Looking for Good Advice on Trips to Disney World

Rent a double stroller (if you're not taking one with you)! We were there in 2005 when my son was in 2nd grade. He faded fast! The following days when we got a stroller he lasted MUCH longer!

We have been to Disney many times and always enjoy it and are also disney vacation club members.

Very important is to make dinner reservations before you go.
also the meal plan is a real good deal.

The buffets are the best restaurants to go to with kids because they have a great variety and all you can eat.
Hollywood and Vine Restaurant in Disney Studio Park is very good and Cape May Buffet in the Ocean Club hotel (it's on the other side of the Boardwalk hotel).

We always rent a car versus taking the buses. Ask if you get free valet parking at Disney Vacation Club resorts. If not you can valet park your car at the polynesian for about $6-8 and take the Monorail from there to the parks. At the end of the day you just go back to the polynesian and pick up the car and drive back to your hotel. It saves a lot of time and energy. Also there are the boats you can take to/from the parks from Saratoga Springs or to the Boardwalk and Ocean beach Club(to cape May restaurant). All the restaurants are very kid friendly.
If you do get the meal plan, Rays Starlight in tomorrow land has really good food and is considered a counter service.
The reason I think the meal plan is a good deal is that it costs about 37.99 for adults(less for kids) per day and includes taxes and gratuities for all meals. We are a family of 3 and have spent over $100 on dinner alone. You get snacks and counterservice meals in addition to a tableservice meal. You should check it out and see if it works for you. Have a great time!

Dont' feel obligated to get to the parks at the crack of dawn. Since u are going in the HOT summer, u should prob spend time in your resort's pool in the a.m. Eat breakfast & lunch in the condo, and then bring the family to the Disney parks in the afternoon. I don't know how far u'll be from Disney, but if u can, work it out that the kids nap in the car on the way to the park. The food and water is v.v. $$$ in the park, so if u can, take snacks and water with u. It may be too much to carry for a fam of 5. But if dinner is the only meal u eat out, it's not that $$. And if the little ones aren't scared of fireworks, the parks have a beautiful fireworks/laser light show at night. But start walking to the exit BEFORE the show ends, cuz it is SUCH a mob scene leaving the park after the show.

While u are there check out the timeshares, even if u are not interested cuz some of them offer free Disney tix if u listen to their speil for 1/2 hour. I did that and actually bought a beautiful one at Orange Lake, here is the link: http://orangelake.com/home.html. That property has everything on it including a water park. I went for a few yrs but then got cancer, my daughter's older now and so is my mom, so travel is too troublesome sometimes. Mine also is a 2 bedrm condo w/full kitchen, outdoor screened terrace, jacuzzi, etc. I have week 17 which is usually in May. I also have RCI membership with 2 weeks (or 3?) in the bank and I want to sell. If you or anyone else is interested, please email me with more questions, ____@____.com a great safe trip!
J.

