Disney World Trip Tips and Recommendations

Buy the Passporter book. It gives in great detail everything you will every want to know about Disney. You can obtain it from a book store or on line: passporter.com. Enjoy!

Hydrate hydrate hydrate and then hydrate some more. The park allows outside water and drinks as well as snacks take advantage of at least the water of gatorade so you are not temped to skip drinks because of Park Beverage Costs. Also if you are staying at the Disney Resort buy the meal plan well worth it.

Love the hotels that are within walking distance to Epcot. It's nice to be able to walk to Epcot in the evening for dinner and home again. There's fun things to do along the Boardwalk - ride bikes, watch entertainers, eat pizza or ice cream etc. It's only a boat ride away from MGM and a bus ride away from Magic and Animal. Bring snacks and water everyday! Have fun!!

The best advice I could give is to hit the parks early in the morning to avoid excessive crowds and heat. Carry insulated water bottles. Leave the park about 12 or 1pm and go back to the hotel for a swim/and or nap. Then head back to the park about 5pm. The lines will be much shorter, and the heat more bearable. Also, decide what attractions you want to get to and plan your route. The parks are huge, and you do not want to zigzag across them. Have a great time!

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but speak to a Cast Member at the start of a line if one of your children doesn't want to go on that particular ride. They may give you a special pass so you can stay with the child while DH rides with the other and then go to the front of the line when they return. However, since your children are older and may be trusted to stay by themselves, it may be a moot point. :)

Watch the parade from the Country Bears Jamboree vantage point. Once the parade passes you can run on Splash and Big Thunder Mountains since you'll be right there and people will still be lined up to view the parade.

The Extra Magic Hours at night can be crazy so try to eat at another park if you're planning to Hop between. When we went in September there were only two restaurants open in the MK during the extra hours. It was nuts crowd-wise!

If one of the kids is nervous about riding Space Mountain take them on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority first- it offers a glimpse into Space Mountain so they'll see what it's about. (Also take this ride if SM is down- they might have the lights in the structure on and you'll be able to see rails!)

Also, if there's a choice between two lines, always go left. Americans tend to merge right so the left-hand lines are usually shorter.

Most of all, have FUN! :)

In my other lifetime (before kids) I worked at WDW for 8 years and here's what I can tell you. Summer is the busiest time of year, so expect crowds and heat.
- Use Fastpass as much as you can to avoid waiting in lines for a long time
- If you are staying at a Disney hotel, take advantage of the early/late park hours that are for resort guests only
- Go to the parks for a while in the morning, go back to your hotel for a swim or a break for a couple hours in the afternoon when it is hottest and busiest, then go back in the evening
- Most people are right-handed and tend to automatically go to the right, so go to the left when given an opportunity (i.e. when you get into the parks, if there are 2 lines, etc.)
- Make sure to see Illuminations at EPCOT and Fantasmic at Disney-Hollywood Studios
- At Animal Kingdom, go to the Kilimanjaro Safari first thing (and get a Fastpass if you need to). Some of the animals are nocturnal and your best "viewing" times for seeing more of them tends to be earlier in the day.
- Be flexible. I found that going to Disney without kids and with kids are two totally different experiences and you have to let the kids do what they want to do, too ;)

That is all I can think of for the moment, but if you want to e-mail me offlist, I'd be happy to answer any questions I can... Have fun!!
M.

We just went in january with our 4 year old but the one thing we did that all the adults enjoyed possibly as much as my daughter was the reservation we made at a disney restaurant. Depending on the theme park you are in they have different ones with diffent characters that go around from table to table signing autograph books and for pictures. the food was amazing... buffet, and sooo very good. it was a little pricey but well worth it we have already said our next trip we will do the same. have fun.

check out www.wdwinfo.com It's chock full of great information plus there's a great discussion forum to ask quetsions or read others' questions and answers.

Ages 10 and 12 is perfect - your children should be able to enjoy everything there is to offer.'

