Top 10 tips - what's your opinion?

[ETicket Ride]

For: Experienced Disney visitors

Your Mission: list your top 10 tips that you would give to a family of 4 to make the one week trip go easiest

The family: 1DH - 1DW - 2DS ages 5 and 7. Staing at the CBR. Already signed up for the Pirate Adventure. Have MYW "Premium" Passes.

Not necessarily what things you like the best - but what tips do you have for making the week go easier. How to handle money or tickets, when to show up where, where not to go and when, be sure to..., be sure not to..., etc., etc.

You may begin!

[faline]

1. Take mid-day breaks back at your resort to rest and relax. Return to the parks later in the day, refreshed from your rest.
2. Don't schedule yourself too rigidly. Keep time to explore those things you come across or that hold the interest of your children.
3. Disney World is a very stimulating place for your children. Know your children's limitations and don't push them too hard to exceed those limitations.
4. Know that something, at some point, won't go exactly as you had planned. Take it in stride and adjust your schedule/expectations accordingly.
5. Take lots of pictures!
6. Plan a day away from the parks where you'll explore things outside the parks at a slower, easier pace.
7. Do something unexpected for your family. My daughter still talks about the day we had ice cream sundaes for lunch! This, of course, would have been unheard of in the normal routine at home!
8. Give each child a set amount of money as their own "souveneir" or "spending money. This saves lots of "begging" and allows them to learn about making choices.
9. Have your children help with the planning. Find out which attractions and shows are of interest to them so you can be sure to do those things.
10. Most importantly, relax and enjoy! It is, after all, a vacation!

[Space Mountain Man]

Faline is right on the money. I agree with all ten. I would add two, however:

Think backwards. When you enter a park, think of how a person would logically progress through the park front--back, and do just the opposite. For example, as soon as the World Showcase opens in Epcot, I head there, while others crowd the other half of the park. (Of course, grab those TT and MS fast passes first).

Second--Eat at off times. People like to eat 11:30--1:00 just like home. More people in restaurants = fewer in lines. Also, by eating at 2:30, the restaurants are less crowded.

Have a great time. graemlins/mickey.gif

[Momof2boys]

1 - Not sure when you're going but if it's during a hot time, be sure to stay hydrated. Buying the Brita Filter Water Bottles helps with the taste of water in the parks without having to go broke buying bottled water.

2 - Sign up for at least one character meal. We took our sons (4 & 6) to Donald's Breakfast at the AK and this year we're doing Chef Mikey's for breakfast. With being older, they don't like the princesses or Pooh & Friends so it narrows the choices a little.

3 - Spend time at the resort pool.

4 - Move at your own pace. Last year for our first family trip we really tried to plow thru the parks. We realized we were missing a lot so we slowed the pace down & had a much more enjoyable time.

5 - Be sure the boys know their "souvenir rules" before getting to WDW. Allow them a certain amount per day (this worked better for our boys than 1 lump sum) which they can choose what they want to buy.

6 - Utilize the "child swap" so if there's something that the youngest can't/doesn't want to go on you & your spouse can switch places without waiting in line again.

7 - Take photos ! Our sons still love looking at the pictures from our last trip - both the ones of them with the characters & just of the signs, rides, and scenery.

8 - Take time to eat. I can't believe how many people were walking while trying to eat a meal. It might seem like you're "wasting park time" by sitting down to eat, but it's a good break.

9 - Take the monorail to the MK resorts. We loved walking around the Contemporary & playing in the arcade and visiting the Poly.

10 - HAVE FUN & relax - it's vacation !

[ March 18, 2005, 10:06 AM: Message edited by: Momof2boys ]

[ETicket Ride]

Great advice so far!

BTW - we are going in April.

[ChipnDaleGal]

I think Faline gave you a fantastic list. The only thing I would stress is to be in tune to your kids. How much fun you have will depend on how much they have. Don't push too hard to see everything at break neck speed. WDW isn't going anywhere. You can always come back if the Disney Bug bites you. If kids get overheated, overtired, etc, even in the happiest place on Earth they will get crabby and whiney. Faline's advice to take rest breaks is very good. Get in the parks early to avoid crowds, take a break mid day, and then go back later in the day. I think it really helps to accept the fact that you probably won't see everything. I would go down with a list of "must do" rides, shows, and parades that your family has agreed on. If you get those done you can always branch out and do more. Last advice is to relax and enjoy sharing the magic of the place with your family. I hope you have a wonderful trip and make a lot of great memories! graemlins/mickey.gif

[SlinkyDog]

The one thing you have to do is run as fast as you can to Dumbo when the MK opens. That line gets to be about 3 hours so do it first.

