dmccarty
Super Star Member
Good advice so far. I am sure I will repeat some.
I was born in Orlando before the Mouse House was built. I went to WDW within the first year it opened and went back at least once or twice a year until my late teens. I went back here and there, including our honey moon, but once the kids were about 4-5 years old we really started going. We bought into DVC which is a Disney run time share. I am very skeptical of time shares, but DVC can really save money IF one goes to WDW frequently.
Because of DVC we have been able to go to WDW seven times in 5 years.
The first and most important advice I can give you is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to see everything at WDW in a few days. I think it would take a 30 day visit to see everything. Since you cannot see everything in one trip, SLOW DOWN. Especially with kids. As much as possible let the kids decide what to do. Watching them experience WDW for the first time IS MAGIC.
SLOW DOWN. DO NOT TRY TO SEE EVERYTHING.
A WDW trip is a major vacation. Because of the expense, the crowds, the overload of senses, and being confined with family members, it can be stressful. Being in a crowd can really stress one out. Especially when they step in front of you, hit you, cut in line, etc. The stress can build up over time but it is worse if you try to do it all or "get your money's worth."
SLOW DOWN.
Because of DVC we stay onsite. This is a major advantage since this allows you take advantage of EMH( Extra Magic Hours). EMH is when WDW opens a park 1-2 hours early or stays open late. To avoid the crowds we get up early. Many/Most people do NOT want to do this on vacation but if you do, this at WDW you can save quite a bit of time, lower stress, get on more rides quickly, and HAVE FUN.
I created a spreadsheet with the opening and closing times of the parks as well as EMH. We go to which ever park has morning EMH. There are also calendars on the Internet that show the crowd levels for a given day. We try to balance the crowd levels with morning EMH.
Spring Break, Christmas, and Thanksgiving are the busiest times at WDW. Crowd level of 10 out of 1-10 with 10 being PACKED. We have been at WDW when Magic Kingdom did not allow any one else into the park because it was at capacity. However, since we had gotten to the park at 0700 by 1100 we had already ridden the big ticket rides, sometimes several times, with little to no wait. At 1100 we were hungry and either would eat at the park or go back to the resort for food. At 1000, the sleep in late people are just arriving at the parks so eating at 1100 is not crowded since the mob is trying to get on rides. Back at the resort there are no lines for food because they are trying to get to the parks.
Using morning EMH really allows you to miss the crowds. Seeing WDW with no crowds is something special. Evening EMH can be hit or miss and depends on the age of kids and your schedule. Our kids are early risers so getting to the parks at 0800 is not that big of a deal.
Many parents push their kids to much at WDW. Spending all day at the parks is tiring. Everyone, especially the kids, are excited and you are really walking some mileage. I walk 10-12 miles a day at WDW and we usually only spend a half day in the parks.
When the kids get tired, we had back to the resort midday. When they were younger they would take a nap. Now we need the nap and they do not. If the kids get tired let them sleep. They need it. Some people use strollers, we just went back to the resort for rest and pool time. SLOW DOWN. Go at a pace the kids can handle. If you don't you will have problems.
We do not use the Disney Dining Plan(DDP) I think it is a waste of money but often it is included in the resort packages. DDP has really decreased the food choices and quality at WDW. We go to WDW to eat. There are some really good places to eat at WDW, however, last trip we noticed that food prices have gotten higher, menus are not changing, and the quality has declined. Our favorite place to eat is at the California Grill(CG) which is no the top of the Contemporary Resort. This is the resort the monorail goes through. Some of the best meals we have eaten have been at the CG but DDP has really decreased the value of food at WDW. Last trip we bought frozen food from the store resort and ate that over going out to eat. This saved us time and money but the frozen food was better. At lunch in one of the parks we had what I now as frozen pizza and sandwiches.
You do need Advanced Dinner Reservation(ADR) at WDW to eat in a good restaurant. I think now the earliest you can make an ADR is six months prior to your visit which is what we do. If you want to eat at a good WDW restaurant you need to book as early as you can. Walking up to a restaurant trying to get a seat is going to make you wait, unless you are very early, and may not be possible at all depending on the restaurant.
