Sunday, May 15, 2011

Please Share Your Magical Disney Tips!!!

theSTROLLERteeAs we get ready to “stroller” Disney World, I need your help!!! If you’re a veteran Disney Fan, please give us your TIPS…the things we can’t leave without experiencing, purchasing, eating, etc. We need to know your favorite things…your money saving tips…and more! Can’t wait to hear what you think is magical!!!

21 comments:

KJJ Houston said...

I dont have any - havent been yet, but can you do a follow up post when you get the good responces to re post them? I would love to read!

The Sturgeon Family said...

I am a big Disney fan and have been to Disney World about 5 or 6 times. We just went this past March with my parents, husband and 5 month old son! Tips- there are a TON of strollers in DW, so buy a balloon or something you can tie on your stroller to find it easily, because it may not be in the same 'parking spot' you left it in after you get off your ride/show. You HAVE to get a caramel apple in Magic Kingdom. Make sure you get a Fast Pass for the rides you or your family members have to ride, it's the only sure fire way to make sure you don't have to wait forever for a popular ride. Epcot has a character spot where all the major characters (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, etc) are in one place to get autographs & pictures. The best place to get Mickey Ears is in the front of Magic Kingdom, you can also get them embroidered with their name there.

OK, sorry so long- if you have any more questions, please feel free to email me at Haley_Sturgeon@yahoo.com I hope you guys have so much fun!!!

The McIntires said...

We tied a brightly colored ribbon to the handle of our stroller so that we could spot it easliy. Sturgeon is right, they shuffle strollers around and you need something bright that you can spot easliy.
You can get a cup of free ice water at most eating places. This is a handy money saver so that you don't have to buy bottled water all day.
The trip can be overwhelming, but just relax and go with it. It will make it a lot more fun!
We get our Mickey Ears at the Magic Kingdom. There is a little shop that is part of the castle (back side).

Rachel Somodevilla said...

You absolutely must stop for a Dole Whip in the Magic Kingdom...

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2009/03/25/snacks-series-dole-whip/

Laura said...

Oh my goodness, I could talk Disney all day! I'm currently working on digi-scrapbooking our last trip, which makes me really anxious to go again.

I think what I could share would take too much space. I will go blog it for you!

OOOO, now I'm really excited about going again!

dj said...

Hi! I found you via Leslie! My blog is private but you are welcome to come and take a look at my posts about our most recent trip. It covers three parks and several resorts and restaurants. I will send you an invite in case you are interested! :-)

Danielle said...

Go to www.tourguidemike.com and pay the small fee to have access to the site. They do research on the parks 24-7 and tell you what days of the week at what times are the best days to go where. We used it last time we were there and were SHOCKED how much better it was compared to previous times we've been there. Significantly shorter lines...it was wonderful! :)

Oh....and get fastpass for the rides. :) haha

The Mirza's said...

Tourguidemike.com. We went the week before Christmas, which is one of the most crowded times, but we used his advice and were walking on to rides at Magic Kingdom. It usually requires you being at the parks at opening times, but with small children chances are you are awake anyways. It takes effort, but soooo worth it. We slept in one day and were waiting and waiting in lines, even with fast passes. Have fun!

Natalie said...

Wear lots of deodorant and keep telling yourself, "This is the happiest place on Earth"!!!!!! :)

Lauren said...

Fast passes!! Magic Kingdom was awesome, Epcot is for "older kids", "Mickey's Philharmagic" at MK is a must do, wear nothing but tennis shoes on your feet...sandals and flip flops will hurt by the end of the day ( seriously), stay until dark for the fireworks at MK, the whole place is just magical! Have so much fun!! It's absolutely exhausting but so much fun!!
Side note: I was still nursing Parker when we went and most of the parks have little "mommy rooms" where you can go in and feed your baby in the air conditioning! That was huge for me!

Lauren said...

Almost forgot: Animal Kingdom is amazing! Be sure to go on a safari! Q will love seeing the animals!!

Laura said...

I've got a huge list for you, but it won't let me post the blog. I'll keep trying

Katie said...

You have to have a a Dole Whip from the Tiki Room! So yummy! You are allowed to take water bottles into Disneyland & I am not sure about DW but I would check. Taking in your own water bottles will save you lots of $$!

Jaclyn said...

We just got back and had the BEST time!
One thing fun for Quinn....they sell disney character pins everywhere (the kind you pin on your shirt). Your son can trade pins with any cast member, they pretty much all have them and they are so sweet with the kids. We bought our daughter several pins and she LOVED trading them with staff all week. It was like the present that never ended and it was a good activity when we were waiting in line etc.
Have SO much fun!!

Austyn said...

One thing we have always done is toured the parks in the day.. have lunch and tour some more and about 3pm we would head back do naps and come back after dinner for the parade and fireworks... SO worth it! The kids are nice and well rested and your ready to enjoy the show!! :))

And yes Fast passes as everyone else has said, are a HUGE help!!

Kirsten said...

