Disney World? Suggestions/secrets/recommendations/strategies? HELP!!!

[Portland Ute]

My mom and dad are taking the entire clan to Disney World. This was our Christmas present.

We are headed there on Wednesday and we will leave Tuesday afternoon.

It's been years since we've been there and this will be the first time with kids.

Do any of you have any suggestions/secrets/recommendations/strategies that you would care to share?

We've got a park hopper that lets us come and go from any of the parks, including the two water parks as often as we like. Basically, I guess we have free run of the 6 parks.

We are staying at the Carribean Beach resort on the property.


Thanks in advance!

[TripletDaddy]

No tips, sorry, but sounds like you and your fam are going to have a blast. What a great trip. Enjoy yourself and permaneced sentados, por favor.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

We've done Disney World twice. I don't know how old your kids are, but I would suggest not trying to jump from park to park a lot. That can kill a lot of time and standing waiting for the bus to take you from one to the other is not a fun way to spend time in the humidity.

Hollywood Studios is basically California Adventure. My kids who were 6, 4 and 1 last time we were there found Epcot extremely boring, outside of the test track car ride that I can't remember the name of now.

[Portland Ute]

We've done Disney World twice. I don't know how old your kids are, but I would suggest not trying to jump from park to park a lot. That can kill a lot of time and standing waiting for the bus to take you from one to the other is not a fun way to spend time in the humidity.

Hollywood Studios is basically California Adventure. My kids who were 6, 4 and 1 last time we were there found Epcot extremely boring, outside of the test track car ride that I can't remember the name of now.

My boys are 8.5 and 6 (yesterday!). We are leaving the 18 month old with the other grandma and aunt.

At epcot, we were thinking they would like the Test track, maybe that Maelstrom ride, the Mexican ride... But not much else. Which is a bummer because if you have to eat Disney, Epcot's the best bet...or at least that's what I remember.

Did you stay on Disney property?

We were thinking of some of the days hitting an amusement park in the morning, then, when it got hotter, hitting the water parks for a few hours, then when it got later hitting Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios because they stay open far later than Animal Kingdom or Epcot.

But, that's a lot of waiting for transportation from the sounds of it.

[hostile]

Go to the steak house at Canada in the Epcot center. You will need reservations. The "rides" at Epcot aren't your typical amusement park-type rides - more cultural / educational.

I agree w/ HFN - try to visit one park/day.

Staying on the property is great - if kids get tired its easy to head back to the hotel for a nap. If they want to stay out late, getting back is easy.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Did you stay on Disney property?

We were thinking of some of the days hitting an amusement park in the morning, then, when it got hotter, hitting the water parks for a few hours, then when it got later hitting Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios because they stay open far later than Animal Kingdom or Epcot.

But, that's a lot of waiting for transportation from the sounds of it.

We stayed at Saratoga Springs the last trip. It was further (should that be farther? I never understood that one) away than other properties, so that might have added to the travel time.

[TripletDaddy]

My niece is a Senior at Arizona State this year. As part of her major, she is doing an internship at the Disney University thing in Orlando. She is there through early January.

She called us up yesterday and invited us to come out whenever we want. Apparently, as part of her internship, she gets 3 free admissions per day to all of the theme parks and water parks. She also gets an additional 3 admissions per day at 50% off. Also, she gets 50% off on all Disney hotels.

So basically, my family of five can go to Disney World theme parks for around $85 a day and our hotel for the week will be half off. We fly for free.

Looks like we are headed to Orlando sometime in the next few months.

[Commando]

My niece is a Senior at Arizona State this year. As part of her major, she is doing an internship at the Disney University thing in Orlando. She is there through early January.

She called us up yesterday and invited us to come out whenever we want. Apparently, as part of her internship, she gets 3 free admissions per day to all of the theme parks and water parks. She also gets an additional 3 admissions per day at 50% off. Also, she gets 50% off on all Disney hotels.

So basically, my family of five can go to Disney World theme parks for around $85 a day and our hotel for the week will be half off. We fly for free.

