Disney World-Making the experience Magical for your kids
by Julie Martin
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Visiting the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida is one of my son's favorite past times. We make it fun by doing several things other families might overlook.
1) Arrive later in the day-the heat of the Florida sun is intense, even in the winter, and so we arrive after the heat has dissipated a little so that there is less of a chance of sunburn or deydration. We also bring those water bottles with little fans attached to them so we can spray ourselves when the heat gets too intense.
2) The Magic Kingdom is divided up into seven or eight theme specific zones. By starting in one zone, and riding each ride in that zone before going to the next zone, you maximize your park time and minimize your walking time. You also aren't walking around the park aimlessly searching for a specific ride, which may or may not have a very long line attached to it by the time you arrive.
3) Ride the train from zone to zone. It is faster and more relaxing to ride the train around the park than it is to try to walk the entire park. This is just as true for your kids as it is for you. Children may have a lot of energy but we want them to spend that energy having fun, not just walking around in circles.
4) Take the Fast Pass- generally for the more popular rides like The Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain, there are often very long lines. For the more popular rides, grab a fast pass early in the afternoon, and keep an eye on your watch so that you can return to the ride at your appointment time and enjoy a ten minute wait as opposed to the one hour wait everyone else is standing in.
5) Bring small snacks for your children. A small bag of goldfish crackers or Teddy Grahams, or trail mix can boost your child's energy level throughout the day and keep expenses down.
6) Take time out at least once during the day to see a show. It will refresh you to be out of the sun for an hour or so and will entertain both you and the kids to see a new musical show or the Tiki Tiki birds, which are still one of my son's favorite things at Disney World.
7) Finally, give your child a pre-determined amount of money to spend at the gift shop for his or her souvenir. They will have more fun picking out things with the money, and it will teach them the value of the dollar. I give my son twenty dollars and tell him he can get whatever he wants for that twenty, but that that is his spending limit. He generally picks out a few small things for himself like a Mickey mouse key chain, or a cup, and some candy. He usually has enough left over afterwards for a rootbeer float.
I hope that these tips help you and your family to have an unforgettable day in the Magic Kingdom, and know that many of these tips can be used in whatever theme park you enjoy, as many parks now have options for Fast Pass.
