Kevey

Please, please, please help me with some practical advice for a major trip to Orlando in August.

We are two families totalling 4 adults and 3 children ages 12, 8 & 4.

We shall be visiting 7 of the major theme parks in two weeks including all the Disney ones plus Universal & Seaworld.

We shall be staying at a Villa approx 5/10mins drive from WDW.

We are aiming to arrive at all the major parks at opening time and would like anyone's opinion on whether it could be worth returning to the Villa on some of the days for a rest/sleep for approx 2 hours in the mid-afternoon (approx 3pm)before returning to the same park.

I would welcome any views on this possibility - I personally would prefer to remain at the parks all day as I think it could be more hassle than it is worth to return to the car/ leave/ go back to villa/ drive back/ park car again/ make way back into park.

LilMsFoodie

August has great heat and humidity. It also has farily regular thunderstorms in the afternoon. Many people go to Disneyworld in August and have a great time but you need to plan well. With the age of your kids I think you need to consider the waterparks as a break from all the walking and standing in the heat and as a way for them to let off some energy.

Fast passes will be a must. I'd also make priority seating reservations at any on-site restaurants you might be interested in. The internet has many sites to help you with your plans. I think Deb Wills site is the best and it is not affiliated with WDW.

Look at:
http://allearsnet.com/

Since you are staying in a villa, I recommend taking lots of wash cloths, wet and wring them, put them in little bags and freeze them. They should do the trick mid-morning when things get hot. LMF

padams421

I wouldn't leave the parks during the day if I was staying offsite and if I planned to return to that same park later in the day. It is easier to return to take a mid-day break when you stay on-site.

I would include visiting the waterparks during the week.

I also recommend the www.disboards.com website for more Orlando info that you can possibly read between now and August.

kopp

For a number of years while my children were young, we did just what you're suggesting: left for a couple hours and came back later.

The heat of the summer will definitely wear on you. To be on a go-go-go schedule for two weeks can be very exhausting. There are still plenty of hours in a day to enjoy yourselves.

What I distinctly remember is that, upon returning to the parks after our afternoon siestas, we were refreshed and ready to go, while noticing that other families with young children seemed worn out and cranky.

Personally, I do not find going to the water parks very relaxing. While they do offer a chance to cool off, they will be very crowded with loud music blaring. If you want to really get away from it all, go back to the house, have a cold drink, and put your feet up. You may even find yourself catching a few moments of shut-eye. Then you'll be refreshed and ready to hit the parks again.

Happy travels!

wsoxrebel

The problem with leaving the parks is the tremendously long walk back to your car when you are already tired. If a kid is too big for a stroller, be prepared for complaints.

When our kids were small, and we used to go super-cheap, we would go back to the motel for an air conditioned nap and/or swim in the afternoons. It worked well for us.

If you have enough funds, you might be able to accomplish the same air conditioned goal by booking late LONG lunch at the onsite restaurants.

GoTravel

Is there any way you can spend a couple of nights on site?

August is so brutally hot that you really do need a break from 12 Noon to about 4PM to regroup.

Plan on getting to the parks as soon as the open to the general public (another plus to staying on site is that the parks open earlier and stay open later for you).

Even at night the temps will stay in the upper 80s.

ajcolorado

Take the cost of your theme park ticket per day, then divide it by the hours the park is open. This gives you your per hour cost per person. Your two hour break at the hotel is costing that amount per hour. It may be worth it - maybe not. Your kids are older so they may have the stamina to go all day. I recommend that you choose an air-conditioned sit-down restaurant for lunch - this gives you a break and lets you cool down. Then plan to visit indoor shows in the mid-afternoon. For example: Ellen's Energy Adventure in the Universe of Energy pavilion at Epcot is 45 minutes of sit-down airconditioning. The four year old might even sleep through it. Or the American Adventure at Epcot is 30 minutes.

"It's Tough to Be A Bug" and "Festival of the Lion King" are now both air-conditioned at Animal Kingdom.

MGM Studios has Muppetvision 3D, Playhouse Disney Live, & Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Magic Kingdom has Mickey's Philharmagic, Enchanted Tiki Room, It's a Small World, Hall of Presidents, and others that are inside although I strongly suggest avoiding the "Fantasy Land" area of the park during the middle of the day.

You can spend some time shopping in the middle of the day - the great thing about WDW shops is they look like individual shops on the outside but you can often walk from shop to shop on the inside.

Plan to buy a soda, bottle of water, or mickey mouse icecream bar, if you're getting hot.

Have or rent a stroller for the four year old (you'll be walking 5 - 8 miles over the course of the day) but be aware of not pointing the child toward the sun. And note that heat radiating from the concrete can make for very warm conditions in the stroller - especially if a sea of hot,hairy tourist legs are blocking any breeze. Remember - if you rent a stroller and do go back to the hotel for awhile, you don't have to pay to rent another when you come back. Just hang on to your receipt.

Also, remember that any purchases through the day can be sent to a pick-up point at the front of the WDW park so you don't have to carry them around all day.

Be vigilant about caring for feet. Use a band-aid or fresh pair of socks as soon as "hot spots" start to form - don't wait for them to become blisters. Make a point to ask the kids specific questions about how their feet are feeling.

There may be rides that the 4-yr. old is not tall enough to ride (or just doesn't want to ride). Disney offers a child swap option - just tell the attendant that you need to do this and they will tell you where one adult and the child should wait. Once the other parent finishes the ride, the waiting parent (and one other person) may then ride without waiting through the whole line.

Use the websites below to check out the days that Disney offers early opening to their resort guests. Avoid that park on that day as they tend to be the most crowded. Once you have a tentative schedule, post a question on disboards.com and ask if anyone sees any red-flags. Those folks are WDW fanatics and are always happy to offer suggestions on avoiding the crowds.

You can check out attraction & restaurant descriptions at wdwinfo.com & allearsnet.com. For discounts on tickets, I recommend mapleleaftickets.com or ticketmania.com, although your hotel may offer a good deal too. Birnbaum's Official Guide, the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disneyworld, and tourguidemike.com can all give touring plans that help you get the most from your experience while avoiding the worst of the waiting in line.

I wish you and your group a wonderful time.

mma

Are any of the adults members of AAA? I made my car reservation through them and got a AAA Priority parking pass for Disney. Before the trip I found a better car rental rate on my own, so I cancelled the one through AAA but still had the pass to use. We just showed the pass as we entered the parking areas and were allowed to follow the special colored markers to a great parking area - right next to handicapped. Something to check into. Fanny packs with water bottle holders are a must for snacks... water in the park is expensive. We also had these tiny fans that hung around our necks that we got at a "Job Lot" store around home. Have a great time!