Epcot for kids!

For many people that venture to Epcot they do not understand the big deal about Epcot and especially those with children so here's my must do list for Epcot!  This place is huge and I mean lots of walking so for those of you trying to debate my kids are on the fence of using a stroller and not needing one I have two words for you.  Take it!!!!!!!!!  Our family loves Epcot and we typically spend about the same amount of time at this park as we do Magic Kingdom.

1.  Soarin' is a must do ride for anyone who meets the height requirement and for those with children who don't find a way to make it happen, even if you ride by yourself.  This ride is amazing and for anyone that gets the pleasure it is probably the best theme park ride I have ever been on and I have ridden alot.  It is not a roller coaster but there is a little bit of height involved and some movement so for those who get motion sick it can be a little iffy, so be smart.  Get there early because the fastpasses will be gone and the line here can reach a couple hours easily.  Also if you are tall enough, go catch Test Track especially if you have boys because it is cars and speed every boys dream!

2.  The character greeting here is the best at Disney for two reasons.  Number one is that nobody thinks of Epcot as kid friendly so there are very small lines to get pictures with characters.  Number two is because if you walk around World Showcase and see the princesses and many times get princes also.  It is cool to get Snow White and Droopy together in a picture or Jasmine and the Genie together because they make great pictures with the kids!

3.  These rides are definite for kids especially under the age of 8:  Journey into Imagination with Figment, Seas with Nemo and Friends, Turtle Talk with Crush, Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico, or just spend some time in Innoventions playing with the exhibits.  Turtle Talk with Crush is a show that can be seen multiple times, it is never the same twice, and it is hysterical.

4.  Illuminations is a spectacular nighttime show that is performed every night and lasts 13 minutes.  Earth Globe is the world's first spherical video display system, wrapped in 15,000 LEDs which sits in the middle of World Showcase Lagoon.  This show combines music with lasers, fireworks, water effects, and so much more in an amazing night time spectacular that is definitely worth the wait.  This is not my personal favorite of the three night time spectaculars that Disney does and as a matter of fact it probably comes in third, but Disney's third best is still better than anyone else's first.  This is a must do so schedule your kids break time/nap in during the day so you can return for this show at night!

5.  Last but least is the food.  Epcot has many spectacular dining options too offer and they are all inside the park which is very convenient.  Each pavilion around World Showcase has restaurants and some have both counter service and table service.  Our personal favorite is LeCellier in the Canada pavilion and is some of the hardest reservations to obtain ranking right up there with the Castle.  Call exactly 180 days in advance and take anything they have for dinner because you will not be disappointed.  There are also some good options in Japan, France, Mexico (for the scenery), and also China for eating and many counter services are excellent.

6.  My kids and wife love to shop at Epcot!  Why?  Many people do not realize that many toys and luxuries we enjoy in America are not derived here but rather from some of the countries represented in World Showcase.  We typically spend a good hour in Japan shopping because of things like Hello Kitty and these little things we had as kids called Mon Chi Chi's (baby monkey's).  These as well as Pokeman and other toys are imported from Japan and they have stuff here not available in your local department store.  Spend some time enjoying the culture of the shops and the goods derived from those countries because it is remarkably interesting.  Also as a side note Disney offers many foreign exchange programs and most if not all employees working in these pavillions actaully are from that country (more ambience).

Next time I will give suggestions for Hollywood Studios!

Magic Kingdom part 3 for kids

OK so the days almost over and you and the kids are exhausted.  Your family is trying to determine if you really want to stay and see another parade or fireworks show.  You look around and see thousands of people searching out a spot for the night time parade as early as two hours before the thing is supposed to start.  The temptation to skip out as the crowd builds is growing and you are a little overwhelmed in tight places what do you do?

1.  First of all let me start by saying that I have been coming to Disneyworld since I was 2 years old and believe me when I tell you it will be the biggest mistake of your life to leave before the parade and fireworks. My earliest memory of Disneyworld is when I was about 3 and it is of the night time parade at Disneyworld.  It is now called "SpectroMagic" and it is nothing shy of amazing.  Everytime we see this with our children its as if they are seeing it for the first time.  The look of awe and amazement could never be replaced by anything on earth for a child.  It will make your entire trip no matter how good or bad it has gone worthwhile when you see your child's eyes light up with excitement. 

