# Help needed with Disney planning.



## KEN WEBSTER (Feb 26, 2007)

I shall shortlly be visiting WDW with my grandaughter Age 6.We shall be in Orlando for 13 days starting March 8th.
This is my grandaughter`s first visit to WDW,although she has visited Euro disney.
I would like some advice about which are the quietest days in each of the parks,how many days will each park require,and any other information about planning this vacation.
I have a 14 day ultimate ticket.
I note on other disney sites that it is possible to purchase a planning document.Have any members experience of these,and wold you recommend.Many thanks.


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## mjs (Feb 26, 2007)

I recommend the website tourguidemike.com.  It cost about $20, it will be the best money you will spend.  It will tell you what parks will be crowded on what days etc.  IMHO it will make your trip much more enjoyable
Mark


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## elaine (Feb 26, 2007)

*if ultimate ticket includes park hopping--here's what we do*

1st, it will be fairly corwded b/c of Srping Breaks in the US.  I have a 6 yr old girl--here's what we do--1st, get a cheap little autograph book.

Day 1:Go to Magic Kingdom as early as you can (but not on days that they offer early entrance--extra magic hours--to those who stay at disney).  Take the train to the back of the park and ride It's a small world, Big thunder, Peter Pan, etc., when it igets too crowded, leave for lunch and a swim and go to MGM in the afternoon/evening.

DAy 2: Go to AK 1st thing in the AM, walk quickly to back of park, ride Safari, if not a long wait, or get a fast pass and ride train to the petting zoo nearby-kill 1 hour, then ride safari.
Then go to Nemo show, Pocohantas show, and Lion King show--this with the safari and petting zoo is a pretty good day.  (Bug'sLife is a bit scary for 6 years old.)

She will LOVE princesses at magic kingdom--so, if you have a park-hopper---you can go to MK every AM for a few hours, then to another park. There is a princess room over by Toon Town, where she can meet 2 princesses and have professional photos made (you can bring your own camera, as well).

We also like the Belle storybook hour in the Garden by the castle.

If she needs a haircut--go to Harmony Barber by the Car Barn and get a kids haircut(about $14)---they will also style with pink gel and glitter for only $5--it's quite a treat--but ask before if someone there is doing it.  Esp. good for long hair--my older girl looked like she was party of the disney Fantasia cast when they got done!!  There is a pricey princess place, too---but the barber with the $5 extra was perfect.

Do you know about princess lunches, break, dinners?  Most reservations will be ogone by now--but you might be able to get Akerhuas (Norway) princess lunch or dinner, or 1900 Park FAre at Grand Floridian for cinderella.

Our princesses and princes will be there doing these exact things in April!!


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## Big Matt (Feb 26, 2007)

Go to the parks 30 minutes before opening for two reasons.  First, you will be ahead of 98% of the people going there that day.  Second, you will see the cool opeing of the park with characters, music, etc.

As Elaine mentions, don't go to the park that opens early for Disney resort guests.  

Use fast pass, but only when you have more than a 10 minute wait.  

Go to MGM in the afternoon or evening because most of what will interest a six year old are the shows.  Usually you don't need to get there much ahead of the show.

Epcot might be boring for a six year old.  My older kids 12/9 love it though.  There are lots of characters in the World Showcase.

I would go to Magic Kingdom as often as possible.  It is the best park for little kids.  

If you don't live near a zoo, spend a significant amount of time at Animal Kingdom looking at the animals, going to the petting zoo, etc.

Take her to Downtown Disney.

See the fireworks at Epcot, MK, and MGM.  All are worth seeing.

Typhoon Lagoon has a lot of things for six year olds.  

Play putt putt.

That's enough.


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## laxmom (Feb 26, 2007)

Buy the Unofficial Guide to Disney World.  We have used this twice and it really made our trip!  It outlines the rides, when is best to go to what park and what order to ride the rides for the least wait time.  It has touring guides that you can tear out and take with you, tips on restaurants and so on.  We waited no longer than 20 minutes in line during spring break week using this guide.  It even tells you to buy rain ponchos at home and buy anything but yellow as that is all they sell at Disney and it is difficult to keep track of each other in a sea of yellow ponchos.  They research the park every year and adjust their plans.  We used it 2 years in a row and they did change it and it did work out great for us.


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## Pit (Feb 26, 2007)

laxmom said:


> Buy the Unofficial Guide to Disney World.



Is this the one you recommend?


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## Detailor (Feb 26, 2007)

This is sort of the opposite of what the OP asked for in terms of quietest days, but it still should help with which days would be best visited on certain days.  While the quote is from Disney, the information is from Deb's unofficial WDW site www.allearsnet.com.

