Comments on: help! We’re going to Disney World!

By: Deborah Hutton

Deborah Hutton — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:12:13 +0000

We took our 4 kids (ages 5,7,9,10 )
1. We bought a hot pink umbrella-ish stroller at Walmart with a carry bin underneath etc. Best money we ever spent(then I sold it when we got home) . You can spot that thing in the sea (and I do mean sea) of strollers.
2. We took 2 strollers and needed them/used them. We put gear and kids in them. 5 and 7 year olds were tired.
3. Bring your lunch. We packed ours every single day. Saved a small fortune. Bought ice cream or hot pretzel for fun snack.
4. Princess breakfast at Norway castle in Epcot. Easier to get into. Loved it. 4 or 5 princesses there. Great food.
5. Fast pass. yes.
6.Buzz Lightyear ride. great.
7. Animal Kingdom waste of time.
8. AAA Diamond parking pass from Ebay. great.

By: Wynn

Wynn — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:41:37 +0000

I’d say rent a stroller too as opposed to taking your own. It’s not worth the hassle getting it on the plane and they’re bigger and more manuverable than anything you’d have yourself. Tie something to it so it’s easier to locate when parked up. Have a great time!

By: michelle

michelle — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:41:51 +0000

we’re going too! we leave Saturday morning. we are not flying though. when are y’all leaving? anyhoo, the thing that i find most helpful when packing (which is hard to do since my girls are older now) but i pack their clothes in the gallon size plastic bags and let all the air out. makes more room in the suitcase and it easy to find clothes once you get settled.

i’ve not read through all your comments so you may have already seen this. you can take your own snacks into the park, as well as lunch. oh, rent a stroller! it makes it so much easier than having to carry yours around. you can also buy the autograph books down there. on our first trip i had no clue they did that. the girls enjoyed standing in line and meeting the characters. Oh, y’all are gonna have SO much fun!

By: :: holly

:: holly — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:02:48 +0000

I’m so excited for you! We are going to Disney in February (our first time) so I’m soaking this all in. The only advice I have is that we always take a picture of the kids with a digital camera when we enter an amusement park. God forbid if something happens, I have digital images of them and what they are wearing. Also, a friend recommended the bippity, boppity, boo salon in downtown disney & at cinderella’s castle. I haven’t really looked into it yet but I thought I would mention it. have fun!

By: Donna

Donna — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:53:07 +0000

We did a character breakfast at Animal Kingdom that was pretty amazing. It was a buffet with lots of choices. The kids had time to eat before the characters arrived. The characters went from one table to the next so no one had to wait in line and they spent lots of time taking photos with us. We also did the Hoop de do Revue. I didn’t expect my kids to like it that much, but they did ! We also took our regular babysitter with us. We have three children so each adult was responsible for one child. Not many of the Disney hotels cater to families of more than four, so we rented two connecting rooms at one of the lower price resorts and had four beds and two bathrooms. That way, our sitter didn’t feel awkward sleeping in the same room with us, and the kids could roam back and forth between room without going outside. Have fun!

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:03:53 +0000

My BIL and SIL just went to disney world and the surrounding parks for a week. They don’t have children, but pretty much act like children themselves (ie: they like to have fun). They posted a series of blog posts with their experiences, recommendations, ratings of rides, food, etc… They posted them from Sep. 2009-Dec. I’ve never been, but their blogs look very useful for planning. Here is a link to their first post on their trip. http://theweirdneills.blogspot.com/2009/09/wdwed-day-1.html

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:03:31 +0000

Hi Emily!
I stopped reading through the comments so if you get a repeat…sorry!

We have gone several time with our kids, at all different ages and here is what I have found…

Try to get a park map at your hotel (even the off-property hotels have these in the lobby) the night before you go into the park. Look it over together and try to come up with a plan for the next day, based on what you MUST SEE and Maybe/kinda/sorta/wanna SEE. It helped us prioritize especially in the Magic Kingdom, where you are in different “lands”. You could waste a lot of time standing in line for something that you didn’t really want to see.

Every night as we were waiting for the bus or on the ride back to hotel, we pulled out our kids autograph books and starting in the back and moving forward had them write or dictate their favorite memory from that day. I have done this since our oldest went the first time at age 2 and it is so neat to see her “journal” of her vacation and how it has changed. She was 9 the last time we were there.

Without shame, I will also tell you that I planned their outfits to somewhat coordinate so that my pictures would look great. AND THEY DO! Every time, when we go on the day to stand in line to see Mickey, we are all in RED! My friends tease me for this, but it matters to me! And did I say my pics look great! I will also throw in that it was easy for me to remember what my kids were wearing because I had put so much thought into it. Which by the way, comes in handy when your 4 yr. old wanders off and you have to describe him to a cast member. Never fear, he was located in less than 90 seconds!

Lastly, I think this was already said, but DO NOT miss the WISHES fireworks in front of the castle! Even if you need to go back to the hotel and let the little ones rest earlier in the day, come back. It was worth every penny of our vacation fund! It completely encompasses the *magic* of Disney!

Have a blast and try to take it all in, and plan some down time when you get home! It takes a lot to recover!

By: Mrs. Noonzie

Mrs. Noonzie — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:33:17 +0000

I would go to the Barnes and Noble travel section and get the 2010 Disney handbook. (Can’t remember the exact name) It will tell you the most successful times to visit each ride and each princess/character. For instance, there is a very specific time that you can see Ariel without having to stand in a crazy line. It really helped us plan how we went around the park; even where we stopped to eat and get snacks. The book even has restaurant details and reviews. It will even go so far as to suggest which shows or rides might frighten young children. It was VERY helpful.

You will also probably want autograph books and a pen for all the princesses and characters to sign. Some people bring their own with them to save money. BUT, when you first enter the park, there are some shops with adorable princessy ones with spaces for autographs and photos. I thought it was worth the splurge, but then again, I only had to buy one. The other thing you’ll see a lot of kids with is the mickey mouse ears with their name embroidered on the back.

By: Megs

Megs — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:55:31 +0000

We were just there on Monday! In winter coats no less, but the sun was shining and we had a glorious day! Please tell me you weren’t there on Monday, I would have hated to missed you. Hope you have a wonderful time!!

By: Lindsay Adamson

Lindsay Adamson — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:34:46 +0000

how fun, Emily!!! I remember when we went as a family my brothers and I all had a fanny pack (super cool back then…maybe not now) and in my fanny pack my mom packed a couple of snacks/treats and maybe hand sanitizer or chapstick or something…who knows. I thought it was fun and exciting, maybe your kids would too!