Tips about Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Planning and Souvenirs

Epcot - I was also at Epcot on New Year's Eve 2012 along with Zamgwar and many thousands of others. We had done New Year's Eve twice before, both times at Hollywood Studios. If you want to ensure you get to ride the popular attractions with little wait, you should plan on being at the parks at least a half hour BEFORE the parks open. For special days like New Year's Eve, plan on spending 16 to 18 hours in the park so get plenty of rest the night before. My son and I were the first ones on Mission: Space while my wife and daughter went and got FastPasses for Soarin'. At 8:30 we were allowed to get new FastPasses and got them for Test Track, which was closed for most of the morning due to technical difficulties. Plan on doing attractions you might not normally do and try to rest when you can during the day. I caught some zzz's at the American Adventure. This was the first trip in almost 20 to the World that we walked the entire World Showcase and visited every country and saw all the movies. The only hiccup of the night was IllumiNations was supposed to start at 11:40, but was 10 minutes late starting. That threw off the New Year's fireworks as the "Countdown to New Year's" started at 12:10 a.m. on January 1, 2013. - Rob Ripper

Magic Kingdom - If you are in Magic Kingdom near closing time/sundown, you can sometimes see cast members doing water paintings of the Fab Five and friends. The very few times I've seen this bit of magic have been in early evening on the path from the hub to between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland (runs between Cosmic Ray's and the new Merida meet and greet). They use brooms and water to paint images of Disney characters on the sidewalk. They don't last long, and I don't think it's every day, either. The first time we saw this was truly an added pinch of pixie dust on our vacation. My 4- and 6-year-olds were amazed that it was just water! Now it's tradition to try to be in MK at the right time just to see if we can see them again. - Danielle

Magic Kingdom - It's easy for small children to become over-stimulated by all the input at Disney World, especially Magic Kingdom, and certainly Fantasyland. When taking my granddaughter for her first time, just after her 2nd birthday, we purposely visited Adventureland, doing Aladdin's Magic Carpet first, and then Frontierland on her first morning. On her second morning we visited Fantasyland, riding Dumbo first. She enjoyed the attractions at Fantasyland more, I think, after getting acquainted with the park on her first morning. We have continued the "two mornings" routine at Magic Kingdom, beginning with Adventureland, since that first trip. Our trip when my granddaughter was 5 brought home especially how overwhelming all the sights and sounds of Main Street and Magic Kingdom can be. She thought she remembered, but the reality was something else. She definitely had that deer in the headlights expression on her face, walking down Main Street. Except for our old standby, Aladdin's Magic Carpet -- she greeted that ride enthusiastically. On the trip when she was 7, I thought we would probably do something else first, but she insisted that the Carpets were tradition. And that's what we did first. At rope drop, we're almost the only ones in line. It's like our own private carpet ride. - Kim

ALL PARKS - I have three kids and live a couple hours away from Disney. My children range in age from 5 to 14. One of the most useful tips I could give is to pack a pair of flip-flops in your backpack for water rides. Before you get in line, change from your tennis shoes to flip-flops and then you can change back into your dry tennis shoes after the ride. - Elizabeth

Magic Kingdom - At the new Fantasyland, the Photopass photographers do magical shots where they have Sebastian from Little Mermaid in your hand, and another one where Chip from Beauty and the Beast sits in your hand. - Kazuko

When booking rooms at a WDW resort, be aware that adjoining rooms and connecting rooms are not the same thing. Adjoining rooms are next to each other. Connecting rooms share an interior door. Don't rely on the reservation employee to explain the differences in terminology to you. - Elizabeth

Christmas - If you are going to be in the Magic Kingdom during the day of a Very Merry Christmas Party, but aren't staying for the Party, make sure you do any Main Street shopping before the time the party starts. We were at the Magic Kingdom on the first night of the party this year (November 9). We tried to get into the Emporium at 7:05 p.m. and they wouldn't let us in without a bracelet. It was very disappointing since it was our last night. Luckily we had done some shopping earlier, but my friends were very disappointed. - Rick G.

