Here are 3 of our stand-out tips, tricks and hacks to make your family trip to Walt Disney World Florida less fuss with more fun!

Walt Disney World tickets promocode

Firstly, if you’re planning on your own Aussie family holiday to Walt Disney World we have a tickets promocode for you!

You can get 10% off Disneyland tickets on Klook by using our Walt Disney World promocode: LETSGOMUMKLOOK at checkout!

Go to Klook to buy discounted Walt Disney World tickets online

This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

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Tip 1 – book accommodation with early entry

It may not seem like much, but you can use your 30 minutes early entry pass to save hours at your Walt Disney Theme park!

How do I get Walt Disney World early entry?

Because we were staying at an official Disney hotel at Walt Disney World, we benefitted from the 30 minutes early entry bonus that you automatically get as a registered Disney hotel or Disney partner hotel guest.

Early entry is advantageous, as it allows you to access ride queues and select rides before the public opening time.  This gives you a head start on the general public on your Disney day, particularly if you arrive early for your early entry! Every bit counts, particularly if you haven’t purchased Lightning Lane.

As there are several large Disney hotels and partner hotels within the Walt Disney World precinct there are thousands of early entry guests but it still does make a big difference to your quality park time.

Forward planning: Early entry is something you may like to take into consideration when it comes to planning your Walt Disney World vacation accommodation.

Do Walt Disney World parks open before opening time?

Yes! Often, you’ll find that all of the Walt Disney Parks scan people into the park well before the advertised opening time. It can be beneficial to get to your chosen theme park half an hour early to access shops and be ready to queue for popular rides as soon as you are allowed to proceed to them.

How do I enter Walt Disney World theme parks entrance gates?

The Walt Disney Parks work on an electronic access system. You may buy or pick up a hard-copy Disney swipe card (we were given ours at our Disney Hotel) which is electronically linked to your Disney account.

Another option is to simply use your Disney MagicMobile pass in the My Disney Experience mobile app.

For even more convenience during your WDW visit a great accessory is a Disney MagicBand writstband.

The Disney entrance system is very easy to use. After going through the security bag scan check, just tap your app pass, Disney card or MagicBand at the Park entrance gate readers and you’re permitted to enter!

Download the Walt Disney World App

To have your MagicMobile digital tickets on hand, and in preparation for your visit to Walt Disney World, download the Walt Disney World App My Disney Experience before you go at the App Store and Google Play.

Navigate around the theme parks, find restaurants, rides, check for event times and other points of interest. You can check ride wait times and much more.

Tip 2 – buy Disney Magic Bands

These clever little wrist bands many seem like an expensive luxury but you can do so much with them with one quick swipe and not need to go searching through your wallet for money, tickets or keys once during your Walt Disney Days!

What is a Disney Parks Magic Band?

The MagicBand is a smart wristband that acts as your Disney entrance ticket – and much more. It is swipe-able to enter the park, access your FastPass for Lightning Lanes, attach Disney photographer shots, access your hotel room and even pay for things if you set it up with your credit card. Just wave your writsband at the readers!

Probably the most fun feature of the Disney Magic Band is the way it interacts with objects all around the Disney parks. Statues sense when the watch is near and talk or light up. Magic Bands will flash with lights inside rides such as the Haunted Mansion. There’s a whole Star Wars trail, ‘Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters’ Experience inside Galaxy’s Edge exclusive to MagicBand+ devices. Even the fireworks show pulses themed lights through the Magic Band.

Are Disney Magic Bands free?

No, you need to purchase Magic Bands. They were free until 2020, but from 2021 are now available for an extra charge . You can buy them all over the Disney parks and in the Disney gift shop at Disney Springs.

How much do Magic Bands cost?

Magic Bands start at around USD$34.99 for a basic plain MagicBand (around AUD$50+). Prices increase for certain designs and limited edition models right up to USD$64.99, (around AUD$100) but they all basically do the same thing. The more expensive MagicBands just look prettier.

Can I buy a Magic Band from Australia before we go?

No, you can’t buy Magic Bands from Australia. You can get buy them from all Walt Disney World parks plus a few hotel resort shops and World of Disney in Disney Springs before you enter the parks. It’s very quick and simple to link your Magic Band within the park the first time you visit, plus you get lots of brand new themed choices.

Are there cheaper kid sized Magic Bands?

No, not anymore. With the launch of the new Magic Band+ model it’s now an adjustable one-size-fits-all. The basic original model does have kids sizes still available in the parks in 2023 for USD$19.99. (AUD$31) but you won’t be able to use it in Disneyland CA.

Will my Magic Band work at all Disney parks?

If you intend on visiting Disneyland at some point in the future, or perhaps even on the same trip like we did, be sure to buy the Series 2 Magic Band, the Magic Band+. The series one is still for sale, so don’t get them confused! This latest Magic Band version will work at both Disney USA parks.

Is it worth buying a Magic Band?

My girls absolutely loved their Disney Magic Bands and whilst I originally thought it would be a waste of money, I caved in when I saw just how many capabilities these smart little watches have. My youngest (15) bought hers in Disneyland, and when my oldest (17) saw how much fun she was having with it, she asked for one too.

There are many different Disney themed Magic Band designs to choose from. My girls chose their favourites – Disney’s Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Darth Vader from Star Wars.

MagicBands are a new way to add to the Disney magic and in my opinion, they are worth the money – even if you are only staying a few days at one park. That said, you also need to understand that other than looking cute MagicBands could be termed as a waste of money if you don’t plan on returning to the U.S.A. Disney parks. Magic Bands are dead weight once you leave the Walt Disney World or Disneyland precincts!

Tip 3 – use the Disney photographers

Trust me on this one. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Oh we can get our own photos, we have timed photo smart phones”, or “We can ask someone to take a shot of us”, or “I’m not paying $200 for photos I can take myself!” – think again. These photographers know what they are doing and can get perfectly posed shots smack in front of iconic Disney symbols that you’ll love forever – plus you don’t need to pay for them until after you get home and – ahem – have perhaps refilled your cash coffers!

Should we use the Disney Park photographers you see around the parks?

The answer to this question is a solid YES! They don’t cost you anything at the time, and later you may just thank yourself.

We always take the opportunity to line up for official Disney photos in the iconic areas of Disney parks. Being a single parent family it can be difficult to get photos of us all together – other than selfies of course! This is also true for all families wanting a photo with everyone in it!

Official Disney photographers can be found at all the good photo spots, and they’re great at knowing how and where to pose you to get a great shot. You just scan your Disney Magic Band, Card or Disney App with the photographer to have your photos automatically added to your Disney account on your My Disney Experience mobile app. Sometimes they’ll add something a little special to your photos too!

At the end of your Disney visit you have lots of lovely family photos to bring back the wonderful Disney memories!

Disney photos disappear off your Disney App

Be sure to pay for your photo package and download your photos at least soon after your holiday though, because they’re not saved on your Disney app. forever! Photos expire just a few weeks after your visit.

Is it worth buying the all-inclusive Disney Photo Package?

Yes, it is. Even though you can buy photos singly I usually buy the all-inclusive photo package which now even includes a few short feature videos of your family on rides!

Our May 2023 Walt Disney World photo package cost USD$200 (around AUD$300) and included all our digital photos taken around the four WDW parks, plus some short ride videos. Expensive, yes. Worth it? Absolutely. You can read more about Disney Photo Packages and Memory Maker on their official website here.

Can I still get my Disney photos if they have expired off the app?

Yes! It’s possible to still get access to your Walt Disney World photos after they have disappeared off the app by phoning Walt Disney World and asking for them to be temporarily restored. I have had this done a week following expiration, and whilst not guaranteed, it’s certainly worth a try – it worked for me!

How do I buy Walt Disney World tickets online?

Purchase your Walt Disney World tickets on Klook. Klook is a registered Walt Disney World ticket reseller who offer discounted tickets. Quick, easy and cheap, Klook is the best way to buy Walt Disney World tickets online, and you can do it all from your armchair at home or work.

Buy your Walt Disney World tickets here and use our discount code

New Klook account purchases get 10% off Disneyland tickets on Klook by using our Walt Disney World promocode: LETSGOMUMKLOOK at checkout!

