Disney World for Adults: my tips for the best trip ever!

Disney World isn’t just the most magical place on earth for children, it’s precisely that for adults too. It’s escapism from reality – and let’s be honest, we could all use a little of that right now!

“But what Walt Disney seemed to know was that, while there is very little grown-up in a child, there’s a lot of child in every grown-up. To a child, this weary world is brand-new, gift-wrapped. Disney tried to keep it that way for adults; escapism from reality. He probably did more to heal, or at least to soothe, troubled human spirits than all the psychiatrists in the world.”

Eric Sevaried, CBS Evening News

So, while Disney World is often associated with family holidays and children’s joy, it’s essential to remember that adults can have an extraordinary time there too!

Let’s explore my essential tips for anyone planning a holiday to Walt Disney World for adults, so you can have an amazing trip and make the most of everything the most magical place on earth has to offer.

Choosing the Right Parks

Walt Disney World Resort in Florida has four main theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, along with two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, and Disney Springs, it’s outdoor shopping and entertainment district.

Magic Kingdom is possibly the most recognisable of the parks, with the iconic Cinderella Castle taking centre stage at the bottom of Mainstreet USA. Its nostalgic appeal resonates with many people – including me – who have grown up on Disney films and in Disney Parks. And I challenge you to find a better smell than the one that hits you as you enter the queue for Pirates of the Caribbean! It’s one of my favourite smells in the world, it smells like adventure, nostalgia and magic (and just a bit of bromine!)

The recent addition of Tron Lightcycle / Run, Disney World’s latest thrill ride, has made the park an even more appealing place for adults at Disney World.

EPCOT celebrates human achievements in technology and culture and is definitely a park more geared towards adult visitors. Whether it’s thrilling rides like Guardian of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (one of my favourite rollercoasters of all time) and Test Track, or exploring the food and drinks of different cultures at the World Showcase, there is not a shortage of activities here for adults.

Over the course of the year, EPCOT is home to several festivals, like the International Flower & Garden Festival, which takes place in spring with beautiful topiaries on display, fresh food from the festival stands and lots of live entertainment. Other festivals include the International Food & Wine Festival, Festival of the Arts and Festival of the Holidays. Plan your trip around festival dates and I promise you won’t be disappointed. I could spend days grazing my way around all the festival booths trying out beautifully prepared food and drink from around the world.

EPCOT’s World Showcase isn’t shy of a few restaurants and you can find some of the best food in Disney World at this park. We love Teppan Edo in the Japan pavilion, and no day at EPCOT is complete without at least one trip to Les Halles Boulangerie in the France pavilion – the cakes here are breathtakingly beautiful, the bread is fresh and warm and the pastries… well, they’re my waistline’s worst nightmare.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a haven for Star Wars and Toy Story fans, or anyone who wants a hit of glamour from Hollywood’s golden era. Hollywood Studios isn’t my favourite park – I’ve saved that for last – but it has my favourite nighttime show: Fantasmic! The music, the story, the pyrotechnics… I could watch Fantasmic! over and over again, and I’m not sure I’d ever get bored.

We’ve spent many a lazy Sunday morning at home with a cup of Joffrey’s coffee (the Walt Disney World blend, obviously) and the Fantasmic! soundtrack on in the background, dreaming about being back at Disney World.

I also love a lot of the theming at Hollywood Studio’s, especially Galaxy’s Edge! and I can’t wait to get back to try the new Roundup Rodeo BBQ restaurant, which has the cutest Toy Story theming!

My favourite park of them all is Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Pandora – The World of Avatar has the most amazing theming. I wish I could see the floating mountains of Pandora for the first time all over again. Animal Kingdom has another of my favourite rides too: Avatar Flight of Passage. It’s the most incredible simulation ride on the back of a banshee – one of the dragon-like creatures the Na’vi fly on in the films. It’s an impossible ride to describe – you have to experience it to really understand what a great ride it is.

Another reason Animal Kingdom is my favourite park is how laid back it is, there’s just an entirely different vibe there. It comes up multiple times in my post about my favourite quiet spots, and I think it’s because I feel so at peace in this park. Maybe it’s the animals or the waterways that run through the parks? Perhaps it’s the chilled lounges and quiet walkways? I’m not sure. All I know is that I love it there, even when it’s busy I just feel peaceful there.

Think about what every park has to offer, and what your priorities are when planning your Disney World itinerary, especially if you only have limited time at the parks. There are park hopper tickets which mean you can visit more than one park in a day and things like, the premium add-on, Genie+ help you get more done in less time and avoid standing in queues all day (look out for a blog post all about Disney’s Genie and Genie+ coming soon!)

Picking the Best Time to Visit

As with most of my holiday planning, when I’m deciding when to go to Disney World, the research I put in is extensive, which proves very helpful for my travel clients as they benefit from that borderline-obsession level planning too! When I’m planning a trip there are a few things I like to consider:

The temperature

I’ve spoken about this before: the heat in Orlando is no joke! In peak summer it is hot. Next level hot. And then, bam! Torrential rain. The humidity is out of this world. When you’re walking around the parks all day it can be hard to stay out of the sun, so if you’re not a fan of very hot, very humid weather, summer in Disney World is not for you! The weather is much more comfortable in the winter – and can even get a little chilly on occasion. Much harder to pack for though… you literally need to have all seasons covered from an outfit perspective.

The crowds

More people means more queuing (or more paying for Genie+), so try to plan your trip during less busy times if you can. Of course, it’s Disney World, so you’re unlikely to ever be wandering through an empty park, but it is far more pleasant when you can move without tripping over people (and you don’t have to queue up for an hour for fresh bread from Les Halles Boulangerie).

