I Would Love Any Input/advice About Traveling to Disney World. Thank You!!

Buy your tickets for the parks in Florida. I have a friend that I work with that went there in March and she said that the tickets are MUCH cheaper in Florida than on line or here.

Hi S.,
We have been to DisneyWorld many times. Here are my answers to your questions. Just my opinions, of course. :)

1. Where is the best place to buy tickets? Can you find good deals anywhere?

I have always purchased my tickets direct from Disney as I am leary of being ripped off.

Also any input on what "type" of passes we should buy. This is probably my biggest question, at this time. I have been looking on mousesavers.com, but the site is so overwhelming.

You have the option of Park Hoppers (go to different parks on the same day) or just the regular ticket (one park per day).
You can leave the parks and go back in as many times as you want. The regular ticket just means you have to go back to the same park on that same day.
You can save some money here if you purchase the regular tickets, BUT that means you must plan each day at ONE park.
You can also look on-line and see what days are the EXTRA MORNING Magic Hour days and stay away from those parks on those days as they will be a bit more crowded.
With little ones, I recommend doing the parks early, taking a break in the afternoon (going back to the room for naps and rest time) and then heading back out in the early evening to catch the evening activities.
Also, you have the option of adding on the water parks, if desired. But, with a 4 day stay, you may not really have time for the water parks.

2. What parks were the best with kids 5 and under?

Magic Kingdom will be the park that is best for the 5 and under. That is the park with the typical rides that we think of for that age. BUT, there is also Hollywood Park and that has Playhouse Disney stuff to the right of the Sorcerer's Hat.
I love Epcot, but it is more to walk around and check it out rather than rides (some cool adult rides, though- you must do Soarin' if you get a chance!!).
And Animal Kingdom is nice, but it is, of course, very animal oriented- very zoo feeling.

Anything else you suggest, other than Disney World parks?

There is so much to do, we never leave DisneyWorld.

3. Did anyone make reservations to eat at restaurants? If so, where and how did you go about it?

IF you plan on doing any of the character meals or sit down meals, then you MUST get reservations.
"Due to the increased popularity of Disney's Dining Plan, it is frequently impossible to just "walk up" and eat at a full-service restaurant, even in low season! If you are planning to try some of Disney's excellent table-service restaurants and/or dinner shows while you are vacationing at Walt Disney World, it is important to make Advance Dining Reservations (formerly called Priority Seatings) by calling (407) WDW-DINE ###-###-####)."

Try this link for more info:
http://www.mousesavers.com/advancedres.html

4. Any good books to buy, so that I can do my "research"?

I love this book:
Walt Disney World with Kids 2009 by Kim Wright Wiley.

5. Any other travel tips or suggestions you can offer? We are really excited and would like to make this as stress-free and enjoyable as possible.

Be ready for crowds. If you go knowing that it is going to be crowded and that you will have stand in lines for almost everything, it helps alleviate some stress.
Also, while it would be fun to try to do as much as possible, try prioritizing your list of "must do" things and go from there. The book can help you know which rides are good for kids, etc...
Also, take advantage of the FastPass system. You can read in the book about that- but just make sure you get your FastPasses first thing in the mornings.
Finally, I recommend (it's worth the extra expense) renting the strollers at the front gates of the parks. They are light, easy to push, and a MUST with kids.

Enjoy. Take lots of pictures. Stay hydrated. Wear comfy shoes. And, it's okay if you are not at the park all day, every day. It's fun being at the condo, as well.

Just my two cents. :)

HI S.,

Hope you all have a wonderful trip and make lots of memories. The littlest ones won't remember but the five year olds will. We are seasoned Disney goers--live out of state and have season passes!

1) the best tickets will be park hopper tickets which will allow you to visit more than one park on one day. It gets cheaper withe the number of days that you visit, so I would suggest just making this a Disney trip this time. You can buy tickets on line from Disney or at one of the booths at the park. Some reputable hotels also sell the Disney ticket packages. Learn about FAST PASSES--they will let you select a ride and get a pass to come back later in the day with no (or little) wait.

