Advice on trip to Walt Disney World

[CenTex]

I hesitated in posting this because I did not want it to be a LAM post. Anyway, my wife is taking a business trip to Florida in August so we decided to tag 3 days on and take our 3 year old and go see The Mouse.

I have noticed in several posts/thread, there is quite a bit of Disney knowledge on the board here so I thought I would ask you good people what advice you have for a Disneyworld vacation--I have pored over the Disney website, and we bought a guidebook, but if you all have any suggestions what to see and do/what to avoid, etc, I would really appreciate it.

TIA for your help!

[Errata]

It's so very different with a 3 year old than an older child, because there are so many things they can't do yet. Any advice I could give would involve rides that would exclude a 3 year old. Of course there are activities geared to the very young, but those may as well exist in their own parallel dimension.

[CenTex]

Originally Posted by Errata

It's so very different with a 3 year old than an older child, because there are so many things they can't do yet. Any advice I could give would involve rides that would exclude a 3 year old. Of course there are activities geared to the very young, but those may as well exist in their own parallel dimension.

Surprisingly, since she is 40", there are only a few attractions that she can't go on--Space mountain (will be closed while we are there), and one or two others. She can't go on Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom, but I am going on it, it looks too awesome to miss! We will have to do the rider swap on that one. Also, she is has absolutely NO fear, she will be dissappointed that she can't go on it, and I don't think she will be scared on any others.

[Minstrel]

I would recommend looking at allears.net, which is a very good online source, and also looking through DisBoards, the message board at wdwinfo.com. The people over there are incredibly knowledgeable! (I'm registered there as Hockey Ninja, but I usually only post when I'm planning a trip.) They'd be really good for any very specific questions.

Are you going to stay at a Disney hotel or offsite?

Make sure you use the FastPasses for popular rides. You put your park ticket through a machine outside the ride, and it gives you a little card that tells you what time to come back to the FastPass line, so you can go off and do something else instead of waiting through the whole standby line.

Make sure you keep hydrated and stay in the shade as much as you can-- but then, you probably already knew that.

If your little one wouldn't be scared of the big costumed characters, I highly recommend going to a character meal. They're so much fun! And the food is really tasty, too! They have Winnie the Pooh characters at the Crystal Palace restaurant in the Magic Kingdom and the classic Mickey characters at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort (right next to MK). I believe there's also a Donald Duck-hosted breakfast at Animal Kingdom. AllEars.net has a full list of character meals. These don't technically require reservations, but seriously, if you don't make a reservation you aren't getting in! The dining reservation number is (407) WDW-DINE.

You may want to stop by guest relations and get a "First Visit" pin for your daughter to wear. (They're free.) She'll get some extra attention from Cast Members that way.

Sturdy, well-broken-in walking shoes are of course a MUST.

It rains almost every day in Florida in summer for a little while late in the afternoon, but it's usually a quick shower and most rides keep operating.

This is something I've seen a lot on my trips, and I almost hesitate to say it, but--don't push your daughter too hard. I've seen a lot of parents push hot cranky kids to keep actively going through what should be naptime or past bedtime, and the kid predictably has a meltdown, and the parents follow suit. Keep a relaxed pace. You probably won't be able to see everything you want in 3 days, so if you accept that going in and don't rush around, it will be a much more relaxed vacation.

Oh, and the Earl of Sandwich restaurant in Downtown Disney has some of the best bread I have ever tasted!

I hope you have an awesome time!

[Arrow Tech IV]

The Norwegian Restaurant in Epcot was listed in our guidebook as a fantastic deal with very good food and the guidebook was right! While you'll pay forty or fifty dollars for two meals, they will keep bringing you more of anything on the menu (you order a first dish and, if you want to try other things, they keep bringing you food, in an "all you can eat" fashion). The food was very, very good. Their Viking coffee is a dessert and alcoholic, the perfect way to start an early day (of course, we were there when it was raining and chilly).

