Walt Disney World Survival Guide for Middle School

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Kadence Mastrola

Walt Disney World, a great place to spread joy. You can do such fun things and you’ll never want to leave!

Kadence Mastrola, Fall Author

Disney World is a magical place that will cheer you up when you’re feeling down. The rides, the food, and the joy, is unforgettable.

“The weather is so nice, and when you’re there, you can wind down from school and relax. Disney is awesome, and I would recommend it to everyone because it’s for everyone.” Luke Vazquez, a 7th grade student and Disney enthusiast, stated. If you have ever been there, you know that Disney World is so much fun.

Rides: Every middle schooler that visits Disney World needs to experience the rides.

The must-do rides that are almost impossible not to like are: Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, Space Mountain, Flight of Passage, Test Track, Soarin’ Around the World, Rockin’ Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Slinky Dog Dash (this is not in any particular order). One ride, Flight of Passage, is a ride you will never forget. It is new, in the Animal Kingdom, part of the Pandora section.  It is themed after the movie Avatar.  The experience is unforgettable! Yes, the line will be extremely long; at least 120 minutes. My family and I got a fastpass for it, but it’s difficult to get(see the FastPass section for how to get FastPasses on popular rides). If you know how to work your way through Disney, you can manage to do it. Overall, the rides are great, each one with a different story.

Luke Vazquez said, “I like Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Expedition Everest, really all the mountains.  They are the most thrilling ones.” Vazquez is right! These rides are impossible to miss!

Kadence Mastrola
I went on Splash Mountain with The Vazquez’s and had a blast!

Food: you have never tasted better!

The food is just another part of the great experience. If you go during the Food and Wine Festival,which takes place August 30th to November 12th, you will eat like you never had before! One of my favorites is the lamb chops from Australia. If you don’t like lamb, there are many more options. Where are you from? Greece, France, Italy, New Zealand?  In addition to Mexico, Norway, Germany, France, Morocco, China, United States, Japan, Canada, and United Kingdom there are extra countries with booths serving delicious foods! The countries I just named are areas that give you a little taste of what that country is actually like. I also love the macaroon ice cream from France. It’s a dessert I get every time I go.

The burgers are also delicious, from USA. My brother gets macaroni and cheese fries, that taste really good, but most of the time he won’t let me have any. In the other parks, the popcorn is also good, over the top good. My family normally gets the popcorn buckets, that have cute characters on it. This year, it was Woody and Jessie, from Toy Story.  If you have the bucket, it is two dollars to refill. Pretty cheap for Disney!

“I love the Tinkerbell ice cream. It’s so pretty and has edible glitter!” Brianna Gonzalez, also a 7th grader and Disney enthusiast, stated. This ice cream is creative and outstanding. You can get it at Magic Kingdom. Try it someday!

Anna Mastrola
This delicious looking, mouth watering, hot dog you see, is from Casey’s Corner, in Magic Kingdom. It is one foot long! The hot dog’s there come in different varieties, or different flavors. It tastes wonderful!

Planning: It may be hard, but the outcome is a living dream.

Planning, the hardest part. Beforehand, you need to book a resort/hotel. You don’t have to stay on Disney property, but you can feel more joy in staying there. My family normally stays on Disney property, but that’s only because we are members of the Disney Vacation Club.  

Once you are done with the hotel/resort booking, you have to decide what parks you are going to each day. Say the first day you are going to Magic Kingdom, (my personal favorite) you need to get good Fastpasses.  Maybe if you have a 6 or below younger sibling (s), then your parent may think of less-thrilling rides. If you want the full experience, you should definitely try thrilling rides. You have to plan to meet characters. The characters don’t talk, but they are pretty cool to take pictures with. They give you autographs, signed in their own way. You may think that the planning it’s not hard, you have to experience it. Maybe you already have!

Kadence Mastrola
this is where i stayed, in October. It is called the Grand Floridian, and is so beautiful and magical. It is my favorite place to stay in Disney Property. It is based off of the movie, Mary Poppin’s.