2) the best parks to visit are the Magic Kingdom and Disney studios (used to be MGM) The other parks also have children designated activities. There used to be a specific brochure for families with small children. You might ask if it is still available. If your kinds are into Tinkerbell, there is a new Tinkerbell area at the Magic Kingdom. If you go to Animal Kingdom, go early in the day because that park closes early

3. I would definitely book a character dining experience for your family so that you can meet some of the characters and take pictures in an unhurried experience. The characters come around to each table. Most of the Disney restaurants require reservations and all have kids menus. They have added more healthier options in the last few years. We used to bring some snacks, frozen drink boxes and frozen water bottles with us to have something on hand for the kids when they were hungry to hold us til lunch. You can make reservations now by calling the 407-WDW-DINE. you can also check at the information desk inside the park, but "day of" reservations are probably hard to get especially in the summer.

4. Birnbaum's Walt Disney World is updated yearly and it has some great tips. It is called "The Official Guide" for WDW and has some coupons in it. (not for park tickets, but for behind the scenes" tours, putt-putt, and a few restaurants.

5. Take lots of sun screen (you will need it and it is expensive there) And bring lots of film or video cards to take lots of pictures. (and if you are bringing a laptop, bring the connector cord to your camera, so you can see your pictures at night)) If you are going to "walk up restaurants" in the park--eat very early or very late to avoid the lines. Don't stop in the gift shops on Main Street as you enter. You could spend hours looking around and your kids will want to buy everything.

Have a wonderful trip. My kids are grown up now and we all still enjoy a trip to the WDW. And the kids have wonderful memories of when they went when they were little and the funny things that happened. It is a great way for us all to reconnect.
SB

Hello S.,

We are going to Disney World for the second time in August. We are so excited as it will be my 4 year old and 2 year olds first time to go.

I booked everything on Disney's Website. Try looking on the Disney Website. They have have Moms Panel where you can go and read questions or write a question to be answered. They give great advice.

http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/home.aspx

Last time we had breakfast with Mickey and it was great. I would highly recommend at least one character dining. The kids will love it. You need to book one quick as they fill up fast.

I read somewhere that Tuesday and Weds. are the best days to go to Magic Kingdom. I would plan on Magic Kingdom 2 days. They have great things at all the parks. We liked Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom the best with kids. Animal Kingdom was alot of fun too.

We just bought reg. tickets since we will be staying 7 days we will not be going to any other parks the same day. If you think you would like to hop around the parks I would add Park Hopper tickets.

Hope you have a great trip.

M.

Make sure to take snacks with you for the kids. You can take snacks and water with you.

Hi, to answer your question, " Anything else you suggest, other than Disney World parks?"

I highly recommend Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. They are 2 parks, side by side. Islands of Adventure has Seuss Landing which is totally fun for little kids. Universal Studios has a great area for young kids which includes a Curious George water play area and ball play area. My kids love it there. Our family loves Disney, but we have actually had more fun at Universal/Islands of Adventure.

Also, there is an amazing website that has an enormous amount of info for planning a trip to Disney, including great tips and ways to save money and time. It is called allears.net

Have a great trip!

WE LOVE Disney. It's our favorite vacation spot. We're planning a trip in November, it will be our 6th time.

I differ on the opinion of what pass to buy. My children are 9 & 5. One park a day is fine. In June it will be crowded so realize there will be lots of lines unless you're going the first week in June. Another must see parade is the light parade at night at the Magic Kingdom. We went early to the park one morning, came home and took a good nap and then went back to the park at night. It worked well for everyone and seeing the Magic Kingdom at night is AWESOME!!!

Our favorite park is the Animal Kingdom. It closes at 6 each night, so it's nice to do in the middle of your trip. Gets everyone in earlier. There is a large dino dig in the middle of Dino land that is so much fun. Also the Lion King is a MUST see! Do whatever it takes to see that performance. It's beautiful!

We have done the character breakfast at the Polynesian and it's wonderful. We've also done one with the princesses at Epcot which was fun, but more exotic food. You can get lots of autographs at toon town in the Magic Kingdom and they don't herd you through there like cattle. However the lines are LONG! :)

If you have boys the only place to get Power Ranger autographs and see Mater and Lightnin' McQueen is what used to be MGM Studios. It's a lot of fun. The Beauty & the Beast show is great.

