Disney World Top 10s from an Insider & Avid Fan!

My college roommate has made her career at Disney for almost three decades. She loves the company and definitely knows the parks. Here are her ten favorites things about Disney World.

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An Insider's Top 10 to Disney World

1. Kilimanjaro Safari
2. Expedition to Everest
3. New Frozen attraction
4. All of the new Fantasyland at Magic Kindom
5. Tower of Terror
6. Epcot Food and Wine Festival 
7. Castle fireworks at Magic Kingdom
8. Star Wars
9. All of the Christmas decorations that are about to be installed next month.
10. Disney Springs shopping and restaurants

My niece recently took me with her and her two sweet boys to Disney World. Let me tell you, she's a Disney expert on seeing and doing as much as you can! (And yes, we were so thankful the hurricane didn't do much damage while we were there.) Here are her ten tips as an avid fan.

Top 10 Tips from an Avid Disney World Fan

1. If you’re staying on property, you can get FastPasses two months before you check in. Off property, you can get them one month prior to your trip.
2. The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is a must-do for adults. There are so many  culinary dishes cooked fresh to order.
3. You can book a fireworks cruise for up to ten people to watch the Epcot Fireworks IllumiNations. It's really fun!
4. Best times of year to go as far as smaller crowds are September, October, February. Avoid June, July, August. It is hot and crowded.
5. If you have a young child that can’t ride because of the height requirement, still line up with that child and your older child because you can get a Rider Switch pass, so you can get up to 3 people to ride that ride at a later time with a FastPass, separate from the regular FastPasses. You can ride again later with the older child with no waiting.
6. Disney World has a fun Halloween party, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, where only guests with wristbands can be in the park. The park offers trick-or-treat stations, and whole families can dress up for the event.
7. If you go to Disney more than twice a year, it’s cheaper to buy an annual pass. With the annual pass you get free parking!
8. The park may say that it opens at 9, but they actually open the gates 15 to 20 minutes before the official opening time. If you get there early, then go to your favorite attraction that you couldn’t get a FastPass for, like: Peter Pan’s Flight or the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at the Magic Kingdom, at Epcot, the new Frozen Ever After ride, at Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, at Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest or the Kilimanjaro Safari.
9. Remember, it is a process to get to the parks. If you’re staying on Disney property, you have to ride a bus, boat, or monorail to get there. Off property, you have to park your vehicle, ride the tram, and then take a bus, boat, or monorail to get to Magic Kingdom. Everyone has to go through security at the entrance and have all bags checked, then you get your pass checked and scan your finger. Pick the same finger for everyone, or someone forgets which finger they used, and it slows the process down!
10. Don’t skip Animal Kingdom! It is the least visited, but has many treasures, from well-thought-out animal exhibits to Broadway-style shows like Finding Nemo the Musical and the Festival of the Lion King, as well as the Kilimanjaro Safari.

My little tips:
Wear comfy shoes and sunscreen, always ride It's a Small World, see the bats, the aquarium, and the Lion King show at The Animal Kingdom, eat a lot at Epcot, and smile!

What are your tips or favorites at Disney?

P.S. Book 4, Blown Together, is out now! I'll be signing at Bay Window Books in Brandon, Ms, November 10 from 5-7 and at the Candy Cane Market in Brandon, MS, November 12 from 9-4. Come say hello!

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