Walt Disney World - Hints and Tips

My father and I have visited both Disneyland and Disney World on multiple occasions. Our recommendations are listed in order of preference. We also list the individual parks in order of preference. And do not forget to check out the free downloads and free stuff from Disney at the link on this page. Downloads of all kinds of free things, discounts and even a free day at Disneyland or Disneyworld on your birthday. All the images in this hubpage are also available as free downloads.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Park

Expedition Everest - A really wild ride. While in line, a young girl asked my father, "Are you really going to do this ride." When he asked why she said, "Because it goes real fast, (pause) in the dark, (pause) backwards at times, (pause) and almost upside down - all at the same time. She was right but we loved it. Our vote for best ride in all the parks at Disney World.

Lion King Show - The number one must see show at this park and a great show for all. Based on the Disney movie Lion King. This is not a ride but a great show if you have time.

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Kilimanjaro Safari - A super attraction where you ride in a jeep like a real safari. You get to see real animals and chase some poachers. Good for all (maybe a little scary, but not too bad).

Primeval Whirl - A very different but fun coaster. Not too scary for the kids. If they are tall enough, they will probably like it.

Disney Magic Kingdom

Splash Mountain - Still a great ride, especially if you enjoy getting wet. Your friends can wait at the bridge and get great photos of you getting sprayed with water at two points in the ride. Think Fast Pass to avoid crowds.

Space Mountain - A fast and times dark coaster. A bit scarier than Big Thunder so it may not be right for the young ones. Classic Disney World.

Indiana Jones Adventure Ride - Still a great Ride - Think Fast Pass to avoid crowds.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - This is a fun roller coaster. It's not especially scary so the less adventurous kids will really like it.

Buzz Light-year - It's like being inside a Buzz Light-year video game. How cool. You get a score at the end, so you can compete with your family and friends. This is fun for all, but especially the boys. Based on the Disney Pixar Movie Toy Story.

Peter Pan - another classic ride that has a true Disney magical feel. Good for younger children.

Philharmagic - Very fun 3d show with lots of traditional Disney characters. Great for all.

Cinderellabration - Great for kids, especially the girls who like Disney princess es. Disney's Hollywood Studios Park

Tower of Terror - Very scary for some but we found it less stressful than Expedition Everest, but very fun.This is our choice for number two best ride in all the Disney World Parks. Think Fast Pass to avoid crowds, except if you go 45 minutes before the Fantasmic show, there will be no line and you can still get a seat for Fantasmic, which is adjacent, after you come out of the Tower.

Rock n' Roll roller coaster - Same thing. Fast, scary, fun coaster, but not for the little kids. May be the best roller coaster at Disney World. Our choice for number three best ride. Fast Pass a must. Get Fast pass ticket for this before you go on Tower of Terror and do the Fantasmic show.

Fantasmic - Crowded and you need to get there early, but worth it. One of the best shows of all Disney World. This show is absolutely worth the time and effort. Laser light shows that are state of the art and just amazing.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast - Very well done Disney style show. Good for all.

Playhouse Disney - fun for kids.

Voyage of the little Mermaid - Different show/ride. Hard to describe, but it has that special Disney magic. Good for all - but aimed at younger children, (one scary part). Disney's Epcot Park

Disney's Mission Space - Fun. Can be scary for the kids so be careful.

Test Track - Fun. Very different ride for Disney. Can be a little scary, but some kids will like it.

Epcot was a little dissapointing to us and we found it easy to get lost in this park, whereas for all the others we had no problems at all. Tips to Save Money

If you get reservations soon enough you can get the economy packages. Those facilities are also very good. The package that includes sit down meals, quick meals, and snacks is great. We ate all we could hold and still had snacks left over at the end of four days. We used those to get fruit and juice for the start of our trip home.

We don't recommend staying outside Disney World unless you do not mind spending a lot more time on transport. It's a very large place. Moving from one park to another can take up to one hour. It's best to plan on one park per day. Important Tips

If you come in by plane make sure you book your Disney World transportation from the airport well in advance. It is free but you must be set up before arrival. Taxi fare from Orlando Airport and or Train Stations runds $50 to $75.

You can also go from train station by bus to central bus terminal for $2 and then busy #50 out to Disney World Transportation Center for another $2 per person. A great deal if you don't have a lot of luggage.

When you arrive you will not get into your room until 3 pm at earliest. So we advise you arrive early as possible on first day. Check in and leave your bags with the baggage check and go to your first park. When you come back they will have your bags in your room already or within 30 minutes of your getting back to the room. Collecting Disney Pins for Lanyards.

Disney has hundreds of differnt character pins your can buy that pin ( one post ) on to a wide lanyard you wear with a plastic holder at the end for your park pass. These pins cost about $7 - $10 each and are fun and somewhat valuable. Big Tip - the best pins have the hidden Mickey on them. You cannot buy them. You can get them from Disney characters, which is not easy to do, or in each store you will find one or two clerks that have the hidden Mickey's. You need to trade one you purchaed for a hidden Mickey pin and you must ask for them. It is a lot of fun. Pins from Disneyland are valued at Disneyworld and visa versa.

Have a great stay. We did both Disneyland and Disney World in May of 2008 and although we loved both, our choice for the better location is Disney World.