Being Florida residents allows us to visit the "happiest place on earth" very often. We admit that we still get excited about visiting, even though we have visited WDW almost 30 times. I still obsessively plan all of our trips there, no matter how short. It's part of the fun! I'm amazed that no matter how many times I've visited, I find that I still know very little about WDW! There is always something new to do or discover! I have some really fun and helpful websites I like to visit when planning our next trip. I also have a few tips I've picked up that may be helpful. I'll add them as I think of them.

Great Links for Planning Your Trip


Official Disney World Planning Site
This is an official site where you can access info on the Resorts, the Parks (including hours of operation, attraction operation, and parade times), and Restaurants within the parks. There also maps available. An obvious site, but here for your convenience.


Mousesavers
This should be your first stop once you have decided to visit Disney World. If there is a discount to be had for any of the Walt Disney World Resorts this is THE place! You can save hundreds of dollars just by visiting this site, and it's FREE!

Priority Seating Calculator
This is a very valuable website that gives you information on Disney's "reservations" system. You can learn how far in advance you can schedule certain restaurants, and it will give you the exact date you can start calling for reservations by punching in your vacation dates. This is very useful for ensuring your chances of getting a seating for extremely popular character meals like Cinderella's Royal Table, which can book many months in advance.

ALL EARS NET
This is the best unofficial Walt Disney World site out there, hands down. This extremely detailed site even has menus & prices for almost every restaurant at WDW, AND pictures (inside & out) of all of the resorts, AND a great tips database. Don't miss this one!


Tikiman's Polynesian Resort Pages
If you are considering Disney's Polynesian Resort, or just curious, Tikiman can fill you in. He leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the skinny on the Polynesian. Great site!

Pete Werner's Unofficial Online Guide to Walt Disney World
A site I have just found that looks good. Pete's site has a really neat height calculator. Punch in your child's height and age and it gives you any ride restrictions that are in effect for them. It seems for those of us with young children who want to get on the exciting rides, the magic number is 40 inches. Most rides like Splash Mountain, Test Track, ect. require 40" and up.

Guide to Walt Disney World

The Mouse For Less
This is the sister site to the Yahoo! "Mouse For Less" group (formerly known as Disney Dollarless). This site has tons of resort reviews (on and off Disney property) and tons of helpful money-saving tips. One of my favorites!

Suite Disney
Are you looking for the ultimate in Disney luxury? Take a look at what Disney's suites have to offer by checking out this site full of photos donated by suite visitors. Very interesting.

Unofficial Coronado Springs Resort Website
"Coronado Springs as seen through the eyes of Buzz2001 and family." If you are wondering what Disney's Coronado Springs Resort is like, check this out! Anything you want to know you will find here. Very organized and well done site.

Walt Disney World Live Entertainment
Steve Soares' site keeps you updated on who's playin' where and when at the World. A great tool for planning your trip.

Walt Disney World Hidden Secrets
Allan Jayne has taken all of the cool hidden mickeys, secrets paths, fabulous tips, & symbolism of WDW from the DIS Boards discussion and compiled them all into a list. There are some fun tips, facts and trivia here! Want to know why there is a net of green jello at Muppetvision 3-D? Or what the lanterns in the Liberty Tree at MK stand for? Check out the list!



My Tips for a Great Trip!


  1. Anytime at WDW is a GREAT time. However, if your vacation time is flexible, by all means TRY to avoid Disney World during the summer months. It is HOT, HOT, HOT! Also, starting in June and lasting throughout the summer is our rainy season. It rains often, but usually for short periods throughout the day. The sun almost always comes back out, so that later with all of the humidity, it resembles a steam bath :-) You will have fun, but you will have more fun if you can visit Disney from late September to early February.
    Granted, children in school are a factor, but your trip will be more comfortable. If you're not sure how to approach school officials about your WDW vacation during the school year, take a look at a really well done excuse letter.
    An added bonus of going off season: the rates are lower at the hotels and resorts, Disney World is gorgeous during the holidays, and the parks are slower (read: shorter lines) during the off-season. Note: there are a few busy spots during the off-season: Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas, the week of New Years, and around President's Day.


  2. If you are coming during the summer months--absolutely do NOT come the first weekend in June, including the few days prior to and following that weekend. This weekend holds "Gay Day" at several of the parks over this time period. I've been during gay day---NOT FUN. Almost 100,000 people have visited the Magic Kingdom on this day. It was HOT, it was PACKED, and it was ARDUOUS. The streets were clogged much less the lines for the rides. It took forever for us to get food. Disney World is packed enough on regular days, this only makes it worse. Definitely plan another weekend.


