A perfectly planned trip to Magic Kingdom

The whole week was memorable! Having Pooh and friends to ourselves in Animal Kingdom was cool.

Being chosen as Family of the Day in Epcot got us unlimited Fastpasses to the ride of our choice (Racetrack - way awesome!).

Pin trading was a lot of fun and a great way to meet others and Cast Members were always eager to trade. Buy some online for under before you leave so you can have some when you get there.

Riding up front with the captain of the monorail - just ask!

Epcot's Ice Station Cool - chilly place with free drinks

Being chosen to be on stage for Indiana Jones at MGM - be loud!

Wishes - Indescribable from Main Street with the castle in the background.

Medieval Times Dinner - Very unique!

The Talking Tree outside Animal Kingdom talking to my daughter - "How'd they do that?"

Tree of Life - Have to see it for yourself.

Mission Space - I can't believe I did it!

Crystal Palace - Fabulous buffet, great way to celebrate birthdays.

Buzz Lightyear - Aim behind you!

Fastpass, Fastpass, Fastpass - It will make all the difference in being able to accomplish the most without spending all your time in line.

Quick Tips:

Disboards.com is all you need to read before heading to Orlando. Experts there can tell you everything and anything you want to know.

Use Fastpasses whenever possible.

Do the most popular rides early or during the parades or fireworks. We had MGM to ourselves during Fantasia. Great time for a picture in front of the Sorceror's Hat.

Best Way To Get Around:

We drove to Orlando, so we had our own car. It was only a 10-minute ride to MGM and maybe 15 to the others. Rode the monorail and the ferry to Magic Kingdom. Timing is everything, so arrive early and expect to wait if you stay for the fireworks.

Best Things Nearby:
Magic Kingdom of course

Best Things About the Resort:
Pools

Resort Experience:
Since we spent our days at the parks, we didn't see much of the resort, with the exception of the pools, and didn't use any of the services. The unit itself (The Falls #330) was wonderful. It was a two-bedroom with a pull-out couch. The master bedroom with TV was very spacious, and the twin bedroom with TV was rather cramped but fine for the kids. There was even a stacked washer and dryer.

There was a small kitchen, good-sized dining area, and living room. The screened-in porch overlooked a pond. It was almost at the back corner of the resort, so it was private and quiet. I would imagine the pool areas get rather loud at times. We were within easy walking distance of four pools and tried them all. Some have water slides, while others have waterfalls and water spouts.

It's a fantastic resort that we'll have to revisit to take advantage of all it has to offer - if you can keep me away from Pooh, that is!

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

The Garden Grill is located in The Land near the front of Epcot. We had 3pm reservations on a Thursday and felt like we had the place to ourselves. Chip, Dale, Pluto, and Mickey all visited our table several times and personally interacted with our children - danced with them, posed for pictures, stole their hats, etc. Very humorous!

The ice cream serving was huge, complete with gummy worms and sprinkles. The restaurant also rotates, and you can see scenes from Living with the Land down below (pick up a Fastpass for that before you go up to the restaurant). A great way to save money is to avoid the more expensive character meals, and this is a very relaxing, cool afternoon break.

Beware - you must keep your elbows off the table! The 50's Prime Time Cafe is a throwback to the diners of old. The decor is formica pink and blue, just like my parents' old house.

We didn't pay much attention to the '50s show on the TV at our table because there was so much else to see. Our waiter hailed from our hometown, but he didn't cut us any slack. The kids had to clean their plates if they wanted dessert. We almost got in big trouble by blowing our straw wrappers at each other.

The shrimp and pasta plate was huge, fried chicken and mashed potatoes were a classic, and the kids devoured the mac and cheese.

Had a scrumptious dessert too that had us licking the plate clean!

Wednesday was a day off from the parks, and we surprised the kids with a trip to Medieval Times. Don't remember exactly how much we paid, but it was worth every penny. We did order tix online ahead of time and saved a little.

Bill of fare included garlic bread, vegetable soup, huge roasted chicken, spare rib, herb-basted potato, and pastry for dessert - plenty of leftovers. However, there is no silverware provided! What great fun for the kids!

Seating is at long tables in an arena, and you are assigned a knight to cheer for. You can pay extra to be down low and have the chance to have a flower thrown to you by a brave knight in armor. The knights compete at different events, jousting, spearing rings, etc., to try to win the hand of the maiden. Of course, there's a bad guy out to steal her away, and the resulting battle with swords and shields is exciting. It was one of the kids' most memorable nights (no pun intended, but we will remember our black-and-white knight)!

Crystal Palace is located on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. The sculptured characters in flowers and greenery greeted us as we came in. We had late lunch reservations but did have to wait briefly.

The windows and high ceiling give it an atrium-like feeling. Spacing between tables was good since the characters have to roam around, but the table itself was a little small for the seven of us.

A celebration parade is held (hourly?) for those celebrating special occasions. We were supposed to get a birthday treat for our table but it didn't arrive and we actually forgot about it since the buffet choices were amazing. Just have them make a note when you make your reservation and then confirm it with them when you check in at the restaurant.

Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore will come to your table and visit. Very willing to pose for pictures and goof around with children of all ages.

Service was good, buffet was well-stocked and the drink glasses were quickly refilled.

We opted for the lunch option to save a little money. It's still not a cheap meal, but it's worth the splurge.