Disney World Planning Tips (For Adults)

Ah, Disney World, land of unrealistic expectations about love, and extremely happy workers and like us, Disney is where all little kids at heart want to start their adventures. In the winter of 2016 Emily and I began recording our journeys so that when we finally started our blog (this blog) we would remember all the amazing things we have done and all the amazing things we want to share. In May of that year I graduated from college and when asked what I would do next I simply responded “I’m going to Disney World!”

Aaron and Emily in front of the Disney World castle
Emily and I enjoying the castle and Starbucks

Anyone who knows Emily and I will tell you we do not like crowds or long lines. So this post is all about Disney World and the fun things that usually get overlooked. We will discuss our tips and tricks for Disney World in two separate posts. The first one today will be all about the things we planned that were fantastic and we recommend you plan into your trip as well. The second post is about all the amazing tips we stumbled into along the way.

 

Disney World App
Okay so as the compulsive planner in the relationship, I like apps. I think they are extremely helpful in organizing and planning out your life, especially in a place as touristy as Disney World. Let me tell ya, the app is genius. It allows you to look at all the restaurants and rides in different parts of the park, wait times, reserve tables, and the app is linked to your wrist bands so any photo taken of you in the park is uploaded to your app. You can also put money on wrist band to use as cash via the app. It was painfully convenient to be able to look up how the wait for a ride was, make a reservation at a nearby restaurant for after the rides wait time will expire, and get a map showing how to get to the ride all in one place. You can get the app in the App Store and Google Play right here!

 

Spice Road Table
Like I mentioned above, the app is amazing for making dinner reservations. I made reservations for every meal we had in Disney but the reason I separated these two from the list is because of the experiences we had at them.

As much as it pains me to say it, most restaurants in Disney World all sell the same food just in slightly different atmospheres. Spice Road Table in Epcot does not abide by that. It is a Mediterranean themed restaurant with…you guessed it, Mediterranean food. And it is good, probably the best thing I ate

Spice Road Table Photo Credit: Disney World
Spice Road Table Photo Credit: Disney World

in Disney World. It is also right on the bank of the World Showcase Lagoon, and if you are lucky enough to eat there at night you can watch the fireworks explode above the Lagoon while eating kabobs.

50s Prime Time Cafe

This place is an extremely themed restaurant. The waiting area is a “living room” the dining areas are the “kitchen” or “dining room” depending on

50s Prime Time Cafe Photo Credit: Disney World
50s Prime Time Cafe Photo Credit: Disney World

what part of the restaurant you are in. It feels like you are in an episode of “Leave it to Beaver”. In a continuation of the theme all of the wait staff has taken on personas of someone “in the family” and usually are not going to put up with your crap. As two people who enjoy a nice sassy comeback, Emily and I thoroughly enjoy our waiter! The food is noticeably 50s style home cooking. (A lot of pot roast). Therefore, the food wasn’t anything super spectacular, but it kept with the theme, and I am a sucker for a good theme!

 

Riverside Port Orleans: As most of you know, Disney World is (usually) for kids, and as any of you who know me know I don’t (usually) like kids. So I worked my fingers to the bone finding the cheapest hotel on Disney

Riverside Port Orleans at night
Night View of Riverside

property with the least likelihood of an overabundance of kids, and Riverside delivered!  Riverside has two pool areas; one is a basic pool and the other is a water playground. Guess which one is NEVER has any kids in it? It was nice to be able to experience Disney as an adult without having to deal with a million kids. Actually even better than that, we didn’t have to spend an arm and a leg in order to get it.

Okay adventurers, so those are our top tips for planning a Disney World trip, especially as an adult. Check out our second post about the best secrets Disney World has to hold right here! If you needs ideas for adventure in Orlando outside of Disney check this out! Make sure to check back often to see what new secrets we are spilling. Also sign up for our newsletter to receive notice of them first!

Don’t forget to drop a comment and tell us some of your favorite tips and tricks for exploring Disney World!