Disney Parks for First-Time Travelers (USA, EU, Asia)
There are two ways to plan a first Disney vacation:
- The “spin the globe and hope for the best” method, or
- The “choose the park that actually fits your family right now” method.
This post is firmly in option two. We’re not trying to hit every castle in one year. We’re picking a best-fit first park that gives your kids magic without wiping out your savings or your nervous system.
Lock in flights, beds & backup plan
Before you fall into a three-hour rabbit hole of snack reviews on TikTok, secure the boring-but-essential pieces: how you’re getting there, where you’re sleeping, and what happens if someone gets sick.
Open these in new tabs, favorite a few options, and then come back to match the right Disney park to the trip that actually looks doable.
Screenshot every confirmation email. Future you, standing in the security line with a stroller, will be extremely grateful.
Your full Disney planning toolbox
This post helps you choose which park should get your first-time money. Once you’ve circled a winner, layer in these guides to handle timing, budget, food, rides and meltdowns.
Big-picture trip choice:
- Disney Parks Around the World — Family Guide
- Which International Disney Trip Is Right for You?
- Ultimate Disney Parks Comparison Chart
Core park deep dives:
- Walt Disney World Orlando with Kids
- Disneyland Resort Anaheim with Kids
- Disneyland Paris with Kids
- Tokyo Disney Resort with Kids
- Hong Kong Disneyland with Kids
- Shanghai Disney Resort with Kids
- Aulani, A Disney Resort in Hawaiʻi with Kids
- Disney Cruise Line with Kids
Weather, budget & meltdown control:
- Disney Parks Weather Guide (Month by Month)
- Best Time of Year to Visit Each Disney Park
- How Many Days You REALLY Need at Each Disney Park
- Disney on a Budget: Real Tips for Real Families
- Disney Parks Ranked by Sensory Load
- Best Disney Parks for Neurodivergent Families
- Disney Tips for Autistic or Sensory-Sensitive Kids
- How to Do Disney Without Meltdowns
Fun stuff that sells the trip:
- Which Disney Park Has the Best Food?
- Best Disney Rides for Families (All Parks)
- Best Disney Parades & Shows Worldwide
- Disney Resorts Ranked by Pool Quality
- Cutest Disney Merchandise by Park
- Top 25 Disney Snacks Around the World
- Best Disney Hotels for Families (All Parks)
- Best Off-Site Disney Hotels to Save Thousands
- Disney Cruise Line vs Disney Parks for Families
Step 1 · Start from your home base
Your first Disney trip doesn’t have to be the most epic one you’ll ever take. It just has to be doable from where you live, in the season you can actually travel, with a budget that doesn’t wreck the rest of your year.
First-time families based in the USA
- Walt Disney World, Orlando — best if you want a full resort bubble with four parks, water parks and endless hotel choices. Start with this full WDW with kids guide.
- Disneyland Resort, Anaheim — best if you want classic Disney in a smaller footprint that you can walk end-to-end. See Disneyland Resort Anaheim with Kids.
- Aulani + Disney — want beach + a little magic? Combine Aulani in Hawaiʻi with a shorter park trip another year.
- Disney Cruise Line — if your crew loves the idea of everything included and zero packing up hotel rooms, peek at Disney Cruise Line with Kids.
If you’re flying across the country anyway, price-check Orlando vs. Anaheim. Sometimes the “closer” park isn’t the cheaper one once flights, hotels and tickets are all added up.
First-time families based in Europe
- Disneyland Paris — the obvious first pick. Quick flights or trains, shorter jet lag, easy add-on to London or Paris. Start here: Disneyland Paris with Kids.
- Walt Disney World — better if you want a once-every-5-years blowout trip. Combine with Florida beaches and use the Disney weather guide so you’re not dragging jet-lagged kids through hurricane season.
- Disney Cruise Line — Mediterranean or Northern Europe sailings can be easier than dragging kids through multiple cities by train.
Rule of thumb: under age 7? Start with Paris. Over age 7 and saving for a big one? Orlando starts to make more sense.
First-time families based in Asia or Australia
- Tokyo Disney Resort — the gold standard for many fans. See Tokyo Disney Resort with Kids for how to pair Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea.
- Hong Kong Disneyland — gentler crowds and a smaller footprint, good for younger kids or shorter trips. Details in Hong Kong Disneyland with Kids.
- Shanghai Disney Resort — a big, bold choice when kids are a little older and you’re comfortable with a more complex trip. Start with Shanghai Disney Resort with Kids.
