What is the one piece of advice you can give to a Disney "rookie""?

I have a few pieces of advice. First, if you have the chance stay on the grounds. The only way to take advantage of some of the perks Disney offers is to stay on the grounds. The price is comparable, and the extras are more than worth it. Staying on the grounds, especially with the ages of your kids, is a MUST, if for no other reason use of the transportation system. It is quick, easy, conveinient, and free.

Add the park hopper option to your passes. If you don't you are locked in to one park for one day. If you have the park hopper option, you have all the flexibility you need to come and go as you please to any park in the resort.

Must see rides are Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's space ranger spin, Splash Mtn., Test Track, It's tough to be a bug, along with quite a few others. If you want any other info, check out the disneyworld website below. There is a lot of great info there, including ride and resort comparisons. Also, pick up the Birnbaum's guide to WDW from your local bookstore. There are tons of guide books out there, but that one has always worked best for us.

If you have any other questions, let me know. I don't work for any travel agency or get paid for answering questions like some of the other posters out there, I just love talking about Disney and all it has to offer. So much so that I am taking my wife, kids (11 and 7) and in-laws for our 7th trip in 14 years the first week of April. 23 days, we can't wait!!

Have a great trip!!

Ok if you have never been to DisneyWorld a must is the Magic Kingdom Park. It gives you the "true" Disney experience that so many look for. You have picked a great time to go to Disney World. They are celebrating the year of a million dreams. This means they are giving random prizes to people.

Must sees at the magic kingdom- Space Mountain, Fantasmic(a night show, it is amazing be sure to be there about 45 minutes early to get a good view), Splash Mountain, Peter Pans Flight and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

If you are looking for a little different experience or want to come more than one day I would say Epcot is a great choice.

Must sees and do's at Epcot- The aquarium, Mission Space, Fast Track, Soarin(a hand glider simulator. great for kids) and explore the countries + the big Epcot ball there is a ride in it and it is very interesting.

Animal Kingdom would be great for the kids. It really has been updated to be a more "all ages" park.

Must sees at Animal Kingdom- You must go on the Safari ride! It is amazing(tip:go early in the morning so you can see as many animals as possible before they hide in the afternoon!!), Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, and the water rapids ride.

I would not recommend MGM unless you have been to all of the other parks first.

Must sees at MGM: The Beauty and the Beast production, Tower of Terror, Rockin Roller Coaster.

I hope this helps have a great time. Remember always be at the park right when it opens. That is when the least amount of people are there and you can get through the most rides. Go for the most popular rides first such as space mountain, splash mountain, expedition Everest and soarin. Also I would recommend a park hopper ticket. Check them out at Disneyworld.com. Oh ya, do not forget to use the fast pass. If a rides wait is too long then you can get a fast pass and come back in about an hour and ride it with little or no wait! If you want to keep a low budget then I would reccomend bringing your own snacks and drinks!

Ok first thing is first wear COMFORTABLE SHOES! if your feet hurt you will be miserable, you will be doing a ton of walking. ok now I would suggest starting at Magic Kingdom, cuz the castle and main St. really make it feel like wow were here. I would also suggest doing things with the kids early so that if they should go back to a room or where ever to nap you can go do things just the older people want to do like Roller coasters and rides they wont be able to get on do to hight restrictions. Also I would suggest as a group gettting a must see/do list put together and doing all that right a way. A few things I would suggest as must sees would be:

Space, Splash and Big THunder Mountains, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the carabeian at Magic kingdom. Soarin, Spaceship earth, test track, The ride in Norway and all the countries at EPCOT. Tower of Terror, Rockin ROller Coaster and Lights Camera Motors and MGM. Dinasour, Expedition Everst, All the animal walks and the savanah ride, tough to be a bug at Animal Kingdom. I would also try to see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom, MGM and Epcot, the kids should love them. Also try to take advantage of extra magic hours at the parks so you can have more time in the parks on the days they have the EMH. When you get there if your staying on property they should give you a welcome folder with information on all the parks and the times so you can kinda feel out what you wanna do. Also if you go on www.disney.com it list attractions and entertaiment for all the parks which is really helpful! Oh also get stroller for the kids even the 6yr old there is a lot of walking and its also helpful to keep packages and stuff in. Trust me I've witnessed plenty of tired kids who would have been so much better off if there parents would have just gotten them a stroller!

