{"id":155,"date":"2009-01-24T21:20:54","date_gmt":"2009-01-25T03:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2009\/01\/disney-vacation-tip-triple-the-rides-in-half-the-time\/"},"modified":"2017-03-20T18:14:34","modified_gmt":"2017-03-20T23:14:34","slug":"disney-vacation-tip-triple-the-rides-in-half-the-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2009\/01\/disney-vacation-tip-triple-the-rides-in-half-the-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Disney vacation tip: Triple the rides in half the time"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Disney_drew\"<\/a> By Drew Dixon<\/em><\/p>\n

I have family in Orlando.\u00a0 I also have three kids.\u00a0 This combination makes it easy to justify frequent Disney vacations<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 While my youngest (4 months) has yet to meet the mouse, my two daughters (ages 5 and 3) have each been there at least twice, and every time we try to hit a few of the parks.\u00a0 We\u2019re going again for Spring Break<\/strong> this year.<\/p>\n

For young kids, The Magic Kingdom<\/strong> is your best bet. There are lots of rides and attractions, and the different \u201clands\u201d offer an ever-changing panorama of visuals to keep the kids entertained for hours on end.\u00a0 While this may be the most magical place on Earth, there\u2019s no escaping the long ride lines.\u00a0 Even with a FastPass<\/strong>, once you factor in meals and potty breaks, you may only get to experience five or six rides the entire day if the park is crowded. Anyone who\u2019s stood in line for an hour with two toddlers for a three-minute ride knows this can weigh heavily on mom and dad\u2019s stress level.<\/p>\n

Dreams really do come true.\u00a0I\u2019m here to tell you that there is a way to experience three times the rides in half the time<\/strong>, plus an exclusive parade and fireworks display.\u00a0It\u2019s Mickey\u2019s Pirate and Princess Party!<\/p>\n

There are three party events that I know Disney World does:\u00a0 Mickey\u2019s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party<\/strong> in October, Mickey\u2019s Very Merry Christmas Party<\/strong> during the Holidays, and Mickey\u2019s Pirate & Princess Party<\/strong> all throughout the year.\u00a0 These scheduled events require a separate ticket purchase, and you can\u2019t get in until\u00a04 p.m., but they kick everyone else out at 7 p.m.,and the park stays open until midnight.\u00a0 We went to the Pirate & Princess Party in February 2008.\u00a0 Our girls dressed in their finest piratey garb, and we all had a blast.<\/p>\n

Disney limits the number of tickets it sells, so the crowds are practically non-existent. As a family of four, we were able to walk on to rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Magic Carpets of Alladin, Cinderella\u2019s Golden Carousel (several times), Dumbo the Flying Elephant, It\u2019s a Small World and more.\u00a0 No wait.\u00a0 None whatsoever<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 Want to ride again?\u00a0 Sure!<\/p>\n

There are plenty of other things to do besides the rides, too.\u00a0 Disney sets up treasure stations<\/strong> and gives each visitor a treasure map and bag.\u00a0 It became a fun game for the kids to see who would find the next \u201cX-marks-the-spot\u201d where they could collect gems, beads, or candy.\u00a0 We also made sure to get a good spot for the exclusive Pirate and Princess Parade.\u00a0 To this day, my 3-year old still talks about seeing Tinker Bell there.<\/p>\n

So, if you have young kids, and don\u2019t mind that they\u2019ll be staying up way past their bed time (make sure they get a nap in the afternoon!), my wife and I agreed that this is the best way to experience The Magic Kingdom, stress-free.<\/p>\n

Related resources<\/strong><\/p>\n