Disney World here I come

I am from Illinois and I need to come warm up some!! I am taking my son to Disney in March. What kind of weather and crowds should I expect the first week of March? Any advice you can give at all on the trip is appreciated!! Thank you in advance, Nancy

I live about 40 min NE of Disney. The weather should be perfect...low to mid 80's. Crowds are iffy...depends on how many Spring Breakers are here at the same time, but usually around Easter is when it picks up. I went the week of Christmas and expected it to be awful but it wasn't as bad as I expected and longest we waited was 20 minutes for It's a Small World, but we strategized our route thru the park and planned it so we could see certain things at certain times. I always recommend getting fast pass tickets for the high-profile rides and then seek out the rides with less wait time while you are waiting for your time for fast pass. I'll send you in email a website that is an unofficial Disney site that offers lots of good info on the parks and hotels and how to save money. Have a great trip!

Nancy, I work at Walt Disney World. I agree with Amy, the weather should be great and the crowds will depend on spring break schedules. The best things is that with Fastpass lines aren't as long as they use to be. Here are some tips... Take advantage of Photopass. A lot of folks don't know about Photopass yet and I think it's GREAT. There are photographers all over property who'll take your photo. The first one will give you a card the size of a credit card. You then give the card to all the following photographers who take your picture for the entire trip. You can view the photos at the camera centers on property or you can wait until you get home and view them on your computer. You can purchase them or not, there's no obligation. You can take your own photos and use these as a backup or you can leave your camera at home. I used it as a backup last March and I'm glad I did because they captured some great photos of my neice with Mickey Mouse that I missed. Also, I highly recommend staying on Disney Property. The All Star resorts, Carribean Beach and Pop Century are all very affordable and the benefits are great. The park has special hours when only resort Guests can be in the parks. It's a great time to ride all the "E ticket" attractions without long lines. Also the Disney transportation from the airport is fabulous. They get your luggage at the airport and deliver it straight to your room without you doing a thing! Also the transportation from park to park is convenient...there's no need to rent a car. Have a great trip and let me know if you have any more questions. Rhonda

Rhonda, someone else who knows what E ticket rides are, I can't believe it. I explain the WLS journey as an E ticket ride, and people look at me like I'm crazy. You are the first person I have heard use that phrase besides myself in years. Thanks, Steve

Rhonda, Whoo Whee - you're telling you age! Only us "old-timers" remember the "E" ticket rides!! Thanks for the info on Photopass - never heard of it but I'll keep it in mind if we had back to the land of Mouse anytime soon. Vickie J.

I just bought a book at Borders the other day titled "Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2006" It is a complete know it all guide to WDW. It also contains some great coupons that more than pay for the 16.95 price of the book. Also, I think the best value of Disney is the "meal ticket". A travel agent can set you up with one, it basically includes all your food and drinks for one low daily price. We were there in Oct. for the first time, and stayed on resort at the Grand Floridian. Very elegant, and our kids will never forget the fun we had there. We can't wait to go back. I can't imagine another vacation ever measuring up to the first trip to Disney. We liked it so much, we purchased a timeshare when we were there!

Nancy, I'm a disney lover. I have been since I was small. On my last few trips to the Magic Kingdom, I have used a strategy that works well for me. When we get to the park, we immediately hop the train to the back of the park. We work our way back towards the front and do Future land in the late afternoon. (I always find it the busiest.) It helps with lines because most people walk all the way to the back towards the end of the day! Also, if you have the extra money and time, I strongly suggest Animal Kingdom. It is my favorite park. There is so much to see, the Lion King show is world class, they have a BRAND NEW roller coaster called expedition everest (haven't rode this one yet), all sorts of attractions for the little ones (and big ones alike)! Also, last, but not least, you should try the Rainforest Cafe while you are there. There is one inside the Animal Kingdom and one at Downtown disney. Its a very special dining experience that I think anyone would enjoy! Best of luck to you, if you have an questions, let me know. I'll do my best to help you out! Amy

Nancy--The first week of March should be better than the 2nd and 3rd weeks, but like the others said it really does depend on the spring breakers--really it is pretty darn busy much of the time. The absolute best thing you can do is to get there really early (before the published opening time-often they open a little early) and do as much as you can early. The idea of starting at the back also works well--it is just hard to pass everything by when going to the back. Then take an early lunch and swim and hang out--plan on returning later in the day--we usually came back around four when the crowds had thinned a lot. I know that the passes cost lots of money--and people try to squeeze in as much as possible--but believe me--there is no fun in dragging your son and yourself to the park and staying from opening to closing--way too many people do that and you'll see tons of screaming kids as the night goes on. We enjoyed staying in the Disney hotels--but it really isn't that big a deal staying off property also. I don't know how old your son is--but my family enjoys Universal and Islands of Adventure lots. The best thing about those parks is the Express pass-which is similar to the Disney Fast pass. The difference is that if you stay at a Universal Property you can use the Express Pass Unlimited--it is awesome!! Have a great time. The weather is awesome now and in March it will probably be great too. PS--I remember using the Birnbaum book a long time ago and there were tons of great hints in it. It was funny to see people walking around with the book.

Nancy, Our "secret" strategy, has always been to get there early, usually on the first round of transportation, and head to the back of the park - do not pass go, do not stop to collect $200 - don't stop for anything! Then work your way towards the front. When our boys were young they were able to ride their favs several times before the lines got to long. They would get off & run back to the front of the line & ride again. Depending on the age of your son you may want to skip Epcot. We think it is geared more towards older kids & adults. If you do go to Epcot, have lunch at the restaurant in the Living Seas (Coral Reef, I think it is called). It is like eating while siting inside an aquarium. We visited Animal Kingdom for the first time 2 years ago and LOVED it! Our college aged sons & their girl friends thought it was the *******though their favorite "rides" were at Disney/MGM. Have fun! Vickie J.

Hi Nancy, Just wanted to give you an FYI on our schools spring break schedule. I live close to Disney in Orange County and our spring break is March 10-19. Enjoy your trip! Tammy