The best tips for avoiding lines is to get there early in the morning, enjoy the rides, grab lunch and head out to swim in the afternoons. Then go back to the park in the evenings - it'll be much cooler in the mornings and evenings. This strategy works best when you stay in Disneyworld hotels.

Go to Familyfun.com. They have lots of info.

oooh, have fun! we love disney and try to go at least once a year. my advice is to stay on disney property and make use of their transportation. it's great. if you plan on only doing disney, you won't have to rent a car. i also recommend the hoop de do revue, in fort wilderness campground and the luau at the polonesian. both are dinner shows and require reservations. they have great food and entertainment for the whole family. have a wonderful time!

J.,

I went in October with my husband and daughters ages 11 and 12. We drove down. We stayed at All Star Music Resort.

Some quick advise -

Be prepared to do lots of walking. Even with good sneakers, both my 12 year old and I got lots of blisters.

If you stay at a Disney Resort - buy the souvenier cup and keep it with you. It pays for itself the first day.

The big promotion thing when we were there was to buy a lanyard and collect pins. We skipped the pins, but bought the lanyards at a Walgreens in FL. When you stay at Disney your passes and hotel key are all on one card (like a credit card). We punched a small hole in the card and kept in on the lanyard. That way we no one ever locked themselves out of the room.

You can bring water bottles and snacks into the park. However, all bags are searched at the entrance which slow you down a bit wating in line.

Bring some rain pounchos. You never know when you'll have a rain shower.

If you'd like to give me more details about what your plans are and you're families interest. I can give you a lot more advise.

Have fun.
L.

First of all .. have fun.... expect to be EXHAUSTED...and the kids to be as well!!

It will be HOT HOT HOT in the summertime for Disney. Be sure to have the kids (and yourselves) wear hats and sunglasses to keep the sun off your face and out of your eyes. PLENTY OF SUNSCREEN!!!

If you are a AAA member - go to the local office in your area and pick up a Florida attractions book - shouldn't cost you anything - though if you are not a AAA member - it will cost you something- not sure how much.

As far as meals go, check out ebay for meal vouchers. They can save you money!

I don't think any outside food/beverage is allowed in the park - and walking back to the car can be a HASSLE. Be prepared to spend $$$ for waters/food. (hence getting the meal vouchers)(Ebay also has discounted tickets to the parks near disney)

I would get one of those fanny packs - easier to carry and holds everything you need. I wouldn't take too much into the park that you are not willing to carry (or the kids).

Plan your day out before heading to the park. Check out the disney website for times of attractions and park hours. do what you can in a day... then finish the next day or do another park. Downtown Disney is nice at nighttime as well... lots of shops and restaurants.

The fireworks at nite in Disney are AWESOME!!!

One person mentioned spending the extra money to get a hotel near Disney. The Disney hotels are great - they do offer transportation to and from the Disney parks - though if you are not able to spend that kind of money.. there are PLENTY of hotels in Kissimmee that are really only 20 min from Disneyworld. I've stayed in the Roadway Hotel before, I had no problems with the room, and the kids loved the pool. I figure..its just a room.. somewhere to sleep and shower.

If you want, my husband's grandparents (as well as a friend of mine) live in Florida. They have a coupon book with all the hotels and attractions in it. I could see if I can get one for you and send it to you... if you'd like. I used a coupon out of there to stay at the Roadway Hotel. Was cheap!

Oh.. and one MUST.. (LOL).. treat the family to SONIC!!.. Its a 'drive in' fast food restaurant - kinda like you would see in the movies from the '50's... girls on roller skates serving you in your car!! A nice treat! (though nowadays the girls are no longer in skates.. boo hoo)

One last thing.. I don't know how packed your agenda is.. though.. the kids (as well as you and hubby) may enjoy Universal Studios. If they watch Nickelodeon.. it should be a blast!.. Warning.. stay away from the Back to the future ride... unless you like getting tossed around..lol...

