Wanted: Helpful Hints

[yensidtlaw1969]

Here's something I did on accident last time I was in WDW, and it worked out Great.
You know how on all the Travel Channel Specials it says to go to the Tower of Terror and Rock 'N' Roller Coaster first? Well, you should definately do that if you want to hit them, but not the way everyone does.
Everyone always (or mostly) gets Fast Passes for Tower, heads to Rock 'N' Roller Coaster, and then heads back to Tower for their Fast Pass. What I did, was get a Fast Pass for RNRC, and head to Tower on the standby line. Since everyone got Fast Passes for that, there will be almost no wait. Then, once you get off Tower, head to RNRC for your Fast Pass, which at that point, everyone will be on the standby line for that and you will walk rright by everyone since you have the Fast Pass.
It Really Works!
I hope this helps!
Have a Great time at Disney, and Welcome To The Boards!!!

 

[shari71]

Take breaks! Getting up at the crack of dawn and going until midnight will create cranky adults (and I guess children to ).

If you are on a budget, don't buy the suveniers until the last few days so you can see all they have to offer.

Bringing strollers for children under 3 is practical since you still have to get too and from the car/bus stop and around the resort.

Try to make it to the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT. We are not much on drinking but the Food part is fabulous. Also check out Eat to the Beat in the USA pavilion. :slurp: :slurp: :slurp: :slurp:

If you can, try to go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at MK. There is an extra ticket charge for this but it is so much fun. Even the adults get candy. The parade goes threw twice and there is also a fireworks show. You can choose to dress up or not to. The characters dress up so it is kind of cute. They have offered free family pictures the last two years - hoping to get that again. Most if not all the rides are open and they limit the number of tickets so wait times are not so bad. Try to do it on a Sun-Thur since most locals either have work or school and it is not quite as crowded.

Remember Toon Town always has characters. You may have to wait, but generally it is the best place for meets.

Buy something with the year on it to commemorate the trip. We also save a copy of all the maps and show times - free souvenirs

Most of all-remember to relax and let it be magical for you. It is a vacation so don't try to do everything, just what you find important.

 

[figmentmom]

I agree with what everyone else has already said, and I'll add this: as soon as someone in your party starts to lag, it's time for a break! Don't wait until everybody's had it. If the kids (or adults!) are "parked out," head for your hotel pool, have a snack, take a nap, whatever works for you.

Also, be prepared for those Florida downpours. Ponchos are great, but we also travel with a dry pair of socks - nothing's more miserable than wet feet.

Relax, take it at your own pace, and have a GREAT time!

P.S. Welcome to the boards, too! :wave:

 

[Yellow Shoes]

We got back 2 days ago.

I had checked weather.com and knew that the temperatures would be 88-90. What I didn't realize is that with the humidity the heat indices were 97-99. It was brutally hot. (and to think that I left a gorgeous fall week in Kansas--lows 50; highs 75)

I think that the water in Florida is just nasty. We brought a Brita filter bottle from home (around $7) and it truly saved the day. It got all the skunky smell and taste out of the water. We only bought drinks at meals (and then my 10 year old and I split a drink because we knew we had the water). In that heat you need to force yourself to take a drink several times an hour.

We bought the bottle straps for the Brita ($3.50 at any cart that sells Coke in bottles or some of the ice cream carts). My son was happy to carry the bottle this way (and I was happy not to have to carry it).

Perhaps because of the heat (I don't eat much when I'm hot), meal portions seemed huge. Look carefully at the menus. 2 children can easily share a 1/4 lb. cheeseburger and fries and a 32 oz drink.

Hats for everyone! Make sure you take them off for rollercoasters, however. There are lots of VERY cute hats for adults and kids in WDW if you'd rather.

I'm not a fan of backpacks because you tend to overload them, and that pack on your back makes you all sweaty. I have made my kids carry their own autograph books, granola bars, etc in their own packs. (this will depend upon the ages of your kids, but mine carried their own stuff at age 5)

Have a great time!!

 

[minnie76]

One comment on the parking tip. They will no longer allow you to park at a hotel for longer than a couple hours if you are not a resort guest. They issue parking passes at all hotels for about 2 or 3 hours to visit shops, restaurants, etc. I would recommend taking an afternoon break. Go to the hotel pool for a couple hours, take a nap or take in some longer indoor attractions or sit in a restaurant for a while if you don't want to leave the park.

 

[cherrynegra]

One comment on the parking tip. They will no longer allow you to park at a hotel for longer than a couple hours if you are not a resort guest. They issue parking passes at all hotels for about 2 or 3 hours to visit shops, restaurants, etc. I would recommend taking an afternoon break. Go to the hotel pool for a couple hours, take a nap or take in some longer indoor attractions or sit in a restaurant for a while if you don't want to leave the park.

Wow. It this new? I did my usual parking thing three weeks ago and didn't have any problems. However, I did have a parking permit since I was staying at the Boardwalk, and this probably gave me "permission" to park in the Contemporary parking lot.