Most people head to Walt Disney World with kids in tow. One of the most important decisions in planning your Disney World vacation is deciding where to stay. And if you will have kids along with you, that decision becomes even more important. So, here are out top 10 Disney resorts for kids.

#10: Port Orleans Riverside – Riverside, along with the other moderate resorts are ok for kids, but honestly, are better for adults without kids. They are quiet and decent resorts, but not anything overly fun or stimulating for kids. Riverside is the one exception, as they have a very fun pool, a cool boat you can ride to Downtown Disney along with the coolest thing, old time bamboo fishing poles you can rent and fish in the river. Riverside is a great resorts as well if you have three kids, as many of the rooms will sleep 5, the only moderate resort that has this amenity.

#9: Pop Century – While Pop Century, and the #8 All-Stars, were built for kids and families, they really aren’t the best resorts for kids. The pools do not have slides, and the resorts tend to get pretty crowded and often loud. Granted, Pop Century is well thought out and it is a fun resort. It has several big pools and a great arcade and food court, and plenty of Disney magic.

#8: All-Stars – While technically I would put All-Star Movies here at #8, in reality, the All-Stars are basically identical with only their theme separating the resorts. These resorts are similar to Pop Century, in not having a slide at the pools, but they have fun themes that kids seem to love. Whether your kids are into Sports, Music or Disney Movies, you can find something at one of these resorts to make your kids happy.

#7: Disney’s Fort Wilderness - Fort Wilderness offers both camping spots for tents, trailers and RVs as well as cool Wilderness Cabins. Kids love camping, and if you don’t want to rough it, the cabins are a great answer. Fort Wilderness has fun activities from campfires at night to hay rides and golf carts you can rent. A fun resort to spend time at for kids and adults.

#6: Polynesian – The Polynesian has many great attractions for kids, a great pool with ultra cool volcano slide, a beach, the monorail and a great view of the Magic Kingdom. The rooms are fun, and you really get into the feel of the Polynesian, especially at night, with the tiki torches. Plus, all kids love sitting on the beach and watching the water parade at night.

#5: Boardwalk Inn – Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is a great kids resort, with a fantastic roller coaster water slide at the pool, a great location near Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk right out your door. Not only are there great restaurants on the Boardwalk, including the ESPN Zone, but you can also rent surrey bikes and hang out and watch the buskers, where are a blast.

#4: Wilderness Lodge – The Wilderness Lodge is a great resort for kids, with a fun, swimming hole type pool, great courtyard area and one of the funnest restaurants in Disney, Whispering Canyon Cafe. Plus, there is a great boat ride over to the Magic Kingdom available if you wish. Also, you can get a room with bunk beds, which always seems to solve a few fights over sharing a bed between the kids. Now, you just have to deal with the fight over who gets to sleep on the top bunk.

#3: Beach Club/Yacht Club – While technically the Beach and Yacht Club are separate resorts, in most cases, they really are only one resort. The Beach Club and Yacht Club have the best pool by far at WDW, Stormalong Bay. In addition to the great water slide, this sand bottom pool has a lazy river, a whirlpool and many other fun places to explore. Kind of like having your own water park outside your hotel room. Plus, the Yacht and Beach Club is right next to Epcot, and not far from the Boardwalk and Disney’s Hollywood Studio.

#2:  Contemporary – there is just something magical about the Contemporary for kids. I don’t know if it is the monorail running through the lobby every few minutes, or the great views of the Magic Kingdom from the room, or the kids pool that is out in Bay Lake. The rooms are fun, just having been totally redone, and have nice balconies where kids can hang out and watch the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. Plus, it is only a 5 minute walk over the Magic Kingdom if you don’t want to wait for the monorail, the only resort you can walk to the Magic Kingdom from.

#1: Animal Kingdom Lodge -  Well, kind of a no brainer for me. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is my kids favorite resort, and that holds true for most kids I have ever asked. With rooms right on savannas, kids can sit and watch the animals for hours from their rooms. Plus, there is a great pool with super fun water slide and you can even see animals from the pool area. Just a great place for kids to stay, they never seem to complain when you are leaving the parks to head back to the resort.

