What's your best advice for my upcoming WDW vacation?

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Annie5859
Annie5859 Posts: 280 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hello! Next month my family and I are going on our LONG AWAITED Walt Disney World Vacation! Flight and hotel are booked, WDW tickets are bought. If you have one piece of advice or some information about what we must do/ must see/ must eat I would greatly appreciate it!!!!

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  • TakeOne
    TakeOne Posts: 345 Member
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    I think its called the Rain Forest Cafe. Its a really cool place to have lunch or dinner! Have fun and take a TON of pictures :))
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Wow! Top advice - enjoy yourself, make lots of happy family memories that everyone will love looking back on.

    Exercise wise - you'll be doing lots of walking round the park. If you have a pool or are going to a water park, great, more exercise.

    Food in the parks isn't great, but you can have something within reason. My family usually aim for one of the shows at lunchtime, and grab an iced coffee to drink during - great pick me up and cool me down in one.

    During the parades, opt for apple slices with dip. Do NOT attempt a turkey leg (unless all of your family is going to share it)

    Don't know the ages of your kids, but any we went, first thing we did was make sure we all understood an emergency meeting point, should we get separated.
  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
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    i don't know how much it costs, but when we went, there was a 50's restaurant that was hilarious. you weren't allowed to put your elbows on the table and stuff. it was very fun and neat! good food too.

    http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/50s-prime-time-cafe/
  • tararocks
    tararocks Posts: 287 Member
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    oh this is right up my alley, feel free to message me as i jsut got back from a 7 day trip there with my family, myself, husband, parents and our 13 and 5 year old girls. What type of children are you traveling with and their ages. Also are you staying on property? I assume you will want to do character dining? The princess breakfast is wonderful, also the polynesian character breakfast and their luau at night are great, cape may cafe character dining is also good. at downtown disney they half wolfgang pucks express-it is a chain but very good. are you doing all of the parks? i will say i thought i would be disappointed with animal kingdom but it ended up one of our favorite parks-there are some really cool rides there. And just as a bonus-there is sooo much walking involved i actually lost weight while i was there:) Have fun!!
  • CuteAndCurvy83
    CuteAndCurvy83 Posts: 570 Member
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    Take tons of pix, drink LOTS of water (you can now bring small coolers into the parks,except for animal kingdom) just avoid glass bottles or beer. you can bring your own snacks,and be sure to try and make sure you have anything you may need (tampons, asprin, band aids) cause things can be really expensive. I live 2hrs from Disney, Im a disney freak. Let me know if you have any questions.
  • Ginger1384
    Ginger1384 Posts: 42
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    Rainforest Cafe @ Downtown Disney
    Mickey's Philharmagice Orchestra @ Magic Kingdom
    Pirates Of The Caribbean @ Magic Kingdom
    Rock N' Rollercoaster @ Disney Hollywood Studios
    The 11 Countries @ Epcot
    If you have a little girl Bibbi Bobbi Boutique. Expensive but well worth it.
    The Haunted Mansion @ Magic Kingdom (My Personal Favorite)
    Pin Trading

    Hope you have fun.
  • Ginger1384
    Ginger1384 Posts: 42
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    And trust me walking around the parks you'll get your exercise.
  • nicxox
    nicxox Posts: 175 Member
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    Ahh I LOVE WDW, you will have an amazing time! I have so much advice I could give but I won't bore you to death lol. My number one piece of advice though would be to take your time around the parks and try to see everything. I don't just mean rides and shows but try to take in all the theming and little bits of magic that are hidden in every nook and cranny.

    Try to find a busy day guide online which will help you to decide which park is best to go to on which day.

    Also, read up on some WDW forums. My favourites are TheDibb (a UK based web site) and WDWmagic.

