What we did:

She said:

We left the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and headed to Disney World to once again spend a week of fun with my daughter and her family.  Notice how uncrowded the park was! 

We entered the Magic Kingdom and hopped the trolley at the beginning of the Main Street.  The singing quartet hopped on and entertained us to the end of Main Street.

Here’s my big kid with the youngest “adorable”.

As luck would have it, at the end of the day we just happened to catch the parade and followed it out.  Here is my big kid with the eldest “adorable”  on his shoulders, which was the usual spot for this “adorable”.

He said:

I don’t know what this “my big kid” stuff is all about -  what the heck, we’re in Disney World, aren’t we?! I do know that I have every bit as much fun as the kids do and, occasionally, I even get scolded for misbehaving! (And I’m not the least bit embarrassed to say so.)

 

image from flickr by Allie Caulfield

 

image from flickr by Occam

There are four theme parks and two water parks from which to choose when planning your day’s activities. Our experience has been that one park per day, especially when accompanied by pre-school and most elementary school aged children, offers more than enough activity for a ten hour day. Establishing a logistically sound itinerary between “must do” rides and attractions, including a plan for meals, was essential. We found 6 to 8 spots, with lunch somewhere in the middle, filled a day. If you’re not familiar with the Fast Pass system, make sure you find out how it works. It is critical to minimizing the time spent in ques and is a factor when determining your path through a park.

What we did

She Said:

I just love all the theme parks, and have been going to Disney World almost every year for about thirty years.  I’ve never tired of this, because it seems to be ever changing, and I can’t wait to see what’s new.  It amazes me how they do crowd control.  They program millions of people. My older daughter Heidi and her family had a special “underground” tour, and their host told them one of the ways they did this.  When you first enter the parks, the music is played at a normal rate of speed, but after the fireworks and parades, when you are leaving the park, the music is sped up to get you out of there faster.  And you don’t think you can be programmed!! 

If you can go off season, it makes all the difference in the world. Of course it is less crowed and there are also special events in the off season.  In October my younger daughter, Whitney and I happened to be there during “The Taste of the World” at Epcot.  They had wines and special foods at Pavilions in every country.  We had a great time sampling everything!

There is one other thing that I don’t think many people know.  At the Disney Studio theme park around the area of what used to be the sound stage are some automated glass doors.  When you go inside, there are a group of doors lining the wall.  Go inside the booths and put on the head sets and see what happens.  They were refurbishing that area and I hope they are still there.

He said:

So much about Disney World has been written, and is so easily found in numerous locations, I will limit my comment to an endorsement of Disney’s claim that this is a park for kids of all ages – AARP members included! During our time in the parks I was more than happy to spend time with the “adorables” and, quite honestly, and selfishly, offered to accommodate them in any way necessary so I could act like the kid I mentally still am. It was also very pleasant getting to know Heidi, Scott, his parents, brother and girlfriend. In terms of the familial scrutiny I knew was being conducted, I can report that I was thrilled when Heidi commented to Marla, in everyone’s presence and loud enough for me, specifically, to hear, “we like him, so don’t screw this up”!!  I guess this proves that “when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true”.

image from flickr by hyku

Disney’s website lists 210 different places to eat. Obviously, there is something for everyone, except for dining in solitude! Every place is busy, so don’t be in too much of a rush and, whenever possible, make reservations to quell the anxiety of waiting in yet another que.  

Where we ate

She Said:

We have our favorite places to dine.  One place we always take the “adorables” to is the Whispering Canyon Cafe in the Wilderness Lodge. It’s a family-style, all you can eat, anything but whispering, experience. The waiters knock themselves out making it so special for the kids.  Special, very loud music cues the kids to mount stick horses and race around the dining room.  And be careful when asking your wait person for a condiment. Their response is to yell at the top of their lungs “anyone have any catsup?” Everyone with catsup on their table grabs their bottle and rushes it to the requester. You now have 23 bottles of catsup for your burger and fries! This is fun, not fine, dining; the food is just good “down home cookin’”. 

I have always felt that all of the food at Disney World is very good quality, and have never been disappointed with any meal.  One very special place is “Victoria and Albert’s” at the Grand Floridian.  I’ve eaten there twice and it was outstanding – and expensive.  You also have to make a reservation well in advance, because the dining room holds only 12 tables! 

Another special place for the “adorables” is the California Grill on the top of the Contemporary Hotel.  Again, you have to make reservations well in advance, and the ideal time is right around dusk when they set off the fireworks in the Magic Kingdom.  You may watch the fireworks from inside the restaurant or there is a terraced viewing area outside of the restaurant.  The food is wonderful but a bit pricey. 

There is a little interesting tidbit about landing Tinkerbell at the Castle when she flies through the air at the beginning of the fireworks.  They couldn’t figure out how to do this safely.  Disney World had engineers hard at work trying to solve the problem.  Finally, after much thought, they came back and said, “Just two men and a mattress”.  How technical is that???  I love it!  So if you happen to be at the Magic Kingdom and see the firework show, think of Tinkerbell smashing into a mattress.

He said:

Food throughout Disney is, dependable, high quality and always ample in quantity. It is usually fairly obvious which restaurants are more children oriented versus fine dining, and what price range one can expect. For the most part, we ate at what I’d call “quick food” spots because we usually had servers versus cafeteria style meals.

