Never used tourguidemike.com, will have to check it out abd let you know if it is worth anything.

The "UGWDWK" is pretty good although it is a little out of touch and out of date.

mmaddog
*******

You'll beat the summer crowds, but you will still hit the locals on Thurs-Sun which some people forget. If you want to maximize your "smaller crowds" get the best stuff done on Mon-Wed.

mmaddog
*******

The problem that you will run into is not the southern schools may still be in session but colleges are already out and some parents will have kids "test out" early and then head down. June is also the biggest weekends for the "Star Wars Weekends" that Disney holds. Fri-Sat-Sun will be packed at the parks.

BTW, the worst crowds are Spring Break,Thanksgiving Week, and the period from Christmas-New Years.

mmaddog
*******

Be sure to bring some ponchos or umbrellas. The rain is unpredictable in FL. There were times where it was dry, then all of a sudden, a rainstorm pops up out of nowhere.

June 1st to Nov. 30th.

From what I hear, it is worth the price just for the "best days to do stuff" charts.

I just want to find out the best order to do things to avoid long lines for the most part.

The problem with the concept of that is that Disney changes the length of hours for each park depending on the season. And remember that Animal Kingdom Park closes much earlier than any of the other 3 parks so that the animals can be handled before dark.

I have found that the best measure of what is the best days to do stuff is doing your homework a week before you go. Know what rides and attractions are closed or being refurbished, know what special activities are going on (Star Wars Weekends, International Flower Festival, Disney Marathon Days, etc) and plan around them.

mmaddog
*******

Just knowing what parks are generally at their busiest on what days would have to be extremely helpful though. Most of the posts I am reading about it in www.wdwinfo.com speak very highly of it and all seem to say they never had to wait in line more than 15 min using the site.

Best shoe options for spending 6 days walking around. Figuring on packing two pairs in case of rain.

Any recommendations that are not outrageous in price?

Hell, a lightweight backpack too.

We are going down in July for a conference. Taking all the kids, so we decided to rent a place from http://www.aplusvacationhomes.com/index.cfm

Looks pretty nice, plus we'll have our own private pool & hot tub. I'm really looking forward to this trip. Plus, we'll save money over renting 2 rooms on Disney property.

Can anyone recommend a good golf course down there?

Wife and I are going down with our 3 kids (ages 6, 11, and 15) and with her parents and sister's kids (ages 8, 9, and 16). We are driving down in June and camping at Disney. We have been to Florida 3 times since 2002 but never been to the Disney parks as of yet. We went to Universal Studios twice and Universal Studios: Islands of Adventure twice. I really liked the Universal parks but am looking forward to checking out the Disney ones finally. I will have to check out the forums that were posted in this thread. Seems to be lots of great info.

Oh, and I think we got the 4 day package. So, we should be able to see a lot of it. Gonna be worn out by the end of that, tough.

It's been posted before, but go to http://www.wdwinfo.com/ for any and all info on Disney World.

Oh contraire, we went for 8 days and didn't get to see or do everything we would've liked. Animal Kingdom was easy to do in one day, but the rest you really need to plan out to get alot done in one day. Good luck though.

+

You will barely scratch the surface.....but I will give you this one tip. When you go to EPCOT the one ride besides Test Track and Mission:Space that you need to ride is Soaring!.....and whatever you do try to get seated in either the top rows or middle rows. In order to do that you have to be in the 1st or second group.

If you are camping at Fort Wilderness, make sure to leave one evening for Chip N Dales Campfire Sing Along. You can roats hot dogs and marshmallows, then sit around and watch a couple of Disney movies on an outdoor screen. Lame as it may sound, it is actually pretty relaxing...especially after a day at the parks.

I have a million tips but www.wdwinfo.com is the place to check out. I really need to send them an e-mail to ask for a referral fee for all the people I have sent to that website.

mmaddog
*******

Any of the Disney courses are fun to play, but you most any of the courses are great. They all have to be to compete with the resort courses.

The only thing i don't like about staying off property is the inconvenience of shuttling back and forth to the parks. You are never really "close" as you might think...and staying on property has conveniences that I enjoy. But I realize that not all people are Disney fanatics like me.

mmaddog
*******

That TourGuideMike site has me in information overload.