Get a fast pass whenever you can.

[WDWgoofy]

1. Wake-up early!As this will get you thru the entry before opening. In all parks you usually can move through the turnstiles to another holding area, but this will allow you to miss the jam due to the slowness of finger scans.
2. Take advantage of fast pass.
3. Take breaks, maybe sleep-in one morning to re-charge everyone's battery.
4. Do not miss the evening shows. Watch IllumiNations, Fantasmic and Wishes.
5. Eat lunch at 11 am.
6. Drink lots of water and wear sunscreen.
7. Wear comfortable shoes.
8. Open your eyes and ears to the whole Disney experience. Notice the attention to detail, the background music, the landscaping, the architecture, the cleanliness.
9. Take time to watch a street show and the entertainment available at Epcot.
10. Relax, have fun and remember that you can not do it all. graemlins/mickey.gif

[FourMsMom]

These are all great. I only have a couple to add.

1. Plan a character meal.
2. Take the kids to EPCOT you'll be surprised how much fun you can have with the fun stop stations in each country. You get to see all the countries have to offer and the kids have fun making a souvenier.
3. Autograph hunting is a lot of fun. Make sure you have a fat pen(like a sharpie). The characters have a hard time with skinny pens and pencils.
4. Let the kids earn the quarters they will surely be looking for as soon as they discover the arcade.
5. Taking a break in the heat of the afternoon is like a gift.
6. Keep in mind that there is a lot of walking in Disney. After the second or third day your 5 year old might welcome a stroller. It makes a great place to put the back back.
7. Letting the kids make some of the decisions lets you explore Disney with new eyes and is fun for you and the kids.
8. Having a towel and something dry to change into is a good idea when the kids get into some of the water around the park. The jumping fountain was a lot of fun with my kids and their dad slapping the water at each other.
9. Take wet ones to clean up with. You would be surprised at how dirty a drippin Mickey pop can make one small child.
10. Don't forget to slow down. This is vacation a rejuvenation for adults and kids. Keeping up the same pace as the work week at home defeats the purpose. Relax enjoy they don't get younger.

[ohiokel]

A few more to add to all the wonderful tips would be...
*Remember to pack your antibacterial wipes and had sanitizer. Wipe down frequently used surfaces in your room like the phone and remote. Use the hand sanitizer OFTEN while in the parks! You don't want to bring home a virus graemlins/sick.gif along with your souvenirs!!!

*Make sure to go to Tom Sawyer's Island. My two boys and daughter spent 1 1/2 hours there one hot day, while DH and I rested in the shade!

*If it is really hot, try to eat your meals at indoor, air conditioned restaurants! Cosmic Rays at MK is a great place to get out of the heat and have lunch.

*Bring your own rain ponches, that aren't yellow! That will help you keep an eye on your kids if it rains.

*I agree with getting to the parks early, but sometimes a family has got to sleep in!! graemlins/sleepin.gif graemlins/sleepin.gif graemlins/sleepin.gif Utlize EMH nights on the days where you are dragging.

*We give our kids a certain amount of spending money and one rule. They can not spend it until the end of the trip. That way, they have seen everything and make an informed choice(s). There have been so many times that the kids have used all their money up on the first day, only to discover something "better" at a different park. Just make sure you are willing to hop back to that park at the end of your trip.

*Have patience, but most of all, have fun! graemlins/mickey.gif

[Beast_fanatic]

These aren't really my top ten, but I was trying to address a few of the specific items you mentioned, as well as cover a few topics that haven't been touched upon.

1. If you or your kids use chewing gum, take some with you as it is not sold in any of the parks. Be considerate with it though, and throw it away when you're done.

