Disney World
Hints, Tips and Advice

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Pick the time of year for your visit carefully

Carefully balance four main factors: crowds (hence long wait times), heat, park schedules and the seasonal costs. And don't overlook the importance of park closing times!

Hot tip: Use the vacation weather planner and other tips to find the "sweet spot" suiting you and your budget perfectly.

What time of year has the best bargains?

Speaking of sweet spots, there are several "slow seasons" where you can get fantastic rates on accommodation and theme park promotions. The best times to come are the last three weeks in September, all of October, and the beginning of December.

Hot tip: You can enjoy the cool sunny weather and the smaller crowds during the second & third week in January.

Which is the best day to visit which park?

Crowds tend to be lighter on the weekend when most families are arriving and departing. As the "A" attraction, The Magic Kingdom is usually the first park visited. Use the above guide to avoid the crowds.

Click here to see which parks are busy on which days.

Before you arrive

Spend some time to plan your daily itineraries and directions to attractions so you don't waste time here. Make a budget.

Hot tip: If you have medical insurance be sure to bring these details - just in case. Also be sure to bring necessary prescription medications you will need for your visit.

What clothes to bring

We are not a big fan of bringing lots of clothes. Clothing suitable for this climate is plentiful and cheap here. Despite the fact this is the number one tourist destination in the world, the cost of living is moderate and compared with europe - cheap. (we know one UK guest who visits every year with empty cases and swears she pays for her vacation by buying a year's worth of Christmas and Birthday presents as well as her wardrobe!)

Hot tip: Rent a vacation villa. These have full sized washer/dryers. You can effortlessly wash and wear and never have to lug home piles of smelly clothes!

Take drinks and snacks with you

This can be a surprisingly big money saver. Snacks and drinks in the parks are expensive. And while you and your kids will occasionally be hungry - they will pretty much be thirsty all the time - especially in the summer. It is very hot and humid in Central Florida in the summer and its is vital to keep your family hydrated. With sodas and water at least $2.50 a time ..... well, you do the math!

Use one or two backpacks or even a cooler. Coolers of a size that may be safely carried are permitted in the parks. But remember there are no storage areas for coolers so you will be carrying them - plan accordingly. No glass containers or alcoholic beverages are allowed. All packages will be searched when you enter the park - so be prepared!

Hot tip: There are small lockers located in the parks (for example under the station at the bottom of Main Street). You can store small backpacks there.

Pack plenty of your favorite snacks - remember they will get warm. There are plenty of places to pull to one side and take a snack and drink break.

Hot tip: To lighten the load bring refillable water bottles and refill them from one of the many water fountains to be found throughout all the parks. However many people may not like the taste, so bring some of your favorite dry flavor mixes.

Get to the parks early

This is always good advice but in the summer the cooler sunny start to the day will make a big difference to your enjoyment of the parks. And it's much less crowded too. This advice is especially important for Disney's water parks, which are packed by noon, and Animal Kingdom, which closes early.

Hot tip: In the Magic Kingdom, Main Street opens early so people can have breakfast at Crystal Palace and Cinderella's Royal Table. Arrive early, and you can race to Splash Mountain for a first ride and pick up your Fast Passes for the next as soon as the park officially opens.

Take a mid afternoon break

As we keep saying, go early to the park of your choice but then take a break when the day is hottest - children will be flagging by then. In the summer this will help you avoid being caught in the obligatory late afternoon thunderstorm. Then, refreshed and reinvigorated, plan a return in the evening. The theme parks have lots of wonderful experiences to offer after dusk.

Hot tip: Rent a vacation villa within - say - 15 minutes of Disney. Then slip back to your peaceful personal oasis for some high quality rest and relaxation. Plenty of space to spread out - get away from the crowds - let the kids take a nap (just the kids?), hit the 'fridge or enjoy a refreshing swim in your own private pool. Then restocked, relaxed, revived and reinvigorated return for an evening's fun.

Keep cool

Yes, it is possible. We want you to enjoy every minute of your visit and the sunshine, heat and - yes - even the summer humidity is what makes this place so very special. So don't treat the climate as the enemy - make it part of the adventure.

Of course everything is air conditioned (thank you, Mr. Carrier) and "cool breaks" are central to the keep cool strategy. Keep hydrated - which means lots of drinks - but minimize drinks containing caffeine (colas, coffee and most teas) that tend to have the opposite effect. We never pass a water fountain without a drink - but OK, we are used to the taste!

Dress in light weight, light colored clothes and shoes. Avoid the non breathing artificial fabrics. Wide brimmed, light weight crushable hats are a good idea (if your head feels cool - you feel generally cool). Hats are essential to those of us whose hair is but a distant memory.

