Pick one ride/attraction per park for me....

[W.E.D.]

ITTBAB--It's Tough To Be A Bug: 3D movie at Animal Kingdom. It's a lot of fun!

POTC--Pirates of the Carribean: Another classic, and DEFINATELY one not to be missed!

[Silver Queen]

You're getting some great suggestions but if there's any way that you can still get your hands on a guide I would definitely do it. That will prepare you for what to expect and help you not to spend time figuring things out once you get to the world. There's a lot of info in the guides that will help you with ride, food, show and transportation details that are good to know. You might be able to pick one up at your public library. The more you know the smoother things usually go.

[khrivnak]

Originally Posted by GaSleepingBeautyFan

Have you thought about places to eat Counter Service yet? You don't have to be stuck with hamburgers/chicken nuggets if you don't want to (unless you've got kids like mine who pretty much only want those things. )

MK - Columbia Harbor House yummy sandwiches and Cosmic Rays has a yummy grilled chicken meal with green beans along with the normal chicken nuggets and burgers.

Have a wonderful time!

Actually, I hadnt thought of counter service meals (UGH!). I just assumed it was all cafeteria style stuff at my resort (ASMo) and smaller places to grab a hot dog in the park (i think I pictured a hot dog stand type thing....). Is there really a place you can get a grilled chicken meal on COUNTER service?

I might need to scramble for CS ideas now (LOL). My kids could survive on chicken nuggets and french fries, but DH and I CANNOT lol.

[khrivnak]

Originally Posted by Silver Queen

You're getting some great suggestions but if there's any way that you can still get your hands on a guide I would definitely do it. That will prepare you for what to expect and help you not to spend time figuring things out once you get to the world. There's a lot of info in the guides that will help you with ride, food, show and transportation details that are good to know. You might be able to pick one up at your public library. The more you know the smoother things usually go.

I actually was talking to a woman here at work that goes once/twice a year and was telling her that I hadnt planned enough for this. She happened to have a thick book on Disney (Birnbaum Guides? from 2008) in her desk and she gave it to me. I plan on taking it home tonight and reading through it..... not that I have much time between taking care of the little ones, working full time, trying to do laundry and pack in time to leave Saturday am, but I'm gonna give it a long shot. I hope it has more information on Counter Service meals because now I'm reaaaally excited that I dont have to eat daily from hot dog stands in between TS meals.

[ShannonMB]

WOW!!! You are sure going to have an adventure!!!!

MK -- Peter Pan's Flight is an absolute must-do for your kids. The line tends to get long and stay that way, but please do yourselves a favor and go to Fantasyland first one day when the park first opens. You'll be able to ride ALL the rides in that area with little to no waits, and they will likely be your kids' favorites of the whole trip. In Fantasyland, we also LOVE Philharmagic, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Snow White's Scary Adventure (a little scary/creepy for some kids), and of course you have to ride It's a Small World.

Elsewhere in the Magic Kingdom, make SURE you go on the Haunted Mansion (again, can be scary for kids) and Pirates of the Carribean, and the Jungle Cruise is good fun, too.

[Silver Queen]

Birnbaum will be a great help. You can always take it on the plane or in the car with you if you can't get much reading done at home. for me reading the guide is like beginning the adventure early. It gets me happy and excited.

[Boog's Mommy]

MK - Dumbo for kids / Mickey's Philharmagic for entire family

AK - Kilimanjaro Safari for entire family / Nemo Show for kids

Epcot - Soarin' for entire family / Turtle Talk with Crush show for kids

Studios - Tower of Terror for adults / Midway Mania ride and Playhouse Dsney show for kids

[Tomh]

Everyone has different favorites, for different reasons, and I'd be hard pressed to settle on just one per park.

MK, Pirates of the Carribean, and Haunted Mansion are just classic Disney, great theme, great story.

AK, I love the Festival of the Lion King, certainly a must see, and Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade was awesome too.

DHS, Toy Story Mania, and Fantasmic

Epcot, Soarin' and as odd as this may sound, we really love Living with the Land.

[Steve's Girl]

Most of what I would pick has already been mentioned. The only thing I would add is Toontown in MK. When my DD was in the 3-5 age range, she lived for Toontown! That is all she wanted to do all week. She thought she was really at Mickey and Minnie's house. She would spend so much time exploring every little detail. I thought it was cute and wanted to hurry on to the bigger and better things, but finally figured out that this was Disney to her!

[Tomh]

Originally Posted by khrivnak

I might need to scramble for CS ideas now (LOL). My kids could survive on chicken nuggets and french fries, but DH and I CANNOT lol.