[Cervus]

Florida in August...it's going to be extremely hot, humid, and there will be a thunderstorm between 1:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon (seriously, you can tell time by the rain). Do as much as you can early in the day, then plan to do indoor stuff in the afternoon.

If your dates were flexible, I'd recommend November for better weather and fewer crowds, but since this is a business trip I guess you can't.

[Errata]

Originally Posted by Arrow Tech IV

The Norwegian Restaurant in Epcot was listed in our guidebook as a fantastic deal with very good food and the guidebook was right! While you'll pay forty or fifty dollars for two meals, they will keep bringing you more of anything on the menu (you order a first dish and, if you want to try other things, they keep bringing you food, in an "all you can eat" fashion). The food was very, very good.

Yeah I distinctly remember liking that restaurant as a kid. They had multiple kinds of herring at the smorgasbord and I filled up on that instead of an entree. I believe that was the first time I ever had "raw" fish, but far from the last.

Originally Posted by CenTex

Surprisingly, since she is 40", there are only a few attractions that she can't go on--Space mountain (will be closed while we are there), and one or two others.

I was thinking of all of the Disney parks. If you've got 3 extra days you may not want to spend them all in one place. Typhoon Lagoon was a lot of fun, but I believe many of the slides are for 48" and up. Of course they do have a good kiddie pool area like most water parks, but I don't know much about that first hand.

[TatorKate]

Originally Posted by Minstrel

Are you going to stay at a Disney hotel or offsite?

If at all possible, I would recommend staying at a Disney hotel. I've stayed at the value rate ones, and they were great. It makes everything easier as they set up buses to get you around.

[CenTex]

Originally Posted by TatorKate

If at all possible, I would recommend staying at a Disney hotel. I've stayed at the value rate ones, and they were great. It makes everything easier as they set up buses to get you around.

We are staying at one of the value ones as well. I am glad you liked it, I was a little worried that it wouldn't be very nice. We are staying at the All Star Movies Resort. Our guide book mentioned the buses. Do they drop you at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, or do you still have to ride the ferry across the lake?

I was thinking of all of the Disney parks. If you've got 3 extra days you may not want to spend them all in one place. Typhoon Lagoon was a lot of fun, but I believe many of the slides are for 48" and up. Of course they do have a good kiddie pool area like most water parks, but I don't know much about that first hand.

Thanks. I hadn't considered the water parks. Like you said, most of the slides are 48" and up. We are going to spend a day at Epcot, a day at Magic Kingdom, and a day at Animal Kingdom. I figured if we wanted to swim we could use the pool at the hotel. The little Texling is at the point she can kick around a pool with the assistance of a ring or floaties. She will jump in and take off--like I said, no fear. We are going to start swimming lessons this summer.

[justusfour]

I would suggest picking up a Birnbaum's Disneyworld guide.There is so much information that we used on our trip last year that we had no idea about. I'm pretty sure they will have a guide geared more toward a younger crowd. I had one last year that was just for kids' stuff to do.

Also, because it's so crowded and there's so much to do, try to make a tentative schedule of what you would like to do, or you might wind up walking around aimlessly for half the day.

[Photo Bob]

What Cervus said, but I would only add that the crowd does tend to thin out a bit once the afternoon rain hits. The storms are usually brief so don't flee the park. We would usually eat an early supper while it was raining and then head for the shorter lines after the rain stopped.

As Cervus warned, it will be hot and extremely humid after the afternoon rain.

[ElectricBarbarella]

PIN TRADE!!!!

She's only three, but it's still a memory for her. You buy a laynard and a few pins, then throughout the day cast members and other guests come up to you to trade pins. You can get some awesome ones that way.

Also, get her a good, sturdy autograph book. You'll want it for her to get character autographs.

Though I am sure you know this, here's my run down (we are going on Friday for DD's 13th birthday!):

Sunblock and lots of it. The stronger the better.

Water and lots of it. Bring a backpack stuffed full of towels, sunblock, sunglasses (for her too) and snacks. Yes, Disney allows you to bring in prepackaged food. Simple snack stuff. Bring a pair of cheap flip flops for each of you in this backpack. You may have good well worn shoes on now, but your feet will thank you--especially if you go on a water ride, change into the flip flops before hand.