Be very respectful of the power of the sun even in winter. Caucasians from the north - especially northern europe - beware. 10 minutes unprotected exposure at noon and you are on your way to sun burn. We have seen so many vacations blighted by a rush to get a tan. Sun burn is very painful: sun stroke can be life threatening. So use plenty of high SPF rated sun block (and reapply as necessary) and by all means keep a light covering when the sun is at its peak.

Hot tip: If you are particularly susceptible to sun burn try to get some gentle exposure before you arrive. Even a little natural protection goes a long way.

Buy your park tickets before you arrive.

Park tickets are an expensive line item in any family's budget to visit Disney World. And that gives rise to a number of "shady" operations in the area. Use the old adage "if it's too good to be true, it probably is!" Our best advice? Use our award winning guest services for guaranteed low prices. It's best to buy them before you arrive either via the internet or by phone (there are always special deals available) or wait until you get here. They will deliver to you within one hour. Best of all, our Guest Services are at your service 8.00am to 10.00pm for all sorts of free advice, directions and recommendations. You'll be amazed.

Our advise is to not buy the tickets at the parks. Aside from costing top dollar these ticket lines are often slow moving as people have difficulty decided what type of ticket to buy. It's best to make those decisions without the rest of the family anxious to get the visit started. So this is one line you can and should avoid!

Hot tip: Don't get suckered by the free tickets scam. The most common form of which forces you to sit though a less-than-honest presentation of some time share or villa purchase during which time you will be under great pressure to buy. Don't waste your time and in our opinion you should definitely not buy.

Someone have a birthday while you are here?

Go to Guest Services in the Magic Kingdom and pick up a "Today is my birthday" button. Wear it prominently. Cast members will greet you, Goofy will telephone you to wish you happy birthday and who knows - you could be serenaded down Main Street (maybe even become an honorary citizen of Main Street).

Hot tip: Cast Members are very good at spotting these badges - but in case they miss one (especially a small child) have a quiet word with a Cast Member near a phone in any one of the stores and ask for the "birthday line" then watch your child's face (have the camera handy!)

Use the Disney Transportation system.

Use the wonderful, free, efficient, Disney Transportation to move between parks and sites. Blissfully air conditioned (yes!). Easy to find and easy to use. You often have a choice of buses, a futuristic monorail and even boats.

Hot tip: Take the children to the front waiting area of the monorail train. Ask a Cast Member if they can ride up-front with the driver. Now that's a great experience for kids of all ages!

Safety issues

Always keep an eye on your children! Florida has lots of water including ponds and pools. Some pools only appear after a tropical downpour. There are large diameter storm drains to cope with the summer rains. Many children are not familiar with the dangers of water. Please take care.

There are many walkways and trails in the parks and they probably all look the same to small folk. Actively keep your young ones close. Show them what Cast Members look like (Look for the the oval Disney Badge) Teach them to tell a Cast Member if they are lost.

Hot tip: Plan an unmistakable meeting spot at each theme park just in case your family gets separated.

Where can we meet Disney Characters?

There are several places around the Walt Disney World® Resort where you can catch a little quality time with the Disney Characters.

Magic Kingdom® Park. Always get the latest Daily Entertainment Schedule at City Hall in the Magic Kingdom Park, and be sure to catch all the Characters!

Catch daily appearances by Mickey Mouse at his house and by Minnie Mouse in the Toontown Hall of Fame. Various Disney Characters also appear daily at the Toontown Hall of Fame.

Characters also appear daily at the following locations:

Adventureland Congoasis: Rafiki, Timon, Baloo, and King Louie. Also check out the characters by the Magic Carpet ride and - of course - Pirates of the Caribbean.

Fantasyland: Mad Tea Party, Fantasyland Character Festival and in front of Cinderella's castle after shows.

Frontierland: Splash Mountain, Brer Fox and Brer Bear.

Main Street Square: a variety of characters.

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Epcot® The latest Daily Entertainment Schedule is available at Epcot®: Guest Relations. Discover the Characters in a number of locations, including:

The American Adventure: Celebrate "I Love America" with your favorite Disney Characters in the America Gardens Theatre, daily.

World Showcase: Disney Characters appear daily at Germany, Morocco, the United Kingdom, International Gateway, and Showcase Plaza.

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Disney-MGM Studios: Find out where the Characters are in action in the Daily Entertainment Schedule, available at Crossroads of the World in the Disney-MGM Studios.

Animation Courtyard Featuring daily appearances by Mickey Mouse, daily, and intermittently by other Disney Characters throughout the day.

New York StreetOperation: TOY STORY. It's your chance to meet Buzz, Woody, and all of your favorites in special Character appearances held daily.

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Disney's Animal Kingdom® ParkVisit Camp Minnie-Mickey, an old-fashioned summer camp where the characters go when they're on vacation. Throughout the day, this is where you'll find Mickey and his pals waiting to greet you! Look for Pooh and Pooh's friends at Character Landing.