2.  We always watch it from Main Street which is the most crowded and crazy place in the Magic Kingdom.  That being said the view of the Castle lit up with an ever changing color scheme and the Disney magic all around the crowds are the last thing on your mind.  If you are too bothered by crowds the parade route is clearly mapped out and you can go anywhere on the route and see the parade perfectly.  Try to find your spot early in front and if you have strollers push them all the way up to the rope and stand behind them.  This way you child will have a seat with an unobstructed view of the show and not be trampled by all the people afterwards.  Frontierland is usually a great second choice to watch the show and the crowds are substantially smaller here!

3.  The parade is like a normal parade only with Disney nothing is normal and there are millions of lights on the floats and the appear almost magical.  All the characters are lit up and the music that accompanies the parade are a perfect fit.  Everyone from old to young that are in the crowd are usually in a state of shock at the show they are witnessing is real?

4.  After the parade most people will stay put to watch the fireworks display which will follow shortly afterward.  Find a place with a clear view of the castle and watch in wonder the next display of Disney magic.  You think you have see a fireworks display before, but with the perfectly choreographed Disney music and fireworks display you haven't seen anything yet!  With the castle as the back drop it's as if you are in a fairytale land and the whole world doesn't exist for those few minutes.  Simply amazing!!!!

5.  After the show the thousands of people in the Magic Kingdom will all head straight for the exit causing a mass of confusion and chaos.  Do not be sucked in to thinking you have to beat these thousands to your bus stop or car because it will not happen.  Instead do the one thing that you would never do at home and what we love to do and that is stop and get an ice cream cone(yes it is usually 11pm but it is Disney have fun)!  The sit and watch all the crazy, tired, and frustrated people try to cram out the exit at the same time.  By the time you eat your ice cream and people watch about 30 minutes or so just leisurely walk out of the park with little ot no crowd and your kids will not get trampled.  Now if you are staying on property there will be a hundred people at the bus stop waiting for the next ride home but do not freak out.  You will be home quickly as Disney does a good job of getting those people home and will many times load 2-3 buses simultaneously and the line is gone in minutes.  Expect a wait but do not panic!  You will get home late just sleep in the next morning and you will never forget this memory of a lifetime!

Magic Kingdom for kids part 2

Now that we have had our nap or swim we can head back to the Magic Kingdom. Hopefully it will be around 3 or so and the worst of the afternoon heat has passed and we can enjoy our evening in the park. One thing you will notice is the people who are not staying on property will try to suffer through and stay the whole day but those with little ones will not make it. The crowds will remain pretty heavy until dinner time and then you will notice a pretty good decline in people with small children. These families think going into the day they can make the whole day but the crowds and heat will eventually take its toll. So here is how to attack your second half of the day.

1. When you first enter the Magic Kingdom head down Main Street USA and toward the end (before you get to the castle) on the left side you will see an information board. This board is constantly monitoring the wait times at the attractions and will list those wait times on the board. Go to the board and see what the wait times are for most of the rides to judge how crowded the park is or isn't. If most attractions are under 45 minutes you are in good shape so pick something and go for it.

2. If the wait times are really long then go to something that is a constant move ride. What I mean is that the vehicles are moving and the lines go quickly. I would suggest Pirates if the line is less than 30 minutes because the wait will be cool and sheltered. After that I would head over to the Tiki birds which some do not like but it is inside and cool and never has a line. Then head over to the Swiss Family Treehouse which is a walk through attraction so no line at all and it is pretty cool to see if you have never been. It is probably dinner time so check your reservation time and if you don't have one grab a quick bite to eat. Before you go to the meal grab a fastpass to Jungle Cruise which is usually about a 30-45 minute wait and come back to ride that after dinner.

3. After dinner come back use your fastpass to Jungle Cruise and ride Aladdin Magic Carpets. The magic carpet is the exact ride as Dumbo but instead of riding and elephant you guessed it magic carpet. Normal people would say we have done that already but kids are not normal and you will not escape so just get in line. The line here is normally 15-20 minutes so why it is like an hour at Dumbo who knows? Now you have completed Adventureland, Fantasyland, and part of Tommorowland you have two choices and it really depends on your kids and if they are daredevils?

