Orlando answers:

You can draw a treasure map and have her looking all over the house to have her find the tickets or a just a mickey doll Hope your family has a great time, I’ve been to disney every year since I was 4 and absolutely love it

Orlando answers:

This is the highest rated online program for planning a trip:

AAA TripTik
RTA Rating: 4+
On February 20, 2007 the proprietary TripTik program, previously only available to Automobile Association of America club members, was made available to the public free of charge. Since our first trials in 2005, the program has been greatly improved and draws upon several key informational databases (AAA, NAVTEQ, TCS, ESRI, etc.) to deliver an online mapping and planning program that is currently the best available. Of all of the programs we have tested thus far, TripTik returned the most useful attraction and lodging information for the test route. The program was able to locate and map cities (even when spelled incorrectly), and the mapping program itself is very fast and intuitive. We especially like the ease with which intermediate destination points can be rearranged on the trip plan. This program also automatically formats a trip plan that can be printed and taken on the trip. The “Overview Directions” format is easily the best we have ever worked with. Because AAA has a built-in reservations module, it was easy to drill down and find lodging choices at all of our test destinations, and we found the reservation booking program simple to use. The reason we did not give this program our highest rating is that there are still some remaining technical glitches. One of the potentially outstanding tools is the “Modify Route” device that is supposed to allow a user to use “point and click” to add a new destination to the map and the trip planner. We were able to activate the tool and even get some of routing information to display, but we could not get that information added to the trip plan. Worse, we found it nearly impossible to end the use of that tool. On the plus side, the detail that the program provided about scenic drives and special attractions was outstanding. This is not quite the “Holy Grail” of trip planners, but it is much farther along the continuum than any of the other free web-based trip planning tools.

Orlando answers:

Your best bet would be the 90′s or 80′s as they are furthest from the main pool/lobby area. Disney does kid friendly activities every day from 1-3 at the main pool and it gets kinda loud, so just avoid those rooms (50′s-70′s….they are preferred rooms anyway, so now you don’t have to pay the extra $). You can call Disney and tell them that you want a room on the back side of the 80′s building. They will accomodate you if at all possible. Here’s a site with a map of Pop Century so you can see what I’m talking about. Http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/PopCenturyMap.pdf

Orlando answers:

Why not try Britain from June to Aughust?
Full of Heritage, tepid to warm temperatures, great coasts. Just a thought

Orlando answers:

The one year I was there the 2nd week in April it was high 80s and sunny every day, not a drop of rain the entire week.
Another time the 3rd week in March was mainly high 70s and we had 2 rainy days during our week.
Another trip in April 80s and sunny except one rainy day.
As you can see it varies year to year, but it should be at least highs in the 70s. It may be cooler in the morning and evening though.

Orlando answers:

The weather is hit or miss in December in Florida. Some days are very warm like summer, and others are quite chilly. I went in December in 2006 and I had to pack for everything.

Take jeans, crops, shorts, tees, a hoodie or two, sandals, sneakers, a light jacket, a swimsuit – just take a little bit of everything because the weather will be unpredictable.

I wore a tank top & jeans into the parks during the day, but at night I almost always had on a hoodie. A few days it was hot enough to swim and felt like summer. It’s a nice mix =)

Orlando answers:

Disney has four parks, two water parks, 20+ resorts, two shopping/dining areas, golf courses, and other fun as well. I say the Park Hopper is worth it You can go from park to park and all in one day.. Not be stuck in one park. The Dining Plan is good if you want to go with it.

In the Summer, the parks are always crowded… SO the day does not really matter.