If you want to spoil the wife and kids make an ADR at California Grill(CG). CG is on top the Contemporary Resort and overlooks Magic Kingdom. The views are awesome. The sunsets can be wonderful. Magic Kingdom has fireworks, I think every night. Seeing the fireworks from the top of the Contemporary is awesome. There are observation decks up there that only guests at the CG can use. If you have dinner at the CG you can see the fireworks. If you eat early, before the fireworks, you can go downstairs to shop, play games in the arcade and then go back up to the CG to see the fireworks.
One of the things are kids love to do is to go to one of the child care centers at the resort. They like to go to CG but they also loved to go to the child care places. If the vacation will be long enough, the child care is a good idea so you and the wifey can go off to have a kid free dinner.
If you can go to WDW in Oct and Nov there is the Food and Wine festival at EPCOT. There are little booths set up and you walk around the "world" eating and drinking. DDP has not mess this up yet. The weather is usually pretty good then as well. Not too cold and not too hot. It is our favorite time to go.
For the length of our stays Park Hoppers passes make sense especially since we would go to a park in the morning, go back to the resort midday, and maybe go to EPCOT to eat. You can go to a park in the morning, go back to the resort and then return to the same park that evening without Park Hoppers. You only need Park Hoppers if you go to say, Magic Kingdom in the morning and then go to EPCOT at night.
Summer is just hot and we have not gone at that time of the year with the kids. Our next trip is most likely going to be in the Summer because of school. Spring break is nice weather wise but the crowds on the highways and in the parks are unreal. But by using morning EMH we have avoided the crowds in the parks so you can go at busy times and have a good time if you plan.
Now a days Disney is constantly having discounts on packages. Check the WDW website, which stinks by the way, for specials. The best source of WDW information is the DIS board, Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies - The DIS Discussion Forums - DISboards.com. That website is HUGE but you can find lots of information on WDW. Maybe more than you ever wanted to know.
Where to stay? Monorail resorts have been mentioned but they are expensive. There is a CAMPGROUND at WDW. It is VERY nice. You can camp in a tent, use a trailer, an RV or rent a cabin. The cabins are a pretty good value for large families. The campground is near Magic Kingdom and boats and buses run to MK and buses to the other parks. Most resorts uses uses or boats to get to the parks. The buses can be crowded so people will drive their cars if they have them. Driving to MK does not make much sense since you have to ride the Monorail or a boat to get to MK.
Another reason to use morning EMH is to avoid the crowds on the buses.
There are Moderate and Value level resorts. The difference is the decor and room sizes. The Deluxe and I think Moderate resorts have room fridges but I do not think the Value resorts do. After our last visit we were so ticked off at the expensive but bad food we said next trip we were taking more food to eat in the room. We already eat breakfast in the room to save money, but more importantly TIME, so we can get to morning EMH. Next trip we will get more dinner/lunch food.
There are companies that will deliver GROCERIES to your room if you do not want/cannot drive to a store.
Oh. Fast Passes. Universal charges for Fast Passes or whatever they call them. At WDW Fast Passes(FP) are tickets you get for a ride. Not all rides have FPs but the most popular ones do. You need a FP for each person who wants to ride. You put you park pass into a machine and get a FP. The FP will have a time when you return to the attraction to ride. This time is usually hours later in the day. The attraction will have the regular standby line as well as a FP line. The FP line is MUCH shorter. With a FP, instead of waiting 45-60 minutes or longer, you can get on a ride either NOW or in 10-15 minutes tops. ANYONE can get a FP at WDW. You
FP's do run out. The earlier you get them the better. This is another reason to use morning EMH.
What we do in the morning is get to the park before Rope Drop. Once the park opens, aka Rope Drop we get past the turnstiles for which you need your park passes. I collect the park passes from the family and become the "runner". They will meet me at a ride while I go to another ride to get FPs. This can really help get on the most popular rides without wait. This works very well say at EPOCT. There is an attraction called Soar'n which is a must see unless you have a fear of heights or flying but this ride always has long lines. The family walks to Test Track while I get FP's for Soar'n. The crowd at rope drop head to Soar'n and frankly it is dangerous. Employees walk in front of the crowd to keep them from running which is why I go while the family meets me later. The herd goes up a ramp, into a building then down stairs to get on Soar'n. You either get on the ride ASAP which is a good strategy and/or get FPs.
USE Fast Passes.
TAKE IT SLOW.
Do NOT try to see it all.
Use morning EMH.
Only do as much as the kids can handle.
Take food for breakfast and maybe dinner.