Buy your Walt Disney World tickets online here

If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider giving it a Facebook “Like”, share or we’d love to hear about your own Disney experiences in the comments below!

Disclaimers: Let’s Go Mum may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you with bookings made with Klook
The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Disney & Klook for this Walt Disney World trip.  As always, all opinions are our own.
All prices and times quoted were correct at September 2023, the time of publishing this article, but can change frequently. Please always re-check for current prices.

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The post 3 Walt Disney World theme park hacks for your Australian family holiday appeared first on Let's go Mum.

Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, USA makes an incredible Australian family holiday destination.

Many Aussies make the pilgrimage to WDW every year – but what is it that attracts so many people from around the globe to this most “Magical Place On Earth?” Let’s take a deep dive into Walt Disney World for Australian families!

Walt Disney World tickets promocode

Firstly, we have a Walt Disney World tickets promocode for purchases – a huge up to 10% off! To buy tickets click on the following link (essential for the code to work) and enter the promocode at checkout:

Book tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando for the first time on Klook using our LETSGOMUMKLOOK promocode

This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

How many theme parks are there at Walt Disney World?

Made up of four major theme parks plus two water parks, Walt Disney World (also known as WDW for short) offers Disney magic galore.

Each WDW park is very different from the other. They all offer amazing rides and experiences that shouldn’t be missed if you plan on enjoying the big attractions that Walt Disney World has to offer.

We decided to hit the four major parks on our first visit and leave the two water parks and golf sport activities for a later visit.

We’ll concentrate on the big 4 Walt Disney World theme parks in this guide.

What are the four Walt Disney World theme parks?

We spent one day at each of the four big Walt Disney World parks in Orlando.

You can read a more in-depth review of each theme park by clicking on their linked names below, but here is a basic summary of each park and their biggest attractions:

Magic Kingdom – the most popular of the four theme parks, this is the classic Disneyland experience in Florida. Here you’ll find the Cinderella Castle, parades, fireworks and traditional rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railway, unique rides like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the exciting newest Walt Disney World ride (2023) the Tron Lightcycle Run.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – some really fun rides, attractions and movie-themed shows can be found here. Home of the incredible Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge area, Toy Story Land plus the awesome new-ish (2020) Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride and a fun movie stunt show.

EPCOT – a massive park, EPCOT is home to several internationally themed areas and experiences – all mixed with some great rides like Ratatouille, Test Track, Frozen Ever After and the breathtaking new (2022) Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – the largest Disney park in the world! If Disney had a zoo, this would be it with a fun (real!) animal safari truck tour, bird flight shows plus several thrill rides too including Expedition Everest and Dinosaur. This is also the home of the amazing Pandora area with the outstanding (2017) Avatar Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey rides.

Disney Hotels

In addition to the theme parks at Walt Disney World Orlando there are several great Disney hotels which are experiences in themselves to stay in. We stayed in the super-fun budget Disney’s Pop Century hotel.

Disney Springs

Don’t miss the massive Disney shopping precinct mecca, Disney Springs – another area within the Walt Disney World and well-worth a visit with its massive Disney store (the biggest in the world!) and awesome Rainforest and Dinosaur Cafes.

Do I still need to make park reservations for Walt Disney World?

Yes and no.

You do still need to make park reservations if you buy standard One Park tickets until January 2024.

You don’t need to make park reservations if you buy Klook’s new 4-Park Magic Ticket!

How do I buy Walt Disney World tickets online?

Purchase your Walt Disney World tickets on Klook. Klook is a registered Walt Disney World ticket reseller who offer discounted WDW tickets.

Quick, easy and cheap, Klook is the best way to buy Walt Disney World tickets online, and you can do it all from your armchair at home or work!

Is there a Walt Disney World promo code for 2026?

Yes! Australian and New Zealand purchases get up to 10% off Walt Disney World tickets if you’re new to Klook by using our promocode: LETSGOMUMKLOOK at checkout! 

Book tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando

How do I buy Walt Disney World tickets using Klook?

There are 5 basic steps to buying Walt Disney World Resort tickets in 2023.

1 – If park reservations are required (dependent upon your ticket type), check your desired Walt Disney World dates are available on the official website here (if you are booking more than 120 days ahead – you can do this step later, after your ticket purchase when your dates show on the Disney website)

2 – Purchase your Walt Disney World tickets online on the Klook website

3 – Create a Disney account on the official Disney website

4 – Link your tickets to the Disney website. You can watch our Klook Disneyland Tickets YouTube video here for step-by-step instructions. The process is the same.

5 – Reserve your desired dates on the Disney website if required (dependent upon your ticket type). You can watch the step-by-step instructions on our Klook Disneyland Tickets YouTube video here . It’s the same process.

6 – Download the Walt Disney World app and sign in with your Disney website account login – you will find your tickets in the menu item “Tickets and Passes”

Which Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida tickets should I choose?

When you go to Klook to purchase your Walt Disney World tickets you’ll be met with a few different selections.

Before you choose anything, read any terms, condition and notes thoroughly to be sure to understand how they work.

What kind of Klook Walt Disney World tickets are available?

There are several different types of Walt Disney World Resort tickets available to choose from on Klook.

In addition there are add-ons for the Disney Water Parks, Sports such as Mini Golf and also special events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Disney After Hours at EPCOT.

Here I will cover the basic main tickets…

The new Walt Disney World Resort 4 Park Magic Ticket

The 4-Park Magic Ticket is a great choice if you have four days available to visit the parks. The four park Magic Ticket gives you access to one park per day for all four parks. Best of all, no further park reservation steps are required!

You have seven days to use your Magic Ticket from the day you visit your first park, and some block out dates do apply.

The Walt Disney World Single Park Ticket

If you only have one day to visit, or decide you want to add an extra day on to your visit, this is your ticket!

The Single Park Ticket is good for one day at a specific Walt Disney World Resort park of your choosing. It does have some restrictions. You can only buy these tickets singly, plus you can’t change parks during the day like you can with a Park Hopper ticket – you only get access to the one park for that one day.

The Walt Disney World 1-Park-Per-Day Ticket

If you would like to visit more than one day for the cheapest price, the 1-Park-Per-Day Ticket is the ticket for you.

Perfect for days at Walt Disney World Resort when you want to stay within one park each day without crossing over to another park, the One Park Per Day Ticket from Klook is a good choice. You can’t change parks during the day like you can with the Park Hopper ticket. You get access only to the one park each day.

You can choose how many days you’d like to visit with the 1-Park-Per-Day Ticket – from 2 up to 10 days.

Note that with this ticket, there is a minimum order of 2 days.

The Walt Disney World Park Hopper Ticket

Can’t decide which of the four major WDW theme parks park to visit on any particular day? Do more than one with a Park Hopper ticket!

Purchase the Walt Disney World Resort Park Hopper ticket for theme park flexibility.

With a Park Hopper Ticket, you can visit any of the four parks on the same day after a certain time.

This means you have the freedom to visit your favourite rides by changing theme parks later the same day, no matter where they are at Walt Disney World!

Although Park Hopper tickets cost you a little more, they’re a great way to optimise your time and preferences at Walt Disney World.

All that said, it is wise to note that Park Hopping usually isn’t accessible until early afternoon, and not all the parks are located close together. If you decide to change parks during the day you may need to take into account possible transit time between them. There is an efficient free gondola and/or bus service between parks.

You can choose how many days you’d like to visit with a Park Hopper Ticket – from 1 up to 10 days.

Disney Genie Plus Fast Passes

To skip the ride queues, Walt Disney World’s fast pass Genie+ is available for an additional cost to your valid park admission ticket.

Genie plus can be purchased on the My Disney Experience App while you are at Walt Disney World.

How much does Genie+ cost?

Genie plus cost around USD$30 per person per park when we were there in February 2023.

Genie Plus allows you to access what’s called Lightning Lanes in Walt Disney Resort parks for a large range of rides.

Lightning Lanes are a fast way to avoid the queue and get to the head of the ride line. This can potentially save you hours of wait time.