Anyone else tried it yet?

I can't remember that one ride in Disney, but it has something to do with car testing, and they seat you in a ride, and give you an example of what it does and all that.

Pretty fun and thrilling. Another one was the Space Mountain. Expedition Everest is awesome.

Test Track. Also, make sure to stick around Epcot for the fireworks extravaganza, Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. Man I hope I can some day afford to go again.

Great. Just found out that Gay Days is at Disney on the 5th through 8th. Just my frriggin luck.

Here is a list blog about last years...



http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-gay-days.htm

LOL, we planned our trip last year without the knowledge of when Gay Days was. Luckily, our first day was the day after gay days ended.

sure would have been nice to know. It sucks. That article doesn't make me feel any better either.

Why Disney World anyway?

If I had extra money, I'd prefer to stay on property. But, renting 2 rooms - can't seem to find one room large enough to handle 6 (3 under 3) - saves me $130/night.

ROFL

Mr. CruelSTFU

Does WDW actively promote "Gay Days"??

Os is it an underground gay community thing??

Just tell the kids it burned down and go to the bar instead.

http://www.queensinthekingdom.com/Photos/Castle07.jpg

Holy shit. Check out some of these googled "Gay Days at Disney World" pics......

http://www.outandaboutravel.com/howardscott_group.jpg


http://www.outandaboutravel.com/ccc_gaydays05.jpg

Disney does not promote it. They just can't disallow it either.

Plow, I am about to neg rep the crap out of you. :evil:

Yep, i understand that.

Funny story. My wife went to WDW sometime in the early 90's with her Family and it just happened to be "Gay Days" that particular day unbeknownst to them. Her Dad just happened to be wearing a RED shirt that day. I guess he was pretty embarrassed, so they left and drove all the way back to the hotel for him to change his shirt. LOL

we're going the week of the 7th. last time we went our kids got the coolest surprise...a "Magic-moment", at the Canadian restaurant in Epcot. we had heard about this, but I must say it was a really nice touch by the Mouse. my kids still talk about it.

I know. I deserved it. Please accept my apologies.






Edit....I'm removing that freakin' pic because I just looked at it and it has no place on this board let alone the internet.

I'm sorry. That was really uncalled for.

OK, based on number 8, how many guys actually do this option. Minus Mmaddog of course. Not making fun just curious. Just can't seem to embrace this option. heh

Get a camel pak, Use it as a backpack and maybe put some ice cold whiskey in there..



Sidenote.. One of our floattrips years ago happened to coincide with a gay pride float trip.. 100's of flamers on the water.. The funny thing is we were walking around the camp ground Friday night interacting and came upon one group.. Hung out with them a bit and drank.. Seemed like good guys, getting hammered and acting a fool(like dancing on tables and cars).. Asked them where in the hell all their girls were at.. They said they would be out tomorrow for the float..

Yeah.. Got the message of what they meant Saturday morning... Me and my buddy just looked at each other like we could have been raped the previous night..

They were a good bunch though.. Besides trying to get us to get naked on the water for alcohol..

Funny!!! Our first weekend in Disney is also Gay Days. ugh.

I never do. I just wear shorts or pants with zipping pockets and put the essentials in there -- credit card, ID, cash and ticket. Everything else stays in the room.

Yeah, I couldn't find any affordable shorts with zipper pockets. I don't want to spend a small fortune on clothes I didn't really need just to have zippers. They all have pockets, just not secure. Have a camera and cell phone I need to carry around as well as our tickets and room key/charge card.

Just got back from DisneyWorld a few weeks ago. We had a great time!

It was unusually crowded for early May? There was a ton of Europeans, British and Aussies there. IM guessing they were already out on their summer breaks?

Aw, crap. When are you going?

We are going June 8-14.

Oh great. Well, at least it will only be the first day.

No shit? Maybe we could meet up on your arrival day/night. We will most likely be in MK all day on the 8th since we are leaving on the 9th.

Maybe both of you guys could get away from your families and go to Disney World together over the weekend - you know, just the two of you. I'm sure you'd have a gay ole' time.

LMAO

Just let me whip this out......................

