Disneyworld - Keller,TX

tourguidemike.com will be a lifesaver for you! Totally helped us plan our trip so we didn't have to wait for rides. I think the longest we waited was 10 minutes. Completely worth the money to minimize wait time. We took our 3 and 4 year old and I would recommend bringing your stroller. The ones in the park are fine (that's what we used) but I wished that I'd had one from the bus to the park and the bus to our hotel room. Chef Mickey and 1900 Park Fare dinner (with Cinderella) were our favorites. You'll get to meet 5 princesses at Akershus though so that is fun too. Just liked the food better at park fare if you are meeting princesses.

Don't waste your time with Downtown Disney.

Spend the money for the dining plan and the part hopper.

You can bring food into the park. Make sure you have a bag stocked with water bottles and snacks.

If your staying in Disney World take advantage of the early morning park hours.

Don't go to the waterparks. They're not worth the extra money for kids that age.

Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom is the best for small kids. There's not much for little kids at Epcot. Animal Kingdom is one of the best places for seeing a variety of characters

Make your reservations for dinner ahead of time.

Really educate yourself about the parks and the whole process. Read the Unofficial Guide To Disney with Kids. It is a terrific resource!

Have a gameplan but be willing to deviate from it.

Stay in the World if you can and get the dining plan.

Definitely do one or two character meals. It will save you from waiting in long lines at the park to meet the most popular characters. Each character visits every table for pictures and autographs. We loved breakfast at Chef Mickey's and the princess dinner at Akershus in Epcot.

Based on my visit with a 2 year old and 4 year old girl
Things we did
All Parks including downtown
Ate at some fast service and...
Boma, -great food (buffet)
Coral Reef, great food - giant aquarium (sit down)
Chef Mickey, (Character) not bad not great either (buffet)
Askerhaus (Princess Character) It was nice for the girls to meet the princesses but we are not a fan of Norwegian Fare
Tusker House (Donald, +++Character) Yes! I highly recommend
Hoop Dee Doo (Dinner Show) Soul food Yum! Maybe a bit noisy for an 18 mo old.

If you can only do one thing let it be Animal Kingdom and do the Tusker House breakfast. The food was good and the characters are already there for the kiddies

Not sure if you have a girl but my oldest really enjoyed the Bippity Boppity Boutique. (Magic Kingdom)You can save money by bringing your own gown.

For your kids age a best bet would probably be Hollywood Studios.
They have a bunch of shows even Playhouse Disney if I recall right but they also have Beauty and the Beast on stage.

Check out allears.net they are a consumer based website the rates Disney experiences. They have everything from pictures, menus etc.

Get the dining plan. I have never eaten so well or so much...ever. Totally worth every penny and so easy, you just use your hotel key card for everything. Tip is even included.

Hi, this is what I recently posted for another mom. Hope it helps!

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Rent a double stroller at the front gate! That is what we did when we went. Our daughters were 4 & 6 and even though our oldest snubbed the stroller at first at the end of the night she was in it! I wanted to be in it too! LOL! Also, Animal Kingdom and Epcot we great for them. Also SeaWorld. Universal is too old. There is stuff for them to do, but not as much as the others. Try AAA for tickets. I know they usually have discounts.

Another great thing to have is a book called Birbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids and Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Expert Advice from the Inside Source. Great resources!!!

Have fun and wear comfy shoes!

I second using tourguidemike.com! It's a great website, has a great forum, and gives you loads of insider tips. It helps you plan each day out based on the time of year your going, ages of your children, and what most interests you.

I just went to DW with 2 girls the same age as yours. Spend most (if not all) of the time at the Magic Kingdom. If you have a dining pass, get your reservations NOW. Bring a double stroller- the airport will let you check it at the gate for free- stroller was the best thing we had. Use the Fastpass AND parent-switch pass at the park. You can ride with your oldest, then use the parent-switch pass so that your spouse gets to go to the front of the line to ride with your child. Yes, the kid gets to ride twice- it's fabulous! But you have to go up and ask for it before you get in line the first time.
My husband and I thought the book Walt Disney World with Kids by Wiley was great. Packed with kid tips and good details about every ride, retaurant, etc. We thought we'd have to come back and take naps. Nope, the little one took a short nap in the stroller some days, but we just went, went ,went during the day and crashed at night. We decided it was going to take way too much effort and time getting back and forth during the middle of the day to do naps.
If you are going to EPCOT, they have a great building where you can meet and get autographs (bring paper, they have pens) from all the original characters(Mickey, Donald,ect) all in one place. Also, at Epcot, get fastpasses to Soarin' and Racetrack ASAP or you won't get to ride. At Hollywood, get fastpass to Toy Story ASAP or you won't ride.
You will be surprised at how much your 18 month old can do! Most things he will be able to enjoy with you. Have fun and build in a few days for recovery after you get home!

plan on spending a lot of time at magic kingdom. at your childs age that is going to be the most fun. supper at pizza planet if your toystory fans. the castle if your older one is a girl they have cinderella there and she will love it.

if you would like to eat inside the castle with cinderella for dinner - call now and make a reservation. you can't just walk up there and want to eat. reservations are months out but totally worth it. wishes fireworks at night are fabulous but may be scary for kids that young because it is so loud. catch the electrical water parade on the lagoon between grand floridian and polynesian hotel. you can watch it from the beach at polynesian in the hammocks. sooo great!

For us, it worked wonderfully to get up in the morning and be at the park when it opened. We stayed until just around lunch time then went back to the hotel. Everyone relaxed/napped for a couple of hours then it was back to the park. The mid-day break helped keep everyone from boiling over and getting over tired. We were able to enjoy the parks and one another by scheduling in a little down time -- and right at mid-day when everything is most crowded anyway.

Have a blast!

You didn't say if your 5 y.o. was a boy or girl, but I bet they would love eating at the Castle. I was 24 (I think) when I ate there and I loved it. :) I got to go as the babysitter. We did Sea World last summer and I love that place too. Honestly I would say to do a different park each day if you can.

Never mind I just noticed you are from TX so you are probably somewhat close to a Sea World already. Discovery Cove is awesome too and is an all day event for all ages.