My Orlando Disney Guide — Trip Report

After spending so much time talking about booking tickets, reserving hotels, and all kinds of money-saving tricks, it seems like it’s finally time to talk about the trip itself. This post is especially suitable for people like me, who don’t study travel guides very carefully before a trip and end up cramming at the last minute. As for those who plan out every hour in meticulous detail, I can only admire you. This article mainly covers the background, itinerary, impressions, and a few things to watch out for. Hopefully this Disney trip report will give everyone a general idea so you’ll know what to expect the next time you go.

Background

This time, my wife and I spent a total of four and a half days and five nights at Disney, with four full days actually spent in the parks. Our original plan was simple: spend one day each at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios, then go back to whichever park we liked best on the last day. In the end, we still went back to Magic Kingdom on the final day to take some photos, do a few things we missed on day one, and revisit some of the rides we had liked the most. We’re not huge Disney character fanatics, and we haven’t watched that many of the animated movies, so we focused mostly on rides and attractions. We barely did any character meet-and-greets or photo ops. All of our Fast Pass selections for the second day were made the day before at the last minute, so you should definitely book yours earlier if possible.

One thing that especially deserves a mention is the My Disney Experience app. It lets you check the map, current wait times, choose and modify Fast Pass+ reservations (basically, each person can select a few attractions and use the expedited line instead of waiting in the regular one), read descriptions of each attraction, and save your travel plans. It’s honestly a must-have app for everyone. On top of that, the Disney parks are covered by free wifi, so you don’t have to worry about getting online in the app. While waiting in line, checking social media, playing a few games, reading the news, or browsing blogs are all good ways to pass the time.

Day 1: Magic Kingdom

Fast Pass+: Peter Pan, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear

Entering the park:

Since we didn’t get to the hotel until 2 a.m. the night before, we didn’t make any detailed plans for the next day that night. The idea was basically: we’ll figure it out when we get there. After sleeping a few hours, we dragged ourselves up, quickly skimmed a few guides, picked our Fast Pass+ for the day, and headed straight to Magic Kingdom on the hotel shuttle a little after 8 a.m. Once we got to the entrance area and picked up our tickets, we realized we still had to take either a boat or the monorail to actually get into the park.

Attractions (partial list)

Mine Train (Recommendation: 4 stars; Thrill level: 3 stars)

By the time we tried to book a Fast Pass, this one was already unavailable, so as soon as we entered the park we went straight to line up for it. Even though the app showed a 30-minute wait, it ended up taking almost an hour before it was our turn. The queue itself had quite a few interactive things to play with, like spinning gems to rotate the dwarfs’ faces, which was pretty cute. Since this was the first ride we did at Disney, even though it wasn’t super thrilling, it completely wiped away the fatigue from waiting in line.

Peter Pan Flight (Recommendation: 2 stars; Thrill level: 1 star)

Before the trip, I had read that this ride gets very long lines and that people recommended using a Fast Pass, so I picked it without thinking too much. Later I realized it’s really more suited for little kids. Basically, you sit in a suspended vehicle and “fly” through different Peter Pan scenes. The set design inside was just okay, and honestly not even as detailed as It’s a Small World. This later became one of my main targets for complaining. Of course, if you’re very familiar with Peter Pan, you might feel differently.

Space Mountain (Recommendation: 5 stars; Thrill level: 5 stars)

We had a Fast Pass, so while watching all the exhausted people in the regular line, we got to walk in through the expedited entrance, which felt amazing. To put it simply, this is an indoor roller coaster in the dark. Just imagine what it feels like to race up and down through outer space, with the surroundings sometimes dimly lit, sometimes pitch black, and always a little chilly. I kept my eyes open the whole time, but when it suddenly dropped in the middle, I still had a brief urge to jump out of the car. If you want to experience the feeling of teleporting through space, this is for you.

Splash Mountain (Recommendation: 5 stars; Thrill level: 4 stars)

Before getting on, it seemed like just a typical log flume ride, but once you boarded and floated inward, you realized there was a lot more going on. The scenes along the way were all very detailed, and the music was so charming that I actually went and downloaded the song afterward. The final drop looks pretty intense from the outside, but the actual speed on the way down isn’t all that fast. Compared with Space Mountain, it’s still a notch lower in terms of thrills.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Recommendation: 5 stars; Thrill level: 4 stars)

We didn’t choose a Fast Pass for this one, so we waited in line for a little over an hour, winding around inside the queue area. But the surroundings were very well done, with a strong mining theme throughout. There was even a section with explosives that you could actually “detonate” from the queue, triggering explosion sounds and bursts of air next to the coaster. In terms of thrills, it was similar to Mine Train, but the theming was much better.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (Recommendation: 3 stars; Thrill level: 2 stars)

This is basically a moving target-shooting game, and my hands got tired from pressing the buttons. The scenes inside were nice, but the ride itself was too short. I really wanted to go around a few more times.

