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El Cee

Earning My Ears

Joined

May 25, 2015

• May 25, 2015

• #1

My family will be visiting Disney for the first time next month and I'm basically here looking for any tips/advice I can get. 2 adults and one 5 year old are traveling and I'm trying to find out which parks are more appropriate for that age. We are not staying at a Disney resort but are planning on spending at least 4-5 days or maybe splitting time at Universal depending on advice I get. All advice is welcome

 

mel&me

DIS Veteran

DIS Lifetime Sponsor

Joined

Nov 15, 2003

• May 25, 2015

• #2

to the Disboards.

you might find what your need or get a better response posting in the Disney for Families forum. or the theme parks and strategies forum

 

lovetoscrap

Sees tag fairy posts that aren't there.

Moderator

Joined

Feb 15, 2003

• May 26, 2015

• #3

Moved to the Theme Parks Forum

 

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lovndisney12

DIS Veteran

Joined

Nov 8, 2008

• May 26, 2015

• #4

Is your five year old a boy or girl? We have two boys so didn't need to do princess stuff so that may vary which park and attractions would be best for your family.

 

Lucius Best

DIS Veteran

Joined

Mar 25, 2015

• May 26, 2015

• #5

Universal is fun, but I would say a lot of rides aren't geared towards a 5yo. We did two trips with niece, first when she was 5yo, then again when she was 7yo. Magic Kingdom is the obvious choice as the park with the most stuff for a 5yo. On our last trip niece was there six days: we planned three MK days, then one day at each of the other three Disney parks.

 

Jack Frost

Please stand clear of the doors!

Joined

May 26, 2015

• May 26, 2015

• #6

I think MK would be a good choice. Especially Fantasyland, rides like small world, peter pan, winnie the pooh, etc. Possibly Dumbo? But I definitely think that would be the best place to start. Have fun!

 

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Rosebud123

DIS Veteran

Joined

Feb 9, 2012

• May 26, 2015

• #7

Universal is awesome, but don't waste the time or the $ on a first trip, especially with a 5 year old. For a party your size, I'd suggest staying offsite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. You can get a beautiful two bedroom condo right next to the Caribbean Beach Resort for about $100 - $150 per night, depending on the season. It's closer to the parks than many "on site" resorts and it's in the WDW "bubble," in case you care about that.
Check out the Orlando hotels forum for more info if that interests you at all.
My kids' first trip was at ages 2 and 4. We hit all 4 theme parks and enjoyed them all. We didn't bother with any night time entertainment that trip (other than MNSSHP, which I wouldn't recommend for a first trip with a 5-year old), and did RD - 4 each day, then back to the Wilderness Lodge to swim and relax.

Have a great time and keep it simple! Don't over plan and feel like you have to book special or extra experiences. The 4 parks are so incredible and have more than enough to keep you busy.

 

Terra Nova guy

DIS Dad #811 Newfoundland, Canada

Joined

Nov 11, 2014

• May 27, 2015

• #8

I agree with Rosebud above. Universal is enjoyed most by older kids (teens) who are into the big roller coasters and thrill rides. I took my daughter to Universal when she was 5 and basically we just spent the entire day in Seuss landing while her older sister (12) and my wife went on the thrill rides. If you only have 4-5 days, just visit Disney. You can easily spend 2 days at MK and 1 day at each other park with a 5 year old and have plenty to do. It's best to read through the list of attractions at each park and decide which is most likely to appeal to your child. As another poster mentioned above, if you have a girl, you may spend extra time in meet & greet lines for princesses. With a small child, getting to the park for rope drop is a good idea and then leave late afternoon/early evening. Although, if it's possible, the Wishes fireworks are great for any age. Perhaps stay out late your last night for Wishes?

 

sharonabe

DIS Veteran

Joined

May 22, 2009

• May 27, 2015

• #9

All four Disney parks have lots of stuff even for a 5 yr old. Do you have a planning DVD? I would also suggest the Birnbaum for Kid's book. It has great pictures and tips for kids of all ages.

 

PantherPete

Mouseketeer

Joined

May 13, 2015

• May 27, 2015

• #10

El Cee said:

My family will be visiting Disney for the first time next month and I'm basically here looking for any tips/advice I can get. 2 adults and one 5 year old are traveling and I'm trying to find out which parks are more appropriate for that age. We are not staying at a Disney resort but are planning on spending at least 4-5 days or maybe splitting time at Universal depending on advice I get. All advice is welcome

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It also depends on how big your kid is. Some 5 year olds are big enough and brave enough to ride everything in every Disney Park. My younger son rode everything at that age except for Expedition Everest and loved it (especially Big Thunder Mountain - multiple times). Space Mountain can be an issue with some kids (he was a little nervous about it and so was I) because you don't sit in the same seat together (single file seating). My son had to sit in front of me by himself and Mom sat in front of him.

As far as Universal goes, I agree that for the most part the rides are for older kids and for the number of days that you'll be in Orlando, I'd suggest sticking with Disney. But it all depends on your kid. Some 5 year olds are already Harry Potter crazy (mine are not, but some are) and will love it at Universal. And some will be big and brave enough to try everything there except for maybe the Hulk and HRRR.