Howdy Steve! Thank you for letting
planDisney help you plan your vacation to the most magical place on earth! You and your nine-year-old are going to love visiting Walt Disney World!
I have a few tips to help you make the most of your trip! I highly recommend staying at a Walt Disney World resort that is located near your favorite park! My kids love Magic Kingdom, so staying at
Disney's Polynesian Resort is a great choice because it is easy to take the monorail to and from the parks. This makes coming back to the resort midday easy and convenient. My favorite approach to maximize the day, while still making sure that everyone still has plenty of energy, is to visit the park right when they open in the morning. You can also take advantage of early theme park admission for
Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Guests. As a Disney Resorts Hotel Guest, you can also take advantage of extended evening hours. These are awesome options to have because you can visit the parks early in the morning, go back to the resort to rest, and then go back to the parks for the special night activities. Check out the
Walt Disney World Calendar to see the park hours, including the
extended evening theme park hours.
I personally like this approach because I can hit up all of the attractions early in the day before the crowds get too heavy. Then I can enjoy the pool at the resort or just take a nice mid-day nap! You can then head back to watch the
fireworks!
Make sure to make your theme park reservation in advance using the
Disney Park Pass system. And while you are in the parks, you can use the
Disney Genie service within
My Disney Experience! Disney Genie will make personalized recommendations for you along with a custom tip board that will provide estimated wait times, recommendations on when to visit your favorite attractions, and nearby dining options. This will help you immensely as you plan out your day and it will help you maximize your time. You can also purchase tickets with the
Park Hopper option, which is particularly a great choice if you are going back to your resort to rest midday!
I hope you have a magical vacation!
Magically,
Stacy