Anyway...have a GREAT TIME!! Will you be driving or flying? Is this the kids first time on a plane (if flying).. Let me know if you want me to obtain that coupon book.. I'll see what I can do for you...

M. R.

Hello,

Westgate Resorts its great it's a time share but the villas are wonderful. It beats staying in a hotel. Have on comfortable shoes cause the parks are great and have lots of fun the kids will enjoy it.

LaToya

Don't overplan....research what you'd like to do...but don't make unreasonable expectations to do everything.
Make your list of what you'd like to do, and pan to do many of them....but don't set a great vacation up to feel disappointment for what you missed.

Don't stay at cheaper hotels off the grounds. Spend the extra money, you will feel better about it. Once we rented a time share. It was the best! Clean, spacious and having laundry facility, we packed less and has clean laundry to unpack when we got home....It cost about the same as staying at the resort, but much larger and space to spread out after a long day, and more than one bathroom in the morning is a huge plus to get ready to leave faster. We cooked a good breakfast instead of eating out and it was faster than waiting for service at a restaurant.

Try VRBO to rent a timeshare...or stay on grounds and take the transportation. Even the transportation is designed to be happy. I believe we parked and then took teh transportation from park to park....its safe...but don't try to remember where you parked...WRITE IT DOWN!!!

Bring a snall packpack for each person. hmmm...I swear that you are not allowed anything into the park that would be of any convenience....Nothing with wheels!!! Perhaps they are trying to force people to use their shipping service to ship your souveniers home. But small bags...like backpack purses are allowed (NOT FULL SIZE BACK PACKS!). Bring small luggage locks and a couple bungies. No worries while your on a ride, lock the bag and leave it with the stacks of bags, wagons and strollers along the gate, you can even manipulate two bags and lock them together so they can not be walked off with. Your kids are too old to lug around a rented wagon. All the little stuff you collect along the way will be easier to carry at the end of the day...everyne responsible for their own bag. We each packed a bunch of bottled water and snacks. By the end of the day, the water and snacks were gone and replaced by memoirs of a day in the park with bungied items strapped to the outside.

Bring Extra Sandals or water shoes in each bag! You aren't allowed on the wet rides like splash mountain or the jungle cruise bare foot, but you don't want to commit to walking around in wet sneakers. Slip on sandals, enjoy the ride, then put on your comfy dry walking shoes afterwards. Wear clothing that dries fast to save trips back and forth to lockers for dry clothes. There are rules about bathing suits with buckles and cerain types of straps...if your going to the water parks, make sure you find the rules before you pack.

Epcot seemed to bore the kids...
Disney might seem too childish for teens who are 13 going on 20....It's just not cool to enjoy the childlike characters. Lots of long waits in lines...you are entertained while in line but the older kids were definately more into MGM and Universal. More thrills! Magic Kingdom is all about the magic of the characters, and your imagination....
My daughter is a huge disney fan, she will be the goofball still hugging Mickey even when she's 18. Had to watch every live show and the parades!

Plan your days,
Its great there, and not terribly explensive either

You can do the disney Character breakfast one morning , its about 100 dollars for the family BUT worth it,

they will love it,

and in the evening they can swim in the pools while you sit in the hot tub

We went out to dinner every night also very costly,family of 5

but worth it,

Hope you have a great time

M

People in America are normally on auto-pilot, which in most cases causes them to get on the line to the right(that's what we do on the roads!). So rise above the norm and get on the line to the left. Saved us a bunch of waiting time. Enjoy your trip.

