Fodor's editor seeking Disney tips

Paul, did you do the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor (Tomorrowland, MK)? Very funny and seemed to appeal to younger kids and adults.

My tip for Animal Kingdom would be to do the Safari ride as early in the morning as possible. The animals are much more active early in the day, and if you want to see a good variety, then earlier is better.

Sea World is the favorite park of many of us who live in Central Florida - it's a lovely park with nowhere near the lines of Disney or Universal, and makes for a very pleasant, relaxing day.

Sounds like you had a great trip!
I love DW and have been 3 times. I even proposed to my wife at Epcot. I did it just as you enter the park. The great thing about doing it there was the photographers Disney set out there. They took tons of photos and even gave us some free copies when we went to pick them up. Now we have wonderful pictures to remind us how we love DW and each other.
The biggest tip I can give anyone going to Disney is have a plan for the day for each park. Arrive at the park BEFORE opening time and and have a plan for the first several hours. Mornings are slowest at the parks so this is crucial to avoid wait times. I havent waited longer than 20 minutes to ride anything in 3 trips to Disney!

My husband and I went to Disney this past December. I probably wouldn't do that time again as I didn't like the crowds, but it was great to see Disney all "done up" for the Holidays.

My tip would be that if you can stay at Animal Kingdom lodge take the Safari offered through the hotel. One you had to be concierge level but the other I think just a guest at the Lodge.

They were fantastic!! Great insider information into the care of the animals and up close and personal interaction. The morning safari is through the Animal Kingdom park safari ride and is before park opens and they are just letting the animals out and they are very active.

The afternoon also includes a meal at Jiko (which was out of this world) and also takes you through the safari areas within the lodge grounds. The guides are animal keepers there and were great!

These were my Christmas present and I had such a wonderful time.

Hi Paul! Nice to have another editor hanging around this site!

We absolutely love Disney and especially Disney World. My first trip was when Epcot first opened, and we have made many trips since.

Our tastes have evolved over the years. At first we'd take the kids and enjoy Fantasyland, the characters, etc. This was waaaay before all the character autograph signings they have these days.

Nowadays, it's just me and the hubby, and Epcot is our favorite hangout.

Are you only interested in rides and attractions? Don't do much of the rides anymore. Oh sure, we always go on Thunder Mountain, love the thrill of the ride, but nowadays it's much more casual and at a slower pace than when we had kids.

My favorite time is when the Christmas decorations first come up, right after Thanksgiving. I LOVE the Candlelight Processional, have done the dinner package in the past, and we love listening to the Christmas storytellers in the different countries.

The decorations and music during the holidays are spectacular. Have you ever seen the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at MGM? Unbelievably beautiful. This year it was the best ever. The streets were ablaze with color. I could send you pictures if you'd like to see.

Also, we like taking "hotel tours" of the Grand Floridian and the Beach Club, with their life-size gingerbread houses and a carousel. There are signs that show the ingredients list; 52 tons of flour, 800 cups of sugar, 42 dozen eggs, or something like that.

We also love the Mariachi Cobre at Mexico. We have become friends with a number of the band members. They're really good if you ever get the chance to see them.

The Animal Kingdom is our newest favorite. I could spend hours on the Asian and African jungle walks. Besides the gorillas, bats, and colorful birds, did you know that the hippopotamus (who always seems sleeping and hidden underneath the water) takes an afternoon "marathon run" round and round every afternoon around 3:30? Yep, he suddenly wakes up, and literally starts swimming laps, up and down thru the water. Great photo op!

I'm still a sucker when it comes to having my photo taken with Dopey. There's just something about that guy that gets to me.

I'd better stop. I could go on and on and on....

321, I am sorry now that I missed the Laugh Floor. I overheard a guy on his cellphone telling a buddy about it but I was trying to balance a tray of french-fry laden meals at the time and it didn't register for long; I'll definitely put it on my list for November, even if I have to sneak back on my own....I adore SeaWorld also. Even back when we had just one kid I appreciated how managable it was.

panhandle, the Epcot proposal sounds really charming: how did you set that up -- did a park rep coordinate with you having the photogs on hand?

lindsyb, you make me want to see more of Animal Kingdom. It's always the one that gets cut from our agenda when time is limited, and there's a lot about that park that's underhyped.

Thanks of course for the tips! Any my thanks again to all else who take the time to chime in.
Paul

swisshiker, your post crossed with mine, so I wanted to add my thanks to you as well. I'm primarily interested in rides and attractions but it's special moments and times of year---as you and lindsyb commented on---that I like knowing about, too; unfortunately I haven't yet seen the Spectacle of Lights.

It's great that you and yours are going to the parks sans kids. It gives me something to look forward to!

My 4 yr old really likes the Land at Epcot (next to Soarin). It was easy going and they got to learn about hydroponics etc. I think that is a little known ride for the youngins and people tend to skip it but she truely enjoys seeing all the cool veggies they grow.

Also, Seaworld is opening Aquatica either today or tomorrow. That should be something you should hit next time and review.

My wife and I made the rounds of the four Disney parks last month after a business trip.

The big surprise to us was how much we enjoyed Animal Kingdom (probably because it was all new to us, with not so much repeats of rides from Disneyland). We really enjoyed the theming of the various areas. The Everest coaster was quite good, the intensity reminded me of the Dland Space Mountain the year if first opened, before they slowed it down. The Dinoland area was also a pleasant surprise. The only real dud seemed to be the train out to the petting area; just not much going on there (might have been more interesting if there was something going on in the vet center). We thought our lunch at Yak and Yeti was the best of our meals.