Our dinner at the California Grille, high atop the Contemporary Hotel, was truly a memorable experience. Not only did Marla and I celebrate our birthday’s – they’re about two weeks apart – our meals were unique, delicious, relaxing, and, to top it all off, we were able to go out doors on a walkway and got a wonderful view of the fireworks set off each evening as darkness falls over the Magic Kingdom. This is a fine dining spot and the prices reflect it. With a glass of wine or cocktail, plan on spending over $100 for dinner for two. If you are choosing amongst Disney’s fine dining restaurants, this would be my choice as most dramatic. And, as I’ve said, the food will not disappoint you.

Port Orleans Riverside: image from flickr by mrkathika

Port Orleans Riverside Pool: image from flickr by mrkathika

When visiting Disney World there are endless options for lodging. First one must decide between on-site versus off-site. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. On-site is usually more convenient but can be more expensive. Disney has three levels of accommodations – value, moderate and deluxe. None are inexpensive, hence the absence of descriptors like economy, budget, etc. There is a myriad of off-site  options, but always to be considered is proximity to the parks and the associated travel time.  

Where we stayed

She Said:

I’ve been to Disney for the last four years with my daughter Heidi and her family.  It’s always in February. While we’ve considered all the  in-park options, we always end up at the same place. I guess there is something to be said for familiarity!

Port Orleans Resort – Riverside seemed to have the best deals in February.  The first year the price was around $125/night, and the last couple of years the price was around $150-175/night.  We didn’t do the more economical meal plan, because we didn’t want to be restricted, having many other dining experiences we wanted to enjoy. The location of Riverside is also nice.  We could walk to the adjacent, sister Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter for a different menu and we could take the boat into Downtown Disney and eat in even more restaurants and visit the shops.  We also did not have to wait very long for the buses that would take us to the various theme parks. 

It was a wonderful place for both children and adults.  There was a wonderful adult pool close to our rooms, and the children had a huge adventure pool with an attached playground.  They could even fish!

He Said:

For years and years, Disney World has been, at a minimum, an annual ritual for son-in-law Scott and his family. Marriage and the “adorables”, the 1 ½ and 3-year-old grandsons, have drawn Marla into the quest. Port Orleans Resort– Riverside is the choice for lodging due to its convenience, cost and amenities offered.  In that Marla and I were going on a Caribbean cruise that departed from Ft. Lauderdale immediately after the Disney World junket, it seemed natural for Marla to introduce me to the rest of her family while they were all together in Disney World. I was more than happy to join them. Since we were sharing the same quarters, I was asked to arrive a few days after everyone else so, I presume, Marla could do her necessary pre-positioning. Our room, accordingly, was not in close proximity to everyone else’s. I’m sure this was so Marla and I would feel less self-conscious when we retired each evening! As far as the accommodations go, this moderate-range facility met all my expectations. One could justify the added expense over the value spots through the enhanced swimming pools, expanded selections for food, family friendly atmosphere, expansive video game room and on-site aquatic activities.

image from flickr by milst1

Disney World is a fun place to visit, especially with kids, despite all the challenges they present! First time visits can be overwhelming due to the size and scope of activities offered. So planning a daily itinerary, with adequate allowances for travel and waiting in ques for almost everything, is essential. With each successive visit, however, the challenge seems less and less daunting, but hitches and related audibles are unavoidable. Since our’s was still a long distance romance, meeting at Disney World seemed to be a logical continuation of our courtship…..read more in About Us 

She said:

I have been a long time fan of Disney World and have been going there with daughter Heidi and her family for years. As per usual, Scott’s parents (Heidi’s husband) as well as Scott’s brother and girlfriend were also there, enjoying Walt’s parks. The first few days had been chilly and rainy, which, actually, can be a good thing as it keeps the wimps away, making it a great time to “play”. After all, it’s not like you’re the wicked witch in the “Wizard of Oz”. You probably won’t melt. I had invited Bill to join us. It was time to see how the rest of my family would size up Bill.

He said:

I was anxious to meet Heidi, Scott and their “adorables”, yet I was a bit apprehensive knowing I was sort of horning in on a traditional family vacation time! But, I had been to Disney a number of times myself and, at a minimum, I knew I’d enjoy the parks and rides. The obvious scrutiny I would be under was, in a sense, mutual. The natural evolution of most successful relationship requires familial respect and acceptance from all perspectives. After arriving at the resort and grudgingly paying the $100 tab for the taxi, things were immediately brightened up when I recognized Marla’s cheery “Hi there!” welcome.

Cinderella's Castle; image from flickr by Mrkathika

Before you plan your next trip to Disney World, you have to go to Ears of Experience ; a wonderful website by Amy Sinclair.  She has literally stayed everywhere, eaten everywhere, and has checked out everything about Disney World.  She designs trips for families, even with special needs, and will come up with the lowest possible price.  She will let you know about any specials, and if she has designed a package for you, will rebook to reflect those specials.  One Family saved $1,500 because of a new special that Amy found. 

If you have ever gone through the agony of booking a trip through Disney, especially by phone, you will certainly appreciate how much easier the process is with Amy!!