I'm going to Disney World!

My advice is to forget about how far the mouse has you bent over the barrel. The kids are going to love it, and watching them should be enough reward for you.

Other then that, I'm not much help. Haven't been to Disney world in years. We've been to Disney Land more recently.

Edited by graceful_dave 2011-02-11 12:44 PM

I haven't used it, but I've heard great things about the FastPass. Check it out here http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-post.asp?action=reply&fid=5&tid=241732&replyto=3350741&displaytype=flat#s

Since you are staying at the resort, you can take advantage of the early hours open only to those at the park so check for the schedule in your check in package.

With eight days, my biggest suggestion is to relax and take your time at each of the parks.  If you like rollercoasters Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom) and Aerosmith (Hollywood Studios) are great rides.  Test Track at Epcot is also a fun ride with some speed.

If you buy souvenirs at the park, be sure to send them back to your room with their free service.  You buy them and they will send them to your resort for pick up in a day.  No lugging them around the park.

My now 8 year old is probably the least impressed with Hollywood Studios, but likes the other three.  That being said, there are some shows and rides for the kids at Hollywood Studios that can be pretty interactive.  DON'T miss Toy Story Mania!!  Great ride and fun for all.  Hollywood Studios also has the Jedi Academy show which is about 30 minutes

Epcot has some great rides and exhibits for the kids in the area by the big sphere.  The fireworks at night are also great in Epcot (in the lagoon).  The circle of the lagoon is also the last mile in the Disney Marathon.

We love the Safari ride in Animal Kingdom and there are some great kids areas in Animal Kingdom where they can run around on rope bridges and swing like Tarzan. 

Magic Kingdom is the closest to Disneyland and has all of the rides that are on the West Coast, for the little ones we like the Buzz Lightyear Ride, you each get to shoot at targets as you go through the ride.  Can be empty at times which is great if you want to ride a few times in quick succession.

That should get you started...really need to work on my powerpoint for the boss...

Have fun!!

I grew up in Orlando...so even though I hate the rat, I feel everyone should go to Disney at least once.

When you get there, walk to the farthest part of the park and work your way towards the entrance.  People usually stop the first place they see and the lines get long there.  Later in the day, it's reversed.  Kinda like going against traffic.

In regards to training, www.luckyslakeswim.com
Awesome OWS time and make sure to get your patch and sign the wall.

Also, just know that you will spend money.  Make smart purchases, but don't nickle and dime it.  Use the plan you have becuase you paid for it.

What to do....hope it rains one day. Tends to clear out the parks in my experience.

We had one of the best days during and after it rained for a few hours. We went through Pirates about a dozen times in a row because there was zero line, same with Buzz Lightyear. My son got to 'drive' the Jungle Cruise boat, we hit Splash Mountain with no wait, rode the race cars in a downpour. Just had a blast. 

Too bad my son was afraid of the concept of the Haunted Mansion at the time, because I love that ride. Would you ride it for me, please?

I got nothin' for ya on the SBR. Maybe head to one of the water parks and do a couple laps in one of the lazy rivers...

Yes, gain an understanding of how the FastPass works right away. It will save you hours of standing in line over the course of your visit.

I go a few times a year and just went last weekend.  You are going to need to have a plan next week because it is likely to be very busy with school vacations.  As long as you know you can't do a whole park in one day you'll be OK - and with 8 days you'll be able to hit some parks twice.

Magic Kingdom will probably be your main park.  Start in Fantasyland - it is always the fastest to get packed and it stays packed all day.  Here is what we do if we want to ride everything there....

1.  Go get in line at Dumbo (very important - line is super slow and gets LONG!)
2.  At same time one person run to Peter Pan and get fastpasses
3.  Get back in line at Dumbo with family.
4.  Walk quickly to Indy Cars Racetrack - that line stinks but it only gets longer during the day
5.  Ride Teacups
6.  Ride Pooh (if there is a short line, if long get fastpasses later and then ride)
7.  Ride Snow White if it is not closed yet
8.  Ride Carousel
9.  Ride Small World
10.  Ride Peter Pan using FPs
11.  Watch Phillharmagic

By then it's usually about 11 - 11:30 and we sit down for lunch - try to beat the crowds and eat early or late.

