While this is not one of those blogs, Matt and I have been fortunate to be able to take our children to Disney World every other year since our oldest was five. This April we will once again spend a week in the parks, for the SIXTH time. Some may think we are crazy. And while I wouldn’t disagree, the kids still love it.
Our very first visit to Disney. I had to take a photo of the photo since I didn’t have a digital camera back in 2004.
I can now plan this vacation in my sleep, and I’ve amassed quite a few insider tips that first time visitors may not know. I’m sure big Disney blogs have a much more comprehensive list, but if you’re not a Disney fanatic those sites can be overwhelming. So consider this your non-fanatical, completely doable list of tips for getting a little extra out of your Disney vacation.
1. Club Cool in Epcot. This place is easy to walk right by if you’re not looking for it, but what a shame that would be! Stop in the air-conditioned Club Cool to sample Coca Cola flavors from all over the world. The sodas are free, and your kids will have a blast tasting all the unusual flavors. Sugar ’em up when energy is waning! You’ll need the energy too, since Epcot is the park where you’ll do the most walking.
2. Kidcot Fun Stops in Epcot’s World Showcase. I love visiting all the countries in Epcot, but they aren’t that exciting for smaller children. These fun stops give your little ones something to do at each country; my kids loved them when they were younger. There’s a craft station in every country, and kids collect stamps and create a personalized souvenir to take home. So you can eat and drink your way around the World Showcase (the beer and soft pretzels in Germany are fabulous) while your kids stay interested in this more grown-up area of the park.
Masks the kids created at the Kidcot stations
3. Autographs. Younger kids love to get characters’ autographs. Bring your own small spiral notebook from home instead of buying the official autograph book whose pages fall out eventually. And bring a large pen (with a clicker, not a cap) so those characters in costume suits can grab it easily. Many of them only have four fingers, which makes holding a slim pen a bit challenging.
Notice the autograph books clutched tightly in the kids’ hands
Even these grab bag pins are not cheap – $40 for 25. Twice I bought them a bag to share as Hanukkah gift for the kids, and this time the kids are buying them themselves.
What my kids do on snow days – organize their pins in order from most favorite to least.
5. Save souvenir shopping for one of the last days. If you have very little ones, you can get away with buying souvenirs at home and bringing them with you to dole out throughout the trip, but older kids want to buy things they see in the parks. Decide how much they can spend ahead of time. My kids always set aside a little holiday or birthday money and I hold onto it for them. Then we hit the shops ONE TIME towards the end of the trip, and they make their purchases.
7. Name tags. If you have young children, you want to make sure you take precautions in case they get lost. I used adhesive labels inside my kids’ shirts with our names and cell phone numbers on them.
8. Getting picked to be in the Monsters Inc Comedy Factory or the juggler’s assistant in Epcot’s Italy. I was picked and embarrassed thoroughly for Monsters Inc; you have to be sitting near an aisle. And James was picked as the assistant to the same juggling mime for two consecutive visits. The secret to being picked? I have no idea. I’d like to think it was our sparkling personalities and stunning good looks.
Didn’t believe me? Here is proof.
9. Best way to beat the crowds. There are touring plans, which I swear by. You can go during less busy seasons, but with older kids in school that’s not always possible. Get there when the park opens – that is the best way to beat the crowds. It will look like there are millions of people already there when everyone is standing at the entrance, but once the crowds disperse into the parks, you have an hour or two of minimal lines and wait times. My kids could sleep until 11 am on a Saturday, but they will be up and smiling at 7 am when we are in Disney. They know it pays off to be the early bird.
10. Go with the flow. For all the planning I do prior to the trip, once I’m in Disney I just roll with it. You may not do it all, but you want to enjoy everything you do get a chance to experience.
I wrote a series on planning a Disney vacation with kids back when my blog was new. Hardly anyone read it, but I think it has some useful information. Check it out here.
Have you done Disney? How’d it go?