HAVE FUN!

When traveling with small children, the best advice I have is to let them set the pace and don't over do it. Whenever we have been there, we never fail to see overstimulated children and frustrated parents. We have had really good luck with Park Hopper passes. We typically visit one park in the morning, go back to the hotel for a swim and/or a nap in the afternoon, then visit another park in the evening. Parents often try to cram everything in to one day, and everyone ends up tired and crabby. Also, take advantage of "Extra Magic Hours" if you are staying on Disney property - the crowds are much lighter, and you can see a lot more of the park in a much shorter time. I would recommend a character dining experience - the food is usually buffet-style and pretty good, and the characters come right to your table. It is a great way to get pictures and autographs, without having to wait in endless lines. Fast passes are the best thing ever when traveling with children - you get a pass for a specific attraction, and come back later during a set time and have a very short wait. You generally have time to visit other attractions while you wait for your turn. Have a fabulous trip!

My advice is stay on Disney property so that you take advantage of monorails and buses. Also, staying on property allows you the ability to get into the parks as early as possible. When you go in, go deep into the park and work your way back to the gates.

Staying on property also gives you some freedom of an easy escape when the park starts filling up, and the day starts getting hot and the kids get grumpy and tired. It is easy to leave, go enjoy yourself at the resort, and then go back into the park when you are rested and ready.

It is good to know that when a parade or something is happening on Main Street, you can cut through the stores and avoid all of the crowds as you head out of the Magic Kingdom.

Bring in your own drinks and snacks into the parks. A couple pairs of comfortable walking shoes. Light, loose, comfortable clothing. Some type of rain gear (ponchos work the best) just in case. Don't overwork two younger ones, when the get tired let them sleep or go back to the room for a couple of hours, otherwise they'll get cranky and the older ones will be cranky due to the little ones. Cheap disposable cameras for the 3 and 6 year old, seeing fond memories through their eyes is priceless. Don't rush things, trust me you will not be able to see everything in this one trip, take your time and savor the moments you have. What you don't get to in this trip you can get in your next.

Just have fun, you are on vacation and remember not to let the little things get to you. Although Disney Cast Members are known for catering to the guests remember that they are only one person trying to cater to thousands of people.

PS SeaGirl Fantasmic is at Disney-MGM Studios NOT Magic Kingdom. It is MGM's night time show, that includes laser effects, water effects, and a stunt show all with your fireworks. Great show but can be a bit scary for the little ones with loud noises and a Maleficent as a dragon trying to get Mickey Mouse.

Go on www.disneyworld.com and pick out which rides you want to go on the most. Try and get a fastpass for these rides.

Must Do Rides:

Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain

EPCOT: Test Track and Soarin'

MGM: Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster

Animal Kingdom: Mt. Everest and Dinosaur

Have fun!

Wishes fireworks over Cinderella's castle is spectacular. Wear comfy shoes - I saw lots of Crocs - & a fanny pack is almost mandatory to free up your hands. If you stay in the on-site resorts, the gift shops will send your purchases to your resort for pickup. My favorite rides were low key, but fun - the Pirates of the Caribbean & Mickey's PhilHarmagic.

Don't try to see it all...you won't. We just got back from there and still missed things.

Take a break! and don't be afraid to split up. The older of you will want to see different things than the kids.

Have fun, relax and remember stress will be high, just go with the flow.

WDW (Walt Disney World) is huge. It is about 47 square miles over 27.000 acres. First time guests underestimate the size of wdw. I've seen reports that wdw employs over 55,000 workers.

Plan. Plan which park you want to attend. Plan which days are best for you to go to specific parks. Do not just show up in Florida and expect this to be like going to Six Flags. Find out which parks have early entry or extended hours. Read a travel book or two or visit some web-sites to help you plan. With this many people, you need at least some idea of what you want to see and do.