Oh yes, there are some great counter service choices.

MK, we love Columbia Harbor House, Cosmic Rays, and Pecos Bill

AK, Flame Tree BBQ

DHS, the Backlot Express is our favorite

Epcot, we love the Sunshine Seasons Cafe' and the Yorkshire County Fish Shop (avoid the Electric Umbrella at all costs though)

As others have suggested, one of your mornings you should go to MK, be there for rope drop, and head straight for Fantasy Land. You will be able to hit up pretty much everything there before the lines build up much. If you get fast passes for Pooh, and Buzz when they are available, you should be able to do all of Fantasy Land, plus the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, and Buzz Lightyear before lunch.

[geogat]

Magic Kingdon- me-Carosel of progress
MW-big thunder mountain
MD- Dumbo
EPCOT- me-Spaceship Earth
MW-Test Track
MD-Soarin
DHS - me-Fantasmic
MW-Fantasmic
MD-Fantasmic
AK- ME- Festival of Lion King
MW-Festival of Lion King
MD-Tricera Top Spin

[skier_pete]

You REALLY should pick up a guide book even at this late a date.

It's Tough to be a bug is being recommended by people, but there is not a showing of that that goes by without some parent pulling their child out screaming. The show is very dark, and has very large bugs jumping out at you constantly....this scares many many younger kids.

In general, be warned - many of the Disney rides are inside buildings where children can't see what they are getting into...some children take this badly and are scared of many rides. This happened with DD - one of the first rides we ever took her on was "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" when she was 3.5 years old. Not really a scary ride...but in the middle, Pooh has a bad dream and sees a bunch of "Heffalumps"....again not really scary - unless you are 3.5 years old. DD *hated* this ride, and wouldn't go on ANY other indoor rides for the rest of the trip. She STILL doesn't want to ride the Pooh ride to this day...once we get her on other rides, she likes them, but she resists ANY new rides we take her on, and she is now 6 years old. At a regular amusement park she is not afraid of rides...but at Disney she doesn't like what she can't see. (She will ride Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain - the "thrill rides". This time she has promised me she will try Test track, but still doesn't want to try the Pirate ride.)

My point is, you need to understand what is happening on the rides before you take you little ones on them (the 9 year old should be fine) there are lots and lots of rides you can take the whole family on, but some rides you shouldn't take them on. That's why I say get a guide. The Unofficial Guide has a whole section on touring with little ones, and what rides might be scary to them. Start with the less scary rides (It's a small world, Peter Pan, Pooh - which again really isn't scary) before you go on the "scarier" ones (Snow White, Pirates). Some kids take right to them, you may have no problems - I'm just saying this from a parent who had a problem.

[GraceLuvsWDW]

MK-
Peter Pan
Buzz Lightyear
TTA
BTMRR
Splash
Pirates
IASW
CS: Casey's for hotdogs, Cosmic Rays, CHH

EP:
Test Track
Soarin
World Showcase!!! Do the masks with your kids
Cs: Sunshine Seasons, Tangierine in Morocco

AK:
Everest
Lion King
Kali
CS: Flame Tree, Better yet eat at Tusker House-it's delicious!

DHS:
Toy Story Mania
ToT
Great Movie Ride (you have to do it at least once)
LMA (if you have a son)
CS: None are very good here!

Have a great trip!

[jking6]

Tower of Terror best ride there. 8 times in one day. Will try to top it on our trip in December. Its a small world not on my list!! Boat stopped in it last time and after 35 min of sitting in a boat listening to its a small world. UGH!!!! Only went on it this time because it was raining. One time is enough....

[khrivnak]

Originally Posted by GraceLuvsWDW

MK-
Peter Pan
Buzz Lightyear
TTC
BTMRR
Splash
Pirates
IASW
CS: Casey's for hotdogs, Cosmic Rays, CHH

EP:
Test Track
Soarin
World Showcase!!! Do the masks with your kids
Cs: Sunshine Seasons, Tangierine in Morocco

AK:
Everest
Lion King
Kali
CS: Flame Tree, Better yet eat at Tusker House-it's delicious!

DHS:
Toy Story Mania
ToT
Great Movie Ride (you have to do it at least once)
LMA (if you have a son)
CS: None are very good here!

Have a great trip!

Thanks for all the suggestions... Im now very organized on some of the not to miss rides, however, I'm a little confused on some of these abbreviations.

In MK, what is TTC and BTMRR?
DHS: LMA? (DS is 2-1/2)