(please note: as with most entertainment in the parks, these events are subject to change without notice. Performances may be delayed or canceled due to inclement weather.)

Hot tip: The best time to visit with Mickey himself is during a character meal either breakfast or dinner. One of his favorite restaurants for character dining is Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. Lots of other characters too!

Get it straight from the boss: rent or buy a "Pal Mickey"

This is it -- the very best Disney plush toy! Mickey makes the most of theme park visit with timesaving tips and fun facts bringing each theme park to life as a helpful up to the minute tour guide.

We have one and we wouldn't go to a park without him.

Bring "Pal Mickey" to any Walt Disney World theme park and he'll say over 700 different phrases! Everything from jokes to Disney trivia, and interactive games. But we find the useful features are the real-time reminders about parades and show times, attraction wait times, other timely recommendations about attractions and where to locate Disney characters. Pal Mickey has definitely got it covered! Though the magic of Disney technology Mickey knows where he is in the park and alerts you to all sorts of fun facts, advice and information as you walk along.

Pal Mickey is a huggable battery operated 10 -inch plush toy that helps guests get the most out of a Walt Disney World vacation.

Available for daily rental or purchase, Pal Mickey is a talking Mickey Mouse toy that entertains and assists guests in each of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort -- Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Pal Mickey keeps the whole family entertained with Disney jokes and fun interactive games guests can initiate, whether waiting in line at the theme parks or relaxing in your hotel room or villa -- even back at home.

Hot tip: Remember to keep Mickey facing forward.

Pal Mickey is available for purchase (currently $46.94 plus tax) at merchandise locations at select sites in Disney's four Florida theme parks.

Hot tip: Rent a Pal Mickey for just $8 plus tax per day plus a refundable $50.00 deposit. If you decide to keep a rented Pal Mickey you simply take him home; the deposit will be used as the total purchase price with tax.

Waiting in line

Disney World is big - very big. Bigger than many cities. But with so many people visiting the parks lines are inevitable. Disney works hard at controlling this problem and people come from all over the world to study how they do it.

Hot tip: A good time to visit the most popular rides is during
one of the Parades.

Not that you will care much as you are lining up for another attraction. When it's really busy most lines will start in the heat of the sun, but very soon you will wend your way under shade and then into air-conditioned spaces with a constant series of small amusements to keep your attention off the wait.

One thing you will notice - the actual wait for a ride at Walt Disney World hardly ever exceeds the estimate posted at the entrance and usually is a lot less. Given that not much in Disney World happens by accident this has to be part of their strategy - give 'em bad news up front which gets better! Line time is a golden opportunity for a snack and drink from the back packs. Plus if you have a Pal Mickey he will be chattering away telling all about the ride and features you would probably not see without him. Need more? He will tell you (seemingly endless) jokes and he is always up for a game.

Hot tip: Use the FASTPASS system with some or all of the strategies below and you will spend much less time in lines.

Use FASTPASS

Got to love the FASTPASS!

Whatever they are paying the person that thought up FASTPASS
- it's not enough!

FASTPASS allows you to avoid the most grueling lines:and its free.

Slip your admission card into a machine near the ride (FASTPASS distribution) and you will receive a ticket with a time to return. When you return at the appointed hour you go to your special entrance and zip past the regular line. You might wait 5 or so minutes.

FASTPASS applies only to the most popular rides, but then they are the ones that really need it. And you can only get one FASTPASS at a time. So a little strategy is needed. Visit the less popular rides while you are waiting for your FASTPASS return time and plan ahead for your next FASTPASS.

Let's take an example:

You arrive at a ride at 10 am. At the entrance to the FASTPASS equipped ride, you'll see three signs:

• Standby Entrance showing a estimated wait time of 45 minutes

• FASTPASS Return, and

• FASTPASS distribution showing a a return time of 11 am .

(By the way Disney says the FASTPASS return time is usually approximately the same as if you would have waited in Standby)

Anyway, here is your choice. Wait in line (probably 30 minutes - remember the posted times are always on the high side) or grab a FASTPASS and do something else for an hour or so.

Let's assume you decide to get a FASTPASS:

Go to FASTPASS distribution. Grab your park entrance pass and put into the dispenser machine, and presto! out pops a little ticket showing your return time.

Now you can return between 11.00 am and 12.00 noon (there is always a one hour window) and by pass the "Standby" line. Very satisfying!

To get the most out of FASTPASS you need a strategy. Now that does not mean you have to plan the day like a Napoleonic campaign - but here are a few tips: .

1. Remember you can only get one FASTPASS at a time. But you can get another FASTPASS every 2 hours so if you time it right you can get your next FASTPASS before you ride. Keep an eye on the return time you might be able to ride again pretty much as soon as you get off!

