Sunday, January 25, 2009
Going green
I promise to access common information online (as in on this blog) instead of printing it
Friday, November 21, 2008
Epcot
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Turtle Talk with Cursh
Honey I Shrunk the Audience (if scared, take off 3-D glasses, sit on lap)
Circle of Life (? afternoon cooling spot)
CHARACTER MEETINGS
Innoventions West in Future World
PRESCHOOLER FAVORITES
Soarin' (40" height)
Family Fun Kidcot Stops
Innoventions
Journey into Imagination
Turtle Talk with Crush
FAST FOOD PICK
Sunshine Seasons
Turtle Talk with Cursh
Honey I Shrunk the Audience (if scared, take off 3-D glasses, sit on lap)
Circle of Life (? afternoon cooling spot)
CHARACTER MEETINGS
Innoventions West in Future World
PRESCHOOLER FAVORITES
Soarin' (40" height)
Family Fun Kidcot Stops
Innoventions
Journey into Imagination
Turtle Talk with Crush
FAST FOOD PICK
Sunshine Seasons
Animal Kingdom
(FP) Finding Nemo
Boneyard (L can go to Expedition Everest)
Tricera Top Spin
Festival of Lion King
(FP) It's Tough to be a Bug (?)
Camp Minnie - Mickey (Character greeting area)
Maharaja Jungle Trek
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
Flights of Wonder
(FP) Kilimanjaro Safaris (go first or last)
Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade (4 pm)
- get your spot 15 minutes before if possible
FAST FOOD PICK
Tusker House
Boneyard (L can go to Expedition Everest)
Tricera Top Spin
Festival of Lion King
(FP) It's Tough to be a Bug (?)
Camp Minnie - Mickey (Character greeting area)
Maharaja Jungle Trek
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
Flights of Wonder
(FP) Kilimanjaro Safaris (go first or last)
Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade (4 pm)
- get your spot 15 minutes before if possible
FAST FOOD PICK
Tusker House
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Magic Kingdom
Favorite Attractions for Preschoolers (* popular = crowded)
- Alladin's Magic Carpet
- Country Bear Jamboree
- * Dumbo
- * It's a Small World
- (FP) Jungle Cruise
- Mad Tea Party
- * (FP) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- (FP) Mickey's PhilharMagic
- Monster's Inc
- Parades
- * (FP) Peter Pan's Flight
- Pooh's Playful Spot
- Toontown
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before the listed opening time - walk down Main street if you can
- Get a map and entertainment schedule (for the day)
FANTASYLAND
- Fantasyland first (Dumbo, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh) - before 11 am, after 7 pm, during parades, and get Fastpass the first thing for Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh
- Cinderella's Golden Carrousel after dusk
- Dream Along with Mickey - check showtimes (Castle Forecourt)
TOONTOWN
- Get here from Mad Tea Party / Splash Mountain or take the WDW Railroad
- Meet characters - visit Sunday morning, crowd light (go thru Mickey's house)
- Mickey - Judge's Tent; others in Hall of Fame
- Barnstormer (Goofy's roller coaster)
TOMORROWLAND
- Indy Speedway
ADVENTURELAND
- Jungle Cruise
- Magic Carpets of Alladin
FRONTIERLAND
- Big Thunder (Roller Coaster)
- Splash Mountain? (Zip a Dee Doo Dah) - sit at left back to avoid water
- Country Bear Jamboree
AFTERNOON RESTING PLACES ;-)
- Disney World Railroad
- Mickey's PhilharMagic
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Monster's Inc
- Pooh's Playful Spot (parent's rest, kid plays)
- Toontown play area (parent's rest, kid plays)
PARADES
- stake your place 30 minutes in advance
- good spot: beginning of Main street, along the hub in front of the Railroad Station
- California Grill (contemporary resort - reservations for dinner needed) to see fireworks
FAST FOOD PICK
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP
From the southern end of Liberty Square, turn left at the Sleepy Hollow snack shop. Just past the outdoor tables is a shortcut to Fantasyland that provides one of the best unobstructed ground-level views of Cinderella Castle in the park.
