Tips For A Family Vacation At Disney World

With its magnificent four theme parks - Magic Kingdom, MGM Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom - Disney World is definitely one of the most popular spots for a family vacation. A family vacation at Disney World is very complex and can turn out to be pretty expensive in the end. This is why you have to plan everything carefully to make sure you don't miss any spectacular event to get good value for your money. Here are a few tips to help you out with the planning.

Pick your vacation time carefully. If you're planning a family vacation at Disney World, be careful when picking the time of year. There are three main things you should take into account: how crowded the place is (especially in peak time), the heat and the parks schedule.

Pick the park you visit according to the Extra Magic Hour. The Extra Magic Hour is a practice concerning the opening hours at Disney World. Every day one out of the four parks opens early only for the guests staying at the Disney World resort. If you're entitled to go, get there in time, as you'll be able to ride you favorite rides without standing in huge lines. However, if you're not or you can't get up early enough, avoid that park for the whole day, as it will be more crowded than usual.

Get there early. This is a general advice you should follow if you choose a family vacation at Disney World. This advice is very important especially for the water parks and Animal Kingdom, which close early.

Bring snacks and drinks. You can save some money by bringing some snacks and drinks along, as your kids will probably need to drink lots of liquids on a hot day.

Use Fastpass. At the entrance of your favorite ride, you'll notice two signs: 'Standby Entrance: 30 minutes' and 'Fastpass return: 2 p.m.'. If you use ordinary tickets, you have to stand in line for half an hour, while with Fastpass you get to return at 2 p.m. and explore some other attractions in the meantime.

Use Disney transportation. If you're staying at the Disney World resort, you can use Disney buses to get from one park to another and back to the hotel. They run at least every 20 minutes, they're free and they have air conditioning inside.

For more advice on a family vacation at Disney World, you can use the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, a well-known book that can guide you through all the attractions. The book is updated every year and you can carry it around with you to get useful tips and details about every Disney attraction, tailored to five age groups.