Mid-January, after Run Disney, to mid-February is a good time to go (although there are often Varsity Dance Competitions the very first week of February which can bring extra crowds to the parks. Then May, June, October, November and early December tend to be quieter times too. The main times to avoid are UK and US school holidays and public holidays.

Festivals and events

The festivals at EPCOT are amazing, so I usually like to plan a trip around those, the dates don’t tend to stray too far from each other year after year, so if the dates for this year haven’t been released for the festival you want to go to, check the dates from the previous year and use that as a guide.

Other events to look out for are After-hours events at the different parks – a separate, ticketed event that allows you to stay in a park and experience the rides after the park closes. Tickets usually include limited-time snacks and refreshments, but not everything stays open, so make sure you check the details beforehand.

Then there are ticketed holiday events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The parks often close early to non-ticket holders on dates of these events, so check that out before planning your itinerary.

Decide Your Disney Must-Do List

Before your trip, research and decide on the rides, experiences and dining options you’re most looking forward to. Even on a two-week break, it’s hard to get through everything you want to do and come out with your sanity! So make sure that you have some flexibility in your plans too – rides close, parades get cancelled and sometimes you just can’t snag that dining reservation. You will have a wonderful time regardless – and there’s always next time!

When deciding on my priority list (and here’s where my over the top planning comes back into play) I use the Disney World website to look through all the attractions. I check anything that’s going to be closed during our trip and remove that from the list straight away, then we talk about rides we’re not too fussed about and remove them too – if we get round to riding them, great! But they’re not on the must-ride list.

And that left us with a list of everything we hoped to ride. If there’s something way up there for both of us, that goes straight to the top of the priority list. For our next trip, it’s going to be Tron – they were running cast member tests when we were there earlier this year and it looks so good!

We don’t usually make it onto everything, even with Genie+, but the way we look at it is it leaves something at the top of our list for next time!

Some Disney dining reservations are notoriously elusive, even when booking 60 days out from your holiday. Make a priority list and go for your bookings in order of the most likely to sell out. Places like ‘Ohana, Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Table book up quickly, so if they’re on your list make sure you’re booking those first.

But don’t forget to look into Disney World’s hidden gems, like Sebastian’s Bistro at Caribbean Beach Resort or Olivia’s Café at Old Key West Resort too.

My Ultimate Guide to Disney Dining is coming soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Pack your park bag

I’ll say it again, Florida is hot, but the weather can also be wildly unpredictable, so it’s essential to look at the forecast ahead of your trip and on the days of your visits to the park. What’s in your park bag might vary depending on the time of the year, but here are a few of my park bag essentials – and don’t forget to check out my guide to the best bags for Disney World.

A hat

A hat is essential to keep the sun off your head, particularly if you’re walking around the parks during the hottest parts of the day. The sun is super intense in Orlando and a hat will help protect you.

Sunglasses

I like to take a more robust, cheaper pair of sunglasses with me for park days – I keep my fancier glasses for days by the pool or shopping in Disney Springs where they’re less likely to get dropped, soaked or crushed on rides.

Sun cream

I do not leave my resort without suncream in my bag. I usually take a travel-size bottle or decant some into a small reusable bottle so I’m not carrying a big bottle of cream around the parks. Even with an all-day wear cream, the chances are in the humidity or after water rides you’re going to want to reapply at least once during the day.

A poncho or packable rain coat

Whether it’s on the forecast or not, especially if you’re in Orlando in the summer, there is a very good chance it’ll rain. And if it doesn’t, there’s a very good chance there’s going to be a water ride that you’re going to want to protect your clothes on.

We got caught out on our last trip and a poncho in Hollywood Studios cost $20. The problem was lots of people got caught out that day and by the time we found a poncho, we were both absolutely soaked through. Don’t be like us. Pack a poncho.

A water bottle

I’m not sure if I’ve already mentioned this: Florida is hot! When you’re walking 20,000 steps a day in the heat once of the most important things you can do is to stay hydrated. There are lots of water fountains throughout the park to refill your bottles. The water is awful, so either bring an on-the-go squash to make it a bit more palatable or skip the fountains all together and head to a quick service restaurant.

You can grab free iced water from them in cups, but what people don’t tell you is that if you ask if you can fill up your water bottle, most cast member will let you use the filtered water from the soda machines. Bringing your own water bottle – or even just using the iced water at quick service restaurants – will save you so much money on bottled water.

Smartphone and battery pack

Your smartphone is an essential piece of kit for a day at Disney World for adults. Firstly, you’re going to want to take a lot of photos, but with the My Disney Experience app installed, you’ll also be able to access ride wait times, show schedules, and pre-order your quick-service food for mobile order collection.

And if you decide to buy Genie+, you’ll be using your phone even more.

Your phone battery is probably going to run out, so a portable charger is a smart investment for your trip to Disney World for adults. I also tend to have all my cards stored on my phone so I don’t have to worry about losing them in the parks – another drain on your battery when you’ve got a merchandise addiction!!

Cash

Although Disney World is transitioning to cashless transactions, you’ll probably still want to use cash for tips, so make sure you carry some with you.

Disney World is for adults too; it’s just as magical and the perfect escape from reality. So whether you’re drinking around the World Showcase, indulging in unbridled nostalgia or delighting your tastebuds with culinary delights there are so many unforgettable experiences at Disney World for adults.

So, pack your bags, put on your Mickey ears, and get ready for a magical adventure at Walt Disney World!