If this is your first international trip with kids ever, Tokyo or Hong Kong will usually feel more manageable than Shanghai or Orlando.
Not sure which continent yet?
Hop over to Which International Disney Trip Is Right for You? and the Ultimate Disney Parks Comparison Chart. Use those to narrow it down to two serious options, then come back here and plug into the age, weather and budget guides below.
Step 2 · Match the park to your kids’ ages
Best first parks for toddlers & preschoolers
- Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World — maximum “storybook” magic per square foot.
- Disneyland Park in California — classic rides, short walks, easy naps at nearby hotels.
- Hong Kong Disneyland — smaller, calmer, easier for little legs.
Use Best Disney Rides for Families to build a toddler-friendly ride list by height.
Best first parks for big kids & teens
- Walt Disney World with time at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
- Disneyland + California Adventure — Marvel, Pixar, coasters and classics in one trip.
- Tokyo DisneySea — the “wow” park for older kids who’ve already done one or two Disney trips.
Add Which Disney Park Has the Best Food? and Top 25 Disney Snacks Around the World to get older kids invested in the planning.
Step 3 · Check weather & sensory load before you book
Weather and sensory overload are the two things most likely to sabotage a first Disney trip — especially if you have toddlers, autistic kids, anxious kids, or just humans who melt in heat.
- Use the Disney Parks Weather Guide (Month by Month) to avoid peak heat, storms and holiday crush.
- Check Disney Parks Ranked by Sensory Load to see which parks are gentler for your crew.
- Layer in Disney Tips for Autistic or Sensory-Sensitive Kids if anyone in your party needs low-sensory strategies.
- Finish with How to Do Disney Without Meltdowns so you have a game plan for breaks, naps and decompression.
Step 4 · Set a “real life” Disney budget
A successful first Disney trip isn’t the one where you bought every upcharge. It’s the one where you came home with happy kids and no financial hangover.
- Start with Disney on a Budget: Real Tips for Real Families to get a realistic number for your crew.
- Decide your non-negotiables: maybe that’s staying walking-distance, or one character meal, or Genie+ for one park day only.
- Use Best Off-Site Disney Hotels to Save Thousands if you’d rather put more money toward flights, snacks and souvenirs.
- Keep an eye on Best Disney Hotels for Families (All Parks) for when a splurge resort actually makes your life easier.
Pro tip: pick one thing to splurge on and two things to intentionally skip. That one sentence can easily save you a few hundred dollars.
Step 5 · Build a simple first-timer park plan
Once you’ve picked your park, month and budget, all that’s left is a simple, realistic plan that your family can actually follow.
- Use How Many Days You REALLY Need at Each Disney Park to decide your park days.
- Grab your ride priorities from Best Disney Rides for Families.
- Add must-do snacks and meals from Which Disney Park Has the Best Food? and Top 25 Disney Snacks Around the World.
- Pick one nighttime show using Best Disney Parades & Shows Worldwide and Best Disney Fireworks Shows (Ranked).
- Sprinkle in pool time and chill days using Disney Resorts Ranked by Pool Quality.
Around here we call it the “Parent Coffee & Snack Fund” — it keeps the caffeine stocked, the sunscreen restocked, and lets me keep building brutally honest Disney guides for families who don’t have time for sugar-coated marketing fluff.
What to read next
If you’re still in the “Where should we go?” stage, open these in new tabs and let them sit while you talk dates and budget:
- Which International Disney Trip Is Right for You?
- Ultimate Disney Parks Comparison Chart
- Disney Parks Weather Guide (Month by Month)
- Disney on a Budget: Real Tips for Real Families
If you’ve already picked your first park, jump straight into its deep-dive:
- Walt Disney World Orlando with Kids
- Disneyland Resort Anaheim with Kids
- Disneyland Paris with Kids
- Tokyo Disney Resort with Kids
- Hong Kong Disneyland with Kids
- Shanghai Disney Resort with Kids
- Aulani, A Disney Resort in Hawaiʻi with Kids
- Disney Cruise Line with Kids
If this guide helped you finally pick a park, I would genuinely love to hear what you chose. Drop a comment on the blog or share your trip recap and tag stayheredothat.blogspot.com — I’ll be cheering you on from my couch between loads of laundry and coffee refills.
📌 Pin this for later: Save this post to your Disney board or drop it in the family group chat so everyone can vote on their top two parks.
Stay Here, Do That · Family travel guides built for real parents, real kids, and real budgets.
© 2025 Stay Here, Do That. Copying this whole post and pretending you wrote it is frowned upon by Google, Disney and at least three very tired parents.
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