1 Piece of Advice.....

[Jen D]

Read the Unofficial Guide.... but don't let it scare you!

 

[clutter]

Make a list of "can't miss" things, and let your vacation flow from that. Wishes, Mickey's Philharmagic, a character meal, the mountains, Beauty and the Beast at MGM, Festival of the Lion King at AK, Spectromagic, fantasmic. The rest of the time, go with the flow and let the magic take over.

(And don't forget to ride the monorail with the driver!)

 

[maxie]

Research!! My neighbour has been twice - once between Christmas and New Year's and once the first week of July over July 4th. She loved it but complained about the cost and the crowds. When I told her about the number of rides we did in the morning and the price we paid for AS in Sept she was astounded!

Don't just walk into a TA office and book a package - research it for yourself!!

 

[cdpa4d]

Make sure you have good, comfortable walking shoes!
ADP

 

[Sinclare]

If you don't have a kid...rent one

 

[GrammieMame]

Go to the parks early; use fastpass; make PS's; take an afternoon pool break

 

[holcomb-mania]

When eating at Flame Tree BBQ in AK, sit at a covered spot!

I see they are staying at Pop, and I'd recommend planning on using their car if they will have access to one. We stayed at CSR last Oct which was very convenient to Blizzard Beach, AK, Epcot, and MGM.

Take some time to tour other resorts. I tried to schedule meals at restaurants such as Whispering Canyon and Boma in order to do some recon on the resorts for future trips.

 

[MsLeFever]

Take a break when you get tired or cranky - there is a true law of diminishing returns when anyone is tired.

Barbara

 

[teachingmykids]

I learned this quickly after the first day.....if financially possible, just buy snacks at the park. A lot of the tips you hear involve packing drinks, crackers, etc. By the end of the first day I was sick and tired of carrying around all that junk. Now, each kid gets a bottle strap (worth the $3), and we eat in the park.

 

[LovesHauntedMansion]

1. Get a list of the height restrictions ahead of time & measure the height of the 9 year old before you go. This way there are no surprises as to what rides he can't ride because he's too short. It's better to break the news at home than in the ride lines.

2. Set a budget for the kids if finances are a concern & let them know how much they will be able to spend on souveniers and/or snacks.

 

[BlueFairy]

If you schedule a break in the day or a hop between parks - keep it to 1 hop. At that time of year the hours are shorter. We've always felt like we missed out if we tried to do more than 2 parks in a day.

In that vein - remember that it takes forever to get from one place to another and plan accordingly. The UG says 45 min to 1 hour to go from 1 park to another. I'd say that can be pretty accurate. If you know that ahead of time, you won't spend all your bus time feeling like you're missing something.

 

[Del]

my tip: Bring a brightly colored bandana to attach to the stroller. It will save a large amount of time when you trying to find the stroller in stroller parking.

Tell them to go with the flow---if the kids seem more interested in standing in line to see a character or want to sit and eat ice cream that is more important than trying to cross a ride/attraction off your list.

del

 

[BrerMom]

Will Most Likely Be a Once in a Lifetime Trip

I agree with the others - this idea causes stress in and of itself. Our "once in a lifetime" didn't turn out that way because we had a great time and returned.

A character meal is a great experience. I wish I had bought the pictures at Chef Mickey's that first trip. We always schedule at least one per trip.

Make sure you build some "wasteful" money into the budget. Mickey bars aren't the cheapest treat if you get one per family member, but they sure drive the point home that you're on vacation. I didn't really want to buy the parasol that DD picked out one trip, but she's used it many, many years now.

Take breaks. Either go back to your room and rest, find a quiet place in a park and chill for a while, or have a sit-down meal. You'll all enjoy it more if you have a chance to reenergize.

Look for all the little details that makes WDW WDW.

 

[cd&kids]

Take it slow and get rest breaks in there.

 

[erinch]

1. bring first aid supplies: cortisone cream, band-aids, tylenol, ibuprofen, antihistimines and the phone number for your doc and pharmacy with branch in LBV in case you need antibiotics on the trip (can you tell my kids are accident and sick-prone)?


2. Convince the DD she's too big to want to ride Dumbo

3. Remember that WDW is a giant buffet and like any buffet, if you cram too many good things on your plate you'll never remember what you ate. Better to savor some than try to do all.

4. The thing my DD, age 8, still talks about from our trip last year was several trips to the comedy club at PI. The early sets are family friendly, and she loved it

 

[jann1033]

have some semblence of a plan of what you want to do that is flexible and don't be glued to it...BECAUSE making a plan makes you do research and look things up before hand that you might otherwise never know about or do( ie my parents who have gone to wdw many times and missed tons of things..the "I never knew that was there" syndrome) if you don't you will never do some things you really would have enjoyed.

oh and about the "once in a lifetime" comment.

 

[whjoyjr]

The "Real World" does not exist once you pass thru the gates.

Leave the laptop at home.
Tell work NOT to call unless the place is burning down. If they call, tell them to roast hot dogs.
Tell family NOT to call unless something is burning down. If they call, tell them to roast hot dogs.
DO NOT watch the TV in the resort except for the Disney promotional channels.
No NOT read the newspaper if they deliver one to the room.

OK, now that they have effectively shut out the "Real World", remember, it is a VACATION!

A. Take time to smell the roses.
B. Accept the fact that you will NOT get to see everything.
C. If the oppertunity presents itself, take a DVC tour. Maybe the "Once in a Lifetime" will become the "Home away from Home".
D. Try to ride in the front of the monorail.
E. Forget about bedtimes.
F. Don't worry about the money, worry about making the memories.
G. Stop by the "Partners" statue and say "Thanks".
H. Dont worry about being an adult. Let the kid inside of you that has been bottled up for years or deecades out for a chance to play.
I. Sing the pirates song when riding PoC.
J. When they get home, start planning another trip...

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by Sinclare
If you don't have a kid...rent one

or just act like one!!!(no"meltdowns,it's cheaper and much less work!!!)

 

[PamNC]

It's hard for us DISers to only give one piece of advice but if I must do that mine would be STAY ON PROPERTY!!!!!!

PamNC

 

[mmccoy]

My tip: It not all about the rides. My DS5 loved Kidcot, pictures with characters, and swimming at the hotel. Don't get me wrong, he loved the rides, too, but some of his best memories came from "non-traditional" stuff.

And, I echo what others have warned about the "once in a lifetime" sentiment. If the family takes the advice of what others have suggested, they'll be back.