CONSIDER TIMING
- When visiting the attractions, you are better off going on the less busy days of the week - Tuesday through to Thursday. Try to pre-purchase your tickets to avoid your first line up at the ticket booth. If you don't have really young kids, you may want to consider going to the parks during the evenings when there are extended hours ( each Disney park has extended hours on different days) to avoid the big crowds, long line-ups and hot, searing sun.
- Arrive as soon as the park opens to avoid big crowds - do the most popular rides as soon as you get there and you will usually find shorter wait lines - usually 5 min - 10 mins. Any of the big attractions that you didn't get on early, wait till late afternoon when wait lines will shorten again.
- Take advantage of the Disney FASTPASS feature. You obtain a fastpass at a busy attraction which allows you to return at a certain time, bypass the long lineup and get on the ride immediately.
- Have your meals slightly before or after regular eating times. For example, eat lunch around 11am - 11:15 to completely avoid the crowds and waiting in long lunch lines. For a more economical meal - pack sandwiches to save big and avoid the busy restaurants all together.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
- Have a look at the attraction map before you go and plan your route. Plan what attractions are priorities and what time is best to visit them to avoid the long line-ups. Also, by planning your route you will avoid getting lost as you'll know exactly where you are going. This will reduce the back-tracking and your tramping-about-in-the-heat-time which will definitely reduce the crankiness in young children.
FAMILY COMFORT AND SAFETY
- Instruct older children to meet at a pre-chosen meeting place should they get lost - or make sure they are supplied with a cell phone. Pin pertinent information, especially your cell phone number, to the clothing of young children and give them basic instructions to approach park staff if lost and ask staff member to call the cell number. If you find that different family members want to do different things at the park and you want to split up - inexpensive walkie-talkies will keep everyone in close contact.
- Wear comfortable shoes - preferably running shoes. Do not wear flimsy footwear like flip flops! You will be absolutely stuck if your child refuses to take one more step because of an excruciating blister!
- Wear wide brimmed hats and sun-block. I find wearing a visor more comfortable than a full hat which I find retains the heat and makes my head even hotter - Dr. Oz actually offered this same advice in one of his advice columns.
- Wear quick-drying clothes for those wet rides or wet play areas. I had my son wear his swim trunks which dried really fast and my daughter wore her bathing suit under her loose t-shirt and shorts.
- Make sure all family members, especially young kids, are well hydrated. Cold water is the best to satisfy a thirst and to cool down the body temperature - not sugary pop. We like to freeze water bottles the night before we visit an attraction (fill up water bottle 80% with water so water has room to freeze and expand) - you now have a solid block of ice that you continually replenish at the many water fountains you run into at the park - you will have delicious, icy water for a good 6 hours! Sometimes you have to prompt young kids to drink as they don't realize that they are cranky because they are hot and thirsty.
- Despite careful planning and timing of your visit, sometimes you will still end up in line-ups that are 1 hour - 2 hours long. I can handle a long line-up but my 7 year old son starts to lose it after 15 minutes! This piece of advice that I am going to give you is crucial - bring along a compact gameboy or Nintendo DS to occupy kids for those super long line-ups - they will be so engaged in their game that they will not realize that they have been waiting for 2 hours, standing on their little legs, in the hot sun. Nintendo absolutely saved my sanity during these times!!!
- For kids 5 years and younger I would highly recommend renting a stroller. The parks are very big and there is an awful lot of walking to get from place to place. The long distance, coupled with the hot sun will cause kids to whine and refuse to budge after an hour - with a stroller, you can get them comfortably to the next exciting ride where they will immediately perk up and get excited again. I don't consider this spoiling them because I know that my feet are killing me at the end of a park visit - and I can just imagine how their little legs would feel.
- Pack really light so you don't have to carry unnecessary weight walking around in the hot sun and make sure you use a easy-carry option like a backpack. A lighter load will also serve you well when riding some of the attractions that don't allow or have room for big bags. We carry the bare minimum in our backpacks like our frozen water bottles, sandwiches - which disappear after the first couple hours, camera, some light snacks, and sunblock.
- Don't push young kids to do it all at the parks. Look for signs that they may need a rest, a snack or a drink. If your hotel is really close like Kuzco's Condo, you may want to take a break during the middle of the day for a swim or a meal and return in the evening well rested to view the fireworks and parades.
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