Paul regarding the photographers...we used the ones that take your picture in the front of the park.( This was pre Photopass)
Speaking of Photopass for those who haven't used it before its alot of fun. Here is the link for http://www.disneyphotopass.com/

Ditto those who liked Sea World! Its much more relaxing than Disney. We also love Islands of Adventure (Spiderman is my favorite ride in Orlando)

Swisshiker-
There are some great videos on youtube of this years Osbourne lights. They were really stunning. There are also some great videos of the Castle lighting Ceremony this year.

Surprisingly, my favorite MK ride is Splash Mountain. It is not just a terror roller coaster (which I love too) but the theming and little things to look for in each "scene" are wonderful and fun for all ages.

If you don't want to get wet, be sure to bring a long a poncho. You can usually get these from "dollar stores" - 2 or 3 for $1. Just slip it on before you ride. When some visitors get off of the ride, they just hand them off to someone else in the queue.

If you want to be "brave", just plan a bit of what you will wear that day. I avoided cotton and was completely dry in a couple of hours, even in December.

Enjoy-la!

We just got back from a day at Epcot and a day at Magic Kingdom with our teens for our vacation week. I have to admit, I was a bit cynical about going during vacation week, but we had a blast! It was crowded, but they do know how to handle it. Due to a late flight, we didn't get to Epcot until noon.

Tip: If you arrive late, get Fast Passes right away for the popular attractions. Look at the bottom of the pass and see when you are eligible to do your next Fast Pass.
If a member of your party is not needing Fast Pass, you can use their ticket and not wait the two hours to get the next Fast Pass.

Epcot Tip: Soarin' is not to be missed! I was worried about height issues (not helped by the many warnings as you enter the ride), and I spoke with a few staff members. It turned out to be one of my favorite attractions! The chair feels very solid and secure so you really could shut your eyes and as one of the staff members said, "it's like sitting on a porch rocker."

The whole family enjoyed the classics at Magic Kingdom as well - such as the Haunted Mansion (teens love all three of the "mountain" rides- Splash Mountain, Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain).

Our vegetarian daughter had no problem anywhere finding something to eat (they have come a long way!) I believe the park map includes information on veggie options now.

This year we reserved early for an amazing dinner at the California Grill at the Contemporary. We offset the cost of the meal by skipping the usual souvenirs and snacks (hey, they add up!) We even brought our own ponchos into the parks (and used them one of the days). I don't know if I'd recommend California Grill for families with younger children, but we found it to be a memorable experience with our teenagers.

Tip: Go early and ask for a window seat so you can watch the sunset over the lagoon (depending on the time of year).
This also allows you to go back into the park after dinner when it is much less crowded.

Tip: The California Grill allows customers to return to the observation deck to watch the fireworks. Although we chose not to do this because we went on more rides after dinner, it would be a great option if you had time.

Tip: Inside the park, you can get great fireworks photos by resting your camera on a railing.

We had just a couple pictures taken through Photopass. It's a great concept. We were happy with the photos, but they arrived yesterday all wrinkled. They send them in flimsy envelopes, not the typical photo mailers. I emailed them asking for new photos...hopefully they will be on top of that.

We did one day at MK and two days at Sea World during President's week and all the usual advice applied.
Go early is the most important advice and hit the big rides at rope drop.
We rode Splash Mountain 3 times in succession with no lines, picked up a FP for it on the way out (return in an hour) and skipped across to Thunder Mountain Railroad for a couple of bone shaking rounds (definitely felt the bone rattling turns more in the front row than when we sat mid way back in the train!).
Still no lines at Splash Mountain so we went on again while sending our teenage son to get fast passes for Space Mountain.

Note when Space Mountain closes for 'technical difficulties' it might mean someone has vomited on the ride. They clean it up fairly quickly but they are then very lenient on Fast Pass holders regarding the time of their return. We couldn't ride at our designated return time as it was temporarily out of action so we came back 4 hours later.

I didn't ride Space Mountain but my 10 year old daughter wanted to use my FP for a second ride and they allowed her big brother to accompany her (just ask!).

Our most successful tips for Magic Kingdom were to use FPass extensively. We got new ones as soon as we could and probably had 9 or 10 during our long day. We also found that while a few Disney employees were rigid over the return times for FP most were not and barely glanced at the time slot allowing us in early or late.

We were told that Disney is refining the FP system and it's likely there will be tiered Fast Passes so that Disney Resort guests have a higher priority.

We got some great photos on the Peter Pan ride. I rode in a boat in front of my son and husband and took photos while on the ride of them flying over London.

To meet characters without long lines I recommend the character dining. We ate lunch at the Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends and the food was excellent, much fresher and of higher quality compared to our visit to the same place 5 years ago. It's a buffet so I found the cost reasonable bearing in mind we were traveling with an insatiable teenage boy.
The characters approach your table for hugs and photos in an attractive setting which is much more relaxed than lining up to meet and greet the characters.

Another good spot to meet characters is behind the castle in MK. Just outside the shop Tinkerbell's Treasures is an area where characters rotate throughout the day for photos. The lines seemed pretty short here and there was no wait for a photo and hug with the Fairy Godmother on our visit.

