My family and I are doing our first major Disney World vacation next month, and I'd like to throw open the question to the blog of a) tips and tricks, b) best places to eat in and around the parks, and c) can't miss experieinces we'd need to sign up for in advance. We'll be staying for 6 days. 9 year old boy, 8 year old girl. Not super princess-attached. (One of my proudest geek dad moments was when as a four-year-old, her friends were talking about princesses, and she said "My favorite princess is Princess Leia."My advice (now dated): rely on the WDWinfo website and the Unofficial Guide, learn to love the FastPass, and either you or your wife needs to audition for Idol. Know which characters/films your kids care about most, and plan around them. (Jedi Training Academy!) And eat at the Whispering Canyon Cafe.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
ALOTT5MA TRAVEL AND LEISURE DESK: While frequent commenter Eric J will be in Orlando too soon to visit Disney's Pandora, I think we can still help out a bit:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1. FastPass is definitely your friend. So is the Unofficial Guide. We've been twice and used it both times.
ReplyDelete2. If you want to go on Toy Story Midway Mania (and you do) go there the minute Hollywood Studios opens and either get in line, get a FastPass or both.
3. The Rock 'n' Roller coaster is awesome. My nine year old also recommends Expedition Everest.
4. We weren't crazy about Whispering Canyon Cafe, but I think it was our server. Most of the rest of them seemed funny. We loved loved LOVED Tusker House at Animal Kingdom - nice change of pace. My seven year old is recommending the Hoop de Doo Revue. The nine year old also liked the SciFi Dine In Cafe - I didn't love it, but I was kind of cranky the day we went there.
5. Try to see Fantasmic. And if you don't mind spending some money on dinner, eat at the Brown Derby first and get the package deal (must be done ahead of time)
6. Magic Kingdom fireworks are not to be missed. And before the fireworks, my daughters recommend The People Mover at Tomorrowland, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, and the Jungle Cruise.
7. The safari at Animal Kingdom is good. We tried to get there as soon as the park opened, so the animals were out and sometimes moving, but we were there in August when it was stupidly hot. It might be okay in October.
There's not a lot that you need to sign up for ahead of time, other than making dinner reservations. Hubby and I did DiveQuest, which requires advance sign up (you have to be a certified diver) Have fun!
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of Fast Pass. It will be your best friend. As to Animal Kingdom, you can literally see all there is to see and do all there is to do in half a day, so plan around that.
ReplyDeleteIt's the oldest suggestion: always choose the line to the left. It's ususally the one that's the least full.
ReplyDeleteStudy ahead. The website lists all the parades, etc and it's a good idea to have an idea of in what order you want to hit them.
I know I'm repeating, but the Unofficial Guide is a must have. Took my daughter twice - once when she was 7, once when she was 12. Planned our first few days completely around the Guide and it worked like a charm. Literally ripped pages out and carried them around with me.
ReplyDeleteAnother great place to watch the MK fireworks is from the balcony at the Contemporary. It was really nice to not be in the middle of a crowd. I believe we got there through the restaurant but it's been many years so I'm not sure on that.
We did that when we were there two years ago, but we had dinner there, too. I don't know if they'll let you just walk on to the balcony. We also watched from the beach at Fort Wilderness the first night we were there. My daughter (seven years old at the time) watched from that distance, turned to us with stars in her eyes and said, "This really IS a magic kingdom!"
ReplyDeleteSounds like your kids would want to do the Jedi Training Academy at the Studios. You can sign up to participate ahead of time but you need to do it early. I don't have kids myself but I think the plan is to send one parent to grab the Toy Story fast passes while the other signs up for Jedi. Check the unofficial guide to be sure.
ReplyDeleteAlso - visit www.touringplans.com and download the Lines app for your phone. Great info and worth the subscription fee. I'd also recommend listening to some podcasts like WDW Today or DIS Unplugged.
Fireworks from Polynesian beach are good too - and you can watch while eating Dole Whips and that will add to the awesome.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing to say about Disney that doesn't involve cursing, but I will reommend my friend's website- a guide for parents taking kids to Disney- especially focused on kids with all kids of disabilities. http://meltdownfreedisney.com/
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!!
If you're there on a night it's happening, go to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in the Magic Kingdom. Limited crowds (especially if you're willing to keep the kids up late--park's open until midnight); unique fireworks, parades and characters; trick or treating from cast members with actual name-brand candy; and the chance to both dress up and gawk at others who dress up. You'll need advance tickets. It costs extra, but here's a hint--if you have a ticket to the party, they'll let you into the park as early as 4 p.m. So think of it as a half-day park ticket and go to town.
