There are many different ticket options when going to the Disney parks, and it's a good idea to think carefully about what you want to accomplish on your Disney adventure. If you're drawn to the idea of visiting a couple of different parks in one day, then it's worth shelling out for a Disney Park Hopper ticket. This will allow you to travel freely between any of the Disney parks. Remember though, that the parks are huge, and you will be walking for much of the day, so try not to over-schedule yourself and your family. Even more importantly, avoid any potential ticket scams by making sure that when you buy your tickets, you buy them from an authorized Disney ticket agent.
There's no shortage of resort hotels on Disney property, and although you will pay a little more, there are benefits. The obvious one is the close proximity to the park entrances, so you spend less time in transit on shuttle buses or in your car, and more time enjoying the parks themselves. On top of that, Disney resort hotels offer Extra Magic Hours to guests, whereby the guests can, on selected days, have access to the park for extra hours usually unavailable to the general public.
As well as lessening parking hassles, getting to the parks bright and early will help you get a head start ahead of the crowds at the most popular attractions. Head for the most popular rides during these early hours, as the lines will be much shorter than they will by mid-morning. With an early start, you'll also have the option of taking a breather from the crowds for a while, by returning to your hotel during the hottest part of the day. Taking a little break from the action to freshen up, and perhaps take a little siesta, can help you feel recharged and ready for the evening's activities at the park.
At the entrance of the parks, you'll find the daily times guide which will inform you of the park's hours and parade times, along with locations and specific times for character greeting opportunities. This will help you plan your day around the activities that really interest you and your family. This is also your opportunity to see which (if any) of the attractions will be closed on that particular day.
Most of the popular attractions offer the Fastpass feature, which allows you to avoid spending too much time standing in lines. Simply take a Fastpass ticket with a return-time printed on it. Returning at this time will mean that you can skip the regular line and go to the Fastpass line which will give you a very short wait time for the attraction; usually 5 minutes or less.
One of the big crowd pleasers at the Disney parks is the nightly fireworks display at the close of the day. Since many people like to get the ultimate view, crowds of people begin to congregate up to an hour before the scheduled displays. This is fine if you don't mind being caught up in the mass exodus afterwards. In the Magic Kingdom for example, it might be more advisable to make your way to the beginning of Main Street USA in time for the fireworks display. You'll still have a great view of the fireworks, but after they're over, you'll already be very close to the transportation (be it ferry or monorail) that takes you from the Magic Kingdom to the main Disney entrance, and you should be able to avoid the long lines that develop immediately after the fireworks finale.
