What I learned today!

[JeNScHuB]

I agree doing your homework with the dining plan is important. I don't beleive I would purchase the dining plan (i am on the free one this summer too). It just wouldn't make sense for me, but I can see how it saves money for some. Its great to be able to get an idea of prices before you make a decision.

 

[jamieguffey]

We got our Magic Express Stuff Yesterday!! Woohoo

It is getting closer. Just over 5 weeks now!

Since I brought up transportation I wanted to direct all the newbies to wdwinfo's transportation site. I can't say that I have found a more complete description of all the different modes available.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/Transportation/index.htm

I directed you to the transportation wizard before but there are a lot of questions about some of the routes and their validity.

We are not only first timers to disney but being lifetime a lifetime suburbanite it will be my first time using public transportation as well. I have NEVER been on a city bus and my only experience ever was using the L in Chicago just to say I did it.

As you might imagine my worst fear is running the kids out to the bus stop and jumping on the wrong bus at 7:15 in the morning. Arriving to our Safari Breakfast too late to eat.

If everything I have heard about the castmembers is true I am guessing that simply asking the night before will lead me in the right direction but I certainly would like to get as much information as possible going in.

 

[matt&jakesmom]

Love your "tips of the day".

As for the transportation just be aware that they can be crowded at times especially in the evening when the park is closing. You may have to stand.

I think the key to everything is to have PATIENCE!

 

[jamieguffey]

I am guessing I have been to just about every tip site on the net. But for my money the best site for getting info on just about anything is youtube.

Worried about whether or not you or your kids will like a ride type it in the search box.

Want to see what a restaraunt is like type it in. There are a ton of good ones of T-Rex.

Want a video look at the park?

It is all there.

What I found out is that we will not be searching out the creepy tree lady (DeVine). I can't say it wasn't an intriguing view, but my wife and I both agreed that it was way creepy!

As you might know we are "surprising" our kids. That does not however mean we can't watch videos of the rides. I don't have much to compare him to but Noah has to be one of the most alert and perseptive 4 year olds on the planet. I can't wait until he starts realizing that he is doing all those things we watched on Daddy's computer.

Of course the vets can use the tube for a fix.

 

[jamieguffey]

Love your "tips of the day".

As for the transportation just be aware that they can be crowded at times especially in the evening when the park is closing. You may have to stand.

I think the key to everything is to have PATIENCE!

My wife and I have talked about that, besides being way crowded and having to wait in line. It is by far the scariest time if you have little children. Does anyone know if the fountains are still running in epcot after illuminations? That would be a great place to relax and let the kids burn off some energy before we head back?

 

[Alesia]

We got our Magic Express Stuff Yesterday!! Woohoo

It is getting closer. Just over 5 weeks now!

Since I brought up transportation I wanted to direct all the newbies to wdwinfo's transportation site. I can't say that I have found a more complete description of all the different modes available.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/Transportation/index.htm

I directed you to the transportation wizard before but there are a lot of questions about some of the routes and their validity.

We are not only first timers to disney but being lifetime a lifetime suburbanite it will be my first time using public transportation as well. I have NEVER been on a city bus and my only experience ever was using the L in Chicago just to say I did it.

As you might imagine my worst fear is running the kids out to the bus stop and jumping on the wrong bus at 7:15 in the morning. Arriving to our Safari Breakfast too late to eat.

If everything I have heard about the castmembers is true I am guessing that simply asking the night before will lead me in the right direction but I certainly would like to get as much information as possible going in.

I have never used public transportation outside of WDW, either. So trust me when I say that it is really, really easy. The buses are clearly marked. You won't get on the wrong bus.

 

[jamieguffey]

Call it planners remorse or call it I finally listened to the loads of advice and information I have found.

I have spent HOURS doing touring plans and making lists of things we must do, now after weeks of working on it, I am starting to think maybe my 3 and 4 year olds (okay the 38 year old daddy too) may not be able to run the pace necessary to complete it all.