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Just in case you hadn’t noticed, Walt Disney World is pretty smart. They realized a while ago that Disney World needed special events to draw people into the parks during “off season”. Now, summer is always crowded, as is the week of Christmas and Spring Break, but other times of the year can be pretty slow at Disney World. So, enter the Event. As time has gone on, a few more events have been added, most recently, the Pirate and Princess Party that has been happening in the Spring and Fall since 2007. Here are our top 10 Walt Disney World events:

#10: ABC Super Soap Weekend – Now, granted, I hate soap operas, so it plausible this may be #1 on your list, but it barely squeaks into the top 10 on mine.  Usually held the second weekend in November, the Super Soap Weekend brings together all of ABC soap starts and their adoring fans in one theme park (Disney’s Hollywood Studios). Get your autograph with your favorite soap star, or even win a chance to star along side one of the hunks in “I want to be a soap star!”. Good luck ladies!

#9: Star Wars Weekend – again, not really up my alley, but this one at least sounds a little cool. Usually held in late May or early June, the Star Wars Weekend has become more like the Star Wars Weekend for a month event. Meet Star Wars characters and actors, learn how to use a lightsaber or  talk like Yoda. If you love, or even like, Star Wars, you should make your way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios one of these weekends.

#8: Night of Joy – Usually held in the Magic Kingdom the first full weekend in September (not ever Labor Day Weekend though), the Night of Joy features Contemporary Christian acts performing live for two nights. For 2008, the event moves to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it will be interesting to see if it stays there.

#7: ESPN The Weekend – If you are into sports, and who isn’t?, the ESPN Weekend is for you. Featuring ESPN’s top celebrities, and sports stars that you all know, ESPN the Weekend is a blast, and covers just about every square inch of WDW. Usually held the last weekend in February, the coolest part is all these guys have families, and they want to ride the rides too. You never know when you will get to ride Pirates of the Caribbean with Peyton Manning and family, or Tower of Terror with Johnny Bench.

#6: Pirate and Princess Party – The new kid on the block, and already very popular. Held each Springs (January and February), and then again in the Fall (September), the Pirate and Princess party allows kids of all ages to dress as their favorite Pirate or Princess in the Magic Kingdom for a few hours, complete with rides, a special parade, and classes on how to be a better pirate or princess.

#5: Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party – Along the lines of the Pirate and Princess party, the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party allows you to come into the Magic Kingdom all dressed up for Halloween. Special parades and fireworks great you, and you can even trick or treat your way up Main Street. This is really a fun party, and your only chance to get a picture with your favorite character all dressed up for Halloween.

#4: Holidays Around the World - Held in Epcot, this is basically all the countries of the World Showcase dressed up for the holidays. Epcot is the place to be at Christmas time, with the Candlelight Processional, special storytellers and carolers in each country, tree lighting ceremonies, and if you are lucky, you could glimpse Santa Clause in each country, dressed as that county sees him.

#3: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – The Grand daddy of them all. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is held yearly in the Magic Kingdom during late November and December. The Magic Kingdom is all decked out for the Holidays, and nothing is more special than walking down Main Street while it snows and Holiday music is playing (and it is still 78 degrees outside). Special Holiday events and activities await you, even photos with Santa Clause and hot chocolate add to the mood.

#2: Flower and Garden Festival – Held in Epcot during the late Springs (March through May), the Flower and Garden festival dressed up Epcot like you have never seen before. Special Flower arrangements abound, nothing like seeing your childhood Disney stars made out of plants. Plus, the Flower Power concert series makes it all worth while, with great acts from the 60’s performing nightly.

#1: Epcot International Food and Wine Festival -  Truly, the reason why I love Epcot and Walt Disney World. I love to eat at the many restaurants of Epcot, and during the Food and Wine festival, an additional 40 or so booths are set up throughout the World Showcase featuring food from around the world, most coming from countries not represented in Epcot. This is a great opportunity to taste food you normally wouldn’t see in Epcot, or anywhere else for that matter outside the host country. All portions are small, so you don’t fill up after one or two countries. Drinks are available as well from most countries, so pace yourself so you make it all the way around the World Showcase. Held each fall from late September until the middle of November.

