We have an annual pass and have seen large and small crowds,
rainy and sunny, hot and chilly and these are some of our tricks we use to
survive.
After the fireworks, there is going to be a huge crowd
trying to go down Main Street to leave. Pull over, find an empty seat and just
watch them for a while. You’ll see the bottle neck begin to lessen and you can
leisurely stroll out.
If you have kids and want to see the parades, sit on Main
Street by one of the Emporium’s entrances. You’ll catch a nice air conditioned
breeze every so often. You’ll be close to the parade. If the kids need a potty
break, you can go through the stores up to Casey’s hot dogs and out to the
bathrooms and be back without a wall of people in your way. You can also use
this trick to cool off a baby who does not like the heat.
Ride the Ferry instead of monorail. The top floor of the
Ferry is always breezy and usually always never full. People will pack the
bottom floor even if they are not with strollers or wheelchairs. There’s
usually a big crowd for about 35 minutes after the last fireworks show, then it
drops severely.
Are you eating at Chef Mickey’s? Leave the car and walk to the
Magic Kingdom. When the park is closing, stroll back and get your car from the
Contemporary. Use Valet parking if you want to feel a bit more pampered. Did
you know the Contemporary has an observation deck? You can see the fireworks
and sometimes the speakers are playing the music from inside. So if you’re not
in the park, you can still see the fireworks.
I don’t know if they still do it, but if you get in the park
at opening, head to Cinderella’s fountain. We’ve found plastic coins inside
(Gold one day, Silver the next.) Swap them for some real ones (if you’re
inclined) and your kids will get something not every person knows about.
Use the Baby-Swap option. Is it just you and the spouse with
the little one? You want to ride Space Mountain…Soaring… Everest and so does
the spouse? Get in line… when you get to a Cast Member tell them you want to
Baby-swap and both ride. One will ride, come back and take the kid, and your
spouse should go directly where the Cast Member told you and get on. Happy
parents = happy trip. Usually they give you a ticket of some sort to show you
are swapping.
Want to make someone’s day magical? Give away your Fast Pass
tickets if you’ve changed your mind and no longer want to ride something, or
you’re getting close to a dinner reservation. People light up when you do that.
Ride the “People Mover” if you’re tired. You get a nice view
of Tomorrowland and the castle and rest those sore feet. Can also sneak a kiss
in the tunnels without your kids screaming “ewwwwwwww.” Personally I use the
tunnels to tickle attack the kids. They never expect it.
Kids bored? Let them play in Pooh’s ride queue. You don’t
have to ride every time, and they get to run off some energy. We like to fast
pass the ride, then later go back and let them play. If the lines are not too
bad… go ahead and ride again.
The Rose Garden has a nice covered picnic area. Venture down
if you’re tired. The waterfall is soothing, it’s a beautiful area, and you
might see one of the parades or castle shows.
These are just a few tips for now… I’ll write more as time
allows. Being a father of three …well…. Let’s just say “adventure is out there!”
No comments:
Post a Comment