My most favorite Disney resort is the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

At the parks…
Magic Kingdom is the best park, if you ask me. It gives you the best Disney feeling and it has the best rides. AT Magic Kingdom ride Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I also think (even though these are not thrill rides) you should ride the Jungle Cruise, and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Watch the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes Nighttime Spectacular at night. Don’t forget to get a dole whip from Aloha Isle near the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

At Epcot… Ride Test Track, Soarin’, and Mission: SPACE. Walk around all the world and experience different culture all in one place. Try food and drinks from all around the world too. They even had live music from countries last time I was there. Watch IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at night.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios… Ride the Tower of Terror (The Twilight Zone) in the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Also ride Rock n’ roller coaster, Toy Story Mania. I hear the Great Movie Ride is great too. You have to watch Fantasmic! At night.. What an awesome show. Try to eat at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater.

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom… Ride Kali River Rapids, Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, Kilimanjaro Safaris. Watch the Festival of the Lion King and the A Bug’s Life play. Eat at the Rainforest Cafe.. Great food and an awesome place.

Don’t leave Downtown Disney out of your trip.. It is a blast too.

If you like water parks Disney has two water parks (Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon).

To get to Magic Kingdom (once you are parked), I suggest riding the Monorail.. And then on the way back the boat. Monorail is SUPER FUN.

For monthly Weather averages visit http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USFL0615

For Disney Parks Blog visit http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/

For Disney Park Wallpapers visit http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/disney-parks-wallpapers/

For all the inside info to Disney World visit http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

Orlando answers:

I don’t want anything explained.
I’ve been there 48 times.
I’m the one usually doing the explaining.
I can tell you that most people just do not grasp exactly what disney world is. They assume its just magic kingdom.
And people don’t understand the ticket options.
And they don’t understand the dining plan options.
And they don’t understand the hotel options.
And they don’t understand fastpass.
Many people don’t know a dang thing about disney world you should be explaining EVERYTHING.

Orlando answers:

Annual Passes

The Annual Pass provides a full year of incredible theme park fun and includes:

•unlimited admission for 365 days to Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park
•same-day admission to all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks
•complimentary theme park parking
•special Passholder discounts on Resort Hotels, dining, merchandise and more
•exclusive Passholder communications with behind-the-scenes information
•exclusive Passholder special events and privileges
Purchase Annual Pass

.Ages 10 & Older
$531.44 USD
Ages 3 to 9
$479.25 USD .

Orlando answers:

There is no time limit.
You can check in 24/7 any time.
If you get there at 9am you can check in.
If you get there at 4pm you can check in.
If you get there at midnight you can check in.

The only thing is they do not guarantee your room will be ready until 3pm.
If you do get there prior to 3pm and its ready they will certainly let you in it.
If its not ready you can either hang out at the hotel in the food court or by the pool or you can jump right into going to the parks or downtown disney.

Orlando answers:

I would suggest doing a Disney resort for your stay. It is much more convenient when it comes to getting around and getting to the Disney parks. When you stay at a Disney resort, the buses from park to resort or resort to park run about every 10-20 minutes so even if you just miss a bus as you are walking to the bus stop, you won’t be waiting very long. When you stay at a non Disney resort, many times, their buses only run about every 2 hours so you have to keep more of a time schedule when you are at the parks, and in my opinion, that is not a way to enjoy Disney fully. There are also some perks to staying at a Disney resort, you get to take advantage of the “extra magic hours”. There are times when a certain park is open later or earlier JUST for Disney resort guests. If you stay at a non Disney resort, you aren’t allowed.

There are some Disney resorts that are on the cheaper side. The All star resorts— All star Music, Sports, Movies, and Pop Century, and Art of Animation, are the cheapest. There are times when you can get it for like $60 per night. The next highest is the Moderate resorts such as Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside, They run about $100 per night. The Deluxe Disney resorts are the most expensive and run about $300+ per night, so if you aren’t looking to spend THAT much I wouldn’t consider those. I would suggest going on the Disney website and checking out the resorts and their prices and by doing that, you can determine how much you really want to spend. You can calculate it there with everything including adding in your park passes and stuff. And the Dining plan if you want it.

Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside are my favorites. They are a little bit more expensive, but they are really great resorts. And the plus side to them is that there is bus transportation, but there is also ferry transportation to Downtown Disney. The resorts that have alternate means of transportation are great because then you have a choice.