In addition to Genie+ there is also a paid one ride Lightning Lane access option available for a few select, popular rides on the WDW App.

We did not purchase Genie+ whilst we were at WDW, which did impact the number of rides we were able to experience.

We were gifted a Lightning Lane pass when one of our other Disney rides broke down and found that it worked very well in getting us to the head of the queue quickly.

How does Genie+ work?

Genie+ works using a QR code system. On the My Disney Experience App you access the Genie+ list and select a ride and time slot. You then go to that ride within the hour time limit allotted to you and scan in at a special entrance with your Genie+ QR code.

There are some Genie+ booking rules to keep the system fair, such as you need to book Genie+ time slots two hours apart, or alternatively after your last Genie+ booking has been scanned into – whichever comes first.

Walt Disney World ride strategy using Lightning Lane

You can only use Genie+ for certain rides, plus you can only use it once per ride.

Ride slots can fill up during the day so it’s best to book your first ride as the most popular ride you want to go on (with the longest wait time) as soon as possible after entering the park.

Proceed as soon as possible to each Lighting Lane booking as they become available- you’ll receive a notification and barcode on your app.

Keep using Genie+ throughout the day until no more ride time slots are available, booking a new ride either immediately after scanning in to each Lightning Lane or two hours since your last Genie+ Lightning Lane booking.

Tron and Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind special ride reservations

Rides like Tron and Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind are so new and popular that you only have limited options to ride them.

You can either buy an individual Lightning Lane access ticket, or you try to reserve a free “boarding group” spot first thing in the morning at 7am or 1pm in the afternoon.

We managed to get on both rides using the free reservation system, but even being ready to book right away we ended up in a later boarding group in the middle of the day.

It’s important to have your finger on that booking button the second the clock ticks over the morning of your park visit like we did, or during the afternoon booking period – or you may miss out!

Even when you are booked into a boarding group time slot, you do still need to wait in the ride queue for around an hour to actually board the ride (unless you used the paid Lightning Lane option).

The paid spots also fill up fairly quickly (they were full by lunchtime the day we were there), but both rides are simply amazing, hence their popularity.

Make the extra booking effort, because it would be a shame to miss out on either of these two exhilarating thrill rides!

Download the Walt Disney World App

To have your digital tickets on hand, and in preparation for your visit to Walt Disney World, download the Walt Disney World App My Disney Experience before you go at the App Store and Google Play.

You can use the App to navigate around the theme parks, book restaurants, check for event times, reserve Lightning Lane spots and buy paid Lightning Lane access.
You can also check ride wait times and much more.

How do I link my tickets to the Disneyland App?

To link your Klook Disneyland tickets to the Disneyland App, you’ll need to create a Disney account and then copy your Klook ticket numbers onto your account.

You can watch our Klook Disneyland Tickets YouTube video here for step-by-step instructions – it’s the same process.

How do I make a Disneyland park reservation?

To make a Disney Resort park reservation, first you’ll need to link your Klook Walt Disney World tickets to the My Disney Experience App, then you can choose the dates you’d like to visit Walt Disney World.

You can watch the step-by-step instructions on our Klook Disneyland Tickets YouTube video here . It’s the same process.

Do I need to make Disneyland reservations for all parks with a Park Hopper Ticket?

No, you only need to have a park reservation for the first park you want to visit.

Buy your discounted Walt Disney World tickets here and use our discount code LETSGOMUMKLOOK at checkout!

Buy your Walt Disney World tickets online here

You may also like to read these other Walt Disney World blogs:

3 Walt Disney World theme park hacks for your Australian family holiday
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Magic Kingdom

If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider giving it a Facebook “Like”, share or we’d love to hear about your own Disney experiences in the comments below!

Disclaimers: Let’s Go Mum may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you with bookings made with Klook.
The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Klook for this Walt Disney World visit.  As always, all opinions are our own.
All prices and times quoted were correct at September 2023, the time of publishing this article, but can change frequently. Please always re-check for current prices.

Share one of our images to Pinterest…

The post How to buy Walt Disney World tickets from Australia appeared first on Let's go Mum.

We recently explored all four of the major Walt Disney World theme parks in Florida for the very first time.

Our first theme park was the stunning Magic Kingdom , then Disney’s Hollywood Studios and later Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In this article we’ll be focusing on our third park choice of the trip – the massive EPCOT theme park.

Where can I buy discounted Walt Disney World tickets online?

Firstly, if you’re planning your own Aussie family holiday trip to Walt Disney World, we have a tickets discount promocode for you!

Australia and New Zealand new Klook purchases booking tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando can use our LETSGOMUMKLOOK promocode at checkout and save up to 10% off (you must click on the following link for the promocode to work!):

Go to Klook to buy discounted Walt Disney World tickets online

This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

What is EPCOT?

Disney’s EPCOT is a massive, globally themed Disney ride and attractions park in Orlando, Florida.

EPCOT was the second park to be opened at Walt Disney World in 1982. It’s a massive theme park, covering area of 305 acres. With a huge lake in its centre surrounded by different world country areas, EPCOT feels like a fabulous international world travel expo or fair – but with really amazing Disney rides and shows added!

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Take advantage of our free Wise travel money card offer to save the AUD$10 card fee here.

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We set out to do all the rides at EPCOT on our one day visit and found that whilst it was possible to squeeze them all in, it left precious little time to really enjoy all the international exhibits and shows on offer. Still, we gave it a really solid try! Here’s how our day at EPCOT went…

What are the best rides in EPCOT?

Everyone has their favourite Disney rides but as this was our first visit to EPCOT, we could hit them all for the first time in one day! Our four top EPCOT rides were:

1. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

We go into more detail about this ride later but trust us – if you are okay with flashing lights, spinning and whirling through the galaxy at top speed whilst upbeat music plays, then you’re going to LOVE this ride. Hugely popular, you need to PLAN AHEAD to ride it (more info below).

2. Test Track

Now updated in 2025, design a car on a computer and then go for a speedy real-world ride in it – what’s not to love? Test Track is so fun! It definitely lived up to the hype. I also like to think that we did prove the point that even if your car design is terrible (we accidentally bumped the screen and nearly cut the car design in half!) you can still win everything except for efficiency! Awesome fun that goes super fast at 104kms (that’s 64 miles) per hour.

3. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

A top family-friendly ride, we really only just edged this ride out of second place. I usually find 3D rides less immersive because it means a high-screen content, but although Ratatouille has screens, they are massive and the props are all huge too – the ride is designed to made to make you actually feel like you are rat-sized, and it does a fantastic job of it.

4. Spaceship Earth

Have you ever wondered if there is anything inside the big EPCOT golf ball? Okay, so EPCOT don’t actually call it a golf ball, it’s the iconic “Geosphere” that you see when you first enter the main gates. It also just so happens to have a very cool ride inside of it! Spaceship Earth is a family friendly, slow paced ride that features a fascinating trip through time. You haven’t been to EPCOT if you haven’t been inside the ball!

Which is the newest ride at Disney’s EPCOT?

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. EPCOT is home to Walt Disney World’s second newest ride and EPCOT’s newest ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which opened in May 2022.

A reverse launch roller coaster that rotates 360 degrees, one of the most amazing things about the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride is that it is a dark ride – an inside ride that is one of the biggest fully enclosed roller coasters in the world!

How do I ride Guardians of the Galaxy at EPCOT?

A ride on the Marvel-themed Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind no longer requires a free virtual queue reservation so you can queue for it now, or pay for Lightning Lane (a fast pass).

Make the effort to take a ride on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind a priority if you love fast-paced thrill rides. With its exciting music background and cool special effects as you are spun through the universe, this is one of our favourite Disney rides of all time!

EPCOT Genie+ & Lightning Lane pass

What are Genie+ and Lightning Lane passes?

These extra-cost digital fast passes use a separate ride entry with a shorter path to by-pass the normal stand-by lines. This will fast-track you to the head of the standby ride queue. Download the My Disney Experience app for free in the Apple Store or on Google Play to buy fast passes.

How early can I buy Disney EPCOT fast passes?

