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A FOUR-DAY GUIDE TO MAXIMUM ENJOYMENT

If you haven't been to Disney World lately, you haven't been to Disney World. Capable of changing size and shape faster than a cartoon hero, the enormous Florida playground has added attractions, resorts and an entire water park. The numbers alone are staggering: Walt Disney World now has 24,617 hotel rooms, 100 major attractions, and hosts as many as 120,000 guests per day. What began in 1971 as the Magic Kingdom now includes the high-tech, educational Epcot, movie-mad Disney-MGM Studios, and new Animal Kingdom. Each time the park expands, so do your options—and your odds of feeling overwhelmed. With so many things to do, how does a family best spend its precious days of vacation?

It's a tough question, but one I'm prepared to answer.  We've surveyed  more than 150 families to get their best tips on seeing the park. And we've developed a strategy to make a trip over four days—the most common length of visit—manageable and fun.

Day One

MORNING: MAGIC KINGDOM The earlier you start, the better, so grab a snack and hightail it to the Magic Kingdom 30 minutes before the stated opening time. Disney novices tend to sleep late, arrive at the park midmorning, and then flee it by early evening, exhausted by the heat and the crowds. Your goal should be to zig when everyone else zags; go early, break for lunch and a nap or a swim, and reenter the parks around 6 P.M., when many families with young kids are on their way out.

First off, head for the big rides: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, if your kids are brave and over 44 inches tall; Goofy's Barnstormer (a great first coaster for preschoolers), Dumbo and Pirates of the Caribbean, if your kids are younger.

When the park begins to fill up around 11 A.M., have an early lunch—we like Tony's Town Square (prices start at $8 for a huge serving of pasta) on Main Street—then move on to attractions that allow you to sit, such as The Legend of the Lion King (the stage version of the movie), the very scary Alien Encounter (if your kids are over age 10), or Country Bear Jamboree (if they're younger). Next, stake out your curb space for the 3 P.M. parade. Try to sit along the Main Street hub. That way, the parade will pass by your family first, and you can beat a hasty exit before everyone else.

AFTERNOON: TAKE A SIESTA Head back to your Casa for a short siesta and a dip in the pool.

EVENING: EPCOT
Epcot is more than twice the size of the Magic Kingdom, and some might say double the fun. The park has two sections: Future World (which contains nine pavilions grouped around the silver geosphere Spaceship Earth) and the World Showcase, where 11 international pavilions sit around a lagoon. Begin by touring the World Showcase.

The American Adventure show, the Maelstrom ride in the Norway pavilion, and the live street shows are my family's favorites. Bianca and I love the United Kingdom's World Showcase Players, who do a hilarious spoof of the King Arthur story using volunteers. Little Victor favors the British Invasion, a Beatles-clone pop group, also appearing at the U.K. pavilion.

It's a 1.3-mile lap around the lagoon, so at some point stop at a World Showcase restaurant. Little Victor likes Mexico, where you can ride the EL RIO DEL TIEMPO boat before you enter the restaurant. Bianca prefers the slice-and-dice fest in Japan. Make sure you have priority seating at these restaurants, as they are popular.

Epcot packs a lot of pow, especially at night, but don't be so dazzled by the big pavilions that you forget to save time for the hands-on fun. Kids will enjoy the World Showcase more if you buy them a passport from one of the vendor carts. At each nation, kids can get them stamped. Bianca's collecting fixation drives her happily from one country to the next, and her passport is the perfect show-and-tell back home. Each nation, I have to point out, also sponsors a craft booth called Kidcot. Kids can try painting in Paris, learn Arabic lettering in Morocco or make paper gondolas in Italy.

By 8:15 P.M., it's time for a snack (the pastries in France are terrific) and to find a place to watch IllumiNations, the classic nightly light display that usually starts at 9 P.M. over the World Showcase lagoon.

Travel Tip-off: If you're leaving through Epcot's back door, a secondary entrance with easy access to nearby resorts, watch IllumiNations on the bridge between the United Kingdom and France. If you're leaving through the front gate, watch the show from Mexico or Canada.

Planning Your Trip

One of a family's biggest questions is where to stay. There are many hotels and motels in the area. Disney alone has 18 hotels, ranging from budget to deluxe. However, the best value for a family are the luxury vacation homes near the attractions, like those offered by Turnkey Properties on their website at evacationrentals.com. Based on my research of the many vacation homes owners in the Orlando area, this company offers the best value on new vacation homes and runs a first class operation. 

It makes sense (and it's far more convenient with kids) to stay at a new luxury property near the park instead of a cramped hotel room. One of my family's favorite homes was the Casa Grande. This is perfect when we travel in a groups of more than 12 adults.  The kids enjoy the on-site sports facilities, including miniature golf, tennis, basketball and the playground area. This home also is in the area closest to Disney's Magic Kingdom.  When we travel in a small group, our favorite are the 4 bedroom / 2 bath homes like  Casa Bonita  located at Eagle Pointe. We like the privacy these beautiful homes provide since they usually back to a conservation area.  Our most enjoyable experience, however, was the family gathering we had last Christmas at The Casas.  With two separate large homes on this vacation preserve, it was easy to delight in the group activities and still have privacy.  With groups of larger than 16 this would otherwise be impossible to do in one house - irrespective of how large the home. 