Hope that helped you out.

Orlando answers:

If I’m not staying at an on-site hotel then I personally prefer to purchase my tickets online in advance in order to save myself the time spent waiting in line. Orlando theme park crowds aren’t at their worst in June, but the lines at the ticket booths can be quite long; I once spent more than half an hour waiting to purchase tickets when I got there (and this was during a less crowded time of year than June) and swore I’d never do it again.

DISNEY WORLD
Since you are wanting to visit two of the Disney World parks then you will simply buy a two-day base ticket; the tickets are not park specific, and a base ticket will allow you to enter one theme park per day of your ticket. You can add the park hopper option if you’d like to move freely from park to park, although I don’t recommend this as park hopping takes up a lot of time. You can purchase theme park tickets here:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tickets/

You can purchase water park tickets here:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tickets/water-parks/

You can either choose to have your tickets shipped to you (standard shipping will cost a few dollars) or choose to pick them up at Will Call (which is free). Again, I prefer to have them shipped to me so that I can skip ALL ticket lines and go straight to the turnstiles.

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO
Universal tickets work basically the same as Disney World tickets; they aren’t park specific, they just have a certain number of days on them. I would recommend just picking one of the two Universal theme parks and spending an entire day there (Islands of Adventure would be my pick), but if you want to do both in one day then you need to purchase a one-day park-to-park ticket. When purchase Universal tickets online you print them out and bring them to the parks with you, along with a photo ID. Here is the Universal Orlando ticket purchasing page:

https://www.universalorlando.com/Theme-Park-Tickets/General-Admission.aspx

And yes, you and your wife will each have your own tickets.

Orlando answers:

It’s tough to say if you’ll fit on a particular ride until you actually try the seat. The rides where you might have a problem are the ones with overhead restraints because they’re less adjustable than plain lap bars.

If it makes you feel better Universal has retrofitted some of the rides that gave people the most problems. When the new Harry Potter ride opened there were many complaints from folks who couldn’t ride–and these weren’t huge people. That’s when a lot of these horror stories started running around the internet. They’ve since modified some of the seating and it’s a LOT more forgiving. The same is true for most other major rides with overhead restraints.

There is a test seat out front of rides, try it. Some people worry that everyone is staring but I personally never notice since like everyone else I’m running to get on the ride. It’s also a popular photo op. If you don’t fit in that, find the ride attendant who hangs around where the line starts and ask them about modified seating. You can also ask for modified seating if you’re simply uncomfortable in the regular seat, at 6’3 you might feel a little squished on your shoulders. Anyway, the modified seating seems to work for most people so don’t freak out, particularly over stories from a few years back. It’s much better now.

Orlando answers:

Your preteen girl would love some teen magazines and an iPod filled with her favorite music. Pick up Teen People, J-14, Teen Beat, etc. If an iPod is out of the question, they sell CD players at Target or Wal Mart for as little as $15. Have her bring a CD case filled with her favorite CDs.

Another thing to do is to pick up a portable DVD player. They have them at electronics stores as well as places such as Target or Wal Mart. Both kids can enjoy Disney movies together through the whole trip!

You can print out free coloring pages on Disney’s website. You can bring a clip board and a box of crayons and markers for them to color on. Let your preteen have a disposable (or digital) camera on the driving trip for her to take pictures of fun things she sees out the window or when you make your stops, etc.

Other things that they can do include the classic billboard games, license plate games, color games, etc. Try to find a license plate from every state… Or a car of every color, etc.

Target sells travel games such as scrabble that the kids can play together. If your younger child reads, get them a book on something that they enjoy; whether its a picture book or a chapter book.

If they start getting cranky, just remind them that they are on their way to DISNEY WORLD! And that they are about to have the time of their lives

Good luck & have a wonderful trip with your family!

