Arrive at the parks about 30-45 minutes before the stated opening times. The parks will usually open the turnstiles about 30 minutes early, although the rides and attractions won't open until the stated opening time, the shops will be open. You can rent a stroller, browse the shops and be ready at the entrance to each 'land' when the rope drops at opening time.

Disney transport (buses, monorail, boats) runs from two hours before park opening until two hours after park closing.

Utilise the fastpass system.

Take a break in the afternoon, go back to your hotel for a nap or a swim.

Buy a copy of Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide to WDW, it includes lots of advice, & touring plans for all four parks.

If you want to ride the most popular rides without waiting in long queues, aim to ride them as soon as the park opens, during the afternoon parade or in the evening.  

 If it starts to rain, a lot of people will run for cover or leave the park, just buy one of the bright yellow ponchos that will be on sale everywhere & continue to enjoy the parks.

In the parks, the busiest times for meals are from 11am - 2pm, & 5pm - 7pm. Try to eat earlier or later whenever possible.  Eat a large breakfast to keep you going until mid-afternoon.

On the 3D rides & shows, sit towards the back, where the 3D images will be clearer.

At the shows and 3D rides, if you want to sit in the middle, stay in the middle of the crowd inthe preshow area. If you stand right near the doors, you'll only have to move right to the end of the row.

Wear comfortable, well broken-in shoes, you will be doing a lot of walking & standing in line. Take a spare pair of socks with you in case the ones you're wearing get wet!

Make sure you use sunscreen, the Florida sun can be very strong.

Cool off by visiting the indoor shows in the afternoon, where you can relax in air-conditioned comfort.

If you have children with you, take swimsuits with you so they can play in the fun fountains (at Magic Kingdom & Epcot).

If an attraction has two lines, the one on the left will generally be shorter.

Visit the shops in the afternoon. Try to avoid shopping at the end of the day when the shops are at their busiest.

Leave any heavy bags in a locker as you enter the park.

Buy your postcards & carry them around with you, you can then write them whilst waiting for parades. Write address labels before you leave home, & take them with you to stick straight onto the postcards.

If you have small children, write down his/her name, age, your name & resort, & any medical conditions, on a piece of paper & either put it in the child's pocket or buy one of those plastic wallets with a pin on the back to put it in, & attach to the child's clothing. Then if the child gets lost it's easier to locate you.

If you have small children, 'switching off' is available on some rides. Here's how it works - when you enter the line, tell the cast member that you want to switch off. You, your partner & child all enter together. When you reach the ride, the cast member will tell you what to do. One of you will go on the ride, the other stays with the child. When you exit the ride, you go back to the unloading area & the other person rides while you take the child back to the exit.

Wear matching, or brightly coloured T-shirts or hats. This makes it easier to keep track of everyone in your party/family.

Drink plenty of water, not coffee or coke, etc.

 Buy a bottle strap (about $3) from one of the many carts throughout each park to put on your water bottle, which can then be carried on your shoulder.

Disney dollars are available in City Hall (MK), & Guest relations (Epcot, MGM & AK) in $1, $5, & $10 denominations, which are accepted as cash throughout Disney World, & also make a nice souvenir to take home!

If you're staying at a Disney Resort, make use of the package delivery service for anything you buy in the parks. The last thing you need is to be carrying heavy bags around with you. If you're staying off-site, you can still use package pick-up, you'll be able to collect your purchases as you exit the park.

I found that the wait times shown at attractions were over-estimated, and I never waited as long as the time shown.

Above all, relax & enjoy yourself, you're on vacation! It doesn't matter if you don't get to ride all of your favourite rides, you can always come back again next year ;-)

"Go to the Animal Kingdom first. It closes at 7pm. Then go to MK for the parade and fireworks. Then on the day you planned to go to MK, you will find shorter lines at around 9 until closing, because everyone else is at the parade and fireworks. I would sit in front of the books and record shop on Main Street. (if you are facing it and on the same side of the street move a little to your left) The parade will start in front of you and more importantly end in front you. You may then make a break for the exit and beat the crwods. From what I saw the characters are more friendly and do more audience hand shaking at the beginning." Scott F.

"We like to go to Magic Kingdom, Disney MGM, or Animal Kingdom first thing in the morning and spend the day. We then head over to EPCOT for late afternoon and evening. If you are driving, afer 4pm you can drive to the front of the epcot parking lot and get a really great spot. We have found that Epcot tends to be the least crowded and is a nice place to relax and spend the evening."

"First time at Disney? You'll be back! We've just booked our 3rd trip in 3 years! Best advice : Plan each day in advance - try to get your hands on a park map for each site before travelling, (we have asked friends to bring them back for us, or at Guest Relations at any Park for all the others)- decide your 'must-sees' and arrange your plan of attack to go to those furthest from the entrance first - GET UP EARLY AND GET TO THE PARK 30 MINS+ BEFORE OPENING TIME! - use the fast-pass system to book one ride slot while you stand in line for another nearby. Repeat this a couple of times and you should find that by lunchtime you have done most of the essential rides etc! Allow a good rest around lunch/early pm (back at Hotel or Villa if possible) and you will be re-charged for the next assault. Sorry to use all the military metaphors but we got so much more out of our 2nd trip, when we'd applied the above techniques.On our first trip we wasted hours and calories walking around the parks in random fashion - kids (and adults!) get overtired very quickly in the heat/humidity. We found a good day could be made from an early start at a waterpark (if you're not there by 0930 you may not get in!) 3-4 hours fun on the rides and slides etc, followed by a p.m. stroll around the world showcase, with lunch in several countries! Epcot is generally less 'full' than the other parks, unless you are desperate for Testtrack, where lines exceed 1.5 hiours at times, and fastpasses run out very early. Finally, DON'T MISS ILLUMINATIONS AT EPCOT - it's incredible!" Mike Jones, Lancs, UK