Disney World is "the happiest place on Earth", unless you are standing in a line that seems endless. We visited this magical place this spring and had a new experience. We usually travel in late October, but we planned our trip during Spring Break. Yes, we should have known better- spring break and Florida- who were we kidding?

On our first day, we had reservations at 8 a.m. to eat with Cinderella in the castle. We were told to arrive thirty minutes prior to our reservation time and were shocked when we parked in the front row of the first lot. In 10 visits over 13 years, we have never been there before the gates actually opened. I was actually able to take a picture of Main Street and Cinderella's Castle free of people. It was quiet and amazingly beautiful in the early morning sun. The shops were just opening and we could walk through without feeling rushed by a throng of people.

I highly recommend the character breakfast at the castle because not only were we in early, we were able to ride half of the rides in the park before most people had entered. Additionally, we learned long ago if you travel to the left, instead of the right, it is possible to sail through the rides without a line. You will eventually run into the crowds, but in the beginning, it is really pleasant. We were shocked at the length of the lines when we finally met up with everyone else. Coming in the fall and walking on to most rides had spoiled us, waiting 40 minutes for a 3-minute ride created some tension.

We are veterans of the Disney experience though, and waited for the parade to start before we tried to get to some of the more popular rides. We ate a quick lunch and watched the crowds gather along the parade route. An important tip: be sure you are on the right side of the parade route or you are stuck! While others are watching the spectacle that is a Disney parade, we hurried to ride Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain. We skipped Fantasy Land because the lines were a ridiculous hour and a half wait- "It's A Small World" would have to wait.

After dinner at the Polynesian we returned to finish Tomorrow Land, see the parade of lights, and wrap up a wonderful day with fireworks. The lines after dinner were manageable and we were more patient in the cool of the evening. After 17 hours in the Magic Kingdom our feet were sore, our arms burned, and our tummies were full. Even with the stress of the crowds, it is still our favorite vacation destination.

Learn more about this author, Meagen Fox.
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