Originally Posted by Schneed10
My tips:
- I personally don't like feeling like I need to keep a schedule on vacation, so the number one tip is stay on Disney property. The free bus transportation from park to park, resort to resort, etc. makes things REALLY easy, and you don't need as much of a plan. You gain a lot of flexibility since buses are constantly coming and going to your resort. This is key with three kids like you have, if one or two need to head back for a nap or a pool break, you or your wife could hop on a bus and take 'em back to the resort, and easily meet up with each other later. They've got resorts in lots of price ranges, Grand Floridian for the five star, or Pop Century for the three star, and everything in between. You can pick which of the parks you want to be near, and from there find something in your price range.
- Get the park/hopper pass and a meal plan. Their restaurants are first class, especially around Epcot. Some of the nicer restaurants that I'd consider must eats: Canadian Steakhouse in Epcot, the Brown Derby in MGM, and Narcoossee's at the Grand Floridian. They'd get pricey if you weren't on the meal plan. I forget the cost of the meal plan, it ranges. But I liked it and thought it was worthwhile, because you can hit a lot of Disney's nice eats, and there are plenty.
- Some of my favorite to do's: the safari ride at Animal Kingdom, the Fantasmic show at MGM, Luminations show at Epcot (fireworks nightly), Royal Roundtable at Cinderella's castle in the Magic Kingdom (the princesses come around to your table), Mission Space at Epcot, the Indiana Jones show at MGM (pyrotechnics!), Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom (coaster in the dark), and the Tower of Terror at MGM (twilight zone-themed ride where a posessed elevator drops you into a freefall).
- Use the fast pass system. Go to a ride, acquire a "fast pass". It gives you a time to come back to the ride, and if you do so, you skip to the front of the whole line. You get so many more rides in this way.
- If you've got small kids, manage the potty breaks. Every time you pass a restroom, take advantage!
- I've stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (giraffes, flamingos and elephants walk right up to the fence lining the back of the property, pretty great), and the Wilderness Lodge. Both are four-star type places, and both were an amazing time.
- Go in November if you can. Good weather (low 80s), and there's a wine and beer tasting festival around Epcot.
We're taking the family in October or November of 2011 (we plan way ahead, lol). We can't wait.
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