Then decide where you want to go next and use FPs as often as you can!  Don't miss boring looking rides like the People Mover - the kids love it!  Skip Stitch - it is gross and kids hate it.

If you don't have dining reservations yet try to eat breakfast at Crystal palace - it is fun and the food is actually good which can be hard to find in Magic Kingdom!

Edited by MomX3 2011-02-11 2:38 PM

Agree on both points, and will add; go left. Most attractions have two lines and most Americans naturally tend to go right so the right side is longer, though I think if you have the speed pass there is a separate line.

We had basically 3 1/2 days so the first day we arrived late morning and did 1/2 day at Magic Kingdom, the next day was a full day at Epcot (could have done 2 full days) then a full day at one of the water parks, and back to the Kingdom for the last full day. We did not go to any Universal parks but wish we had. We enjoyed the overall Disney experience, but we are more of a fast ride kind of family and there are not that many actual thrill rides at Disney. At least, not 9 or so years ago.

Hollywood Studios might be a shorter day for you guys - not a ton of stuff for younger kids.  Unfortunately the Star Wars ride is closed for refurbishment through May.  They do still have the Jedi Taining which is great though.  If your kids are brave enough check the times schedule when you get there and get to the area really early.  They start a line and the first 8-10 kids get a number.  They get to get on stage and get trained on how to be a Jedi then get to fight Dart Vader.  My kids loved watching it but none wanted to try it out.

Other things they might like - Indiana Jones Stunt Show, Cars stunt show, Little Mermaid show (I know they are boys - but it's pretty cool), Muppet 3D Movie, Honey I Shrunk the kids Play Area, American Idol (if you want to sit around and watch people sing, or if you guys are brave enough to try out.)  Don't do the Great Movie Ride unless they are brave - it is pretty scary - some of the older girls I was with last weekend didn't love it (ages7-9.)

Definitely do Toy Story Mania - it is so much fun!  The only problem is that the line is probably the longest in the whole park.  I didn't say it yet, but my best advice I give everyone who is going to Disney is to get there before the park opens.  People think I'm nuts, who wants to get up early on vacation?  But trust me - they all thank me for it later!  Even my husband who still complains until he sees the huge crowds start rolling in about 11am.

So, you need to get to HS about 1/2 hour before it opens.  One of you needs to be the fast pass getter.  Walk quickly through the crowds straight to Toy Story - you won't miss it, there are masses of people trying to do the same thing.  Get fast passes then wait right by the entrance for the family to catch up.  If the line isn't too long by then get in it, then rise a second time using your fast passes right when you get off.  It really is so good you'll want to do it twice. 

Epcot is huge.  The front section has most of the rides.  The two most popular are Soarin' and Test Track - your kids are old enough that they will probably love both.  My 5 year old son doesn't want to try Test Track because it goes fast, but if yours doesn't mind that he'll love it.  Unfortunately they are on opposite sides of the park.  So, what we do when we get there (right at 9am) is send the dad and kids to Test Track to wait for me while I run to Soarin' to get fast passes.  I quickly meet them back at Test Track and we ride while the line isn't too long yet.  Then we slowly make our way around the rest of the park knowing we can ride Soarin' anytime later. 

My kids like Nemo, Turtle Talk with Crush (a really cute show - if your kids want to try to get a chance to talk to Crush have them wear a hat - they always pick out kids with hats!), Spaceship Earth (the ride in the ball) and that's about it.  Nobody really likes Mission Space, Ellen's thing is supposed to be super boring and the Imagination ride which used to be great is now pretty boring.  Not sure about Captain EO with Michael Jackson, never seen that.

