If you had just one tip to give, what would it be?

[Mattsmom]

Research, understand and use FASTPASS!!!! Saved us lots of waiting in the heat! Most people rush to use their FP as soon as the appointment time starts. You have an hour, stop and pick-up your next FP on the way, jump on a ride with a short line ect. Use it to it fullest and it will make your touring much more pleasant.

 

[Terry in NJ]

How about carrying bandanas for everyone? When it's super-hot, you soak them in water and wrap them around your necks...



NEVER go to the Early Entry Park if you can't get there at opening. The park stays crowded all day. Rather, go to the Park of choice the day AFTER the EE day. This tip was from a CM and has worked beautifully for us (especially with me not wanting to spend my vacation up at 6:30 every am!).



Get PS's for at least one meal a day. Really. You can always cancel if you change your plans for that day.

 

[wtg03]

Great tips so far!!! And let me just echo a few of them as they are right on the money!!!

1) Get there early (at opening) and take an afternoon nap! We stayed one morning from opening until about 2PM. It was hot and humid, we were drained and beat, and it spoiled the fun! Every other day we went had lunch (many times in our hotel room), took a nap, and went for a swim. We were refreshed and ready to go again. I couldn't have made it for a week without a daily naps!

2) Do the character breakfast in the Castle at MC. This was the highpoint of our trip (and not just for my daughters but for me as well)!!! Here I was actually having breakfast in the Castle! How cool! And the characters (nothing but the girls-Snow White, Cinderella, and a few others) came to the table one by one. My daughters LOVED it!!!

3) Take plenty of snacks. We took Goldfish and home made chocolate chip cookies. When you were feeling exhausted we just grabbed a snack and were reenergized!

4) Read the "Unofficial Guide to Disney World". Worth every penny!!! We used it last time and my wife is even quoted in the new release!!! It's a must have!!!

Keep 'em coming!!!

1972-offsite in the middle of an orange grove campground
1999-All Star's Movies
2001-offsite at Vistana (and maybe a night or two at the Swan)

 

[ftwcutter]

Research park attendance rates, then decide on a date. For example, spring break is unbearably crowded and mid-summer is unbearably hot AND crowded.

Leave smaller children (2 or younger) with Grandma (don't even entertain the thought of taking an infant). As a matter of fact, any child under 5 would probably have as good of time at Chuckie Cheeses and simply won't fully appreciate Disney in the manner that it was meant to be. Imagine the awe-struck look on their face when they reach a comprehensible age. I waited (painfully) until my daughter was 9 so she could fully appreciate the wonder of Disney and not just see it as a trip to cartoonland. She was totally awestruck! I'm glad I didn't rob her (or myself) of that awestruck wonder by taking her earlier. Trust me, it's well worth the wait!

After 7 days of dodging and being struck by an unbelievable number of strollers (and witnessing my daughter being knocked to the ground by one), I personally believe that strollers should only be allowed for children who are physically challenged. They are simply too clunky to navigate the crowds. We witnessed a lot of frustration and anger by non-stroller families due to the rudeness of the navigators of these china shop bulls. That was the ONLY thing that lessened the enchantment of Disney World for us.

 

[ftwcutter]

NEVER go to the Early Entry Park if you can't get there at opening. The park stays crowded all day. Rather, go to the Park of choice the day AFTER the EE day. This tip was from a CM and has worked beautifully for us (especially with me not wanting to spend my vacation up at 6:30 every am!).

Excellent tip! We did just that and the crowds/lines were totally managable. We spoke to many families who went on Early Entry days and the general concensus was that the parks were packed. Even the official Disney Guide mentioned that fact.

 

[castmbr]

OK - I didn't see this one yet, so here it is! Pack plastic garbage bags and ziplocs. Garbage bags for dirty clothes (the bags they give you are never big enough) and for wet suits and towels coming home. Ziplocs for anything else that might need to be transported wet, or that might leak during travel.

 

[zum62]

After all day on your feet at the parks make sure to soak in the hot tub at your resort or take a steaming hot bath to sooth aching leg muscles.
Even though I walk regularly, I have woken up in the middle of the night with aching legs and been unable to sleep, especially during my first couple of days of marathon touring. The hot bath/tub routine seems to eliminate a restless night.

 

[nab486]

First get insulated water bottles (Rubbermaid makes a great one $5 at Walmart camping section) We carried these all morning then asked for Ice at lunch (free) and refilled them with cans of Pepsi. It saved a ton of money.

Second, buy one of the misty fan things at home. Ours was $5 here and they wanted $16 for the ones at Disney. If it was hot it really made a difference.