    And last but not least, have fun! Disney is the best place in the world (I'm returning there for the 4th time next year =D)
  • kristinkt
    kristinkt Posts: 921 Member
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    My family loved the 50s diner. We even got a picture with our "cousin" the waiter. A piece of advice I got from my sister in law that came in handy was to shop on e-bay for a lanyard and collectible pins. They are kind of pricey in the park, but all of the park employees are wearing them, and it is part of their job to join in on the trading game. It was fun to see if we could complete a set thru trading during our time there. Plus our lanyards had a place for their passes which several people asked where we got them from. And - we also got autograph books so the girls could get autographs with the pictures we took. You will be sure to get a lot of walking in. I know we did. I hope you enjoy your adventure.
  • tamika2000
    tamika2000 Posts: 6
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    If they still do the midnight parade its worth seeing. And everything looks so much better when lit up with the lights. Its one of my favourites.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    5 time veteran of WDW! Wish I could go back again soon, but we did Disneyland in May, so I have to be happy with what I can get. :)

    All of the sit down restaurants in WDW are amazing. Our last trip, in 2007, we purchased the dining plan and had the time of our lives. We ate at all of the fancy restaurants, some for lunch and some for dinner. Pick whatever you think sounds good and is in your budget, you won't go wrong with any of them.

    My advice:

    Bring two pairs of walking shoes. Your feet will be tired after a few days. Switching shoes helps, even for just one day.

    Bring water bottles for everyone and Crystal Light or some other powdered drink mix. Drinks are expensive and the water isn't the best tasting. Being able to fill up from the fountains and still have what you're drinking taste good will save you a fortune and keep everyone happy.

    Make a plan but be flexible! I always plan out our trip in a calendar so I know we're hitting everything we want to see. I don't get more specific than "Monday morning - Blizzard Beach, Monday evening - Magic Kingdom", though. Don't try to plan it down to what rides on what day! In this case, say it was raining on Monday morning and we decide to hit MGM instead. I'll change the calendar to reflect going to Blizzard Beach on a morning we were planning to go to MGM instead. This way we don't miss anything.

    I have LOTS more little tips and tricks we've picked up over the years but don't want to take over the thread. I might add in some more later if someone else doesn't cover them.
  • MissO﹠A
    MissO﹠A Posts: 906 Member
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    My advice:

    Bring two pairs of walking shoes. Your feet will be tired after a few days. Switching shoes helps, even for just one day.

    Bring water bottles for everyone and Crystal Light or some other powdered drink mix. Drinks are expensive and the water isn't the best tasting. Being able to fill up from the fountains and still have what you're drinking taste good will save you a fortune and keep everyone happy.

    Make a plan but be flexible! I always plan out our trip in a calendar so I know we're hitting everything we want to see. I don't get more specific than "Monday morning - Blizzard Beach, Monday evening - Magic Kingdom", though. Don't try to plan it down to what rides on what day! In this case, say it was raining on Monday morning and we decide to hit MGM instead. I'll change the calendar to reflect going to Blizzard Beach on a morning we were planning to go to MGM instead. This way we don't miss anything.

    She has excellent advice up there. ^^^

    Might I add, along with the two pairs of shows to switch between, bring some cloth-type Band-aids in case of blisters.

    For the water, you can have it delivered to the hotel for much cheaper than what you can buy in the parks. We had a couple of cases delivered from Costco for slightly under $9 (non-members). They'll have it waiting for you in your room when you check-in.

    Take a photo-copy of the backs of your park tickets to keep somewhere in case they get lost/stolen; with the photo-copy, Disney personnel can replace them easily.

    In the heat of a Florida summer, don't underestimate the cooling power of the seemingly crappy ride with no wait times.
  • nlsalvatore
    nlsalvatore Posts: 521 Member
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    Hope you have a wonderful time! WDW is my absolute favorite vacation destination!! Nobody does customer service like Disney.

    Useful things - If you have a girl into the princesses, it is much easier to get into the Princess lunch at the Norway restaurant in Epcot than the one at Cinderella Castle, and there is lots of princess face time at that lunch.

    Take a picture of the back of the photo pass card they give you when you enter the park, in case you lose it.

    If you want to go on Soarin' in Epcot, get there first thing or get a fast pass right away - they go fast.

    My son was 5 when we went, and it worked out really well to have our main meat at lunch, & do a quick meal for dinner because he was worn out by then.

    Check WDW's website before you go for ride closures.

    So much more I could say! Have a fantastic time! If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask the cast members (Disneyspeak for employees) - they are the most helpful people around.
  • bovbjerg
    bovbjerg Posts: 172 Member
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    All great advice. LOVE the parks!