4321

Fortunately, Gay Days at MK is only on Saturday. they will be at Epcot on Sunday.

"gay days" another reason to stay away from Mousechwitz

I hate you. :cuss:

Note to self, don't go to Epcot the first day.

Oh come on, take one for the team.

Hell, you are the one that seems to have "shots" to spare. You can take care of it yourself.:D

Relax, it's not contagious.

I carried a backpack instead of a fanny pack. Of course I had a 2 yr old and a 5 yr old so we carried extra clothes also. I noticed alot of backpacks.

Backpack would probably be a bit more "stylish"......but I say go with an oversized fanny pack.

So Lzen & Guru.......how was Disney World? I'm heading there this week.

It was nice. Didn't have time to do every thing we wanted to but no complaints.

I highly recommend www.tourguidemike.com for planning your days somewhat. The site will also let you know the best days to visit which parks.

If you don't care about seeing the fireworks and light shows at night, that is a great time to knock out some rides. As well as EARLY in the morning. Oh, and don't use the extra morning hours at the parks. EVERYONE goes to those parks on those days. Don't do what everyone else does.

What parks did you go to? Or all of them?

Anyone have any recommendations on things to do at WDW that are inexpensive, yet something people don't do often? Like a backstage tour kind of thing or something?

We went to everything. We did miss out on Typhoon Lagoon but that is the only thing we missed.

Oh, also, USE YOUR FASTPASSES early and as often as possible. They have a return time on them but they can be used for the rest of the day. So even though it says return time from 10am to 11am, you can still use it at 2pm. You can only use each fastpass once though. If the lines are short on a big ride like Thunder Mountain, get a fastpass and then ride it. Come back in an hour and ride it again with your fastpass.

We went to 4 of the parks in 5 days. On Monday, we went to Magic Kingdom. It seemed to be geared more for the younger kids. My 6 year old girl loved it, though. Space Mountain (roller coaster) was pretty cool. The other good ride that I remember there was the Toy Story. It was like the Men In Black ride at Universal (you ride through and shoot at stuff with guns attached to the car.

On Tuesday, we went to Epcot. Lots of cool stuff there but we didn't get to do everything because it stormed really bad for about an hour or two. My favorite ride (of all the parks) was here, Mission Space. However, if you get dizzy really easy, this may not be for you. I don't do the spinning rides as well now that I'm in my 30s as when I was a kid. Still, I followed their instructions to keep my head back and eyes on the screen. Great ride. Also, Test Track was pretty cool. Waited in line for Soarin' for almost an hour. It was a little disappointing. It's just a (simulated) hang gliding ride. There was also an Ellen Degeneres hosted/narrated ride (Energy something) that was worth checking out.

On Wednesday, we did Hollywood Studios (formerly known as MGM Studios). Make sure to catch the stunt car show. I think they only have 3 shows each day(10:30am/2:30pm/5:30pm), but is definitely worth it. Hollywood Tower of Terror was really cool and fun. Also, they have a pretty cool Aerosmith themed roller coaster. Note: this was the only ride, if memory serves, in all the parks that my 6 year old girl was not big enough to ride. Also, they have this night show called Fantasmic that is worth seeing.

On Thursday, we had a day off and utilized that time to go visit our friends 45 minutes away in Lakeland. Tried to get chagrin to come out and hang with us that evening but he had to work. Oh man, he(my buddy, not chagrin) has this beautiful 2008 Harley Davidson. I am so jealous. Then again, I wouldn't want to spend 25k on a motorcycle, either. :eek:

On Friday, we went to Animal Kingdom. First thing we did was the Safari ride. It was really neat if you like animals. They had lots of wild/exotic animals - it was as if you were on a real African safari. There is a bug attraction/show that is themed like A Bug's Life. Great for kids and adults - although it may scare young ones a bit. This park is also where they have the Tree Of Life. It's really cool to see. It's a fake tree with carvings of animals in it. And the thing is huge. Expedition Everest is really fun roller coaster - we rode it 3 times. They also have raft ride that is like Fury Of The Nile at Worlds of Fun, only twice as good. It holds 10 or 12 people and I think half our party got completely soaked. They also have this cool dinosaur themed ride - kind of a Back To The Future/Jurassic Park thing.

