Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [51]
Insider’s Secret
If you’re a single parent, consider vacationing with one of your siblings or another single parent. “My daughter is 11 and my son is 4,” wrote one mother from Texas. “They like totally different things, and it would have been impossible to give them both the Disney experience they wanted if we’d gone to Orlando by ourselves. So we went with my sister and nephew, rented a nice condo, and had a great time. I did the wild rides with my daughter and meanwhile my sister, who is so prone to motion sickness that she once threw up in an elevator, took the boys around to meet all the characters.”
“It’s never a good idea to let the kids outnumber the adults,” adds another single mother from New Jersey. “My friend Jenny, who doesn’t have kids but who loves being an unofficial aunt, has gone down to Disney with us twice. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d have the guts to try it.”
Birthdays and Special Occasions
Celebrating a birthday? Anniversary? Graduation? Is it your first visit? Drop by Guest Relations in each park and pick up a free pin announcing your status. Cast members keep an eye out for special visitors and will make a special effort to acknowledge them, especially a child wearing a birthday pin. One mother reported that when the characters in the afternoon parade saw her daughter’s birthday pin, they made a special point to come over and high-five her or shake her hand.
If you’re celebrating a special occasion, the general rule is “Ask and you shall (probably) receive.” If you’re staying at a Disney resort, inform Guest Relations or the concierge in advance if you’d like flowers or a gift delivered on a special day. Rooms can also be decked out with confetti, balloons, and banners while you’re in the park so that the celebrant returns to find things fit for a party. If you want to celebrate with a special meal, make reservations at your restaurant of choice weeks in advance and let the manager know your preferences. You can arrange for a special cake that’s themed to the occasion and the likes of the birthday boy or girl. (And if you want to have a full birthday party on-site, there are locations for that as well.)
One mother wrote that her son celebrated his birthday at a character breakfast featuring Pooh and friends. The cake was delivered to the table by Tigger, the child’s favorite character, who then led the birthday guests in an impromptu parade around the restaurant. Another young birthday girl was serenaded by the doo-wop group preshow at Beauty and the Beast. Or consider the young man who proposed to his girlfriend at the Coral Reef in the Living Seas pavilion at Epcot. The couple was having dinner next to the mammoth glass aquarium when, at the key moment, one of the divers swam by the table carrying a sign that read, “Will you marry me?” When the girl turned to look at her boyfriend, he was on one knee with the ring—and the whole restaurant stood up and cheered when she said yes.
What do these stories have in common? They were arranged in advance. So if you’d like to add some treats and surprises to a special occasion, contact the management at the hotel or restaurant. With their help, you should have no trouble finding a way to make the day memorable.
How to Customize a Touring Plan
Get Some General Information
Request maps and transportation information at the time you make your hotel reservations. Disney’s Web site, www.disneyworld.disney.go.com, is also a good source of preliminary information, including theme-park hours during the time that you’ll be visiting.
Ask Yourself Some Basic Questions
Consider how long you’ll want to stay at each park. If your kids are under 8, you’ll probably want to spend more time in the Magic Kingdom. Older kids? Plan to divide your time fairly equally among the major parks, and save some time for the water parks and Downtown Disney.
The time of year you’ll be visiting is a major factor, too; although you may be able to tour Hollywood thoroughly in a single day in October, it will take you twice as