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Castaway Cay is fantastic, and a big reason why many return guests cruise with Disney. It is clean, well thought out, flat out beautiful, void of any locals trying to sell you illegal substances and has free food and drinks available all day long. All in all, probably the best beach day you will have in your life. With so many things to do, here are our top 10 things to do on Castaway Cay:

#10: Castaway Joe’s – located over by the exclusive teen beach (where nary a teen has been sighted), Castaway Joe’s is a great open air pavillion with basketball, pool, foosball, ping pong and other fun sports. It is a nice way to get out of the sun for a while, and take a break from the water, but still entertain the kids.

#9: Shop – Disney has several small stores on the island, including She Sells Sea Shells. These shops carry exclusive Castaway Cay merchandise, if you see it here and want it, you better buy it, you won’t see it anywhere else. There are also a few fun Bahamanian shops featuring local merchandise.

#8: Rent Bikes – Disney has set up a few very nice bike paths around areas on the island, and renting bikes is a great way to see the entire island, or at least as much as Disney will allow you to see. You can even bike to a new look out tower that overlooks most of the island. An hour is enough, you can cover all the paths easily within an hour.

#7: Eat as much Ice Cream as you can – Disney provides all of your food and drinks (non-alcoholic drinks that is) for no cost. While the food is good, and it is nice to have access to cold drinks all day long, it is the ice cream that makes your day special. For some reason, I don’t know if it is the heat or sun, the ice cream on Castaway Cay is better than anywhere else on earth. They close up the ice cream early, so don’t wait until the end of the day to stop by.

#6: Do a shore excursion – while not paramount to making your Castaway Cay day perfect, a shore excursion can be a blast. Whether it is Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure, parasailing or renting a boat, a shore excursion is a fun way to see Castaway Cay from a different angle. Some of the excursions even take you beyond the boundaries of Castaway Cay.

#5: Drink an adult beverage – Stop by either Conched Out, Heads Up or Castaway Air Bar for fantastic views and a cool adult drink. The Conched Out Bar seems to be the favorite of most cruisers, as it always seems crowded, is close to the family beach and has the biggest selection of drinks.

#4: Serenity Bay Beach – the infamous adult only beach, for those 18 and older, is just fantastic. Smaller than the family beach, the name is apt, as serenity is what you will get. If you have kids along with you, you can check them into the kids club on the island, and head ovover for some adult only time on the beach. Be warned, this isn’t St. Martin, so you won’t see any topless activity going on. It is adult only, but is just to keep the kids on the family beach and give the adults a nice relaxing day at the beach.

#3: Serenity Bay Massage Cabanas – Overlooking Serenity Bay sits a couple, partially hidden, massage cabanas. Sign up in the spa on board the shop for a relaxing massage, with great views of Serenity Bay. A great way to start or wrap up your day on Castaway Cay.

#2: Snorkel – Disney Cruise went to great lengths to create a snorkeling area in the lagoon by the family beach. While the snorkeling will not be as good as on St. Thomas or Grand Cayman, it is a nice break from the beach. Ask one of the lifeguards for a map, and see if you can find all of the sunken treasure.

#1: Just relax – The most important part of the day on Castaway Cay is the first 10 minutes. If you stress about the first 10 minutes, you can relax the rest of the day. We always hop off the tram, and start walking. The further down the beach you go, the better chance you are going to have of it not being crowded, and finding a spot with plenty of chairs, and even a hammock or two that you can claim. Relaxing is what Castaway Cay is about, and if you have the hammock, a bit of shade and aren’t too far from food and drink, you can let the kids play in the water all day while you sit back and mentally prepare yourself for the stateroom bill you are going to get once you get back on the boat.