2. Take a minimal amount of cash with you each day. You can put a credit card against your room key and use that to charge against for most purchases (only the mobile carts and a few non-Disney establishments at Downtown Disney won't take the room key card). You can then pay the balance off at the end of the trip with cash, debit card, check, whatever, or you can leave it on the credit card and pay it off when you get home. There's a safe in the room where you can leave your valuables.

3. I'd have one parent hold the kids' tickets to keep them from getting lost.

4. Inform your kids what Cast Members look like. Show them they have a name tag, and what it looks like. Tell them that if they get separated from you that they can go to any Cast Member and they'll help find you again.

5. If you are there the last half of April, enjoy the Flower and Garden Festival (http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/park/flowergarden.asp) at Epcot. If you're not, still take notice of the topiaries.

6. If you like parades, try to be in the Animal Kingdom in the late afternoon for the Jammin' in the Jungle parade. I love that parade. Watch Wishes from Main Street (this is the fireworks show in the Magic Kingdom).

7. If it rains, go to the parks anyway. Rain often keeps the crowds down. You can either get cheap ponchos ahead of time (Wal-Mart, dollar stores, etc.) and treat them as one-time use, or you can get more expensive ones at WDW with Mickey on the back. April isn't particularly rainy there usually though, but thought I'd mention it just in case.

8. Try to avoid the Magic Kingom on Saturday. That day almost always seems crazy at that park.

9. Don't expect to be able to do everything! I've been 5 times, and there are still lots of things I've never done and still want to do!

10. Plan to have fun! A positive attitude can go a long way toward having a magical vacation!

[DisneyWhirled]

What a wonderful list of suggestions you have gotten!

Just one thing I would like to add....and this comes from experience...

When using Fastpass, make sure to take the Fastpass AND your TICKET!!

On our last vacation, I lost DS's 10 day pass twice during the 10 days we were there. (We had purchased the pass online through Disney.) Disney was so wonderful about deactiviating the "lost" pass and giving me a new one. Imagine my embarassment the second time, though, when the CM said, "Okay, I see this was replaced four days ago." :eek:

I could remember having his pass to do the last Fastpass of the day, so I must have left in the kiosk!

[ March 18, 2005, 10:08 PM: Message edited by: DisneyWhirled ]

[Sylvia]

I haven't read any of the previous posts, because I want to give you my suggestions based solely on my own experience. Here we gooooooooo ........

1. Decide what PS meals you'd like to include, and put the times on your calendar as a starting point. Plan a day-by-day itinerary - but not an "etched-in-stone" itinerary. Be flexible. If you wake up one day and decide to do something other than what you originally planned, go ahead and do it. Have fun!!!

2. For your kids, a great way to control the souvenir shopping is to purchase Disney Dollars in the amount that you plan to permit each child to spend. Let them decide what they really want. We did this with my nieces and nephew and they were great little shoppers. After they decided what they wanted, they calculated the money they needed and we went on a shopping adventure. Each one budgeted their own money and decided what they could buy. My nieces ran out of money so they couldn't get the clock they wanted for their room. But, since they knew upfront how much money each one could spend, they put the clock back on the shelf and didn't ask if they could have more money. They learned a great lesson. The result - the kids were happy and the adults were thrilled and very proud of the kids.

3. Take advantage of early morning hours, especially at the MK. Many attractions in Fantasyland will be open and it's probably the best time to ride Dumbo.

4. Take advantage of late nights, too. On these days, take a midday break and go back to your resort for a nap or a swim.

5. Stop and smell the roses during the day. Don't try to do everything and don't constantly run from one attraction to the next. Take time to breathe. Decide the most important must-do attractions for each park and enjoy yourself. Keep track of what you've already seen on the park map. Check out the entertainment schedules. There is something for everyone.

6. Make time for character greetings. Remember your camera and autograph books/pens.

7. Take a break from the theme and water parks. Go to FT Wilderness and visit the petting zoo. Have lunch at the Trail's End Buffeteria.

8. Most people will stop for lunch or dinner at the usual times 12-1 PM and 5-6 PM. If you eat at odd hours, the lines will be shorter, whether you eat at a counter service or a table service restaurant. You'll have a more relaxing meal and will be ready for more fun.

