Originally Posted By debrab I'm a new poster, though I've enjoyed reading the comments here. My daughter (age 7) and I will be doing a "girls only" one-week trip to Disney. We are doing 4 nights on land and a 3-night cruise from Feb. 19-26 2006. I'm trying to get opinions on what extras that folks suggest to make this a truly amazing trip. I've already booked the Cinderella's Royal Table breakfast and the My Disney Girl tea. Are there other suggestions? The guide books all have "must-see" info, but there's nothing like advice from real people! My last trip to Disney was when I was 6, and my daughter has never been so we're novices. We don't often get to do things with just the two of us together, and it's close to her birthday, so I want it to be very special! Thanks for any advice.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Pin trading is rather fun. You can buy a lanyard with a themed set of pins to start with, and there will be cast members all over who will have pins that she can trade for. Along those lines is finding all the penny press machines all over the World. It's a bit of a game, and the souvenirs are about as cheap as they come... just 51¢ each. Of course, if you try to collect them all... well, I won't talk about that. There are some cool restaurants with themed interiors. The SciFi Dine-In and the 50's Primetime Cafe at the Disney/MGM Studios come to mind. The Cafe is entertaining as well, as the servers become "family." You might give your daughter a camera, if she doesn't already have one. The disposable ones are cheap, and she'll undoubtedly enjoy making her own memories. A lot of kids enjoy collecting character autographs, and at Epcot, they sell "passports" that she can have stamped at the different counrty pavilions around the World Showcase. Those are a few off the top of my head... have a wonderful trip.
Originally Posted By danyoung There is so much to do in the parks that I don't think I'd book too much extra stuff for a 4-day trip. The best way to get the most out of a park storming day is to hit the parks right at park opening. You can do more in that first couple hours than you can do all afternoon once the crowds arrive. When things get busier in the early afternoon, take a break and go back to your room for a swim or a nap (or both!), and then go back to the park rested and refreshed for an evening of storming. Stay right till closing, and don't miss the nightly fireworks shows at the MK, Epcot and the Studios. They're all different, and they're all incredible! Good luck!
Originally Posted By Chelledun You will have a BLAST! My mom and I just got back from a "mother/daughter" trip and it was great (although I'm 23 so it isn't quite the same.) What a nice mom you are! You'll love CRT - we actually did that on our visit too. Are you staying on site? That would really help us give you some tips.
Originally Posted By Chelledun ^^Of course you must be staying on site because of the cruise. I meant knowing which hotel would be helpful because people here have stayed at all of them.
Originally Posted By johnno52 Lots of good advice by what appears to be many "returners". Yes 4 days is short even for us. But nobody mentioned Fantasmic at MGM. Its one of the best shows in Disneyworld. Don't try to see everything on your first trip (you won't anyway). Its just too fantastically huge! Have fun and rest as suggested at your resort areas around early afternoon. Then go back with a bang!
Originally Posted By Labuda "But nobody mentioned Fantasmic at MGM. Its one of the best shows in Disneyworld." Not if you've seen the version at DL. After having seen that this summer, I doubt I'll EVER waste time seeing the show at WDW again unless they plus it.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Not if you've seen the version at DL. After having seen that this summer, I doubt I'll EVER waste time seeing the show at WDW again unless they plus it.>> Come on Labuda, dumping on the WDW Fantasmic is kind of like dumping on Illuminations because it isn't as cool and exciting as the original "Big Bang" that created the Universe was. ;-) No matter how much better the DL show might be, WDW's Fantasmic is still one of Disney's very best nighttime entertainments. Having said that... I don't know that there are a huge number of "must do's". I'm thinking it is better to take the time to discover the parks on your own without preconceived notions of what is "good" and what is "bad". Go where your interests and tastes take you and you will be sure to have fun!
Originally Posted By danyoung I go with Trippy on this one (sorry, Labuda!). If there's a thread comparing the DL and WDW versions of Fantasmic!, I come down on the DL side every time. But if you've never seen either, don't miss out on Florida's version - it's really an incredible show!
Originally Posted By Mickey4President A character breakfast is a must do with kids. We took our 5 & 6 year old boys and they loved the character breakfast at the Contemporary. Also, there is character dining at Cinderella's Castle. With any of the character breakfast, the earlier you reserve it, the better. The Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom is wonderful. If you are planning to see Fantasmic, I have been told that you can get a Fantasmic Dining Package. It will get you priority seating at Fantasmic. Before we take our children, I always measure them the week before. I then get on line and I "weed out" the rides that they are too short for. This way we only go to rides that they can ride and it saves us time.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I definitely recommend the Prime Time Cafe, it was one of the most entertaining parts of our trip! I didn't enjoy WDW's Fantasmic! much compared to DL's the first time I saw it, but on my last trip I thought it was just wonderful - a definite must-see! Of course, all of the parades are well worth doing. Have a wonderful trip no matter what you get up to!