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While California Adventure is no where near complete, as evidenced by the recent announcement of the vast amounts of money to be spent there in the coming years, there still are some fantastic rides to be found, and well worth your time to search out. Here are our top 10 rides in California Adventure:

#10: Toy Story Mania! – While technically this ride isn’t even open yet, and wont’ open until the summer of 2008, it still makes our top 10, barely. Think Buzz Lightyear, but with a 3D twist. This should be an instant classic once open, and a ride you will be able to ride over and over again without getting bored.

#9: Monsters Inc., Mike and Sulley to the Rescue – Monsters Inc was a remake of the old SuperStar Limos, and is a huge improvement. A simple ride through of Monstropolis, this is a fun ride for little kids, and not bad for older kids and adults. Some decent special effects make this ride worth seeing.

#8: Mulholland Madness – Mulholland is technically a Wild Mouse ride with a small amount of theming. It is a pretty tame coaster, so it makes it fun for little kids who may be too scared to ride some of the bigger thrill rides at the Disneyland Resort. Usually the line isn’t too long, and it is worth riding.

#7: It’s Tough to be a Bug – A transplant from Animal Kingdom in Florida, It’s Tough to be a Bug is a fantastic 4D attraction, with great jokes, sights and smells. May be scary for some small children, but for most people, this is a great way to spend a few minutes relaxing in the park.

#6: Sun Wheel – The Sun Wheel is a two part ride. It is a normal Ferris Wheel, though on the large size. It gives great views of the parks and surrounding area, and is a fun ride. What makes it special is the other half, a hidden thrill ride. Half of the “cars” are stationary as they go around the wheel, the other half ride on tracks, and move like a mini roller-coaster, and honestly, freak me out.

#5: Muppet Vision 3D – Another transplant from Florida, Muppet Vision 3D is basically a complete replica of the Florida version, including the ending that was made for Walt Disney World. It still makes for a funny entertaining show for kids and adults alike.

#4: Grizzly River Run – A water ride in the vein of Kali River Rapids in Animal Kingdom, but a step up. Great views from the top of the ride, and while riding Kali, you most likely won’t get wet, on Grizzly River Run, you will get wet. Fun, action packed ride, the last hill is a blast, as you spin your way to inevitable wetness.

#3: Soarin’ Over California – An original to California Adventure that was moved to Epcot a few years after opening, Soarin’ features a hang gliding ride over California, from the Northern California Forests and Yosemite Park to Death Valley and eventually Disneyland, this is a great way to view California. Rides like Soarin’ are what make Disney special.

#2: Tower of Terror – While not a complete replica of the Florida version, this Tower of Terror has the same story, but more elevators for more capacity, and a slightly shorter ride. Still a great thrill ride, and great views of the parks.

#1: California Screamin’ – A unique roller coaster to California Adventure, California Screamin’ is the centerpiece of the park. A 0 – 60, nearly instant start leads to a great, smooth roller coaster with a loop and great turns. Disney’s best pure roller coaster, anywhere.

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Every year, millions of people visit Walt Disney World, it is after all the most popular tourist destination in the world. Even though you may stay in the same hotel as another family, and go to the exact same theme parks, everyone has a different Disney vacation. Here are our top 10 tips for planning your WDW vacation. If you are going to spend the money, you might as well do it right.

#10: Plan for down time – Walt Disney World is huge, and often very crowded and hot. Nothing can ruin a vacation to Walt Disney World, especially if you have little kids, than trying to do too many things in one day. During your planning, make sure you figure in some down time at the resort for naps or swimming. You will be surprised how refreshed your group will be near the end of the day, while others are having to go home early after trying to stay in the parks for 16+ hours at a time.

#9: Disney Message Boards - Visit a few different Disney message boards while planning your vacation. You can ask questions, or read about other’s trips. Any tips you can pick up will help you on your vacation, plus you might make a few new friends. We suggest DisBoards, they are the biggest, but can be overwhelming to find helpful information. Also check out MouseBuzz, smaller and more intimate that DisBoards.

