DisneyWorld tips
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DisneyWorld tips
I am now 90 days away from my first trip to DisneyWorld since 1980! My parents, my wife, and our 2 kids (ages 4 and 1) will be going for 6 days. Any tips or suggestions for what to do to get ready, or what to expect while there?
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Re: DisneyWorld tips
The biggest tip i could give you is to get there early (the second it opens) and go to the more popular rides first (the ones that you see in commercials are the popular ones), if you dont do them first thing in the morning you will be waiting in line for more than an hour for each ride(make sure you bring water).James wrote:I am now 90 days away from my first trip to DisneyWorld since 1980! My parents, my wife, and our 2 kids (ages 4 and 1) will be going for 6 days. Any tips or suggestions for what to do to get ready, or what to expect while there?
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You may want to use the Fastpass system: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/fastpass.htm
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My biggest tip would be to do some 'research.' There have been some changes since 1980. Go to websites like allearsnet.com and talkdisney.com to get helpful plans. Go to Disney's website so you know where & what all the attractions are so you won't be overwhelmed when you get there. Also, if you want Dinner reservations, make them now (they start 90 days before).
-Michael
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I've been to WDW more times than I can remember now and I concur: do your research. A good book to use is the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. I found that they give unbiased, untainted advice and opinions (best rides, worst rides, which to save for later, ect.) of all of them. Yes, start early. I can't emphasize enough that this place is HUGE!! It's a whooooooole lot bigger than it was in 1980 so you're in for an almost disorientating shock. 
Wish you had more days, but if you pace yourself well, you'll see and do a lot. It's well worth the money and time, though.
Wish you had more days, but if you pace yourself well, you'll see and do a lot. It's well worth the money and time, though.A couple of tips to save some money and save your kids some eye-opening moments:
a) I would strongly advise you NOT to buy your kids any of the toys you can get at Toys 'R Us, Wal-Mart, Kay-Bee Toy Stores, etc. while you're in the park.
Disney Company LOVES your money and will charge up to three times what these toys cost on the OUTSIDE of the park!
b) If you're going during peak time (Summer), DO carry water. Florida is hot as heck and humid as heck, too! You will sweat like crazy and die of thirst otherwise. And oh yeah, the park will charge you 3 times what you pay for water on the outside, too!
(When I lived in Orlando, best times to go were off-season... Not during the summer, and definitely not during the major holidays. Spring and early fall seem to be the best times to avoid the major traffic and stiflingly hot, humid weather of Florida.)
Another word on Central Florida (the Orlando area) in particular -- it rains like heck AND is probably the lightning capital of the US. Seriously, I've never lived (1999-2002) in another area with as much lightning -- and VIOLENT lightning at that --as Central Florida. Do carry umbrellas during rain advisory ideas and get the heck out of the open the lightning starts. You can't imagine how many local idiots and dumb tourists get killed every year at the beach because they don't get out of the open or the water when the lightning starts.
c) If you have a car or rent one, be advised that the park area gas stations typically charge more than the gas stations in other parts of Orlando. They love to sock rube-tourists for more than average gas prices! I would say on average, they charge 10-15 cents more per gallon of gas.
d) From what I can remember on my last major family trip (1989, '90), it seemed like the park dropped off in major activity sometime by around Wednesday/Thursday. I'm not sure why, but it seemed like around the middle of the week, the resort wasn't as busy. The beginning of the week and weekend are INSANELY busy.
e) If you are concerned about exposing your kids to something you don't want them to see, be sure to educate yourself. Disney Company used to give advisories about Gay Day and things like that (in June), but they don't anymore. If you're concerned about exposing young children to alternative lifestyles, don't go during June.
f) Be advised that not every foreign tour group understands the concept of line waiting. My ethnicity is South American and it still ticks me off that some of the South American tour groups have a tendency to line-cut.
g) Please, oh please, DO NOT let your kids OR lose control of yourself and heckle or physically abuse the costumed resort entertainers! Every year, dozens of idiots and their kids kick or punch poor Goofy, Pluto, or Mickey in the rear or stomach to make some kind of point.
We've all heard the fondling complaints from Tigger and some bad employee conduct, but what doesn't get reported is the stupidity and lack of common courtesy of some park guests!
h) If you're a AAA member or get travel discounts through another agency, get those discounts now! You're going to spend an insane amount of money on this trip and should start now to save every nickel and dime that you can...!
a) I would strongly advise you NOT to buy your kids any of the toys you can get at Toys 'R Us, Wal-Mart, Kay-Bee Toy Stores, etc. while you're in the park.
