Going to Disney World by myself...Any tips?!?

Question

Okay. So let me start off by saying that I'm a 14 year old girl with a budget. I'm going with my mom to Orlando for a week sometime in the middle of next Feb. My mom has meetings throughout the week that we are going to be there. Since my mom is going to be busy, I'm going to entertain myself by going to Disney World! I have been there before, but it was when I was turning ten and I can't really remember a whole lot about the parks. I'm going for probably 5 days. We don't know which hotel we're staying at or if we are in the Disney property. Keep in mind that I'm going to the parks by myself. Here are my questions:

1. What should I bring? I'm going to have a digital camera.

2. How expensive are the meals? Like on the go type food, not sit down restaurant...

3. What time do the fireworks start at Magical Kingdom?

4. Is the Safari at the Animal Kingdom free?

5. I've heard that there are stores outside of the park that sell very cheap Disney merchandise like goofy hats or mickey ears. Where would you find one?

6. Do they give out free tap water? Some other amusement parks do..

7. Where do you get the Park Hopper thing?

Anyway, sorry for giving you a long list of questions. I would appreciate it if you could answer some if not all of them. I promise to come back and pick best answer if I can get to my computer :D

Thank you for reading my rant!

Answer 1

1. Bring a bottle of water because the water at the park is a lot

2. most meals are 5.00$ for a hot dog and a small drink

3. 10:00

4. if you mean Kilimanjaro safaris then yeah its free and a very good ride but go there first it has a long line

5. Go to any souvenir shop in orlando they will sell things way cheaper than in the parks.

6. yes at most restrooms there is a water fountain (good place to fill up your water bottle)

7. park hopper can be bought at a lot of stores or maybe at your hotel and definitely at the park entrance

Hope all this helps:)

Answer 2

I think your questions have pretty much been answered, but here are a few more helpful hints:

-Bring a small bag for all your stuff, you don't want to carry around anything too bulky. If it's small enough, you'll be able to carry it on the rides (there's usually a pouch in front of the seats for loose articles) and won't have to deal with a locker or anything.

-Yes, most places will give you a cup of ice water for free if you ask.

- If you wanted a pair of Mickey ears, I would just buy them in the park. I think they are reasonably priced (the classic black ones are $8) and you can have your name embroidered on them. I'm 16 and I always wear my ear hats when I go to Disney, I joke that Disney is the only place you can get away with wearing a really stupid hat.

-Since you are by yourself, double check to see if the rides have a single rider line. That will save you a lot of time! Some rides do, but it's not obvious, so just ask a cast member about a single rider line if you're not sure.

-Use your fast passes well! Familiarize yourself with the fast pass system, and that will save you a lot of time waiting as well.

-When you first get to the park (especially Hollywood Studios) grab a list of all the show times, then plan your day around the shows you want to see. That way you won't miss a show you wanted to see (I always love seeing Beauty and the Beast)

Have a great time!

Answer 3

Mari:  here you go:

1.  Bottled water, snacks, change of socks, umbrella, trashy novel to read while waiting in lines

2.  Counter service meals average $13 for an entree, drinks and a desert--see a typical menu and pricing here: http://allears.net/menu/men_pec.htm

3.  The fireworks at the Magic Kingdom vary by season and day of the week.  By clicking on the date number of the official WDW calendar, you can see if they are on that date, and if so what time: see this: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/cal...

4. Yes, it's included with your park ticket.

5. I've heard this too but have never tried it.  There's a bunch of stores at the corner of State rt 535 and cty rte 535 (yes same number!)  That's where I'd try first unless someone else has a better answer.

6.  They have drinking fountains in all the parks--I re-fill my water bottles from them

7.  The park hopper is an add-on to your ticket.

A few more things: see this page for all the rides and attractions ranked and rated by age group: http://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-...  ...and see this page for sample itineraries for your week.  They won't match precisley, and assume you are staying in a WDW resort, but will give you a start for your plans:  http://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-...

Hope this helps and have a great trip!! Dave

Answer 4

Okay, i live near by and have had an annual pass for as long as i can remember.

1- dress for the weather and the rides. if its cold, they will keep most of the wet rides (Splash Mountain, Kali River Rapids, etc) fairly dry. there is nothing worse than being cold and wet. however, if it will be warm during the middle of the day, you will probably get wet. you might want to bring a change of clothes because there is nothing worse than being cold and wet. make sure that you have a backpack or purse where you can cary your camera, etc and keep it dry.

2- at counter service restaurants, you can expect to spend about $10-12 per meal depending on what you get and drink.

3- fireworks happen right before the park closes. the hours of operation change dependding on the time of year. probablly around 8-9pm. remember, it has to be dark before they can put on the show.

4- the basic safary is covered by the entrance. there is a special safari offered only to guest staying at the animal kingdom lodge and there is an extra fee for that one. but the basic one is fine. just try to do it first thing in the morning. the animals seem to be more active at that time. and if its cold, they will be sunning themselves instead of trying to stay cool in the shade.

5-there are two options for cheap disney merchandise. there is licensed merchandise that you can get at the local Walmart and Target stores. nice but not official theme park merchandise but much cheaper. there are two disney outlet stores but only one is close to the parks. you CANNOT buy everything there. only stuff that has been discontinued. only problems, not all sizes available and you might not find something you like. another thing is that they mix in regular priced merchandize that just happens to be cheap. you will not find mickey ears unless they are a style that is discontinued. but a lot of things are half off. they are an outlet mall just off of lake buena vista bulevard.

6- there are water fountains... i have never asked for a glass of water so i am not sure. however, i have used the water fountains to refill my water bottle. just don't over fill it. water can get warm in the sun and you will just end up refilling it with cooler water.

7- Park hopper is an option you get when you purchase your tickets. you can purchase tickets at the gate, at some of the hotels (all of the disney ones) or you can buy them online from disney directly. if you get them mailed to you before you go, you will get a voucher. you need to go to guest services and trade it in for a real ticket. make sure you give yourself enough time to either buy or trade in your tickets. if you think that you would want to go to two parks on the same day, it is worth it. if you are going to spend the whole day at one park... then it might not be. i like the option because if you are done at one park but really liked a ride at a different one, you can go and ride it again.

8- now i know you did not ask any more questions but here is my tip for ANY theme park. most people going to the parks are families. and by the time they get everything ready, they will not get there until after 10am. so if you can get there as the park is opening of before, you have one hour with short lines.  you can get a lot done  in that hour. maybe even two hours.

let me know if you have any questions.

Answer 5

f***y backs can be your new best friend!

seriously, they dont fall off anywhere and you can keep your wallet, phone, etc in it. and it's not a huge bag where you have to find a place to put it or whatever. :)

just a little suggestion. haha.