Hi! Just back from six days of the magic! First real trip with DD's - 7 and 9. My older daughter looked at me on day two and said..." we're making memories. This is really the place where dreams come true!!" Enough said.
Here are a few things that I really noted for the future that I thought I would share. Sort of a mixed lot of info, but if you read it you might remember something I said as you head down to the magic and maybe it will help. I know that I sure learned so much from you guys and I OFTEN used info I had read here.
PASSPORTS AT EPCOT>>> Don't buy them. They are $12, and the masks the kids make can be used for the signatures and the stamps. They are so cute, that by the third country, my girls didn't even want those passports we had gotten them.
GUEST OF HONOR BADGES>>> Do buy them. I got mine at DD Christmas store the first night for my girls. They definitely got more personal attention everywhere they went. I think they got us in as "First Family" on Kilamanjaro Safaris. Nothing beats Cinderella saying hello to you. Also had MAMY MANY people ask how to get them. I personally never saw them anywhere else, but have heard they are at MGM somewhere.
PRIORITY SEATINGS>>>MAKE THEM FROM HOME!!! I made several, including CRT. SO worth it. Be prepared to wait in line, though. I had to wait 20 minutes in line with people trying to MAKE PS's at Crystal Palace for my beeper. At CRT, of course, no wait.
GET THERE AT OPENING EVERY DAY NO MATTER HOW SLEEPY YOU ARE
PLAN AK AND MGM DAYS WELL>>> I wasn't prepared for everything being on a "schedule". We had to really plan the times for everything we wanted to see. For example, "Beauty and the Beast" didn't show at all until 3:15 and we had to arrange everything around it and several Fastpasses.
FANTASMIC>>> Great! Worth it! Even on your final night when you think you may collapse, it's worth it ! However, as it was my first time I was a little nervous about getting in. I went to the entrance of the LONG path to the show about 1 hour and 20 minutes early. Very good. IT WAS CRAZY AROUND THERE!
WATER PARK LOCKERS>>> I had gotten this tip earlier and was prepared. Just in case you haven't heard...the line to get lockers is very long, even if you are there at opening. You could lose 45 minutes doing that. I went straight to the first vendor and bought one of those water-proof boxes on a necklace for $5 (the lockers cost three after you get some of your money back). I kept our money in there and the rest of our stuff was just fine at our chairs. No problem!! And now I have one of those boxes for future use!
Last but not least, encourage your children to try things. I had planned not to push them, but thankfully my husband did not agree and he got them to do almost everything with the exception of "Alien" and "Rockin Rollercoaster" and "Tower of Terror". My kids are wimps when it comes to rides, but they were begging for more thanks to my husband. Even things they didn't particularly love, they handled just fine.
Have fun!
Here are a few things that I really noted for the future that I thought I would share. Sort of a mixed lot of info, but if you read it you might remember something I said as you head down to the magic and maybe it will help. I know that I sure learned so much from you guys and I OFTEN used info I had read here.
PASSPORTS AT EPCOT>>> Don't buy them. They are $12, and the masks the kids make can be used for the signatures and the stamps. They are so cute, that by the third country, my girls didn't even want those passports we had gotten them.
GUEST OF HONOR BADGES>>> Do buy them. I got mine at DD Christmas store the first night for my girls. They definitely got more personal attention everywhere they went. I think they got us in as "First Family" on Kilamanjaro Safaris. Nothing beats Cinderella saying hello to you. Also had MAMY MANY people ask how to get them. I personally never saw them anywhere else, but have heard they are at MGM somewhere.
PRIORITY SEATINGS>>>MAKE THEM FROM HOME!!! I made several, including CRT. SO worth it. Be prepared to wait in line, though. I had to wait 20 minutes in line with people trying to MAKE PS's at Crystal Palace for my beeper. At CRT, of course, no wait.
GET THERE AT OPENING EVERY DAY NO MATTER HOW SLEEPY YOU ARE
PLAN AK AND MGM DAYS WELL>>> I wasn't prepared for everything being on a "schedule". We had to really plan the times for everything we wanted to see. For example, "Beauty and the Beast" didn't show at all until 3:15 and we had to arrange everything around it and several Fastpasses.
FANTASMIC>>> Great! Worth it! Even on your final night when you think you may collapse, it's worth it ! However, as it was my first time I was a little nervous about getting in. I went to the entrance of the LONG path to the show about 1 hour and 20 minutes early. Very good. IT WAS CRAZY AROUND THERE!
WATER PARK LOCKERS>>> I had gotten this tip earlier and was prepared. Just in case you haven't heard...the line to get lockers is very long, even if you are there at opening. You could lose 45 minutes doing that. I went straight to the first vendor and bought one of those water-proof boxes on a necklace for $5 (the lockers cost three after you get some of your money back). I kept our money in there and the rest of our stuff was just fine at our chairs. No problem!! And now I have one of those boxes for future use!
Last but not least, encourage your children to try things. I had planned not to push them, but thankfully my husband did not agree and he got them to do almost everything with the exception of "Alien" and "Rockin Rollercoaster" and "Tower of Terror". My kids are wimps when it comes to rides, but they were begging for more thanks to my husband. Even things they didn't particularly love, they handled just fine.
Have fun!
So if you do buy one, don't put anything inside that you don't want to lose.