A couple of things:
- I was amazed at all the rides that my 6 year old girl was able to ride. That was really nice. She even rode Expedition Everest and liked it. On that same note, she rode Mission Space with the wife and in-laws on the easier side (green team, I think). I was with the boys (orange) on the more intense side. Anyway, after the ride she was crying and said "mommy, I am dizzy". Then she paused from crying and said "but that was really fun". ROFL

- Fast Pass is a part of your ticket. My wife had told me that Fast Pass was something for which you had to pay extra. So, on the first day we didn't bother with it. I was planning to ask someone at some point how much and having them add it to our ticket. I never got around to it the first day. As we were entering Epcot the 2nd day, I asked and they explained that it was already part of my admission. For those that don't know, your admission is a card like a credit card. You can use this to get a fast pass to a ride that has a long line. Simply swipe the card and it prints out your Fast Pass. That way you come back during the times it says and you get into the ride within like 10 minutes, rather than waiting 45-60 (or more in some cases - i.e. Soarin'). You can also have more than one Fast Pass at a time. When you get a Fast Pass, it will say next FP available at **:** time (usually it's an hour or two from when you got that FP). While not perfect, it does substantially reduce wait times for the really popular attactions if you allow it to dictate your schedule.

- We stayed in the campground, Fort Wilderness. They had a ton of stuff there to do. There were 2 or 3 swimming pools, basketball courts, pony rides, wagon rides, campfire marshmallow roasting, etc.) but we really didn't have time to do most of that stuff. By the time we got everyone up and around, showered, and ate breakfast, it was time to go to the parks. Then we would get back at night around midnight or 1 am usually. Too late to do much of anything other than go to bed. It was a whirlwind tour, I tell ya. Perhaps I'll post some pics later. Be sure to wear some comfortable walking shoes and keep applying the sunscreen.

If you leave the park for a while and plan to return that night, be sure to get a fastpass on your way out too. One less thing to wait on when you return.

Remember, you can't use a fastpass earlier than the time dictated on the card but you CAN use it anytime after that time. You are not limited to just the 1 hour time period. They will honor your fastpass at any time for the rest of the day. Until you use it then it is voided of course.

Your post is so long I will touch each one individually...

Magic Kingdom really is for kids, but there are things that are meant for people of all ages....you didn't mention Mickey's PhilharMagic which is actually pretty cool, and a great place to cool down. Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Railroad are actually pretty cool when it comes to rides, but remember, when you ride Splash Mountain you WILL GET WET! Buzz Lightyear's Star Command just went thru a makeover so that is why it is still fun. Most of the rest of the rides are more mild stuff meant to entertain the younger set.


mmaddog
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When we were at the Magic Kingdom back in May, we bought the Pirate and Princess Party tickets just to get the extended hours.

We ended up being at that park from like 11 in the morning until midnight. We were all tired, but had a ton of fun. Its like being a kid again. Yes most of the rides are geared towards the younger set, but a classic is still a classic.

Mission:Space is definitely not for everyone....in fact I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who gets dizzy easy or car sick easy. Plus if you have any physical ailments it only amplifies the problems. Test Track is great...I rode it several times. Unlike you I ejoyed Soarin' especially since I got to sit on the top row where the effect is felt the most. And Ellen's Energy Adventure was more enjoyable that I thought it would be. Since your stay there was abbreviated you probably missed Maelstrom which is in the Norway Pavilion and American Pavilion replete with the Fife and Drum Corp. The renovation that was done on Spaceship Earth actually made it disappointing...if you haven't done it once before, I would recommend seeing it, but a 2nd visit isn't worth it.

mmaddog
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The problem with most people that go is that they refuse to enjoy the parks like they are kids. The Magic Kingdom is meant to be enjoyed like you aren't an adult....but most people have a pole stuck up their butt and can't do that.

mmaddog
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Disney Hollywood Studios is the real enigma of all the Parks....it can't get an identity and that is what hurts it. The Star Wars ride, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, The Stunt Car Show, Hollywood Tower of Terror, and Aerosmith Roller Coaster and Muppets in 3-D are about all that is there for entertainment. Everything else is pretty mild...this is the park I enjoy the least.