Hi! We go to Disney all the time - even before children!!! If you have yet to stay at Saratoga Springs - you will love it and be happy you got the two bedroom - there's so much room - and it's nice and quit! They include a pack and play in the room - and you can get a highchair if you need one from them to cut down on packing. Bring a monitor - the bedrooms are not next to each other.
Yes - breakfast in the kitchen - great idea and a BIG money saver! You may want to take turns with taking the little ones back in the afternoon for a nap for the baby and downtime for the 4 yr old if he/she won't nap (and for the adult with them that day!!!). It will help entirely b/c they will be too exhausted and overwhelmed to really enjoy a full day out and the 9 yr old will get some time to really enjoy the parks as will whoever is with him/her that day. I would recommend lots of time in the Marketplace (you are the last stop for the boat before the marketplace - so it is a nice way to do it - the parking there can be pretty hectic). The boats come pretty frequently. But there are some great places to eat (Rainforest Cafe) and the like there, as well as some just grab something to eat quickly places - not everything is really pricey at the Marketplace (well - not as much as it could be I guess!!!). Epcot has some nicer restaraunts if you are looking for a nicer night one night - but a huge variety of places to eat - of course it's a park and you'll need the pass to get in.
If you are going to go to only one park/day - make sure you buy One park passes - if you will go from park to park - buy the park hopper (and use them accordingly). There are park hoppers that you can buy that never expire either - if you are planning on returning at some point - it saves money over the long haul.
You can't bring huge bags into the parks - and for some reason, I don't think you can bring drinks in - check on that - I might be just mixing it up with airlines! So - bring a small bag that they can easily check on your way through. Remember to get your hands stamped so you can return that day.
Plan a couple days just at the pool - they will love it. Also - go spend some time at the boardwalk (you'll need to drive to there) - you can rent the bikes there that all the kids can fit in - but be ready to pedal if you go all the way around - there's one big hill on the way back that you need to get some speed for! But - there are places to eat there, ice cream shop, (watch out for the birds - they'll steal your food!) clothing shops, you can feed the birds in the water.
Just some ideas that don't cost as much as going in the parks and are free! If you do go in the Magic Kingdom - go to toon town - it's great for them!
One big piece of advice - don't plan too much in! You have 3 huge age differences and can easily plan too much and make it a very hectic week. Plan well for their ages and temperments and don't do too much and everyone will have a great time.

Have a great trip... stock up on your foodgoods at the SuperWalmart... packing some goodies for the themepark.
We loved Universal Studios which had great things for the little ones... I even packed some candy to keep us going in the heat and keep us from having to fall prey to the candystores you will encounter at the park.
PS .. since your on vacation as great as it is to have dinner in the condo.. you may want to buy some prepared foods that only require heating for dinner.. there are some great ones out there.

Hi A.!
I am an avid disney goer and a Disney Vacation Club Member, and I happen to be going to Disney and staying at Saratoga Springs too next month. I have tons of information and stuff that I could share with you if you are interested, send me a private message and I can help you plan your trip. I help all my friends plan their trips too!! Here are some simple tips:
1. Leave the parks in the middle of the day when it is hottest and take a break at the pool at Saratoga Springs, it is gorgeous and a lot of fun.
2. Call and request that your room at the resort be near the main area at Saratoga SPrings...the resort is huge, and the kids will love the main pool area and the food is all near there as is the main bus stop.
3. Make your dinner reservations and if you decide not to use them call and cancel them that day...it is easier to have them then to just walk up...it can be really tough to get in withour reservations. (the meal plan is great...i think someone else may have told you this already)
4. Some of the counter service places have great food and lots of it. Cosmic Rays in the magic kingdom is a great deal...you can get a chicken and ribs combo and it is one counter service meal that more than one person can eat. The flame Tree grill in animal kingdom is delicious too.
5. Bring your own stroller for the little one so you have it around the resort, and after you have left the parks. Rent a double stroller for your older kids, it is well worth it to have it just in case someone gets tired, the less the kids walk, the more you can do.
6. Check out disboards.com for tons of information, and allears.net is a good resource too. Also look into getting a Passporter book (you can download from theri website passporter.com or buy at your local book store...has lots of great information) or the Unofficial Guide to Disney (also has a website to set up touring plans for your family called touringplans.com)
7. Make sure your older kids understand that if they want to bring something into the parks, it is their resposibility to carry it...get them a fanny pack, or backpack to carry their things such as an autograph book and pen etc. It will save you some extra weight and hassle...with my step daughters we let them know the rule well in advance and even when we were home and were going somewhere, we would remind them "disney rules apply", and you would be shocked how fast they weren't bringing the whole play room, and it was a thing or two I didn't actually have to carry. Also make sure that somewhere in the bag is a list of cell phone numbers of you and your husband in case you get seperated, and tell them to seek out a disney cast member if it happens and ask them to call you with those numbers. There are also some safety tattos you can get with your number on them that you can put on your kids...they love the fake tatoo, and you have apiece of mind that they have your phone number...win win if you ask me.

