You want to make the most out of your visit to an Orlando theme park, right? Of course you do! That’s why Best of Orlando has come up with 5 life hacks to help you experiencing the magic and thrills of Orlando’s many theme parks all day long!
1. Perks of staying at a Disney or Universal Resort – There are so many perks to staying on-site at a Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort. Both resorts will send items to your room after you purchase so you don’t have to carry them around with you all day. Disney also offers Magic Hours, allowing on-site visitors to get to the parks an extra hour early or stay an extra hour late. Universal hotel guests can get early park admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter one hour before the park opens. Universal also offers the Express Pass to its hotel guests, allowing you to skip the regular lines for free! Both offer complimentary resort transportation. At Disney you’ll get complimentary MagicBands and early access to Disney FastPass+ Planning.
2. Bring a Cup for Free Refills – It’s always a good idea to bring a few bottles of water during your Orlando theme park visit. You’ll save the cash by not buying multiple drinks but the best part about bringing your own is the Coke Freestyle Machines. If a theme park has one of these drink dispensers you are welcome to enjoy the free ice and water.
3. Ride faster on Test Track – If the exciting ride Test Track at Epcot is one of your favorites we have a way for you to skip the long lines and get right to the fun. Before you take a virtual ride on the track you go through a design process. If you just want to get on the ride feel free to skip this portion. When the doors open to the Design area, just keep on walking through. If you are lucky, you'll even be ahead of the previous group that went in to design their vehicle.
4. Get to the park when it opens – Entering a Theme Park as it opens is a great way to bypass a lot of long lines. Plus, most parks have an opening ceremony you’ll get to see if you get in when the gate opens. If you're not an early riser and Magic Kingdom is on your list of parks to visit for the day, make sure you stay late. A lot of families leave early so you’ll get the chance to get on your favorite ride in the later hours of the night. Magic Kingdom is usually open the latest.
5. Ask to Re-ride – Sometimes when there is no one in a ride queue you can get a away with riding the same ride over and over again to your child's delight. Some rides, you'll need to exit the ride vehicle before continuing to ride, but ask if there's a quicker way to the front. In some rides like Transformers and Cat in the Hat at Universal you may be able to take the shortcut through the Child Swap area. On other rides like Splash Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, you'll be able to stay in the ride vehicle.
Orlando, FL – 8/18/15
By: Jena Pugh | 