We also rode on the tea cups ride with Alice and the Mad Hatter!

Monster's Inc Laugh Floor was a hoot especially as the woman next to me was included in part of the show.

Sea World is just not as crowded as Disney but they recommend you show up for shows 30 min in advance although it's not necessary to get a seat in most cases.
We did find that the mime guy that entertained the audience before the sealion and otter show was fantastic. The show itself is excellent too!

Our tip for Sea World is if you wish to feed the animals spend a little time listening to the experts. To feed the stingrays you have to hold the fish pointing up between you fingers (so you hand is flat and the fish is sticking up at 90 degrees to your hand). You then allow the stingrays to glide over your hand and take the fish. So many kids and adults were having a hard time getting the stingrays to take the fish because they weren't using the right technique.

We also enjoyed feeding the sealions as the animals really seemed to appreciate the fish and would happily 'bark' or flap a flipper to 'ask' for more! This feeding zone was also far less busy than the dolphin feeding area.

Our favorite ride Journey to Atlantis was not busy on both mornings we visited (we rarely had to line up and if we did it was for less than 5 minutes). We rode this ride at least 10 times over our 2 day visit. For small kids or anyone that does not want to ride there is a bridge to watch from where for 25c they can try to soak their parents, siblings or any stranger if they wish!

This trip we went for 3 full days in the parks and couldn't have kept up the pace for any longer but we'll probably go again next year for another short intense fix!

Oh dear lord....

I could write for hours on this.
My wife, MIL and their extended family spent a week there during the 1st week of December last year.

My 1st general tip would be to go that time and ONLY that time if you wish to maximize park time while capturing the Disney essence of the season. If staring at 100's of thousands of lights (especially at The Osbourne Family of Lights) at the time of year doesn't put you in the mood than the very last place you should ever go to is WDW.

We road Expedition Everest at AK for th 1st time and can safely sau that this attraction was quickly vaulted into our top 3. The other 2 are Fantasmic and Soarin (rode that twice).

My tip for Fantasmic would be to do the early show and NOT do it as part of the dinner package. You may wait a few minutes longer in line and on the bleachers but you will have much better seating. We were dead center 5 rows from the railing on the clearest night we could have asked for.

On Soarin, get there early, grab a FP then head over to Test Track. For EE, get there early too, get that FP then make a beeline to Kiliminjari Safari as the animals are out in ernest.

magic kingdom doesn't start to get crowded until 11am. up until then, big thunder railroad and splash mountain are walk-ons.

dumbo has one of the longest lines and no fast pass. if you really want to ride it, make it your first ride of the day.

small world has one of the fastest moving lines. it often seems later in the day that the boats start to pile up and you move through the end of the ride very slowly. hearing that song over and over will put many people over the edge.

the baby swap pass is the best. you have to remember to ask for it when you first enter the line and usually the employee will need to see who is remaining behind to make sure people aren't abusing it. but the ability to ride again through the fast pass line with an additional 3 people is great.

I too could write a book. We've been too many times to count, always combining 3-4 days with the beach during spring break, the week after Easter.

WDW is not for wimps, and not for those not willing to plan ahead and plan ALOT. We're all athletic and in shape (runners, dancers etc) but 3-4 back-to-back days in the parks is a body beating. You will easily walk between 7 -15 miles a day, especially if using fast passes, zipping back and forth. Totally worth it though

Here are a few tips for MK - some are for younger kids but then aren't we ALL kids at WDW?!

-Wishes' fireworks and Tinkerbelle the gymnast: Sit on the outer edge of the Plaza restaurant, while looking at the castle. Look up to find the wire where Tink flys from the castle to the restaurant rooftop on the right and sit under or nearby. TinkerBelle - a real life person/gynast will fly down right over the top of your heads at the start of the fireworks. Regardless how many times we've been, its still really cool.

-If you don't need to see Tinkerbell fly or see the front of the castle (its always lighted and changes) while watching the fireworks, go BEHIND the castle to see the fireworks. The view is fantastic and the crowds aren't as bad.

- if staying on-site and i HIGHLY and totally recommend doing so!!!when riding the onsite busses, ask the driver if they have any of the tradeable bus cards. Also ask the monorail driver; they have cerificates and special pins. Same thing for riverboat's pilot certificate.

-Having a birthday? Stop in the Town Hall at MK and get a special button. Cast members will greet you, sometimes move you to the head of the line, our DD was given a free dessert at the Studios and free candy in the candy store.

-many cashier cast members have free stickers, fun for the kids and also photo albums

-When you walk down Main Street, take a close look at the castle. You'll notice the bricks get smaller the higher up the castle goes. The Imagineers called it the "forced perspective" technique and looks a little taller than it would if all the bricks were the same size.

-The Golden Camel in front of the Aladdin ride (Adventureland MK) is controlled by someone hidden nearby and shoots unwary guests as they walk by.

- If you see a human character, like Mary Poppins, ask them a question about their movie and they go right into character. Have your guys kiss all the female non-human hands and watch the reaction.

- Buzz Lightyear: about 15 min. before Buzz and Woody come out, the Army men arrived in their Jeep and do a preshow. They choose 8-9 guests to line up, have them shout their names and hand them weapons. Buzz and Woody made their appearance for a group photo with all of them, really fun!