4. Frontierland offers two of the best rides in the park in Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain railroad but both have minimum height requirements so make sure you check those out before you head over. My oldest daughter loves speed so these rides are a must do and she has loved them since she was 5 but my soon to be 5 year old hates them both! Please do not make them ride if they are scared because no one on the ride wants to hear a child screaming in fear it is heart wrenching. If these rides are both no gos for your family then you can head over to Liberty Square and ride Haunted Mansion and both my kids love it, but it took riding like 10 times before they weren't scared at all. We would ride and they would cover their ears and bury their heads in our lap until the ride was over. They never cried but they didn't look either and that is OK because parents can ride and enjoy while the kids hide their eyes.

5. If none of these are an option I would suggest story time with Belle which is a cute little show around the side of the castle with Beauty and the Beast. It is a quaint little show with no more that 50 or so people and the cast picks kids out of the audience to portray Chip, Lumiere, etc. from the movie and at the end of the little play you get to meet and take pictures with Belle. After that you could go see some characters for pictures, ride the tea cups, and stand in line to ride the race cars. All of these things are right beside each other so there will be limited walking and other than the race cars there will be minimal wait times! Do not wear yourself out because the best of Disney still awaits at dark!

The next topic will cover one of the greatest things you will ever see in your life with your children so do not miss this!

Magic Kingdom tips for kids

The Magic Kingdom which of course was the first Disney theme park in Florida is the most visited theme park in the world. Millions of people a year visit the Magic Kingdom and you will know it when you visit because of the crowds! This park is fairly small compared to the other Disney parks but there is a tons of stuff crammed in there. Since there is so much to see and do I will attempt to break it down into segments. If you have children under the age of 7 then Fantasyland will be your life so learn it well! The rides here are calm, fun, and perfect for this age bracket. We typically spend about 1/2 a day just in this are of the Magic Kingdom.

So here are my tips for seeing Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom!

1. Arrive at park opening and if you are staying on property and there are Extra Morning Magic Hours be there to take advantage of those also. It will be an early morning but it will be the best day of your entire trip! We always do this at least once a trip and it never disappoints.

2. You get to see the park open and as you walk thru the gate you can see the castle with no one in front of it and WOW what a view! Go straight in and up to Fantasyland. As you go thru/under Cinderella's Castle make a straight line to the Dumbo ride and get in line. You will thank me for this later as every kid wants to ride this ride and it is without a doubt the slowest line in the world. If you get there quickly you can be on and off in 15 minutes and relax the rest of the morning. This ride will be like an hour or more line within the first 30 minutes of park opening.

3. Ride Peter Pan which is always a long line and when you get a fast pass to ride it again later trust me boys will ride it 100 times. Girls love it too but this along with Pirates and Buzz are the boy favorites and the line can reach 2 hours in the afternoon if the park is crowded.

4. Then ride Winnie the Pooh, Small World, Snow White?, and see the Phillarmagic show which is spectacular 3-D movie. After all of this it will probably only be maybe 2 hours after park opening and the crowds will start building in this area quickly. Ride Peter Pan if it is time for your fastpass and the get out of Fantasyland because by lunch time it is bonkers in there.

5. Now I would go to Tommorowland and get a fastpass to BuzzlightYear and get some lunch early. Eating lunch by 11-11:30 will save you a ton of time in line waiting for food. By the time noon rolls around you can waste a couple of hours eating when you could be having fun or relaxing. If you are staying on property you could also eat and ride a couple of rides then go back to the resort for a swim or a nap. We rarely do naps but some kids need it and some parents enjoy the down time as well. Whatever is best for your family that is what should come next!

Next post will be how to finish up the Magic Kingdom for kids and don't miss the third post in this series called "The Best of the Magic Kingdom".

Marvel Comics coming to Disney?

In a press release on September 1st Disney announced it was buying Marvel Comics for $4 billion. This purchase gives Disney the rights to some major players in the superhero category such as X-men, Spiderman, The Hulk, and Ironman. This deal will not affect Universal Studios which currently has a section in its Florida theme park known as Marvel Super Hero Island. This agreement will continue to stand as long as Universal continues to operate its facility in Orlando.

