Planning your Holiday

Try to make a plan of what you want to do before you go. There is so much to do you really will not have time to do everything. Some families schedule pool or rest time during each day other families who are lucky to have a longer holiday can have rest days between the Parks, shopping or other attractions.

If you are travelling from the UK it is often hard to get into a sleep pattern. It is a great temptation to fall into bed very early the first night but that will only lead to very early wake ups the next morning and again early to bed the next night and it may take you several days to get into the right sleep pattern.

As your holiday progresses if you have a late night out try to ensure that you do not have an early start the next morning as children soon tire and get grumpy.

If you want to go for a character meal pre-book it by calling '407-WDW-DINE'

You can book this up to 120 days in advance. The hardest Priority Seating reservation to obtain is Breakfast at Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom so if you wish to go be sure to book this as soon as reservations for it are open.

It is easy to check the opening times of all parks on the internet before you go. These can be subject to a slight change but it is useful to have this information. We were pleasantly surprised to find that when we went in June Aquatica was open until 10 at night. We had 14 day tickets so this meant that the girls could go for a couple of hours during the evening when the Park was not so busy.

Fastpass is available on certain popular rides at Disney Parks, be sure to take full advantage of it. Check the waiting times for the rides as you enter the Parks. You will find a board with this on near the entrance. If you cannot find it ask a cast member where it is located. Decide which ride to get a Fastpass for and go straight to it. This will give you a specific timeframe within which to ride the attraction and keeping your wait time to a minimum.

We always freeze water bottles in the freezer at our villa during the hot summer months then take them to the Parks. They last for hours and there is no shortage of volunteers to carry them and keep cool!

Travel light to the Parks; make sure your wallets/purses do not hold everything you would need at home, library tickets, various passes, several credit cards etc.

Be sure to put your name and address on any autograph books similarly some white tape can be put on your ipods, cameras etc with these details.

Take at least 2 comfortable broken-in pairs of walking shoes and extra socks. Whether you are at the Parks or shopping you are likely to do a lot of walking. Plasters are also very good items to have with you. If you really feel the need to take spare shoes etc to the Parks you can rent out a locker to put them in.

No matter what time of year there can be sudden rain showers in Orlando so make sure you always have ponchos at hand. You can always get these in the Parks but they are cheaper in stores like Walmart.

Enjoy your planning it is all part of the great Orlando experience.