- for the competitive players in your group lol - The big points in Buzz are found leaving the first room. Turn around and shoot the back of the Orange robots arm or the back of the buzz saw for 100,000 points. The car turns automatically away from these so turn back and score big!

- meals, sandwiches, entrees etc are huge around WDW and you can often split meals and save room for more snacks that way Also, the kids' meals are also big, more than plenty for both DD and myself. There's much more variety lately, again saving time and calories for junk food later

I'll post later w/ideas from the other parks.

Regardless when you go - and we always go the week after Easter - with a LOT of planning and ALWAYS fast passes, you will have a blast! We've been to countless other places throughout america and the world but there's nothing like WDW and DL

Counting the days until we escape winter and head for 'The World' so here are a few more little tidbits you may or may not have heard:

Hollywood Studios:

-To meet The Incredibles and The Robinsons (wayyy cute!) go in the back way thru Animation, thru the gift shoppe, and into the holding area people arrive in after their tour. Voila, there they are and you can get pics. And hugs
And autographs ... if you must...

- HUGE fans of Aerosmith's Rock n Roller Coaster! But unlike most coasters, the front seat isn't the best and not worth the wait. The back is a bit too jerky for some but toward the back is sweeeeeeeet. Perfect. Perfect to the point that one year we did it 13 times in 4 days the week after Easter.

-Having a birthday, anniversary, any special occasion? Tell the cast member at Beauty and the Beast. You MAY be chosen for seats upfront, a serenade and free CD. Our dd was chosen twice, very fun.

-At with many of the rides, if one of the kids wants to ride again but the parents don't - or visa versa - ask the cast member if he or she can "go around." At Test Track, they send you up a set of stairs and tell you to follow the yellow arrows. You can see the ride operator's booth and have a great view of the queing area. Then you go back downstairs, and it lets out right at the boarding area, and they put the kid - or you - straight back on (no wait) and you go outside to wait for him.

Animal Kingdom:

-If you’re at the Animal Kingdom and there's a long line to get in, go through the Rainforest Cafe. There's a park entrance at the rear of the gift shop.

- Each morning 15 minutes before the scheduled opening, go through the turn styles and head to the Tree of Life area. Characters, usually Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy arrive to welcome you! Soon Mickey appears and gets on the truck and you follow them into Harambe

-Not sure they're still doing this but worth checking: There's a kids' game you can play as you walk around the park, with four or five 'stations'. First you get a book, and as you finish each one, you get a stamp from a cast member. They also have different cards and give them to the children and the children have to find the bugs in the garden.

- If you go for an evening meal to AKL - Jiko's or Boma's - go around 5pm to see the animals. The feeding thingys are changed - filled, and it tempts the animals closer to the viewing areas.

- Conservation Station is great for littler kids, and even adutls. Early in the morning you might see an animal's surgery! They have shows during the day showing how they train the animals, tables with items about the animals and trainers there with interesting stories, especially for the fans of science and the environment. Outside is the petting area where you can brush the animals. The bird show was exceptional too for all ages, and one we've seen more recently.

- If you're into parades & seeing characters watch for Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade at the END of it. If you stand near the entrance of Kili Safari you will actually see the parade twice as it starts and ends at the same spot. Stand / sit facing the Kili Safari entrance with the large double doors that the parade goes through on your left. Since its the end the characters have more time for interaction and pics.

-This one is for guys Take a WHIZ QUIZ! At Raffiki Planet Watch men's room, where all the animal faces are smiling at you. Or so i've heard lol While standing at the urinal there are a few questions about other animals' bathroom habits. You have to wash your hands to get the answers. My guys were amused

EPCOT:

- The "Candy Lady" in Japan appears about three times a day and makes beautiful rice starch candy lollipos in the shape of animals that you request. She picks children AND adults and will make about 4-5 each time. Yum.

-japan also has a full array of Hello Kitty souvies, inexpensive and fun for the little girls and sometimes the not-so-little girly girls

-In Canada theres a huge "rock" at the Kodak picture spot. Before IllumiNations begins, the top of the rock opens and sound and lighting equipment comes out. Just one of the cool experiences that makes you say 'how'd they do that?'

-for the dancers / gymnasts in the family, be sure to check the pre-show in China. Beyond amazing gynasts/ tumblers. Its also not necessary to go into the show after watching.

- free coke break! Check out the Coke station, It used to be Ice Station Cool but now it's "Club Cool." If you're walking towards the world showcase from future world its on the right side of the large fountain. If you walk past the fountain you've gone too far. Sample the various kinds of coke available world wide. Some are quite tasty, others might gag you. But always fun for a quick, cool break.

- at Innoventions West at the IBM exhibit, you can email pictures of yourself. In Innoventions East you can email home a video clip you make

- If you stay on site, check out wilderness lodge, designed to resemble Yellowstone's Old Faithful Inn. Having stayed at the REAL Old Faithful Inn MANY times - and LOVE it - wilderness lodge is still fun with lots to do on 'off' days from the park, kayaks, hikes, boats, fun pool etc.

I know there's more but gotta run. Looking forward to reading others' tips, too.

PS - can you tell we're huge fans of 'wally-world'?!

We love Soarin' and always ask the cast member to sit in the front row. That way you don't see dangling feet in your line of view - the cast members are always glad to oblige.
We were also told by a cast member that fastpasses can be used anytime after the "window" of return time. So you don't have to rush back within that hour if you are on another ride or having a meal. Really working those fastpasses saves a ton of time.

alliegator: Thanks for mentioning Aquatica. I’m going to ease coverage into the book gradually as we hear more about it from our community and writers, and I’m eager to check it out, too.

