Cool off on Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. Photo courtesy the Walt Disney Company

• Avoid spending the hottest part of the day in the theme parks. The hottest part of the day is usually from noon to about 4pm. Try to avoid wandering around outside in any of the Orlando theme parks this time of day – just going from ride to ride will leave you hot and tired. Instead, head back to your resort or rental home pool and cool off, and you’ll be able to return to the parks when things cool down around dinnertime.
• Don’t forget the very young and very old members of your party. Infants and kids under 3 will overheat quickly and will need more nursing, bottles or water than usual. The elderly members of your travel party will be more prone to exhaustion, so plan on early morning outings and avoid the hot, busy part of the day entirely.
• See animals in the morning. Animals in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Busch Gardens and elsewhere know enough to avoid the head. If you ride Kilimanjaro Safaris mid-day in the summer, you won’t see many animals up and about; they’ll all be hiding from the sun – and you – in the shade. The marine life at Sea World is an obvious exception –the whales and dolphins here are likely more comfortable than you are on a hot day!

Disney is a great destination for Star Wars fans. Photo courtesy the Walt Disney Company

While Star Wars Weekends is the headlining event for Star Wars fans, there are still plenty of Star Wars things to do throughout the year. If you miss Star Wars weekends this year—or just want to get your Star Wars fix any time of year, check out these fun things to see and do year round:

Ride Star Tours: Star Tours was updated in 2011, and one of the improvements was to create an everchanging storyline. You won’t get the same ride twice, thanks to the multitude of planetary destinations and characters. You may see Yoda on one ride and Darth Vader on the next—so head here early, and then pick up a Fastpass to ride a second time later in the day.

Build a lightsaber: Head to Downtown Disney and build your own custom lightsaber at the Once Upon a Toy shop. You can create your own custom weapon using the many different options available, or you can recreate one of the lightsabers carried by the Star Wars characters. Playing with the parts is free—but if you want to bring your saber home, expect to pay about $20 USD.

Train to be a Jedi: The Jedi Academy is a fun show and mini program offered daily at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Kids will see a short training program and learn some Jedi moves—but don’t be surprised if some familiar faces show up to interrupt the lesson! Jedi Academy is free and offered daily by Star Tours. See a park schedule for more information.

Are you brave enough to take the plunge? Photo courtesy the Walt Disney Company

Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Two of Disney’s most thrilling attractions are in the same park. You’ll find both the Tower of Terror and the Rock n Roller Coaster in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, conveniently located side by side at the end of Sunset Boulevard – just follow the screams. The Tower of Terror offers a huge drop or two, along with plenty of psychological thrills. The Rock n Roller coaster features one of the best coaster launches in Orlando—you’ll go from a stationary position into an inverted loop without the typical slow first hill climb.

Islands of Adventure: This may be Orlando’s most thrilling park, with one ride after another designed for thrill seekers. From the psychological creep outs on Revenge of the Mummy to the high speed drops, twists and turns of Incredible Hulk and Dragon Challenge, you’ll find coasters aplenty at Islands of Adventure.

Blizzard Beach: Wear your swimsuit and brave the climb to the top of the mountain for Summit Plummet, one of Orlando’s highest and most thrilling rides. You won’t find safety bars or moving parts here, just you and a staggering multistory plunge. It is not unusual to see first timers climb to the top of the mountain, take a look at the slide, and climb right back down again—it’s that thrilling! Take the plunge if you dare, then stick around for the park’s other fun offerings like speed slides and slightly tamer tube rides.

Take a spin on the Rock n Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Photo courtesy the Walt Disney Company

Disney’s Hollywood Studios: If you have a movie fan, thrill seeker or budding performer, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the place to go.  From the on-site auditions for the American Idol attraction to the magic of Star Tours and Toy Story Mania, there are plenty of movie and television themed attractions. Add in the huge appeal of thrill rides like the Tower of Terror and the Rock n Rollercoaster with Aerosmith, and you have a guaranteed hit for the teens in your group.