We have been twice now. First time we went and stayed off Disney property, brought snacks and drinks, and ate off property. The second time we paid for a meal plan and stayed at the French Quarters. Not sure which one yall are doing. I would suggest to bring water bottles and snacks for the kids. They dont care if you do. You can also refill water there (if you dont mind non-bottled water). My daughter is three and likes to walk but the double stroller came in handy!! I would just make a deal that she had to sit from one place to the next but not be buckled. It made it easier with the croweds and she eventually got tired of walking. Plus when heading back to the ferry, train, and/or parking lots my kids fell asleep after a fun day! My husband also downloaded an app for his ipad that told us how busy each park was and the wait times for EACH ride!!! Made it nice for preparing where we were going. My moby wrap and sling came in handy as well for when my little boy got fussy and just needed me while we walked around. I could go on about it. We loved the meal plan but it was TONS of food! We wallked it off so it didnt matter. We were tired but the best thing we did was get up EARLY and be there right when the parks opened and left after lunch for a nap and then returned for night time rides and parades. I could go on about it but your welcome to email if you want. kirstenblee@yahoo.com We love it so much we are headed back this summer again!!!

annalee said...

SOO exciting and wonderful!
here's a link to our highlights last may with a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old:)
http://annaleeper.blogspot.com/2010/06/dear-mickey-and-friends.html

Aimee said...

we live in orlando and visit the parks often. i recommend going early, staying a few hours, then heading back to the hotel or wherever you are staying around lunch. works great for naps and you avoid the crowds. head back early evening... most people are going home because of grumpy kiddos and you'll be able to get on rides a lot faster.

downtown disney has a lot of neat restaurants but make reservations!

epcot is a favorite for our almost 3 year old. head there early evening and walk right on most of the rides. magic kingdom isn't our favorite right now because it is always crowded!

enjoy your trip!

The High Family said...

We just went in November for my son's 5th birthday! It was our first family trip there and we learned A LOT (mostly "what NOT to do" next time!).

If you are not bringing your own stroller, I highly recommend Magic Strollers!! Their prices were the cheapest we found and the stroller was not only very clean but we were able to get a RED one! This made finding the stroller easier. :) You will want a stroller that reclines especially with Nash...the Disney strollers do not.

Mentally prepare yourself for meltdowns! DisneyWorld is called the happiest place on earth but it should be called the most overstimulating place on earth.

Our children are 5 and 2. I knew they would not want to wait in line to take a picture with the characters. So we booked several character meals instead. One Princess lunch in Epcot (Norway) and breakfast at Chef Mickey (Contemporary). We LOVED both but Chef Mickey was the best! It's great to not only get a really good meal (they had EVERYTHING you could imagine to eat there!) but also have the characters come to YOU! We got so many great photos with the characters this way. :)

Fast Pass ALL the popular rides! ie- Soarin' , Test Track, etc. It's a must.

Look for Tinkerbell fly from the castle during the Wishes fireworks. It's the most amazing thing to see!!

Schedule downtime/naptime at the hotel during the afternoon and maybe even a day just at the hotel to enjoy pool time, etc. Trust me, you need the downtime!

Animal Kingdom was the kids FAVORITE park! We actually changed our plans from visiting Downtown Disney and went back to AK! The Safari was a huge hit as was Dinoland (they didn't want to leave the fossil pit!)...you need to see Nemo and Lion King. My 2 year old cried when the shows ended...she didn't want them to be over!

I could go on and on...if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at High821 {at} gmail {dot} com.

Hope you have a MAGICAL trip! :)

Shannon Boyer said...

So fun to see your design featured on one of mu other favorite blogs :)

http://shoppingformylittleloves.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-stroll-disney-world.html

N!ffer said...

Everyone's mentioning fast passes but are you aware of the baby switch (or rider switch) pass? If you want to ride a ride with your older child you can get a rider switch pass and that way both adults get a chance to ride. Your older son can ride twice. The first time you have to wait in line the 2nd time the other parent (and child) usually enters the ride via the exit lane or handicapped access lane. That way everyone gets to ride (well, those that are tall enough or brave enough, etc). That was an awesome feature when I took my daughter to the park at 7 months old. I didn't feel like I missed out. While waiting for my party to return from their ride I was able to browse nearby shops, get snacks or drinks for them, let my daughter play out of the stroller or see a character, etc. There wasn't a time stamp on the rider swap then (don't know about now).

The Baby Care centers are in each park (for sure at Epcot and MK). At MK its located near the Crystal Palace. They have high chairs for feeding, changing tables and places to feed or nurse your baby. It's very quiet (well, compared to park noise) and air conditioned. Nice for baby to decompress and eat (sometimes they won't eat enough due to busy distractions) or settle to nap whether in your arms or in the stroller to get you thru a couple more hours at the park with your older child. It's awesome! Take the train around the park for some rest time as well... also a good way to cross to another land. Monorail rides are good for that as well.
Use a pillowcase or tshirt (not worn) as a great souvenir for characters to sign... My daughter used her disney visor for signatures one year (she's 16 now). Good luck and many more wonderfully magic vacations!!
niffertobias{@}yahoo{dot}com