Make sure you have your tickets before you arrive. Wdw offers many additions to their base ticket.

Arrive at the parks early. You can see a lot of the park before the horde of guests arrive. Know which attractions you must see, know which ones you would like to see and know which ones you won't be disappointed if you miss them.

Be prepared to walk. Wdw makes you walk everywhere. Comfortable walking shoes are a must. This is not a fashion show. Pretty shoes will give you big blisters. If you wear sandals, make sure use sun screen. nothing like walking 5 miles with sunburned feet.

Get strollers for the kids. Bring your own or rent them near the park entrance. Put something distinctive on the stroller. Wdw strollers all look alike and the cast members like to play that favorite game - move the strollers while you are in the attraction. There's nothing like it. Come out of a show that seats 500 people and play "Where did they park my stroller - they all look alike". LOL If you plan to park hop, keep your receipt. You can use the receipt later in the day when you enter another park.

Since you arrive early, LOL, you can now take an afternoon break. When the park gets crowded and the sun beats you into submission, you can return to your room and go swimming, or catch a nap, or send postcards. This will let the young ones get some rest. (And the old ones too. LOL). Don't be one of THOSE families. The ones who shout at the kids - "We payed good money to come here and you WILL enjoy the park and you WILL go on this attraction. The kids get overtired and by 5 pm. they pretty much had it. This is suppose to be fun. You can return to the Parks after you are well rested and refreshed. Makes for a much more enjoyable vacation. If there is one bit of info you can learn it is this. Get there early, enjoy the morning, take an afternoon break, return rested.

If your group decides to separate. Pick a specific location and time to meet back up again. Don't say - I'll meet you by the Castle. Say I'll meet you in the Castle by the cast member who is checking the reservations. Or say I'll meet you under the train station next to our locker that we rented. Cell phones are great! LOL

Fantasyland at the Magic Kindgdom gets very crowded. Everybody goes on Dumbo. Everybody goes on (I know, I know) It's a Small World and Pooh and Peter Pan etc. Get to the Park early and do these first. Dumbo is very slow to load and unload and has a limited amount of cars. A major bottleneck.

Make lunch and dinner reservations now. Most restaurants except reservations 180 in advance. Since WDW instituted their Disney Dining Plan, sit down meals can be difficult to get at the time and location you want. Most of them are not "true" reservations but merely an expectation. The Magic Kingdom has limited restaurants available.

Learn about Fast Pass. It is a way to "reserve" your place in line. It allows you to return to an attraction at a designated time. The more popular attractions use this. You can not return earlier than the time on your pass but they will allow you to return later than the time on your pass. Don't panic if you return late.

When you enter a park there will be maps available. There is also a brochure that gives times of shows, parades, and special events. Also, near the entrance or first major intersection there is board that lists the attractions and the expected wait time.

Disney provides free transportion through their property. They have busses, wter shuttles ferries, boats, and monorails. If you are going on the monorail, ask a cast member on the loading platform if you can ride up front with the operator. It is a first come - first serve kind of deal. I believe they sit 4 people up front. Great view/ride up front and you get a parting gift. :)

The parade is fun. With little ones you might have to line up early to get a good view. If you are attending Wishes (fireworks at the Magic Kindom) - Main Street gives the best view. If you attending Illuminations (Fireworks at EPCOT), it is in the middle of the lake but remember not to be down wind. There is a lot of smoke. It usually blows towards the bridge between France and England. Also there are islands in the lake with trees that can block your view. If you attend Fantasmic (Disney Studios) it seats around 5,000 so depending on the crowds you might not have to arrive to early. Most of the seating gives a terrific view. Disney is known for their p.m. shows and all of them are terrific in their own special way.

Autographs - bet the kids want autographs. Bring your own markers and books. A thick pen is better for the characters to grab and write with. A Sharpie works best. You wait in line get a autograph, snaps a few pictures then move on.

You are on vacation - have fun, don't over do it. You can not see everything but you can see all the "big" stuff.