Genie+ passes – All guests can buy Genie+ on the Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app from 7am on the morning of your visit. You don’t have to be at the actual parks to buy it.

Lightning Lane pay to ride (only currently available for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind) – If you are a Disney hotel guest then you get early access from 7am on the morning of your visit to buy Lightning Lane on the Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app.  Other guests must wait until the park opens to buy them. Be quick! These will also sell out during the morning.

How much is EPCOT’s Genie+?

EPCOT’s Genie+ was USD$25 per person the day we visited – a Thursday on the 1st of June 2023.

How much is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Lightning Lane?

It costs about USD$20 per person to buy Lightning Lane access for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which is currently the only pay-to-ride ride at EPCOT.

Can you do all the rides at EPCOT in one day?

Yes you can, because we did! Here are all the rides at EPCOT in the order that we did them.

Full Disney EPCOT ride list

8:21am – Arrive at EPCOT via the International Gate

Ride 1 – (Enter Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure queue at:8:30am)

8:51am-8:56am – Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Ride 2 – (Enter Journey Into Imagination With Figment queue 10:51am)

11:00am-11:10am – Journey Into Imagination With Figment

Ride 3 – (Enter Soarin’ queue 11:52am)

12:14am-12:19 Soarin’

Ride 4 – (Enter Living With the Land queue 12:23pm)

12:40pm-12:58pm – Living With the Land

Ride 5 – (Enter The Seas With Nemo and Friends queue 2:11pm)

2:16pm-2:20 The Seas With Nemo and Friends

Ride 6 – (Enter Spaceship Earth queue 4:16pm)

4:18pm-4:37pm – Spaceship Earth

Ride 7 – (Enter Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind queue 4:51pm)

5:40pm-5:44pm – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Ride 8 – (Enter Mission: SPACE queue 5:50pm)

5:57pm-6:08 – Mission: SPACE

Ride 9 – (Enter Test Track queue 6:14pm)

6:54pm-7:12pm – Test Track

Ride 10 – (Enter Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros queue 7:25pm)

7:27pm-7:35pm – Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros

Ride 11 – (Enter Frozen Ever After queue 7:52pm)

8:15pm-8:20pm – Frozen Ever After

9pm – watch the Fireworks

Leave EPCOT at 9:30pm

What ride should I do first at Disney’s EPCOT?

During early entry, it’s best to get a popular ride or two done first, as they will be even busier later on.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is one of the most popular rides at EPCOT. As it was close to the Skyliner gondola park International Gateway entrance, we decided that this should be our first ride.

Although, very popular rides with standby lines like Test Track which is closer to the EPCOT main entrance or Frozen are also great first ride choices. We prioritised Ratatouille as more of a geographical popular ride choice for us – it would have taken us another ten or fifteen minutes to navigate the crowds to get to Test Track or Frozen Ever After, and by then the queue would be even longer.

Does EPCOT have fireworks?

Yes, EPCOT has it’s own fireworks show. We finished our last ride in time to watch the whole EPCOT Forever fireworks show just before closing time. The fireworks show is held over the central lake in the center of EPCOT, so it’s relatively easy to get a good spot if you sit down 30 minutes before.

How do I buy Walt Disney World tickets online?

Purchase your Walt Disney World tickets on Klook. Klook is a registered Walt Disney World ticket reseller who offer discounted tickets.

Quick, easy and cheap, Klook is the best way to buy Walt Disney World tickets online, and you can do it all from your armchair at home or work!

Is there a Walt Disney World promo code?

Yes – get 10% off Walt Disney World tickets if you’re new to Klook by using our promocode: LETSGOMUMKLOOK at checkout!

Book tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando

We felt like we really just scratched the surface of Disney’s EPCOT – it’s a huge, fun Orlando theme park with a lot to see and do. Luckily, not exploring absolutely everything we wanted to gives us a great excuse to return to this wonderful theme park again in the future!

EPCOT is an essential part of any Walt Disney World Florida visit. Don’t miss it!

If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider giving it a Facebook “Like”, share or we’d love to hear about your own Disney experiences in the comments below!

You may also like to read these other Walt Disney World blogs:

How buy Walt Disney World tickets from Australia
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Magic Kingdom
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Disney’s Animal Kingdom
3 Walt Disney World theme park hacks for your Australian family holiday

Disclaimers: Let’s Go Mum may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you with bookings made with Klook
The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Disney & Klook for this Walt Disney World trip.  As always, all opinions are our own.
All prices and times quoted were correct at September 2023, the time of publishing this article, but can change frequently. Please always re-check for current prices.

Share one of our images to Pinterest…

The post Every EPCOT ride in one day on our first Walt Disney World visit! appeared first on Let's go Mum.

We recently explored all four of the major Walt Disney World theme parks in Florida for the very first time.

Our first theme park was the stunning Magic Kingdom , then Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. In this article we’ll be turning our attention to our fourth Walt Disney World park choice of our USA trip – the totally wild Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park!

Where can I buy discounted Walt Disney World tickets online?

Firstly, if you’re planning your own Aussie family holiday trip to Walt Disney World, we have a tickets discount promocode for you!

New Klook account purchases booking tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando can use our LETSGOMUMKLOOK promocode at checkout and save 10% off (you must click on the following link for the promocode to work!):

Get your free Wise travel money card!

Take advantage of our free Wise travel money card offer to save the AUD$10 card fee here.

Get your free Wise Card

Go to Klook to buy discounted Walt Disney World tickets online

This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

What is Disney’s Animal Kingdom?

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a zoological Disney theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It features animal-themed displays, rides and attractions. Part amusement park, part zoo, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a special focus on Asia and Africa, plus the movie themed Pandora – the World of Avatar and DinoLand USA.

Whilst there isn’t as many rides as you will find in the other Walt Disney World parks, the quality animal attractions more than make up for it. Plus several of the rides they have are pretty amazing! Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a really unique and fun Disney park to include in your Walt Disney World vacation plans!

Which is the biggest Disney Park in the world?

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the biggest Disney park in the world. Indeed, Disney’s Animal Kingdom also takes the title of the largest theme park in the world too! Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park covers a massive 580 acres. It was the fourth park to be opened at Walt Disney World in 1998, and is the most recent of the four big Walt Disney World theme parks.

What are the best rides in Disney’s Animal Kingdom?

Everyone has their favourite Disney rides but as this was our first visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom so we tried them all for the very first time! Our pick for the four top Disney’s Animal Kingdom rides were:

1. Avatar Flight of Passage

Avatar Flight of Passage has to be one of my personal top Disney ride favourites of all time – climb aboard your very own breathing Banshee and soar across the land of Pandora.

This flight ride is as realistic as it gets, and is stunningly beautiful to boot! With the breeze in your face and the seemingly endless Pandora landscape stretching out in front of you, it’s hard not to want to just continue on and explore more with your diving, dodging Banshee.

Avoid the long queues in the middle of the day as this is the most popular ride at Animal Kingdom. You can buy a Lightning Lane pass if you’re short on time, but whatever you do, don’t miss the Avatar Flight of Passage ride.

2. Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a steep, fast roller coaster that kind of got me by surprise. It had broken down and we almost missed it, but luckily decided to circle back just as it came back online (I may or may not have noticed them sending a test carriage run through!). We got to board straight away, letting the first ride go so that we could sit in the front row – it didn’t disappoint!

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a really fun, strongly themed thrill ride. Your runaway train is high up on a mountain dodging a massive Yeti – will you escape?! With a few fun surprises along the way including a big drop to scream down, this top Disney roller coaster experience is easy to fall in love with. That said, it’s certainly not for the little ones – or the faint hearted!

3. Dinosaur (now closed – being replaced)

If you love the Disney Indiana Jones Adventure ride then you’ll love Dinosaur – because it’s a similar ride with a different theme! The Dinosaur ride originally opened with the park in 1998. I was sorry to hear rumours that it is to be replaced soon because it really is an epic ride with a fun story plot, if a little more dated than your average ride. **Sadly, Dinosaur has now closed and will be replaced with Indianna Jones which is basically the same track with a different theme.

