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My girlfriend, her daughter and I went to WDW last year with two of our friends and their daughter. Some minor points to consider: If you take refillable water bottles (Platypus bottles, I think they're called) keep in mind that all of the parks except Magic Kingdom have filtered water. The check-in staff said that due to the location of Cindarella's Castle, they literally can't install filters, or something. I didn't really notice a difference in taste but then I was thirsty in the heat. Speaking of heat, get hats and sunscreen. Lots of sunscreen. If the parks are busy, you will probably be waiting in a line outside at some point, for a ride, or character signings. Character signings? They have a service where you get a card, and it gets swiped for most characters. They take a picture, and when you get home or to the hotel, you can look at all the pictures and order prints. They don't mind if you take your own photos though. Also, a good idea is to bring a scrapbook notebook, with different colored paper, and CLICKABLE permanent markers. Clickable like a pen; it can be a pain in the rear end trying to hold a bunch of stuff and the marker, I'm sure the character's appreciate it, and it's just easier overall. Also, especially on hot days, characters will take 15-20 minute breaks (which probably involves just switching people) so if you see a character walking away and people dispersing, hang around for a bit and you might be first in line to get a picture and autograph. If you have a small child (6 or younger, I'd say?) get a stroller. Unless your kid is a beast, they WILL get tired from all the walking, and you certainly won't want to carry them through all that. We bought a cheap $20 or so stroller from Walmart. Every ride, restaurant, and attraction has a stroller park nearby with attendants, and in the week we were there, we never had a problem with the stroller being taken. I still wouldn't leave any valuables with it though. If you have a smartphone, they have apps to tell you where everything is in the park, showtimes, and such. There are also physical maps at the entrances. Bring an umbrella or 3, and ponchos. It rains in Florida at seemingly random times. Also, if you have kids, nearly (if not every) ride have areas at the end of the line where a parent can wait with the kids (if say, you have a baby, or a kid too small to ride something) while the other parent rides the ride. Once that parent returns, the waiting parent can get right on with no wait. Lots of rides have Fastpass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastpass). You should absolutely take advantage of this. 30 minute wait for Space Mountain? Slide your tickets through the Fastpass, get a paper ticket, and go do something else for however long until your Fastpass is ready. Come back, present said ticket to the ride operator and you get put in the Fastpass line, which is much shorter. Sure, you technically had to "wait" for as long or longer than the actual line but at least you were off doing something instead of just standing around in line. Go on It's A Small World if you have kids. I personally found it super boring, even if it was impressive from an engineering standpoint. For the love of God, have a plan if you get separated, whether it's on purpose or not. My girlfriend was with her daughter at one of the Finding Nemo things at EPCOT, and I wanted to do that MISSION: SPACE thing because I thought all the rides shutdown when the park closes at 9 (they don't, it seems). Well, in the meantime her phone died. I return to where we parked the stroller, she's not there. I wait around a bit, and go inside the ice cream shop that is literally 10 feet away. I come back, and oh the stroller is gone. Turns out she came looking for me at the stroller, saw I wasn't there, and took the stroller to go find me. This is a point of contention between us and I don't see the argument ending anytime soon. The point is, if you don't have a way to charge your phone, set up a meeting place beforehand, or even certain times throughout the day to meet if you're going to be separated most of the day. Finally, Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure are also super cool, and Legoland is loving lame. Admiral Joeslop fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Apr 19, 2013 |
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Apr 19, 2013 05:08
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 17:29 |
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