7:33 here and notice I didn't answer the OP's question.

I wish we had known the time it takes for travel on buses between parks and hotel. Depending on the resort, the bus has to loop the entire property before heading to the park. Depending on where your room is, you can be anywhere in the loop....either first on and sit a while while the bus make the loop, or you are last in, but then have nowhere to sit! At the end of a long day, you then have to do this in reverse.

Not the biggest problem to have, just something I wish we had known and were anticipating and I seem to forget each trip!

Lots of Disney info to be found on this board, but I recommend the dining plan and staying as close to the parks as you can afford. The further from the parks, the longer the bus rides and effort getting to and from the resort. This assumes you are staying on property, which we've done 3 times.

I actually don't recommend leaving the parks during the day, we always had our kids fall asleep in the strollers and then we could enjoy walking or sitting during nap time and it was enough of a break for all of us to recharge. We have only gone during off peak, so we never had the option of swimming as an alternative.

We really enjoy the character meals, so recommend finding one and adding to your agenda.

There is a Christmas shop in downtown Disney and it is the one thing my husband knows I need to do without kids. I select ornaments and have them personalized with name and year. It is so fun to open them each Christmas and remember our trips.

We are going in August this year, and staying in Orlando, which will be a new experience for us.

Finally, www.allears.net, is my favorite Disney website.

Have fun, make it the trip you want, and know you can always return if you aren't able to complete everything on your list.

Esp with young kids who are probably up early anyway, get to the parks at opening time - it will be less crowded and then you can be done for the day after lunch and go back to your hotel for naps and to relax, recharged before dinner and any evening events. It will make the stay more pleasant! Plus at Magic Kingdom, if you get there 20 min or so before opening time, Mickey and friends arrive on a train at the opening gates and you throw confetti and it is a fun way to start the day there.

For a first time trip I'd use a Disney travel agent who can help you sift thought everything. We also use touringplans..com great site with crowd calendars. Impossible go whe it's least crowded and stay on the monorail which makes your life that much easier. Don't try and do everything, got to the parks early in the morning and hit some high,iChat's, take in the sites, shows, parades and then be backnatyour hotel to take a nap, swim in e pool, etc., after dinner, if you child is up for it go back to a park for a little bit to see it all lit up. Magic kingdom is e best the first time, small kids. Our first time we spend 4 days there, our daughter loved it and did the same few rides over and over again and we had fun going with the flow and enjoying what she enjoyed. If you would like a travel agent, a good friend of mine from college has a agency and her services are free, she's helped is 3 times, even getting us discounts after initial reservation, her name is elyssa at http://mickeytravels.com/elyssa. Have fun!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That it cost as much as a trip to Europe and that we should have done that instead. Sorry, just being honest.

hahahaha OP here...ive never been to Disney Land..and I agree with you wholeheartedly. however, I can't fathom bringing our three kids under 5 to Europe

PP here; thanks for having a sense of humor! With young kids, you'll have a wonderful time at Disney. We did do it a few years ago and had fun, but it was definitely one of those "check off the list" kind of trips. We have friends who go every single year, and I just can't imagine anything more deadly. But the one time trip was fun, I have to admit! Good luck!

My in laws spent a fortune on 20 family passes to Disneyworld and go once or twice a year. And they live in New York. Disney was fun with my kids, but once was enough for us for 5 years or so and there are so many other interesting place around the world to see!

Good comfortable walking shoes. Bring bottles for water if it is hot. If you have little kids, plan a time for downtime for them to regroup or nap in the afternoon whether you stay in the park or go back to your hotel. We stayed off property, so in the afternoon, we got on the train in the Magic Kingdom with our preschoolers who fell right to sleep and did several laps around the park. Take advantage of the vast pass if you are going during a busy time.

We went for 2 days in July last year ( talk about hot!) and my preschoolers had a blast, but I was so exhausted at the end of each day, I just crashed in my bed as soon as we got back to the hotel....

It is very expensive and can be hot. We went in mid October and it was very hot. I can't imaginge going during peak attendance days.

I agree about staying somewhere along the Monorail. We stayed at the Contemporary because my DH had a conference there. While everyone waited to get on the Monorail when the MG closed, we just walked back to the hotel. We had dinner at the Wilderness Lodge one night and it was yummy! I would like to stay there next time.

Since its going to cost a fortune no matter what you do, select things for your convenience. So we paid to stay on a monorail property and had parkhopper passes for every day so we could come and go where we pleased. We tended to run over to Epcot for dinner and fireworks, but stayed at other parks during the day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That it cost as much as a trip to Europe and that we should have done that instead. Sorry, just being honest.

hahahaha OP here...ive never been to Disney Land..and I agree with you wholeheartedly. however, I can't fathom bringing our three kids under 5 to Europe

PP here; thanks for having a sense of humor! With young kids, you'll have a wonderful time at Disney. We did do it a few years ago and had fun, but it was definitely one of those "check off the list" kind of trips. We have friends who go every single year, and I just can't imagine anything more deadly. But the one time trip was fun, I have to admit! Good luck!

Disney world I mean

Anonymous wrote:That it cost as much as a trip to Europe and that we should have done that instead. Sorry, just being honest.

hahahaha OP here...ive never been to Disney Land..and I agree with you wholeheartedly. however, I can't fathom bringing our three kids under 5 to Europe

That it cost as much as a trip to Europe and that we should have done that instead. Sorry, just being honest.

That it can be super hot in October. It was a heat wave the year we went. I wasn't expecting it but I am glad we brought bathing suits!

What is the one thing you wish you had known before going on a Disney World vacation?