The Water Cooler

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whoaaanelly said...

My favorite and most visited place is the Dolphin. EPCOT is my favorite park so it's nice to be able to literally walk to the EPCOT pavilion. Also nice to take the boats to MGM.

I've stayed at one time or another in most of the resorts. It usually just depends on my budget for that trip. For a while I had the idea that I should stay at each one at least once, then they kept building them so I gave up on that idea. Maybe someday I'll get in on the Vacation Club.

Never been on a Disney Cruise but I think that's our next move. Just need to find the time.

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whoaaanelly said...

This is solid advice. To be a little more specific:

OP needs to sit down and write out a plan for the order you are going to visit rides/shows. I'm not talking about the kind of plan where you are constantly looking at your watch, but you need to have a written order of the major things you'd like to do. You may think this is not a vacation, or relaxing, or an extra burden reserved only for the most ardent Disney fans. But when your kids are crying/arguing/screaming at 3pm in the hot Florida sun and the whole family is hungry but the lines are long and you've only managed one activity so far, you'll wish you had a plan.

Start with a plan just for which park you are going to visit and when. As the poster above says, certain parks are more fitting for certain days. If you have a park hopper you can actually visit more than one park per day.

One tip is to wait to go to Animal Kingdom in the afternoon. Everyone says you should go in the morning because that's when the animals are most active. That's true, but at some ages a kid is going to be equally happy seeing 1 lion as he would be if he saw a lion and an elephant. So most people go to animal kingdom as soon as the gates open and run to Kilimanjaro Safari. It's by far the longest wait of any attraction because the animals can cause delays and build up as the day progresses. You can sort of get around this by going in the afternoon when all the kids are tired and ready for a nap. You'll be amazed how many tired people you see pouring out of the park. You can then go do basically everything you would want to do in that park in a half day. The lines are way shorter. That's just an example of the kind of thinking you need to avoid crowds in disney world.

So after you have your plan for what parks to visit each day, you need a specific plan for each park. Find out what the rest of your family wants to do in that park: rides, shows, meals, etc. It's really important to know exactly what you are going to do when you enter the park. Do not be distracted by the shops or characters at the front of the park. You'll waste a lot of time that way. Just pick out where you are going first, and have a rough idea for 3-4 places of where you want to go after that.

It's also good to get a fast pass for one attraction and then stand in line for another attraction nearby. Read up on fast passes and how they work because it's really important you don't get a fast pass for say 6-7pm, when it's currently 11am. That means you won't be able to get any other fast pass the rest of the day.

Sit in front of a park map as you make the plan. Anticipate when you'll get tired. So don't just go from major attraction to major attraction in Magic Kingdom. You'll just be standing in lines all day. Build in an activity that allows you to rest. A long ride like Pirates, a 3D show, watching a parade, eating. All of these allow you to do things after a period of activity.

Also, if you have small children it's a good idea to go early in the morning (they'll be up anyway) make them tired. Then head back to the hotel for a forced nap. They'll be upset they're leaving the park, but that's better than them being cranky and whining all day long. After your nap, come back in the afternoon/night for more fun. You can divide your plan for the park in this way as well. Have a rough order for morning activities and afternoon/evening activities. You'll probably save on money by eating lunch back at the hotel.

I could type about this all day. I don't really know your situation but if you want to ask more questions or tell me more about your situation I'd be happy to give more advice. Most people don't do any planning, underestimate how large and crowded it will be, and have a miserable time. Seriously.

I just had some little cousins go last year between Christmas and new years. Their parents did not consult me at all (I've been more times than I can count and could be an official planner). So when they came back I asked if they had a good time. The kids said not really it was too crowded and mom and dad didn't know what to do. It broke my heart.