panhandle

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

highflyer

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!!

scarboroughmom

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.

alyssabc

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.

missypie

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.)

wanderluster

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.

Paul_Eisenberg

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.

scarboroughmom

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.

scarboroughmom

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.

PhotoDad

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

want2go

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!

carolv

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

offlady

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.

mjnbrown

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

PennyGould

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/

MickeyGma

I can't believe this forum just appeared even though it's 5 months old. I wonder if anyone is still reading it? Here goes:

Hi Paul,
I've been to WDW every year since 2001 with my three grandchildren. We've visited in the winter-Feb, summer-Aug, autumn-Oct. No spring visits yet - the school conflict is hard to get around at that time of year (won't go near it during spring reccess).

Best tip - pay a little extra for Park Hopper passes. All WDW parks have bus transportation that goes directly to the other WDW parks.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Extra Magic Hour Tips (From both points of view):

For WDW resort guests - take advantage of the extra am hours - but make sure you are at the park before it officially opens, otherwise there's really no point. This means you should be waiting for the bus at your resort an hour before opening. Depending on the time of year, the buses may be dropping off at two different parks, and your park may be the second stop, which could be up to a 30 minute drive depending on your location. Work your way from the front of the park to the rear doing only the most popular rides, saving the rest until later. By the time the park fills up with the non-resort guests and gets too crowded you'll have been on all the best rides. If you have taken my advice and purchased the Park Hopper passes you can then hop on a bus and switch to another (less crowded) park.

For non-WDW resort guests - NEVER go to a park in the morning if it is scheduled for extra am magic hours. Choose a different park and again, get there before the park officially opens for the lightest crowds.

We never do extra magic hours at night. My grandchildren are all older teens, yet they would rather get to sleep at a decent hour and hit the parks early while it's cooler and they're less crowded. We've always had more than enough time to do everything without staying late.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Arriving later on your first day? Disney passes are expensive - we don't like to waste a day's worth of pass for just a few hours. After we unpack we head straight to Downtown Disney's Marketplace (no admission required - WDW resorts provide buses). We have dinner at one of the many restaurants. There is usually a wait to be seated so we go directly to the place of our choice and get our name on the list, bypassing all the oohs and aahs on the way and saving them for later. If there is a long wait to be seated we go to the Pin Trader nearby and pick out a new pin for the trip. We also kill time by checking out the Lego store with it's giant Lego "sculptures", and browsing the many unique gift shops. Our name is usually called earlier than expected so we return about ten minutes before we're scheduled to be seated. After dinner there is still plenty to do. We like to take the boat across the lake to Downtown Disney's West Side. Disney Quest is a great place to visit but requires it's own admission fee.

The Cirque du Soleil show La Nouba is fabulous! (Downtown Disney West Side) Definitely worth the (high) price of adnission. But don't schedule it for your arrival day. If your flight is delayed and you miss the show you'll have to pay for it anyway. (This is true of all Disney's reserved dinner shows unless you can cancel well in advance.)

This year while in DHS we ate at the Sci-Fi Drive-in. The "booths" are like 1950's convertibles and you watch old ads and sci-fi movie trailers from the '50s and 60's. The food is fair, the atmosphere is great! The grandchildren loved it. (Reservations recommended)

The "new" Spaceship Earth is great, and at the end you enter information and get a picture depicting your space-aged future. Upon exiting the ride you can email it as a postcard to your home computer. Neat.

Park Tips:
>Be sure to check the tip boards just inside the entrance of each park.
>Be sure to get a map and a times guide (2 separate things) specific to each individual park for valuable information on rides, fast passes, single rider lines, dining, parades, fireworks, showtimes, etc. FYI - if an attraction has fast pass it's because it's a crowd favorite and worth seeing or doing.
>Be sure to stop and watch the famed "Pirate Tutorial" featuring a great impersonation of "Captain Jack Sparrow" down by the POTC ride in Adventureland. So far it's not listed in the times guide so not many people know about it. I thought it could only be seen during the special "Princess and Pirate" parties. Showtimes are listed on the MK tip board.
>Be sure everyone in your party - young and old alike - have emergency IDs on their person. Ours include; our personal information - Wt, Ht, DOB, etc., our medical information - medications, allergies, etc., our contact information - where we are staying, who to call in an emergency, etc.
>Be sure to pack some morning snacks for the parks - crackers, granola bars, etc. (we bring ours from home - cheaper!). Most of the snack carts and restaurants do not open until 11:00am, and the few places that are open earlier are mobbed. Even though we eat breakfast in our room we are famished by the time we actually enter the parks.

New ride alert ~ the new 3D arcade game/ride "Toy Story Mania" is fantastic (in DHS). Within 1 hour of park opening the standby wait time was 110 minutes! We ran straight to it at park opening, rode twice, then got a fast pass for later. FYI to first timers ~ fast passes are limited! They are not available all day. The more popular the ride, the sooner they run out. Toy Story Mania fast passes can run out by 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon.

I have lots more tips but I feel like I've written my own book already. Hope someone finds the information helpful. Have a magical day!
Gma K.