The Dinosaur ride theme is an engaging one – you’re a paleontologist trying to save a dinosaur before the big meteor hits – hang on tight to your jeep because it’s going to be a bumpy, sometimes scary, dark ride!

4. Na’vi River Journey

A completely different pace to all of the other rides, Na’vi River Journey is a gentle drift down a river that feels like a scene straight out of Avatar – the peaceful scenes, that is! Surrounded by floating neon spores and bioluminescent rainforest, it’s a lovely experience. Unfortunately on the day we rode it the main attraction, the animatronic Shaman of Songs near the end, was broken down. It was replaced with the Plan B video screen version – but you can’t win them all! This is a lovely family-friendly ride that everyone will enjoy.

Special Mention…

An extra mention here goes to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Not exactly a ride so much as a safari tour, I love the way Disney has themed this real animal tour to feel like an adventure expedition into Africa.

You’ll get to see lots of different wild animals as your large truck conveys you along a dirt track. It’s an exciting, if a little bumpy tour of the African Savannah that’s really enjoyable.

I’m not still not quite sure how they got the two rhinos to have a face off in front of our truck though! We recommend Kilimanjaro Safaris as a must-do at Animal Kingdom.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Genie+ & Lightning Lane pass

What are Genie+ and Lightning Lane passes?

These extra-cost digital fast passes use a separate ride entry with a shorter path to by-pass the normal stand-by lines. This will fast-track you to the head of the standby ride queue. Download the My Disney Experience app for free in the Apple Store or on Google Play to buy fast passes.

How early can I buy Disney’s Animal Kingdom fast passes?

Genie+ passes – All guests can buy Genie+ on the Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app from 7am on the morning of your visit. You don’t have to be at the actual parks to buy it.

Lightning Lane pay to ride (only currently available for Avatar Flight of Passage) – If you are a Disney hotel guest then you get early access from 7am on the morning of your visit to buy individual Lightning Lane Entrance on the Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app.  Other guests must wait until the park opens to buy them.

How much is Animal Kingdom’s Genie+?

Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Genie+ was USD$25 per person the day we visited – a Friday on the 2nd of June 2023.

How much is Avatar Flight of Passage Lightning Lane?

It costs about USD$20 per person to buy Lightning Lane access for Avatar Flight of Passage which is currently the only pay-to-ride ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Is there a fireworks show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?

No, there is not a fireworks show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom so as not to frighten the animals. There was a Tree of Life Awakenings projection show however that seems to have closed around February of 2023. There is currently no night show listed on the Disney Website for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, however you can view the beautifully lit, colourful Pandora area, and the Tree of Life is also lit at night.

How do I buy Walt Disney World tickets online?

Purchase your Walt Disney World tickets on Klook. Klook is a registered Walt Disney World ticket reseller who offer discounted tickets.

Quick, easy and cheap, Klook is the best way to buy Walt Disney World tickets online, and you can do it all from your armchair at home or work!

Is there a Walt Disney World promo code?

Yes! You can get 10% off Walt Disney World tickets if you’re new to Klook by using our promocode: LETSGOMUMKLOOK at checkout!

Book tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando

We really enjoyed visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There was so much to do we actually ran out of time doing all the fun activities there! Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a fantastic Disney theme park that is totally unique and well-worth a visit.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider giving it a Facebook “Like”, share or we’d love to hear about your own Disney experiences in the comments below!

You may also like to read these other Walt Disney World blogs:

How buy Walt Disney World tickets from Australia
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Magic Kingdom
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – EPCOT
3 Walt Disney World theme park hacks for your Australian family holiday

Disclaimers: Let’s Go Mum may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you with bookings made with Klook
The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Disney & Klook for this Walt Disney World trip.  As always, all opinions are our own.
All prices and times quoted were correct at September 2023, the time of publishing this article, but can change frequently. Please always re-check for current prices.

Share one of our images to Pinterest…

The post Disney’s Animal Kingdom – our first Walt Disney World trip from Australia appeared first on Let's go Mum.

We recently explored all four of the major Walt Disney World theme parks in Florida for the very first time.

Our first theme park was the stunning  Magic Kingdom , and later we also visited EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

In this article we’ll focus on our second park choice of the trip – the amazing Hollywood Studios theme park. We did each Walt Disney World Park without purchasing Genie+ and still got everything great done – here’s how!

Where can I buy discounted Walt Disney World tickets online?

Firstly, if you’re planning your own Aussie family holiday trip to Walt Disney World, we have a tickets discount promocode for you!

Australia and New Zealand new Klook purchases booking tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando can use our LETSGOMUMKLOOK promocode at checkout and save 10% (you must click on the following link for the promocode to work!):

Go to Klook to buy discounted Walt Disney World tickets online

Get your free Wise travel money card!

Take advantage of our free Wise travel money card offer to save the AUD$10 card fee here.

Get your free Wise Card

This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

What is Disney’s Hollywood Studios?

Disney Hollywood Studios was the third park to be opened at Walt Disney World and covers an area of 135 acres – that’s 102 football fields! Best of all, it’s packed full of amazing Disney rides and shows.

Opened in 1989, Hollywood Studios is one of the more recent USA Disney Park openings. It’s here you’ll find the movie-themed Disney and Pixar rides and shows. It’s a bit like the Disney California Adventure Park of Florida!

What are the best rides at Hollywood Studios?

Everyone has their favourite Disney rides but as this was our first visit to Hollywood Studios, so we had a clean slate to choose from. Our stand-out top four Hollywood Studios rides were:

1. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Also found At Disneyland in California, this ride is an absolute marvel of story-telling-meets-technology with its trackless operation, exciting battle scenes and life-like animatronics.

2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

This unique Twilight Zone version of the classic Tower of Terror rides has a different forward-travelling start before the characteristic plunging up and down in darkness – it’s a really fun version that we loved.

3. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

This comically chaotic family ride is full of Disney-charm. Another trackless technology triumph now also at Disneyland, this first-ever Mickey dark ride also features Minnie, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto, and is a fun ride for all ages.

4. Slinky Dog Dash

This rollicking roller coaster ride is another family favourite with the endearing Slinky Dog of Toy Story taking you for a fun joyride. Definitely a don’t-miss for the kids.

Hollywood Studios Genie+ & Lightning Lane pass

What are Genie+ and Lightning Lane passes?

These extra-cost digital fast passes use a separate ride entry with a shorter path to by-pass the normal stand-by lines. This will fast-track you to the head of the ride queue. Download the My Disney Experience app for free in the Apple Store or on Google Play to buy fast passes.

How early can I buy Hollywood Studios fast passes?

Genie+ passes – All guests can buy Genie+ on the Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app from 7am on the morning of your visit. You don’t have to be at the actual parks to buy it.

Lightning Lane pay to ride (only currently available for Rise of the Resistance) – If you are a Disney hotel guest then you get early access from 7am on the morning of your visit to buy Lightning Lane on the Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app.  Other guests must wait until the park opens to buy them.

How much is Disney’s Hollywood Studios Genie+?

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Genie+ was USD$25 per person the day we visited – a Wednesday on the 31st of May.

How much is Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane?

It costs about USD$20 per person to buy Lightning Lane access for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which is currently the only pay-to-ride ride at Hollywood Studios.

Should I buy Genie+ at Walt Disney World?

Yes, I would recommend that you do. This will potentially get you three or four ride queue short cuts and save you hours of wait time. Not buying Genie+ means you are short on time if you want to get a lot done, and you still usually end up missing out on one or two lesser rides which could have also been fun.

We were determined to get the top rides and experiences done, and we ticked off every single one we wanted to. That said, although it’s still really fun, it can be exhausting, as you are on the run all day. With two teenagers this was fine, but if you have younger kids this wouldn’t be as easy.

My recommendation – if you can afford to add on Genie+ at each Walt Disney World Park then do it and enjoy your precious holiday time more at Disney.

Disney Hollywood Studios ride strategy – without Lightning Lane

Can you do all the main Disney rides without Genie+?

Yes, you can ride all the main Walt Disney World top rides done without purchasing Genie+ or Lightning Lane passes.

