Fast passes: you cannot use a guest's card to get a Fast Pass from the machine unless that person is in the park (as in, their biometric fingerprint was taken at the entry gate that morning when they came through the turnstile). If Grammy's in bed sleeping in, her key card won't scan a FP inside a park.

Anonymous wrote: 2. What if the day the child visits is on their 3rd birthday? Any thoughts on this? Need ticket? Any birthday advangates?

My daughter turned three the year we were there. Not only did they not question when we entered, when we went to lunch at Crystal Palace (I think that is what they call it - the character one with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore) they had birthday stuff on the table for her. When we checked in at the host stand we told them she turned three that day and they still didn't charge her. As for advantages, you can check in with guest services to get a button that says "Happy Birthday [Snowflake]" She got a kick out of everyone saying Happy Birthday to her, but I don't recall any specific advantages.

Another weird tip: When you approach the entrance GO TO THE LEFT. No lines. People for some reason hang to the right. So, people are queued up to enter on the right, but you can fly right in from the left side.

We just got back from Disney. I was the OP of the other Disney thread.

I didn't think it was a big deal at all to park and get to Magic Kingdom. The key is to get there early. Try to get to the front gate 30 minutes prior to opening. They have a little show around 8:45 and you can walk on to all the rides. It starts getting busy around 10:30 but we were able to ride all the popular rides multiple times within the first hour.

Here are a few more tips, but those above are great.
If staying offsite, you drive to the parking lot, take a golf cart tram to the "TTC"/transportation ticket center, and there you get on the monorail or ferry to the front gate of the magic kingdom. Try to get to the front gate about 15 min before 9 bc the train pulls up to the front gate with characters and songs and confetti - it is an exciting way to start the day.
The fast passes are great - not bc I cared about doing "everything," but bc it cut down on our wait times - little kids don't do well with long waits in line! (and bring some little toys for the times you do have a long wait) One person can take everyone's tickets and get fast passes for all, but you can only get one fast pass per ticket at a time (so you cant scoop up two fast passes once you already have one). If you have an iPhone, there is a great app which gives you real time wait times throughout the park. Again, this helped us not bc we were trying to fit in everything, but bc that way we picked rides with little to no wait time- this especially would work for young kids with no expectations.
For times the little one gets tired, there is a little train which runs the perimeter of the park - you can get on and off whenever you like, so you could ride it to rest your legs and it is still fun. For times your little one needs to burn off energy and doesn't want to be strapped in the stroller or line, Tom Sawyer's Island is a lovely place to run outside.

Anonymous wrote:
4. We are staying off site and visiting Magic Kingdom for one day, what is the deal with parking? Apparently, there is some sort of transportation center, so even after you park you have to take a tram or ferry? Can anyone explain.

Yeah, the tram will take you from your parking spot to the transportation center. There you can take a 10 minute ferry or take the direct monorail. The monorails and such will be open plenty early for you to get to the gates at opening.

Anonymous wrote:
6. We are planning on staying the whole day, 9a to 10p, and just sit and relax and visit with family often, (probably while stuffing our faces)....are we crazy? (3 yr old - great traveler)

Totally doable. On some nights the park stays open until 11pm. Sometimes they run two electrical parades, one at 9pm and one at 11pm, with the fireworks spectacular at 10pm.

Anonymous wrote:
7. There are other places to eat, other than the reservations needed places, and character meal places, right?

There are plenty casual order at a counter type places. Otherwise you will probably need a reservation. Also, I think the best restaurants are at the resorts you can access via a five minute monorail ride. I recommend 'Ohana at the Polynesian. The California Grill at the top of the Contemporary is fabulous too, but you need to be somewhat decently dressed.

Anonymous wrote:Any other advice for one day at the park, for a family that just wants to experence the park in a relxaed manner...seems a little overwhelming

Plan on not doing everything. Even if you go two complete days you will miss things. I would not stress about fast passes. They can be a pain, especially now that they really do expect you to come between the hour window printed on the ticket. Also, you can only get one fast pass every hour or two hours. And, make sure you look at the return time before you get one. You would be surprised how many times a fast pass ticket was for hours and hours later. Sometimes it is much easier just to wait in the 30 minute line.