Disney's Hollywood Studios - We love to draw the characters at the Animation Academy in Disney's Hollywood Studios, and have struggled with carrying the pictures around the park all day. The inside tube from aluminum foil or plastic wrap works really well to keep the pictures from creasing or wrinkling. The drawings are great souvenirs to frame when you return home. - Teresa Palauskas

Last time I went to Walt Disney World I bought a fleece shirt that had a "security tag" on it. Unfortunately, I did not realize until I got home that the cast member who checked me out never removed it. How frustrating! Do yourself a favor and double-check your clothes for those tags before leaving for home. - mkmouse

We reuse our popcorn containers we get from Disney. They come in handy for many things. Our main use for them is to cut up fruit, like watermelon or pineapple, and store the fruit in those containers. Then the kids can grab their fruit whenever they want some and it's already cut up. We also use them for markers and crayons, great storage containers. - Nicole Miller

ALL PARKS - A great way to save time if possible is to go to the park without a bag. We could not accomplish this on every park visit, but when we would go to Magic Kingdom for a short visit in the morning or evening, we packed small necessary items (camera, lip balm, antibacterial gel) in my husband and son's cargo pockets, wore our Photopass and tickets around our necks and breezed into the parks. - Tanya

ALL PARKS - A great way to save time if possible is to go to the park without a bag. We could not accomplish this on every park visit, but when we would go to Magic Kingdom for a short visit in the morning or evening, we packed small necessary items (camera, lip balm, antibacterial gel) in my husband and son's cargo pockets, wore our Photopass and tickets around our necks and breezed into the parks. - Tanya

ALL PARKS - A great way to save time if possible is to go to the park without a bag. We could not accomplish this on every park visit, but when we would go to Magic Kingdom for a short visit in the morning or evening, we packed small necessary items (camera, lip balm, antibacterial gel) in my husband and son's cargo pockets, wore our Photopass and tickets around our necks and breezed into the parks. - Tanya

Magic Kingdom - During our recent trip to Walt Disney World, my son enjoyed playing Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. The only problem was carrying the cards and sorting through them. We saw several folks carrying binders with the clear sleeves used for baseball cards. A great idea. It keeps the cards "organized" and keeps them clean. You can see all your cards, and know which ones you need when trading. Since getting home, we have put our cards into a binder and are ready for our next visit. - Joelle Rehberg

Disney's Hollywood Studios - Since its introduction as a regular feature several years ago, the Jedi Training Academy has become an extremely popular interactive experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios. As a result, participating in the activity, which is held several times throughout the day, can be challenging. Here are some tips to help you snag an spot for your child to become a Padawan and feel The Force:

• Arrive Early: Sign-ups for the Jedi Training Academy start as soon as the park's turnstiles are opened (this includes Extra Magic Hour mornings); if the park is scheduled to open at 9 a.m., they tend to open about 15 minutes prior. This should be your first stop once you enter the park -- the earlier you sign up, the earlier the show you will get into. Spots fill up very quickly and it is not uncommon for all spots to be filled by 10 or 10:30 a.m., depending on park attendance.
• Have Your Children With You: As part of the sign-up process the cast members need to ask your children a couple of questions to make sure they will follow instructions and be safe on stage. Cast members will also ask the children how old they are to verify they are between the ages of 4 and 12. For this reason, you need to have your children with you. Spots cannot be saved for children who are not present.
• Plan on Committing an Hour for the Show: When you sign up for a particular show you will be asked to return to the sign-up location 30 minutes prior to the show time. This is to ensure that all the children participants are present before heading to the stage. With the show lasting 20 to 25 minutes, this means that the whole Jedi Training experience will take almost an hour out of your day. You should take this into account when signing up. If you have a dining reservation let the cast members know. They are generally very accommodating with getting you into a show that will work for you.
• Show Viewing Areas: The viewing area at the stage is first come/first serve and does fill up. If possible, have one parent go with the child to the check-in area and the other adult go to the stage area to secure a viewing spot.
• Know the Alternate Process: Once all guaranteed spots have been filled for the day, cast members will begin to sign up alternates. THIS DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOUR CHILD WILL GET INTO A SHOW, but it does give them the possibility of getting in if a child with a guaranteed spot does not show up. Alternates are numbered in the order in which they sign up and will be asked to return 20 minutes prior to any of the shows. An alternate must be present in order to be placed into the show and if multiple alternates show up, the lowest numbered alternate will get the available spot. For example, if alternates 3, 7, and 9 were present, number 3 will be placed into the show if a child with a guaranteed spot does not show up. Note that alternates can return for as many (or as few) shows as they want until they are placed into an available spot.

http://www.allears.net/tp/mgm/jedi_mgm.htm