9. Stop and have a Mickey bar or any other goodie of your choice, i.e., Dole Whip, Pineapple Spear, Turkey Leg, Cookies/cakes/desserts from one of the many bakeries throughout WDW, ice cream, etc., etc., etc., etc. Every theme park has great goodies; so does every resort. Forget the diet - you'll walk off the calories. Remember, you're on vacation.

10. If you're in one of the major parks at closing, don't rush out to the bus (or the monorail or ferry). Everyone else is rushing out too, and the lines will be very long. Take a leisurely walk toward the exit and enjoy the atmosphere and the music. By the time you get to your resort bus stop, the lines will be shorter and the bus (or monorail or ferry) won't be so crowded.

11. Take lots of pictures, especially of your kids with their favorite characters. Take candid shots - they're always more fun than posed ones.

12. Keep a "journal" of your daily activities - not detailed, but just enough information to relive your terrific vacation over and over until it's time to go back to WDW. This is another reason why I like to keep track of my activities on the park map. I always mark the date I've been on an attraction, or watched a show. It's my way of keeping a journal of my vacation.

13. The most important piece of advice I can give you is - Have fun and remember that it's not all about how many thrill rides you can go on! The theme parks are so much more. There is a ton of live entertainment, some of it interactive, and all of it great. For example, in World Showcase, your kids can interact with natives of the countries represented there and learn about different cultures, be creative and make a mask, hear Beatles music, watch a corny play, see Chinese acrobats . . . . The list goes on and on.

graemlins/clappy.gif graemlins/mickey.gif graemlins/muscles.gif graemlins/mickey.gif graemlins/clappy.gif

[ March 18, 2005, 10:41 PM: Message edited by: Sylvia ]

[Tavel]

Another few tips to add:
- Don't try to eat every meal at a restaurant. It's fun for a few days, but then the kids just can't take the being good/sit down and eat aspect three times a day. Instead, have breakfast in the room, order a pizza in, etc.
- Bring your own snacks. Lots of the Disney snacks are big/expensive/long lines/junk food. Have a few everyday snacks in your bag already and when you decide to splurge on a treat, it really is special.
- Make a trip to your discount store before your trip. I found light up star necklaces for $1.50 at home, excused myself for a few minutes in the evening, returning to show the boys what I had "bought esp. for them." They were thrilled with something new, and they didn't even bother to ask for the $$$ ones that Disney sells.
- And above all, afternoon breaks are a must!!!! Even if everyone just zones out in front of the TV for 30 minutes then goes for a swim, it will make all the difference!

Interesting thread! Have a great trip!

[Janmac]

All good tips, so far.

#1. Plan family walks now, as many days a week as you can. Try to have your boys walk in the shoes they'll walk in at WDW. Try to lengthen your walks til your family can walk a couple miles easily.

#2. Have more than one pair of shoes. Especially for kids who like to find water fountains. :D We try to bring a pair of shoes to stay dry in during rainy weather, comfy sandals for HOT days, and a couple pairs of "regular" shoes. This really goes along way toward making for happy tourers.

#3. Have a fanny pack for every one. Our grandkids keep their own snacks, [disposable] camera, lip gloss, trading pins, etc. in their fanny packs. You'll know if your kids are capable of keeping their daily souvenir allowance in their fanny pack as well. A responsible 7 year old could (with quiet unobtrusive supervision) manage his own park ticket, as well. Also, have a luggage tag on each fanny pack with perhaps your cell phone number and the name of your resort.

#4. Arrive at parks early. Be at the rope drop. This shouldn't be a problem for your boys as their excitement will likely catapult them out of bed. Have Goofy give them a wake-up call in the morning if they're being sleepy heads. There's something intriguing to kids to be in a park early (Extra Magic early hour) at the rope drop. At least our grandkids have been that way.

#5. Eat 3 sit-down meals a day. This is our extended family's number one tip, actually. We tend to eat our way around WDW. But we like the time to slow down and reflect on what we've seen. We ask our grandkids, what have you liked. What will you remember. We also do a character meal every day, but we save and save and save for 3 or 4 years so we can splurge at WDW.

A corollary to tip #5 is that for kids, buffets are great because they may not really know what they're wanting to eat but when they see it - they know what they need.