Donna, this is a great article. I too love Disney and actually just moved to here to Orlando. My kids just love it here so why NOT move right? Growing up I’d never had the opportunity, but I wasn’t going to repeat this mistake with my own kids. I too started to write about this magical place.
Don’t stop coming, it will keep you young at heart!
Keep posting, I will continue to check in.
Jose
Thanks for visiting Jose!
Hi Dana, thank you for sharing these great tips. It’s been a long time since we visited Disney I think it’s time for another vacation. I ‘ll be saving this post to refer to when we do decide to go! Loved your pictures! I’m visiting from SITS Spring Fling !
Kim from This Ole Mom
Hi Kim! Glad you found the post helpful, and I hope you get a chance to head back to Disney soon!
Dana, we went last January, and I wish I had met you before we went! Your tips would have been greatly appreciated. We totally missed the Cool Spot at Epcot, and I distinctly remember walking a far distance that afternoon to get my hands on a much needed Coke! You know I paid $3 for that bottle! I’m not sure if this is in your tips already, but I really liked the Disney app for iPhone- it told us wait times and helped us plan our ride schedule!!
This is such great advice! I definitely feel like number 10 was my motto (and totally NOT who I am!) when we took our girls to Disney a few years ago. It is certainly the kind of place where you must go with the flow. We were fortunate at The Animal Kingdom that Abby got to be in The Lion King show…so much fun! :)-Ashley
That is fun – that’s a great show! My kids would hide behind us to avoid being picked for anything at this point.
Wow you guys go every other year? That is so amazing. I love that they still enjoy going. The first time I ever went I was 16 and I enjoyed it so much. This really is a great list of tips. Some of these places I don’t even think I visited personally! What fun, though, Dana!
I hope you get back there one day with your kids, Brittnei – it’s really fun as a parent.
Enjoyed this Dana. We were there in September and I’ve been ready to go back since November. Maybe next year. My 9yo would adore the trading pins. He loves all those collectible things. Very helpful post, thank you!
You’re welcome, Kate. I can’t tell you how much time my kids have spent looking at and organizing their pins. It’s like the way I was with my sticker collection, only more expensive.
We were able to get away with #5!! Well with a lot since the kids were one and four. I really want to go back. For more than one day. Maybe in a few years. I want it badly! We didn’t do the pins or much of Epcot. And we meant to get to the park early but we were at the mercy of the employee letting us in for free so we didn’t get that nice and early start I wanted.
Anyway, it was fantastic. Can I come with you?
You have many more years to enjoy Disney, Tamara. But in the meantime, you can definitely come with us!
i’ve bookmarked this for when it’s time for our disney trip!
Glad to hear it, Catherine!
We are actually thinking of going back to Disney next year. I can’t wait. We went in June 2013 and had so much fun! Great tips!
Thanks, Amber. We really enjoy going every other year. This may be our last trip, but I say that every time. 🙂
Bookmarking this! You’re right that many of those comprehensive Disney sites are overwhelming, so this kind of post is perfect!
That was my hope, Katie! I hope it’s useful to you at some point in the future.
We’ve only done Disney once, but I want to go again. These are great tips. The touring plans app save us – told us when to get FastPass, etc. I think next time I will remember to pack a lunch instead of eating at the park (maybe) because the food it outrageously expensive.
We pack plenty of snacks, which does help cut down on costs. And my kids know the rule – it’s either a soda/lemonade at lunch or dessert later, but not both. They always pick dessert!
So many good tips!! I plan on taking my kids many more times, so no I don’t think you’re crazy at all. I love Disney, especially though my kids eyes! Luckily, my stepmom knew about the autograph books for our first trip so they were well used. I saw the pin mania but the boys are too young. Another tip we used from a local was to go all the way to the back of the park when you first go in (as soon as they open of course!) because most people stop at the first ride they see – this way you will be going the opposite way of the crowd all day 🙂 Have a magical day!