Orlando answers:

Walt Disney World has four theme Parks and two Water Parks…

The best rides at the Animal Kingdom Park:

Expedition Everest.
Kali River Rapids.
DINOSAUR.
Primeval Whirl.
Kilimanjaro Safaris.

The best rides at Disney-MGM Studios:

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.
(Don’t forget to see the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and Fantasmic!)

The best rides at Epcot:

Soarin’.
Test Track.
Mission: SPACE.
(Don’t miss the amazing fireworks/pyrotechnics show, Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.)

The best rides at the Magic Kingdom Park:

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Space Mountain.
Splash Mountain.
The Haunted Mansion.
(Don’t forget to see the fireworks show, Wishes Nighttime Spectacular.)

There’s many other rides, shows, and attractions at each of the Parks. All the rides and shows are awesome! The ones I listed are some of the most popular.

Check out the website, you can see pictures and videos of all the rides and decide what you think would be fun or worth going on…

Http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/parkOverview?id=ParkOverviewPage

As for the weather, I haven’t been in June, so I’m not sure. I go in August, and it’s so hot! It’s going to be hot in June but not as hot as in August. I’m surprised, this August wasn’t as bad as the last one. Last summer, everyday we were there, the temperature was over 100 degrees (most of the days were even over 110.) So make sure you pack lots of tanks tops, halters, shorts, skirts, etc.

Have fun!

Orlando answers:

Lets just say fuck it and go to destin…. Dont matter where we go well manage to have fun

Orlando answers:

Well since its 6 days I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to go on all the rides, so no hurry.

Magic Kingdom – Space, Splash, and Thunder Mountain. Haunted mansion, Buzz lightyear’s space ranger spin, Jungle cruise, Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pirates of the Carribbean, Monster’s inc. Laugh Floor, Mickey’s Philharmagic. At night be sure to see Wishes and the Electrical Parade.

Epcot – Test Track, Soarin’, Mission Space, Spaceship Earth, Maelstrom, Ellen’s energy adventure, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Captain EO, Journey into imagination with figment, all the Countries in World Showcase, and of course Illuminations reflections of earth fireworks show.

Hollywood Studios – Star Tours, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, Rock’n roller Coaster, Great Movie Ride, Light’s motors action stunt show, Indiana Jones Stunt show, Pixar parade, Motorcars parade, Beauty and the Beast Show.
And of course be sure to Check what day your going to Hollywood Studios to see Fantasmic, they only have Fantasmic Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights.

Animal Kingdom – It’s tough to be a bug, Expedition Everest, DINOSAUR, Finding Nemo the musical, Kilaminjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids (if your willing to be soaking wet),

If your staying at a Resort owned by Disney, be sure to check the Extra Magic Hours calendar. Also, Be sure to get fastpass.

Orlando answers:

Don’t listen to the people saying to wait until they’re older. It’s going to be a bit frustrating with younger kids, but you’ll notice a lot of the time they’re easily pleased. A lot of the time all they want to do is go in the pool. They have fun special things like “Little Ones Extra Magic Hours” for little ones.

Two seater strollers are allowed in Disney, you can rent two-seater strollers inside Disney, just be careful with them, because people without strollers get very testy at people with strollers.

Also, if you park your strollers outside of a ride MAKE SURE THAT YOUR NAME IS ON IT. People will steal your stroller so they don’t have to pay for their own.

Also, be sure that your stroller is collapsable because on trams and a few other things like busses your strollers have to be collapsed in order for you to get on.

I’ve also given you a link underneith that has a few tips for traveling with kids, as well as a link to the Walt Disney World Mom’s Panel, a site where you can ask other moms questions about going to Walt Disney World, and the easiest way to go about it. I’ve also included a link for your husband, since it’s his first time at Walt Disney world. It’s a helpful guide for anyone who is on their first visit to Walt Disney World.

To make your trip a bit easier, I’d reccoment using the fact you’re staying on property to your advantage and go to Extra Magic Hours, especially morning ones. THis can get a lot f the more popular attractions out of the way so the kids don’t get fussy in long lines. Below I’ve also given you a link of the EMH days and hours.