We decided not to buy the Genie+ or Lightning Lane add-ons at all four of Walt Disney World theme parks. So we needed to hit the parks hard and use some Disney ride strategy to be able to fit in all the top rides in one day!

Should you arrive at WDW early for Disney hotel entry early?

As we were staying at Pop Century Disney Hotel we received early entry to each of the four Walt Dis

ney World parks.

Even though Disney Park early entry is a great advantage, there are a lot of people that also get it. So it’s best to arrive at the park gates around 30 minutes early. That way you will be ready to line up for your first ride for the day as soon as possible.

What ride should I do first at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?

During early entry, it’s best to get a popular ride or two done first, as they will be even busier later on. Slinky Dog Dash is one of the most popular rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As it had the longest ride queue, we decided that this should be our first ride. Although Rise of the Resistance is also a great first ride choice we had already ridden it several times in Disneyland California. So we prioritised Slinky Dog Dash as a new ride experience for us.

How do you do all the rides at Hollywood Studios without using the Lightning Lane?

Here are our main Walt Disney World do-all-ride strategy tips (for families without young children):

• Start your day at Walt Disney World as early as possible – preferably with early entry.
• Do the most popular rides early – in the first hour preferably (see how our day went in the following itinerary to work out which would be your top Disney rides).
• Prepare for a day of long ride queue waits – download some fun ride queue game apps like Disney Play and Heads-Up and have water and snacks.
• Get quick snacks on the go from food stands and eat meals at off-peak times at Disney restaurants.
• Ride right up until and beyond park close time.

Can you ride Disney rides after the park closes?

Yes you can. It’s possible to extend your Disney day out to be even longer by riding after hours.

Walt Disney World parks don’t usually close the ride queues until right on park close time, so you can enter your last ride queue right before close time. Often, ride queues have also shortened by that time as well, because families with small children leave the park right after the fireworks. So even after the park has closed you can stay in the queue and ride your ride as normal when it’s your turn. The ride doesn’t stop until the queue is empty.

How late are the Hollywood Studios Disney shops open?

Something else to take into account is that if you do want to do some Disney merchandise or gift shopping, you’ll need to do it earlier if you join a ride queue at closing time. By the time you have completed your last Disney ride the gift shops, snack vendors and even your hotel dinner restaurant may be closed! It can all be a big balancing act. Don’t go back to your hotel hungry!

Our Disney Hollywood Studios one-day itinerary

7:45am – Arrive at Disney Hollywood Studios

8:02am – Join queue for Slinky Dog Dash ride, Toy Story World

8:40am – 8:42am – Slinky Dog Dash ride

8:45am – 9:09am – Breakfast at Woody’s Lunch Box opposite Slinky Dog Dash

9:10am – Leave Toy Story Land

9:21am – Arrive and explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

9:38am – Join queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride, Galaxy’s Edge

10:10am – 10:30am – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride

11:02am – Stop for a character meet and greet with Goofy at Toy Story Land

11:15am – Stop for a character meet and greet with Donald and Daisy Duck at Animation Courtyard

11:47am – 12:27 – Indianna Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular live stunt show

12:30pm – 1:35pm ABC Commissary restaurant for lunch

2:36pm – Join queue Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride

3:02pm -3:18pm – Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride

4:42pm – Stop for a character meet and greet with Buzz Lightyear at Toy Story Land

4:51pm – Join queue Alien Swirling Saucers ride, Toy Story Land

5:32pm – 5:35pm – Alien Swirling Saucers ride

5:50pm – Join queue Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Hollywood Boulevard

6:42pm – 6:50pm – Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

7:20pm – Join queue Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

7:52pm – 8:05pm – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

8:06 – 8:27pm – Shopping at Galaxy’s Edge

9pm – 9:30pm Fantasmic show at Hollywood Hills Amphitheater

9:30pm – 9:50pm Disney store shopping

9:50pm – Leave Disney’s Hollywood Studios

What rides are missing from this itinerary?

• Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster (closed for the day)
• Toy Story Mania
• Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
• Star Tours

At Hollywood Studios, don’t miss…

Indianna Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular live stunt show

A genuine Hollywood-style stunt show with real stunt actors, this exciting presentation is great fun to watch. It features all kinds of live action antics, behind-the-scenes reveals and dangerous movie stunts!

Fantasmic night show

This amazing half-hour production is the perfect way to cap off your day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Featuring the star of the show – Mickey Mouse of course!

Mickey introduces wonderful light and sound shows featured around and on a moat surrounding an island stage. There are water fountain projections, boats and so much more.

The stadium seats 7,000, however to get the best seats it is recommended to get there an hour early – this is definitely a don’t-miss!

How do I buy Walt Disney World tickets online?

Purchase your Walt Disney World tickets on Klook. Klook is a registered Walt Disney World ticket reseller who offer discounted tickets.

Quick, easy and cheap, Klook is the best way to buy Walt Disney World tickets online, and you can do it all from your armchair at home or work!

Is there a Walt Disney World promo code?

Yes! Australian and New Zealand purchases get 10% off Walt Disney World tickets if you’re new to Klook by using our promocode: LETSGOMUMKLOOK at checkout!

Book tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a fantastic, fun theme park with so much to offer. Exciting rides and shows, lots of Disney characters to meet and yummy snacks to try.

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is a holiday your family will be reminiscing about long after your vacation is over.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider giving it a Facebook “Like”, share or we’d love to hear about your own Disney experiences in the comments below!

You may also like to read these other Walt Disney World blogs:

How buy Walt Disney World tickets from Australia
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Magic Kingdom
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – EPCOT
3 Walt Disney World theme park hacks for your Australian family holiday

Disclaimers: Let’s Go Mum may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you with bookings made with Klook
The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Disney & Klook for this Walt Disney World trip.  As always, all opinions are our own.
All prices and times quoted were correct at September 2023, the time of publishing this article, but can change frequently. Please always re-check for current prices.

Share one of our images to Pinterest…

The post Best of Disney’s Hollywood Studios – includes a one day itinerary appeared first on Let's go Mum.

A trip to the USA Disney Parks is on most Australian family’s dream-trip list. But whilst Aussies often head straight for the geographically closer California Disneyland, Walt Disney World is not only achievable with a little more effort – it has so much to explore!

We recently visited Walt Disney World in Florida for the very first time and found it to be an amazingly unique family holiday destination in its own right, and not just a bigger version of Disneyland.

There are four major Florida Disney theme parks at Walt Disney World (WDW) making up a total used area of a massive 950 acres.

We decided our very first Walt Disney World theme park would be its most famous – Magic Kingdom. After Magic Kingdom we also visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios,  EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Walt Disney World tickets promocode

Firstly, if you’re planning your own Aussie family holiday trip to Walt Disney World we have a tickets promocode for you!

Australia and New Zealand purchases booking tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando for the first time on Klook can use our LETSGOMUMKLOOK promocode at checkout for 10% off!

Go to Klook to buy discounted Walt Disney World tickets online

This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

Which is the most popular Walt Disney World park?

Magic Kingdom is the most popular of the 4 Walt Disney World parks.

Opened in 1971 and home to the huge Disney Cinderella Castle, it’s here you’ll find many unique and classic Disney rides and attractions.

Magic Kingdom is the Disneyland Park of Florida!

How do I enter Magic Kingdom?

To enter Magic Kingdom you will need to have purchased a valid Walt Disney World entrance ticket for the date you are attending, and currently you may still need a park reservation. You can read all about buying tickets and making park reservations in our How to buy Walt Disney World Tickets online from Australia feature here.

How do I go through the Magic Kingdom entrance gates?

The Walt Disney Parks entrances work on an electronic access system, and you’ll need something scannable that has a record of your Disney account valid admission ticket, plus your park reservation for that day.

You can use a hard-copy Disney swipe card (we were given ours at our Disney Hotel) which is electronically linked to your Disney account, a Disney MagicMobile pass (a digital record of your ticket found inside your My Disney Experience mobile app) or a Disney MagicBand writstband.

