ONCE YOU ARE IN THE PARKS!
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| Walt Disney World Railroad Station |
If you have young kids, you will probably want to carry at least one small bag. I don’t mind walking around with a backpack since you never know what to expect with kids. The contents of my backpack (with paddled back and shoulder straps) includes toiletries (hand sanitizer pump/wipes, tissues, band aids, Neosporin, hand lotion, sunscreen sticks, water bottle, light snacks, self-stowing waterproof jackets/rain ponchos, extra camera batteries, cell phone, baseball cap etc. A backpack gives you ample space for diapers/pull-ups and a small pack of baby wipes, if needed. Especially if you are vacationing in the summer, I highly recommend packing lightweight rain gear since there can be afternoon showers. Having your own rain gear handy means you don't have to hunt down a poncho vendor in the rain. (Will you ever wear a Mickey poncho someplace else? Probably not!) I also packed extra clothes for each kid in gallon slider top plastic bags. (These came in handy after they got soaking wet playing on Donald's boat in Mickey’s Toontown Fair. Sadly, it will close in February 2011 due to the Fantasyland expansion.)
Staying connected
Always have your cell phone with you. This was helpful when we took different paths and had to find where to meet up again. I don't usually text, but it was great on vacation. Texting is especially helpful if you have an app that speaks your text messages automatically. Make sure you charge your phone whenever you can and it would also be handy to have an extended life battery and charger.
Don't miss a shot
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| Minnie Mouse |
Which way should we go?
Don’t forget your Park maps! You can pick them up in your resort lobby or at the entrance to each Park. If you and your family want to plan ahead, you can personalize them online and print them before your trip. You can also have Disney mail them to your home if you request them well before your departure date. Take a look at your park maps before you head out each day so you have a good idea of the attractions you don't want to miss and so you know the locations of your dining reservations. In addition, when you enter each Park, pick up a Times Guide for details about show times and performances at that particular Park. Note that detailed Times Guides are only available in the Parks and they are dated.
This is how we
With young kids, using a stroller in the Parks is not a bad idea. For one trip we brought our own single umbrella stroller, but it wasn’t able to hold both kids at one time and it offered no shelter from the sun or rain. So, on our most recent trip we decided to rent a double stroller, which worked out well. There was enough room for both kids to sit and the stroller came with pockets for water bottles and our maps. We found the stroller most helpful in Epcot and the Animal Kingdom. Remember that there is a discount for renting a stroller for multiple days. When you rent for multiple days, save your receipt and just present it at the stroller rental stand when you go to a new park. To identify your rental stroller, you are given with a name badge/stroller plate. If you want to stand out in the crowd of rental strollers, you can print out some snazzy personalized name badges to take with you.
When you get out of a show or off an attraction, don't be alarmed if your stroller is not exactly where you left it. Sometimes you’ll find that Cast Members move the strollers through the stroller parking aisle so they will be closer to the exit when you come out.
Even though Walt Disney World is the happiest place on earth, don't leave anything of value in your unattended stroller and you probably don't want to take the most expensive stroller into the Parks.
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| Kilimanjaro Safaris |
If you want to ride a popular attraction without waiting a looong time, get a FASTPASS when you enter the park. This will allow you to ride less crowded attractions and go back to the popular attraction at a specified time. You might have a brief wait, but the FASTPASS line is shorter than the regular line. Note that FASTPASSES for the most popular rides get “sold out” in the morning hours. If you really want to avoid the long lines, pick up your FASTPASSES early!
During early hours and when there's a break in the action, have a one family member take everyone's Key to the World Card and get multiple FASTPASSES for a desired attraction. A sample of rides that have FASTPASS access are:
- Magic Kingdom - Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain roller coaster
- Epcot - Soarin' (a FASTPASS is a must!), Test Track
- Animal Kingdom - Kilimanjaro Safari Ride, Mt. Everest Ride, Kali River Rapids
- Hollywood Studios - Tower of Terror, Rockin' Roller Coaster
Size Matters
Before your trip, check online for height requirements for rides if you have young kids. Disney provides a good online filter for all of the attractions so you can see which attractions to include on your list and which ones to save for a future trip.
Rider Swap
We never needed to use this option because we had extra adults in our party, but it sounds pretty handy. Parents can take turns riding without having to stand in line again.
Check out my future posts for suggestions about dining options, information about the Wilderness Lodge Resort and more ideas about what to do in the Parks once you arrive!
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