If you have any questions, feel free to message.

Good luck!

Orlando answers:

Since you are taking a 5 year old, don’t even consider skipping the Magic Kingdom. In my opinion, that is where the Disney magic lives. On a cool morning you take the ferry boat from the Ticket and Transportation Center across the lake to the Magic Kingdom. The castle gets closer and the excitement builds. You get through the turnstiles and wait for the opening ceremony. The train pulls into the station and an assortment of Disney Characters get off to welcome you to the Magic Kingdom. Then they open the gates and you walk right down Main Street USA. Smell the cookies baking. See the castle in the distance. It is really wonderful.

Note that you do need to have a plan when you get there. If you spend 30 or 40 minutes milling around on main street you will get a bad start. Just know what you want to do first and stroll over to that attraction. No need to run. Just know where you are going, and go there.

Animal kingdom is another good choice. Then again, they are all good choices.

For the third day I would probably pick Hollywood Studios. It will be less ride oriented, but there are lots of good shows to see. Since this park is oriented around the shows, make sure you pick up a schedule at the front of the park.

One thing to remember. Ice cream can cure almost anything bad that can happen there.

Have fun. Wish I was going. The Magic Kingdom with a 5 year old can be a really neat experience.

Orlando answers:

There is a website for all things Disney on the cheap. It also lists current promotions and discount codes.

Http://www.mousesavers.com/

You can also purchase discounted tickets legitimately through AAA.

Orlando answers:

Annual pass holder…

Magic Kingdom is a dry park. No alcohol at any restaurant at this park.

The other parks due offer beers and some restaurants offer specialty drinks. Epcot probably has the most variety. Different contries offer different wines as well as beers from the different countries. You can check out www.allearsnet.com and they have some menus which might show some of the specialty drinks at some of the restaurants. The bars at the resorts have full bars.

Orlando answers:

You can go and great deals if go and buy at the right time

Orlando answers:

Carly, the stress is worse than the reality of what you are going to experience. It sounds like you are obsessing about something that just isn’t a problem. Yes it is inconvenient but you can handle it no sweat. You know how to wear tampons which is good.
All you have to do is be prepared. Have your tampons with you as well as pads. Wear a pad as a backup to your tampon. This way you will be sure not to soil your clothes. Carry extra pads and tampons in a “fanny Pack” so you’ll have it with you. Wrap these in a brown bag so you will have a place to dispose of them when you need to. You may want to bring along some pain medication and your heating pad. The exercise at the park will be good for you.
Now, about that attitude. If you think negative it seems to be self fulfilling. Start making yourself look at this in a positive light. How often will you get to do this in your life time. You are a very lucky and fortunate young woman. You simply can not let your period ruin the best times of your life. It always seems to show up at a time like this. You can’t avoid it so you might as well go with it. Think of all of the women who are out there doing their thing and they are all having their period at one time or another. Think of it as a part of life. Nothing more and nothing less. Best of luck to you and use that positive attitude. You have it in you for sure.

Orlando answers:

Disney is the most accomodating park in the world! You will find that you get to have as much fun as everyone else at Disney World as everyone else in your family.

First off, the electric wheelchair. They are called ECV’s in Disney theme parks and they are available for rent. They have a limited number of ECV’s a day for rent, so get there early on crowded days (fourth of July, Christmas, Halloween, Labor Day, etc) so that you will make sure that you are guaranteed an ECV when you want one. Make sure that you hang on to the key to your ECV all day long, and if you leave your chair, such as to go to the bathroom, take the key with you. When you rent an ECV, you will be able to use the handicap access lines to any rides that offer them.