- Alladin's Magic Carpet
- Country Bear Jamboree
- * Dumbo
- * It's a Small World
- (FP) Jungle Cruise
- Mad Tea Party
- * (FP) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- (FP) Mickey's PhilharMagic
- Monster's Inc
- Parades
- * (FP) Peter Pan's Flight
- Pooh's Playful Spot
- Toontown
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before the listed opening time - walk down Main street if you can
- Get a map and entertainment schedule (for the day)
FANTASYLAND
- Fantasyland first (Dumbo, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh) - before 11 am, after 7 pm, during parades, and get Fastpass the first thing for Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh
- Cinderella's Golden Carrousel after dusk
- Dream Along with Mickey - check showtimes (Castle Forecourt)
TOONTOWN
- Get here from Mad Tea Party / Splash Mountain or take the WDW Railroad
- Meet characters - visit Sunday morning, crowd light (go thru Mickey's house)
- Mickey - Judge's Tent; others in Hall of Fame
- Barnstormer (Goofy's roller coaster)
TOMORROWLAND
- Indy Speedway
ADVENTURELAND
- Jungle Cruise
- Magic Carpets of Alladin
FRONTIERLAND
- Big Thunder (Roller Coaster)
- Splash Mountain? (Zip a Dee Doo Dah) - sit at left back to avoid water
- Country Bear Jamboree
AFTERNOON RESTING PLACES ;-)
- Disney World Railroad
- Mickey's PhilharMagic
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Monster's Inc
- Pooh's Playful Spot (parent's rest, kid plays)
- Toontown play area (parent's rest, kid plays)
PARADES
- stake your place 30 minutes in advance
- good spot: beginning of Main street, along the hub in front of the Railroad Station
- California Grill (contemporary resort - reservations for dinner needed) to see fireworks
FAST FOOD PICK
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP
From the southern end of Liberty Square, turn left at the Sleepy Hollow snack shop. Just past the outdoor tables is a shortcut to Fantasyland that provides one of the best unobstructed ground-level views of Cinderella Castle in the park.
Fastpass
- Use Fastpass for popular rides with long waiting times (over 30 minutes or so) - this info should be on the Fastpass machine
- Get Fastpass to popular rides before afternoon before the limited number run out for the day
- Get Fastpass to popular rides before afternoon before the limited number run out for the day
Disney World Hotel
We looked at on-site and off-site hotels, but the benefits of staying on-site at a value resort was much more than the price difference staying off site:
- free shuttle to and from airport - maybe even baggage handling
- free transportation to the Disney parks
- shorter commute to parks - go early, take a break, go again later
- extra magic hours for resort residents (actual extra hours also available online)
-
- free shuttle to and from airport - maybe even baggage handling
- free transportation to the Disney parks
- shorter commute to parks - go early, take a break, go again later
- extra magic hours for resort residents (actual extra hours also available online)
-
Better Late Than Never
Since this was a last minute trip (a month in advance), we realize there are many things we should have done a long time ago:
- Character Dining Reservations (reservations start 6 months in advance) - keep calling (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463) to see if there are any cancellations
- Sign up for discount newsletters (mousesavers.com) - emailed around the 15th of each month with discounts to WDW hotels, park tickets etc.
- Flights: not that late, but the most convenient flights at low fares were gone. Look up alternate airports, use sites like faretracker, yapta, and kayak to keep tabs on fares
- Hotels: could have paid a little less if we had made reservations earlier. But thanks to the value Disney resorts, we're not paying an arm and a leg more
- Character Dining Reservations (reservations start 6 months in advance) - keep calling (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463) to see if there are any cancellations
- Sign up for discount newsletters (mousesavers.com) - emailed around the 15th of each month with discounts to WDW hotels, park tickets etc.
- Flights: not that late, but the most convenient flights at low fares were gone. Look up alternate airports, use sites like faretracker, yapta, and kayak to keep tabs on fares
- Hotels: could have paid a little less if we had made reservations earlier. But thanks to the value Disney resorts, we're not paying an arm and a leg more
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