ReplyDeleteWhispering Canyon is great for families (ask for ketchup). Also, Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club Resort has a dessert called the Kitchen Sink, basically filling a kitchen sink with ice cream. Fun stuff. Character dining will need advance planning; Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom or Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary are good.
Star Tours is a 3-D motion simulator ride that's just been retooled and is supposedly awesome (I don't do motion sim). Soarin' at Epcot is a great change of pace from the usual thrill rides.
Two more websites to swear by: allears.net and passporter.com (the Passporter message boards are especially good).
We've never had a bad experience on one of Disney's special tours, found here: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tours-and-experiences/
I could go on. (My wife and I just got back from a trip on Sunday.)
Another good fireworks-watching spot: The beach at the Polynesian Resort, with the bonus of the Electrical Water Pageant.
ReplyDeleteMousesavers.com and multi-day tickets from Undercover Tourist. Saved us a bunch of money.
ReplyDeleteYes! Last visit walked right onto Small World as everyone else lined up and waited to the right. Queue left is a rule in life, too. Recently cut out a 30 minute airport security wait because literally no one was queueing left. Not quite as useful as it used to be, since a lot of Fast Pass lanes took over the lefthand side of various lines, but still so important.
ReplyDeleteMy friend made a rule for herself that if my four year old wasn't tall enough for a ride, she didn't go on it either. That allowed us all to go on Star Tours. Big mistake.
ReplyDeleteLike others, I could go on at exhaustive length. The site I always find extremely useful is disboards.com. A message board with very useful threads, very current info and trip reports, and a large base of people ready with information, from specifics to general experiences. I use it every trip we plan.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to have something personalized for the kids to wear. The cast members will greet them by name, etc. We went the first night we arrived to the Design-a-Tee in Downtown Disney and got a great personalized character t-shirt for my son's birthday.
It's not unusual advice, but it really does pay to be there early, ideally at opening, and then take an afternoon break if needed. A lot of people don't bother, and the crowds really are lighter.
Fast Pass - if your Fast Pass window is 2+ hours away, you can get a second. And you don't have to use it within the Return Time window, you can go any time after your return time starts until close (which is also why the Fast Pass lines themselves tend to be slightly longer waits in the later part of the day).
Where are you staying?
We went in May with an almost 4 year old--you have older kids so I think you will have an easier time. My tips...
ReplyDelete1. If you have a smartphone, get the Lines app. You need to sign up for an account on Touringplans.com but it is really worth it. It gives you real-time estimates for lines as well as what time the FPs are being issued for, show/parade schedules, park crowd predictions, etc. I found it to be really accurate, and the show schedule was so helpful.
2. FP--any time we encountered a ride that was less than a 30 min. wait and also had FP, we would pick up FPs and still stand in line. This is how we managed to ride Toy Story Midway Mania 5 times in the week we were there.
3. Honestly, I thought the quick/counter service food in the parks SUCKED. And I am not that picky about fast food. Even my mom, who loves her BK and McD's, called the food "worse than airplane." We did some restaurants but mostly ate at/around our hotel.
4. If you are staying at the Epcot area resorts, the Beach Club has a movie night every week (i think multiple times a week, too) on their beach. They set up a campfire and the kids can roast marshmallows. It's really cute and a nice break from park-based entertainment.
5. Here are my favorite rides: Expedition Everest (if your kids don't want to go on it, and you do, go to the single rider line--so much faster), the Safari, and the Kali River Rapids at AK; Test Track, Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot; Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror, Rock N Rollercoaster, the Muppet 4-D movie at Hollywood Studios; and Space and Splash Mtn at MK.
6. The New Star Tours--it's at Hollywood Studios. I did not go on it (it opened after we were there), but my family was at Disneyland a few weeks ago (yes, crazy enough to go to both Disney parks in the same year) and my husband, sister, and bro-in-law went on it multiple times. They said it is pretty cool--you can get different scenarios each time, I think 54 is the number of combos available. It is a simulated ride.
7. If your younger child is into the Fantasyland rides, if it works for your family's schedule, go at night. The waits are much more manageable.
8. The character meals are fun, if your kids are into it. I would opt for breakfast--the food will usually be better and it's not as pricey. We had breakfast at Park Fare (at the Grand Floridian b/c the small child in my party is obsessed with Mary Poppins) and breakfast at Norway in Epcot (that is a princess breakfast though, so beware.)
