6 essential tips when visiting a Disney park
Taking the kids to a Disney theme park (at least once) is practically a family rite of passage. Kids are bound to be enchanted by the rides, the characters, and the atmosphere. But parents can be disillusioned by the queues, the prices, and the inevitable hassle of keeping everyone together amidst a sea of people.
Thankfully, iVillage parents have been to Disney enough times to know the ins and outs. Below, they share their best tips for making the trip enjoyable for everyone involved.Buy tickets without waiting in queues
"We bought our tickets to Walt Disney World at a local Disney Store here at home. By purchasing our tickets in advance, we avoided standing in queues at the park and were able to go directly to the turnstiles." (You can also buy theme park tickets online for Disneyland Paris and Disney Land in Florida.)
Join the club, save some money
"One thing you might want to consider is joining the Magic Kingdom Club - it gets you some terrific discounts. Depending on the time of year you're going, you can save as much as 20 percent on lodging, meals and more."
Finding affordable lodging
"I have found that you get better deals on hotel rates when you deal directly with Disney, or whatever hotels you choose. When I called Disney, they gave me a much better rate for their resorts than the travel agents quoted me. Then I went back to the agent, and he did not even have the price Disney quoted me in his computer."
Location, location, location
"We go to Disney World each year and I think staying within the park is best. The convenience of it all is well worth it. Also, getting into the parks before the general public is a big help."
If you love a parade
"If you want a great view of the parades, you have to get a spot early - at least an hour beforehand. But if you want a good spot you can go to what is called the hub - where the parades start. You don't get to see the floats come up the street but you get to see them up close instead. The hub is right by the entrance to the park, to your left, right next to two big gates. Stand there and the parade will come out of those big gates. Also, during a parade do not walk on Main Street, but slip through the shops as it is easier and faster with kids."
How families can beat the queues
"If you've got a large family, you've got to try the 'baby swap' option at Disney. Your whole family stays together in the queue and when it is your turn, one stays with the kids too young to ride and the others go on. When the ride is over, the adult who rode gets off the ride, the adult who waited gets on, and all the others get to ride a second time without waiting in the queue. You just need to tell the attendent at the ride you want to baby-swap and they will tell you where to wait. We did this many times, as we have a wide range of ages, yet wanted to stay together. It worked very well and the kids loved being able to ride twice."
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