The Disney entrance gate scanning system is a very efficient system to use. After going through the security bag scan check, just scan your Disney card, Disney app barcode or MagicBand near the Magic Kingdom entrance gate readers and you’re permitted to enter! Just be sure to always have your photo id (for example, your passport) with you just in case there are any issues.

Can I buy Magic Kingdom entrance tickets at the gate?

Yes, you can buy Walt Disney World tickets at the box office located at the entrance of all four parks including Magic Kingdom. That said, we don’t recommend waiting to buy your tickets on the day at the gate in case the park tickets have sold out, or the park has reached capacity and park reservations are already full for the day.
I would recommend pre ordering tickets online using Klook for peace of mind.

What is it like to enter Magic Kingdom?

Walking into Magic Kingdom feels very much like walking into the original California Disneyland. After passing underneath the Disney railway train tracks through the pedestrian tunnel you emerge into the town square that heads old fashioned American Main Street U.S.A.  It is at this moment you will see the iconic Disney sight at the end of the street – the fairytale Disney Cinderella Castle!

What is it like when you first see the Disney castle?

If you’re a big Disney fan like me, and especially if you have been planning and saving for your Disney trip for some time then this is often a very special moment.

You’ve made it to Disney and are now staring at the actual Disney castle – you can actually feel that Disney magic excitement!

Whether it’s your very first visit or your hundredth this can be a lovely moment to experience – particularly with your children.

What is there on Disney Main Street?

Along American Main Street you’ll find lots of operating stores.

Souvenir shops, boutique merchandise shops, food and coffee shops like Starbucks.

There’s a cinema – and even a hair dresser!

A horse drawn trolley and other vintage Disney vehicles slowly move up and down the street carrying guests.

Where can I buy Mickey Ears at Magic Kingdom?

It’s on Main Street that you can pop into the big gift stores and outfit yourselves with the essential Disney souvenir – Walt Disney World ears!

You’ll be looking at around $50 Australian dollars starting budget for a pair of genuine Disney Mickey or Minnie ears. It’s all part of the fun, and they look just the thing for another right of passage you will be doing next. The all-essential photo in front of the Disney Castle!
You can learn more about official Walt Disney World Photo Passes in our guide here.

The souvenir stores usually stay open after closing time so that you can buy your Disney souvenirs on the way out. The benefits being that you don’t have to carry your souvenirs around all day, and you don’t waste any of that precious ride time!

Disney Snacks and Treats

One of the best things about Disney parks is trying out all the unique and yummy snacks.

There are many Disney snack staples to be found at Magic Kingdom including Popcorn with their collectable buckets from the vendors around the park, Mickey Waffles dripping with syrup and much more. Mickey-ears-shaped everything edible, for that matter!

One thing is for sure – all Disney snacks taste heavenly!

Our Magic Kingdom itinerary

First order of the day at Magic Kingdom was to look at the immediate ride wait times to work out what were the popular rides.

The main focus of our day was to soak up the atmosphere, see things unique to Magic Kingdom and do as many of the famous Disney rides there as possible.

Our Walt Disney World NO Lightning Lane ride strategy

We had not bought any Lightning Lane passes for Walt Disney World, so a ride strategy was needed to ensure that we got to ride all the good rides.

We did have the advantage of our Disney Hotel early entry for a head-start.

We especially wanted to make sure that we got to ride all those famous WDW rides we had been hearing about for so long, like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!

Which is the best Magic Kingdom first ride of the day?

For Magic Kingdom, we decided that as Space Mountain had the longest wait time of 15 minutes it should be our first ride for the day.

Rides that quickly have longer wait times soon after opening will almost certainly have very long queues later in the day! It’s best to hit at least one of the popular rides early take advantage of the shorter wait time first-thing.

What are the best rides at Magic Kingdom?

We quickly worked out that the most popular rides at Magic Kingdom were Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight and Tron due to the length of their ride queues. These then became our priority ride picks.

Tron called for a different approach to the other rides, however because it has no standby queue – meaning you can’t just line up without a pre-booking.

Which is the newest ride at Walt Disney World?

Magic Kingdom is home to Disney’s newest and fastest ride Tron Lifecycle Run. Opened in early 2023, this breathtakingly fast ride requires a free virtual queue reservation or paid fastpass.

How can I ride Tron?

To get a free place in the Tron Virtual Queue, you’ll need to download the My Disney Experience mobile app. and book a place the morning of the day of your visit to Magic Kingdom.

The Tron virtual queue places become available on the app at 7am and again at 1pm (check the app for exact details during your visit).

You don’t need to be inside the park to book the first boarding group place in the morning.

We used two phones logged into our Disney account with our fingers tapping the reserve button the second the clock ticked over 7am. Luckily we managed to snag a spot in the virtual queue – we were placed in GROUP 95. That’s a reflection of just how many people were trying to get a place in the queue at the same time!

When your boarding party comes up (you don’t know when until it does) you receive an hour’s notice time-block to ride. Ours came up around lunchtime.

The virtual queues fill up in mere minutes in the morning but if you don’t get in you can always try again in the afternoon (if you are inside Magic Kingdom at that time).

Make getting a boarding group place on Tron a priority if you love thrill rides. Tron is certainly worth the trouble it takes to book a place in the queue!

Paid Lightning Lane passes

You can pay USD$20 per person for an individual Lightning Lane Entry pass for Tron so that you don’t have to worry about getting or waiting in the Virtual Queue.

There is limited availability, however paid entry was available for 5:45pm when our group was called at around lunch time.

The Tron virtual queue took around an hour of wait time, so if you can afford to buy an individual paid pass, this can be a great way to save time and ride Tron without having to wait!

What rides are unique to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom?

Whilst many classic Disney rides and attractions are copies of Disneyland’s originals, in addition to these we love to seek out what is special to each park.

In Walt Disney World we sought-out the Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree and Carousel of Progress.

As Australian tourists, we found each of these attractions fascinating and fun! A little piece of Americana and a real novelty to experience.

A restaurant overlooking the Small World ride

The Magic Kingdom It’s a Small World ride is in a far more prominent position at Walt Disney World than it is at Disneyland.

We were able to actually have lunch at the Pinocchio Village Haus restaurant that directly overlooks the Small World ride boat boarding area. It was fun to be able to watch riders sailing down the river past our window!

There we could actually wave and hold up fun signs like “Say Pan”, and “Stick your tongue out”! It was a great fun place to get a bite to eat!

Magic Kingdom parades

We saw some lovely parades throughout the day at Magic Kingdom purely by stumbling upon them.

Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade

There’s nothing more thrilling at Disney than seeing the stars of the show – Mickey and Minnie Mouse – waving to you in person. Their superstar status is plain to see no matter where they go!

You’ll see Mickey and Minnie in the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade, which runs twice a day at Magic Kingdom.

Check the app for the parade daily time slots.

Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade

Then there is the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade parade which features lots of loved characters from more recent Disney movies like Toy Story, Moana and the Incredibles.

We caught this parade right in front of the Cinderella Castle, which made for an amazing – “Am I really here? Pinch me!” – moment!

What is it like to break down in Space Mountain? A Disney ride breakdown

With many of our targeted rides and parade experiences under our belt by sunset we decided to take a ride on the more leisurely PeopleMover – a slow carriage ride along a meandering, highline rail track.

It was a beautiful trip looking down over Magic Kingdom and across to the castle. There were a few fits and starts along the way, and shortly after the train headed inside Space Mountain it finally ground to a full halt!

We found it really exciting to be stuck in Space Mountain! We passed the time playing games together on the Disney Go and Heads Up Apps until Disney Staff came to get us all.

Staff Cast Members asked us if we were able to walk out of Space Mountain and down some stairs. We happily followed them out along with all the other PeopleMover riders.

It was fun to be walking a ride instead of actually riding it! We were told where to step to cross the tracks in a certain way to be safe, and eventually we all emerged and headed down a flight of stairs.

Disney staff gave us each a Lightning Lane pass for our trouble which we considered a bonus as we had had a fun experience breaking down.

Thanks to our PeopleMover breakdown we got to try a Walt Disney World Lightning Lane after all!

What is the Happily Ever After Fireworks Show like?

