Originally Posted by
tjspiel
+1
Off season and a plan is the key to enjoying Disney. Of course being too anal about the plan once it starts going to hell because your daughter wants a picture with Ariel can be a fun killer too (speaking from experience).
I really enjoyed the evening shows. To me the key to enjoying any vacation is doing your homework so that your expectations line up with reality. Disney is not your your sit on the beach and relax type of holiday. And if you're not careful, you can spend the bulk of your vacation waiting in lines.
Our plan of attack had sufficient play built into it for character meet & greets, so that wasn't a problem. Over one 5 day period, we walked 55 miles in Orlando (and one of those days was an off-day visiting with family)! Our advice to friends planning a trip remains: 1) Get to the Park early. 2) Take advantage of Extra Magic Hours if staying on property. 3) Learn how to use the Fast Pass system. 4) Go left (clockwise) through Magic Kingdom, since most people go right.
We enjoy the evening shows, too. Our routine usually is "first in and last out" of the parks - high stamina required, but we are usually there for the opening Morning Show and being pushed out with a broom by the cleaning crew. When we hit Disney, we
really hit Disney.