You’re right about not stopping at the first ride – the touring plans I follow take you to rides that get busy the faster, regardless of where they are. We book it to Expedition Everest when the Animal Kingdom opens, and ride a few times while most visitors are meandering down the discovery paths.
Oh my gosh, where were you in December 2012?
I love your tips! The name tags make so much sense. And being picked? We never got picked for anything! I’m so jealous!
Great post, very helpful. Off to share!
I appreciate you sharing, Katia. Being picked for a parade was very cool – I tease my kids about it happening again, but what are the chances of that?
Such a great post. We visited Disneyland a few years ago when my guys were 3 and 4. Had such a wonderful time. I cannot tell you how excited my daughter was after placing a note for Minnie on Minnie’s mantlepiece. Minnie spied it and picked it up and zoomed over to give my daughter a hug, Love your tip re a pen without a cap. Brilliant.
Enjoy your upcoming visit!
Thank you Kelly – I’m sure we will have a great time.
Oh Disney… we’ll probably take the kids someday, but I have absolutely no desire to try to go before my youngest is at least 5. I’ve only been once, when I was in 8th grade, and I think we went in early February — there were practically no lines and the weather was great. I loved it! (Proof that you don’t have to go as a little kid to enjoy it.)
Absolutely proof – Matt and I may go to the Food and Wine Festival in Epcot (held in October) once we are empty nesters. It is a challenge to take little ones, so I don’t blame you for waiting until the kids are older.
Great post – I will save it because even though it isn’t on my list of things to do, I know Chris wants to take the boys at least once!!
There are some great rides for older kids – and you won’t have to worry about the height requirements. There’s an annual marathon in January 😉
Yes, I loved your tips. I did get suckered with the pins and I just sent the link to a friend who is doing Disney for the first time with her son. In two weeks. So your timing, as always, is impeccable!
I LOVE Disney. I’ve been a few times recently with friends actually and once with my children. We’re going again as a whole family in January and I’m beyond excited. I didn’t know about the craft stations in Epcot! I’ll have to remember to check those out!
We stumbled on them during our first trip, and they were lifesavers!
I wish I’d read this before we went a few years back. I don’t think we will be going again, although who knows, because I believe we do have one day left on our passes. This is great advice!!
Thanks, Michelle. You could always to one day and then do Universal…we’ve never done that because Disney is expensive enough!
I’m so overwhelmed at the thought of Disney. Everyone who goes loves it, but we just aren’t motivated. Maybe someday. Are your kids into Disney characters? Mine aren’t, but it’s probably so fairytale fabulous there they’d love it anyway. I wonder if they’ll resent that we never took them? Oh well. They’ll probably resent us for a lot of things. Such is life, right? haha.
Not everyone is into Disney – don’t feel bad, Beth. You don’t owe your kids a trip. Mine were into the characters when they were younger, but by age ten or so they just waved to them and went on their way. They do like the parades though – but no more standing in line for autographs.
I am totally pinning this post, Dana, because we are just talking now about taking the kids in the next year or two and you gave such great advice here for someone who is a rookie at Disney. Thanks so much for sharing and can’t say that enough!! 🙂
I hope my tips will be useful, Janine – Disney can be so overwhelming when you go with your kids for the first time. You know where to find me if you ever have any questions!
I wish I’d known you when we planned our Disney trip! But we still had a great time, and we went during off season (end of the first week of December) so it was beautiful and not so crowded! Can’t wait to go again!
That is an awesome time to go, Alexa. We used to go in late January and had almost no crowds. We just can’t do it anymore – I can’t pull my high schooler out of school for a week. So we brave the crowds and have a blast anyway.
I’m saving this post for the day that we finally bite the bullet and take the girls to the Happiest Place on Earth. I don’t think I can handle it every other year, but I know we have to do it at least once. Great info, Dana! Thanks for sharing.
Every other year is a lot for most families, but we are unusual 🙂 And don’t think that your girls will be too old after a certain age – even at 15 1/2 my daughter is super excited!