Fourteen life hacks from a regular visitor that will help you have an unforgettable time at Disney World

Tara Chaff, a theme park journalist, has been visiting Disney World for over 30 years. She shares useful life hacks with everyone who wants to spend time in the park as much as possible, reports INSIDER.

Photo: Shutterstock

Here are 14 things she always does there:

1. Everyone wants to get Mickey's autograph when they go to Disney World, so the lines to meet the characters can be quite long. Instead, she always orders one of the Disney character breakfasts.

“I usually choose based on my kids' favorite characters so they can take a photo, hug, and get an autograph while we eat breakfast,” says Tara. “There are usually about four or five of them, and they move around the room, so each of them should come to your table at least once during the meal.”

Breakfasts tend to book quickly so you need to make booking immediatelyas soon as the booking window opens (60 days before travel).

2.When it gets too hot or the kids get tired, we go back to the hotel for a swim.

Tara used to think that she had to be at theme parks from opening to closing in order to visit as many rides and shows as possible. But now she has changed her mind.

“Now that I usually go to Disneyland with my three kids, I know that driving them around from morning to night is a recipe for disaster,” she says. — We still get to the parks quite early, but we almost always head back to the hotel pool (our favorite is the Polynesian Resort) to relax and recuperate after lunch. This is the hottest time of the day and the lines tend to be the longest.”

“After a couple of hours we were cooled down and ready to head back to the parks,” she adds.

3.Tara walks past Starbucks and chooses Joffrey's, which serves the best coffee in Disney World.

“When I go to the parks, I like to buy things that are unique to Disney. For coffee, that means Joffrey's. It has a fun coffee flavor—Iced Mocha Kona—but its real strength is in espresso and iced coffee,” she says.

4.Tara always asks PhotoPass photographers if they take any funny magical pictures.

“I don't visit Disney World without purchasing Memory Maker, a service that allows you to upload all your trips and PhotoPass photos from your vacation,” she says.

Photographers are great at capturing great shots against the backdrop of iconic landmarks. But they also make "magic shots" when funny Disney characters or balloons are added to the photo.

Sometimes they do it automatically, but you can always ask your photographer if they have anything in stock. They differ from park to park, and there are seasonal frames for holidays and special events.

5.Satu'li Canteen is the best fast food restaurant in Disney World.

“Other than our signature breakfast, I don't order much food at the parks. I don’t like to depend on plans - we just stop and eat when we’re hungry,” says Tara.

Her favorite place to eat is Satu'li Canteen in Animal Kingdom's Pandora . You can diversify your meal with meat, vegetables and grains.

She loves cheeseburger pods (they taste like a McDonald's cheeseburger) and Hawkes' Grog Green Ale.

6.Tara rides on Space Mountain first thing in the morning when everyone else runs to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

.She loves "Seven Dwarfs Mine Train”, but does not like to stand in line.

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Most people head straight there when the morning opens"Magic Kingdom ”, but Tara goes straight to Tomorrowland to take her favorite slide in Disney World: Space Mountain.

“At this time of day, the wait is usually less than 30 minutes (sometimes half that), and the interactive queue is one of my favorites,” she says. “Since I still want to ride the Mine Train, I just check the wait times throughout the day and wait for the line to clear.”

7. Tara love to eat and drink in the Epcot area, especially during festivals.

When she and her husband have the opportunity to visit Disney on their own, they love to spend an evening of food and drink walking around Epcot's World Showcase.

“It's almost guaranteed that our visit will fall during one of the four annual festivals, and we can sample food from food stalls throughout the park,” she says. “Some of my favorite foods you can find all year long are hummus fries from Spice Road Table, avocado margaritas from La Cava del Tequila, and a giant pretzel and beer from Sommerfest.”

8. Her husband made it a tradition to buy decorations at theme parks.

“Over the years, my family has collected many souvenirs, including jewelry and toys,” she says. “But during our anniversary visit, my husband bought me a pair of sugar skull earrings from Epcot's Mexico pavilion, and he's been my jewelry pick for every trip since.”

Her favorite places are Epcot's World Showcase and Animal Kingdom.

9. Tara asks everyone in her group to pick one or two must-see attractions instead of planning the whole day.

“I've learned that instead of taking a minute-by-minute schedule to plan our day, everyone is happier when we take a less stressful approach,” she says.

Tara asks her kids and husband to share the top things they want to do in each park, and they do their best to squeeze in everyone's wish. It could be anything from getting cotton candy to flying Peter Pan.

This makes the days in the park more relaxed, but everyone in the family can still do their favorite things.

10. Tara makes sure to make at least one trip on the monorail and Skyliner.

She loves all kinds of Disney vehicles. They are like attractions in themselves, as the journalist notes.

“The monorail gives me a lot of nostalgia, and the new Skyliner offers amazing bird's-eye views of the parks and hotels,” she says. “I try my best to take at least one ride on every mode of Disney transportation on every vacation.”

11. Tara skips the large crowds around Cinderella Castle and watches the Magic Kingdom parades from Frontierland.

“I'm not a big fan of big crowds or waiting in line. That’s why I head to a little spot in Frontierland between Splash Mountain and the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn to watch the Magic Kingdom parades and character cavalcades,” she says.

Tara says this is where the parades start and it's usually not too crowded, making it easy to see the show and take some great photos.

12. Tare makes sure to buy a Dole Whip at the George Wine Bar in Disney Springs.

Tara can't visit Disney World without booking it at least once.

Her favorite version is boozy Frozcato from George's wine bar Disney Springs.. The frozen drink is made from nutmeg, vodka and pineapple Dole Whip.

“It's cold, delicious and has a tropical flair. I always look forward to it as soon as I come to Disney,” says Tara.

13. No visit to Disney World is complete without a trip to the Haunted Mansion.

“I can’t say exactly what it is about the Haunted Mansion that makes it a must-see,” Tara says. “Maybe it’s because I have so many childhood memories of it.” It could also be ominous but memorable music or scary special effects.”

Whatever the reason, it's not a trip to Disney World for Tara until she visits this classic attraction.

14.Kilimanjaro Safaris different every time and Tara always likes to watch what the animals do.

In the wildlife sanctuary Harambe Wildlife Reserve at Disney's Animal Kingdom more than 34 species of animals live.

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“You can see many of them on Kilimanjaro Safaris. You can see them very active one time you ride and resting peacefully the next time. When baby animals are born every year, you can also see them with their mothers, says Tara. “I feel like I’m visiting old friends when I go on this trip.”

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