A lot of the rides are scary for three-year-olds. You can preview them on youtube. But, for example, the snow white scary adventure was an awful experience for DD. She liked the haunted mansion, but a great tip we learned was that if you ask you can skip that first scary room. It helped a lot.

If your kid wants to get pictures and autographs with the characters it is a pretty big commitment. There are just as long waits for characters as there are for the best rides.

Do not miss the electrical parade. Have someone find a spot on the curb at least an hour before the parade and save spots for your kid.

Also, measure your kid now and prepare them for what they can and cannot ride. 38 inches for the Barnstormer roller coaster. 40 inches for space, splash, and thunder mountain as well as Stitch's great escape.

Oh, and what time of year are you planning on going? That will make a huge difference on how "relaxed" your trip will be

They might question your child for "under 3". They wouldn't require you to show a birth certificate or anything, but they will ask your kid---and you know most little kids won't lie about that!

We went a few years ago when my son was 9--at Disney, ages 10 and up are considered "adults" for the purposes of admission price and also restaurants (like the buffets, where price is higher for adults than for kids). When we went to a buffet meal, I told them our party size, and they immediately looked at him and asked HIM (not me, who was standing right in front of them) how old he was--it was obvious they were making a point of asking him, not me, kwim? He isn't even big for his age or anything like that.

As for the "if we go on her birthday" part...I know that if you are staying several days, and the begining of your trip she is still two, but over the course of your vacation she turns 3, she can still be free for the entire vacation...
If you're only going for one day, her being 2 and 364 days will save a lot of money compared to her being 3...so can you just go the day earlier?

No one will question your child's age. Under 3 enter free. That means once you turn 3 you start paying, but as I said no one will check.
You park at the transportation center then get on a little trainto get to the gates and then you can choose to use the monorail or the ferry to get to Magic Kingdom. Someparks you just have to ride the little train to the main gate.
You do not need to be present to get a fastpass. Someone can go with all the tickets and put them one by one in the machine and get the fastpasses.
There are plenty of fast food restaurants all over. Do plan a character meal. They are a lot of fun and the kids just LOVE them.

No need for everyone to be there for fastpasses. Give all of your tickets to one young healthy person and let that person hoof it across the park and meet you back.

1. Yes, under 3 no ticket and they don't check or ask any questions.

2. If turing 3 on the day, then I would say they would have to have a ticket. There used to be a get in free on your birthday policy, but I don't think so anymore.

3. Fast Pass - I think you have to be there in person with your own ticket.

4. You park at the transportion center and you have to take the ferry over.

5. I think you can get to the transportation center at 8am.

6. Yes, if you just take breaks when needed, it will be a long day, but the three year old can nap in the stroller...it's fun, time will go by fast!

7. Yes, there are all sorts of places to eat that you do not need reservations for, that are not "sit down" meals.

8. Have a tenataive plan and Enjoy!

1. Under 3 = no ticket, corret? Do they question or challenage the age of the child? Do we have to prove age, bring a birth cert or something?

2. What if the day the child visits is on their 3rd birthday? Any thoughts on this? Need ticket? Any birthday advangates?

3. Fast Pass - do you have to be there to personally swipe your ticket, or say, can grandpa go to the fast pass ride with all our tickets to swipe while we are in the other area of the park and then we meet up with him later?

4. We are staying off site and visiting Magic Kingdom for one day, what is the deal with parking? Apparently, there is some sort of transportation center, so even after you park you have to take a tram or ferry? Can anyone explain.

5. If park opens at 9am, what time does parking and transportation center open? I assume we can get there before 9, to be able to be at the actual gate at 9, right?

6. We are planning on staying the whole day, 9a to 10p, and just sit and relax and visit with family often, (probably while stuffing our faces)....are we crazy? (3 yr old - great traverler)

7. There are other places to eat, other than the reservations needed places, and character meal places, right?

8. Any other advice for one day at the park, for a family that just wants to experence the park in a relxaed manner...seems a little overwhelming