Okay...I thin I have given you a bunch of stuff to think about, and would love to help you out more...you can message me if you want to know more or something specific...I know alot...we have been there 3 times in the past year....I love Disney!!

G.

Hi, first I will say have a great time. We just went to Disney the beginning of June for 1 week. I have a 4 year old boy and at the time my daughter was 10 months. Definitely I would rent the double strollers in the parks, my 4 year old said he didn't want it but when he was tired and hot, he got in and sat with his sister. As for dinner, we did a lot of eating in the parks and also ordered pizza at our hotel room one night. We also would go to the parks during the day then go back to our hotel and swim then go back to the parks at night. We had the park hopper passes. Its alot of work but definitely the kids enjoyed it. My daughter only being 10 months had a blast. I took her on a few rides, Nemo, figment (both in Epcot), Its a Small World. Anyway, definitely the stroller rental is great, the strollers are easy to maneuver and you can put your stuff on top of it. The rental is reasonable also. I think it was around $50 or less for a 2 day rental. I hope I helped a little.

Let me start out by saying I LOVE DISNEY WORLD! My husband and I are kind of fanatical about it. We vacationed there 15 times, 14 trips were just the two of us and 1 was with our daughter who was almost one at the time. It is an entirely different experience with a child. After years of observation and one trip w/child under my belt here's my best advice:
~Take your time, don't plan on doing everything in one trip. Everytime we go we see or do something new.
~Start early in the day, plan to be there before "the ropes drop" as they say -- at park opening or use the Extra Magic Hour you'll be entitled to if you are early risers. You can get a lot done before 11 am when the real crowds get there.
~Utilize Fast Pass it will make your day so much more pleasant. Instead of waiting on a long line you can get a fast pass and go on a ride with a shorter line or take in a show.
~ Take an afternoon break : have a leisurely lunch or go back to your room and nap or swim or even leave a theme park and visit one of Disney's other hotels. You can return to the theme parks for the evening activities feeling rejuvenated. I do no recommend trying the "commando" style method that many of the guide books advise. It's just too much for the kids they get over stimulated and cranky and hot and then the meltdowns happen.
~ Utilize baby swap for the rides your youngest can't go on. One of the parents can ride the ride with the older kids while the other stays with the baby then you get a baby swap ticket and switch. Usually the older kids will be able to ride again with the other parent - Bonus Ride! Ask the cast members about it at the ride's entrance.
~Wear comfortable shoes, use sunscreen and drink TONS of water. Buy some of those tiny battery operated fans before you go -- with the spray bottle for mist if you can find them. They really are so helpful and much cheaper if you bring them with you. Orlando in August can be brutal -- yet another reason to take a midday break! :)
~ Don't miss the Lion King show at Animal Kingdom -- best show on the property! Try to go to the first one it's the least crowded.
~ Last piece of advice -- remember to have fun! Too many people get caught up in trying to get to every ride and every show and miss the magic. Take time to look around, read the windows on Main Street, talk to the cast members from around the world,search for hiddens Mickeys, and most of all enjoy the fact that you are on vacation spending time with your loved ones!!!

A few websites I love: www.allearsnet.com, www.mousesavers.com and www.themouseforless.com. Please feel free to email me if you have any specific questions -- ____@____.com

Hi A.,
My family is also going to Disney World soon (in Oct.) and we are also staying in a 2-bed villa at Saratoga Springs.
We requested a villa near the pool AND close to a bus stop.
I've read online that one of the complaints about the property is that it is so huge that if you're not near the pool or a bus stop, you'll be doing a lot of walking. So, if you haven't done that, you might want to call and put that request in.
One of the other things we plan to do is order groceries from Goodings Supermarket (www.goodings.com). For $20, they deliver food/bottled water, etc, right to your room!
Also, a friend of ours who recently went paid for a park "guide". I have no idea how much it costs, but they never had to wait in line for any rides.
Well, have a great and safe trip!
T.