"During regular attendance periods, our parks tend to be the busiest on the following days: 
Magic Kingdom: Monday, Thursday, and Saturday
Epcot: Tuesday and Friday
Disney-MGM Studios: Sunday and Wednesday
Disney's Animal Kingdom: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday"

The www.allearsnet.com site and the Dis Boards www.wdwinfo.com are excellent free sites for planning a Disney World trip.  While I don't have direct experience with a paid service I hear that www.tourguidemike.com, run by former Disney Cast Member Michael Hewell, is very good as well.
I'd think that with fourteen days, though, you'd have plenty of time to take things at a leisurely pace  so that you and your granddaughter will have a terrific time.

Dick Taylor


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## Mel (Feb 26, 2007)

A second to the "Unofficail Guide" - and yes that's the one!

As for the order of the parks, I would disagree.  Save the Magic Kingdom for last.  Each of the parks has plenty to offer at that age, but you don't want expectations of the other parks to be set based on the Magic Kingdom.  Instead, start with Epcot ending your day with the fireworks, or MGM ending with Fantasmic.  Then do the other of those two and Animal Kingdom, and build up to Magic Kingdom.  Then the second week be prepared to go back to whichever parks based on what she or you want to do again.

You probably don't need a 14 day ticket - that's an awful lot of Disney, and you may want a couple of non-park days to split things up.

Where are you staying?  that may make some difference in your plans as well.


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## vacationlover2 (Feb 26, 2007)

I second www.tourguidemike.com.  So much info, so comprehensive, for so little money.


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## gmarine (Feb 26, 2007)

The unofficial guide is excellant. Most likely your granddaughter is going to want to spend most of the time at Magic Kingdom. Most families with children her age will find that park the best. Animal Kingdom and MGM are not too be missed though.

My 6 year old daughter couldnt wait to leave EPCOT to go back to MK. Compared to MK, there is relatively little for a 6 year old to do and much more walking. I would just go to EPCOT to have dinner, then catch Illuminations. Maybe the Princess dinner at the Norway pavillion.

Again, pick up the Unofficial Guide to Disney. It has touring plans and everything and anything you need to know.

http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Gu..._bbs_sr_1/102-6740311-9693720?ie=UTF8&s=books


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## hopetotimeshare (Feb 26, 2007)

*Just Back*

We are just back from WDW with our 7 yo twins and 3 yo and I would love to share our itinerary with you! 

Saturday - We got in to Orlando early so we visited Downtown Disney (we actually spent a lot of time there during the week, walking, eating, shopping, kids loved it!
Sunday - Animal Kingdom - one of the more laid back parks
Monday - Went sightseeing and enjoyed the amenities of the resort!
Tuesday - MGM - don't miss Fantasmic! 
Wednesday - Magic Kingdom - You may need more than one day here 
Thursday - Epcot at 12:00pm, Character Dinner at the Land, walked around a bit and got to the World Showcase just in time for Illuminations
Friday - We did Universal and Islands of Adventure (I personally did not like it there)
Saturday - One last trip up I-Drive and a stop at Down Town Disney before going to the airport.  

I know no matter what you decide you will have a fantastic time, I am very passionate about Disney and I love to talk about it, please feel free ask away!


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## IreneLF (Feb 27, 2007)

I love Disney too and was just there in Nov - any Qs feel free to PM.

If she;'s seen the movie Finding Nemo, there will be new things for her to see at parks that may not be in guidebooks.  (is she hasn';t seen it, try to do so)

Allears.net is a good site - better than Disney's own IMO.

EPCOT re -did their Living Seas pavilion with a "ride" (indoor, sitting in a little car) that is all about  Nemo.  Small kids loved it (big kids like me too).  It also has  "Turtle Talk" with Crush, (character from Nemo)  a BIG BIG hit for all -- don't miss it.

AK has a new musical, Finding Nemo, which was super.

I'd receommend as others did, getting there EARLY. No matter when I went,  It always made a load of difference . Early gets you in ahead of so many others, and often there is no wait for many of the popular things she will like, when a bit later the line is an hour and a half for a 1 1/2 minute ride (!)
(the things in Fantasyland in MK)

In addition to much of Fantasyland, I'd also recommend the three D movies, especially Mickey's Philharmagic in MK and the Muppet one in MGM.


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## readyalready (Feb 27, 2007)

I've read that touringplans.com are by the Unofficial Guide folks and if you serach for a coupon code (DIS or allears maybe) the cost is less than $7.  I haven't used either yet, my sense is Mike can be confusing but more complete, but costs 3x more.


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## JT62 (Feb 27, 2007)

vacationlover2 said:


> I second www.tourguidemike.com.  So much info, so comprehensive, for so little money.




If you have many days for a nice long trip, I thoroughly agree with the recommendation for Tour Guide Mike.

We went over Christmas, in 2005, and essentially never waited in line more than 10 minutes! We had an awesome trip.

