We decided to hold off going to Florida until we had been to all other states. We wanted to cap our quest to get to 50 states by doing something special. With 2 small kids, the choice of where to go in Florida was simple. We had to go and see Mickey!!!
We decided to take a short 4 day trip focused on Disney World, leaving on Wednesday evening and returning on Sunday evening. We were advised that 4 days were not quite enough. If your intention is to exhaust all the attractions in Orlando, and to go through every inch of every park, 4 days will just not be enough. But if your intention like us was to see the key attractions and do the parks in a relaxed manner (Doing what you can and not worrying about what you can't), 4 days are just fine.
Do note. Disney world is a world on to itself. Spread over 30,000 acres, the resorts and parks are spread out. It takes time to go from your hotel to the parks and between parks. Disney does have a free transportation system for guests, but depending on the time and your destination there may be a wait. We used the transportation once (From Magic kingdom), but preferred using our car for the rest of the parks.
Another point to note is how much Mickey owns the parks. Sure there are all these other characters, but there is no doubting who the head honcho is. Mickey shapes are all over the place. But I think the one that took the cake was a high tension transmission tower that was in the shape of Mickey mouse!!!
We stayed a couple of days in the value resorts inside the park, and a couple of days in a Marriott hotel (Courtyard) close to the park. Staying at the park allowed us to take advantage of extra magic hours at the Magic kingdom and we felt that was a good deal.
In case you are planning to visit Disney World, here are a few suggestions.
1. Read the book Walt Disney World with kids: This book really helped us put things in perspective. It provides a lot of great information and tips and helps you plan your visit before you reach Orlando. The more you plan before you get there, the more time you will have to enjoy the park. We really feel the book helped us have a great trip.
2. Book your flights early: Tickets usually become expensive quickly. It may be best to book tickets during the middle of th week when they are usually cheaper than the weekends.
3. Decide whether you want to stay in the resort or outside: We split 2 days in the resort and 2 days out. It is a matter of balancing convenience and expenses.
4. Go to the parks early: The first few hours are the best times to enjoy the park
5. Take a break in the afternoon: If possible go back to your hotel and take a nap in the afternoon. It will help you enjoy the day better.
6. Learn about Fast Pass an use them wisely: The fast passes really help you manage your time and reduces the time wasted standing in line.
7. Don't waste time shopping: Try and pack your shopping to the end of the trip at the world largest disney store in down town Disney. It will give you more time to enjoy in the park and save you from having to haul all that shopping across the park for the whole day.
8. Make sure you relax and enjoy: Regardless of how well you plan there will be moments that you will be frustrated, especially when you are travelling with kids. Just relax and enjoy the time with your family.
9. Create an account and get customised maps at http://customizedmaps.disney.go.com/. This will be delivered to your home and can be used in the planning stage. You can keep it as a keepsake. If you have bigger kids, it would be fun for them!
Over the next few days, we will put more details and particulars about the different parks we visited and the things we liked. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.
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| A snap from the car |
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| A view of the Cindrella's castle from the ferry boat |
We decided to take a short 4 day trip focused on Disney World, leaving on Wednesday evening and returning on Sunday evening. We were advised that 4 days were not quite enough. If your intention is to exhaust all the attractions in Orlando, and to go through every inch of every park, 4 days will just not be enough. But if your intention like us was to see the key attractions and do the parks in a relaxed manner (Doing what you can and not worrying about what you can't), 4 days are just fine.
Do note. Disney world is a world on to itself. Spread over 30,000 acres, the resorts and parks are spread out. It takes time to go from your hotel to the parks and between parks. Disney does have a free transportation system for guests, but depending on the time and your destination there may be a wait. We used the transportation once (From Magic kingdom), but preferred using our car for the rest of the parks.
Another point to note is how much Mickey owns the parks. Sure there are all these other characters, but there is no doubting who the head honcho is. Mickey shapes are all over the place. But I think the one that took the cake was a high tension transmission tower that was in the shape of Mickey mouse!!!
We stayed a couple of days in the value resorts inside the park, and a couple of days in a Marriott hotel (Courtyard) close to the park. Staying at the park allowed us to take advantage of extra magic hours at the Magic kingdom and we felt that was a good deal.
We spent a day each at The Magic kingdom, Epcot and the Animal Kingdom. We relaxed one day and spent time at the pool and Disney downtown.
In case you are planning to visit Disney World, here are a few suggestions.
1. Read the book Walt Disney World with kids: This book really helped us put things in perspective. It provides a lot of great information and tips and helps you plan your visit before you reach Orlando. The more you plan before you get there, the more time you will have to enjoy the park. We really feel the book helped us have a great trip.
2. Book your flights early: Tickets usually become expensive quickly. It may be best to book tickets during the middle of th week when they are usually cheaper than the weekends.
3. Decide whether you want to stay in the resort or outside: We split 2 days in the resort and 2 days out. It is a matter of balancing convenience and expenses.
4. Go to the parks early: The first few hours are the best times to enjoy the park
5. Take a break in the afternoon: If possible go back to your hotel and take a nap in the afternoon. It will help you enjoy the day better.
6. Learn about Fast Pass an use them wisely: The fast passes really help you manage your time and reduces the time wasted standing in line.
7. Don't waste time shopping: Try and pack your shopping to the end of the trip at the world largest disney store in down town Disney. It will give you more time to enjoy in the park and save you from having to haul all that shopping across the park for the whole day.
8. Make sure you relax and enjoy: Regardless of how well you plan there will be moments that you will be frustrated, especially when you are travelling with kids. Just relax and enjoy the time with your family.
9. Create an account and get customised maps at http://customizedmaps.disney.go.com/. This will be delivered to your home and can be used in the planning stage. You can keep it as a keepsake. If you have bigger kids, it would be fun for them!
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