My children and I just got back from Disney in February. We had a wonderful time. The best advice I can give is to try not to do it all! There is so much to do in Disney you will be exhausted if you try to hop from one park to another in one day. We bought park hopppers and really only visited one maybe two parks each day (we were there for 7 days) My children are just a little older so they were able to go through the parks themselves - which is fine it is very safe. We stayed "onsite" which is a lot more reasonable than you might think, so we didn't need a car. The All Star Resorts are their value hotels so check them out. Get the souvenir cup - it's worth it. The only thing is if you want to see Seaworld or Universal you will need a car for the day. Disney has no transportation to these parks. The most important thing is to relax and have fun and don't feel you have to do EVERYTHING! Do see the parades at night in Magic Kingdom they are AMAZing! Have a wonderful trip. G. L.

Be sure to check out the packages that include the hotel, park passes and food. They will save you a bundle and then you can stay right on the property, well worth it if you don't go every year. I agree that Universal is also a BLAST, more rides than any of the Disney parks. Universal, especially Islands of Adventure, has rides, rides, rides!

Be sure to book a night at the Hoop De Du revu in the Disney Campground. Get reservations ASAP. Lots of fun.

We would plan to go the park early and stay until lunch, go back to the hotel and go swimming, rent the boats, do other things. Then head back to the park after dinner for all the fireworks and parades. This will get you away from the majority of the crowds and the hottest aprt of the day. Remember that most people leave, especially the ones with little kids, after the evening parade. So these are the shortest line times.

Also, if you stay at Disney, and you are flying, they have new service, where they pick up your luggage at the airport and bring it to your room, so that you can go right to the parks.

Magic Kingdom does not have the best food and it is very expensive, my advice is to eat out of the parks. If you do the leave at lunch, etc. it would be the best use of your day.

Last bit of advice, the Disney Park Hoppers, never expire, but the price continues to go up. So buy the most days that you can afford and keep the rest of the days, even if you don't plan to use them all on this trip.

Also, we usually plan to eat in Epcot, ususally a few meals. We would make reservations, if you have park hoppers, you can just go there to eat, if you eat in Mexico, it is very HOT, I love it, but not the rest of my family, and the ride in there is beautiful, and France seems to be the best food and reasonably priced.

Have a great time and dress lightly!

P.

Try the "Unofficial Guide to Disney". I used this & found it so helpful. It goes through every single ride, resturant, hotel, etc. on the Disney property but also details all the surrounding hotels, supermarkets,etc. It really helped us figure out where to stay, how long it would take us to get to the parks, where to eat outside of the park.
Have a great trip!

Recommendations would depend on how long you're going to be there; will you be staying on Disney property (remember it's larger than NYC); will you be doing other things in addition to Disney (Universal, Sea World, etc); will you be doing all 4 Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), etc.

One of the best resources out there is the Passporter book. Try Passporter.com for info.

just one small recommendation...give your children a daily allowance, that way you don't have to spend your day saying yes or no to things and they have some control too. they are definately old enough to understand than once their daily money is gone ITS GONE! And old enough also to save their money one day and roll it over to the next day, for twice the bucks....be reasonable with the funds...you don't get to do this every day right?!?!? But also realize how much you will be saving in the long run by not gving in here, and there it can add up to a fortune, spending
randomingly without strict bookkeeping. I don't know why you chose to go now, but great choice they are at a perfect age for it to not be too childish but also appreciate how huge this opportunity is. Have a great time. And safe travels.

we have gone to disneyworld about 7 times in the last nine years. the best advice is research and planning. although everyone wants a relaxing vacation, disney is very large and overwhelming, even for those of us who have alot of experience. it is unbelieveably hot and humid in orlando during the summer months. water and more water. we put frozen water bottles in ourlunch bags and by the time lunch comes the water has defrosted and our lunch is still cool. if there is asthma in the family bring inhalers just in case. hope this helps.

