Give me your best Tips and Tricks for thr World!!

[2cutekidz]

This will be my family's first trip to The World!! (I've only been to MK as a day trip) I have a DD5 and a DS2. We'll be going in early February (before President's Day!!) and will be staying at Pop! I've got my ADR's, just want to know some favorite things to do, hidden Mickeys, or any tips I need to know. TIA!!

 

[wdwdancerwannabe]

Don't plan/schedule your days so that you travel from a park to another park.

(unless you are driving your own car)

busses do not travel from a park to a park - they only travel to an from parks/resorts.

Of course, you can travel from MK to Epcot, because of the Monorail...

 

[scjo68]

Actually, I believe that busses do go from one park to another. Transportation to/ from MK is not direct- you must stop at the ttc in between. So, MK to Epcot, is monorail to ttc, switch to different monorail to Epcot. MK to, say AK, take monorail to TTC, get on bus to AK at TTC.
If you are going from studios to MK, you would take the bus from Studios to TTC, then get on mmonorail to MK.

I could be wrong (it's happened before), but that is how we did it.

We always go Jan./ Feb. It's a great time to go.


For DS 2, I suggest letting him take the lead some times. Not first thing in the morning, which is prime touring time, but later. Our ds is three, and last year he loved the playgrounds at the parks, and also the car showrooom at the exit to test track.

Have lots of fun!

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

For your daughter you should book an appointment at bibitty bobbity botique (bad spelling I know). Look it up on disneyworld.com its really great - I'll be getting it done for my DD3. for abot $50, they do her hair, makeup and nails and make her all princessie. Its really great!

 

[ariel & eric]

Day 3 is always meltdown day for our family. On our last trip the kids were 9, 11 and 14 and we still had it. try not to plan much for the day. Water park or staying at the pool is OK. Or maybe use it as your shopping day at DTD.

 

[2cutekidz]

Thans for all of the advice!! Keep it coming!!

I am considering BBB. I know DD would love it. Not sure why, but I'm still undecided.

 

[Perditamarie]

Here's some of the things we do that always make our trips smooth:

* bring a cooler bag stocked w/your own juice boxes/sippy cups and snacks. It is absolutely ok to bring these in the parks and will save you time and sanity-- it is a huge pain to hunt down a drink when needed and you and your kids will appreciate familiar snacks w/no waiting!

* pack the kids outfits in gallon sized ziplocks so you have coordinated outfits ready in the am. Then, items out of the bag need to be laundered. I put socks and underwear in their own bags.

* plan time to swim if the weather is nice enough...there is a nice splash ground and kiddie pool at the Pop...you can also borrow life vests.

* for quick diaper changes, it is handy to pack some grab and go packs in a ziplock w/a diaper, wipes and cream and a little blanket/mat/towel for the changing table....also, take advantage of the baby care centers for any needed baby supplies, rocking chairs or just a break...they are great.

* If you have a lot of gear to bring (diapers, swim diapers, baby food/snacks, etc) consider shipping a box to yourself at your resort.

* Pack breakfast items to eat in your room...saves a ton of time and everyone likes to see some familiar food. The food court also has toasters and microwaves and hotwater available to guests.

* Be familiar w/ride descriptions so you can determine if they are appropriate for your kids...Snow White can be a bit spooky, and the 3d movies are LOUD, etc.

* prepare your kids for how gigantic the characters are....the Disneyland Sing a Long Fun DVD is perfect for this. Also, the sing a longs are a great way to introduce Disney songs and movies to kids and not as long or involved as a full length movie.

* bring your own strollers!! Worth the minimal aggravation of hauling them on the buses to have them at your resort, to and from the parks, down town Disney, etc. Plus, you will save you $$ from renting.

* Don't think Epcot will be boring...it is a very interesting place. In addition to all the fun, there are kidcot fun stops at every country in World Showcase where kids can color a mask and then collect charms that hang from the mask. There are also similar stops in Future World.

* If you go to Downtown Disney, definately plan on playing at the Lego store...there are outdoor building stations that are fun for all. You may get a chance to sit and enjoy a coffee while the kids enjoy Lego therapy! We always stay at least an hour here!

* at Epcot, take pictures of the kids in the different hats at each country. Also, at the parks, find your "spot" to take a pic each time you go to the world so you can compare how your kids have grown over your various trips.

* Plan playground time at the parks -- kids will love to run around out of a stroller and no waiting in line!

* Don't be afraid of the rain...pack ponchos and stroller covers and keep on going. However, do watch out for the squirt up fountains and water features at the playgrounds -- pack extra clothes or warn kids to stay out!

* It may be that I only saw girls that all had the same package, but the BBB stuff looked a bit tacky to me...fake hair extensions in teased hair w/mass amounts of glitter. Book your appt later in your stay so you can cancel if you don't like what you see.

Have a great trip....planning is half the fun!

 

[dspads]

* My kids LOVED Spectro. They were absolutely fascinated by it. Don't miss it!

* My older son loved meeting characters, little one did not. So we tried to see only DS's fav's. He had fun with the autograph book.

* The Nemo show at AK is a must-see.

* Bring water shoes/sandals for playing on Donalds boat & other water sprinker things.

* Plan more than 1 day at MK if possible. The kids had favs there that they enjoyed doing again. Plus we weren't pressured to do everything the first day.

* Go with the flow, the kids don't care if they 'do it all', they just want to be having fun. My younger DS loved riding the train and looking at any trains we saw (Epcot). He also loved riding the buses, boats, monorail. To him those were rides too.


* Older DS loved Kidcot stops in Epcot but the little guy was not interested. We had to keep him busy while older DS was visiting.

* If your child drinks a lot of milk bring some in a cooler bag. It was often difficult to find or a pain to wait on a long line if he just wanted his sippy cup. I'd try the kind in juice boxes to see if they liked it, that way it doesn't have to be kept on ice so it endures the longer days. I did bring the take-n-toss cups for my little guy so I could transfer purchased milk to it for him. Some place charged almost $3, and then gave you the milk in a lidded cup (like a fountain soda) - not that great for a toddler to be walking around with.



Have fun!

 

[ariel & eric]

* If you go to Downtown Disney, definately plan on playing at the Lego store...there are outdoor building stations that are fun for all. You may get a chance to sit and enjoy a coffee while the kids enjoy Lego therapy! We always stay at least an hour here!

I respectfully disagree with this. Lego land is hell on earth! Too many parents leave their children here unattended. Big kids trample over little ones and steal what they are using. The place is just a mad house.

Now we will let our children look at all the neat items made and we talk about how cool they are, but we never stop long enough to join the chaos.