The Magic Kingdom fireworks are truly spectacular to watch. They are big enough to be seen from several surrounding hotels and even some of the other Walt Disney World Parks like EPCOT.

No spoilers intended, but there is a special surprise appearance by a certain fairy during the fireworks who brings many oohs and ahhs from the watching crowds. I would make sure any little ones keep their eyes turned upwards towards the end of the fireworks display!

Are the Magic Kingdom fireworks the best Disney fireworks in the world?

Yes, we all agree that the Magic Kingdom fireworks are the best Disney Castle fireworks we’ve seen so far!

The Magic Kingdom castle fireworks at 9pm at the end of the day are absolutely worth staying for.

Watching the Disney fireworks is a wonderful opportunity to create even more magical Disney memories together.

Is there time to do any rides after the Disney fireworks?

Always! In fact, this can be one of the best times to race around and get some rides done quickly!

Lots of families with small children leave right after the fireworks.

If there isn’t an after-hours event on, chances are ride lines are shorter and you can get a couple more rides in.

We managed to squeeze in Haunted Mansion ride using our free Lightning Lane pass and then ran to wait in a much-shortened queue to ride Peter Pan’s Flight. That was two major rides after the fireworks and before we left after closing time.

Happily, Disney theme parks allow you to join ride queues right up to close time – you just need to get in that line before the clock ticks over!

How do I buy Walt Disney World tickets online?

Purchase your Walt Disney World tickets on Klook. Klook is a registered Walt Disney World ticket reseller who offer discounted tickets.

Quick, easy and cheap, Klook is the best way to buy Walt Disney World tickets online, and you can do it all from your armchair at home or work!

Is there a Walt Disney World promo code?

Yes! Australian and New Zealand purchases get $20USD off Walt Disney World tickets if you’re new to Klook by using our promocode: LETSGOMUM20 at checkout!

Book tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando

Download the Walt Disney World App

To have your digital tickets on hand, and in preparation for your visit to Walt Disney World, download the Walt Disney World App My Disney Experience before you go at the App Store and Google Play.

Navigate around the theme parks, find restaurants, rides, check for event times and other points of interest. You can check ride wait times and much more.

Buy your Walt Disney World tickets here and use our discount code

Australia and New Zealand Let’s Go Mum Readers new to Klook get 10% off Disneyland tickets with our Walt Disney World promocode: LETSGOMUMKLOOK

Buy your Walt Disney World tickets online here

You may also like to read these other Walt Disney World blogs:

How buy Walt Disney World tickets from Australia
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – EPCOT
Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Disney’s Animal Kingdom
3 Walt Disney World theme park hacks for your Australian family holiday

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is a fantastic, world-class theme park. It offers plenty of classic Disney rides and attractions plus their own unique attractions.

Add to all this exciting new cutting-edge rides and you have an amazing holiday destination where your family can make magical Disney memories together! Just as Walt Disney himself intended.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider giving it a Facebook “Like”, share or we’d love to hear about your own Disney experiences in the comments below!

Disclaimers: Let’s Go Mum may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you with bookings made with Klook
The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Disney & Klook for this Walt Disney World trip.  As always, all opinions are our own.
All prices and times quoted were correct at September 2023, the time of publishing this article, but can change frequently. Please always re-check for current prices.

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The post Our Australian family Walt Disney World trip – Magic Kingdom appeared first on Let's go Mum.

The thought of a trip to Walt Disney World is hard for any Disney fan to resist – but as an Australian Disney fan…well, the extra distance and expense to get the family there can be a little discouraging. You need to fly not only to the US, but then on another flight leg to reach the state of Florida on the East Coast of America.

But whilst getting from Australia to Florida may seem a challenge at first, it’s absolutely doable – and well worth the extra planning required!

Book tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando or Disneyland California for the first time on Klook using our LETSGOMUM20 promocode to save USD$20!

This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

Before you make any overseas vacation plans to go anywhere it’s always a good idea to take a look over the trip basic logistics to get an idea of what you’re up for. Then you can start planning on how to achieve it!

In this guide you’ll find answers to the main questions asked by Australians when contemplating a trip to Walt Disney World. We’ll be covering these basic questions:

• How can I get there?

• How long will it take?

• How much will it cost?

• Can you visit both US Disney Parks on the same trip?

• Can I see an example itinerary?

Hopefully the information you find here will give you a solid overview of what’s involved so that you can plan for your best family Disney Vacation ever!

Walt Disney World flight FAQs

What airlines fly from Australia to Orlando, Florida?

The airlines that fly from Australia to Orlando include American Airlines, United Airlines, JAL, Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia (via United) and Qantas (via American Airlines) all fly from Australia to Orlando International Airport – around a half hour drive from Walt Disney World.

How can I fly from Australia to Orlando?

Whilst there are currently no non-stop direct flights from Australia to Orlando, Florida there are plenty of direct flights to Orlando.

All flights from Australia to Orlando usually have at least one brief stopover or transit (usually Dallas or Los Angeles) in the USA before connecting to a flight to Florida, arriving at the final destination of Orlando International Airport.

As long as you book your flight direct with the one Airline carrier your luggage should be checked straight through all the way to Orlando.

How long does it take to fly from Australia to Orlando?

The fastest flight time from Australia to Orlando takes around 20 hrs. This includes both flights with a 2 hour stopover at a US airport on the way. You will be crossing timezones, so expect some Jet Lag!

How much does it cost to fly to Orlando from Australia?

The cost to fly to Orlando fluctuates according to when you fly. As a rough guide, a direct return flight to Orlando from Australia (Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane) next week (it’s currently August 2023) can cost as much as around AUD$3,200, reducing by as much as AUD$1000 to AUD$2,200 to fly three months out from now. You can check the latest Australia to Orlando airfares for yourself on Tripadvisor.

Can you visit both USA Disneylands on one trip?

Yes you can. If you have time to spare, in addition to your Walt Disney World vacation you could consider incorporating other USA destinations on your trip. On our recent Walt Disney World trip we visited three other different USA destinations – including Disneyland California – by flying with several different airlines. You can read some of my USA side trip flight tips in this article here.

Our flight itinerary – Both USA Disney Parks & a New York side trip

• Jetstar Australia – From Australia we flew Jetstar Australia airline to Hawaii.
• Southwest Airlines – Then we flew Southwest Airlines from Honolulu via a brief stop on Lihue, Hawaii, to Los Angeles (LAX) to visit Disneyland California in Anaheim and Universal Studios in Los Angeles – 6 nights
• Delta Airlines – We flew Delta Airlines direct from LAX to Orlando for our Walt Disney World holiday, also visiting the two main Universal Studios Parks and the Kennedy Space Centre at NASA – 9 nights
• Delta Airlines – Then we flew from Orlando to New York on Delta Airlines for a short visit. – 2 nights
• United Airlines – From New York we flew back to Hawaii on United Airlines via a brief stop at LAX.
• Jetstar Australia – Upon arrival in Honolulu, Hawaii we stayed overnight at the airport and then flew back to Australia the next morning flying Jetstar Australia. (1 night)

Our entire trip took just under three weeks. (Let me know in the comments if you’d like to see our full itinerary!)

Buy your Walt Disney World tickets here and use our discount code

Buy your Disney tickets online before you go to save money! I have a Disneyland California and Walt Disney World tickets promocode for you – a huge USD $20 off! Just click on this link and enter the promocode at checkout.

Book tickets online to Walt Disney World in Orlando or Disneyland California for the first time on Klook using our LETSGOMUM20 promocode to save USD$20!

If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider giving it a Facebook “Like”, share or we’d love to hear about your own Disney experiences in the comments below!

You may also enjoy reading our latest articles on Australian family USA travel:

What’s new for Disney’s 100th anniversary

How to book Disneyland tickets online

Our one week California trip itinerary

Disclaimers: Let’s Go Mum may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you with bookings made with Klook
All prices and times quoted were correct in August 2023, the time of publishing this article, but can change frequently. Please always re-check for current prices.

This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

Share one of our images to Pinterest…

The post How to book flights to Walt Disney World from Australia appeared first on Let's go Mum.