Hi A., I have been trying to plan a trip myself for a couple of years now and have found www.allearsnet.com to be very helpful in finding out stuff you can't find out anywhere else. Especially with the Disney vacation packages there is a lot of little tips and tricks that you can't possibly know until you get there. It's been very helpful. Check it out if you haven't already. Have a wonderful time on your vacation!

I would suggest "squeaker" shoes for the 4-yr-old and the 14 month-old. I had them on my daughter at Disney when she was 2 and it was a life-saver - with so many people, it's good to hear them "squeaking" when the wander off to look at something cool, and, of course, forget to tell you :lol:

The only other advice I can give is to maybe break up the days. Start out early at the parks (not as hot), picnic lunch or eat there, back to the hotel for naps or a swim in the pool. Then maybe out for an early dinner and then back to park. Cooler and the kids might be a little more refreshed. Freeze bottled water then bring them to park.
Have fun and enjoy!

Hi A.,
You've gotten such great advice, I've learned a few things for our fall Disney trip. The only thing I would add is to rent Disney's stroller. They have a single and double. I'd get the double for your 4 & 14m old. If you're going to be there a few days pay one price for several days. You save your ticket and can use it at any of the parks to get the stroller. Have a great time at the parks and resort (kids will love the resort pool as much as the parks!). Oh, and don't forget lots of sunscreen.
A.

A., I'm going in Sept. Let me know how it goes, Deb

We just got back. It was a blast. We went with 3 kids my 8 month old daughter, a 7 month old and a 4 year old.
Here's my advice...
1-Find out what parks open early and on what day and go to them on those days. Make sure you are there atleast 15 minutes before opening. This way you can beat the crowds. Also, find out what parts of the parks are open early because it is not everything. Plan the rides and attractions you want to see the night before. You will want to leave the afternoon for the pool. It gets very hot in Florida in the PM.
2-Book reservations to meals in advance. Most places have a courtesy call to cancel. You are better off if you have them and don't go, then try and get them last minute. Some good restaurants-EPCOT Garden Grille( Characters and rotating restaurant), Magic Kingdom- Tony's Town Square.
3-Order food for the room ahead of time from Goodings Supermarket. They have a $50 minimum and a $20 delivery fee but it will be much cheaper than buying the stuff in the parks. Get lots of water and freeze them. Also, ziplock bags are good to have.
4- They have child care centers in each park. They have changing tables, bathrooms, nursing rooms and anything you forgot. Also, take some bowls from them. They are good for the room to eat food out of. I used them for my daughters cereal and baby food.
5- Get a Kidshade to cover the stroller. They have them at BabiesRus. You can also order them online at One Step Ahead. It was great because my daughter's whole body was covered in the stroller.
6- Bring a backpack so you can put everything in it. Also make sure you bring raingear. It rains alot there this time of year.
7-Bring the hand towels from the hotel to the park with you because it is hot and you will need to wipe the sweat off of you.
8- Bring a tube or something for your baby since he or she will go in the pool and they charge for tubes at the hotels.
9- There are many rides that the baby can go on. Try and get to Fantasyland first since it has alot of rides the baby can go on.
10-Run and get a fast pass for rides you definitly want to go on. You can only get one at a time so prioritize.
11- Some great things we enjoyed...Toy Story ride(a must see), a Bugs Life, Mickey Mouse Playhouse and Finding Nemo.

Enjoy yourself, have fun, but it is not a relaxing vacation.

Hi A.