9. Dole Whips -- it is sold only at the Magic Kingdom and the Polynesian. Calling it "pineapple ice cream" is too simple. It's just awesome.
Me again. I might as well make this a nice round 10.
ReplyDelete10. Bring your own snacks and water. The water from the fountains tastes...interesting. I've been told it's a FL thing. We brought a insulated thermos thing (granted, we were also there in May and it was scorching, you are going next month so maybe it's not such a big deal). As for snacks, Disney has fresh fruit kiosks in a lot of the parks but generally speaking, if you are looking for some semblance of a healthy snack, it can be hard to come by. We packed granola bars, goldfish, etc.
Oh, finally, one last tip....don't go too crazy with dining reservations. I think Disney likes to put the fear in you and they make a big deal out of "ohohoh, make your reservations NOW so you don't starve during your vacation!" Truth is, a lot of the sit downs take walk-ins. And you don't know what you might be doing/feel like doing on any given day. The last thing you want is to leave something really fun just to make your dinner reservation.
RideMax software has tons of tips & will print out a schedule for you to help you maximize rides and minimize waiting time. If you're the type of family that doesn't mind having a schedule so you can ride approximately 3x more rides than you would otherwise. We have used it every time we've gone to DisneyLand and never regretted it. My youngest & I once went on Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean rides 3x each while we were waiting for fireworks and the older kids and their dad went on the coaster rides that were too big for him. Factor in that we were there over Christmas vacation and you get an idea of how amazing that was. RideMax really does maximize your FastPasses, they have the timing worked out to a science.
ReplyDeletehttp://ridemax.com/
(I'm not on their payroll, it's just a nifty tool we found really, really useful.)
Thanks for all of the advice so far - keep it coming! Does anyone know if any of the live-update apps are available for Blackberry? (Another option would be if there's Wi-Fi available in the parks- then I could use my iPod Touch.)
ReplyDeleteWDW is sadly very lacking in wireless. Even at the resorts it's hard to come by and there's always a fee. You won't get it in the parks.
ReplyDeleteAdditional Jedi training academy tip ... I can't recall if you want to be in the front of the line or the back (of your time slot's recruits) but half the group "fights" Darth Vader (those on the elevated stage) and half fights Darth Maul (those on the ground). My husband had very strong feelings about getting Vader, and keeping our lives Ep 1-free.
i was there the beginning of august with my friends. the smartphone wait times app is a must - we were very strategic about the rides. we went to an area, got a fastpass for the big ride and then hit the smaller rides in the area while we waited. and we were able a couple times to spot a really short line somewhere and just went and did that ride - except for epcot, the "opposite side of the park" really isn't that far away. we also quite a few times had a couple of us waiting on line for lunch while someone in the group ran with all of our tickets to get a new fastpass, which meant that we were able to hit another ride right after lunch.
ReplyDeleteif you're going to have at least two evenings at the magic kingdom, spend one of the nights during the fireworks hitting the big rides. we did big thunder mountain and splash mountain one night during the fireworks, and not only were the fireworks really cool from the top of splash mountain, but there were no lines - we got to the end of splash mountain and there was literally no one waiting to go on - they told us to pull the lap bar back down and go around a second time.
i thought soarin' at epcot was kind of a waste, but the others in my group liked it. if you can't get a fastpass, not worth a long wait certainly. i agree with the previous commenter that animal kingdom only needs about half a day. you will get SOAKED on the rapids ride there, so plan accordingly - we hit that last and then went home to shower, change and recharge before heading back to MK.
hollywood studios was awesome - the stunt car demonstration was one of the highlights for us, very fun. and the rock 'n' roller coaster was, i think, the best ride in any of the parks.
save money on food by bringing your own snacks and drinks, but if you can splurge one night on dinner at one of the countries in epcot, definitely do it. we ate at the sit-down restaurant in japan (not the hibachi place) and it was really excellent.
Our experiences on two recent trips with our kids (8 and 11) echo most of what folks have said above. The general park-going advice bears repeating: get to parks early, use the touring plans, use Fastpass, take an afternoon break, come back at night. Our favorite attractions included Soarin', Turtle Time with Crush, and the Kim Possible "adventure" at Epcot; the safari and the bird show at Animal Kingdom; the Buzz Lightyear ride and the Monsters Inc. show at Magic Kingdom. (We're not a big thrill ride family.) Had a great time at the Whispering Canyon cafe, and yes, be sure to ask for ketchup.