Sea World Aquatica: Aquatica is Sea World’s water park, and is one of the nicest water attractions you’ll find in Orlando – or anywhere else. Sea World does an excellent job of integrating animals into the park’s water rides. You can take a plunge down a water slide, right through a pool of dolphins—or catch sight of the same creatures as you float by on the constantly moving lazy river. You’ll often spot animal handlers walking about showing off some of the park’s other residents as well. With wave pools, slides and tube rides, Aquatica has enough novelty to keep any teen happy, and is home some of the best water attractions in Orlando.

Universal Orlando: Experience the movies in a whole new way at Universal Orlando; the park offers a fantastic selection of teen friendly shows, attractions and rides. From the Rip Rocket Coaster to the Revenge of the Mummy and Men in Black, Universal Orlando is almost custom made for teens.  Don’t miss the psychological thrills to be found on the Mummy, or the snarky fun you’ll have with the Simpsons. Bring plenty of souvenir cash along as well, Universal has shops aplenty, and they’re all designed to appeal to teens and young adults.

Comic book fans can see Spiderman at Islands of Adventure. Photo courtesy Universal Orlando

Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Live animal encounters, educational programs that are geared for this age group, and plenty of rides make the Animal Kingdom a top kid’s destination. Kilimanjaro Safaris is a huge hit for this age group, as is the  3D presentation of “It’s Tough to be a Bug”. Don’t miss the Boneyard, where your child can climb ropes and nets, dig up bones, or just run around and have fun.

Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando: Older kids will adore the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is one of the most popular “islands” in the park. Other big attractions include Jurassic Park, and several superhero themed attractions including the Incredible Hulk Coaster and the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.

Typhoon Lagoon: Big kids that are old enough to enjoy the speed slides and water coasters will love the splashin’ tropical fun at Disney’s island themed water park. With a fun wave pool, high speed water slides and amazing snorkeling experience, the kids in your group won’t want to leave Typhoon Lagoon at the end of the day.

The Magic Kingdom gets a Halloween makeover each fall. Photo copyright S.McNesby

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of Orlando’s most popular Halloween events, and offers spooky fun for the whole family. Kids of all ages can enjoy this event, which includes trick or treating, dance parties, and once of the year’s best parades. Other local theme parks, including Universal Orlando and Sea World offer Halloween events, but Disney is the place to go for family Halloween fun.

Dates for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2012:

September: 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28, 30 2012
October: 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 2012
November: 2 2012

The party begins each night at 7pm and you’ll need a separate ticket to attend. You’ll be issued a party wristband when you arrive, and you’ll have to show your wristband to stay in the park past 7pm. Wristbands are available at the Magic Kingdom park starting at 4pm the day of the party.

If you want to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on Halloween, or on one of the days just before Halloween, you need to buy your tickets well in advance, because they will sell out. If you are not attending the party, note that the Magic Kingdom will be closed at night on the party dates listed above, so make other plans for those evenings.

Traveling with a preschooler or toddler is tough enough without constantly getting turned away from rids because your little one is too short. The Orlando theme parks have plenty to offer all ages, but some parks are better than others for little ones. Here’s a list of our favorite three Orlando theme parks for kids under 6.

1. The Magic Kingdom: The park that started it all is still the best location to take your preschooler. You’ll find the most to do in Fantasyland, where all of the rides are little-kid friendly. Branch out a bit and head to Tomorrowland for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin or to Adventureland for the Jungle Cruise. Add in kid-friendly food options, lots of character greeting possibilities, and the happiest place on Earth is an ideal spot for your preschooler.
2. LEGOLAND: While LEGOLAND is geared towards a slightly older age group there are plenty of things for your preschooler to do. From enjoying the fun LEGO displays to riding kiddie-sized attractions, you can find many things to do with your preschooler at LEGOLAND. Look for kiddie versions of many of the big kids rides in the park and know that you can explore the entire park in a single day.
3. Sea World: While kids of all ages will love seeing Shamu, dolphins and penguins frolic and play Sea World has particular appeal for preschoolers. Sea World is part of the same company that owns Sesame Place, so you’ll find many of your favorite Sesame Street characters when you visit. Sea World also makes a point to produce special events and parties throughout the year that are little kids friendly.

by Samantha McNesby for OrlandoVacation.com

You never know who will show up for Star Wars Weekends. Photo courtesy the Walt Disney Company

In 2011 guests began lining up the day before opening day, attendance was significantly boosted by the grand opening of the newly revised Star Tours and the appearance of series creator George Lucas. While this year’s event may not have a brand new ride to unveil, you should still prepare for crowds if you plan on attending.

