As we all know it is springbreak and I already know its going to be crowded and very crazy. I have never been to Orlando before and would like your experience on what I should know about before landing there to make my life easier. Thank You Very Much! =)
2007-03-22 18:44:19 · 11 answers · asked by 525 B 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Orlando
Everyone gave you great advise! I just want to give you the heads up on Fastpass (it's free). Since the parks will be busy make sure you get a Fastpass for the attraction you especially want to ride. Do this first thing in the morning. As soon as you get to the park quickly make your way to the attraction and you'll see the Fastpass machine. Insert your park ticket and you'll be given a slip of paper that tells you what time to return. When you do return you'll see the sign and a Cast Member taking everyone's Fastpass. The line will go fast with little to no wait. Of course if you arrive there early in the morning perhaps you'll be able to hop on to the ride without a Fastpass. So make sure you look at the lines before you get one. We've been there before when they run out of Fastpasses for the entire day on the more popular rides. Fortunately our stays are long enough that we are able to ride what we want the next day by arriving early and getting our Fastpass first thing. Another thing you need to remember is that you cannot go through the park collecting Fastpasses. You are only allowed to have one Fastpass at any given time. So as soon as you use it up go on to the next attraction you HAVE to ride and get another Fastpass. Every single person in your party has to use their park ticket to insert into the Fastpass machine. Disney thinks of everything! Have a great trip!
2007-03-23 04:10:18 · answer #1 · answered by g 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I will be going with the family April 6th-14th, and honestly I am not worried about the crowds at all. Let's face it, it is crowded at Disney now pretty much any time during the year (before everyone yells at me I said pretty much, not all!) so the crowds really are not a problem, unless you are there at Christmas time, then the crowds are a problem.
If you are staying at Disney and flying, make sure to make your plans for their free shuttle service, the Magical Express. You will have to make the arrangements ASAP because they send you special luggage tags so that they pick up your suitcases for you and deliver them right to your room. If you are not staying on property, I agree that renting a car is the best way to go.
When dealing with the crowds at any of the attractions, the best advice I can give you is to relax. Remember, you are on vacation, so enjoy it. If it's crowded, so what. Shift gears and do something different. It is a much different crowd that is down there during this time of year than the other crowded months, like June and July. There may be a lot of people, but most people for the most part are relaxed and friendly. I have gone to Disney over Easter the last couple of trips, and have never had an issue.
If you have not already, buy your passes at Disney. Your trip is only a week away, so getting them there is much easier. I would suggest the Park Hopper option on your passes. It does cost a little more, but in the event one of the parks is crowded, you are able to shift gears and go to a different park, instead of getting stuck in one park on one day. It will give you the ultimate in flexibility.
Also, unlike Jenni, I would not skip Thunder Mtn. or Space Mtn. or any other mountain in Disney. The rides are all pretty good. The difference between a regular amusement park with thrill rides is that as those places you stand in line, get on the ride, then get off. At Disney, you pretty much walk through a story as you enter the ride. Standing in line in some cases is almost as cool as the ride itself (see the Haunted Mansion and Test Track). As for the submarine ride, unless she is talking about the new ride in Epcot which I have not been on yet, they took that ride out YEARS ago. So I guess I agree with her, don't ride that one!
All of the rides will have wait times. Use fastpass as much as possible, and you will be fine. There are no rides that have 3-4 hour waits at all, even in the busiest times at Disney. The longest I have ever seen is 45 min., and that was during Easter break. Going by amusement park standards is pretty good. The Six Flags by my house has wait times of 60min or more for just about every ride. The only real long wait time is for the parades and night time shows, which are all must see! Then you will have to get your spot for the show early if you want a good seat.
Relax and have a great trip!
