A Visit to Disney World®
by Monica Levine-Sauberman
Going to Disney World® can be quite a bit of work. However, the right planning can make your vacation less hectic and much more memorable. Here are some quick tips to get you started in the right direction.
Hotels: When making a decision about which hotel to stay in, be sure to consider the age of your children. Staying on property can make it considerably easier on your family. Disney World® provides guests with transportation to the parks in the form of easy to use buses, boats and monorails (the kids LOVE these). When you buy goodies and gifts in the park, they will deliver it to your hotel. This means less packages to carry and worry about. A meal plan is also available for Disney World® guests, and during certain times of the year, it can be an amazing deal.
Character Meals: If you plan to attend a character meal, book it early. These meals can be booked solid for months, so be sure to make this a priority during your planning. If you plan to visit during a holiday, it is highly recommended that you book every dinner in advance.
Fastpass®: In the Disney World® theme park, guests can obtain tickets to popular rides in advance, valid during certain times of day. If you take advantage of this service, definitely Fastpass® the rides that are popular. All the hotels have maps of the different parks. Using your map, check off the rides you want to Fastpass® beforehand. For example: Splash Mountain, Space Mountain and the Winnie the Pooh Rides often have long lines, so you may wish to check these off and Fastpass® them.
Tip: The Fastpass® ticket will indicate a time that you can go on the ride. For example, if the ticket says 1:20 to 2:30pm, Disney World® will allow you to use that ticket anytime after 1:20pm. This does not mean that the ticket expires at 2:30pm. Also, after 1:20pm, you will generally be allowed to collect another Fastpass® ticket.
Parking: If you stay at a Disney World® hotel, there is no charge for parking at the theme parks. That's a significant savings of $9.00-$10.00 per day.
Rain: Rain in Florida can be funny, it often comes and goes quickly. Bring your own rain gear as ponchos are a fortune in the parks! You can get ponchos at any dollar store or in the spoting goods department at discount departent stores.
Room Location: When arriving at the hotel ask for a room that is not near the main pool. While quick access to the pool is beneficial, after a long day at the parks, it can be very loud. Try to get a room that is a little farther away from the pool area for a more relaxing evening.
Other Alternatives: The prices you find at Disney World® hotels are sometimes the same as off-property hotels. An alternative place to stay is to rent a condo outside the park. This can often be a great deal for extended families that want to stay together. There is an enormous amount of development going on around the parks and you can often get great deals for 3 and 4 bedroom houses. Anothe rbenefit is that Disney World® allows you to drop off guests at the entrance, so you don't have to park the car, even if your entire party is not going in that day. Grandpa and Grandma can drop the family off and go elsewhere outside the park.
Baby Centers: There is a baby center in every park. These are great places to feed a baby and get out of the sun. The Animal Kingdom has a fun play area for young children.
Dealing with MCO: Orlando International Airport can have very long lines. If you take an early flight lines will be shorter and you do not have to arrive 3 hours in advance. No kidding, it can take that long in Orlando so don't cut it short!
Parades: Parades can be crowded! If you are going to a night time parade, it's best ti find a place to sit in the front of the parks (for example, in the Magic Kingdom - sit by the oval on Main Street). This way you can make a quick get away when the parade is over and be one of the first ones out! Try to find a spot
early, at least 30 minutes in advance. One of the best parades is the Spectro Magic Parade in the Magic Kingdom.
Remember, Disney World® can be crowded, so choose your dates wisely. If you don't want to hit the crowds, you will probably settle for either long lines and cool temperatures (end of December and most school holidays) or hot temps and short lines (Summer). Disney World® is
still this author's favorite family vacation. I still remember as a child going with my parents. Seeing Disney World® through my children's eyes is always a TREAT!
About the Author:
Monica Levine-Sauberman is the owner of Familyvacationcritics.com which focuses on helping enrich lives when it comes to building memories of vacation. Fondly remembering her family trips, ones she will never forget, she wants everyone to have a great family vacation.
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