freckles

Any advice would be great..... we have 10 day flexi pass to disney and 5 day pass to universal studios....going in two weeks time, is there any tips to get the most out of these passes, any advice which place to go fist... last...better timesof the day or which place on which day? we have two kids 7 & 4, not sure where to start, also want kids to have breckfast with mickie mouse, staying off sight on i drive we have car, any advice please..... thanks freckles x

rb_travelerxATyahoo

I stayed in I-Drive 1.5 yr ago for 3 nights of my 5 day trip. I bought the 3 day "I-Drive Trolley" pass ($3) and never used my car once. Universal has free transportation from many hotels, and even if your hotel doesn't have pickup/dropoff, you can usually walk to another hotel that does. The trolley didn't go to Universal, but did stop within walking distance. If you are renting a car, you might not need it for the days you're going to be visiting Universal. I cannot offer any info on Disney.

freckles

great thanks, the trolley bus sounds great. if anyone has any advice on visiting orlando it would be most useful!!

Dreamer2

Wow, you have a nice long time to enjoy and explore! You certainly won't have to jam more than one park into any one day. By the way, if you belong to AAA, you should pick up a discount parking voucher before you leave. Also, be sure to read ahead and bring with you the "Unofficial Guide" to Disney. It also includes the Universal parks. This book is great! I like the character breakfast at the Polynesian Hotel because the food is so good, especially the banana french toast.
I always advise arriving to the park early, and doing the most popular rides first. Then break for an early lunch around 11:30. The afternoon is great for shows (to get out of the sun), or even taking a swim break if necessary. Each park has fun nighttime things happening, and lines shorten again at both dinner time, and just before closing.
Disney has the Fast Pass option now, so if there is a really long wait anywhere, pick up a pass to return at a scheduled time. For example, on the morning that you go MGM, pick up a Tower of Terror pass for a half hour later on your way to Rockin Roller Coaster. If you do the Coaster first thing in the morning, followed by your Elevator reservation, you'll avoid the two longest lines of the park!
The best way to approach Magic Kingdom, from my experience, is to arrive at park opening (so leave your hotel a good hour before scheduled opening: park, monorail, and get to gate!) and go straight down Main Street, to the castle, and bear left into Frontier Land. Do Splash Mountain first (and probably a second time!), then Thunder Mountain Railroad, followed by the Haunted Mansion. Then head over to Tomorrow Land for Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear. Pick up a FastPass for one, and get in line for the other. By now you're ready for a break! I always backtrack here, because I love lunch in Frontier Land. Either see a show at the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, or have a picnic at Aunt Polly's on Tom Sawyer's Island - if it's not too hot!
Bring at least two pairs of good walking shoes for the trip, sun screen, and water bottles. You can fill these with ice from the hotel and they'll stay pretty cool a good part of the day.
Have a blast!

Rachel

try some of the websites devoted to disney, etc.-my favorite for planning was www.mousesavers.com. it will give lots of info and lead you to other websites.

freckles

Great advice, thanxs sooo much, will print out the tips for the rides!!.Im off now to look at the web site. Many thanks guys... x Any other tricks or tips would be great!!

karenvk

My favorite website was www.disboards.com (I think it's actually part of www.wdwig.com). Anyway, it has a bunch of forums in different categories where you can search or post questions. They have one for staying on=site, one for off-site, transportation, other things to do in Orlando etc...it's so complete it can be overwhelming but the people on that site are helpful and friendly. Good luck.

bennie

disboards.com is actually part of wdwinfo.com. WDWIG.com is a great place to research and disboards.com is the place to go to ask questions about both Universal and Disney.

Lee4

Another great website to check out is mouseplanet.com.

Get "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" as the other poster suggested. Read it before you go. The book has great suggestions for the best ways to tour each park.

I'm assuming you'll visit Animal Kingdom, so here's my advice--get there AS SOON AS IT OPENS. Go straight to the safari ride. This is the most popular attraction and it gets packed fast. Plus, you'll have a better chance of seeing animals early in the AM. Be aware that this park is spread out with the biggest attractions being very far apart, so you will do so much walking back and forth(of course, you'll do lots of walking at each park). Be prepared for that and try to take lots of breaks. This WDW park seems, to me, to have more concrete and less shady spots than the others. With the amount of time you have for WDW passes, I would suggest splitting up this park into 2 seperate mornings so that you don't get bogged down with all the concrete and heat during the hottest part of the day.

The advice the others shared regarding taking mid-day breaks away from the park is excellent. Getting out and taking a nap or a swim (or both)will help you and your family enjoy yourselves so much more. Have a great trip!

freckles

Thanks again for all the input, We are in the U K so this hoilday is a one off for my family, and we want to do as much as possible in the time we have.Thanks for the web site, im getting lots of help, your all super stars!!

bennie

Since you are from the UK you definately want to check out disboards.com. There is a board there specifically for UK visitors to Orlando/WDW. Have a great time.

sam

If you want your kids to have breakfast with Mickey, you will definitely need to make a Priority Seating (PS for short), at 407-WDW-DINE. These book 60-90 days in advance, and the ones with Mickey go quickly! Go to www.wdwig.com and click on "dining" at the top, and then on the left, click on "character meals". It'll give you a list of what characters are where and for what meal. We're going next week and are having dinner @ Chef Mickey's @ the Contemp., and breakfast @ Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom with Pooh and friends. Have fun & good luck!

freckles

Thanks for all the advice, have just booked the c/ brekfast .... Animal Kingdom with Mickey, Donald duck ...cant wait... the kids will be thrilled !!! Thank you Every one!