ReplyDeleteOne other suggestion: if you plan to spend a good chunk of your time at Magic Kingdom, consider staying at one of the resorts that's directly connected to it (Contemporary, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge). Being able to get right to the gate via water taxi, rather than dealing with the long and complicated park-and-shuttle process that everyone else has to do, was absolutely worth the extra cost -- as was the ability to return to the room quickly for an afternoon break.
Not sure how tall the kids are, but if they're too short for some rides, this could help:
ReplyDeleteWill you be visiting Walt Disney World with a child who is too short to ride some of the attractions you'd like to experience? You can still ride as long as you have two adults present, by taking advantage of the Child Swap, which is available on most height-restricted rides. When you enter the queue area, tell the Cast Member you'd like to do Child Swap. This allows the first adult to ride while the second adult stays with the child. Then the second adult can ride -- without waiting in line again -- while the first adult stays with the child. If you are using FASTPASS, the system works the same way, except that you get in the FASTPASS line.
If you're willing to travel, one of the best relatively low-cost meals I had at WDW was the buffet at Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It's also an impressive building to see.
ReplyDeleteA treat at Animal Kingdom park is the Royal Anandpur Tea Company, with a whole host of teas and coffees -- an unexpected option at a Disney park.
Every trip we play miniature golf as a nice break from the parks. The best option is likely Fantasia Gardens near Dolphin and Swan. If you think your kids are up for a real challenge, try the Fantasia Fairways course, which mimics a real golf course and is difficult; the other course is more traditional. Both include elements of the film Fantasia.
We also attempt to drink around the world, though that's not a family-friendly pursuit. On that journey, we never miss the Hat Lady in UK -- she's family-friendly and a hoot, though we're usually pretty tipsy by the time we get to her.
Lodging is already set - we're going to be staying at Shades of Green.
ReplyDeleteIf it would be worth it to you (i.e. if it's not a total pain or a huge additional expense), a stop at Universal Islands of Adventure is very much worth it if your kids are Harry Potter fans. We were there this summer and loved it -- only three rides (though two of them were terrific, said the kiddo), but the theming is fabulous -- go into the Owlery, Honeydukes, Ollivanders (first thing in the morning or late in the day to avoid a long wait), drink a truly delicious butterbeer, talk to the conductor of the Hogwarts Express, listen to the chorus sing "Double Double Toil and Trouble", watch Durmstrang kids do their routine, etc. Way cool.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of Islands of Adventure is fun too, with many rides (superhero themed in one area - the Hulk coaster was the most thrilling and scariest) and good theming throughout.
If it is a giant pain to go there (i.e. you're all set with your Disney tickets), keep it in mind for a future year, as the rumor is that they're expanding it.
I'm pretty sure the Lines App (touringplans.com) works for Blackberry. If I remember correctly, there is no Wi-Fi available anywhere in the parks. And you have to pay through the nose for it in the hotels.
ReplyDeleteI second (or third) using the Lines App, but I also recommend following their crowd calendar recommendations, too. Luckily, it won't be too crowded when you are there, but we've always enjoyed getting there early, hitting the big attractions, getting fast passes for later and then taking a nap before returning for the evening.
Favorite restaurants have been California Grill, Boma and Kona Cafe. My next visit will include a breakfast at Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom before park opening so we can get right over to the Safari ride. Also, they have a dessert party in Tomorrowland during the Wishes Fireworks show and that is supposed to be a lot of fun.
Wait, they are expanding WWoHP? OMG, that would be awesome. I would love to see them recreate The Burrow or Hagrid's hut.
ReplyDeleteExactly. It's a rumor, but I saw it several places, and one of the park workers had heard it as well. Purportedly they could expand into the Lost Continent area (Poseidon's Fury show, Sinbad's Bazaar, Mystic Fountain).
ReplyDeleteI found the Orlando Informer site invaluable for our recent trip to Universal, and it looks just as good for Disney.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.orlandoinformer.com/category/walt-disney-world/#axzz1YbnOWgug
We've got one non-Disney day, and we're trying to decide bewtween WWoHP and Legoland Orlando, which will be opening while we're there.
ReplyDeleteHere's my review of the Potter stuff from October 2010.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing regarding Fsst Passes that I don't think was mentioned. You are not required to use them during the time frame listed. As long as you return to the ride after the fast pass is active, you can use it anytime before the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteRead this Joe Posnanski post about taking his daughters to Wizarding World - you won't be sorry.
ReplyDeletehttp://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2011/01/katie-prefect.html?spref=fb