks, buy your tickets as early as possible.

The two major theme parks in Orlando are Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. While both are marketed as a collection of individual parks, their most popular rides are split amongst the selection. With this in mind, we would always recommend purchasing a ticket that allows you access to all the parks on site. This point is particularly important with regards to Universal and their new Harry Potter worlds, which are split over two parks, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. If you want to fully explore the Harry Potter attractions, including the Hogwarts Express, you will need a ticket that allows entry to both locations! You can buy all your theme park tickets at great prices with us at Debbie’s Villas, all of which allow you to park hop.

Parking at the Theme Parks

Many people visiting Orlando choose to hire a car, as this is often the best way to get around all the region’s attractions as and when you want. Remember, you can book your car hire with us at Debbie’s Villas! While using a car is often best, parking at Orlando’s main theme parks is important to look into as well, given the size of these locations!

Both Disney World and Universal Orlando have giant parking complexes that get incredibly full during the day. Disney offers a selection of parking lots located at each of the parks; these are numbered and named after a specific character. Meanwhile, Universal runs a collection of parking garages that are located by CityWalk, the free-to-visit part of the resort. Parking at Disney World and Universal Orlando is from $25 a day (check their websites for up to date prices), so make sure you set some money aside. Once you’ve paid for parking at one Disney theme park, it is also valid at other Disney parks on the same day. Our SeaWorld tickets currently come with unlimited free parking at SeaWorld, Aquatica and Busch Gardens, so that’s one less thing to worry about when you arrive!

Before you leave your car, take note of where exactly it is located, as this can be easily forgotten after a day of fun! A park veteran’s tip here is to take a photo of the signs nearest to where you parked.

Arrive Early

To maximise your time at Orlando’s theme parks, you’ll want to enjoy as many rides and experiences as possible. While everyone has their little ways of doing this, there is one tip agreed upon by everyone. If you want to enjoy everything the parks have to offer, get there at the very beginning of the day!

When visiting Walt Disney World or Universal Resort, it’s best to arrive thirty minutes before the gates open, as it usually takes this long to park and make your way to the entrance. The opening times of Orlando’s parks can change depending on when in the year you visit, so check their websites to confirm.

The main benefit of arriving early is that the crowds are yet to develop, so this is a great time to ride the most popular attractions with less of a queue. There is also the secondary benefit of having more time throughout the day to do other things, such as taking a more extended break, without having to worry about cramming everything into your day!

Big Parks Need Multiple Days

If you want to make the most of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, you will certainly need more than just the one day exploring. While many theme parks can be done in one visit, the expanse of Disney and Universal means that each of their parks can take multiple days to experience fully.

Walt Disney World is the largest resort in Orlando, and it’s not unfeasible to spend the best part of a week exploring its grounds! They have four individual parks, each large enough for a day’s activities, so give yourself plenty of time to explore these wonderful places!

Book Your Meals

As mentioned above, when visiting Orlando’s two major resorts, you’ll likely be planning to spend the whole day there! If you want to enjoy the biggest and best dining experiences that these places have on offer, you’ll have to reserve your spot in advance of your visit.

Planning your meal many months in advance can sometimes feel like an inconvenience, but the popularity of these dining options makes this a must to avoid disappointment. Both Disney World and Universal allow you to reserve a time at many of their restaurants so if you want anything more than a quick bite, you should book your space!

Plan Ahead

It’s not just your food that you should have planned – if you want to maximise your stay, then having a small itinerary can help! Most of Orlando’s theme parks have detailed websites with maps, attractions details, and so on. This detail allows you to discover everything you and your guests will want to do during your time at the park, meaning you can perfectly plan your journey!

Another way to ensure your plans go off without a hitch is to use the theme park apps! Most of Orlando’s major theme parks have dedicated mobile apps complete with maps, queue times, park announcements and tons more helpful information. At Universal and Walt Disney World, you can book dining and use your Fastpasses through their dedicated apps, while both parks also have WiFi, so you don’t have to worry about data.

Be Prepared for a Day of Walking

When you do come to planning your day of adventures, you’ll discover just how vast these locations can be! The most common ‘mistake’ made by first-time visitors is underestimating just how much walking goes into a day at Orlando’s theme parks, so be prepared!

Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is one of the largest theme parks in Orlando, and walking from one side to the other is over half a mile! While there are some transportation options on-site, this gives you an idea of the time spent walking around. Whenever visiting Orlando’s theme parks, we would always recommend a reliable pair of trainers over smart shoes or flip flops.

If you need a little extra assistance, you can hire mobility scooters from us at Debbie’s Villas. These are ideal for getting around Orlando’s theme parks, all of which are very wheelchair friendly. Consider taking a buggy for the little ones too, which can also be hired from us if needed.

Minimise Queue Time

Another thing that can really add to the time spent on your feet in theme parks is the dreaded queues! High on your priority list before visiting will be to spend as little time in line as possible, and Orlando’s two major parks offer some help in this regard.

When buying your Walt Disney World tickets with us, you’ll get their FastPass facility included! This service allows you to reserve a time on selected rides ahead of your visit, which then enables you to enter the FastPass queue and reduce your wait time! Universal’s Express Pass offers a similar service, but must be purchased separately and can be quite expensive at times of high demand, so it’s best to look into this before you go.

