I have a lot of time
My first piece of advice is to plan all of your meals NOW. Get ADRs as soon as possible for table service restaurants. You don't want to go to WDW without these. I learned this the hard way. Also, plan them 6pm for dinner and 12 pm for lunch or before to wait the shortest amount of time. ADRs aren't actually reservations; they just put you ahead of everyone else once you arrive at the restaurant.
You seem prepared for this... but realize that there will be kids everywhere, even at the seemingly romantic and quiet restaurants. Every restaurant, except Victoria and Albert's, will have kids. You seem pretty flexible to me but some people are frustrated by this. The best thing to do is keep a positive attitude which I think you will do... I liked the big kids comment
Something random... but since I'm leaving tomorrow, although it will be hot, pack jackets for the restaurants and indoor activities!
Also, Disney is very draining. If you're going 2 full days I think you'd be ok staying at the parks all days, but if you're going for a longer period of time, plan down time for yourself. Go to the resort pool an afternoon, or take a nap. Disney is not fun if you're too tired so don't let yourself get that way.
It's also very important to use your Fastpasses wisely. Each morning, at park opening, go on your favorite ride (definitely a more popular one that will be busy later). Go on as many popular rides as you can. When waits start to exceed 15-20 minutes use a Fastpass on your next choice. Make sure to use your Fastpasses on only the very popular rides! Since this is so vital to a successful time at the parks, here is a list of the FP rides that you should Fastpass or go on by 11 AM:
(the starred rides represent the rides you may want to consider going on first thing without a Fastpass, aka the most crowded at the park and the must dos)
Magic Kingdom (assuming you don't want to go on kids rides)
Winnie the Pooh
Peter Pan
Space Mountain*
Splash Mountain
Buzz Lightyear
Hollywood Studios
Rock n Roller Coaster
Toy Story Mania* (this is actually a cool ride)
Epcot
Test Track
Mission: Space
Soarin *
Animal Kingdom
Expedition Everest*
If a FP ride isn't listed here then you probably should wait in the regular line. There is a waiting time between FP's so use wisely.
As for my personal favorite attractions:
1. Tower of Terror (MUST DO)
2. Dinosaur= highly underrated, you can have a short wait mostly before 1 pm!
3. Space Mountain
4. Splash Mountain
5. Expedition Everest
6. Soarin (gets crowded early & line moves slow)
7. Spaceship Earth (pretty cool! go right after lunch)
8. Rock n Roller Coaster
Also you can considerably cut your wait times in the parks by AVOIDING the parks with Extra Magic Hours that day. No matter what certain posters may say, the parks are definitely more crowded on these days. Don't be swayed and avoid them entirely. Unless, you are committed to getting there at 8 am, only going on a few rides, and leaving soon after (this would be a good strategy for Rock & Roller and Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios if you don't want to do anything else there, etc.)
If you follow these tips you shouldn't be waiting in a line for more than 30 min. I went this time last year and it works! This is my philosophy: mornings for attractions (do your favorites first) and afternoons for enjoying. I hate waiting in line so this works well.
FAVORITE PARK: For rides, Hollywood Studios, For everything else (food, shopping, etc.) EPCOT! Purely because there's so much else to do besides rides. You must take your time in World Showcase. There are so many cool things to buy and eat.
Never try to do more than 2 parks in one day. Expect your afternoon park to not go on many rides. If you have to avoid one, don't go to Animal Kingdom.
Touring plans can be a good idea in some cases, but don't get fixed on a rigid structure. Sometimes it's much more fun just to walk around, eat, and shop on your own schedule.
Of course, you must get Dole Whip at the Magic Kingdom. This is pineapple ice cream and can be found in Adventureland. Considered one of the best desserts at WDW.
As for restaurants, my favorites for each park are listed below. If you have a specific one in mind you can post on the board and plenty of people will share their opinions!
Magic Kingdom: Liberty Tree Tavern, Crystal Palace
EPCOT: Le Cellier, Coral Reef
Hollywood Studios: 50s Prime Time Cafe, Hollywood Brown Derby
Animal Kingdom: Yak & Yeti (actual restaurant)
Resorts: Citricos, Artist Point, California Grill
Check out the menus on allearsnet.com before you book so you make sure you like the food style!
Since Disney is really crowded cast members often rush you to eat quickly in restaurants. Order one course at a time.
Other eating suggestions: Ghiraredelli's Ice Cream at Downtown Disney, Main Street Bakery in the MK
Transportation: Rent a car. Cannot emphasize this enough. Sometimes it can take you 45 minutes to get around the MK monorail loop. Plus, buses are slow... had to wait 30 minutes for one once.
Look into a tour if you have a lot of days. I heard the Segway Epcot tour and Keys to the Kingdom are cool.
Btw, you are NOT crazy for planning all of this... the people without plans and inside tips are the ones that wait in the long lines
