# United States & Canada Vacations Forums > Florida Travel & Vacations Forum >  >  Disney Advice

## bto

Anyone been recently who can offer some suggestions?  This is a trip we have been putting off for so long that we now feel guilty, LOL!  

Do not want to go when it's baking hot, nor do we want to go when the throngs go during holidays.

Any thoughts on the week before Thanksgiving?

Help please...You know where I'd really rather go...:)

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## MIke R

just did it Bev....the one in California..not Florida...all I can tell you is we went on a non holiday week....midweek...and it was barely tolerable....1 hour to see the Disney Princesses....half hour to see Mickey...same with Minnie.....about a half hour to get a table to eat...and the Disney "veterans" tell me  those time tables were very very good......we didnt do rides, but the ride lines looked looooong..and forget about Its a Small Small World....that line could have been measured in mileage terms.......but Lena loved it and thats all that mattered....


not cheap!!!!!...our one day cost was 189 for tickets ( no rides included in that package).....70ish for lunch.....15 for parking

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## nnoska

it is a pilgramage that must be done, having 4 kids ranging from 23 to 7 i have done this several times and most recently euro disney, do i like it no but its for the kids and they do love it, go when it is slow, i have been early oct. and it was fine, stay at one of the resorts in the park, the prices range i have stayed at the boardwalk villas nice one bedroom suites walk to epcot see the fireworks show etc and have also stayed at the contempary$$$ but alot of nice extras,get fast pass, stay at one of the better resorts and get early and late entree to the park, i have also been to sea world and universal and they are great as well. and say this mantra i love my kids, i love my kids

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## bto

Thanks, Mike &amp; Erik.

Will get the fast pass for sure...Did not know about early/late entry, will do that too...Kids are 12 &amp; 13 so I am hoping they'll want to do more Epcot and Universal than rides...The cost for Disney is so ridiculous.

Erik, you're doing all the work for me...Next spring break we are shooting for Paris :)

I love my kids, i love my kids...

bev

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## heatherdh

While on vacation in Orange County, CA last spring, we did a day trip to Disneyland in California. I was in the worst mood ever when I left. At It's a Small World they told us it was a 120-minute wait! I even waited 15 minutes ot buy cold drinks from a vendor!

But my three year old daughter met Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Belle. We were first told by a rather rude park employee--who happened to be wearing a button that said "Ask Me About the Princesses"--that Cinderella was not in the park today. She said, "She's next door at California Adventure." I wondered, "Can't they have two Cinderellas?" We went to a story time at the Princess book shoppe and were waiting (for an hour) for Snow White to make an appearance. When the door opened, out walked Cinderella. My daughter turned to me with an amazed look and said, "See Mommy, Cinderella's not sick. She's here!" The traffic, the long lines, the ridiculous prices were all worth it for that one line! 
My advice is plan it all out before you go--make revervations for meals, get the fast pass. Apparently you need a strategic plan to enjoy Disney. 

If my daughter wants to go again, I suppose I'll take her. But I sure hope her "happiest place on Earth" is SBH!!! 

Good luck and enjoy!

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## MIke R

> when the door opened, out walked Cinderella. My daughter turned to me with an amazed look and said, "See Mommy, Cinderella's not sick. She's here!" The traffic, the long lines, the ridiculous prices were all worth it for that one line!



Amen..you said it all for me....and here is the proof...all well worth the wait...I'll tell you what..they did a princess crew change when Lena was visiting her last princess and Belle was one of the new ones...her favorite...they told us..."no going backwards in line".... well, Lena wasnt listening to that and beelined it for Belle...gave her a big hug.....and then said to the guy..."now I'm ready to leave"..........thats my girl!!!!







Daddy wanted to sit on some of the princesses laps as well....but they said no

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## bto

> Daddy wanted to sit on some of the princesses laps as well....but they said no



Smart princesses....LOL.

I can safely say that our kids will not give a hoot about the princess crew...one good reason to wait till this age!   They will be more into the roller coaster rides...but thanks for the warning!!  We want to spend more time OUT of the Magic Kingdom than IN! 

I am hoping to miss the Thanksgiving crowd by trying to go the week end before...Any thoughts on that time?

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## MIke R

I cant speak for how that week is at Disney but I can tell you that is typically a really dead week for tourism in the two resorts we live and work in...I'm sure what we see in our two resorts is probably consistent with what is occuring in most other resorts as well...

and yes be thankful you dont have to do the whole Princess gig.....LOL

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## MartinS

The best Disney advice I can offer anyone is this....."DON'T GO!!!!!!" Throngs of people, screaming kids and hot, fighting adults, does NOT make for "the happiest place on earth". 
Having given you my disclaimer, The week before Thanksgiving should be pretty good. I got roped into doing Busch Gardens that week one year and it was empty. However, it can be quite cold here then also. I also got roped into doing Disney the first week of October one year, can you say deserted? Weekdays are the best time also, as the locals that get roped into going with their visiting friends/family should be working then. 


My two cents........
J

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## bto

Thanks, everyone...

Janine, I smiled when I saw your post...remembering I have just seen you on TV!!!  

Yes, October is my preferred time but we aren't sure about the school schedule yet...I have read it is the best time for short lines...But we will get through it one way or another...I am thinking they are the perfect age for this...we've been holding out, hoping they'd forget!  I even tried to coerce them with a SBH trip and they are still whining that they are the only kids in their class who have never been to Disney...Awwwwwww.

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## MIke R

> ..But we will get through it one way or another..



nothing a flask in the pocketbook filled with a little MBolo rhum wont help out with... ;-))))


or so I've heard.....LOL

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## rob

You have been given some good advise, bev. Here are a few more things. We live in S. Florida, and Tiffany is 5,  so Orlando and it's parks are a regular pilgrimage for us. First, check on-line to see if you can purchase discounted tickets to whichever park you intend to visit. This eliminates the first major line you will encounter- the ticket line at the park. You can also purchase tickets, albeit less of a discount, at many Orlando hotels, perhaps you are staying at a hotel that sells tickets. Next, get the speed passes. Plan out in advance what rides you really want to see, find out where they are on the park map, and make a bee-line for that ride to get a speed pass for that particular ride. Several months ago, we tried to get speed passes for "Everest" at about 3:00pm, and they were no longer giving them out for the rest of the day- Daddy HAD to do that ride, so 1 hour later, after waiting in line, I enjoyed the 2 minute ride. Alas, Tiffany was not tall enough to get whiplash with me.

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## fins85258

Wow Mike, 

I hate to tell ya but I think ya got hosed. My sister is the reservations queen of "Disneyland" California. She finds all the great deals for the motels across the street with free shuttles back and forth every 30 minutes all day. AAA has some great ticket deals also. If they sold beer I cound spend the day in the New Orleans to Frontierland transition area.

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## bto

Thanks, rob...plan to get tickets ahead...great suggestions.

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