2007-03-23 11:30:46 · answer #2 · answered by Natterjack9 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you are going only to Disney World, and staying on Disney property, you will have the advantage of "Extra Magic Hours". The Disney parks open early or stay open later for resort guests on specific days - it is well worth getting up an hour early! Last year, we went to Magic Kingdom for the early magic hour, and we were able to get through 14 rides (with 4 adults and 2 children) in about 2 hours. My experience has been the evening hours are a bit more crowded. To avoid the worst of the crowds, go to a park in the morning, then back to your resort, and another park in the early evening. Also, if you are taking the Magical Express, be sure you have whatever you need immediately (change of clothes, swim suit, etc) in a carry on bag or stop and get your bag prior to boarding the bus. It can take several hours for your bags to appear in your room. When you are in the parks, take advantage of the Fast Pass for major attractions - it will save you tons of time standing in lines. Have a great trip!
2007-03-23 15:18:09 · answer #3 · answered by tech_girl 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Traffic sucks but renting a car is the only way to go unfortunately. If you're staying at Disney then you really don't have to deal with Orlando. You'll be 20-30 minutes away from downtown but near more attractions, restaurants and shopping than you'll know what to do with. The Mall at Millenia and outlets are worth a look. Stay off I-4 between 7-9am and 5-7pm. The weather is really nice this time of year. Not a lot of rain if any and it hasn't gotten stifling hot/humid yet.
2007-03-23 02:16:27 · answer #4 · answered by Wayne C 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you are staying at Disney be sure to take advantage of extra magic hours - parks opening early or staying open late for Disney resort guests.
Also a good hint is to go to the back of the theme to start your day and work you way back to the main entrance. Most people walk into a theme park and immediatley go to the attractions and shows right there by the front first.
Decide if there are any shows or attractions you definately want to do or see and try to get them out of the way early. Take adanvatage of Fast Pass - it will save you a ton of time. If you are going to eat in the theme parks, eat early or late. If you try to have lunch at 12:30 or dinner at 6, most places will be mobbed and the time you spend in line or waiting for table will be time wasted.
Drink lots of water!!!! You will be surprsed how much more energy you have when you are hydrated. Disney means warm sun and lots of walking and you want to be sure that by 4pm you're not ready for a nap!
Have fun!
2007-03-23 11:36:21 · answer #5 · answered by kmunis 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's going to be packed. I would get to the parks atleast an hour early and wait in line to be let in. Study the layouts of the parks and make a MAD DASH to the attraction you most want to go on so you can avoid waiting 3-4 hrs. which can happen. Bring an MP3 player or book while you're in line. Have fun. Oh, and I'd skip Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain. They are just too much like roller coasters at other theme parks. The lines are way too long. Instead, go on some of the more elaborate attractions like the Haunted Mansion. Oh, skip the Submarine ride. It's very lame. Definitely go on all the Epcot attractions. Pirates of the Carribean is cool too at the Magic Kingdom. I haven't been to MGM or the Animal Kingdom but I heard they are cool!
2007-03-23 10:01:41 · answer #6 · answered by SHELTIELUVER 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
If you will have a rental car, pack a zip lock baggie filled with about $7 in quarters for the toll booths along the way to your hotel. Pack film, batteries and rain ponchose for everyone in your family and always have them on you when visiting the parks. Pack good walking shoes - Crocs Sandals are the #1 recommended theme park show and they even have Disney styles for kids and adults!
Also be sure to check out my Disney Vacation planning website Easy Breezy Planning at http://www.easybreezyplanning.com
I help folks plan their vacations and offer free tips and advice which is updated monthly. Have a great vacation!
2007-03-23 13:01:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
It's definately going to be busy but just remember that if the crowds get to be too much you can ALWAYS relax by the pool!
2007-03-23 08:58:54 · answer #8 · answered by ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is not that crowded it is very enjoying and loving and it will make you want to go back every year.
I am going from April 4th - April 12th
2007-03-23 08:45:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
like somone else said asap get a fastpass if you have a favorite in mind do it quickly!
2007-03-24 12:47:01 · answer #10 · answered by Dotr 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