Aside from the privacy, convenience, and comfort provided, the best thing about staying at a luxury vacation home was that we saved an incredible amount of money.  The homes themselves are a better value than most of the good quality hotels.  Best of all, we avoided the high cost of the restaurant chains by purchasing the food at the local Wal-Mart Super Center enjoying meals at home.  Compared to our hotel experiences, we saved over $1,500 on our first trip to Disney. 

Another benefit of a vacation package from Turnkey Properties is that we can put you in contact with companies that can sell you park tickets at wholesale prices. What you want to buy is the five-day All-in-One Hopper Pass, a card with a magnetic strip that grants you unlimited admission to the three major theme parks, plus the water parks and Pleasure Island. Yes, your pass covers one more day than you need, but it's still a better deal than paying separately for the attractions on our four-day itinerary. Plus, passes never expire, so you can use any remaining days on your next trip to Disney World.

There's another benefit, too. The All-in-One Hopper Pass allows you to visit more than one park a day. If you're going to be at Disney World for four days, it might seem logical to think, We'll spend Monday at the Magic Kingdom, Tuesday at Epcot and so on. But in my view, you'll have much more fun if you mix it up, alternating active and passive pleasures, and the educational with the whimsical. My family likes to hit a park in the morning when we're fresh, crash by the hotel pool in the afternoon and then take on another park.

Silly as it may sound, it's important to think about where you're going to dine at Disney World before you get there. By making priority seating arrangements (quasi-reservations that entitle you to the next table if you show up at a given time), you can be certain you'll get to dine at Disney's prime sit-down restaurants. And you'll have better luck getting a table at, say, the wildly popular California Grill if you can be flexible—dining at 4:30 P.M. instead of 6 P.M. Of course, you can always skip the major restaurants altogether and just commute back to the house, but that wouldn't be as much fun.

There's no need to map out where you'll be every hour—that's too confusing—but you do need some sense of how you'll spend each day. My kids, for instance, are much more apt to follow a schedule if they help make it. Look over the park's brochures together and build everyone's priorities into the plan. Then you'll be able to say to Jane, "I know it's a drag to wait while Anne rides Space Mountain, but tomorrow we're going to the character breakfast you wanted to see."

Lastly, there's no way that even the most fleet-footed family could see everything in four days—or even 40. If you follow the plan we've provided, however, I promise you'll see the best of the best.

Day two

MORNING: EPCOT
First stop, Future World, on the other side of Epcot. Epcot's main entrance often opens ahead of the stated hour, so try to get there early. Now's the time to try to beat the long lines at Spaceship Earth, where you can take a 14-minute tram ride inside the 180-foot-tall geosphere, and have a quick breakfast before the rest of the park officially opens.

Once the rest of the park opens, hoof it to Test Track, Disney's newest and most technologically impressive attraction. Riders over 40 inches tall get the chance to test GM-inspired Disney test cars. Next, head for Honey, I Shrunk the Audience in the Journey Into Imagination pavilion. (If your kids are too young for Test Track, go to Honey first.) Lots of attractions claim to be popular with all ages, but this 3-D show truly is.

My kids and I also like the Wonders of Life pavilion, which contains the stomach-lurching, motion-simulation ride Body Wars. Little Victor won't touch that one, so she heads for the funny film CRANIUM COMMAND, which chronicles a day in the life of a 12-year-old boy. At Coach's Corner, you can have your tennis or golf swing videotaped, played back in slow motion, and analyzed by videotaped experts like Chris Evert and Nancy Lopez.

Other Epcot must-sees are Innoventions, an arcade containing virtual-reality video games. The lines can be long, and you get just three minutes on some of the machines, but I must confess that even a Sega-dunce like me got hooked on the billiard game. It's easy to kill a couple of hours here, so don't go until you've been to a few of the large pavilions.

AFTERNOON AND EVENING: MGM
MGM has lots of shows, ergo, lots of chances to sit, so my crew can handle going directly there from Epcot. (Younger kids, however, may be ready for a nap.) Exit Epcot via the World Showcase back door, walk to the dock at the Yacht Club Resort, and take the water taxi to MGM.

Once through MGM's gates, we like to have an early dinner at the Prime Time '50s Café (meals start at $10), which puts you smack in the middle of a '50s sitcom set. Classic TV clips play in the background while you sit at Formica tables, eating meat loaf and other comfort food served up by your waitress-mom. It's a hoot to click through the dessert menu on a View-Master. The s'mores are a must.

Afterward, take in a few rides and shows. At this time of day, the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and The Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show are easier to get into, and you may be able to slip into the last seating of Beauty and the Beast.

The Tower of Terror is especially fun to ride at night. Disney technology allows the long-deceased Rod Serling to narrate the preshow, which takes you into a segment of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. The brief ride through the Hollywood Tower hotel is spooky, but the real killer is the 13-story plunge down an elevator shaft at the end.