Lines: May be long, But worth it at the end.

“Mom! It’s too hot! How much longer?” Is what you may here from the person across, behind, in front, or even someone in your family say. The longest line I waited for was when I was five or six years old, and Rapunzel was my FAVORITE character. My mom and I waited four hours! My dad, brother, and sister went on a couple of rides to keep them occupied.  Back to lines….. If there is a new ride that just came out and you’re super excited for it, but when you get there, the ride is 130 minutes long. Ugh. You tell your mom or dad, “we will come back.” And when you do, it’s 95 minutes. The lowest a new ride will ever get is 70 minutes. Sorry! The best time to get on rides is when everyone is watching the fireworks, which is at night,  so you can get on every ride easily.

FastPasses: The faster way to fun!

You’re probably wondering how to get a FastPass. Well first, you have to download the My Disney Experience app. In the app you can see all of your photos from the trip or day. You can get FastPasses on the app, which isn’t hard. You click the My FastPass plus and there will be options of what park you are going to that day. If you are going to Animal Kingdom, click that park and FastPasses will pop up. Pick the FastPasses that are good times for you, and there you go.  Don’t be upset when the ride you want is unavailable for the time or place you want. If you really want this one ride, keep refreshing the app, there will be a refresh button. Maybe, it will pop up.

Also, it’s free. You start off with three FastPasses, and once you clear one,which means when you use your FastPass,  you get more. FastPasses are the quicker way to get on rides. It’s almost like you cut the lines! You can get FastPasses for rides and characters.

Kadence Mastrola
My brother, sister, and I, got a FastPass to meet Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy, in Epcot.
Kadence Mastrola
this is my family and I, in Animal Kingdom, standing in front of the famous, Mount. Everest! (this is actually Expedition Everest)

Parks: Each one has a different background!

My personal favorite is Magic Kingdom. The name practically says it all. It’s so magical and makes you happy.  In Magic Kingdom, you can meet characters, go on thrilling rides, eat good food, get good souvenirs, and see cool sights. The gift shops are so large, and every time you walk in a store, you want to purchase at least one thing. Epcot is good for eating food and seeing the future. After all, Epcot is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community Of  Tomorrow. Hollywood Studios is a remake of Hollywood itself. The “streets” remind you as if you are walking in Hollywood. Hollywood Studios is best known for Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Roller Coaster. Last, Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is known for the animals you see and Expedition Everest. It is basically Lion King, but brought to life.

Kadence Mastrola
This is my family on The Hollywood Tower Hotel, which is also known as Tower of Terror. I LOVE THIS RIDE! It’s my favorite!

Disney Springs: The largest outdoor mall you could ever imagine!

Disney Springs is not a park, it’s a huge outdoor mall. There are so many stores, any you can think of. World of Disney,  Disney store, is the largest Disney store on this planet. Every time I visit, I get something there. You can go to cool restaurants and make cool crafts at Disney Springs as well.

Anna Mastrola
this is my sister, Macie, in front of the largest Disney store in all of America. It was larger, but it recently got renovated. It is now more modern, and easier for little kids not to get lost.

Tips: Don’t have too much fun, Just kidding, have all the fun you can!

“It’s Disney, Kadence, why wouldn’t it be magical?!” Says Brianna Gonzalez, a Disney fan. She knows that Disney World is one of a kind, and so magical. Well, a few tips you need to know are, don’t think you are a little kid because you’re not. Some people tell me that I’m a little kid for going to Disney World. They tell me Universal Studios, and SeaWorld, but I prefer Disney World. You should do the best rides. Meet characters, eat the popcorn, buy a toy, whatever! Disney is a time to spend with your family and laugh and smile more. Don’t get too mad when your mom or dad wants to take lots of pictures! Ha! Have fun!

Kadence Mastrola
I had to add this in. Donald Duck is my FAVORITE!!!! he is so cute and I can relate to him so much. He is one of a kind, and even though i can’t understand him sometimes, Donald will always be my favorite!