Disney World Transport
Once you get to Disney World there are many different forms of transportation within the complex itself which are free. Outside every park, hotel and attraction there are buses that will bring you to all the theme parks, water parks, hotels and major attractions within Disney World. These buses are free of charge. Some theme parks have specialised transportation. Like a boat or the most famous is the Monorail.
The Monorail will transport you from the transportation center to the Magic Kingdom park. The park is situated on the far side of Bay Lake and the only way to get to it is via the monorail system or by the steam paddle boat. The monorail is fast and efficient and at the end of the day there is one every few minutes.
From the Transportation center you can also get the Monorail to Epcot. Once there the Monorail does a loop around the Future World section of the park before pulling into the station and allowing you to depart.
Once at Epcot there is also a boat that will take you from Epcot via a few hotels and the Boardwalk to the Movie Studios Theme park. On a nice day this is a great little boat ride and you get to see more of the complex if you are staying off site. The only way to get to the Animal Kingdom is on a bus from either the Transportation center of one of the other major parks, hotels or attractions.
The Monorail will transport you from the transportation center to the Magic Kingdom park. The park is situated on the far side of Bay Lake and the only way to get to it is via the monorail system or by the steam paddle boat. The monorail is fast and efficient and at the end of the day there is one every few minutes.
From the Transportation center you can also get the Monorail to Epcot. Once there the Monorail does a loop around the Future World section of the park before pulling into the station and allowing you to depart.
Once at Epcot there is also a boat that will take you from Epcot via a few hotels and the Boardwalk to the Movie Studios Theme park. On a nice day this is a great little boat ride and you get to see more of the complex if you are staying off site. The only way to get to the Animal Kingdom is on a bus from either the Transportation center of one of the other major parks, hotels or attractions.
Fastpass tickets
One of the great free things in the Disney parks is the Fast Pass. This is a system where when you reach an attraction that has FP available you enter your park ticket into the machine and it gives you an additional ticket. This FP ticket will have a timeframe on it for which you are to return to this ride. When you return within the allotted time you enter the FP return queue. This is a significantly smaller queue then the main attraction queue and is roughly between 10 - 15 minutes before getting on the ride. You can not get another FP ticket until the one you have has been used so be careful if the ticket says you will have a return time of 2pm if you have only arrived at 10am. You wont be able to get another one then until after 2pm. However once the timeframe on the ticket has been reached you may get another ticket. You dont need to wait until the timeframe has run out. ie if the ticket says return between 2.05pm and 3.05pm you can get another ticket from 2.05pm. My advice is to be at another attraction when the FP ticket you have becomes valid, then get one for that attraction and then head to the original one.
What to bring
When going to any of the Disney parks you can bring a backpack full of food and water and maybe a change of clothes. I know if you have kids you made need to bring other essentials as well. Disney is very good at allowing you to bring backpacks on the rides. Most other parks wont allow this. They will have to be submitted for a bag inspection before entering the parks to make sure you have no weapons. Remember when packing the bag that you will be carrying this all day approx 12 hours so keep it light. There are lockers available at the front of most Disney parks where you can rent the locker for the day and keep returning to it whenever you need to get some items. Just remember if you bring it on any of the water rides it will get wet!
Magic Kingdom Fireworks
As for watching the parade it all depends on your situation and time constraints. If there is only a parade on the night you are in the Magic Kingdom but you have to get out early to make a bus then the best place to watch it right at the entrance of the park just where the train station is. Once the parade is over you can make a very quick exit right at the front.
If you are still under time constrains but there is a light show on the castle as well as a parade then then I would advise watching it on the street just where the shops end before the statue of Mickey Mouse and Walt. This will give you a great view of both and then when the parade is over you dont have to fight down Main Street with the 60,000 other guests you can exit by walking through the shops. All the shops are interconnected so you can get right to the front of the park by walking through the shops while avoiding all the crowds.
If you are still under time constrains but there is a light show on the castle as well as a parade then then I would advise watching it on the street just where the shops end before the statue of Mickey Mouse and Walt. This will give you a great view of both and then when the parade is over you dont have to fight down Main Street with the 60,000 other guests you can exit by walking through the shops. All the shops are interconnected so you can get right to the front of the park by walking through the shops while avoiding all the crowds.
Epcot Fireworks
As with the fireworks in Epcot if you need to make a quick exit then the front of the world showcase is the best place to watch the show. There is a pavilion designed specifically to watch the show from but you need to get there early as it fills up and its sitting on the ground only. This is a great spot and then its a straight walk to the exit. If your not in a rush then anywhere in the lagoon provides a great view.