As for the rides at the Magic Kingdom, here is a list, and what you can expect:
It’s A Small World – you will be able to ride it without any problems

Astro Orbitor – I do not recommend riding this one, it is such a tight squeeze, depending on how you are built, you may fit though

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – you will be able to ride it without any problems, ask to be seated in your own row

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – you will be able to ride without any problems, I would not sit next to another adult, but sitting next to a child will be comfortable

Dumbo The Flying Elephant – you will be able to ride it without any problems, ask for your own elephant

Jungle Cruise – you will be able to ride it without any problems

Liberty Square Riverboat – you will be able to ride it without any problems

Mad Tea Party – you might find that the “wheel” in the center presses up against your stomach and is uncomfortable. You should sit next to the door for the most comfort and the most leg room. You will need to enter the teacup sideways because the door is not very wide

Main Street Vehicles – you will be able to ride all of them without any problems

Peter Pan’s Flight – you will be able to ride it without any problem, sit by a child not another adult for the most comfort

Pirates Of The Caribbean – you will be able to ride it without any problem

Prince Charming Regal Carousel – you will be able to ride it without any problem

Snow White’s Scary Adventure – you will be able to ride it without any problem. Sit in your own row, sit in the back row for more leg room

Space Mountain – You will fit on the ride depending on how you are built, however it’s a very tight, uncomfortable fit. Unless you are dying to ride it, I wouldn’t try it.

Splash Mountain – You will be able to ride it without any problem. Ask to sit in your own row, or put a small child directly in front of you. I would not recommend that you try and squeeze in with another adult. You may find your legs are cramped, but it’s a short ride, and usually not a big deal

The Haunted Mansion – You will be able to ride it without any problems. Sit with a child, not another adult for the most comfort.

The Magic Carpets Of Aladdin – You will be able to ride it without any problems. Ask to sit by yourself

The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh – You will be extremely cramped on this ride! There is just not enough leg room for normal sized people nonetheless for plus sized people. If you want to ride it, ask to sit by yourself in the front or middle rows which offer more leg room, and let the rest of your family sit behind you.

Tomorrowland Speedway – You will be able to ride it without any problems. However, getting in and out of the cars that are so low to the ground is very tough when you are a plus sized person. Also, make sure you don’t try to cram yourself in with someone else and you ask for your own car

Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover – You will be able to ride this ride without any problems

Walt Disney World Railroad – You will be able to ride this ride without any problems. On the trains where the benches are stacked in rows you might find it a tight fit, sit on the aisle for the most leg room. On the trains where the benches are facing outward, sit in the back row in the center where there is no row in front of you for the most leg room

Walt Disney’s Carousel Of Progress – You will be able to experience this attraction without any problem

Some things to keep in mind:
Make sure if you don’t rent an ECV that you get a Guest Assistance Pass. When you get the pass, tell them that you have difficulties with turnstiles and stairs and they will stamp it as a handicapped pass. The rides that have turnstiles have separate entrances for handicapped people. You do not want to wait in line with everyone else, only to get to a turnstile that you will not fit through (they are very narrow).

Again, Disney is VERY accomodating of plus sized people. Have fun!

If you have any more questions, or are visiting other Disney parks, please feel free to contact me directly with any other questions you might have

Orlando answers:

You definitely, without a doubt, have to do Magic Kingdom, but this is your decision, and I’m going to give you some background information so it will be easier for you to choose. Disney is awesome! (And Yes, you heard right. It’s almost impossible to get every ride, show, park, attraction, sight, shop, restaurant, and musical done in one trip. And you’ll regret trying to cram everything in one, trust me.)

Magic Kingdom:
As the first park ever created in WDW, this is a MUST-DO. Picture thrill rides, calm rides, attractions, sights, shows, audio animatronic attractions, a beautiful castle, and awesome gift shops? Oh yeah, this is the Magic Kingdom. Awesome right? There’s a 99% chance this could be your favorite park, it’s everyone else’s favorite almost. There’s nothing more to say really. You just have to go there, no explanation. You MUST!

