The Best Touring Tip Ever. . .

[TheMartellFamily]

We see it as we do not have to do everything since we will be back. With that if we miss something, do not do everthing we know that there is always a vacation comming up to WDW.

[elmjimmlm]

Make breakfast reservations in the park...It is a totally different world being there before it opens...
Take snacks with you...It will keep grumpy kids happy...
Go to what you want to try the most first...
Dont over stress...
Know that you are there to have fun...
Let the kids take the lead once in a while...Let them chose where to go next (it helps a lot)...
Dont be too upset when it is time to go home...You know you will be back soon...

[Natazu]

When approaching a set of turnstiles, take some time to find the one nobody seems to be using. People are sheep. They will follow each other to the longest line in the park every time.
Likewise, at Epcot, two entry lines will become three turnstiles almost every time. Knowing this can be a big time saver when entering behind people who don't know how their finger works.

[irish1967]

If you are park commandos and ride junkies, like we are, the number one tip is: Learn how to maximize the Fastpass system... getting another fast pass as soon as one is available, even if we haven't used our current fast passes yet.

One - look at the bottom of your fastpasses when you get them - they will tell you when you are eligible for a new one - it may be before the fastpass becomes valid.

Two - it is ok to split up in order to accomplish different desires (for example, when we go this summer, one adult will take the little children to meet the princesses while the others will go with the older children to Space Mountain!)

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

• Drink plenty of water!
• When in Epcot walk through Innoventions. It's a great way to get to were you are going and stay cool.
• Make ADRs. With some restaurants it's the only way you'll get to eat there.
• Go to Conservation Station. It's less crowded, a good way to cool down and there are great character finds.
• Pre-order the Photopass CD. It will save you $25 and if you don't like your photos when you get home you can get a refund. If you do...you'll have lots of great photos.
• Stop and get pictures everywhere you see a photographer. It might be the only way everyone gets to be in a picture.
• Purchase a good poncho to take with you or at the first site of rain get a Disney one. They can be used for years to come.
• Take plastic bags to put your camera or anything else you don't want to get wet in when it rains.
• Break your shoes in before you go. And bring a variety. I take sandals, flip flops and sneakers.
• Get a lanyard. You can keep your keys to the kingdom, photopass with the barcode facing out for them to scan and your photo ID (if you drink) in it for easy access.
• Plan a park route out so you make sure you see the attractions that you don't want to miss.
• HAVE FUN!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

Make sure you wear sunscreen and reapply as needed.

[MarkC]

My number one piece of advise is:

1) Get someone else to pay for your trip.
2) If that doesn't work, don't worry about the money unless you absolutely have to. Your kids will cherish the memories and you don't want to get home and say, "gee I wish we would have done this".
3) Eat a couple of nice meals at restaurants you would not normally eat if you were home, i.e. the Epcot countries.
4) And per a prior poster, take lots of pictures. You can delete them later anyway.

[Ropachs]

When we were deciding if we should do a Disney trip a few years back, I was mainly stressing out on cost. My Father-in-law told me "We've never regretted taking a family vacation, go." He was right! If you're going to go, understand beforehand that you'll pay $2.50 for a bottle of water, and don't let it ruin your trip!

[mouse2508]

This was a great post, thanks Kat1811 As we're planning our next trip, I enjoyed reading all the ideas from the many Intercot "mouse-sperts" and it has reminded us of some key points.

That said, the 2 things we always do before an upcoming trip are research/plan and budget. There are many spreadsheets on different sites (we created a simple one ourselves) to help with the budgeting process; as several posters have mentioned WDW is not an inexpensive trip but each and everyone have memories which I cannot put a price upon. Once you get the sticker shock out of the way, then you can focus on what's available at each park. And remember, the budget is to keep you in check; it's ok to go over a bit (it's almost guaranteed you will!) so set a tolerance window you can live with, and start setting aside money NOW!!!

Souvenirs are a big expense for us, and we've found giving the kids an envelope each day w/ their allotment helps them understand to make decisions and not ask us for everything they see. Also, we suggest if they prefer a big ticket item they could save envelopes over a couple of days. A great example is Once Upon a Toy in DTD, so many cool things and they want most of them! We simply refer to the envelope and then they have to make the decision. We look at this as a life lesson and it has saved many a meltdown in the store

[Tink#64]

I tell everyone I know that's planning their first trip that the only advice I give is to arrive at park opening! It's amazing how light the crowds are early morning & how many attractions you can get in before lunch!

Take breaks everyday! WDW is exhausting! We love to return to the resort, get lunch & eat pool side!

Also IMHO, it's best to skip high capacity attractions/shows in the AM when you can hit the major attractions & a little back tracking/ retracing your steps in the afternoon or evening is worth it in the long run!

We also don't do any shopping until afternoon, we don't waste those precious "uncrowded" AM hours shopping! In the AM we are "Go GO GO" and it's really rewarding!

[KAT1811]

In the AM we are "Go GO GO" and it's really rewarding!

Us too!!! I swear anyone not familiar with Disney would think we are crazy! LOL! I'm hearding our four children, us, my parents, my grandparents, and DH's Uncle and cousin on our last trip as quickly as our group could travel trying to maximize our time. It was quite a site but luckily we are Disney veterans and everyone "gets it"!

We always hit Soarin' and Test Track in Epcot first thing, then we slow down. In MK it's Fantasyland before we slow it up a bit (we FP Splash and BTMRR since the little ones can't ride we aim for nap time and take turns while they sleep in the carriage), and in DHS it's RNRC and TOT then we take a look at the map and see where everyone wants to go! At the end of the day we can head back if anyone wants to ride again.

