4 Photos That Scream “This Is My First Trip to Disney World”

I’ve got four words for you: work smarter, not harder. I go to Disney World all the time, so I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting the first-timers in the parks.

Of course , I should preface this by saying that there’s nothing wrong with being a first-timer in Disney World. But there’s a lot to learn about the Disney parks and resorts, and it’s practically impossible to learn it all on your first visit. Want to avoid looking like a newbie? Come see things from my perspective to see what screams, “This Is My First Trip to Disney World.”

During a recent visit to Magic Kingdom, I was struck by something in Adventureland. Look at the line at Aloha Isle. It’s SO long, right?

All these poor people are missing out! Do you think they know that right around the corner, the (far superior, in my opinion) Citrus Swirl exists? In my experience, the line at the Sunshine Tree Terrace is usually much shorter.

If you’re a first-timer, you might have been told to get a Dole Whip, but I’m here to teach you about the Citrus Swirl. Think of it like Dole Whip’s cousin but with frozen orange juice and vanilla soft-serve instead.

OK, friends. We need to talk. Look at this line in The Emporium shop on Main Street, U.S.A. It’s ridiculous! If you have a handful of souvenirs from the gift shop, you can skip the checkout line. Yes, really!

It’s easy! All you have to do is open your My Disney Experience app, scan your items, and check out right from your phone. Don’t wait in that scary-long line at The Emporium, OK?

Speaking of lines, don’t wait in long lines for your food, either. You don’t have to stand in that long line for your meal at Cosmic Ray’s. Similar to the Mobile Checkout feature I just told you about, you can also Mobile Order food on My Disney Experience.

Oh, and see where it says “Next Arrival” on the screen? Make sure to pre-order your food early — otherwise, you may be stuck waiting over an hour for your pickup return time. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Time to admit something. Your Cinderella Castle photos can reveal a LOT about your Disney theme park experience. See this photo below? It’s a teeeny bit crooked, and, as you can see, the picture is filled with strangers. This photo screams, “This is my first trip to the Magic Kingdom.”

Want to take a BETTER Cinderella Castle photo? Get up close and personal! Of course, some of this will depend on the time of day, but the closer you get to the castle, the fewer people you’ll see in the background. How many people are on Main Street behind us? You’ll never know!

If it’s looking busy in front of the castle, all you have to do is walk around the corner and POOF — you can get a beautiful photo (with a water view) off to the side. I recommend walking over to the bridge to Liberty Square if you want a nice photo.

Oh, and don’t worry — it took me a long time to learn all the ins and outs of Disney World. If you take anything from this story, make sure you: 1.) Download the My Disney Experience app and 2.) Keep reading AllEars for more tips and tricks. 😉

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Have you ever run into any of these problems? Let us know in the comments!