general tips and info i've found in my wdw expierience

[bubba's mom]

Good point about the ID tags ....I assumed she meant hidden.

A GREAT tip from a police women that did a safety meeting at my work years ago taught this:

She said to us, You teach your child not to talk to strangers, right? YES we said. The she said, and then your in the store and the child is being hard to handle and what do we do ... We say "Mary Lee Smith, if you do not stop right now" ..... well now we just gave the kids FULL name to everyone!!! Now the guy that comes to you kid and says, "hey Mary Lee, how are you" ..... is NO LONGER a stranger to them, they KNOW their name so they think its ok. Interesting huh! Oh and make sure you explain "stranger", doesn't mean ugly-scary or mean, explain anyone who they do not know, is a stranger!

I call mine missy or missy girlfriend or something like that...

Wow I just went off and blah blah blah ... I am sure most of you know all this .. but hey, new mothers out there too huh .......

awesome tip!! never thought about it till your tip!! makes sense!

 

[goofy4dis]

I also assumed you meant hidden name tags. Heres a tip that you may often hear but I have proven to be untrue, (atleast in my experience) is the going to epcot before mk so thats its not a letdown. Trust me theres enough exciting "kid oriented" things in future world (robots and such) and the kid cots in ws are not to be overlooked. The two boys in our family do that every year. The thirteen year old even enjoys it thoroughly! NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED!

 

[peacefulgirl]

Trust me theres enough exciting "kid oriented" things in future world (robots and such) and the kid cots in ws are not to be overlooked. The two boys in our family do that every year. The thirteen year old even enjoys it thoroughly! NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED!

what cot at where ?? HUH ?

 

[RachelTori]

Each country has a small table set up where your child can add to his/her mask. Pick up a mask (on a stick) in Canada or Mexico and as you go around WS, your child will have a blast, meeting CM's from each country and working on their special mask!

My DD11 has been doing them over the years - we date the back, wrap them up in plastic (a large bag from the Disney Store is ideal!) and put them with her Mementos! She has 5 now - each one unique!

 

[GRAYWIFE]

GREAT THREAD!!

My tips are:

(1) we pack our 6yo Daughter's clothes in individual gallon size Ziploc bags. One of each:Shirt, pants/shorts, socks & underwear packed in bag, push air out. It saves a ton of room in the suitcase and all she has to do is grab a bag and get dressed...no fumbling to find clothes when we are trying to get out for a day at the Parks.

(2) if you are using a car service from the airport that offers a GROCERY STOP, use it!! We get bottled water, bread, peanut butter, fruit and a few non-perishables. It saves not to have to pay big prices at the resorts shops.

(3) If you are staying on site....get a wake-up call. The kids will love it and the adults get a kick out of it too!!!

(4) Leave the last full day of your trip completely open. If you get rained out of something or just have to go on "that ride" one more time...you will not feel like you missed out on something.

(5) lastly, try not to have the "perfect" vacation. Plan well and just have fun!!

 

[peacefulgirl]

Each country has a small table set up where your child can add to his/her mask. Pick up a mask (on a stick) in Canada or Mexico and as you go around WS, your child will have a blast, meeting CM's from each country and working on their special mask!

hey thanks ! My daughter will love this !!!

 

[CDoobee]

To go along with the kids in Epcot theme....get your kids an Epcot passport. My DD had one on the trip when she was 10 and we both really enjoyed it! As you go to each country in WS, there are stickers to add to that portion of the passport, and a CM will write a message in their native language! Be sure to have them also write a translation, or be sure you do it yourself soon. Believe me, you WILL forget later what it says if you don't do this! The passport helped my shy daughter speak up to the CMs that she otherwise wouldn't have talked to!

Debbie

 

[blanq]

Here are my tips:

1. If you are a WDW newbie, take the time to study the park maps before you arrive at WDW. It is helpful to have some sense of the layout of things before you go. After you have a couple of trips under your belt, you will likely navigate all the parks without ever pulling out a park map.

2. Don't buy a new pair of tennis shoes for your trip. You will put many miles on your shoes each day, and it is smart to have the breaking in period over. Blisters and bloody heals are a big downer when you have...oh...about 10 more miles to walk that day.

3. It rains in Orlando...alot. And often it is stinkin hot on top of the rain. Many people will advise you to buy the cheap throw away rain ponchos, but I personally think it is wise to invest in a decent breathable (i.e., with gortex) rain jacket (Browning, Marmot, etc.) with a hood, unless you live somewhere in the world where it never rains and you will never again use it. I cannot imagine schleping around the parks in the hot rain in a bloody hot poncho.

4. If you have kids, make sure they have their own fanny pack for their sunglasses, snacks, throw away camera, bandaids for skinned knees, and some Disney dollars they can call their own.

5. Okay, not really a Theme Park tip, but if you are at WDW, you likely are staying in a bed you paid for. If you pay rack rate for any WDW resort, you are not wise. The DIS boards, mousesavers, etc. are chock full of codes to reduce the cost of your stay at the resorts. Why pay $289/night for a standard room at AKL when you can get it for $129/night? I look at it this way: the more I save, the more trips I can take.