mmaddog
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I assume you rode the Safari first thing in the AM....that is when the animals are most active, mostly because they are being fed. The Tree of Life is so cool...and even more fun to pick out all the animals that are interwoven together in the carvings. The Bugs Life is fun, but it really does scare many little ones, especially at the end (you know what I mean). Expedition Everest is not for anyone scared of roller coasters, but must be ridden at least once. The Kali River Rapids are a ride best enjoyed when you want to cool down, and is another ride that guarantees you WILL leave it wet. My son and I ride the Dinosaur ride at least 3 times when we go. But if you have back or neck problems I wouldn't suggest trying it. You didn't mention the Primeval Whirl in DinoLand...did you ride it? That was actually pretty fun even though it was in an area that is populated with mostly kid oriented rides.

mmaddog
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Yea, we learned that the hard way. It started out so innocent, then they got terrified at the end..hahaha

FastPass is great....and can be used to to even more advantage when properly utilized. There are rides that my wife and daughter don't like riding so we get the FastPasses for everyone and my son and I use them back to back. In the mean time the wife and daughter go on rides they enjoy back to back using the passes my son and I would normally use. There is a limit to the number of FastPasses you can have at one time, but even then you can still manipulate the system. We got to know another couple that was there (an older couple) and the followed us around a couple of days...whenever we wanted to get a second set of FastPasses they would use their cards to get us even more. Plus, with the Year of a Million Dreams the Disney Cast members are randomly handing out One Day fast passes....

mmaddog
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We loved the Fort Wilderness Campground....and we set aside a night where we didn't stay at the Parks until closing so that we could do the Chip N Dale Campfire Sing Along replete with the Disney movies. We also did the Horseback riding.....

mmaddog
*******

Fastpass rocks. Disney does an amazing job of ride loading as well. Especially in comparison to the average SIx Flags type of theme park. The employees are very well trained.

What I really like about Disney is how clean they keep the Parks and how quickly they keep the lines moving. It's almost like they have someone watching every ride from a monitor board and add cars to the rides to accomodate the increase in ridership.

mmaddog
*******

Agreed on that. They keep the lines moving well. I love that most all of the rides have interactive lines too.

Sure wish Walmart would do that with their checkout lines. heh

I spent the entire trip just enjoying watching my kids have fun. We had our challenging days but in the end, they had fun and that was all that mattered to me.

Guilty!
Hated the freaking hot ass concrete/asphalt jungle of Epcot Center.
Wouldn't go back unless kids wanted to go.
I'll keep them ignorant.

^

Outside of the character meals (which technically are popular), I have no idea. Mmaddog would be the authority to turn to here I think.

Backstage tours are expensive....if you are looking for something inexpensive and fun try the Chip-N-Dale Campfire Sing Along at Fort Wilderness one evening. About the only cost is food/drinks if you don't take it yourself. You get the chance to roast marshmallows, have a sing-along, and see 1 or 2 Disney movies all outdoors. Bring a blanket and sit on the ground or sit in the bleachers.

Depending on the time of year, go to Downtown Disney in the evening. There is usually some type of free entertainment at the stage area near the World of Disney Store. Go early enough, buy some ice cream at Ghiradelli's Ice Cream Parlor and crowd watch waiting for the evening festivities.

If you just want to kill an evening and not spend any money and are staying on property, take a tour of all the Disney hotels. The most interesting is the Animal Kingdom Lodge, where you can sit out back of the hotel around a small campfire. Occasionally you will catch a glimpse of one of the animals in the savannah.

One of the fund things to do at each resort is search for the "hidden Mickey's" that are in each resort. A couple of the resorts make a game out of it for the kids, replete with clues to their whereabouts and a prize for locating all of them at the resort.

If you have some time and don't mind forking over $40 you can rent a boat and go out on the Seven Seas Lagoon that is in front of The Magic Kingdom.

These are just a few of the inexpensive things that you can do...if these are your cup of tea, send me a PM telling me what you are specifically looking for and I can help you.

mmaddog
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Really? Epcot is, by far, my favorite of the 4 parks.

Which one is Splash Mountain? What does it do exactly?