Day Three

MORNING THROUGH MIDAFTERNOON: BLIZZARD BEACH
Blizzard Beach, Disney's newest water park, resembles a melting ski lodge, complete with sleds, slalom runs and chair lifts. Arrive early, claim your lounge chair with a beach towel (available for rent or bring your own), and head up Mount Gushmore for the superfun white-water raft ride, Teamboat Springs.

Blizzard Beach's thrills range from the kiddie slides in Tike's Peak to Summit Plummet, which at 120 feet is the longest flume ride in the world. In between, there are the Toboggan Racers, where you slide down the mountain on a foam-rubber sled, and the highly addictive tube ride, Runoff Rapids. (Warning: It's 157 steps to the top of this sucker.)

Travel Tip-off: If time is short and your kids are under age six, you may want to skip the water parks and focus on the major theme parks. But if your kids are over age seven or good swimmers, a stop at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon just might be the highlight of the entire trip.

AFTERNOON: TAKE A BREAK
Water parks wear out my family more than the other parks, so when Blizzard Beach gets crowded, we always head back to the hotel for a nap.

EVENING: DOWNTOWN DISNEY MARKETPLACE, PLEASURE ISLAND, DINNER SHOWS
Younger kids will enjoy the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness, a down-home dinner show that's been packing 'em in for years. But kids ages 10 and up will enjoy Pleasure Island equally well—and if you have an All-in-One Pass, admission is free.

Pleasure Island is a Disney version of a nightclub complex, that is, wholesome. Leigh's favorite stop is the Comedy Warehouse, where the show is improvised. (If you want to be part of the act, sit by the telephone on the right-hand wall.)

In the mood to dance? Check out the retro 8-TRAX disco or learn a country line dance at theWildhorse Saloon. Bizarre entertainment takes place all night in the streets, where you can watch women bodybuilders strike their poses.

Across the bridge at the Downtown Disney Marketplace, there are tons of cool places to eat. Our favorite spots are the Rainforest Café (check out the zebra and flamingo legs on those bar stools), Ghirardelli(R) Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop, Cap'n Jack's Oyster Bar, and the Portobello Yacht Club.

Day Four

MORNING: MGM If you visit on the Surprise Morning (check your information packet for details), certain rides, including Star Tours, The Great Movie Ride and the Tower of Terror, will be open early. Ride them, and then get in line for the first show of The Little Mermaid, which is held in a small theater and can be packed later in the day. At this point in the trip, everyone will probably welcome more opportunities to sit. Check out the amusing Muppetvision 3-D; the Animation Tour, where you can see Disney artists at work; and Superstar Television, which uses audience volunteers to hilarious effect.

LUNCH
What you do depends on your energy level. You could dine at MGM's Sci-fi Dine-In (salads and sandwiches start at $8), where you eat in cars and watch cheesy clips of old monster movies, then catch the Hercules Parade. If you're feeling zapped, you could head back to your hotel and rest.

AFTERNOON AND EVENING: MAGIC KINGDOM Ride anything you missed earlier, or revisit favorites such as Big Thunder Mountain, Dumbo, Astro Orbiters and Splash Mountain, which are especially atmospheric at night. You can also opt to enjoy the character dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern (prices are $20 for adults, $10 for kids ages three to nine, and free for kids under age three), hosted by Mickey and the gang in Revolutionary garb.

There's a certain symmetry to beginning and ending your trip on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. Check postings for the time of the Main Street Electric Light Parade and line the route 40 minutes before show time. When my family waits for the parade, we're always using the phrase "next time." Because no matter how well you plan, you won't see it all. So there's comfort in knowing you can always come back and do it again.

Money-saving Tips

Buy the five-day All-in-One Hopper Pass. Even if you're visiting for fewer days, it's a deal (the pass costs $229 for visitors ages 10 and up, $183 for kids ages three to nine, and is free for kids under age three). Without the pass, you'll have to pay separately for Pleasure Island and the water parks. A single trip to Blizzard Beach, for example, would cost a family of four $100.

Dine out at lunch. The prices at some of the nicer restaurants, especially those in Epcot's World Showcase, are considerably lower at noontime than at dinner. It's wise to make reservations before you leave home. 

Become a Gold Card Member. For $65, you can purchase a Magic Kingdom Club Gold Card (call 1-800-56-DISNEY). Cardholders get up to 20 percent off Disney hotel rooms, plus price breaks on character breakfasts, theme park tickets, and merchandise from Disney stores or the Disney catalog. Many corporations hold Gold Cards, which qualify their employees for these discounts. Check with your employee benefits department before you leave home.

Don't pay extra to see a character. Character-theme dinner shows are expensive, costing a family of four about $140, and even a character breakfast, where Pooh or Mickey joins you for pancakes, can set you back $50. If your budget is tight, concentrate on ways to meet the characters inside the theme parks and at free in-park shows. You can watch the Diamond Horseshoe show, for example, in the Magic Kingdom for no additional cost, while the similarly themed Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue requires pricey tickets.

Wait until the end of your trip to buy souvenirs. By then, the kids will really know what they want, and you won't waste money on expensive impulse purchases.