  3. The Pooh ride should be your first stop in the morning if you have small children and plan to ride the ride. Dumbo is a close second for lines. My 5 year old and 3 year old gave it a hearty thumbs up (in 2001 when the ride first opened). My 18 month old was briefly withdrawn during the darkest part of the ride, but only mildly so. It is in storybook fashion, like the movie. It is similar in concept to the Snow White ride, only less scary. The Pooh ride is so popular now that the MK has implemented the FASTPASS system for this ride. We have had much better luck first thing in the morning. If you have small children, and this ride is a must, we suggest that this be your first stop, with Dumbo as a close second. NOTE: The crowds for Pooh may be somewhat alleviated by the opening of Mickey's Philharmagic in 2003.


  4. Families with older children will want to make Tomorrowland their first stop to hit Space Mountain, or Frontierland to hit Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Railroad. One trick we have used is to get on the train as soon as the park opens and get off at splash mountain, ride it, and then hop over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We have had good luck with this strategy in the past.


  5. Bring LOTS of film. You do not want to buy film at WDW. It is very expensive. Ditto on batteries. My camera battery died 10 minutes after we arrived at MGM and I paid 10 dollars with tax for a $4.00 battery. 'Nuff said.



  6. If you want an Inexpensive and fun souvenir idea: The penny presses have been a great diversion for our children, especially since we go to WDW many times in one year. They enjoy adding to their penny press collection. Usually we take $2.00 in quarters (each press is 50 cents) and 4 pennies and press the ones we haven't gotten yet. They get so excited about it. There are a huge number of penny presses at all of the parks and the resorts. You can wander around and chances are you will see them, or you can get a detailed list of where all the presses are at each park like we do at a great website called Disney World Penny Press Checklist


  7. Want to save money on Disney souvenirs? If you are traveling to WDW via Interstate 95, and have some time to spare, take a pit stop at Exit 95 for Saint Augustine. There are two outlet malls. The one on the left as you are approaching the exit has a Disney Store Outlet. I have found great T-shirts, toys, hand-held fans, jewelry, hats, and just about anything else you've ever seen at Disney store in there, all at discount prices. The hand-held fans were atleast 50% cheaper there than at the parks. The stock changes regularly.


  8. Bring your own water. Small bottles of water are $2.00-$2.50 at the parks. It gets very expensive. WDW sells "bottle slings" that hold your bottled water with a long strap you can wear across your shoulder. These are great, but buy one before you go to WDW. This is a good option if you do not want your water sweating all over your things inside your bag and you need to keep your hands free.


  9. We always bring a backpack filled with the following items:
    (you can always use a fannypack for each person)


    10.
    1. film

    2. camera battery


    3. water (frozen)


    4. snacks: cheese crackers, trail mix, chips, ect. come in handy when you want a little something to get you through the lines without losing your spot


    5. hairbrush


    6. Baby wipes/Pre-moistened towelettes


    7. Pain reliever (Don't let a headache ruin your day!)


    8. bandaids


  10. Provide Breakfast for yourself! We have always eaten breakfast before we leave for the park for several reasons (unless we have a special character meal planned). First, eating breakfast out wastes time! If you want to be there early, eating breakfast out will put a serious cramp in your timing. In our experience, how early you arrive is directly related to how much you get done and get to see. The early bird definitely gets the worm in this case. Secondly, it saves money! We would rather eat cold cereal in our room (if we have a refrigerator or cooler for milk), poptarts, breakfast bars, bananas,ect. and get there early ready for the fun.


      11. Fun Disney Links


      Hidden Mickeys!
      This fun site tells you where to find hidden mickeys in Disney's Parks. Fun to look for while you're there.

      Doombuggies.com
      This is an entire site dedicated to the Haunted Mansion. A fun and interesting site.

      The Disney Experience
      This guy makes the most professional-looking Disney Wallpaper that I have ever seen. Fantastic! Our favorites are the Mickey Mouse and Lilo & Stitch wallpapers.

      Widen Your World

      "Widen Your World - A Restful Haven for Walt Disney World's Deceased, Deferred and Deflowered" is an interesting site chronicling the history of defunct Walt Disney World Attractions.


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      Last Updated August 16, 2004
      Copyright 1999-2004, Lisa Chmiel

      This website & the information therein is solely our opinion, based on a lot of experience, and is no way affiliated with the Walt Disney Company. All images are copyrighted. Please feel free to give us any feedback
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