What to expect from Star Wars Weekends;

Characters: Expect to see plenty of Star Wars characters from the movies and television show. Characters appear all around the Start Tours ride area and in select locations nearby.

Shows: From the Jedi training academy to impromptu music and dance contests (you may even  see Darth Vader do the moonwalk).

Parades: Expect a big parade on opening day, and scheduled parade events each day. Parades feature the characters from the series along with the special guest of the week.

Star Tours: If you haven’t ridden the new Star Tours, make it part of your weekend. The new ride is engineered to offer a different experience each time you ride.

Celebrity guests: Each weekend features different celebrity guests from the movies and film, guests are on hand to sign autographs and for photos at select locations.

Dates: Star Wars Weekends begin May 18 and run through June 10:

• May 18-20
• May 25-27
• June 1-3
• June 8-10

Visit Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival when you visit in May. Photo courtesy the Walt Disney Company

Crowds: Expect to see low to moderate crowd levels when you visit the Orlando theme parks in May. Generally, the beginning of the month is less crowded, with the resorts and parks beginning to fill up as the month progresses and US schools begin summer vacations. Expect to see school groups from both the local area and throughout the US this month—May is a popular month for Senior trips.

Weather: While your calendar may still say “spring”, summer has arrived in Orlando this month. Expect hot days and slightly cooler nights and definitely bring your swimsuit and plenty of sunblock. Afternoon thunderstorms or showers are a common event this month, but are generally not large enough to impact your trip.

Events: Some of the year’s best events occur in the Orlando theme parks in May. Disney’s Star Wars Weekends is a huge draw for the Hollywood Studios theme park; avoid this park on the weekends if you are not attending.

Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival concludes in mid-May, but you’ll still see remnants of the festival in the park as the character topiaries usually stick around for a while after the event closes.

Universal doesn’t have a lot of May events, aside from Gradventures, a celebration for middle schoolers from the surrounding areas.

See ZZTop perform at Universal Orlando this summer. Photo courtesy Universal Media.

Sounds Like Summer…at Epcot

This annual event features tribute bands performing tunes from some of your favorite groups. While they may not be the original, the sound for most is good and true, and the music can be heard from Japan to Italy, so you don’t have to commit to the concert to enjoy the show. Sounds like Summer is presented daily at 5:45, 7:15 and 8:00 pm and is free with your park admission.

• June 10-17 – Hotel California (A Salute to the Eagles)
• June 18-23 – Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot (The Ultimate Billy Joel Show)
• June 24-30 – Stayin’ Alive (A Tribute to the Bee Gees)
• July 1-7 – Slippery When Wet (The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute)
• July 8-14 – The Police Experience (A Tribute to the Police)
• July 15-21 – Southbound and Company (A Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd)
• July 22-28 – 2U (A Tribute to U2)

Summer Nights at Seaworld

See fireworks, a special Shamu show and more nightly at SeaWorld in this seasonal spectacular. The Summer Nights program is presented each evening from June 23 to August 12, and is included with your  park admission.

Summer Concert Series at Universal

Universal is keeping the schedule under wraps for now, but expect to see some of your favorite groups perform at Universal’s Magic Plaza each week. The Summer Concert Series is included with your park admission.

• June 9 – Victorious
• June 16 – ZZ Top & 3 Doors Down
• June 23 – TBA
• June 30 – TBA
• July 7 – TBA
• July 14 – TBA

Want to see a concert? Make sure you arrive at the park at least an hour before the announced start time to give you time to reach the venue. Since all of the shows have open seating, arriving early ensures that you get a good seat.