Epcot:
Epcot stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (or, as the Disney Workers joke, Every Person come out tired) Epcot’s icon (like the MK has the Cinderella Castle) is a Geo-sphere, also the Giant Golf Ball due to it’s look. At Epcot, you’ll experience going green attractions and The countries around the world. You can travel to many countries at Epcot and it feels like you’re really there! One minute you’re in France, the next you’re in England! There is also the classic attraction Soarin’ where it feels like you’re flying over America. The only thrill here is Test Track, which is a car that goes a whopping 65 mph, and it is the fastest ride in all of WDW parks. If you enjoy eating out, traveling around the world, Going Green Attractions, and a little more then you’ll enjoy Epcot.

MGM Hollywood Studios:
There is more thrill at this park. MGM’s icon is the Sorcerer Mickey Hat, and the point of this park is all the classic Disney Movies. The Great American Movie Ride will show you many movies and let you feel like you’re in the scenes when you see aliens jump out of ceilings and a girl enters a world of color as she soon realizes she’s not in Kansas anymore. There are amazing shows to watch at MGM, and a wonderful live performance of Cars actually performing stunts and catching on fire in front of your eyes. There is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, where you drop up and down thirteen stories. And there is A rockin roller coaster starring Aerosmith as you speed from 0-60 miles in a matter of seconds. There is the Beauty and the Beast musical too, which is very good from the reviews I’ve read. At nighttime is the most amazing performance, starring Mickey. As Sorcerer Mickey battles all the Disney Villains, you get sprayed with water, see a lake catch on fire, watch water spray as Disney Movie scenes are being scanned over it, and the whole time ask how did they do that? If this sounds like your theme park, put it on your top three.

Animal Kingdom:
This, obviously, is themed on all animals. This park’s icon is the tree of life, and in the tree of life is the show It’s Tough to be a Bug (which I thought was pretty good). There is a water ride and a roller coaster ride, and a bunch of Animal Exhibits. There is a real safari that you’re guaranteed to see animals on. And a mysterious Woman, Divine, who is all covered in vines and moves very slowly. She hides among the trees at Animal Kingdom and is hard to spot. Seeing her is a rare occasion (I myself have only spotted her once) definite snapshot.
If you like Animals, Animal Kingdom is the park for you. All there is is animals! Everything there is based on them! Even the musical shows (which are Finding Nemo and the Lion King)!

Honestly, if I were going to WDW for three days, I would choose Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom. MGM Hollywood Studios is finished in a matter of hours for my family, and then you’re stuck there the rest of the day eating, shopping, and waiting for Fantasmic to start.
However, if you have a park hopper, you can get all the parks done! (ok, let me reiterate that)

Magic Kingdom you can never really get done in one day, bu most of it will get done. For Epcot, the same thing, the only attractions I’ve missed once when I was at Epcot was Ellen’s Energy Adventure and The three Caballeros, and we were only there for maybe five hours. With a park hopper, I switched from Epcot and went to MGM Hollywood studios, and we saw Fantasmic and stuff.
MGM is over in a matter of hours in my experiences, and Animal Kingdom can take all day like the Magic Kingdom as well.
So, my decision would be with a park hopper:
Magic Kingdom
Epcot/MGM
Animal Kingdom

But if you guys don’t have a park hopper, my choice would be:
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom

But it’s really your choice with your family to decide, and don’t worry, I’ve gone to Disney before for three days and you get mostly all the parks done. I hope you all have a wonderful trip and decide what parks you guys will go to!
Hope this answer helped!

- Kiki

Orlando answers:

I went to Disney two years ago in late July. It was not too crowded, but it was very hot. We had to wait in line for about half and hour for some rides, but if we had a Fast Pass we didn’t have to wait as long. You can get Fast Passes for different rides while you’re at the Disney Parks. We stayed at each park for one whole day, but we went to Magic Kingdom for two days. Animal Kingdom only takes about a day to see everything, but the other parks, you could spend about three days on them and still not see everything. I recommend going to Animal Kingdom the first day if you are going there, because it is not as exciting as the other parks. It is still pretty fun though. We did not go to the Disney water parks, but I think they would have been very relieving in the hot weather. Also, you should stay at a Disney hotel because there are meal plans for the parks built in to the cost of the place you stay at. We stayed at Disney’s Wilderness campground, and it is very convenient because you are able to rent golf carts to get around the grounds and they have two huge swimming pools that you are free to use. We only got to go once and we went to the smaller one, but it was huge and there is a bigger one than that! If you have any questions about Disney world (where to eat, what rides to go on), please contact me at sayrekasey@yahoo.com!