Hi J.,
We only went to Disneyworld once, and loved it, but I was given a piece of advice that seemed to work very well.
When you go into the park, you are drawn down Main Street. Everyone is...So; take an immediate sharp left and get on the train. Go to the back of the park and get off. Start your day on the rides and shows working from back to front. You will miss a lot of the lines for rides etc. It gets really crowded and you can't avoid that, but starting at the back really helps.
Good luck.
Oh, take water with you. You are not allowed to carry in food, and everything is really expensive, but you may be able to take in water and you will need it !
Have a blast !
Plam

I have so many recommendations, I'm actually embarassed. My Dad lives 10 minutes from Animal Kingdom, so we have been WAY more times than is probably even healthy. ;) I won't be able to go into them all here, but my first question is: Have you been yourself(ves)? If so, remind yourself of the things you liked when you were there, and (if they're still there), make sure you go on them!

It's going to be H-O-T during the summer, so your advantage is that your kids are older and will be able to stay up late and cooler (when all the younger kids/parents have to leave at normal hours). Many times the parks offer extended hours, and you will be able to take advantage of them!

The most important thing is to have a plan. The Magic Kingdom is designed to appeal MOSTLY to the younger set. You didn't say if you had boys/girls, but depending on what kinds of rides they like, you can usually plan out your travel to make the most of the time you're in each park. Go online and take a virtual tour of the parks: see which rides are where, and, either with your kids or without, make a tentative list of the rides you think you will HAVE to go on (for us, it's always the Safari & "Everest" in Animal Kingdom, "Tower of Terror" and "Rockin' Roller Coaster" at MGM, "Mission:Space" and "Soarin'" at Epcot) (plus the ones I want to do in the Magic Kingdom...).

Like I said, I could go on & on...if you have more questions feel free to contact me. We could even talk on the phone if you like.

Hi J.,

We took the trip a few years ago and it was a blast. I highly recommend the All Stars Resorts, as you will not be spending much time in the room anyway. Also, we did the disney meal plan and it was a blessing! The food choices are unlimited and it comes with 2 meals and 3 snacks per day - we ended up with extra food for the hotel room and at the end of the trip we were bringing food with us! It is worth the expense, because we would have paid much more without it.

Have a wonderful trip!

S. :-)

if you can, get the food plan. It will ensure that you'll eat lunchand a snakc and even sit down for a good dinner.... you can also book the character meals with it and in the long run it'll save you money ifyour kids are good eaters.

Check out this site disneyworldforum.disney.go.com
Its an online question and answer forum. The site is described as "Vacation planning advice from the Walt Disney World Moms". Also check out the site mousesavers.com. Hope this helps.

When entering the parks, people tend to start walking towards the right. Start on the left side. I find the rides less crowded when you do this. Ride the Dumbo ride during the fireworks at Disney World, you'll get a great view. At Disney MGM, do not miss the Fastasmic show. It is the best water laser show. If you want pictures with the characters, the toon town area at Disney World is the best place because they have most of the characters in one place. Have fun!

My biggest tip that I can give is to stay on Disney property. The value resorts are amazingly fun and priced so reasonably. Staying on Disney property will give you an abundance of benefits. The major ones are you won't have to worry about parking issues (expensive fees, long walks back to your car even though they have trams available, dealing with the thousands of other people leaving the park and going to the parking lot along with you, and trying to fight your way out of the lot with the other cars). We go as a family once or twice a year. Yes we're fanatics! We love everything Disney, especially being there! I have alot of other advice I can give, like secrets to getting the best out of stay if you would like. Just send me a message and I'll be glad to share my knowledge. I'm currently planning my own vacation there for next month. I help alot of friends with planning their vacations to Disney because we've been there so many times, we truly have kind of become experts. LOL!

Hi J., we went to Disney this past August with our boys ages 7 and 14. We stayed at the Carribian Beach Resort. Although it was very nice, I preferred the All Stars Resorts. For the money, thay were just as nice and seemed to be less walking distance to the bus stops and food courts. I would reccommend looking into the meal plan. It was nice knowing that all our meals were paid for in advance. Another great thing to do when it gets unbearably hot was Disney Quest which is located in Downtown Disney. I'ts 5 floors of video games and such. Every game was included in the admission price, you don't have to pay per game. We got this as part of our Water Parks and Fun package. Definately use the Fast Pass option at all the parks. Most of the main attractions have a Fast Pass line which gets you on the ride faster than standing in the main line. You just swipe your entry card at the Fast Pass entry and it will spit out a ticket with a time for you to come back nad enter the Fast Pass line. This saves alot of time. I hope this was helpful, have a great time..