Don't try to see everything at once but do plan to see something big during a parade. The major rides usually go through a slow period during the parades and that's when you can sneak on quickly.

My own strategy is to go the opposite way the crowd goes, upon park opening. If they go left, I go right. This time,however, we are hitting Haunted Mansion first (center of park) and going what would be right (towards thunder mountain/splash mountain) because our lunch reservations (yes, get them!) are at the Crystal Palace. I like "circling" the park, so this is perfect, because after lunch is a parade, and we will be able to shoot over to Tomorrowland unobstructed.

This is all I can think of. Oh, and since she is so young, don't be afraid to leave and go take a nap and return in a few hours. By the time you return, others are leaving for dinner, so you should have the park pretty empty by 4ish. It's summer, so the park stays open late (and later still for resort people), so you can definitely do this without missing anything.

[Mickey is a gyrl]

Is your daughter interested in meeting characters? I encourage you to do it. Buy an autograph book and bring a Sharpie Retractable with you (the characters will love you for it). A word of caution, though- if she hasn't met with characters before, she may be slightly intimidated of them because of their size. I've seen it happen more than once.

Check out the Disney Dining Plan. It'll be of huge benefit to you and your wife (I don't remember if 3 year olds can eat free. If not, it's only $10.99/day).

Take full advantage of Extra Magic Hours. Especially if you're there for morning extra magic hours in Animal Kingdom. If you go on Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing, you'll actually see the animals moving around. It's very cool (compared to their lethargy in the hot summer afternoons). Make sure to bring sunblock and reapply it regularly. Sunburn in Disney World is not fun.

ETA: and my fondest memory of the Haunted Mansion was when I was about 3 years old. I fell asleep while in Disney World, so my parents were carrying me (I've always been little). When I woke up, I saw some people dancing in a dining room, dozed back off for a minute or two, then the next time I woke up, I saw a ghost sitting next to me (in the mirror). I screamed bloody murder.

Moral of this story- do not go on the Haunted Mansion when your daughter is napping. It may become one of her favorite rides (or her absolute least favorite- I'm surprised I don't hate the ride because of it).

[CenTex]

Originally Posted by Mickey is a gyrl

Is your daughter interested in meeting characters? I encourage you to do it. Buy an autograph book and bring a Sharpie Retractable with you (the characters will love you for it). A word of caution, though- if she hasn't met with characters before, she may be slightly intimidated of them because of their size. I've seen it happen more than once.

Check out the Disney Dining Plan. It'll be of huge benefit to you and your wife (I don't remember if 3 year olds can eat free. If not, it's only $10.99/day).

Take full advantage of Extra Magic Hours. Especially if you're there for morning extra magic hours in Animal Kingdom. If you go on Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing, you'll actually see the animals moving around. It's very cool (compared to their lethargy in the hot summer afternoons). Make sure to bring sunblock and reapply it regularly. Sunburn in Disney World is not fun.

ETA: and my fondest memory of the Haunted Mansion was when I was about 3 years old. I fell asleep while in Disney World, so my parents were carrying me (I've always been little). When I woke up, I saw some people dancing in a dining room, dozed back off for a minute or two, then the next time I woke up, I saw a ghost sitting next to me (in the mirror). I screamed bloody murder.

Moral of this story- do not go on the Haunted Mansion when your daughter is napping. It may become one of her favorite rides (or her absolute least favorite- I'm surprised I don't hate the ride because of it).

Thanks for the all the advice! The Extra magic hours at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are in the evening.

We are definitely going to do the character greetings. She is a bit shy with characters, but usually warms up. We are also having lunch with Cinderella. I think she will really enjoy that one because the princesses are "real".

[Mickey is a gyrl]

Originally Posted by CenTex

Thanks for the all the advice! The Extra magic hours at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are in the evening.

We are definitely going to do the character greetings. She is a bit shy with characters, but usually warms up. We are also having lunch with Cinderella. I think she will really enjoy that one because the princesses are "real".