    I wrote our cell numbers on a piece of paper and made sure it went in each of the kids' pockets every morning in case of separation. I also took a picture of the parking lot and number each morning when we got out of the car so if we forgot what section we were in, it was always handy.

    Autograph books are a must!! Also take advantage of the WDW photographers - they'll give you a plastic card and anytime you see a photographer, hand them your card and get them to take a family photo (and ask if they have the special photos that they add some of the characters in to the picture - most times they won't even tell you which character it is until you look online). The pictures to buy are kinda' pricey but you have access to them for about a month and you can e-mail them to family/friends for free!

    If you're bringing a backpack or big bag, definitely bring your own water bottles and some easy snacks (granola bars, fruit gummies, etc.) - it saves a ton of money and if you're needing something little, it will be easy, quick and usually healthier!!

    Take advantage of the fass passes on rides you want to go on.

    Comfy shoes are a must.

    Like everyone else says - HAVE FUN!!! It truly is the happiest place on earth and there is so much magic to take in! Enjoy!
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
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    DRINK around the WORLD at Epcott!!! You can buy a drink at every country you pass while there....it's pretty fun! :)
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
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    Ok....maybe my idea wasn't the best when you have kids. But....it's good to keep in mind when they're grown :)
  • liz11599
    liz11599 Posts: 220 Member
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    You're going to love it there. We went for the first time last Sept. Took our son for his birthday and I didn't think I would really enjoy myself. I'm a Disney phenatic now!

    Favorite restaurants:
    Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdon
    50's Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios...that was fun.

    Favorite rides:
    Aerosmith rock-n-roller coaster in Hollywood Studios
    Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom
    Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom

    Tips:
    -Use your fast passes to certain rides. For Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios you'll need to get to the park when it opens and go directly to that ride to get your fast pass....that is the most popular ride at this point.
    -You can fed ex/ups a package to yourself ahead of time with things that would take up room in your luggage, like snacks, wipes, diapers.
    -Be sure to apply and reapply lots of sun screen during the day. The sun is strong in FL, especially during summer and drink LOTS and LOTS of water.
    -You'll be doing a lot of walking while you're there, so don't worry about your calories...you're on vacation...have fun and indulge if you want....I did when I was there and didn't gain an ounce

    I'm so happy for you! You're going to have the best time ever!
  • Annie5859
    Annie5859 Posts: 280 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I have 2 boys and I am sure we will all have a most wonderful, memorable experience that we can look back on in the years to come!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    DRINK around the WORLD at Epcott!!! You can buy a drink at every country you pass while there....it's pretty fun! :)

    My favorite part! I love the Rose and Crown Pub in the UK.

    A few more:

    If you're staying at a Disney hotel on property, take advantage of their package delivery service. Anything you buy they will have sent to your room, free of charge. No carrying around bags of souvenirs or waiting until the end of the day to make purchases. You still need to have room in your luggage, though, to get it all home.

    Speaking of which, leave extra room in your luggage to take home souvenirs! We always buy so many t-shirts and other stuff. I'll often pack a few less shirts than I'll actually need because I know I'm going to buy some while I'm there.

    If you have a rental car, there is a Walmart in Kissimmee that we always hit when we first get to town to purchase snacks, breakfast foods, etc. If you have a room with a fridge, buy milk, cereal, drinks, etc. I've found it's better to eat a small breakfast in the room in the morning and then an early lunch (to beat the crowds).

    If the boys don't have backpacks, get them a small one in which they can carry their own snacks, rain poncho, etc. It'll save you the burden of carrying it all but it'll also give them the ability to have their personal items with them in easy reach. My son always brings his own pack and prefers it. They can also use it to carry on their toys and things during the plane ride.

    Keep your tickets together, especially with kids. I have a water-proof plastic container on a string that I bought in Blizzard Beach at least a decade ago that I still use to carry around our tickets in the parks, including our trip to DL in May. I collect all of the tickets from everyone and put them in the container and keep it hanging around my neck all day. When we get fast passes, I have all of the tickets together and it's easy, then I'll keep the fast passes in there, too. We've never had a problem with lost tickets this way. (Photocopying the back is still a good idea, though!)

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