Panhandle, thanks for confirming about the photogs. I agree that Photopass is a remarkable development; the ability to e-mail around the link of your photos to family and friends is a major time saver.

Caroly, sorry to hear that your photos didn’t arrive in acceptable shape; please keep us posted about how WDW handles your request to replace them. BTW, how far in advance did you have to make your California Grill reservation?

These are fantastic posts, everyone – my continuing thanks.
Paul

Hey mma, re soarin - are you sure you mean the 1st row? I thought the top / 3rd row was the one where you didn't see dangling feet? Anyone know for sure?

re Soarin' - it's definitely the first row where you don't see feet dangling. Much better! Plus it seems as if you are flying higher!

Feel like a trip to France but the high Euro is getting you down? Head on over to Epcot's France pavillion and watch the movie "Impressions de France". This is a 180-degree sit-down movie (with a/c in the summer!) that takes you on a romantic, picturesque journey thru all regions of France. The music is fabulous. (I've even got it on my MP-3).

After the movie, stop at the Boulangerie for a Cappuccino and a Napoleon!

Paul, one of my favorite things about Disney is that there is a lot just for adults!

My husband and I haven't been in a couple of years but we've gone extensively over the years.

We love to hit The World Showcase for happy hour and drink our way around the world. Since we are using Disney transportation, the designated driver is included!

The best piece of advice anyone has ever given me was to check www.MouseSavers.com for discount codes for the hotels. I've stayed at the All Stars for as little as $49 off season and $77 peak season.

Also, sometimes if you can get a discount code, it is actually cheaper to book a club room at the upper tier hotels. The club floor always includes breakfast and a lunch snack and dinner nibles and a cocktail or two.

You can count on breakfast and lunch being at least $10 per person at the cheapest restaurants. Four people that is a savings of $80 per day.

At the All Stars, if you have kids, get them the refillable drink cup. Good for adults also because while you are there, all your drink refills are included.

My biggest piece of advice would be to not stay off site if you are visiting Disney. While it does work better for some families, part of the Disney experience is staying onsite.

Most of these comments seem to be about the Disney parks, but since you mentioned Universal in the first post, I have a few comments about both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. We took a group of about 35 teens and parents to Orlando last spring. We spent a day each at Universal and Islands of Adventure. The consensus among the kids was that, on the whole, Islands of Adventure was more fun because it has the bigger rides. I think that hands down, the favorite ride there was the Hulk. (I know it is in my personal top three coasters now!) At Universal, the favorite attraction seemed to be The Mummy. I have two tips for these two parks. One, if you love to ride and the park is the least bit crowded, spring for their version of a fast pass. It lets you skip to the front of the line, and while its only supposed to be good for one turn on each ride, as closing time approached, the turnstile workers grew more lenient and the kids rode some rides (like the Hulk) 3 and 4 times in a row, using their passes. My second tip is that if you want to eat at one of the sit down restaurants in/on the park property, go to one of the information kiosks and make a "reservation". It's not a true reservation, but gets your name on the list for the next available table. Our entire group didn't try to eat together, but this made it easier to get a table for 6 at the Hard Rock and a table for 6 at Emeril's, etc. all around the same time.

Well we have also been to Disney/Universal several times in the last 10 years.
The week after Thanksgiving is a very nice time with everything decorated. We did several park specials in the evenings. Magic Kingdom sold special tickets to the park for after hours. They had shows and gave out hot chocolate. It snowed on Main St.!
We also did the dinner and show at Epcot with John Tesch telling the story of the birth of Christ. Very moving and fitting for the season.
We went to Universal in June two years ago, and it was Hot HOt Hot!! I recommend staying at the Universal parks hotels. They offer a deal where you put your room key in the slot and get a fast pass for the ride. We were not staying at the hotels on site and paid 150 extra just for this priveledge pass. It was so hot and the lines were so long, it was worth not waiting too long for the rides. We loved, loved, loved the Spiderman ride!It was our favorite and we rode numerous times.
We found Sea World rather dull and quiet compared to Disney and Universal. Big rides=Universal, Good shows=Disney.
Stay on site at Disney as well. It does offer numerous perks. We liked the Port Orleans in the moderate hotel line and also it has a great pool area.
We also stayed at the Polynesian. It was very convenient being on the monorail. We had my parents with us and this made it easier for all of us to come and go to the hotel as we wanted. We have also stayed at the Hilton in downtown Disney twice. We had hilton points and used them there. It was a nice hotel with a good location, but agree on the fact that staying on site at the different parks has it's perks.
The other big thing is to make reservations to dine where you want as far in advance as they now allow. I believe when we went it was about 3mos. We did Cinderella's breakfast, and many of the character dinners. It is very hard to get in these restaurants without reservations way in advance. Remember when you are taking a vacation, most likely so is everyone else! At least it feels that way at Disney! It is really never quiet.

Paul, I made my California Grill reservations about a month in advance. I'm not sure if it's harder to get reservations during the fireworks (10pm). Note that they take a credit card number, so you really want to be sure of your plans (the cancellation policy was a day or so).