#6. Which is maybe another most important tip, is to develop a response for when you can't do something you'd planned. That is when a ride is closed, or the line is just too long, or whatever. We say, "We'll do that next time." For some reason this works at WDW for us. But then we've noticed that a lot of things work at WDW that don't work at home (granola bars for snacks, for example)

#7. Another most important tip - leave the park by noon and head for your resort's pool. You're from New York, it's been cold, you have 2 kids, CBR has some cool pools. Be advised, your boys are going to think swimming in April is one of the best parts of the whole trip. I have asked our grandson if he could only visit WDW for 4 days (instead of our usual 8) would he pass on the afternoon swim to spend more time at the parks and he said, "No, it's all part of it [the trip to WDW]."

#8. Have a plan. A basic structure, but if it's 10:15, you don't necessarily need to be at the Teacups. We like the Early Entry - it just works for our family group - so we plan our touring around that. If it's early entry to MK (and NOT a Saturday) we're there, at the rope drop. That means that we're having breakfast at Crystal Palace and maybe lunch at Wilderness Lodge (we like to look at different resorts - it's all part of it.)

A corollary to tip #8 is that we visit Epcot every evening. We tour in December when the other parks close early so Epcot in the evening works. We also like to eat different foods. We have pictures of our grandkids with chop sticks at Japan when they were 2 and 3 years old (as teens, Marrakesh is one of their favorite restaurants). We go to a different Future World pavilion and a couple of different World Showcase pavilions each evening. Epcot is far and away our favoritest park.

Another corollary to tip 8: we visit MK, MGM and AK 2 mornings each. This allows for more relaxed touring and more repeats of favorites. Also, go slow. Relax. Stop for Mickey Head ice cream bars. Spending time on a bench watching street performers is not time wasted tho I would say time in a shop is wasted. ;) The WDW parks are not your typical amusement parks.

#9. Skip some of the extras til your next trip, like miniature golf, Disney Quest (which we put off til our grankids were 12 and 13 which was a good idea - for them), water parks, etc. Focus on familiarizing yourselves with the 4 main parks.

#10. Get a guide book. Get a couple of guide books. Burnbaum's gives a good overview with plenty of pictures so your goys can see in advance what's at the parks. They'll have more fun if, while it's new, it's still familiar. (Disney vacation videos are good for this too). Have family planning once a week and discuss rides. If someone is uncomfortable in the dark - skip the 'dark' rides. The Unofficial Guidebook is great for compulsive planners like me because ride times and estimated wait times are all there. I like the ride descriptions too. Other good info is available in WDW for Kids. I have checked guidebooks out of the public library but I like owning my own - highlighted, dog eared and post-it noted (see Amazon.com link at left under Site Sponsors). Familiarize yourself with where things are in the parks. Not sure you need to follow to the letter the touring plans in the Unofficial Guide.

I don't know how many times we've been to WDW and I still get a guidebook. Just got one for my birthday. :D The more you know, the less structured your plan needs to be, the more flexible you can be and the more fun and enjoyment your family can have. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Jan

[ March 19, 2005, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: Janmac ]

[Bugdozer]

Hi,
Two things- Park maps. Our boys loved them. Get a couple extra as you go in. They thought they were the tour guides using the maps.

Second is Squished pennies are a great starter souvnier. For 51 cents your kids can choose different pennies. A book to keep them in runs about $5.00. My son still has his from 4 years ago.
Cheryl

[Disdude]

It is really hard to add to what everyone else said but I will add 2 that have been elluded to in a number of posts.

1) Let your kids decide if they want to ride/attend something. I watched too many parents call their kids wimps and wusses (yes, believe it or not) because they didn't want to go on something because they were scared. Many that went even though they didn't want to ended up crying or screaming. I even heard one family telling another on a bus how they had pushed their son to go on Stitch on their first day and he wouldn't go on anything else.

2) If I were going with young children, I would expect to see nothing and hope to see something. I was appauled at how many times I watched parents smack, shake, or yell at their kids saying things like "I paid a lot to take you here" or "We are not leaving until this place closes" or "We're never taking you here again!" I just can not believe how many parents expect to be able to push their kids. Pace youself, take breaks, and be happy with whatever you actually get to see.