How does this affect Disney is still yet to be seen especially from a theme park standpoint. Disney has already been airing some cartoons of these superheroes on one of its expanded cable channels. From a theme park standpoint the possibilities are endless. I can't tell you how many times people have asked us why there are not more options for boys in the 6-12 year old category and this is a perfect fit for that. Right now there are no character meals with male dominated characters so how about a character meal with superheroes? I know every young boy out there is infatuated with superheroes and I believe would prove hugely successful to have dinner with "SUPERHEROES". I am a 36 year old man and I think this would be cool even for me and my oldest daughter who is 10 loves the X-men!

How about a ride or multiple rides featuring superheroes? How cool would that be to have a super hero ride or how about a Phillarmagic type 3-D show with the X-men. This would be a resounding smash and maybe throw in a Spiderman roller coaster. Of course all of these are just my ideas and not from Disney but how fun would these new additions be to the theme parks. If I ran Disney the obvious answer to quickly take advantage of this new purchase would be to start a character meal with superheroes! The food place could already be an established one and maybe even one where the traffic is down or needs a boost. In this instance there is no need to improve the food just add characters and bam instant growth.

While I am discussing character meals how about a Pirate themed one for the kids as well. With the resounding success of the Pirates franchise why not continue to build on that and also reel in more boys. I think Disney is wildly successful at bringing out the princess in all our girls including my wife however, if they put a little more into reaching the boys and making them feel like a hero or pirate I believe the response would be resounding! Lucky for me I have two girls and our trips have always been priceless, but because we have been so many times we would love an infusion of new blood occasionally.

Disney dining tips to prevent headaches

This post comes from many of my friends and family about dining at Disney so I thought I would write a short post to clarify! This is the process you should probably follow especially if you are a first timer to Disneyworld or even just the dining plans.

1. First thing you should always do is determine where you would like to eat and on what day. This seems like such a simple task but the choices are overwhelming and the possibilities endless. If you are staying on Disney property you have a built in grace period of the length of your stay. What I mean is you may make reservations 180 days in advance of the day you check in to Disney! That means if you stay 10 days your last days Disney dining reservation is actually 190 days in advance. Those staying off property will have to call everyday and make 1 reservation then call back each day after that or wait and make them all at once. This means if you would like to eat in Cinderella's Castle you could schedule that for the last day of your trip and your odds of getting the reservation jump tremendously! This will go for all hard to get reservations.

2. After you make your decision call Disney direct on the 180th day before you check in at 7am because that is when the call center opens. You might get lucky and be answered immediately but you may also be on hold for a while! When the reservation desk calls you will go through a bevy of questions and the you begin with the reservations. Always start requesting with the hardest places first which is typically Cinderella's Castle, Ohana's, and LeCellier and make sure those hard to get places are locked in first then do the rest. If you have in questions go to disneyworld.disney.go which will take you to the main Disneyworld site and it should answer any questions. There should be a link directly to disneyworld.disney.go directly to the right or the bottom of this post and you can just click there and it will route you there!

3. After you have your reservations they will give you a confirmation number for each reservation and yes they are like 10 numbers each so do not lose those numbers. My advice would be to put them in a computer, save them in multiple places, and finally print them on a piece of paper the size of a business card. If you can have it laminated and stick it in your wallet before you leave on your trip. Take it to every reservation you have just in case there is confusion. It doesn't happen often but if they can't find your reservation this confirmation number may be the only thing between you and not eating!

4. To complete the overkill I always call about 30-45 days before we arrive and verify all my reservations and confirmation numbers with Disney dining. This will ensure you wrote down the numbers correctly and you days are correct. I can't tell you the times we have been waiting to check in at a restaurant and the person in front of us had the correct confirmation number but wrote down the wrong day and was supposed to be somewhere else that day. This will ruin your day and the chances of making it to the correct place in time to be seated is approximately zero.

5. Lastly when you check in to your Disney resort you can go to the guest services desk and request a printout of all your dining reservations. Compare those to what you have on your laminated business card to ensure they match up! If you do you are good to go and if not the guest services desk can help you to remedy the situation.

For those of you who have never stayed on property the one thing Disney does better than anyone else is service. If you have any issues while staying on property just be kind and ask for help. Of course Disney is not perfect but they will do whatever is they can to accommodate you! This Disney trip you are planning involves time and effort before you get to there so you can ensure less chaos after you arrive. Disneyworld is an enormous place and planning is critical to make sur you get the most for your money. Do not go expecting to wing it especially if you are a first timer because you will be stressed and overwhelmed.