Jamie

 

[musical2]

My tip: If you have access to a freezer at your resort (We stayed at OKW last week) fill one 1-liter water bottle almost full of filtered water (from a brita water bottle and filter), fill another 1-liter bottle half full with filtered water and put them both in the freezer overnight. Lay the half-filled bottle on a 45 degree angle in the freezer. The next morning you have solid ice in both. Put more filtered water in the half-filled bottle and then put both in the 1-liter water bottle insulated carriers. In this way you have fresh cold water in the morning from the the bottle with half ice. In the afternoon you have fresh cold water in the bottle that was full ice. The second water bottle with ice will last the rest of the day. When the water runs out halfway through the afternoon, but still has ice in the bottle, just use the brita water bottle to add more filtered water to it from park water fountains.

Bart

 

[NancyMouse]

I always pack a backpack with an "emergency kit" and stash it in a locker at the park. I pack band-aids, safety pins, a sewing kit, extra contact lenses, eyeglass repair kit, a change of shoes (those blisters are inevitable!), change of clothes for little ones that are prone to "accidents", sun block, Immodium AD, aspirin, allergy medicine, etc....in anticipation of any unforseen crisis that would cause us to have to leave the park.

If you have a large group going to Disney, bright matching T-shirts can help to ensure everyone stays together...makes it easier spot any little ones that wander off in the crowds.

 

[ftwcutter]

Predictable response to my opinion of strollers. It is the mistaken belief that a stroller would ever have the "right of way" on a "walk way" that lead me to post that tip in the first place. As for the advice to "not stop suddenly in the middle of a street to look at a map or to just talk"... contrary to that line of thought, most have enough tact and courtesy toward others to not do such a thing (the same ones who never struck another child with thier strollers or made adults dodge them). I still believe strollers should be a no-no in extremely crowded places (except, of course, for the unhealthy or physically challenged). If a physically healthy child can't navigate it on foot, they're simply too young to be there. I challenge Disney visitors to spend just a moment to observe this situation when they sit down to rest. It's unbelievable.
I will, however, rephrase my tip to the following... If you are going to use a stroller in such a crowded and busy environment such as Disney World, please have respect for those on foot. Better yet... get those kids out of that stroller, into the "World" and have a blast! Dance down Main Street with them! Hold them up to the dancing waters at Epcot and let them feel the water! Put them on your shoulders and feel them bounce when Mickey appears in the parade! Now THAT, they will remember.

 

[ftwcutter]

The wheelchair remark was a blindside, since I specifically excluded "physically challenged" and "unhealthy" in my post. As for this getting out of hand... I'm not the one debating another person's tip. Mine was simply an observation and certainly doesn't need a forum of it's own or an argument. As for prayers... thank you, we can all use that.
With that, I gracefully bow out and close my side of this discussion {bowing}.

 

[Kim&Chris]

The best advice I can give is........keep goodies in your room.

By this I mean that it's a good idea to go to a local supermarket near Disney (such as WalMart or Publix) and stock up on juices, fruit, snacks, sodas, etc. This will save SO MUCH MONEY because, as we know, Disney's prices for this stuff are crazy

I figured out what we saved on our last trip by NOT buying snacks and sodas in the parks (and by bringing them in a backpack) and our savings were nearly $100.00. That savings bought us another night at the CBR!!!!

 

[Dolizza]

MAYBE IT SHOULD NOT BE WATCH OUT FOR PEOPLE ON FOOT.....MAYBE IT SHOULD BE WATCH OUT FOR STROLLERS!!!

 

[Disneydays]

Buy all the film you will need at home before you leave.

If you are a gum chewer....take it with you....you can't buy gum in the parks.

You may want to consider shipping some things to your resort ahead of time.....snack items, hair dryers, etc.

One tip that I read somewhere??....if you have little ones at home that would appreciate a bit of Disney...buy Disney coloring/story books at home and then have them autographed at the parks....

HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!

 

[guyzmom]

Moleskin tape for blisters can be a lifesaver!

Plan, plan, plan! It is such a big place! I'm a planner by nature, and by doing my homework, and making an itinerary - we got to see and do everything we wanted to; and things went so fast and so smoothly that we were able to throw the itinerary in the trash a few days early, goof around at our leisure, and go back multiple times to our favorite finds!

#1 tip: trust your own instincts, and do what's right for you

HAVE FUN!

 

[pouncingpluto]

Plan a character breakfast for the day you leave. It is so great to have one more bit of Disney magic to look forward to. Otherwise, it is just so blah to get up and leave the World.

 

[mirlow]

Download maps to the park and get them laminated. We did this last year and it was great. You don't have to worry about them getting wet or torn up and you can look at them with one hand

 

[sillyspook13]

Hello! I'm new here.

If I could just give 1 tip, it would be to get up and dance when watching Tapestry of Nations. The puppets are more likely to interact with you that way.

 

[Debi]

Thanks for all the tips so far, everyone! Also a friendly reminder to keep the stroller/wheelchair debate friendly. Although there are different opinions on this subject, please be courteous of anothers opinion, even if it may be different. Thanks!

I agree 100% with sillyspook13's advice about dancing with the puppets in ToN. If you open up and smile, dance and cheer, they will interact with you more. Also, be sure to watch ToN from outside Germany - it is now the only place where a parade both enters and exits. The best place to watch!