10 things you need to do on your first trip to Orlando

Planning your first trip to Orlando? So discover what you can't miss in the city of magic, including attractions, food, photos, shows and more!

I won't deny it, Orlando is one of mine favorite destinations! The parks, hotels, outlets, people with Mickey ears on the street…

On my first visit, back in 2007, I went with a tour group with friends from school. We visited Disney, Universal, Bush Gardens, Sea World, outlets and shopping malls, an itinerary very typical of tourism agencies.

The only "problem” was that I didn't do any research before going, so I skipped taking certain photos or going on some popular rides. From that moment on, every time I discovered something that was missing, I wrote it down on a list to check out on my next visit.

Since then, I have had the opportunity to return to Magic land a few times, and I realized that there really are things that everyone should do on their first trip to Orlando. Some of them are clichés, but I think they can't be missed.

I put together a list of the 10 things that I consider most important and that you accurate add to your itinerary!

10 things you need to do on your first trip to Orlando

1. Take photos at each park icon

Starting with the biggest cliché of all: take photos at the icons in each park. be one Selfie, group photo or even you and your friends jumping, you can't go home without some classic photos.

The most famous points are:

• Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom
• Spaceship Earth (known as "the ball") at Epcot
• Tree of Life (Tree of Life) at Animal Kingdom
• Area Pandora (Avatar) at Animal Kingdom
• Area of Star Wars at Hollywood Studios
• sign of Universal in front of Universal Studios parks
• village of Hogsmead (Harry Potter) at Universal Studios
• Castle of Hogwarts (Harry Potter) at Island of Adventures

Tip: Almost everyone takes these photos as soon as they arrive at the park. Try to arrive before everyone else to get a photo without other people, or leave it for the middle of the day, when everyone has already passed these spots and they will be emptier.

Don't forget to get your travel insurance to travel to Disney! Health services tend to be very expensive in the United States, and for any problem such as a sore throat or something more serious, you may have to pay hundreds of dollars to be treated. Travel insurance costs just a fraction of that amount, and you have a support team to help you in any emergency situation.
I recommend buying your insurance from Seguros Promo, a company that offers the best prices from the main insurance companies on the market. This is where I buy all my insurance and the service is excellent!

2. Take photos with your favorite characters

One frustration I have from my first trip to Orlando is not being able to find Donald Duck to take a photo of. To this day I remember the disappointment that my friends and I felt, as he was one of our favorite characters.

When putting together your itinerary, make a list of everyone you want to see and find out how to find them.. Most of the characters have a fixed place in each park, and the Viagens Dicas website has a guide showing where each of them is throughout the day.

Tip: In addition to the location, they also have a pre-determined time to appear. Get the Schedule Guide (available at the entrance, next to the park map) or download the My Disney Experience app to plan accordingly. 

3. Have breakfast with the characters

Breakfast with the characters is a combination of magical moments: unlimited food and characters stopping at your table to take photos without you having to wait in line. 

Each restaurant has a theme and features different appearances. At Chef Mickey's, at Contemporary's Resort, you can find Mickey, Minnie and Pluto in chef's outfits. At Crystal Palace, inside the Magic Kingdom, customers enjoy the company of Winnie the Pooh's gang.

Check out the best restaurants to have breakfast with Disney characters in this post.

4. Go around the world at Epcot

Epcot has a special place in my heart because it was where I worked during my exchange. Looking objectively, however, it is easy to see that it has the worst attractions in the Disney complex (with the exception of the Soarin').

Which is not a problem, The main attraction of this park is the country pavilions. 

With 11 different parts, it is possible to spend the entire afternoon getting to know other cultures. Everyone who works in the pavilions is native to the country, so you learn from people who have actually experienced local traditions. My favorite points are:

• Frozen Ever After in Norway (attraction – silly but beautiful scenery)
• Crepes from Chefs in France (crepe kiosk)
• Rose & Crown Dining Pub in the United Kingdom (restaurant)
• Tokyo Dining in Japan (restaurant)
• Tutto Italia Ristorante in Italy (restaurant)
• The Brass Bazar in Morocco (store)
• Karamell-Küche in Germany (candy shop)
• Plaza de los Amigos in Mexico (market)
• Mitsukoshi Department Store in Japan (best store in Epcot)
• Les Halles Boulangerie – Patisserie in France (bakery and confectionery – don't forget to try the Crème Brûlée)

Tip: For those over 21, there is a game called Drinking Around the World, which involves tasting drinks from all countries. Just be careful not to overdo it and be “invited to leave”.