Fantasmic dining

First let me say that the Fantasmic show at Hollywood Studios is an incredible experience. It may be the best thing in any park goes as far as over the top theatrics. The Fantasmic show may even be a little too much for small children but it is worth the price of admission if you do not see anything else there. The show is in the amphitheater and holds thousands of people so it is super crowded. Right now with tourism down a little they have gone to only doing this show twice a week so get a schedule and work it in.

The biggest obstacle to this show especially since it is only shown twice a week is the long line and wait to get in. Many times you will see people begin lining up two hours for show time and this causes panic and then everyone lines up. So you run the risk of spending up to two hours in line instead of having fun in the park. The sad thing is that the amphitheater is so large that everyone could fit in there it's just that everyone wants the front row. There is not really a bad seat in the place so don't be too concerned about that.

Now here is the secret to avoiding all of this in the first place. The Fantasmic Dining Dinner Package is available in limited quantities so make your reservations early. This is done by calling Disneyworld Dining and asking for reservations to the Fantasmic dinner package and tell them the day and restaurant you would like. The choices are Hollywood and Vine, Mama Melrose, or for a 2 table service meal Brown Derby and yes it is available with the basic Disney dining plan. You schedule your dinner but it has to be before 5 pm at one of the above Disney restaurants and you get reserved seating for the Fantasmic show. You come in a separate entrance about 45 minutes before show time and you get to sit in an area roped off as reserved. Less wait time and reserved seating close to the exit also ensures a quicker exit form the park if you wish. The two keys you have to remember is you must make these reservations in advance and you must request the Fantasmic dinner package or you will not receive the reserved seating vouchers!!!!!

The three Disney restaurants listed are all OK but we have only done Hollywood and Vine and Mama Melrose. Hollywood and Vine is a traditional Disney buffet so the kids will probably eat better but the buffet is decent for adults as well. Mama Melrose is an Italian restaurant and is very hit or miss. We have been a couple of times and the meal was average and the service lousy and also been a couple of times when the whole experience was fantastic. We do tend to have better luck dining here when we are on the Fantasmic Dinner package so that might help with the decision making process.

Top 5 Disney dining without kids

This post is dedicated to a night out without kids or if you have older kids and want a little more grown up experience. This will consist of only one table service meals because the two table service meals will come later.

1. By a landslide LeCellier in the Canada pavilion inside Epcot is number one! This is probably the hardest reservation to get besides the castle. The place is very small and therefore not many tables available to reserve. Out of this world steaks and other entree's are the feature here and the atmosphere feels very non-Disney. There will still be kids here but the size and menu are for more mature palates.

2. I am going with Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort. It is a very casual atmosphere with terrific entree' options that offer a Polynesian flair. It is sitting next door to Ohana's so it is a little loud but the small quaintness takes over and you will feel very relaxed. The food is also excellent and offers a very complex selection.

3. Number three is going to surprise many people because it gets a bad rap on many rate and review boards online. The San Angel Inn is inside the Mexico pavilion at Epcot and I will have to say the food is only mediocre at best. There is a real consistency problem at this place because sometimes it is great and others not so much! If you get past that the atmosphere is second to none at Disneyworld dining. Go by and check it out and you will see how wonderfully amazing this place really is!

4. This slot goes to the Grand Floridian Cafe which is amazingly at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. This resort resonates with class and style and therefore all the restaurants here are worth the advanced reservation. This is definitely not the best this resort has to offer, but the two best are 2 table service credits. It has a nice selection of steak, fish, and chicken and of course ending a meal sharing chocolate fondue is always a nice touch.

5. Another undervalued restaurant in the Disneyworld dining experience is at the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. The Turf Club Bar and Grill is in an inconspicuous place and so the traffic is much less than the dining options in a theme park or on the monorail loop. Don't let it fool you though because it is a fantastic dining option. Their entree's are sensational and the appetizers are definitely above average. The desserts are typical Disney, but the ambiance is very solid for a 1 table service option.

There you have it! The top five 1 table service options on the Disneyworld dining option for couples with no children. The kids would probably still be OK at these locations it just wouldn't be their choice. The next post I will attempt to tackle my top 5 for 2 table service options.