I agree with the others to buy direct with Disney, whatever you decide to do.

Have a wonderful time and remember to bring lots of snacks for the kiddos if you can. The park food is great, but pretty expensive and long lines. Lots of times I would have goldfish with raisins and nuts for a quick snack that didn't go bad in the heat.

Blessings!
L.

S., contact Dorothy Bond at Dorothy Bond
Certified Disney Specialist
____@____.com
Hurry, though, she will be in the Bahamas this weekend!
Have a great time,
T.

Hi congrats on your vacation plans. I just got back yesterday from Florida. We went to universal and Magic Kingdom. My boys are 5 and 3 they really enjoyed both parks. Magic kingdom is more focused on the little ones. We bought combination tickets for 145.00 each. Magic Kingdom’s rides are more kid friendly without a lot of height restrictions. Most of the rides even the smaller ones can enjoy as well. I had 6 kids with me and the best advice I can give you is to freeze water bottles and take snacks. You are able to take in Ice chests (they have to be soft sided and a certain size you can get info on their web site) and I would take full advantage of that.. It is hotttt. As well as the squirt bottle fans.. They sell them there for 20.00 but you can get them at Walmart for 4 or 5 bucks. Also take full advantage of fast passes. I am not sure if you know what that is but when you go into the parks look at the map you will see FP next to several attractions. You will be able to scan your tickets, this will in turn print you a voucher that will tell you what time to come back to avoid the long lines. It will give you a time 5:15 to 6:15… that does not mean you have to get there in that time you can use the voucher any time after 5:15. THAT IS AWESOME.. ,, practically walk right on the ride. Also if you choose Magic Kingdom make sure you are at the front of the castle 30 min before the parade starts. That way you can see the show as well as the light parade. My boys loooooved it… Plus I would start to the gate 15 min before fireworks are over.. It is a stampede when they end and it took us 45 min to get on the tram. Sorry I am rambling but we had a blast and hope you do as well.

I can tell you that it is better to order your tickets far in advance, DO NOT do the will call window, and the park hopper is helpful. Let them mail them to you. Also, you can order a personalized park map online and that could be helpful. We did just Magic Kingdom and we didn't even see all of it in one day and we went in the off season. I have also heard for this age Animal Kingdom is a must. This year the water park will be open too. Swap babysitting so each couple gets a night out!

We've been to Disney about 6 times, the lastest in March 09. My daughter is 14 now but we started going when she was 2.

As for tickets....I deal directly with Disney. I'm sure you might find a "deal" somewhere but I don't want a "deal" and end up with tickets that are not valid.

We buy a ticket called a hopper (I think). I purchase when I make my hotel reservations. It is good from the time you get there until midnight the day you leave, any park, any time, as many times as you want.

Magic Kingdom parade at 3pm daily is a must see. If you want to do any character meals BOOK NOW. The contemporary has Chef Mickey which is a good buffet with foods most kids like, Polynesian has luau which is great and I think they have one with characters, Polynesian also has O'Hana which is a good breakfast. There are a lot more, those were our favorites.

Animal Kingdom is wonderful, one of our favorites. Every one should love the safari. This last time we did a semi private safari which veered off the trail and we got some fantastic info, sitings and a giraffe even put its head in our van!!

We enjoy Epcot as well.

I don't know about books. We just learned from expereince. We went when daughter was 2,4,6,8,10 and 14. Each time we stay at the Polynesian (our favorite) right on the monorail line.

I have no experience with the busing and shuttles. We just take a cab from the airport to hotel.

Have fun

My biggest suggestion, as I just took my 8 mth old and 6 yr old at xmas time, would be a sit and stand stroller.
Although my son was 6 and doesn't really need a stroller, by having him "stand", we could push him at our pace and he didn't tire from walking. We were also able to keep a closer eye on him and he didn't wander away while walking. I bought mine used off of craigslist specifically for our trip.