5. Watch the closing shows

Most parks have a closing show, which can be a fireworks show, parades, light shows and presentations. Most of them only happen once a day, so it's best to plan to arrive at the performance venue early to get a good seat.

Schedules can be found in both the Schedule Guide and the My Disney Experience app. They can vary depending on the day and sometimes they don't even happen, so be careful when putting together your itinerary.

The most famous shows are:

• Magic Kingdom
  • Once Upon a Time – Projections at Cinderella Castle
  • Enchantment – ​​Fireworks show (unmissable!)
• Epcot
  • Harmonious – Fireworks show
• Hollywood studios:
  • Fantasmic! – Closing show (my favorite!)
  • Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular – Projections and fireworks

6. Visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Every Harry Potter fan has heard of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, at Universal Studios. Expanding in recent years, the part dedicated to the wizarding world is divided between the two parks of the complex and already has the Hogwarts castle, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and Hogwarts Express.

And it's not just scenery, you know? There are stores like Dedosmel and Olivaras, where you can go through the experience of buying your wand, Três Broomsticks restaurant and two simulators that make you believe you are inside this magical universe. Be sure to check out the fire-breathing dragon on top of Gringotts Bank, and the “roller coaster” inside the bank!

Tip: To ride the Hogwarts Express you need to have a ticket that allows you to visit Island of Adventures and Universal Studios on the same day, as the train connects one park to the other. With the Universal Orlando Explorer Ticket you can visit two or three parks in 14 days, and you can ride the Hogwarts Express!

7. Eat typical park foods

Gastronomic experiences are also part of a first trip to Orlando! There are many restaurants, quick-service (counter service, a kind of fast food) and themed snacks to try.

In order of more known to if it fits in the budget (and in the stomach):

• Mickey Bar – Mickey-shaped ice cream
• Beans of all flavors
• Mickey Waffle – Mickey-shaped waffle
• Doly Whip – pineapple flavored cold dessert
• Duff Beer – Simpsons beer
• Funnel Cake – A type of giant cake with sugar and ice cream
• Butterbeer (non-alcoholic)
• Chocolate Frogs
• Turkey Leg – giant chicken leg
• “The Gray Stuff” – famous dessert from the film Beauty and the Beast
• Kitchen Sink – Ice cream “sink”, serves a group or more hahaha

Tip: There's a blog post talking about where and what to eat at Disney!

8. Go to popular attractions

A mistake that many beginners make when putting together an itinerary for their first trip to Orlando is not choosing in advance which attractions they want to go to. By leaving it to decide on the day, in addition to wasting time, you may miss out on a toy because you didn't know it was one of the “unmissable".

The most popular in each park are:

• Magic Kingdom
  • Space Mountain – roller coaster “in space” (without loop, but still radical)
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – Seven Dwarfs roller coaster
  • Splash Mountain – roller coaster in the water (It's not very radical, but great for hot days)
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Wild West-themed roller coaster (it's also not very extreme and not worth 2+ hours in line)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean – boat trip around the scene (it’s not extreme and it’s only worth queuing if it’s long if you’re a big fan of the franchise)
  • Haunted Mansion – tour of a haunted house (slow, classic, I love it but my family found it monotonous)
  • Peter Pan's Flight – flight over London passing through the Peter Pan scene (it was designed by Walt Disney and has not been updated since the park opened!!!! Classic but many consider it silly and the queue is huge)

To learn more about the park, read this post by Débora from Foco do Mundo with a complete guide to Magic Kingdom.