I just heard from Photopass, and they are resending my photos. BTW, I order prints on the Internet all the time and have never once had anything arrived damaged - lucky, perhaps.

People go crazy trying to get reservations for Cinderella's breakfast at the MK Castle. But sometimes you can get lucky and see Cinderella during dinner. She won't be upstairs in the dining room but rather in the waiting area downstairs. You don't even have to have dinner reservations, just walk past the check in desk to the waiting room. There has always been a character there. Sometimes its another princess or the Fairy Godmother but sometimes its Cinderella.

ttt

Speaking of Aquatica, the new SeaWorld park, they're in the "soft opening" phase. Here's what the Orlando Sentinel had to say:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ytb4bf

Two years ago my husband had a meeting in Orlando and we opted to stay at the Grand Floridian. I really, really wanted to go on the Garden Tour at Epcot and although my husband has been drug on many garden tours over the years with me he just didn't want to spend the time at Epcot doing a garden tour.

Well, because we have been married 25 years we were able to come to a "compromise" and I made reservations for the tour.

You guessed it! He was entharalled. He still talks about what a great tour it was. I get really tickled when I hear him recommending it to anyone that is plannig a Disney trip.

It was a very good tour and a great way to see Epcot as the tour takes place and hour before the park opens.

loveyblue

As a Florida resident we have been to all the Orlando parks way too many times(and my kids are only 5 & 8.)

With that said -
Tip 1
- We used to only stay on Disney property until one visit we had to wait a ridiculous amount of time for the bus. DH will never be without a car at the parks again.

2 - Universal - only stay at one of the Universal hotels - the free express pass make your kids feel like movie stars - we were there in August and it was HOT and we never had to wait in a line more than 15 minutes. Unreal!!!! The only big ride that had no special line was at Islands of Adventure - the dinosaur area - Pterandon Flyers - the line was about 55 minutes long - we did not wait.

3 - Visit the parks in January after all the kids go back to school. This was the best trip we had a Disney. It happened to be very cold - but that was a fluke. The parks were empty - we had so much fun. We never had to rush, we had lots of picture time with soo many characters.

4 - Character Meals - even though the food is really bad, take your kids while they are really young to character meal. They will just be amazed and as they older it jsut wont mean as much to them.


Thats all for now HTH

We just got back from Universal with our teenage son. My biggest tip is this: Leave the backpack or pocketbook locked up at your hotel. Many of the rides ( MEN IN BLACK, THE MUMMY, etc.) will not let you carry on anything that can't fit into your pockets. You have to use one of the provided lockers.

The lockers use fingerprint IDS for opening and closing. But it turns out that the lockers don't work well when exposed to the sun ( who designed these for a park in Orlando??), so we had to call a tech several times for help. As did everyone else in line.

carolv, thanks for the intel about California Grill. Very happy to hear WDW’s resending your photos and you’re reminding me that I better act on ordering mine before they expire.

ellen_griswold, I’m laughing re-reading your post about Buzz Lightyear, because my 8-year-old insisted up and down that on her first time on the ride she achieved some astronomically high score, and I’m wondering now if she hit that sweet spot on the Orange robot you refer to.

I appreciate the Universal tips that are coming in among the others; along the lines of the other parks, does anyone have a recent experience at Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach they’d want to share? I ask in part because Aquatica (thanks for the link, 321go) is positioning itself as an alternative to those parks and I know I need to learn more about what their strengths might be.

--Also: We’re pretty careful about noting in our books that Stitch’s Great Escape, despite efforts to make it less dark and noisy, can still be a little too intense for younger kids. I kept my kids off the ride based on this info. Can anyone report how their child might have done on this ride recently? This is definitely one I need to test on my own next chance I get.

Thanks again to all.
Paul

Paul, my Photopass pictures arrived today by Fedex in perfect condition...you know, magic memories!
: ) They definitely resolved the issue quickly.

Glad to hear it, carolv. I hope you're more disciplined than I am about actually putting them into albums and frames.

This is a fun post... I'm learning a lot that I definitely plan to use on my next WDW trip!

My advice to anyone visiting WDW is to take advantage of the "magic hours" at the parks. On most days, there is one park that is scheduled to open earlier than the normal time but the early admittance is only available to those visitors staying at one of the Disney property hotels. The extra hour may not seem like much but it can really help if you use it to your advantage. There are definitely less people in the parks when they first open plus there are only people staying within WDW who enter during the magic hours so there are really less people than normal during that time. If planned right, you can ride your favorite rides several times in a row with hardly a wait (depending on the ride and time of year of course). An example is that the safari ride at Animal Kingdom is a very popular ride with long wait times. However, if you go to Animal Kingdom first thing in the morning on the day it is scheduled to open early for the "magic hour", you can go directly to the line for the safari ride and get on the ride within just a few minutes with the added bonus of seeing the animals when they are active early in the morning. You can scurry around to your favorite rides or most anticipated rides during that first hour and then take your time enjoying the rest of the park the rest of the day and you won't be standing in line forever to get on that ride that is so popular because you will have already done it before the crowds got there.

No offense to those who like magic hours but all of the touring plans I have read ,with the exception of the official guide, advise NOT to attend magic hours...in fact the majority of folks over at the Disboards as well as tourguidemike.com and my personal guide of choice "The unofficial guide" all say to visit the park that had magic hours the day BEFORE as it will be the slowest park.
Just my two cents.