Book a package at WDW if you can to save money.
Later,
Dan
I was born in Orlando before the Mouse House was built. I went to WDW within the first year it opened and went back at least once or twice a year until my late teens. I went back here and there, including our honey moon, but once the kids were about 4-5 years old we really started going. We bought into DVC which is a Disney run time share. I am very skeptical of time shares, but DVC can really save money IF one goes to WDW frequently.
Because of DVC we have been able to go to WDW seven times in 5 years.
The first and most important advice I can give you is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to see everything at WDW in a few days. I think it would take a 30 day visit to see everything. Since you cannot see everything in one trip, SLOW DOWN. Especially with kids. As much as possible let the kids decide what to do. Watching them experience WDW for the first time IS MAGIC.
SLOW DOWN. DO NOT TRY TO SEE EVERYTHING.
A WDW trip is a major vacation. Because of the expense, the crowds, the overload of senses, and being confined with family members, it can be stressful. Being in a crowd can really stress one out. Especially when they step in front of you, hit you, cut in line, etc. The stress can build up over time but it is worse if you try to do it all or "get your money's worth."
SLOW DOWN.
Because of DVC we stay onsite. This is a major advantage since this allows you take advantage of EMH( Extra Magic Hours). EMH is when WDW opens a park 1-2 hours early or stays open late. To avoid the crowds we get up early. Many/Most people do NOT want to do this on vacation but if you do, this at WDW you can save quite a bit of time, lower stress, get on more rides quickly, and HAVE FUN.
I created a spreadsheet with the opening and closing times of the parks as well as EMH. We go to which ever park has morning EMH. There are also calendars on the Internet that show the crowd levels for a given day. We try to balance the crowd levels with morning EMH.
Spring Break, Christmas, and Thanksgiving are the busiest times at WDW. Crowd level of 10 out of 1-10 with 10 being PACKED. We have been at WDW when Magic Kingdom did not allow any one else into the park because it was at capacity. However, since we had gotten to the park at 0700 by 1100 we had already ridden the big ticket rides, sometimes several times, with little to no wait. At 1100 we were hungry and either would eat at the park or go back to the resort for food. At 1000, the sleep in late people are just arriving at the parks so eating at 1100 is not crowded since the mob is trying to get on rides. Back at the resort there are no lines for food because they are trying to get to the parks.
Using morning EMH really allows you to miss the crowds. Seeing WDW with no crowds is something special. Evening EMH can be hit or miss and depends on the age of kids and your schedule. Our kids are early risers so getting to the parks at 0800 is not that big of a deal.
Many parents push their kids to much at WDW. Spending all day at the parks is tiring. Everyone, especially the kids, are excited and you are really walking some mileage. I walk 10-12 miles a day at WDW and we usually only spend a half day in the parks.
When the kids get tired, we had back to the resort midday. When they were younger they would take a nap. Now we need the nap and they do not.
If the kids get tired let them sleep. They need it. Some people use strollers, we just went back to the resort for rest and pool time. SLOW DOWN. Go at a pace the kids can handle. If you don't you will have problems. We do not use the Disney Dining Plan(DDP) I think it is a waste of money but often it is included in the resort packages. DDP has really decreased the food choices and quality at WDW. We go to WDW to eat. There are some really good places to eat at WDW, however, last trip we noticed that food prices have gotten higher, menus are not changing, and the quality has declined. Our favorite place to eat is at the California Grill(CG) which is no the top of the Contemporary Resort. This is the resort the monorail goes through. Some of the best meals we have eaten have been at the CG but DDP has really decreased the value of food at WDW. Last trip we bought frozen food from the store resort and ate that over going out to eat. This saved us time and money but the frozen food was better. At lunch in one of the parks we had what I now as frozen pizza and sandwiches.
You do need Advanced Dinner Reservation(ADR) at WDW to eat in a good restaurant. I think now the earliest you can make an ADR is six months prior to your visit which is what we do. If you want to eat at a good WDW restaurant you need to book as early as you can. Walking up to a restaurant trying to get a seat is going to make you wait, unless you are very early, and may not be possible at all depending on the restaurant.