6. Don't yell at your kids and drag them through the parks at breakneck speed when they are dog tired. I have seen it every trip I have taken and it makes me sad, and then it makes me mad. They are kids. They will whine. They will beg. They will cry. They will be overwhelmed. They will try your patience. An extra dose of love and understanding, and knowing when to call a park quits for a break will make for a nicer trip for everyone.

 

[iowadisneyguy]

Here are some things that our family has used over the years. 12 trips from Iowa and counting. ( Iowa in a football bowl game in Orlando is toooooo perfect!!!!!)
Anyway, here are somethings we have doen through the years:
1. I have to wholeheartedly agree with the Epcot passport. World Showcase is not always the most exciting thing for the little ones, and this gives them soemthing to do at each stop, and it only takes abotu 2 minutes.

2. Also at Epcot, this might be a restaurant recommendation, but take your family to the Mitsukoshi(sp?) restaurant in Japan.....FOR LUNCH!!!. For almost the same price you will pay for a burger and fries, you will get 45 minutes in the Air conditioning, a fairly healthy meal, and great entertainment. There are lunch specials that are as little as $8 or $9, even less for kids.( as of last winter)

3. If you don't feel you need to stay on site at a Disney resort, rent a condo or a house, ESPECIALLY if you are a large group. THink of it this way.... If you have 10 total people going to WDW, you will need 3 rooms at minimum $140/night, most of the time more than that. You can rent a 7 bedroom, 6 bath house, with YOUR OWN POOL, whirlpool and kitchen satrting at less than $300/night. Eat cereal or other quick breakfast before leaving to save meal money. You will need to rent a car or two, but the flexibility, SPACE and amenities are well worth it. We have also discovered that from many places we stay, we can be at the gate in less than 15 minutes to ALL PARKS!!. You can barely beat that from the resorts, and you can;t if you have to wait for the buses. The close proximity also allows for a quick getaway for an hour or two in the afternoon. Anyway, you obviously can tell I think it is the ONLY way to try it, after experiencing on-site once(which I think everyone should do at least once) I will only stay offsite now. Check out mousesavers.com for rental car deals, and vrbo.com for rentals in the orlando area. If you find A place in Emerald Island, it is a FABULOUS, gated comminuty only a few minutes from the parks. Email me at brianw@pga.com if you want some additional places to find good deals for rentals.

4. I know many people have mentioned things along this line. DON'T BE AFRAID TO HAVE FUN!!!! Participate in shows if you have the chance. Some of the best memories we have are wen we have been selected to be part of shows. Put down the video camera and watch it without the viewscreen. IT is too good to not enjoy.

Well, those are some things I think will help out on your next voyage.

Brian

 

[goofy4dis]

back to the kid cots:
every country has a tag which is shaped like something which is representative of the country. If you get the star at the place with the mask then every country will write a word on the star

lots of fun

keep posting

 

[peacefulgirl]

From a tip I heard here, I just got the over the door plastic shoe hanger, clear so we can see in them ... I will use it to store our H&B stuff and I am sure it will keep things nice... great idea huh !

 

[goofy4dis]

good tip
definetly a timesaver

shoes and clothes in the mornings can be a problem

 

[goofy4dis]

back to the kid cots every country will also stamp a picture of mickey in a traditional hat of the country (i.e. toupe in France, headband in Japan). Looking at our most recent one I also saw that at Japan your mask actually gets a headband. Also a vendor at China may allow you to play with the chinese batons which are also known as chinese juggling sticks. This easily entertains kids from 1 to 92. The passport it a good idea as you get stickers and other things from other country. The WS is now one of our favorite places since this addition. Also don't miss Alladin in Morroco and the toy store in UK. Any place you go atleast has a kid cot and maybe and interesting store. :thewave:

 

[peacefulgirl]

Thanks goofy4dis! I told my DD and she was excited! Now where do I get the passport and mask ???

 

[kaabost]

Stay on property in a Disney Hotel. I know most of them are expensive but the inexpensive ones (i.e. All Stars or Pop Century) are great too! If you go to mousesavers.com, you will eventually find a discount code to help you deal with the cost. We always stay at a value resort in the off season. I have not paid more than $55/night in the last 3 trips. Staying on property allows you to immerse yourself in the magic. If someone in your party needs a nap but you do not want to leave WDW, you don't have to. You will still be in the "Disney atmosphere" at your hotel!!!!!!

 

[goofy4dis]

Masks can be gotten at any country but since you will almost certainly start in Mexico or Canada you can get them there. Here you will be given time to decorate with markers. The mask is one hundred percent free. Passports (correct me if I have forgotten) can be found at the hotel stores and any store in any country. Again you will probably get it in Mexico or Canada. Also it can be gotten at the little store at the gate where you can rent strollers and wheelchairs.

Loads of fun!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep those tips coming.

 

[RachelTori]

Thanks goofy4dis! I told my DD and she was excited! Now where do I get the passport and mask ???

The masks are free - the 2 'end' countries - Mexico & Canada - both have them. Everyone will know what you're talking about if you just tell them you need a mask at the Kid Cot!!

The Passports should be available at all the little kiosks around WS.

 

[DisDarling]

If you buy an AP ahead of time, make sure you make copies of it, both front and back in case it is lost. This way you have proof of it and also make sure to make copies of the receipt as well!!
D.D.

 

[goofy4dis]

*bump*

 

[peacefulgirl]

Thanks for the info !!! How much are the passports ??

PG