Panhandle - Yes, I've seen those forums too and after trying it both ways, my personal opinion is that the magic hour thing works for me. There are certainly opinions out there for both but this is the tip I wanted to provide that has worked well for me in the past.

Just returned form Disney World during first week of February. Had a great time. A few tips that worked well for us:
1. Start your day early - try for as many rides early in the day before the crowds grow
2. Always pick a ride to use FastPass as soon as you arrive at the park.
3. Use the single rider lines (if you dont have FastPass)
4. Reserve restaurants before you leave; if you change your mind/plans, you can always adjust onsite at WDW
5. Give yourself time during the day to recharge:
- plan to see an afternoon parade at one of the parks
- plan to see a show at one of the parks
- shop during the afternoon
6. Eat dinner at the park where you want to see the evening fireworks: they are spectacular
7. Plan at least 30-45 minutes travel/wait time when using Disney Transportation System

Favorite Rides: Soarin', Animal Kingdom Safari (saw animals whether went early in morning or later in the day), Tower of Terror, Test Track, Haunted Mansion (no FastPass), Spaceship Earth (now has an interactive piece to the ride), Pirates of Carribean

Favorite Restaurants: Boma Buffet, 50s Prime Time Cafe, Cape May Cafe ClamBake Buffet at Beach Club, House of Blues, Tonys on the Square in Magic Kingdom

Gohedwig

Great tips Go!
How as the new Spaceship Earth? When we were there in December it was still going through refurb. The interactive addition sounds neat.
Regarding fireworks...There are a couple great tips on those as well that I am not sure have been mentioned. Disney offers dinner packages for Fantasmic that have reserved seats(albeit to the right side of the theater) You pick dinner in one of three locations (Brown Derby, Mama Melrose, and Hollywood and Vine) after dinner you get reserved seats. Since you dont have to get there early you save alot of time! This would be useful on busy days with only one showing of the fireworks. We have done with and without the package and both have there pluses and drawbacks.
If you reserve a table on the lake for Illuminations at Rose and Crown for the time the fireworks go off you can eat and enjoy the fireworks at a table on the water. We have not tried this one yet.
They also offer cruises for viewing Illuminations.
http://allearsnet.com/btp/illum.htm

Our verdict on Stitch's Great Escape was that it wasn't in the least scary for our 10 year old daughter and I really don't think she'd have had any issues with it at 5 either. My husband hated it! The chilli dog smell was disgusting; very acrid and he insisted he could still smell ( and taste!) the odor for at least 20minutes after the ride. It delayed our dinner!!

Re: Stitch's Great Escape Scare Factory - I have been on this "ride" three times. It is one of the more disappointing attractions in WDW. There several parts when it is very dark, and light are flashing, and there are hard to identify noises, (Stitch running around). All three times, there were more than one terrified toddler screaming. Also, the design of the seating makes is difficult to hold your child and comfort them if they panic.

RE: "Extra Magic Hours" - We have visited WDW several times using both strategies. Avoiding the EMH parks always works better for us. We like to get the parks at opening time. The best time of day to get on the rides is the first hour or two. Pay for Tour Guide Mike, or my Favorite, the Unofficial Guide to WDW website, and follow their "Best days" recommendations.

RE: the Fantasmic Dinner Package - You can't count on the "reserved seating". By 20 minutes before showtime or sooner, they will allow anyone to sit in your "reserved section". If you wait until the last minute to show up, you may have difficulty finding a seat you like.

Great tips!

When my family of now adult-children has gone in recent years, we've really enjoyed renting a boat in Downtown Disney for an hour or so on a down-day. There are these nice boats with canopies that comfortably seat at least the 6 of us adults, and you can tool around past Port Orleans and the treehouses. It's pretty reasonably priced too.

My 12 year old and I leave on Sunday afternoon for 4 days at the Universal Parks. I'll try to remember to post on this thread when we return.

As far as the Magic Kingdom, if you are hot, tired, stressed or looking for a place to wait out the crowds after the fireworks, head to the Town Square Exposition Hall. It's the last building on the left before the exit (and is the location of the Photopass Center). In the back they have a movie theatre where they show a loop of maybe 4 very early Mickey Mouse movies. They are laugh out loud funny.

Be friendly to any cast member who shows an interest in you, especially at or near rope drop. Our family was selected to be the first family of the day to ride Rockin' Roller Coaster AND Goofy's Barnstormer.

If it is imperative that your little princesses get the autographs of the big princesses, go straight to their line at the Toontown Hall of Fame the minute Toontown opens (usually 45 minutes after the park opens.) We went one day 25 minutes after Toontown opened and there was a 2 hour wait.

Another way to get great Princess interaction is to have a meal at Akershus at Epcot. It's an easier reservation to get than Cinderella's castle. We had lunch there and Cinderella herself was there! (Along with Belle, Jasmine and a couple of others.)

Some great tips here!
Don't think anyone has mentioned
the DISBOARDS.com
More information there than you
could possibly read.
On literally *everything* Disney.
Lots more demographic groups too
(especially young moms that
travel with kids and without) that can really help plan.