Example, there are over 20 attractions on our plan for Thursday along with a couple of parades a dinner at crystal palace and the fireworks. It is an EMH day so that means at the park from 8:00am to 10:00pm on the go pretty much non stop.

So the "Tip" today is listen to the veterans. Schedule Breaks and Save something for next year! I don't want the kids to miss anything but as the Unofficial Guide says something in the neighborhood of 70% of kids under 10 remembered and had the most fun at the Resort Pool. (It was something like that anyway)

This is probably true because their crazy dads ran them to death and the only time they could relax and actually have fun was at the pool.

So for the next few weeks I will be unplanning a lot of stuff and adding big holes to the agenda.

 

[jamieguffey]

5 Weeks just sounds like less time that 35 days.

For us the characters are going to be the gravy on the roast beef. If we run into them great but the kids (NOAH ESPECIALLY) are a little on the shy side and they won't necessarily be gung ho to meet and greet.

With that said MOMMY is way pumped about meeting them and even bought 2 Autograph Books. (She bought 2 to give the illusion it was for the kids even though I think we are both aware that there is a very slight chance that either child will actually ask for an autograph )

So in the interest of finding out as much as I can to help the kids (mommy) meet as many as we can I went on the search. I found a nice blog/article thing by someone who apparently really likes to meet the characters.

http://mickey.flight108.com/charactertips.htm

 

[HerdOHuds]

Call it planners remorse or call it I finally listened to the loads of advice and information I have found.

I have spent HOURS doing touring plans and making lists of things we must do, now after weeks of working on it, I am starting to think maybe my 3 and 4 year olds (okay the 38 year old daddy too) may not be able to run the pace necessary to complete it all.

Example, there are over 20 attractions on our plan for Thursday along with a couple of parades a dinner at crystal palace and the fireworks. It is an EMH day so that means at the park from 8:00am to 10:00pm on the go pretty much non stop.

So the "Tip" today is listen to the veterans. Schedule Breaks and Save something for next year! I don't want the kids to miss anything but as the Unofficial Guide says something in the neighborhood of 70% of kids under 10 remembered and had the most fun at the Resort Pool. (It was something like that anyway)

This is probably true because their crazy dads ran them to death and the only time they could relax and actually have fun was at the pool.

So for the next few weeks I will be unplanning a lot of stuff and adding big holes to the agenda.

We made this mistake last year. We did MVMCP then CRT early the next morning and by the time we hit lunch everyone was cranky and tired and we bailed on our Coral Reef ADRs and hung out in the room and ate the CS at the resort. We were still tired the next day as we slogged through AK through the deepest puddles I have ever personally waded through. At first, I was like, "Yeah! Rain! No one will be at the park!"

Then after 2 hours of downpour (okay, maybe it just felt that way because we rode Triceratops Spin in the rain) I was more like, "Please, God, no more rain."

We trudged back to the resort to 'waste' another day.

Not this time. We are taking a day of rest after 2 days in the parks. I expect we will be much happier at the end!

 

[Alesia]

Call it planners remorse or call it I finally listened to the loads of advice and information I have found.

I have spent HOURS doing touring plans and making lists of things we must do, now after weeks of working on it, I am starting to think maybe my 3 and 4 year olds (okay the 38 year old daddy too) may not be able to run the pace necessary to complete it all.

Example, there are over 20 attractions on our plan for Thursday along with a couple of parades a dinner at crystal palace and the fireworks. It is an EMH day so that means at the park from 8:00am to 10:00pm on the go pretty much non stop.

So the "Tip" today is listen to the veterans. Schedule Breaks and Save something for next year! I don't want the kids to miss anything but as the Unofficial Guide says something in the neighborhood of 70% of kids under 10 remembered and had the most fun at the Resort Pool. (It was something like that anyway)

This is probably true because their crazy dads ran them to death and the only time they could relax and actually have fun was at the pool.

So for the next few weeks I will be unplanning a lot of stuff and adding big holes to the agenda.

