!st Day Magic Kingdom

I planned out our week based on touring plans I found on the internet.  People have done lots of research of when to go to which park based on the time of year and Extra Magic Hours (EMH).  Thats when one of the parks opens either an hour early or stays open late for Disney Hotel guests only.  That makes that particular park busier that day. 
We decided on Magic Kingdom for our first day.  We had a rental car at this point so I knew we'd need to park in the lot and pay.  The benefit to this is, you don't have to wait for the Disney bus (or outside hotel shuttle) AND you only pay one parking fee for that day.  For example, if you decide to go to EPCOT later you keep your parking receipt and don't have to pay again. 
Even the drive in was exciting.  Looking at the signs that move with big Disney characters or seeing a larger than life Mickey as you enter the park starts your morning off right. 
Then we get to the ferry boat launch to take us over to the Magic Kingdom.  This and the monorail are the only two transportation options from the parking lot.  This was by far our longest and hottest wait all day.  The monorail was closed that morning and we had about a 45 min wait to get on the ferry. 
Once we made our way over we knew immediately what rides to hit first and what fast passes to get. 
Again, we used our tourning plans for day planning at The Magic Kingdom.  It worked wonderful.  We didn't wait for more than maybe 25 minutes in our longest line.  We were able to do Splash Mountain about 4 times.  We used the parent switch option with the fast passes which was also a life saver for our youngest, Cameron. 
I had also checked out all the restuarant research to find where we could eat, getting the best and most food for our money.  Lunch was at Peco Bills.  A decent hamburger place.  Love that you get lots of extras to add to your burger.  Like sauted mushrooms, onions, pickles...And they give you carrots and grapes with your burger and fries.  Most places give you theses extras with your meal.  It was more than enough food.  And if you don't want to eat your grapes or carrots until later, throw them in your backpack and snack later.  They are individually wrapped.
Our day went off without a hitch.  It was a wonderful beginning.  A few other important things to note.  I bought filtered water bottles.  Each one came with a charcoal filter sort of like the Brita filters.  That way we filled them up throughout the day with water from the fountain and avoided buying the 3-5$ water bottles.  And you can bring in snacks to the park.  Another plus when going to Disney!