His style is not commando, but rather, how to maximize your vacation. Also, he even states that his advice is of most benefit during peak times.

We have also been at Disneyworld during spring break (2001). It is crowded, just like Xmas. 

The website is a little hard to navigate, but post questions on the messages boards, and you'll get help. His "best days" info and suggestions for how to navigate the park are alone worth the price.

JT


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## KEN WEBSTER (Feb 27, 2007)

Many thanks for the response to my request for help.
I shall be staying at the Horizons by Marriott for a total of 13 days,and would estimate would be at the theme parks possibly 10 of these days.
Can anyone advise if the Spring Breaks in the US are at a fixed time and would they coincide with my stay  from the 8th-21 March?
What sort of weather can I expect at this time?


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## hopetotimeshare (Feb 27, 2007)

Mousesavers.com and disboards.com are awesome too!  I am totally addicted!  There is SO much info on all of these sites...perhaps too much? lol


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## littlestar (Feb 27, 2007)

Ken, your granddaughter will love Horizons. It's so wonderful for kids. We own DVC points and Marriott Horizons reminds me very much of the themed Disney resort hotels. Marriott Horizons is rated in the top 10 on Trip Advisor (it actually beats out the Disney hotels on high ratings by the general public). You should get some good weather - I'd say 70's to about 80 would be my guess. If you check weather.com it can give you an idea - I always check Kissimmee and Orlando. 

The biggest spring break time for the state of Indiana schools is the first week of April. But I think some of the colleges are scattered through the month of March. I'd say the month of March will probably be pretty busy, but not as busy as that 1st week of April. 

Have a great time.


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## elaine (Feb 27, 2007)

*Spring Breaks span from beginning March to 2nd week April.*

The heaviest Spring breaks this year will start the 3rd week of March thru the 2nd week of April, with the week of 4/1--the week before Easter being one of the heaviest.
Your time of 3/8-21 should be fairly crowded, but not nearly as bad as 4/1.
I would give it a 7-8 out of 10, with the entire week of 4/1 being 10/10 for crowds.  
But, again, even on the most crowded days, if you get there by about 9 AM and leave by 1 PM, you can still have a great day in the park.  Easter week last year we walked onto rides at 9:30 that had 1+ hour waits later in the day.

Same for AK--we got a fast pass for Safari at 10 AM, went to petting zoo, came back at 11:20, waited 20 minutes, did Safari, got a fast pass for Dinosaur, ate lunch, waited 5 minutes for Dinosaur with fast pass, then walked right into Pocohantas show and later waited 25 minutes for Lion King show--pretty good for a packed day--we have done that same strategy 2 years in a row and it was the exact same.  Later, both times, the wait for Safari/Dinosaur was 1-1.5+ hours.


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## Mjpierce (Feb 28, 2007)

We have been to Disney numerous times with our two boys, who are now 5 & 8.  Definitely buy the Unofficial Guide and use allearsnet to help you pick the best days for visiting each park.

BUT,
The best piece of advice I can give for happiness at Disney with young children is to start early and take a siesta.  We would always go to the park for the real opening time (which is often earlier than listed).  The kids are fresh in the morning and you can see more in an enjoyable, uncrowded way in the first 1-2 hrs than you will for the rest of the day.  It is astonishing, even on high attendance days, just how few people show up early! For some rides, it may be your only chance to get on it without waiting hours.  For example, Soarin' in Epcot- we walked over to The Land building with the cast member that was opening that section of the park.  We were in the second group to go on it.  By the time we got off the ride, the waiting line was over 80 minutes long, and the fastpasses were for 120 minutes later.  My kids really get a kick out of beating the lines.  Also, when you are there early, before the crowds, good things happen.  For example, at MGM studios, my two boys were the first to get to the Mickey who opened the park- Mickey was waiting for Pluto to come over to be with him, and my boys got 5 minutes of undivided attention from the Mouse- priceless.  (Robbie, my 8 year old, has some luck with this, though.  When he was 3 we had gone to the character breakfast at the Polynesian.  The characters come out with instruments for the kids and start a musical parade/conga line.  Mickey picked Robbie to start the line with him, and they went around the room, hand in hand leading the  other children for about 10 minutes, followed by a lot of hugging, posing, and picture taking.) 

Anyway, by noontime, or possibly a little later, we eat and are heading back to the condo.  Napping, swimming in the pool, a little resting.  Believe me, you are not missing anything at the park at these hours, except for crowds, waiting in lines, and crying children.  You realize this if you return to one of the parks in the evening for a show, dinner, or a few more rides.  Your child will be the well rested, chipper one surrounded by worn out sunburned children being dragged by worn out, sunburned, and exasperated parents.  If you happen to return to the same park, you may  even see some of the parents and children that you saw at 8:00 AM- and they have been there all day "getting their money's worth."  What's the point if your not having fun...
So, that's my secret- get up early, go to a non-early entry park , and take a midday break.  Relax- who cares if you don't see everything.  Of course, with 14 days you will see everything, and you can break it up with some water park days, and some rest at the resort pool days.
We are teachers, so everytime we have gone to Disney it has been on the President's Day week in February, a pretty busy week.  Following the basic advice above, we have never had a real struggle with crowds, even with little kids, strollers, and one year, an 82 year old grandmother in a wheelchair.
Come home relaxed, and you have gotten your money's worth.