During our recent visit we unexpectedly left the Magic Kingdom evening fireworks show five minutes before it ended (child meltdown) and we soon found ourselves at the head of what became a mob scrambling to get either to the ferry or the monorail back to the parking lots. I had forgotten that on previous visits we had gotten caught in the middle of the pack to exit the park, and it was excruciating. While we missed the finale this time, I don't think I would have traded it for being in the first group out of the park, then or ever again. That said, what we saw of the fireworks was worth sticking around for....thanks for the comments about Stitch's Great Escape, and for the onoging tips... I'm heading to Aquatica in a few weeks and look foward to reporting back.

An alternate approach to getting caught in the stampede leaving the fireworks is too find a bench and just sit down and watch the crowds leave. It is fun to be some of the last people out of the park. When most of the herd has left, you can take a leisurely stroll down Main Street and enjoy a different view of the park. If you are going to do this, you may want to consider renting a stroller, even for the 8 yr old.

If you make an 8:00 reservation for a character breakfast in one of the NON-EMH parks, you get into the park and hour before it opens. You'll get a chance at some pictures before the place opens, and it is just kind of neat to be there.

Hi Paul,
A couple of Magic Kingdom write ups are here:
familyroadtrippers.blogspot.com/search/label/Disney%20World
One entry written by me, and one written by my 7 yr old son (he rates the rides on a 'fun' scale and 'scary' scale). Haven't been to the other parks yet.

Good luck,
Dan
www.familyroadtrippers.com

Love Disney! Just back!
Some of my tips:
1. see SpectroMagic parade... it's WONDERFUL! If you want to leave park after parade watch it from start of Main Street (near entrance/exit area). For some reason... less crowded and exit is a breeze.
2.Salad in Mexico pavilion in Epcot is best dining value in sit down restaurant in park. They bring a bowl of chips too. This was confirmed to me by expert I met in park... luckily I had just experienced it!
3. Whispering Canyon Cafe... Wilderness Lodge is a GREAT restaurant... that has fun, silly antics... and good food Use it on an off day from the parks for fun... also tour this hotel... BEAUTIFUL!!!
4. We LOVE soaring, test track and turtle talk in epcot!
5. See Disney at Christmas some years... wonderful! Osborne Lights, Candlelight Processional, this year Harlem Gospel Choir which I hope becomes regular.
6. Do character meals instead of waiting in line for characters... Garden Grill is very relaxing and good food!
7. Enjoyed Coral Reef restaurant with table by aquarium. AWESOME!

We've also done some shopping after the fireworks while the crowd leaves (obviously not for little ones!)

From the "live and learn" dept., don't wear your glasses on Splash Mountain (or any similar ride). My husband's glasses fell of as he was exiting the ride, the glasses slipped into the water and down the flume it went. We checked in at the Lost & Found dept. later that day. The guy there said they get a pile of broken eyeglasses every day in the water, and they are never salvageable. The pressure of the water crushes the water at the filter.

Best time to go back to your hotel for a break is around 2:30 pm, just about when the afternoon rains hit. My husband grew up in pre-Disney Orlando. Last time we were there, he told us we had to hurry back to the car before the rain comes. I thought he was crazy as the sky was clear and sunny. No sooner after the rain came down for about an hour or so. It happened every day we were there. Of course, if the sprinkling doesn't bother you, it may be a good time to hit the rides as many people decide to leave the park at that time, and everyone else will be taking cover.

For first-timers and parents with very little ones, it is highly recommended that you stay at a hotel with the monorail station. I was very surprised at how huge of an area Disney World encompasses as I had only been to the California and Tokyo parks in the past. It was mind boggling, and somewhat of a challenge going from one park to another with little children, trying to fit everything into the schedule while the kids are on their own schedule. We chose the Contemporary for its location (closest to MK) and Chef Mickey character breakfast, and what a good decision that was. We were able to take turns going back to the hotel room with the smaller kids to get their rest, then go back later and spend the rest of the evening at the park. It also saved us the hassle of driving and finding parking, waiting for the trolley buses, etc.

I was at Disney World the first week of March with my great neice and nephew (ages 4 and 5) along with their mother. We just went to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We all really liked the Mickey Philharmonic show and the Buzz Lightyear ride. The kids were scared at "its a bugs life" although I thought it was cute. The characters at the parks were a big hit with the 5 year old. We were at the parks when they opened (including the extra magic hour) and found that worked really well. We didn't have to wait long, if at all, for anything in the mornings. By 1-3 p.m. the kids were tired, so we went back to the Disney resort we stayed at to let the kids rest and play in the pool. Then we were ready to go back to the park in the evening, have dinner at Chef Mickey's, etc. It seems that the parks were getting crowded in the afternoon, when we were leaving. We rented a double stroller each day and wheeled the kids between attractions and rides. That really helped keeping them going.
Martha

Hi Paul,
Can't say enough about the weather in August. My son and I sweltered last August. Next time I'll pull him out of school if necessary to go when it's not hot and humid. Also, when my son turns 14 he can't wait to go to livewire summer camp at Epcot, it's put on by Giant Campus - Cybercamps. It's for teens ages 14 - 18, they get to stay on site with counselors, go on insider tours with Disney staff, and basically have VIP access to all the resorts and attractions. This year they have 3 week long sessions, July 6 - 12, 2008, July 13 - 19, 2008 and July 20 - 26, 2008. It's kind of pricey, but they do have a livewire promotional discount code that anyone may use; Spok117
Can't wait to see the next edition! Oh and by the way, my favorite theme restaurant was Sci-Fi- Drive In!!!

Here's the livewire link: http://livewiresummer.com/