AA Mom And Kids Mickey Ice Cream Bar; DinoLand U.S.A.; animal kingdom
  • On Oct 10, 2011
    Susan from VA Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    5 of us are heading to Disney for Christmas, and I don't know where to begin to book character lunch/dinner, and how to plan the park visits. Do we do all the parks or focus on one/two. We are only staying a week and my kids are 8/9. We are first timers.

    Hi Susan,

    First, Christmas is pure magic at Walt Disney World, but just so you know it is also when the parks are highly crowded (sometimes the parks will reach capacity).  If you have purchased the park hopper option on your tickets, you'll be able to visit more than one park in a day.  If you haven't, you will need to make your plans knowing you'll be in one park for the day.  To help you with planning, I'd highly encourage you to visit www.touringplans.com; it has over 100 well researched itineraries to make the most of your days and to see the "must-sees."  There is a small fee, but knowing the crowds you could be facing, I think anything you can do to make the most of your days is essential.  

    You'll also want to begin making dining reservations ASAP since the window for holiday dining is already open.  You can make reservations by clicking here or by calling 407-WDW-DINE.  All the restaurants can be explored by visiting the above link.  To look specifically at character dining, please click here; reservations can be made there as well. You can also find more information on www.allearsnet.com (pull down the Walt Disney World tab to Dining) & www.disneyfoodblog.com. You may find that thinking about eating at off times (such as mid-afternoon) may provide you with more options. 

    I hope this information helps to get you started with your planning; please don't hesitate to send us more questions.  We are glad to help -- we've all been there with the overwhelming (but fun!) job of planning a first trip to WDW. --Kara
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Meet the Panelist: Kara, Nebraska

I am a retired teacher with a family of 3 adult sons who have grown up through Disney. I am known by friends as the Star Wars loving Disney Nerd who always wants to serve up tips and ideas of how to make visits to Walt Disney World special and magical.  Learn More About Kara

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