30,500 acres of fun, Walt Disney World resort is about the same size as San Francisco. Even during its "off-peak" season throngs of people still flock to this magical place.
I went with my sister and my cousin last summer (08/08). I had so much fun by the time we got back home I missed the place so much I ended up booking another visit. So for our holiday trip, the whole family went back to Disney World.
No matter what age you are, you'll be sure to find something you'll enjoy. My dad loved the place as much as my baby nephew ^.^ Disney World offer tons of rides & attractions. If you're not into that, you could always check out the numerous musical shows. Before I start sounding more and more like an infomercial I'll share some pics and tips of our recent Disney trips.
If you're like me, you'll enjoy planning your trip. I enjoyed planning our vacations just as much as the vacations themselves. I'm a consummate planner. I plan everything from what I will order off the menu to what I would wear, I even planned the order in which we would hit the rides. I may sound like a drag, but my sister admitted that thanks to my methodical planning we were able to go on every ride we wanted (without wasting time standing in long lines) plus more, since we had so much time left.
tip #1 Plan ahead of time.
I booked our trips directly from Disney World's website. The site also has a section where Disney Moms (and a Dad) will answer all your questions regarding your upcoming trip. For reviews and menus try allears.net.
tip #2 Transportation: If there's only a few of you going (3 or less), using Disney's complementary public transportation is the way to go. It's free & pretty reliable. However, if there's a bunch of you it would be best to rent a van or SUV. Like what we did the second time we went. Especially since we brought my baby nephew, having your own transportation just makes more sense if you have all those extra stuff to carry (baby stroller, diaper bags, etc.)
Disney's amazing light parade and fireworks showtip #3 Disney Dining Plan
If you're staying in a Disney resort, make sure you get the Disney Dining Plan. Even the basic plan is well worth the money. You won't have to think about the price while ordering, as long as you order the allotted number of items, it doesn't matter what you order.
tip #4 Off-Peak Season
Both times we went were supposedly "off-peak" seasons but we still had to weave through a bunch of people. I would hate to imagine what it's like when it's peak season. Actually I saw a youtube video and it was almost scary, lol. You could hardly see anything with all those people blocking your way. Don't even think about stopping to have your picture taken, you might just get run over by the mob.
from L-R: Haunted Mansion, Mission SPACE, Expedition Everest, It's Tough Being a Bug, Soarin'tip #5 Fast Pass
Make sure you get a Fast Pass to avoid long lines. It's free! It's basically a virtual queuing system. It'll give you a timeframe when to come back. When it's your time all you have to do is go to the Fast Pass lane, which is a lot shorter and moves way faster than the normal line. The only downside is you can only get 1 Fast Pass at a time. You can't virtually line up for multiple rides. You'll have to use your existing Fast Pass before you can get another one, even if it's for different rides. *bummer*
tip #6 Dress according to the weather forecast and wear comfortable shoes!
A week before your trip, check what the weather would be like in Orlando, FL. I used weather.com to help me plan what clothes to pack. And speaking of weather, if you have the option, go during the winter season. When we went in August, it was scorching hot. The next time we went was in January and it was a lot cooler. We got to enjoy the sights more since we weren't preoccupied with the unbearable heat. Only downside to going during winter is that the water parks might be closed. And don't forget to wear the most comfortable shoes you own, coz trust me you're going to do a LOT of walking.
from L-R: Canada Pavilion, "Nepal", Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom, France Pavilion, walking towardsGermany Pavilion
tip #7 HAVE FUN!
... and this coming from an obsessive planner, when you can't follow your time schedule down to the minute, don't sweat it. There's always something you can do just in case the line's too long or the show is already full
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