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02/99

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WDW FAQs!

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Tips for your WDW Trip

The following is an article from Associated Press, published in the Orlando Sentinel

The Mouse made easy
Tips for an easier trip to Disney World

By Dorothy Abernathy
The Associated Press

April 15, 2001

We set aside our concern about costs and decided to go. Then came the task of figuring out the logistics for ourselves, our daughters, 10 and 4, our son, 7, and our au pair.
We settled on four days at Disney World using the four-day Park Hopper pass and staying at a hotel close to -- but not inside -- one of the theme parks. We avoided overplanning, but we visited all four parks.

Here are some tips based on our experience:
1. The Park Hopper pass is great for people wishing to visit Disney World parks for several days. A Disney Club member got us the tickets at a 10 percent discount: $196 for adults and $157 for children. The passes give you unlimited movement among the four primary parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom and Epcot. If you visit the parks just two or three days, you can keep your pass for a future visit or give it (or sell it) to a friend.
2. If you plan to visit for four days, build in at least one day off. Four consecutive days at theme parks was too much for us.
3. Our hotel offered bus transportation to and from the Magic Kingdom every half-hour. From there we could take Disney World buses to the other theme parks. We found it was easier to drive ourselves and pay the $6 daily parking fee. The daily parking pass allows you to park at other parks during the same day. Disney World has trams that pickup from far corners of the parking lots.
4. Beware that children who usually nap in the afternoon will have a tough time getting through the entire day without a break. Consider renting a stroller for your young child.
5. Souvenirs are everywhere. Consider before you arrive how you will handle this. We never bought anything before the end of a day because we didn't want to carry it around.
6. Take a backpack with you. Carry frozen bottled water to give you a lasting supply of cold water. Carry hats, sunglasses and rain ponchos.
7. Use "Fast Passes" to avoid standing in line for a ride. In essence, a fast pass is a reservation to go on a ride at a particular time -- usually about an hour later. Each person can get just one fast pass at a time. These cut our waiting time from about 40 minutes to about 10 minutes in most cases.
Copyright (c) 2001, The Associated Press

WDW Area - Family Eating Places

Our family of 5 (including 3 teens for many visits) visits WDW every couple of years. We try to minimize our expenses so that we can splurge on 'good' dinners. We tend to stay off-property in condo townhouses or rental homes, typically $75 to $100 per night, but then everyone gets his/her own bedroom, and you can prepare your own meals and snacks. We typically cook breakfast, prepare subs for lunch and go out to dinner.

Be sure to stop at the Orlando Welcome Center on International Drive, just behind Don Pablo's Mexican Restaurant. They have all the coupons books, restaurant coupons for free drinks, official accomodation and visitor guides, and motel & attraction brochures (and sell tickets).

Here are our favourite family dining places the last two years, and some general prices:
1. Sonny's Real Pit BBQ - several locations in the Orlando area (a chain that covers from Cincinatti south to Miami). They slow cook pork, beef & chicken over hickory (SouthEastern US style)- the meat has a pink colour even when fully cooked. There's an all-U-can-eat entree most evenings (i.e. chicken dinners $5.95; ribs $7.95). Entrees from $5 to $10. The Family Feast is $19.95 and includes pork ribs, chicken, and sliced beef and pork roast; fries, coleslaw and rolls. It can be ordered at the table or for take-out. You'll find lots of food. (If you're in Clearwater/St.Petersburg, look for Rogers Real Pit - it's even better than Sonny's, IMHO.)
2. Chevy's Mexican at Crossroads Shopping Center, LBV. Mexican/American, with entrees from $8 to $15. Great fajitas - they make their tortillas fresh in front of you.
3. Macaroni Grill on International Drive. Good Italian food, a fun place with good portions. Entrees $8 to $15.
4. Olive Garden - several locations. OK Italian food with good portions; entrees include soup or salad and garlic bread $8 to $15.
5. FishBones on SandLake Road (across from the Marriott International Drive). A very good seafood place; quite popular with locals. Entrees from $10 to $20.
6. Crab House - 2 locations, on International Drive, and at Crossroads. Another popular seafood place, entrees from $12 to $20.
7. Friday's, Bennigan's, Darryl's, Ground Round and Orlando Ale House. These are typical chain 'pub grub' eateries, with pretty extensive menus. Entrees from $6 to $20. Our kids like them because of the variety on the menu. If you're looking for vegetarian, try Ground Round!

Buffet places? As our girls have grown older, they're not into buffets as much. My son, like me, goes for buffets, so we still do Sizzler, Ponderosa, Golden Corral (esp. breakfast), Old Country, etc.
There's always Denny's, IHOP, Friendly's and Waffle House for all-day breakfasts. You'll notice that prices in the WDW area are often a little higher - 'tourist' pricing.

Pizza? We pick Papa John's over Little Caesar's, Domino's or Pizza Hut. We have the kids order pizza, then the two of us head out to a dinner at The Butcher Shop (pick and cook your own steaks!), Outback, Fish Bones, Crab House, etc.

And don't forget LeCellier Steakhouse at the Canada Pavilion at Epcot World Showcase. Best restaurant in Epcot, good food, good value.

Avoiding exit lineups?

Can you minimize the monorail lineups when Magic Kingdom closes (after the parade & fireworks)?
I have two suggestions to avoid the long lineups:
1. Take the Guest Resort monorail. It goes to the Ticket & Transportation Center via the Contemporary Hotel, and usually has only a one train wait (5 minutes).
2. There are now Disney buses directly from the Magic Kingdom to the hotels in WDW. There is an area to the left as you exit the MK where you can pick up resort buses. I have found a one or two bus wait (5-10 minutes), but usually much faster than going to the TTC and getting buses from there.

WDW Kennels - OK?

We've used the Kennels at each WDW Theme Park, and have found all of them very clean, comfortable accomodations for your pet. They are air conditioned buildings, and prices include food. You do have to come back every 3 hours to walk your pet, and there is an area near most of the kennels for this.

Bus from Ft.Lauderdale to WDW? Cheap Hotels?

Personally, I usually rent a car, even from Ft.Lauderdale or Miami, to visit WDW. Greyhound (www.greyhound.com) has buses between Ft. Lauderdale and Kissimmee as well as Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando. Fares are $32 each way per person. A rental car could be in the $30 per day range.

Unfortunately March/April and July/August are Peak Season for hotels around Disney, so even the lowest priced on-property hotel (All Star Sport/Music/Movies) is $108 per night. You can check at: http://disney.go.com/DisneyWorld/Resorts/index.html
If you have a car, my recommendation is Comfort Inn Maingate West, on 192 about 6 miles west of Disney, and about $40 per night including continental breakfast. For a little more $, check the Comfort Suites Maingate. www.comfortinn.com
The Best Western Kissimmee (east of Disney) has a free park shuttle and is around $50 per night for peak nights. www.bestwestern.com
Ramada Limited Orlando (near Univeral Studios) has a shuttle service. It's a new property, in the $54 range. www.ramada.com
The Radisson Parkway Resort (192 at I4) often has internet specials around $60, at www.radisson.com. Nice high-rise property, recently refurbished. Near some restaurants; can walk to a grocery.
The Sheraton Inn Lakeside on 192 is a good place as well with low-rise units on a lake. Regular free shuttle to WDW. Near restaurants, grocery and small plaza. About $65. www.orlandosheraton.com
You should be able to get an economy size rental car from Ft. Lauderdale airport for around $100 per week from Alamo: www.goalamo.com



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