We are members of Disney Vacation Club and have 'done Disney' quite a bit with our four children who are now 13, 11, 8 & 6. The best thing you can do is plan your day in two parts: do the early morning advantage hour at whichever park opens an hour early to those staying in Disney hotels. You'll have to be up early and ready to go, but you can get a great deal done first thing in the morning. After we do that, we usually return to the hotel around mid-day for some lunch and a break from the heat. Lunch is often leftovers from the previous night's dinner. Then we nap and go to the pool in whichever order seems to be working for us. After the heat of the day is gone by, we head back to the parks and do whatever we can do as well as have dinner and one night while we're there we catch a fireworks show. The thing to remember is you can't do it all at once, so you need to prioritize and decide in advance what attractions you MUST see and which ones you would rather avoid.
Also, Disney has the FastPass program. In case you're not familiar with it, there are kiosks near the ride entrances where you put your park admission ticket (hotel key) into the slot and a pass is printed for a return time for the ride. With your young people, you won't be able to do all the rides due to height restrictions so perhaps the 9 year old would go with Mom or Dad on one ride and the other parent does some little thing with the other children. I would recommend Soarin' at Epcot (in the land pavilion) and those fast passes go quickly, so get that one first. That is a height restricted ride.

In the Magic Kingdom, most kids love the Dumbo ride in Fantasyland. That's OK, but there's no fast pass and the line can be long so either do it early or real late. You'll be in line for a long time there otherwise. My kids love Mickey's Philharmagic which is a 3-D show and lots of laughs. It has the Fast Pass tickets. Peter Pan's magic flight is another favorite, and my kids can't resist It's a Small World. (Good for sitting and resting.) Again, there are rides in the Magic Kingdom that your little ones won't be able to do, so either get FastPasses or skip them. You can figure most of this out with brochures which are available at check-in and even ask the concierge people at the hotel who are wonderful. They can help you get dinner reservations too. We like the Steakhouse in Epcot's Canadian section as well as the Japanese restaurant where they cook in front of you. Try to get an early reservation for the kids so that they aren't too tired to enjoy that show!

In the Animal Kingdom, go first thing in the morning and head right back to the Safari ride. Don't stop for anything else until you get back in line for this because the animals are awake and about early in the day but most of the ones your kids would like (lions particularly) are not making themselves seen in the middle of the day. That's the only park we cut straight through when we go. The rest of them, we try to figure out which way the majority of the crowd is going and then we circulate in the opposite direction. That is, if everyone heads to the right inside the gates, we head to the left.

Try not to rush too much, sometimes the best things happen when you're relaxing on the side of the crowds and you see a character you didn't expect to see. When the kids get tired, go rest. I've seen too many parents try to make the kids keep going in order to have fun and then everyone gets frustrated. Well rested children are much easier to handle and they have happier memories!

The Saratoga Springs resort is great. The pools are lots of fun -- in fact some of our better memories are spending time in the pool! One last bit of advice for mom -- there are washer/dryer combos in your 2 BR room, so you don't need to pack seven days' worth of clothes. The kids top three or four favorite outfits will work, and then just wash as you go. I particularly like to wash clothes the last day we're there and pack clean things into the suitcases so that when we get home, we unpack and put away clean clothes instead of having to do wash on arrival at home. Of course, there will be a few things to wash but it sure beats standing at the washer at home with seven days' worth of dirty things. Instead of laundry, I end up doing photo work on the computer!

Have a wonderful time. I hope some of these suggestions are helpful to you.

R.

I've never been there.... have fun, you are lucky especially to have a second trip!

I would say just don't over do it with the kids... they might get tired of being out all day, then going to restaurants to eat... it might overwhelm them. So plan a few evening meals for at the condo.... make it something light and maybe cold....chicken salad, macaroni salads and such.
If the kids are out every day, all day, they might lose some of the enjoyment.... remember to give them rest times so they can be refreshed for more fun.

I know you may not want to do this but have you thought of leaving the 14 mo. old with a relative. When we went with our two kids we left our 18 mo home. We had such a nice time. We saw so many families with little ones that cried because they were hot and couldn't enjoy the rides. The moms looked tired of holding their kids the whole time. I know it sounds mean or heartless but I think you will have a nicer time. The 14 mo. old will not remember anything I feel so would it wise to bring her/him. It's just a thought.