Electrical parade and fireworks (Recommendation: 5 stars)

The electrical parade was very dazzling, so if you’ve never seen it before, it’s worth staying to watch for a while. If you’re worried about missing the shuttle, you can move closer to the main gate so you can head toward the parking lot as soon as it ends. As for the fireworks, since we had to catch the 10 p.m. shuttle back to the hotel, we could only watch them from far away in the parking lot.

Food

We tried the famous turkey leg once, and the two of us still couldn’t finish it. It was just way too big, and pretty greasy once you ate enough of it. We also had some American fast food, which wasn’t really worth commenting on. It filled us up, and that was about it.

Day 2: Epcot

Compared with Magic Kingdom, Epcot had a lot fewer things for us to do, and some attractions were more educational in nature. The more fun ones were Test Track, Soarin, and Mission Space. The pavilions for the different countries were also nice, and the Chinese acrobatics were especially impressive. We mainly spent the morning doing rides, then wandered through the country pavilions in the afternoon, watched the fireworks at night, and headed back to catch the shuttle.

Fast Pass: Soarin

Attractions

Test track (Recommendation: 5 stars; Thrill level: 4 stars)

Test Track is a fairly complete attraction. It starts with designing a car virtually, then you board Test Track and pretend to test the car you just designed in different environments. At the end, you head out onto the road, and the ride gives your car a performance score. The most thrilling part is how fast Test Track goes—you can literally feel the skin on your face being pulled backward. We rode it twice in total. The first time, we did the full experience and waited about an hour in line. The second time, we used the single rider line, which moved much faster, so we skipped the design portion and just rode the car directly.

Soarin (Recommendation: 4 stars, Thrill Level: 3 stars)

Basically, they suspend you in a seat frame and have you watch a giant dome-screen film. That said, the effect is still pretty well done. The flying golf ball and the treetops brushing past your feet create good interaction with the audience. Of course, once you know it is essentially just a dome-screen movie, the thrill factor drops quite a bit.

Space Mission (Recommendation: 5 stars, Thrill Level: 5 stars)

When we went that day, this attraction went down for maintenance several times, which made the enhanced version especially crowded. So for our first ride, we chose the basic mission. It simulates the entire process from rocket launch to landing on a planet, and the effects were very well done. Each team member also has button-pressing tasks at specific times. Even the basic version gives you a slight sensation of weightlessness and G-forces. After trying it once, we decided to come back later for the enhanced version, which uses spinning to intensify those weightless and heavy-force effects. It was a good experience, but if you are prone to dizziness from spinning, be careful and try the basic version first.

Food and Shopping

In the spirit of supporting our homeland, we went to the China pavilion and had a bowl of beef noodles. The result was honestly hard to describe without complaining. The noodles were worse than instant noodles and had a strange smell. The beef was completely American-style—sweet, and coated in something. Expecting authentic braised beef noodle soup in the U.S. was just too naive. That night, we had fast food in the Japan pavilion. It tasted decent, though maybe that was just because lunch had set the bar so low.

Each country pavilion sells items unique to that country. We spent hours browsing the Japan shop and kept marveling at how detailed everything was. Unfortunately, the prices were a bit high, so we did not buy anything. Still, it is definitely worth checking out.

Day 3: Disney Hollywood Studios

Fast Pass: Toy story Mania

Attractions (Partial)

Rock Roller Coaster (Recommendation: 4 stars, Thrill Level: 5 stars)

By the time we picked Fast Passes, this one was already gone, so we had no choice but to line up early in the morning. This time the line was especially long—we waited about an hour and a half. Honestly, the payoff was not quite worth it. Before the coaster, you just enter a studio and watch a short video for a few minutes, and then it is over. So if you do not have a Fast Pass for this attraction, I strongly recommend using the single rider line. That said, the coaster itself is definitely exciting, especially because it includes inversions.

Tower of Terror (Recommendation: 5 stars, Thrill Level: 5 stars)

This drop tower was very well done. The entire backstory feels complete, and the ghosts and lightning that appear during the ride are also nicely executed. We rode it once in the morning and then again right before the park closed at night. It was probably the most fun attraction in the whole park.

Light Motor Action (Recommendation: 5 stars, Thrill Level: 3 stars)

This show is about filming movie car-chase scenes, and it is pretty interesting. The final explosion sequence is also quite impressive. Since it takes place in a large arena, there is no need to wait in a traditional line, but if you want seats near the front, you still need to arrive early. We got there about 10 minutes before it started and were basically seated just a few rows from the back. Make sure to check the showtimes so you do not miss it.

Food

We just went with American fast food—cheap and filling.