Have a great time!

Michael


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## elaine (Feb 28, 2007)

*ditto to Michael--my thoughts exactly*

since we ONLY go at Easter, we got a 10 day park hopper no-expire pass, which averaged $30 a day-and use a few days each Easter.  We go early and leave by 1 PM, esp. when crowded--and we don't feel the urge to "get our $ worth."
Sometimes we go back in the PM, and if we don't feel like it, we don't.
Kids can't keep those marathon hours for too long and it is miserable standing in line for even 30 minutes.
Again, since you have a 14 day ticket, go in the AM and leave by 1 or so and skip a few days here and there and enjoy the pools and you will be fine.


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## KEN WEBSTER (Mar 1, 2007)

Thanks again for the replies,and I am almost there with my schedule.
Has anyone any experience of the Water Parks,Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach,and their suitability for a 6 year old,any tips would be much appreciated.
Both of these are included with our ultimate ticket.
Disney Quest in Downtown Disney is also included,is this worth a visit?


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## Big Matt (Mar 1, 2007)

I've been to Typhoon Lagoon, and it will be a lot of fun for a 6 year old.  There are lots of rides suitable for that age, but many will require an adult to go along, especially those that require more than one rider.  The wave pool is fun too.  It's also a great way to break up the week when you start getting tired.  My advice is to get there early to get a good spot under a palm tree with good access to the lazy river.

Disney Quest is all virtual reality and video games.  I'm not sure a six year old would have a great time, but older kids love it.


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## Detailor (Mar 1, 2007)

We've done both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.  Both have areas that are designated for younger children with some smaller versions of the slide rides.  As Matt noted there's a large wave pool at Typhoon.  Blizzard Beach has a large general pool area.  Both have a lazy river that you can float along and around the park.  If your grandaughter likes the water and water rides then either of these will work out nicely.  I've been taking our youngest daughter to the Disney water parks since she was five (she's now fifteen) and we try to make a point of going to one of them during each of our (at least) annual trips to Orlando.  I see adults with children who are younger than six going on many of the rides. As with all things Disney, they do a terrific job in theming at the water parks and they're really a lot of fun.  We like Blizzard Beach best, but you should be warned that nearly everything is snow white and attracts the sun.  Bring sunscreen and re-apply frequently.  

On Disney Quest - this is a huge arcade with several Disney-specific attractions that's laid out over four or five floors.  You can expect the run of technology from a whole host of arcade games to some pretty cool virtual reality games - if you go, be sure to do the Aladdin, Pirates of the Carribean, and Ride the Comics and the Alien Encounter VR "rides."  If she's the least bit artistic, your grandaughter might want to take part in one of the instructor led Disney character drawing "classes."  There's a Buzz Lightyear themed bumper car ride.  And they have a food court for when you run out of fuel and need to recharge.  As with the water parks, this is an annual stop for my daughter - she loved it at five and still lists this as a must-do (she'll be there again next week).  If you go, go when the exhibit opens (I think 10:30 or 11:00) and you'll be able to get on some of those great VR rides without a lot of waiting - generally after noon the queues and wait times for Aladdin and Pirates get to be very long.

In short, if she's even slightly adventurous she'll like the water parks and Disney Quest.

Dick Taylor


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## Richard D (Mar 1, 2007)

I've used Steve Birbaum's Guide.  It used to be called the unofficial guide so I don't know if it is the same as the unofficial guides mentioned in other posts.  Use it and you will avoid many of the crowds.  My favorite is to arrive before the gates open and go back to hotel/resort at around 2PM.  Return around 5PM refreshed.


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## iluvwdw (Mar 1, 2007)

Richard D said:


> I've used Steve Birbaum's Guide.  It used to be called the unofficial guide so I don't know if it is the same as the unofficial guides mentioned in other posts.  Use it and you will avoid many of the crowds.  My favorite is to arrive before the gates open and go back to hotel/resort at around 2PM.  Return around 5PM refreshed.


Birnbaum's is actually the OFFICIAL Walt Disney World guide.  That said, I'd still get the Unofficial Guide, which is much more comprehensive and will give you honest reviews.  Birnbaums is written by an insider, which makes everything seem perfect.  Which it is, since it's Disney World.     Birnbaums has REALLY nice color pictures.


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