Let the attendant know that she's a little shy, or go up with her to begin with. Characters understand shyness, but please do not force her to take a picture with characters if she doesn't want to. I've lost count the number of times I've seen it happen, and always think about how awful the picture must come out. If she's really freaked out, meet a face character first, with a fur nearby.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Minstrel

This is something I've seen a lot on my trips, and I almost hesitate to say it, but--don't push your daughter too hard. I've seen a lot of parents push hot cranky kids to keep actively going through what should be naptime or past bedtime, and the kid predictably has a meltdown, and the parents follow suit. Keep a relaxed pace. You probably won't be able to see everything you want in 3 days, so if you accept that going in and don't rush around, it will be a much more relaxed vacation.

Excellent advice for any trip or outing. Keep her fed, too -- it's easy to forget how small little tummies are. She'll probably need a snack before you feel hungry. Best to pack some little things so that if the hungry-crankies strike suddenly, you can feed her immediately.

Originally Posted by Mickey is a gyrl

Let the attendant know that she's a little shy, or go up with her to begin with. Characters understand shyness, but please do not force her to take a picture with characters if she doesn't want to. I've lost count the number of times I've seen it happen, and always think about how awful the picture must come out. If she's really freaked out, meet a face character first, with a fur nearby.

My ex was actually put out with our then-4YO daughter for being afraid of the characters.

[CenTex]

Originally Posted by Mickey is a gyrl

Let the attendant know that she's a little shy, or go up with her to begin with. Characters understand shyness, but please do not force her to take a picture with characters if she doesn't want to. I've lost count the number of times I've seen it happen, and always think about how awful the picture must come out. If she's really freaked out, meet a face character first, with a fur nearby.

I am sure you have seen it all! She is actually really stoked about meeting the princesses as well as the fur characters. My wife and I have had to quit talking about it, when she asked "Are we going to see Mickey Mouse today?" a few days ago.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by CenTex

I am sure you have seen it all! She is actually really stoked about meeting the princesses as well as the fur characters. My wife and I have had to quit talking about it, when she asked "Are we going to see Mickey Mouse today?" a few days ago.

DD was stoked about it, too, until she got there. Here's the thing: the characters are BIG in person, much bigger than many little kids expect based on what they've seen before they go.

I hope she won't be scared, but if she is, just take it slow.

[Bob Loblaw]

I would just be sure you get to Animal Kingdom early for the feedings.

All of this is based on when I worked there in 1999 and 2000, things may have changed up some.

A good place to meet characters is Toontown in the County Bounty. Sometimes the princesses would stand at the start of the line in CB as a special treat. Belle would be ignored as she wasn't wearing the ballgown. And the line tends to be shortest if you can be there right as the parade ends.

I would be sure you start talking about how big the characters are, most young children get freaked out at their size.

You can buy ponchos at the dollar store, but most cast members will give you a merchandise bag in a pinch. And remember people are paying good money to get soaking wet at the water parks (which completely shut down if a storm is big or long enough).

My family always used bandanas to stay cool, wrapped around your wrist or draped on the neck after soaking them with water from a fountain.

If you buy stuff, you can have it delivered to your on property hotel, or pick it up at the front of the park for free.

Mom always packed a few granola bars for snacks. This was when we were in high school and ate a meal in the park. Earlier we bought snacks, but went to the car to make sandwiches from the cooler. There is nothing like 95 degree weather, no shade and the heat radiating from inside the car to remind you that the food may be expensive inside the parks, but there is air conditioning. We had a car, why didn't we just drive off property to McDonalds?


Also keep your hands away from Donald's mouth, he bit me.

[Mickey is a gyrl]

Originally Posted by Bob Loblaw

Also keep your hands away from Donald's mouth, he bit me.

Donald does not like having his bill touched. He's always worried that people will yank it, which will hurt his neck. A lot.

And the princesses don't hang out at the front of the line anymore to begin with. And there's now a Fairy room (Tink and friends) in Toontown.