Day 4: Magic Kingdom

Back again, but this time we were smarter. We skipped the longest wait of all, Mine Train, and as soon as we entered the park at nine, we headed straight for Buzz light, where we walked right on with no wait. Then we went to Space Mountain (5-minute wait), drove the race cars (about 10 minutes), Splash Mountain (15 minutes), and Big Thunder Mountain (20 minutes). In one shot, we knocked out all the best rides. Then our fast pass selections were for Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain in the afternoon, so we rode them all again. During the gaps, we tried a few attractions we had missed before, and combined with our first day, we ended up doing about 90% of the attractions in the whole park. We also had another turkey leg this time, and I do not think I ever want one again. Since we were heading back home the next day, we took the shuttle back a little after 8 p.m.

5. Final Thoughts

We played hard for four full days. Every day we got up at 7 a.m., spent 12 hours at Disney, got back to the hotel at 11 p.m., and went to sleep after midnight. Looking back, those few days were pretty crazy. After we got back, I completely collapsed for several days and did not want to move.

What impressed me most this time was not how fun each Disney attraction was, but Disney's nearly perfect business ecosystem. From the moment you enter the park, your whole self and your entire schedule are basically handed over to Disney. Every drink cup has Disney graphics on it, and every souvenir carries the same Disney branding. Even more than that, every attraction pushes this idea to the extreme. From the moment you start waiting in line, the surroundings begin building the attraction's theme. Take Big Thunder Mountain, for example: the entire queue area is decorated like a mine, filled with old newspapers, signs, explosives, sacks, and other details. It pulls you into the atmosphere right from the beginning and makes waiting in line much less boring. At the same time, there are little interactive elements here and there, like detonating explosives or turning a bellows, that make people linger and enjoy themselves.

Once you finish waiting and actually start the attraction, you realize that every scene is arranged with incredible detail, and the music is matched very well too. The characters inside are controlled animatronics that never get tired. Most importantly, almost all the attractions are designed so that they lead you through the experience. You sit in a small car or suspended ride vehicle that moves along a fixed track, and they have designed everything you can see in every second. Every turn and every pause is carefully planned so that you only see what they want you to see. Thinking about it now, it is actually a little unsettling. You are like a component on an assembly line, entering each stage at exactly the right second and being processed step by step. On top of that, the ride vehicles can precisely control how long each person spends inside, so there is no congestion from people stopping to take pictures or lingering too long. Once you go in, that is the one complete experience. It also makes attraction management and crowd control much easier.

After you finish a ride, what often greets you when you exit is not the blue sky outside, but merchandise tied to the attraction’s theme. First, there are the photos taken during the ride. For example, on Splash Mountain, just before the big drop from the highest point, a high-speed camera captures the moment. You can scan your ticket card to save the photo and later view this memorable moment online. Unfortunately, downloading it costs extra (see this article for a free method). Once you walk out through the exit, you are often funneled directly into themed merchandise and shops. For example, after test track, there is a large room where you can do things like virtual driving and take photos with sports cars. In the end, the whole attraction feels very complete.

Another impressive feature is Fast Pass. At first glance, it may seem like just a way for different people to pick the rides they like and get priority access. But if you think about it more carefully, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. First, it helps spread out the crowds. When choosing a Fast Pass, you not only choose the attraction, but also a time slot. And each attraction has a cap on the number of people allowed in each time window. This makes it possible to control crowd flow for a given period quite well, while also distributing visitors more evenly across different attractions. At the same time, the park and the APP also show posted wait times, allowing people to choose their lines accordingly, which further helps disperse crowds.

Disney can almost be studied as a miniature society: guest preferences, the operating time of each attraction, capacity limits, and so on. Put all of that data together, and it would probably make excellent material for data mining and analysis.

Key tips

• Choose your Fast Pass in advance (it seems you can do so 30-60 days ahead). Since you should pick the attractions that suit you best, it helps to understand the rides beforehand.
• If you want to cover the whole park, be flexible with meals and just go with American fast food.
• The first hour after entering the park is extremely valuable. Do not schedule your Fast Pass during that time; instead, use it to hit fun attractions with waits under 15 minutes.
• Attractions with especially long waits are better saved for later in the afternoon.
• Learn to read the map; it can save you a lot of unnecessary walking.
• Orlando gets passing showers, so bringing an umbrella helps both for shade and rain. Of course, most Americans do not use umbrellas there, and some bring ponchos instead.
• There is drinking water available in the park, and it is safe to drink.
• Definitely do not eat the beef noodles at the China pavilion.
• ...

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 Follow the rest of the series: my Orlando Disney guide

• Flights: ORD-MCO, mainly about award ticket options and points bookings
• Flights: SFB-small cities, mainly about companion tickets, canceling BA award tickets, and low-cost carrier Allegiant
• Hotels: booking SPG hotels, mainly about the booking process and what to do when no rooms are available
• Ground transportation: shuttle and Uber, mainly about airport-to-hotel transportation options
• Saving money: mainly about Disney-specific money-saving strategies
• Trip report: mainly about this itinerary, impressions, and park touring tips
• Summary: points and expense totals, and points return