[DisneyDudet]

We usually don't do sit down meals a lot. We love doing a breakfast buffet tho. They are great and everyone gets to pick what they want.

Also, if you can, go off for dinners. After our afternoon swim and snooze, we take our rental car and go to Chik fil a, Taco Bell, Uno's Pizzaria, Fazoli's, Chilis, Wendys' , etc for dinner. This gets us away from "park food" and usually less expensive (a meal for all 3 of us at chili's would be the same price as a table service meal at the parks or resorts).

We also buy snacks for breakfast. Pop tarts are lifesavers! Just grab a sack and eat on the bus!

Make sure you check the tip boards often at the parks. Usually, there's a ride w/ a short line and you can do it real quick.

Bring some cards or travel games for long lines or waiting for parades and fireworks. This will keep minds off waiting, and let you chil.

I think thats it for now.. i'm sure I'll think of something.

[mulanwannabe]

My family and i love to look for and do things that are out of the ordinary when we go so....
1. Look for the tiny ring hidden in one of the cobblestones as you exit haunted mansion
2. Look for a key under a mat at MGM Muppetvision 3D
3. Ride Buzzlightyear and get major mega points by shooting the BACK of an orange robot's arm
4. Go to TSI first thing in the morning and find the paintbrushes hidden by the CMs to get freebie FPs
5. Look for talking water fountains at EPCOT by Mousegear store.
6. Look for "push" the talking trash can in tomorrowland
7. Pick up the phone in the general store on main street and listen to a funny conversation.
8. Be brave and try the soda called "Beverly" at Ice Station in Epcot...real brave
9. Look for "Leota" tombstone before you enter HM and just keep looking at it ....creepy
10. Ask a CM about the mystery of "George" when your on line for PotC....spooky....have fun! :D

[ETicket Ride]

These responses have been great! VERY HELPFUL!!!

[Googlie Bear]

Some people have suggested taking lots of pictures: I agree, but would amend that tip:

Be careful you dont get too caught up trying to record your memories that you miss making them. You dont want to see ALL of WDW through a lens.

[dra_rosie_k]

Here's my list (probably rather redundant, but I did not really read the others).

1. Let each family member pick one or two "must do" attractions at each park. Make sure those are done and then the rest are "bonuses."

2. Arrive at the parks at rope drop. First off it is fun to see and very exciting for the kids, but most importantly you can get alot done in the first two hours at any park.

3. With little ones, don't plan too many evening activities. Pick one fireworks show (Wishes) for each three days so that they can get to bed early and be ready for the next day's adventures.

4. When they tell you they want to go swimming (even though you are waiting in line for an attraction at MK graemlins/crazy.gif ) plan on leaving the park soon to go back to the hotel and go swimming.

5. Plan meals for off hours whenever possible. Bring breakfast foods for your room for most mornings and do lunch at 11 or 11:30. Then do dinner at 4:30. Prices are lower and they are less crowded.

6. Plan your character meal(s) based on your kids favorite characters. Also, check at Guest services at each park to find out where an when to see those characters.

7. Give each kid Disney dollars either before or when you arrive so that they can pick out their own souvenir. If they want to spend it right away, remind them that there will be no more coming. You can plan a visit to the World of Disney near the end of your trip to find the items they saw earlier if they did not buy them.

8. Do something for the grownups too. Pick a really nice restaurant (they all have kids menus) or put the kids in a Disney kids club (e.g. Neverland Club) and have a night out (LA Nouba? or Pleasure Island). They also have Disney Babysitters available.

9. Always take a break mid day. No matter what. Nap. Swim. Go to the arcade. Just get out of the parks!

10. If you are not participating in Extra Magic Hours (early or late) avoid that park for the day. They get insanely crowded by mid-day and it never seems to let up.

Most importantly -- if your child is having a meltdown, take them back to the room. It's terrible to be walking through the MK see an overtired child screaming and the parent shaking them by the arm and yelling. The kid is tired and needs a break.

HAVE FUN!

[DunkinNut]

Well, you have already gotten some excellent advice so I won't reiterate most of it.

Strong recommendations:
1. Take care of your feet!
2. Remember to be a kid yourself!

Have fun...DN