D. B.

I have been going to WDW for the past 5 summers. (This summer is our 6th trip). First, stay at a Disney Resort! Take full advantage of their dining plans. You'll save a fortune on lunches and dinners by doing so (I opt out of buying the premier plan that includes breakfast. My family rather have a light breakfast and save our appetites for al the food you get at lunch and dinner and you even get a snack with the plan). As soon as you book your trip you can then call Disney Dining and book reservations for dinners. This way you avoid waiting more than 2 hours in some places to eat. Buy the hopper passes that way you're not stuck in 1 park per day. When you get there go with the flow. If you stay at the resorts you can take advantage of the parks extra hours. And during the hot lunch hour, go back to the hotel and hang out at the pool. You can even look at the park maps with your kids in advance to see which parks you want to spend more time at and which ones you prefer to limit or skip all together. (although no kid ever wants to skip it).

And most importantly, have a blast, whatever you do! My kids love it so much that we booked our trip as early as January this year.

Oops, 1 more thing, Disney takes you from the airport to your hotel if you stay at the resorts! Look into the Disney Transporation section of the reservations! No worrying about how to get to your hotel and carrying your bags! We get on the bus after landing, our baggage is taken from the carousel to the hotel room and on the way back to the airport our luggage is checked in for us so we go straight to the terminal. For a Mom, how sweet is that!

Go to the disney store and get yourself the Disney Book. The book tells you everything you need to know. I have loaned the book to many people who were going to Disney and they thanked me when they got back. It gives you tips on how to navigate Disney because Disney is huge. Without the book, my family never would have seen half of what we saw. I hope this help.

I've taken my kids 3 years in a row and we've enjoyed each time differently. We were able to get a good deal on a park hopper and visit all the parks in one day starting out in the morning, taking light snacks with plenty of water and fruit. And we stayed on Disney grounds and I have to tell you the last time I went I took my oldest daughter and my grandson there and we had a ball.We knew it would be expensive so we requested a refrigerator in the room and went shopping for food to save money to spend on the kids./

Hi J. -

We took our kids last year and that is about the age they were. I used http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/myVacation/index?id=... to preplan were we wanted to go and they sent us laminated maps we could take with us. Prepaying for things your certain to do is a big plus. Also, pick the rides you really want to go on and go early to get a Fast Pass, this will give you a specific time you can return to ride the ride w/o waiting in line for a long time. You can only get 2/day i think or 1/day, so choose carefully which one would be your most favorite. We decided we would use the hopper ticket that way we could spend time in whichever park we wanted. We planed each day to be at one specific park then if we were done and wanted to go to a different one, we could.

Best of luck - make sure you stay at least one night at the Magic Kingdom for the fire works show!

The most important thing that I can suggest is PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!!!! We have been to Disney several times with our 2 sons, and the best trips are the ones where I've planned out every detail! I can't stress that enough!!! Don't make it feel like they're at boot camp...but if you wake up each day knowing which park you're visiting that day, where you're having your meals,what special events are taking place, etc, you'll have a much smoother, more enjoyable trip. There's nothing worse than being on vacation for a limited number of days and having a million things you want to see and do...and losing time because youn don't have an agenda for the day.
All the Disney hotels have a calendar of "events" for all of their parks...pick one up and see what's going on in each park daily(hopefully you'll have a schedule before you leave for WDW, but may be able to squeeze in the extras!). Be 100% sure that you've booked all of your meals EXACTLY 60 days before the date you want your reservations...I made the mistake once of not booking our meals, and we only got to eat in a few of the restaurants we wanted! I know I'm getting long-winded, but feel free to e-mail me privately and I can give you the names of a few wonderful planning guides that made our trips stress free!