Child Swap and Single-Rider Queues

Orlando’s theme parks are hugely popular among families, with attractions that appeal to both small children and adults. Sometimes, there are situations where the party wishes to enjoy a ride, but one child may not want (or be able) to join. Here is where child swap programmes are really handy.

All of Orlando’s major theme parks have some form of child swap system. Disney’s is known as Rider Switch while Universal just refer to theirs as ‘child swap’, but they all work similarly. The party can all queue together, and when they reach the ride, some go on while others wait with the non-boarding party. When the ride returns, the people not riding can swap with those that were, who can then look after the unwilling or unable party members.

Child swap systems are a great way to keep a varied party together. However, If you don’t mind going on your own, join the single-ride queue as you’ll save a lot of time. Keep in mind though that on some rides, you will miss the queue experiences when joining this line. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal is an excellent example of this, as the main queue takes you through Hogwarts Castle, which you will miss when using the single-rider line.

Bring Snacks & Refreshments

As you will probably already expect, food and drink at Orlando’s theme parks can be quite costly. While most locations do have some form of reasonably-priced dining, light bites and quick treats can be very expensive compared to the rest of Orlando. At Walt Disney World, you can expect to pay upwards of $5 for anything that is not water, coffee or tea, so those small treats can soon add up!

While we think you should treat yourself to the odd themed snack, you can save a lot of money by bringing your own treats to the park. Most theme parks in Orlando allow you to bring a small selection of personal-sized food and drink (family-sized crisp bags or big water bottles will often not be allowed). These little breaks can be ideal for staving off hunger before your reserved dining experience or keeping young ones happy throughout the long day. It can also result in a considerably cheaper day out!

Parades or Rides?

This point is purely down to personal preference. For many, the parades and fireworks that take place at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are the highlights of the day, and we would recommend checking out these experiences, especially if it’s your first time! However, while these events take place, the attractions are still operational, and the queues are considerably shorter, making it the best time to enjoy your favourite rides!

If you’re at one of these theme parks for consecutive days and have seen the parades before, then consider planning your favourite rides during this time. That way, you can enjoy the park at your own pace without having to rush to the biggest attractions, safe in the knowledge that you’ll enjoy them later.

Beware of the Weather

Another thing that can often catch out people visiting for the first time is its fluctuating Orlando weather. Particularly during the summer months, the weather can change quite quickly, so it’s best to be prepared for all that the region can throw at you!

The first thing to be aware of is the summer heat. Orlando can be incredibly warm and sunny during the summer months, and you will need to protect yourself from the elements. Bring hats and sunscreen to the theme parks, while we also recommend taking indoor breaks during the hottest parts of the day and keeping hydrated.

Another thing to be aware of in Orlando is sudden rain showers, a common theme during the warmer months. These can come and go in as little as one hour but can be incredibly heavy during that time. While many theme parks will still operate during these rainy periods, we recommend bringing a poncho to ensure that you don’t remain wet for the rest of the day!

If you’re visiting Orlando during spring or winter, the daily weather can be a bit more consistent. However, during these months, you need to be aware of the evening chill, which can make night events particularly cold if you’re unprepared!

Save the Souvenirs

Of course, if you’re visiting one of Orlando’s premier theme parks, you’ll likely want to take home one of the countless souvenirs on offer. While you may have your heart set on something straight away, we recommend leaving the merchandise shopping until late in the day or even your last trip to the park, for many reasons.

One of the main advantages of this is that you will avoid having to carry your treats around with you the whole day, which can become an inconvenience. Some of the parks do offer a pick-up service, allowing you to collect your gifts when you leave. However, there are often so many items on offer that you may discover something else you want to buy later in the day or later in the holiday!

A particularly popular souvenir at Orlando’s theme parks is photos, with countless opportunities for snaps available. If purchasing Disney World tickets with us, you’ll get Memory Maker for free, which entitles you to unlimited photo opportunities for you to download later! Universal Orlando Resort offers a similar service with My Universal Photos, available at an additional cost. You can also create your own memories (and save some money) by taking your own photos around the parks.

Be Prepared for a Slow Exit

Many of Orlando’s theme parks conclude their day with a big fireworks display or parade, such as Disney’s Happily Ever After Show. Like a big sporting event or concert, most people stay to watch these before shooting for the exits as soon as they are over. Although traffic leaving Orlando’s major parks tends to be quite good, prepare your exit with this in mind.

As mentioned in the ‘parades or rides’ point above, this will likely be a personal preference. However, if you are watching the fireworks display and leaving afterwards, expect to get caught in crowds.

If you want to make the most of your time after the fireworks, you can stay in the parks for a while, allowing the crowds to disperse slightly before leaving. This time is great for taking some last-minute photos or heading to the theme park shops for souvenirs.

Hopefully, this list of tips and tricks will help you make the most of your time at Orlando’s wonderful theme parks! Remember, here at Debbie’s Villas we have a range of Orlando holiday villas to rent, including some conveniently located within easy reach of the major attractions! If you would like to learn more about making your holiday in Orlando the best one yet, why not get in contact with our experienced and friendly team today? We’re happy to help!