• Epcot
  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – Guardians of the Galaxy themed roller coaster
  • Soarin' – hang gliding simulator (best toy in the park and doesn't tend to make visitors sick)
  • Spaceship Earth – slow tour through technology advances in the world (classic and calm)
  • test track – laps on the running track (the most extreme in the park, it doesn’t work in the rain)
  • Mission Space – space launch simulator (I had a really bad time and only went once in my life, I don’t recommend it)
  • Frozen Ever After – tour of the Frozen scene (huge queues for a simple attraction, only valid for those who are big fans of the film)
  • Remy's Ratatouille Adventure – escape from the kitchen from the movie Ratatouille

• Hollywood studios
  • Rock'n'Roller Coaster – Rollercoaster in the dark with Aerosmith soundtrack (amazing)
  • Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – freefall with an incredible view of the park (it’s not very high but the fall is scary, yes rs)
  • Toy Story Mania – jToy Story themed shooter
  • Slinky Dog Dash – Slinky roller coaster from Toy Story
  • Star Tours – Star Wars simulator
  • Rise of the Resistance – Start Wars simulator (the park’s most popular attraction)

• Animal Kingdom
  • Avatar Flight of Passage – Avatar simulator (by popular opinion the best Disney simulator)
  • Na'vi River Journey – tour of Avatar's Pandora set (slow)
  • Expedition Everest – roller coaster where you are running away from the snowman (one of the best at Disney in my opinion)
  • Kilimanjaro Safaris – safari to observe different animals that live in the park
  • DINOSAUR – Time travel to capture a dinosaur (quick and scary, looks like a Jurassic Park movie)
  • It's Tough to be a Bug – A kind of 3D movie that makes you feel like an insect (it's scary in some parts)

• Universal Studios
  • Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – mix of roller coaster and Gringotts robbery simulator (very good, worth the queue)
  • Simpsons Ride – Simpsons roller coaster simulator (it moves a lot, I don’t recommend it for those who get sick)
  • Revenge of the Mummy – Mummy-themed roller coaster (scary at times, rs)
  • Despicable Me Minion Mayhem – sMinions simulator (I found it boring and I wouldn't wait in line to go)
  • Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit – roller coaster where you choose the soundtrack (super radical)

• Islands of adventure
  • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – Simulator through the most famous scenes from Harry Potter (unmissable for fans of the saga, radical)
  • The Incredible Hulk Coaster – Hulk roller coaster (radical from start to finish)
  • The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – Spider-Man simulator (my favorite of the Universal simulators)
  • Jurassic Park River Adventure – River trip through the restricted area of ​​Jurassic Park (it gets quite wet)

Tip: If you are traveling in high season, research the possibility of purchasing park queue skips. At Disney there are two options, Genie+ which lets you book a time for several attractions, and Lighting Lane for the most popular attractions. Prices range from US$15 per day per person for Genie+, and between US$7 and US$15 for Lightning Lane depending on the attraction. Universal also has a queue-jumper, the Express Pass, but the price is exorbitant.

9. Getting lost in Walmart and Target

Two stores that are already incredible in themselves in other cities in the United States, as you can find anything. In Orlando, they still sell a huge variety of Disney items, with plush toys, keychains, t-shirts, mugs, bottles and so on... These are great options for buying souvenirs for the family, as they cost a fraction of the price of products in the parks.

Tip: As I mentioned in the post 9 Tips to Save on Your Trip to Disney, stop by Walmart before the first day at the park and buy bottled water, cookies, chocolates and other snacks to take to the parks and save on snacks.

10. Shopping at outlets

Interesting even for those who don't like shopping, shopping at outlets is part of the first trip to Orlando experience (and second, third...).

Outlets are huge shopping malls full of discount stores. And they're not those unknown ones that cost R$1,99, you know? There are brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Coach, Michael Kors, Aropostale, American Eagle, Victoria's Secret and more. It's an all-day trip, and many people take suitcases to carry their purchases.

The most popular in Orlando are the Premium Outlet on Vineland and the Premium on International Drive. Despite the name, they have different stores, so see which one interests you most if you have only reserved one day on your shopping itinerary.

Tip: Both outlets have a Disney Store, where plush toys and other official products are on sale at a discount. Stop by before shopping in the parks and shopping for souvenirs at Walmart. 

Here in this post you can check out the best stores, outlets and malls for shopping in Orlando.

And there you have it, 10 things you need to do on your first trip to Orlando! If you are having difficulty planning, I recommend reading this post how to plan a trip to disney.

If you're tired of the parks, the city also has other interesting attractions. This post from Turistando com a Lu has 10 suggestions for really cool attractions.

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