2. FASTPASS's are too valuable to use capriciously. Once you get a FASTPASS for a certain ride, you are blocked from getting another one for 2 hours even if you change your mind.

3. Considering point 2, shop around and use FASTPASS wisely. At any one time some rides may have relatively short Standby waits and long FASTPASS return times. This can happen for example if a ride had a mechanical problem earlier. Of course the reverse is also true - so do the math!

Hot tip: Please don't try to use your FASTPASS before the time on the ticket. You will be turned away and then you have to make your way out of the line.

Currently, the following Disney attractions are using the FASTPASS system:

Animal Kingdom:

Primeval Whirl, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur (formerly known as Countdown to Extinction), It's Tough to be a Bug
Kali River Rapids.

Disney MGM Studios:

Al's Toy Barn, Rock n Roller Coaster, Voyage of the Little Mermaid,
Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular,
Muppet's 3-D, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!

Magic Kingdom:

Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain,
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Jungle Cruise,
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight,
Haunted Mansion

Epcot:

Mission: SPACE, Test Track, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
Living With the Land, Maelstrom

Hot tip: Kid's taking 5? Having a snack break? Don't forget some rides have a single rider line. Very often very short delays.

After dark

OK, we have to admit it - we love the parks after dark. Let's start with our favorite:

Epcot:

In our opinion the best part of Epcot after dark is the International Showcase area surrounding a huge lagoon. At regular intervals around the edge of the lagoon are huge flaming torches. All the different countries encircle the lagoon have a signature feature, Pagodas, Mayan pyramids, Italian bell tower, an English pub, the Eiffel tower, a colonial style city hall, a Moroccan bazaar and many others. These are cleverly lit and reflect in the shimmering water. Strolling around the lagoon is a delight plus see cultural performances (e.g. Chinese acrobats, Japanese drums or a Canadian band) at intervals throughout the various countries. (there are plenty of opportunities to try foods from the various countries too!) Then to cap it off the IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of earth is an extraordinary fireworks, light and laser extravaganza.

Magic Kingdom:

Much as we love Epcot, the Magic Kingdom is better for the younger ones. The Magic Kingdom shines after dark; you can enjoy the night-time parade, and then move near the Disney castle, to watch the fireworks to end the night. You cannot help be moved by the sight of the fireworks exploding over the top of Cinderella's Castle and watch for Tinkerbelle flying from the top of the castle. Pure magic!

Do check out the closing times here. At certain times of the year the park closes early and this means no parade and fireworks.

Hot tip: At intervals throughout the year, the Magic Kingdom reopens at night for special events (e.g. Christmas and Halloween). Special tickets are required for these events.

MGM-Studios

MGM-Studios is a sight to behold when darkness falls, with its flashy big-billboard style, and movie themes; and the Fantasmic show --an indescribable combo of water, lights, images, and fireworks-- is a must-see event. The Fantasmic show takes place at an outdoor theatre, which fills every night. Be sure to take your seat at least an hour before the show. Seats are arranged in tiers in an arc around the front of the water between you and the stage. We think the best seats are a few rows up and about 1/3 rd from each end. Please note, depending on the wind direction, you will get a little wet in the front seats of this show.

Hot tip: Purchase a Fantasmic dinner package: with this deal, you first dine at a restaurant and then proceed to a guaranteed Fantasmic seat. The special seating area is at the far right of the theatre so its not the best position.

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney is a 120 acre entertainment, dining, and shopping complex at the WDW resort made up of three distinct sections:

• The Marketplace,

• Pleasure Island and

• West Side.

A Disney shoppers paradise, Downtown Disney features such diverse shops as World of Disney, Lego Imagination Center, the Art of Disney, and the enormous Virgin Records and a 24 screen AMC movie theater. There are several restaurants (including Planet Hollywood), candy and ice cream stores and some good coffee. Unique entertainment is also available at Cirque du Soleil, Disney Quest and the night time hot spot, Pleasure Island. Concerts are held at the House of Blues.

Admission is free for the MarketPlace and West Side areas of Downtown Disney Admission to Pleasure Island is free before 7 pm: after which you must pay an admission fee. Age restrictions apply.

Pleasure Island

This is a terrific night spot. If you can, avoid weekends as locals flock to this fun location. It can become very crowded.

Be forewarned that Thursday night is Cast Member night. You will encounter a larger than normal group of 18-23 year-olds.

If you want to go see a large headliner act, keep in mind that it will be very crowded. Downtown Disney Pleasure Island crowds can occasionally rival Mardi Gras crowds in New Orleans for some of the more popular acts!

Try to plan this as a "night out" for adults. While underage children are permitted with an adult, both parties will have more fun with other alternatives.

Hot tip: Disney features great kids clubs and babysitting venues for younger children. Take advantage of these and plan on some dinner, music, dancing and of course a stop at The Adventurers Club.

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