Once you get to the countries there are rides in Mexico (slow, easy for all ages) and Norway (a tiny bit scary with a small drop like Pirates.)  When you stop at your first country find the Kidcot table.  They have these puppet type things that the kids can color.  Then they carry them from country to country and get a stamp at each place you visit.  Gives them something to do while you are tasting beer from around the world.  They also sell a Passport for kids that they can have filled out as they go.

There is something called Kimpossible Missions that we thought were pretty fun.  You stop wherever you see the booths (they're on the map) and you get a Kimmunicator (a flip cell phone.)  The kids are supposed to be spies helping Kimpossible save the world from bad guys.  you picka  country -   so far Germany is my favorite - and they give you clues on the phone's screen.  The kids have to find locations around the pavillions and when they get them right different things happen.  I don't want to give it away, but for example in Germany when we got our first clue right it made a cookoo clock start to work.

Last thing to know in Epcot - even if you hate frozen girly drinks like my husband, try one at the cart in France.  The one I like best is the Grey Goose Citrus Slushie - the other is an orange flavored one.  They are so good!  Oh, and my husband discovered the new tequilla bar in Mexico - apparantly the jalapeno margeitta was amazing - looked gross to me. 

OK - last park, Animal Kingdom.  I don't have much advice here, we've only been a few times.  I always feel very relaxed here since there isn't as much to rush for.  And they sell beer - it's a good place!  Get fast passes for the safari then go see the Lion King show.  If you want to ride Everest get fast passes for that after the safari.  Other than that we've always just kind of wandered over there and still had a nice day.  The Nemo show is good too, but kind of long I think.  It's Tough to be a Bug is supposed to be scary for some people, we haven't tried it yet.  I guess it feels like bugs are crawling on you during the show and it freaks some people out.  The Dinosaur ride is supposed to be very scary - I hear kids come off it crying all the time.

My goodness... thank you all so much for the great tips-- especially you, MomX3! Great stuff and it's much appreciated.

As for exercise, I think there is a website called disneyrunning that lists some trails.

If you want tons of information there is a great website called wdwinfo.com, they have forums like this (can go straight there at disboards.com) and can answer literally any question you have - and they are fast.

My husband didn't used to like Disney either, until he went with our kids.  Even the first trip he didn't love because I tried to squeeze too much in.  Once I settled down and sort of let the kids set the pace we all had a much better time.

I would really suggest a Disney book to get a feel for all of the information out there.  A good one that is very fast and easy to read is Birnbaum's Guide to Disney.  There is another one called the Unofficial Guide to Disney that is good if you are die hard, but almost too much information if you're not that into it.

You have 8 days, so I would probably do a day in each park then decide which were your favorites and go back.  Magic Kingdom and Epcot easily take two days, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom sometimes don't even take a full day if it's not crowded.


Oh, and to save a little money try to bring some of your own snacks.  Are you renting a car?  If you are you can stop at Walmart or Publix on the way.  If not they have grocery stores that deliver to the hotels - Garden grocer is the one I knwo off the top of my head.  With kids your age we bring a bag full of things like granola bars, peanut butter crackers, cookies, gurt, cheese sticks.  Anything to not have to pay $5 for a popcorn every time they say they are hungry.  Although I also recommend the popcorn - I'm not into popcorn but it's the best there.    We even bring our lunch one or two days - we pack a 6 pack size soft sided cooler with pb&j, crackers, juice boxes and cookies.  Saves tons of money, but if you're on dining plan it might not matter.

Hope I didn't confuse you more.  As you can see if I invested as much time into training as I do into Disney I wouldn't be fat and lazy anymore.  Have a great time!

I'll bet the contents of her kitchen cabinets are arranged alphabetically and by height, and that she has her grocery list on a spreadsheet. NTTAWWT

Even better, her garbage is sorted by category, etc.

do NOT overtire the kids. I can not tell you how often I heard parents yelling at tired kids "do you know how much I paid for this trip?". If they are tired go back to the hotel and sleep/swim/rest. Seriously.