Orlando answers:

Walt Disney did many things to make Disney World famous, though he did not live enough to see the park open. Mostly, it was viewed as a second Disneyland, though Walt had much bigger plans, which have held up to the test of time.

With Disneyland, which he WAS alive for during the 1st 12½ years of operation, Walt provided something that people could not find anywhere else. Amusement parks of the day were dirty places with rigged midway games and rude employees. Rides were either geared towards adults or children — not both. Walt wanted to open a theme park (NOT an amusement park) where parents and children could have fun together.

Using his program on ABC, he was able to show the construction of Disneyland. ABC, in exchange for the programming, invested money in Walt’s big idea. Against the advice of his brother Roy’s advice, Walt borrowed against his life insurance policy (Roy was the money man). He risked everything on opening Disneyland, and it paid off.

From his humble beginnings in Missouri, Walt lived the American Dream, and people respected that. He poured his heart and soul into everything he did, and was the consummate perfectionist. If it wasn’t right, it wasn’t ready to be seen.

On opening day in 1955, counterfeit tickets resulted in massive overcrowding, the blacktop was not dry and, in the hot weather, heels sunk into it.

Funniest opening day story in my opinion:

Back in ’55, L.A. Did not have the freeway system. Walt picked Anaheim based on studies that showed it as a future center of population meaning land was cheap then, and people would soon live nearby. People traveled for hours and hours to get to Disneyland. On arrival in the parking lot, many kids who had been “holding it” for quite some time decided that they could hold it no more.

Roy Disney was out there at the time. He had been scared to death that nobody was going to show up. He was so thrilled at seeing that Walt’s idea really was going to work that, when a worker came up to him to ask what to do about all the kids relieving themselves in the parking lot, Roy’s response was: “God bless ‘em, let ‘em pee!”

All in all, you just have to provide something that cannot be gotten anywhere else. Even in today’s age of many theme parks, only Disney parks have that undefinable “Magic.” Hold on to your dreams, don’t listen to naysayers, and be ready to lay everything on the line to make it happen. And when it does, drop me a line. I spent years working at Disneyland so I know a thing or two about how it runs. And though I was too young to work with Walt, I wouldn’t mind working with the next incarnation of dreamer.

Good luck! I wish you success in this!

Orlando answers:

Eva June, you can expect temperatures to be between 60 and 85. Most people wear shorts. I would not recommend a sun dress. Wear a shirt that will protect you from the sun and will be comfortable.

When I was there last summer I saw gals wearing almost anything you can imagine.

There is a good chance of a rain shower.

Have fun and enjoy,
Dan

Orlando answers:

You are most likely to have that weather at Halloween; it would be unseasonably warm for Christmas, but sometimes it does happen. Halloween would also be less busy. The weeks around Christmas are THE busiest time of the whole year. Around Halloween, it is busier than it used to be. They have a Halloween party at the Magic Kingdom that attracts people. But it is still nowhere near as busy as Christmas.

Alternatively, the first two weeks of December all the Christmas decorations will be up, and that is one of the LEAST busy times of the year, if you could go then. But again, that would be warm weather for that time of year and not very likely, although it does happen sometimes.

Orlando answers:

Most the time you would need to bring a sweatshirt.. But this year is getting kind of weird… For the first time in 3 weeks i had to wear long sleeves today. It’s been high 70s and low 80s for most of the winter. So i’m not sure what to expect next month.