I have to say, I found having a very detailed plan was really helpful. I didn't have big holes in it, because I felt that it would just lead to a lot of, "What do you want to do?" "I don't know. What do you want to do?" But, I was also willing to scrap the plan as necessary. On our DHS day, we ended up leaving at 1:00 and swimming at the resort for 5 hours.

 

[annagirl]

I just got back from my trip and while I can say that planning was essential, flexibility was the key.

I made a 'cheat sheet' for every park, had ADRs for dinner, but had things listed by must do, try to do, maybe and skip. I also had on the cheat sheet the times of the parades and shows. I made sure to mark the indoor things so we might plan a resting attraction (like Philharmagic) and still feel like we accomplished something.

But mostly I asked DD her opinion when there were choices - lunch now or do X ride, which has a 15 minute wait? I didn't stress if we missed something on the try list. We did do all our must do's. And we ended up doing a couple of things on the skip list because she asked to.

Remember, if you are going for the kids to listen to the kids - it's your vacation too but I think we would all rather hear them tell the stories of their favorite things rather than a list of 'mom made me do...'s.

 

[HawkeyeMickey77]

While my husband & I have been to WDW, this will be our first trip with our boys (4 and 2). I'm on these boards almost every free moment I have and love all the tips. I'll be checking out your advice here now daily. Thanks!

(BTW - I'm going to be calling tomorrow to make our final payment - makes everything more real!!!)

 

[Kenmi's Mom]

This will be our first trip to WDW as well, and I did some heavy planning. However, it really is just that, a plan. When we arrive we will have to adjust accordingly based on the children, weather etc... I've already accepted that we just can't do everything in the amount of time we are there (this was hard for me!).

I would keep your plan and perhaps highlight the more important ones and enjoy your vacation. You seem to be a great parent to plan everything so that your children will enjoy a memorable vacation. They will remember the memories, even if its just the pool area (this happened to us at HK Disneyland).

Call it planners remorse or call it I finally listened to the loads of advice and information I have found.

I have spent HOURS doing touring plans and making lists of things we must do, now after weeks of working on it, I am starting to think maybe my 3 and 4 year olds (okay the 38 year old daddy too) may not be able to run the pace necessary to complete it all.

Example, there are over 20 attractions on our plan for Thursday along with a couple of parades a dinner at crystal palace and the fireworks. It is an EMH day so that means at the park from 8:00am to 10:00pm on the go pretty much non stop.

So the "Tip" today is listen to the veterans. Schedule Breaks and Save something for next year! I don't want the kids to miss anything but as the Unofficial Guide says something in the neighborhood of 70% of kids under 10 remembered and had the most fun at the Resort Pool. (It was something like that anyway)

This is probably true because their crazy dads ran them to death and the only time they could relax and actually have fun was at the pool.

So for the next few weeks I will be unplanning a lot of stuff and adding big holes to the agenda.

 

[jamieguffey]

I was looking through the "stuff" we have received so far for our vacation and probably the most disappointing thing is the Customized Maps we received from Disney. Now don't get me wrong. I really like the maps they are a wonderful souvenir but unfortunately I ruined them.

I did them going on two months ago and since that time I have learned so much about the World that I am disappointed in the fact that I took all the stuff I didn't "THINK" we would do off them. Now...they are pretty much useless and unfortunately I can't get new ones for another 4 months. The Epcot one is the worst. I took off pretty much the whole World Showcase and come to find out there is a lot of cool stuff to do!

So my tip is to anyone thinking of getting the Customized Maps. Leave EVERYTHING on them. They are big and you can see a lot of detail. That is of course if you leave the detail on there. Order them in all their glory. Then after you have placed the order you can further customize the map and print it out on your home computer to suit your touring plan. You can do this as often as you like and change it as your needs change.

 

[jamieguffey]

"What happen did you win the lottery?" This is the kind of response you get from most people when you tell them you are going to Disney World on vacation. Being the what if kinda guy I am I worked up a little 8 Day Stay in one of the monorail resorts with a deluxe dining and a Town Car to pick us up. I threw in the 7 day MYW with a park hopper and the water park options. Once I got the total I can understand why some my friends might think that I robbed a bank.

