I don't know what it is about this place, but it really does have that special feeling that just makes you happy and excited. We went early December before the big holiday rush, and didn't wait longer than fifteen minutes for any ride except Thunder Mountain Railroad. We waited almost an hour for that, but the other shorter waits made up for it. Mickey's Philharmagic was very cute, but I think It's Tough Be a Bug at Animal Kingdom outdoes it. Main Street is wonderful to just stroll around slowly. The shops are adorable and the architecture makes you feel very quaint. Buzz Lightyear is fun even for adults. You shoot at targets throughout the ride and see your score adding up on your cart. (This ride was formely "Dream Flight" and has been redone.) We ate at the Noodle Terrace near Space Mountain and the food there wasn't as good as I had hoped. Although, the portion is large enough to split between two, so it's a good meal for the budget conscious like myself. I would say Magic Kingdom is a must see for any Orlando vacation. Disney pays attention to details like no other company, and it really shows.

We also went to MIckey's Christmas Party and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I've read comments about toddlers falling asleep by the time of the parades. Give them a nap in the middle to late afternoon instead of running them ragged and that won't happen. Also, plan your shows before you go any further than the front gates and it will work out. We made sure we looked at all schedules for shows and then planned from there. We had a WONDERFUL night and had no troubles at all. And as far as the crowds... You're in DisneyWorld, what did you expect.

The magic kingdom is fantastic. The parades and fireworks are wonderful. I love all the mountain rides and pirates of the Carribean, but i have to admit that even at 14 years old my favoourite ride is still Dumbo the flying elephant. Speaking as a teenager I still think its great especially if you have younger brothers or sisters and you can see the smiles on their faces. It can be really hot and the lines can be long particularly if you go in the summer like we do so if you want to avoid this i would suggest going in spring or autumn but being there in the summer is still amazing

My first advice is to READ READ READ, PLAN PLAN PLAN and finally COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE with your family. There are many websites and books that give you great advice. I've been to Disney many times when I was younger and my last time was in 1996. My youngest daughter finally turned 5 so I thought it was time to take the girls to Disneyworld. I did a lot of homework on things such as rides, things to do to save money and when is the best time to go. WE HAD A GREAT TIME!!

One thing you definitely want to do if you have young kids is to get a backpack and freeze some water bottles and Poweraid or Gatoraid bottles and take them with you. My daughters had ice-cold or slushy drinks almost all day! This prevented the constant "I've thirsty" or "I'm hot" comments which saved a lot of time and money because drinks in the park average $2 or $3 and they'll quickly get thirsty again. Disney does not mind if you bring drinks and snacks in the park so prepare for your family, you won't regret it.

Another piece of advice I personally recommend is only park hop AFTER you have done the parks completely. I've found when you park hop you'll waist valuable time when you have to take time to travel to another park, wait in the security line, go through the ticket turnstile and then wait in line for a ride. I think its better to complete a park or two first then go back for seconds, this is if you are staying at Disney for at least a week.

If you want a good view of the parades get there early! People tend to get positions for the parades at least 1 hour before it starts especially at the end of the day. You may have to use you body to hold your position because unfortunately there are rude people who will cut in front of you without thinking twice. This especially applies to Fantasmic at MGM Studios, people head towards the amphitheatre at least an hour before the show starts.

My daughters really got a kick out of character dining and what they called character hunting. They really enjoyed getting their autographs and eating with them. I played the grumpy impatient husband when my wife wanted to find out how long the wait was for character dining, I felt stupid when the hostess said, "5 minutes". The moral of the story is be patient and take advantage of what Disney has to offer.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me. Have a great time on your trip!