[coneygoil]

My #1 tip the last few trips has been...make friends with the CMs! They're some really awesome people working at WDW. If you talk with them, interacte, and play around with them, the CMs will be so happy and exciting. It made our trips 100% more magical (and that's saying a lot since it's 100% already ) to see the faces of the CMs light up. You think they're there to make you happy, but when you make them happy as well, it's like a whole new experience at WDW

P.S. - You will also get lots of free things!

[ryca1dreams]

Have fun. Be nice. Talk to people.

[crltkcagle]

I think my number one tip for people on a budget is to buy the dining plan. That way when you get there most of your food is already paid for. Plus you get to eat at some great resturants!

[BigThunderFan]

My top tips are:

1 arrive early and see the opening show.
2 have a touring plan ready for what you want to do that day
3 research the best days/times to be at each park/attraction
4 go commando in the morning (I don't mean clothing) and then relax in the afternoon while the park fills up
5 collect fastpasses for those rides you want to do multiple times and remember they are good anytime after the beginning time on that day
6 relax and have fun! Take time to look at all the details and theming.
7 most importantly, schedule in a break to swim/rest every day

[GloMonkey]

Get out of bed!! Be in line 30 mins before rope drop with ticket in hand. Enjoy the parks EARLY, and start collecting those FP

[Rekenna]

These are great tips guys!

Mine are:

1.Research, plan, explore multiple avenues, set a budget as a guide.
2. Listen to your children, (if they are not with you or you don't have any then listen to yourself) if they are tired or overwhelmed than no one is having fun.
3. Go early, take a break (swim, nap) go back and enjoy the evening (the best time to go IMHO).
4. Stroller fans, a must have.
5. Ice water is free in the parks!
6. Take your time, if someone wants to ride again go for it.
7. Ask everyone what is one ride/attraction they want to do, this way every one gets there way. This works with my children, we lay it out and explain that everyone gets a turn. Mostly they want to do the same things, but this makes sure no one says "I wish we could of..."
8. This is a vacation, not a marathon. We love getting up early and hitting the parks, but don't miss the forest for the trees.
9. Try to stay at Value season, stay on-site and take advantage of staying on-site-EMH, transit, great resorts, pools.
10. Be nice! To each other, CM's, other families. Talk to people on the bus, talk to people in line. Share bubbles, snacks, stickers, etc. Use your manners, be aware that there are thousands of other people around you.
11. Eat nice meals, character dining-breakfast in the parks when the park hasn't opened yet-priceless.
12. Lots of pics.
13. Have fun!

[WVParkfan]

Mine would be: don't spend all of your time at the MK. It's a great big Disney World out there, and Epcot, DHS, and the AK all have wonderful things to offer.

Most of the people who complain that they just didn't "get it" about Disney World never left the Magic Kingdom.

The MK is wonderful, but so are the other parks. Don't make the mistake of spending all of your time in FantasyLand.

[eeyorepoohfan]

Take a Camelback to stay hydrated!!! It's very essential to drink plenty of WATER, even in the winter months! Fill it mostly with ice and some water before leaving your hotel in the morning. When we would go back to our hotel in the afternoon/early evening, we would refill ice and water. Plus, the Camelback has the added benefit of being a small to large backpack (depending on the style) and can hold snacks, cameras, and other park essentials.

Take advantage of the EMH!!!! We went to EPCOT in December and did the evening EMH. No joke, we were able to ride almost EVERY SINGLE RIDE in those 3 hours!!!!
We also went to the Animal Kingdom morning EMH. We rode EE 3x (grabbed a fastpass for later) then Dinosaur 3x then back to EE to use our Fastpass. All within the first hour!!!!
We attended the MK EMH and were able to walk on to almost everything. The only rides we saw with wait times were in Fantasyland.

Take really good walking shoes that you have walked in quite a bit already!!!! And practice walking around your neighborhood to build up to a couple miles before you go.

Be flexible!!! If you find a wait for an attration to be too long, see if Fastpasses are available for later. Or just go ride some other attractions, grab a bite to eat and try again later. Go to each park with a few key must sees and everything else will be a major bonus!

Decide where it is important for you to spend your money. If you like to spend a lot of time in your hotel, then maybe a Moderate or Deluxe will work best for you. Then you can save money in other areas if need be. If you are like my hubby and myself and just need a place to sleep and shower, a Value Resort is perfect. This allowed us to set aside more money for food and souveniers. Again, do what works for your family.

Money was tight for us, so I looked at menus online to prepare for the cost of food. We ate at POP Century for breakfast every morning for less than $6 for two people. Bagels and pastries are $2 or less each! We also packed snacks into our checked bag. Whenever possible, we would share meals too.

Enjoy your vacation!!!! No matter what happens, you are at Disney World!!!! Have fun and make wonderful memories to cherish forever! And don't forget to take a lot of pictures!! We took over 1600 pictures and videos (for just myself and hubby) in 6 days!!!

[Septbride2002]

I tell all my friends to skip getting their picture taken on Main Street - it's crowded w/ people in the background and sometimes there are even waits for a photographer. Instead walk straight over to the rose garden in the morning/afternoon and get a picture. Typically there is a professional photographer there and you may have to wait for 1 family to finish up. The picture turns out AWESOME with the whole castle in the backround and hardly any people from that angle.

~Amanda