But then I tell them what I paid. 4 Plane Tix, 7 nights at a value resort , Free Dining Package, 7 Day Base MYW, Catch the Magic Express from the airport. And they can't believe it. Around $60 a day per person? It costs more than that for us to drive 20 minutes to Kings Island (Cincinnati thing).

Disney is truly for everyone. You can spend upwards of 10K for a week or if you are a real bargain hunter there are HUNDREDS of books (Barnes and Noble has a whole section dedicated to Disney Travel Guides) and hundreds of websites that can help. Or you can do like we did just go to disney.com and use there services. Going that route saved us HUGE on airfare.

If you are a camper you can save even more by going the Fort Wilderness Route.

So the tip today is to spread the magic to your friends and family. Most people don't even realize how "affordable" it can be if you want to put a little effort into it.

 

[sjbarnet]

I just wanted to say that I love the tips! I am making my first trip to Disney in late August and I have learned so much from reading your tips and the comments that follow.

Thanks for the great work and I look forward to continue reading.

 

[DianaLeslie]

"What happen did you win the lottery?" This is the kind of response you get from most people when you tell them you are going to Disney World on vacation.

No seems to quite want to believe me when I tell them the rates I got. I actually splurged on pricier flights (with earlier arrival and later departure) because I had the extra leeway.

Truthfully my week at Disney is coming in at about the same cost I'd been planning for a long weekend in Washington D.C., and I was planning on hitting mostly the free Smithsonian things there.

You just watch, you run numbers regularly, you plan for months in advance (not next week).

And sometimes you get handed the perfect opportunity.

 

[jamieguffey]

Extra Magic Hours. Probably the biggest debate surrounding Disney Planning. Aside from the Epcot not being for kids one.

After reading through the Unofficial Guide and everything else I could find here is the best advice I can come up with.

EMH are great if you are park hopping. Take advantage of the hours and get out before the crowd swells. When I started planning our vacation it was only by shear luck that our itenary only includes one park that lines up with the EMH (Thursday at the Kingdom). I scheduled our ADR's first thing and then put the itenarary together.

Why are EMH bad for touring? First of all they draw a huge number of extra people from the resorts then you throw on the normal crowd on top of that. Second not all rides are open so everyone is forced into a smaller area. Disneys Website has a list of open attractions: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/extended-theme-park-hours/

So I am happy to say that tinkerbell sprinkled some magic pixie dust on our vacation one more time and we will be able to avoid the EMH crowds for the most part.

(Remember if you are a vet and have a different take on it us noobies need to hear it. This is just what I have read!)

 

[jamieguffey]

No seems to quite want to believe me when I tell them the rates I got. I actually splurged on pricier flights (with earlier arrival and later departure) because I had the extra leeway.

Truthfully my week at Disney is coming in at about the same cost I'd been planning for a long weekend in Washington D.C., and I was planning on hitting mostly the free Smithsonian things there.

You just watch, you run numbers regularly, you plan for months in advance (not next week).

And sometimes you get handed the perfect opportunity.

Tinkerbell hooked us up on the flight also. Arrive 10am and depart 8pm and it was the cheapest one!

 

[iteach7th]

Extra Magic Hours.
EMH are great if you are park hopping. Take advantage of the hours and get out before the crowd swells.

Why are EMH bad for touring? First of all they draw a huge number of extra people from the resorts then you throw on the normal crowd on top of that. Second not all rides are open so everyone is forced into a smaller area. Disneys Website has a list of open attractions: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/extended-theme-park-hours/

Very disappointed in p.m. EMH at Epcot. The lines for the few attractions that were open were horrible !!! And that was in October - we gave it up after an hour and left. On the other hand - p.m. EMH in MK was manageable. We are never without park hoppers just for that luxary of when one gets bad during the day, we just leave and go to another park.