Hi A.,

We have been to Disney several times with our kids, but I do not have span of ages that you have which will require a little more planning for rides. ( my kids are 5 and 7)

anyway, one of the things that we have always found helpful, especially with younger kids is to get up and go into the park early and then after lunch or mid-afternoon when the parks are really crowded and hot, we go back to the pool and swim all afternoon. then if the kids can handle it we head back to the park in the evening. this allowed us to experience the park at night too with out exhausting our kids by being there all day.

We are DVC members and it is great to have the 2 bedroom place and the kitchen. We find that we do not do alot of dinners there, but the money your save on breakfast alone is so worth it. also pack some microwave popcorn in you suitcase and if you end up at the pool in the afternoon, you can make a snack.

Do not worry about having 3 kids in the resturant. you are in Disney World. there will be kids everywhere.

hope you have a great trip.

W. k.

Hi A.! i love Disney World! Been there several times with my kids and we all love it...
A few tips for you...first, rent a double stroller because although your four year old will walk some of the time, they will get tired!!!
Second, make sure to get the maps of the park and plan your route because otherwise you waste a lot of time walking nowhere!
Third, I am assuming you will be using the Disney Bus system....not my favorite thing, but a necessity. The buses are most crowded when you go to the Magic Kingdom, so if you plan a day there, take advantage of the early entrance time to avoid the crowded buses. It can be a nightmare.
Other than that, just take your time and enjoy! Don't plan on seeing EVERYTHING because you will drive yourself crazy! Enjoy the family time!
Have fun!

I just got back from a one week trip with my 20 month old and have three peices of advice - 1.) bring your own stroller to the park everyday - it is much easier than renting one and they are now charging $15 a day for a hard stroller that you baby will not even be comfortable in or be able to lay back. I went out and bought a cheap baby trend stroller that reclines at kmart for $23.00 - it was the best purchase ever. I was afraid to leave my expensive silver cross stroller alone however I saw a lot of expensive strollers while I was down there and noone seemed to bother them. 2.) buy water spray bottles with fans before you get there - I say them at CVS recently for something like $5 - in the park they were $17 a piece. We unfortunately did not buy ours before we left and it is so hot in the park during the summer months that we ended up spending the $17 - you really do need them. 3.) If you want to do any of the restaurants in the parks you NEED to book them before you go - you will not get in last minute. It is good to know that you can always cancel your meals if your kids are too tired. We ended up cancelling on a couple occasions. If you are looking for a character meal - I think the best are the Donald Duck Breakfast at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom (very hard to get though), the Goofy Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner in the Magic Kingdom, or the Winnie the Pooh themed breakfast, lunch or dinner in the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. I have been to several others and these were my favorite ones. If you are looking for one in Epcot the Garden Grille with Chip and Dale is very good but not as good as the others. Other than that have a great time!!!

FYI - I just saw someone's response to leave your 14 month at home. My son was almost 18 month - not much older than your child and it was so magical to see the expression on his face while watching everything with awe. He LOVED the characters and just could not get enough of them. He sat and watched every parade in amazement and could not believe the fireworks. No - he will not remember it - but you will - it is amazing to see your child so excited and in awe - I would never want to miss that!

Hi!! I just got back from Florida. I took my 7 yr. old son to a bunch of parks. I know you don't want to carry much, but hydration is very important!!! Tag a bookbag (which ever size is suitable for you and whatever else you're carrying) and pack it with frozen water (wrap it in aluminum foil and a plastic bag). I also froze yogurt ( I found 2 tubes of GOGURT perfect for each day as a little COOL snack in between breakfast and lunch). I also took apples. I found harder fruits kept better in hot weather than soft ones, such as bananas. I hope this helped. Oh, and don't forget your sunblock protection touch ups!!!