Disney Company LOVES your money and will charge up to three times what these toys cost on the OUTSIDE of the park!
b) If you're going during peak time (Summer), DO carry water. Florida is hot as heck and humid as heck, too! You will sweat like crazy and die of thirst otherwise. And oh yeah, the park will charge you 3 times what you pay for water on the outside, too!
(When I lived in Orlando, best times to go were off-season... Not during the summer, and definitely not during the major holidays. Spring and early fall seem to be the best times to avoid the major traffic and stiflingly hot, humid weather of Florida.)
Another word on Central Florida (the Orlando area) in particular -- it rains like heck AND is probably the lightning capital of the US. Seriously, I've never lived (1999-2002) in another area with as much lightning -- and VIOLENT lightning at that --as Central Florida. Do carry umbrellas during rain advisory ideas and get the heck out of the open the lightning starts. You can't imagine how many local idiots and dumb tourists get killed every year at the beach because they don't get out of the open or the water when the lightning starts.
c) If you have a car or rent one, be advised that the park area gas stations typically charge more than the gas stations in other parts of Orlando. They love to sock rube-tourists for more than average gas prices! I would say on average, they charge 10-15 cents more per gallon of gas.
d) From what I can remember on my last major family trip (1989, '90), it seemed like the park dropped off in major activity sometime by around Wednesday/Thursday. I'm not sure why, but it seemed like around the middle of the week, the resort wasn't as busy. The beginning of the week and weekend are INSANELY busy.
e) If you are concerned about exposing your kids to something you don't want them to see, be sure to educate yourself. Disney Company used to give advisories about Gay Day and things like that (in June), but they don't anymore. If you're concerned about exposing young children to alternative lifestyles, don't go during June.
f) Be advised that not every foreign tour group understands the concept of line waiting. My ethnicity is South American and it still ticks me off that some of the South American tour groups have a tendency to line-cut.
g) Please, oh please, DO NOT let your kids OR lose control of yourself and heckle or physically abuse the costumed resort entertainers! Every year, dozens of idiots and their kids kick or punch poor Goofy, Pluto, or Mickey in the rear or stomach to make some kind of point.
We've all heard the fondling complaints from Tigger and some bad employee conduct, but what doesn't get reported is the stupidity and lack of common courtesy of some park guests!
h) If you're a AAA member or get travel discounts through another agency, get those discounts now! You're going to spend an insane amount of money on this trip and should start now to save every nickel and dime that you can...!
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To add the previous post...for water, I recomend you either bring or buy a water bottle (Disney sells Dasani) and just keep refilling it so you don't have to buy new ones. And if your hotel provides a freezer, you can just freeze it overnight and drink cold water as it melts.
As for rain, yet it lightings a lot, but a lot of times it just rains (without lighting). I recomend you buy one of Disney's ponchos (when you get there) so when it rains, you can continue going on attractions as others are scrambling for shelter. Also, a lot of rides will have shorter lines. Take, Splash Mountain, the lines are short when it rains, but only 5% of the attraction is outside (besides, you'll get wet anyway).
I don't know where you are staying, but if you are staying at a Disney resort, take advantage of their transportation. Disney provides busses, monorails, and boats (and some resorts are in walking distance from the parks).Also, if you're staying at a Disney resort, take adventage of Extra Magic Hours which give you either an extra hour to the park before it officially opens or 3 extra hours after it officially closes.
Finally, although you should research, don't plan your day in detail. Sure, decide what park you are going to do and some attractions you would like to visit. However, many people plan every second of there vacation. You cannot do this in Disney World. It is a dynamic place. If you see some entertainers in the street, stop and watch them. If a nearby attraction has little wait time, go on it. Enjoy your vacation, don't overplan it.
As for rain, yet it lightings a lot, but a lot of times it just rains (without lighting). I recomend you buy one of Disney's ponchos (when you get there) so when it rains, you can continue going on attractions as others are scrambling for shelter. Also, a lot of rides will have shorter lines. Take, Splash Mountain, the lines are short when it rains, but only 5% of the attraction is outside (besides, you'll get wet anyway).
I don't know where you are staying, but if you are staying at a Disney resort, take advantage of their transportation. Disney provides busses, monorails, and boats (and some resorts are in walking distance from the parks).Also, if you're staying at a Disney resort, take adventage of Extra Magic Hours which give you either an extra hour to the park before it officially opens or 3 extra hours after it officially closes.
Finally, although you should research, don't plan your day in detail. Sure, decide what park you are going to do and some attractions you would like to visit. However, many people plan every second of there vacation. You cannot do this in Disney World. It is a dynamic place. If you see some entertainers in the street, stop and watch them. If a nearby attraction has little wait time, go on it. Enjoy your vacation, don't overplan it.
-Michael
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