WDW truly is a magical place!

C.

Get "The Unofficial Guide to Disney World". It rates all the attractions, hotels and restaurants. For the last two they even talk about off Disney properties. I found it very useful.

J.-

Hello! I don't know where you will be staying. Do you plan on staying on one of Disney's properties? We went to Disney last May. My husband, our 2 year old, our 20 year old niece, and I. We opted not to stay on the properties of Disney.

I found a very nice place to stay at and it was so convient to the parks. If you are interested the name of the place is called WorldQuest Resort. We had a 2 bedroom unit. Huge master suite and my niece had a room with 2 twins. The unit comes with everything... even housekeeping daily!! The pool is nice and the place is very quiet. The price we paid was wonderful and right now they are having a special of $139 a night. There is a Walmart and a Publix near and we went and got things to pack for lunches for the parks. Eating in the parks everyday can get costly! We also picked up some frozen pizzas and cooked them when we returned from our long days at the parks.

We also got our park passes through WorldQuest and saved some $$ there. You will need a car to get around. The Quest does have a shuttle to the parks but we did not use it. This place also has a light breakfest, (which we loved.. have a quick breakfast and head to the parks which was so close by), miday snacks, and at night they have hot cocoa, coffee, tea, brownies and cookies. No cost!

My husband and I went to Disney a few years back in July and the weather was very HOT!! So be prepared to stand in the heat.

Have a great time.. Disney is always fun!!

We went 2 years ago and we are going again this fall. I would definitely suggest staying at one of the Disney properties and getting the meal plan. It makes the entire trip so much easier. All of your transportation is provided and you don't have to worry about anything. If you get the Magic Your Way package, they will even pick you up and drop you off at the airport and handle your luggage. It is so nice and takes all that stress off of the trip.

Hey there Disney is by far my favorite place to travel to. I worked at Disney for a couple of years and I have helped so many people to plan their trips but I have too much to suggest and too many questions for you. If you would like some help just email me. I would be happy to give you my number so I can help. Good luck planning...it is so worth every minute you plan for it but that's the Key PLAN PLAN PLAN.
C. McNeill

We rented a camper and camped right in Disney. We had fun on the drive, because we were not cramped up in a car. The campground there was GREAT! We felt very safe there. We even left the kids alone in the camper and went for a walk one night.They were 13 & 9 and knew the camping rules. There was a suttle that would take you to the different parks I think. So much less worring about parking and driving around. I highly recommend this type of trip. It brought us all closer together and gave us great memories about what happens while trying to drive a camper. An experience.LOL

We just took our 4 kids for the 1st time last November. It was a Great time! There is so much to see and do in Disney! We did not purchase the park hopper tickets. We bought a 5 day park pass and spent one full day at each park and then one last day at the Magic Kingdom (that was the only park that we couldn't get through in one day)
The park hopper tickets allow you to leave one park and go to another in the same day.. For my family, one park per day was more than enough! I would DEFINATELY reccommend seeing the pirate dinner theater show I found a link for it on google (it's not at the Disney theme park, but is very close by)... http://www.kgstickets.com/pirates-dinner.html
My kids said that it was their favorite Disney memory (go figure!) It's worth it to get the upgraded seating so that your kids can be part of the show.
Take your time, enjoy what you can fit into your schedule and take pictures!
OH - There is a very inexpensive amusement park called The Fun Spot that is a LOT of fun, no lines, games very close by.
We were there for 11 days so we checked out the area a little.

Do your kids at age 10 and 12 like big, fast rides? If so, you may want to try some of the other theme parks in the area. I first went to Disney at about their age and was looking for a bit more excitemant than the "It's a Small World" boat ride. Just a thought from someone who's been there.