If you want to spoil the wife and kids make an ADR at California Grill(CG). CG is on top the Contemporary Resort and overlooks Magic Kingdom. The views are awesome. The sunsets can be wonderful. Magic Kingdom has fireworks, I think every night. Seeing the fireworks from the top of the Contemporary is awesome. There are observation decks up there that only guests at the CG can use. If you have dinner at the CG you can see the fireworks. If you eat early, before the fireworks, you can go downstairs to shop, play games in the arcade and then go back up to the CG to see the fireworks.
One of the things are kids love to do is to go to one of the child care centers at the resort. They like to go to CG but they also loved to go to the child care places. If the vacation will be long enough, the child care is a good idea so you and the wifey can go off to have a kid free dinner.
If you can go to WDW in Oct and Nov there is the Food and Wine festival at EPCOT. There are little booths set up and you walk around the "world" eating and drinking. DDP has not mess this up yet. The weather is usually pretty good then as well. Not too cold and not too hot. It is our favorite time to go.
For the length of our stays Park Hoppers passes make sense especially since we would go to a park in the morning, go back to the resort midday, and maybe go to EPCOT to eat. You can go to a park in the morning, go back to the resort and then return to the same park that evening without Park Hoppers. You only need Park Hoppers if you go to say, Magic Kingdom in the morning and then go to EPCOT at night.
Summer is just hot and we have not gone at that time of the year with the kids. Our next trip is most likely going to be in the Summer because of school. Spring break is nice weather wise but the crowds on the highways and in the parks are unreal. But by using morning EMH we have avoided the crowds in the parks so you can go at busy times and have a good time if you plan.
Now a days Disney is constantly having discounts on packages. Check the WDW website, which stinks by the way, for specials. The best source of WDW information is the DIS board, Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies - The DIS Discussion Forums - DISboards.com. That website is HUGE but you can find lots of information on WDW. Maybe more than you ever wanted to know.
Where to stay? Monorail resorts have been mentioned but they are expensive. There is a CAMPGROUND at WDW. It is VERY nice. You can camp in a tent, use a trailer, an RV or rent a cabin. The cabins are a pretty good value for large families. The campground is near Magic Kingdom and boats and buses run to MK and buses to the other parks. Most resorts uses uses or boats to get to the parks. The buses can be crowded so people will drive their cars if they have them. Driving to MK does not make much sense since you have to ride the Monorail or a boat to get to MK.
Another reason to use morning EMH is to avoid the crowds on the buses.
There are Moderate and Value level resorts. The difference is the decor and room sizes. The Deluxe and I think Moderate resorts have room fridges but I do not think the Value resorts do. After our last visit we were so ticked off at the expensive but bad food we said next trip we were taking more food to eat in the room. We already eat breakfast in the room to save money, but more importantly TIME, so we can get to morning EMH. Next trip we will get more dinner/lunch food.
There are companies that will deliver GROCERIES to your room if you do not want/cannot drive to a store.
Oh. Fast Passes. Universal charges for Fast Passes or whatever they call them. At WDW Fast Passes(FP) are tickets you get for a ride. Not all rides have FPs but the most popular ones do. You need a FP for each person who wants to ride. You put you park pass into a machine and get a FP. The FP will have a time when you return to the attraction to ride. This time is usually hours later in the day. The attraction will have the regular standby line as well as a FP line. The FP line is MUCH shorter. With a FP, instead of waiting 45-60 minutes or longer, you can get on a ride either NOW or in 10-15 minutes tops. ANYONE can get a FP at WDW. You
FP's do run out. The earlier you get them the better. This is another reason to use morning EMH.
What we do in the morning is get to the park before Rope Drop. Once the park opens, aka Rope Drop we get past the turnstiles for which you need your park passes. I collect the park passes from the family and become the "runner". They will meet me at a ride while I go to another ride to get FPs. This can really help get on the most popular rides without wait. This works very well say at EPOCT. There is an attraction called Soar'n which is a must see unless you have a fear of heights or flying but this ride always has long lines. The family walks to Test Track while I get FP's for Soar'n. The crowd at rope drop head to Soar'n and frankly it is dangerous. Employees walk in front of the crowd to keep them from running which is why I go while the family meets me later. The herd goes up a ramp, into a building then down stairs to get on Soar'n. You either get on the ride ASAP which is a good strategy and/or get FPs.
USE Fast Passes.
TAKE IT SLOW.
Do NOT try to see it all.
Use morning EMH.
Only do as much as the kids can handle.
Take food for breakfast and maybe dinner.
Book a package at WDW if you can to save money.
Later,
Dan