#8: Pick your resort wisely – Making sure you stay in the right resort for you is very important. Whether it is the location, theme or quality of the resort, each Disney resort differs, and most likely, one resort may be better for you. If you are unfamiliar with the resorts, make sure you spend time doing the research to find the right resort. Looking at pictures and maps is the best first step. We suggest SuiteDisney, for each Disney resort, they have hundreds of quality photos. They also have great photos of the parks and resorts.

#7: Check Park and Parade Hours/Plan your days -  Disney World posts park, parade and fireworks hours 6 months in advance for each park. They also post a schedule of Extra Magic Hours for the parks as well. You need to check out the hours and schedules for each park, and plan out which parks you will be doing each day. While you don’t need to stick to the schedule once you are there, things always change, it is nice to have the schedule set up, and go from there. You can see current Magic Kingdom park hours here, and from there, you can get to the other Disney parks and other months.

#6: Plan and Book Early – Make sure you start your planning as early as possible.  Planning early allows you time to figure out where you want to stay, gives you the best opportunity at getting the resort and room type you want, and get discounts on your reservation. You will also then have plenty of time to make dining reservation and any other plans you need. We usually plan 12 months in advance for our trip.

#5: Disney Guide Book – We suggest you pick up a good Disney Guide book for your trip, even if you have been 100 times before.  A good guide book will inform you about changes at the parks, new rides or restaurants, and will give you good insight to what will work best for your family. We suggest either the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World or the Passporter’s Guide to Walt Disney World. Both books are honest and insightful. Our friends over at Disney World Guide have a great overview of all Disney Guide Books.

#4: Travel During the Off Season -  No one likes crowds. Try to plan your trip during an off season time at WDW. If you can avoid summer, which is very crowded and very hot, and also Spring Break and Christmas, which while not hot, are just as crowded, you should have a much better Disney vacation. Please note that you will need to do more research than just making the assumption that any month will not be crowded. With the numerous Disney sites and guide books, people have figured out that some months are really good times to go, as they historically have very low crowds. Those months are now extremely crowded. For example, for years, early December was the best time to go, no crowds, great weather and you get to take advantage of all the Christmas activities and decorations. The last few years, the first two weeks of December have been sold out, and just as crowded as Christmas week. This is a good question to ask on a message board.

#3: Disney Discounts - Disney World typically offers discounts on rooms and packages throughout the year, but more specifically, during slower times of the year. Another great reason to plan early and travel during the off season. Lately, Disney has been releasing discounts about 5 months before the travel dates, and they usually only last a few weeks, and if you miss them, you are out of luck. We suggest checking out MouseSavers, they do a great job of keeping people up to date on current Disney discounts. There is usually no problem adding a recently released discount to an existing reservation, so no need to wait for the discount to be released to book the reservation.

#2: Use a Disney Only Travel Agent -  In all honesty, this should be #1, but it was a toss up, so I switched places. Using a Disney Travel Agent will help you immensely, and usually will save you money over booking directly with Disney, or heaven forbid, and internet travel company such as Expedia (please, please, never, ever book your Disney Vacation this way). A Disney specialist will be able to help you pick the right time to travel, help you with your resort choice, make dining suggestion, and answer any other question you may have. They also should take care of any discounts for you, assuming you booked early. We strongly suggest Mouseketrips, the only Disney Travel Agent we would ever use.

#1: Advanced Dining Reservation - I cannot stress how important making your Disney Dining Reservations are to the quality of your trip. Since the introduction of the Disney Dining Plan, all of the resort and theme park restaurants are for the most part, sold out all year long. Disney now allows you to make your Advanced Dining Reservation up to 180 days in advance of the day you check in (assuming you are staying on Disney property). Some reservations, such as Cinderella’s Royal Table sell out quickly, usually within a month of opening, most restaurant are still available 3 – 4 months before your travel, but the earlier you can make your reservation, the better choice you will have of restaurants and times.  The planning early and planning your days really helps when planning your dining reservations.

With this ten Disney planning tips, you should be well prepared for your Disney World vacation, and should be set to have a fantastic time.

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