skip the early breakfasts...the tip about eating poptarts in your room works out much better, and the idea to get the latest breakfast seating for more of a brunch meal is excellent plan. In the really hot/busy times, your best bet is to be in the parks at 7:00 a.m. (whichever park has the early EMH) and be there at "rope drop" (which means in the park, waiting at the rope where they rope-off access before park opens. When they officially open they "drop the rope" and let you in.)
Try to avoid doing the stand-in-line-forever-in-the-park routine to get character pictures & autographs with your kids in the park...unless you happen to walk past a meet & greet when no one is in line, it is just not worth it to stand in line an hour...
Search online and find park maps in advance...study these so you have a good idea of the park's layout before you go. Also, when you first get to the parks, grab an actual park map & a times schedule (tells times for parades & fireworks, etc. ) first thing.
At MK, with little ones, head directly to Fantasyland and do all the little kids rides as quickly as possible, starting with Dumbo.
At AK, do the Safari as early in the morning as you can, or get FastPasses...not a fun ride to stand in line for an hour (way too hot for the little ones.)
Epcot has the Kidcot craft tables spread out throughout park...
Disagree about poptarts, those are NASTY stuff. If you got meal plan, then you can have a QS breakfast. Do go to breakfast a few minutes early. Everyone seems to get there about 45minutes before park opening. A few minutes before that the QS at the resort is empty. We like to send DH to get coffee and food while the women dry their hair. DO keep a snack or two in your room. DO drink LOTS of water! Make sure the kids DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Get water at every meal!
Some folks love an early breakfast before park opening. I do agree with above that early hours in park are least crowded, most comfortable. Though more and more folks are adopting this plan. Sometimes in the late afternoon the parks are empty as well.
DO share meals. Each meal is WAY too much.
Do get a Mickey choclate covered ice cream bar at least once during your trip. The choclate chip ice cream sandwiches are pretty tasty too!
Only do am EMH if you have a hopper pass and plan to leave after EMH. If you are not doing th emh, you will be better at another park.
I agree about not standing in long lines. This goes for food too. If the line is lng or not moving - move along before you waste much time. Try to avoid eating lunch at exactly noon. try to eat at 11:45 instead. If you forget, grab an ice cream and have lunch after 1:30 to avoid crowds. I'm not saying you can't eat when you are hungry, but if you can eat at slightly off times, you spend much less time in lines.
Not sure I agree with hitting Fantasyland first thing in am. The best time to hit it is in the evening, IMO. Dumbo is an exception. It has long lines all day (but there are several other, better rides just like it.So you can maybe skip it). If DUmbo is a must, first thing in am is probably the best bet, if you must ride it once. Peter Pan and Pooh also have lines all day and night, but you can fastpass them. The rest of Fantasyland has minimal lines in the evening. IaSW is a madhouse in the middle of the day, but EMPTY at night!
Even with kids, our first hit is either PotC followed by the mountains. Fastpass BTMRR, splash lines are short until 11:30. OR - you can get on Space Mtn early followed by Buzz. In hot weather though, PoTC is nice in the afternoon. (dark and AC)
the map tip is good, but just get a rough idea of where you want to head. Don't get too caught up in a strict schedule. Don't get upset if one of your children really wants to do something. I agree that it is generally better to skip the character lines early in the am - but not to the point that achild is crying over it. Sometimes the best thing is to let them do what they want. It's WDW! It's okay to have an ice cream at 11am! (Does it really make a difference anyhow?)
More important than studying the layout of the rides is mapping out the bathrooms. If you encounter one with a line, there is often a second one within 100 feet that won't have a line. With young children it's important to be able to hit one quickly. Cast Members are also very helpful when trying to locate restrooms.
Though you should allow treats, do try to mkae certain that everyone gets plenty of fiber - fruit, veggies, whole grains. The latter is especially hard to find at WDW - so DO encourage everyone to eat fruit. Even if overpriced, the fruit is a great value. The grapes and bananas are really a great value in many locations! Choose fruit desserts. Many times, you can sub your child's favorite veggie on a kid's meal.
DO get a good quality double stroller. Maclaren makes very good ones. DO practice folding and unfolding it. Get a rain cover for it. Whichever stroller you get, LIGHTWEIGHT is a top priority! A storage basket is a second priority (though umbrella handles can be draped with a light bag), recline is important for napping, and a sun shade is also a good idea. Maclaren has all of the above - as well as good wheels!
MINIMIZE what you carry. Empty out your wallet, skip the pocketbook if you can. You won't need the library card in Orlando! If you can avoid a backpack, your back will thank you!
The best Safari ride I ever had was late in the afternoon, but it is a must to FP this one, if you don't do it first thing. At every park, try to do a headliner first. They are easy to identify- they have fast pass.
