Little Tips that make a difference?

[Lmcinerny]

We are planning our trip to disney in May the 19th thru the 26th, The kids first trip they are 4 and 6 yr old girls. We have planned several character meals and one day at each park and a day at DTD. We are staying at the All Star Movie resort.

My Question is What are little tips that might be helpful in our travels around the resort and parks? Some people have mentioned something like walking into MK from Epcot is closer than taking the bus from resort to MK. Etc.... Or getting on the monarail from certain places is more likely to get you in the front with the driver. I want to get a list of all the little secrets to take with me. These little things I think make it easier on the little ones. What are the first Fast Passes at each park we should get? What Parades and Firework shows are the absolute must sees and what is the best location to view them from? How early should we get these spots?

I know you all have little secrets Let's Here them!

Thanks a Bunch

 

[PiperPizzaz]

Keep an open mind on your schedule. One day at DTD seems like a lot with kids. I would probably suggest doing MK in the morning again and them DTD afternoon/evening.

Try and find the inside stuff to do in the early afternoons to get a break from the heat (especially if you are not going back to hotel for a break).

Find info on the rides & shows online and have your kids pick which ones are must do's.

 

[mom2aredhead]

Keep in mind that life with kids rarely goes exactly according to plan. You will miss a lot if you have your nose buried in a guide book or "must-do" list the whole week, and will set yourself up for disappointment if you expect to see/do everything.
Arrive early, use fastpass, and above all, make sure you have time to relax and enjoy - you are on vacation!

 

[Lmcinerny]

I do plan on taking mid day breaks back at the Hotel. I know DTD probably will not be all day with the kids, but a nice time out. We will be taking them to Bibbity Bobbity Boutique to get made over like a princess. the Lego area and the water spouts etc... We will have a whole day at the resort too. I plan a hayride at Fort wilderness....as this is first come first serve how early should I arrive. Has anyone done this before?

 

[PiperPizzaz]

I would suggest Tour Guide Mike. I used that last year and I thought it was great. I will take a while to figure out the site but, it has best places to sit (for everything), how early you should be for stuff, etc.

If you use the link at the top of the Theme Park Attractions and Strategy board you can get a discount.

 

[mericletwins]

Use your resort pool daily!

The first couple times we went, we didn't get into the pool nearly enough to suit the kids. I thought we could swim anywhere and this was DISNEY! After we started using the pool on trips I realized what a great break it was for all of us!

 

[5fordisney]

Hi! My children were 7, 5, and 4 when we went last summer. My biggest advice to you would be to make yourself touring plans for each day at the parks using either tourguide mike (a website) or the unofficial guide to disney (a book) or both. I've been to disney without touring plans and with and what a huge difference in the quality of our vacations with plans. Without the plans, we waited in long lines in crowded parks and had children that were miserable. With the plans, we never waited more than 10-15 minutes for any ride or attraction and saw just about everything the parks had to offer.
Another tip someone from this board gave me for our last trip was "tinkerbell" visiting the hotel room each day to leave little presents for the kids. I purchased ahead of time small little trinkets like disney sunglasses, small stuffed disney animals, Pjs, etc. and everyday "Tinkerbell" would secretly leave one item for each child. They got such a kick out of it and it reduced the amount of souvenir buying we had to do.
My last advice would be to arrive at the parks when they open (or earlier) to beat some of the crowds that will form later.
Have a wonderful trip!