Disneyworld advice?

There was one where Cartman pretended to be disabled so he would win everything at the Special Olympics.

 

Agree on not needing a car if you stay on Disney property and do not plan on going anywhere outside the property. One of best features is how well their transportation system works.
With younger kids you are better off staying at Contemporary/ Grand Floridian/ Polynesian which are all on monorail line and closer to Kingdom where you will likely spend more time.

Adults are better off staying over in Yacht club area which is closer to Epcot and MGM where you will want to spend more time.

There is a nice low crowd window at end of summer when Southern schools are back in session and Northern schools are just about going back. Wildly hot and humid but much smaller lines. If staying on property take advantage of early openings which rotate between parks. Get to gate before they open and then have a plan for 2 of most popular rides. Immediately "fast pass " one and then ride the other. By time you are done with first ride your fast pass time should be coming up for the other

Also take advantage of exclusive park night time openings for those staying on Disney properties. Tickets are limited and lines are non existent for most rides. You can literally ride Space Mountain and run right back up and get on again and again.

Grand Floridian is a little pricier but you see less 300 lb ladies in spandex bike shorts and Mickey Mouse hats marring the atmosphere.

 

There was another where he got to go to the front of all the lines for rides.
The scooter episode maybe?

 

We go every year... My kids go freaking nuts for Disney World...

I think the best time to go is October or November... January or February are pretty great too, but depending on where you're flying in from it kind of sucks to have to worry about weather (not in Florida, but where you're flying in from or over...)

We've stayed at the elite resorts on the monorail (Polynesian, Contemporary and Grand Floridian) and as nice as it is and as convenient as it is, it's not worth the extra money. We loved Port Orleans and Caribbean Beach and both were a lot less expensive. You have to take a bus to the resorts, but they run all the time and are very convenient...

Get the meal plan. If you go in the fall, you can usually get this thrown in for free. Even if you pay for it, it's definitely worth it.

Get a park hopper pass. It gives you flexibility. Some of the parks (usually Animal Kingdom) close earlier than others and then you can go to dinner and then spend a few hours at Epcot before calling it a day. I don't really care for Epcot that much, but going there for two hours two or three times at the end of the day is a lot better than spending a full day there... Keep in mind, my kids are 5 and 6...

Chef Mickey's restaurant is a must if you have kids, especially if they're into meeting the characters, getting autographs etc...

I've heard the Princess character dining at Epcot (some Norwegian place) is awesome, but I haven't been there since I have boys and there wasn't any interest...

We got to see some of New Fantasyland when we were there last year, and it's pretty cool... They have a Beauty and the Beast themed restaurant called "Be Our Guest" that is really, really awesome, no matter what gender or how old you are... The food is insanely good, and it's just really, really classy and nice, but in a way where you're not scared to take the kids there...

As someone else said, go when school is in session....

 

Hollywood Studios is awesome, especially if you have boys...

The Jedi Training Academy is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Both of my kids have done it and haven't ever stopped talking about it. It's free and if they charged an extra $100 for it, I would gladly pay it and call it a bargain...

 

I've heard the castle meal is a bit overrated, since you have to use two meals to eat there. What was your opinion of it?

 

I covered one of the bowl games in Orlando this past season and found that Christmas week is nuts for Disney. Park was at capacity every day from Christmas eve on. Thought about going to Epcot for a day but it was crazy pricy and I didn't have an entire day off to properly enjoy it.

 

It's awesome. It's also insanely expensive. But being on the monorail is pretty great...

The last two times we went, we stayed at the Grand Floridian once and Port Orleans once, I think we saved $1500 by staying at Port Orleans... We're going back soon and I'm guessing we'll either stay at Port Orleans or Caribbean Beach.

 

Someone mentioned pubs ... Raglan Road at Downtown Disney is pretty good.

 

Downtown Disney is pretty fun too... The Disney dining plan allows you to eat at some of the restaurants there... The last time we went we ate at the T-Rex cafe, which is similar to Rainforest Cafe, just with dinosaurs all over the place... My kids went nuts for it...

 

Winter Baseball meetings are at Disney this year based at The Dolphin.

 

If you ask me, Akershus is just as cool and half the "credits," but if you ask my wife and daughter, the Castle is still the Castle. You meet the same number of princesses, but for many women, eating in the Castle is the end all be all. So what I think doesn't really matter.

It is also very important to know that a trip to Disney for a boy will be a lot different than a trip for a girl. They are really pushing pirates down there, and that keeps the boys busy while the girls are meeting Snow White.

If your child watches DisneyJr, there is a show at Hollywood Studios that features three of those shows.

I would also make it a point to know when the parades are happening. They are short, but a really cool way to "see" everyone.

I would also not be afraid to split up of you have different ages and different genders. Text messaging is a cool tool that our parents never had when we were younger, and it will allow you to locate each other in the park.