All other advise is good.

1 to add - go to the Polynesian resort (or get off the monorail there) ask to ride in the FRONT car of the monorail (holds 4) if someone else is in there you may need to wait for the next one (or two) but well worth the experience. Kids will get a Jr. monorail driver pass or some such thing (its been awhile I don't remember the exact name)

Have fun!

Hey Rich,
Our family is pretty big fans of Disney. We just were there in October over Halloween (a cool time to go). MomX3 has laid out the highlights pretty impressively. FASTPASS can be a great tool. Someone mentioned it already, but I suggest picking up the Unoffical Guide. That book has everything you need to know.

As far as training, Disney trips tend to be just about running for me.  Some of the pools are actually big enough to swim train, but you have to go at the right time (early morning or late eve.) Most resorts have some run/walking paths around them and there are some service roads you can run on.  In October we stayed at Pop Century (have also stayed at Port Orleans). Pop Century is close to Carribean resort and I did run over there one day. To get any distance in you have to get a little creative or do loops. I think my longest run when I was there in October was about 7 miles. That's ok though because your legs will get plenty of work from all the walking.

I will say with 8 days you should be able to pace yourselves. Disney can be a real endurance event. Have fun!

I wish!  I don't know why but Disney is my only area of expertise.  I'm sitting in a messy house and near a couch covered in laundry right now.  At least it's folded - if only someone would come put it away!

I second the recommendation for the Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld...totally worth it. It gives you plans for each part depending on the interests of the people, lots of great recommendations for staying out of lines but the biggest recommendation it gave us that was TOTALLY worth it was:

Take a break in the middle of the day. Walk away from the park, go back to the hotel room, swim in the pool, watch a little TV, just decompress...then head back over to the park late afternoon recharged and ready to close the park.

Have a wonderful time. Seeing your kids totally buy into all of the hokey stuff is truly what it is all about.

I don't have much to add, MomX3 did an awesome job of breaking down the main points. You said you were going to be down there for 8 days but didn't say how many days you had tickets for? (unless I missed it?) We were there for 4.5 days in October and while we really enjoyed it and had a relaxed attitude, I would have loved to have extended our trip an extra day just to have a "free" day in the middle. It would have been nice to have a leisurely breakfast, hang out at the hotel and swim, spend some time at Downtown Disney, and then get back to the park hopping.

My kids are 8 and 5 and they loved the whole thing - they're at great ages: Old enough to ride most rides and young enough that it's not "uncool" to like the Disney thing. My 8 year old L-O-V-E-S Space Mountain and the Rockin' Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios. My 5 year old loved the the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Toy Story Mania is a lot of fun and definitely get Fastpasses early - they will run out.

As far as the food, IMO, the dining plan is worth it if it's part of your package. (You said you had it, right?) We only had the Quick Service Dining Plan so our options were a little more limited then if we'd had the regular Dining Plan but I had a list of all the restaurants that used our plan and it was much easier. Every place has little symbols letting you know what falls under which category. (Quick or Full) Also, either go on the early (or later) side of time for meals. We tried to eat breakfast at the hotel early, ate lunch around 11, and dinner around 5. Eating at "normal" times means crowds.

Are you planning on character dining? I was able to get reservations at Hollywood & Vine (Hollywood Studios) about 2 weeks out for their lunch. It's Playhouse Disney (so still a little young for my kids) but they both enjoyed it anyway. It's a buffet that was actually pretty good but if we didn't want to do the character thing, I would have been fine skipping it. Any character dining is $$$.

Okay, so maybe I did have a little to add.

you said your kids loved star wars. you must go to MGM and do the jedi academy. your kids will be trained to be jedi's and battle darthmul or darth vader. we came to late to enrol but watching was also fun.