Looks like we are headed to Orlando sometime in the next few months.

nice! I really liked Animal Disney, but then again, I was the kid that liked Epcot the best when I was 8 . It is really cool, though, has plenty of fun rides, and it closes at sunset, so that gives you a chance to chill at night and not be completely exhausted for once.

Oh- and while you're there I wouldn't miss Islands of Adventure-- especially now that they've converted the medieval stuff to Harry Potter!

[Omaha 680]

My niece is a Senior at Arizona State this year. As part of her major, she is doing an internship at the Disney University thing in Orlando. She is there through early January.

She called us up yesterday and invited us to come out whenever we want. Apparently, as part of her internship, she gets 3 free admissions per day to all of the theme parks and water parks. She also gets an additional 3 admissions per day at 50% off. Also, she gets 50% off on all Disney hotels.

So basically, my family of five can go to Disney World theme parks for around $85 a day and our hotel for the week will be half off. We fly for free.

Looks like we are headed to Orlando sometime in the next few months.

Disney Parks make up somewhat for their low pay by providing some great discounts to employees and their families. I have a BIL that works for another arm of Disney (not Parks) and his discounts aren't nearly as good.

[TripletDaddy]

nice! I really liked Animal Disney, but then again, I was the kid that liked Epcot the best when I was 8 . It is really cool, though, has plenty of fun rides, and it closes at sunset, so that gives you a chance to chill at night and not be completely exhausted for once.

Oh- and while you're there I wouldn't miss Islands of Adventure-- especially now that they've converted the medieval stuff to Harry Potter!

Epcot is awesome. Animal Disney sounds great, too. Is the Harry Potter stuff at Disney? For some reason I thought that was at Universal Studios.

[creekster]

Epcot is awesome. Animal Disney sounds great, too. Is the Harry Potter stuff at Disney? For some reason I thought that was at Universal Studios.

Islands of adventure is a Universal park. That is where Potter is located.

like you, I am going with Family to Orlando in the next few months. Unlike you, I am not blessed with a bounty of discounts.

[Coach McGuirk]

My niece is a Senior at Arizona State this year. As part of her major, she is doing an internship at the Disney University thing in Orlando. She is there through early January.

She called us up yesterday and invited us to come out whenever we want. Apparently, as part of her internship, she gets 3 free admissions per day to all of the theme parks and water parks. She also gets an additional 3 admissions per day at 50% off. Also, she gets 50% off on all Disney hotels.

So basically, my family of five can go to Disney World theme parks for around $85 a day and our hotel for the week will be half off. We fly for free.

Looks like we are headed to Orlando sometime in the next few months.

This is a great strategy. I would like to use this info, if I can get her contact information, that would be awesome!

[U-Ute]

I don't know the ages of the kids, but if they're looking to see the characters, but all of the Pixar ones (Buzz, Woody, Jessie, McQueen, and Mater in particular) are over at Hollywood Studios.

As someone else said, don't try to bounce between parks on the same day. Just plan on spending the whole day at one park.

These thoughts are good for Disneyland or Disney World:

4 words: Fast Pass Parent Swap. No, this isn't some swanky new lifestyle left over from the 70's. This allows parents to ride the rides that their kids can't by allowing one parent to ride while the other waits with the kids, and then when they get off of the ride, the other parent gets right on. You generally get a pass that you give to the second parent who can then walk up through the exit to get on the ride.

Depending on your food budget, if you want to sit down at eat at a real restaurant in the park, get your reservations as early as possible.

You can get a Disney Park app for your smartphone that shows line times as well as character times and locations.

[Commando]

Epcot is awesome. Animal Disney sounds great, too. Is the Harry Potter stuff at Disney? For some reason I thought that was at Universal Studios.

No- it is at Universal (although a separate park- don't go pay to get into Universal. Go through the gates to your LEFT). I was just saying that so long as you're flying for free to Orlando, take a day for Islands of Adventure. We had a blast there. (and if you go while it's hot, the Popeye raft ride is fantastic).

[TripletDaddy]

This is a great strategy. I would like to use this info, if I can get her contact information, that would be awesome!

I think she is in the student directory at Arizona State University.