Another First Time Ever to WDW family...please help me plan

[muchado]

As I write this, I am surrounded by maps, and Fast passes info. and a whole bunch of Disney planning. I used easywdw for most of my planning and have also bought a subscription to touring plans although their suggested itineraries are really throwing me off. I have read so much on these forums that my head is spinning...
We will be going to WDW for the first time and perhaps, the only time. But who knows, right?
Couple of things:
1. We are a family of 4 (kids will be 6 girl and 4 boy) and we will be staying off site. We will have a car (Ouch for the huge increase in parking fare).
2. We will not be on the dining plan.
3. We are not early risers and will probably forgo the rope drop advice on most days that is so often insisted upon. I know, I know...but it is a vacation. We have a lot of late morning breakfast ADR's.

So my questions are:
--After parking, do we walk to the entrance in the parks except MK? Or do we need some sort of transportation? We will have 2 single strollers with us.
--We have reservations for Pirates and Pals at the Contemporary after a day in Epcot. What is the easiest and fastest way for us to get there? I read about the monorail but do we have to change it to another one to get to Contemporary? Or can we get out of Epcot and drive to the Contemporary? Is that easier? What about getting back to our car if we go the monorail route? It will be parked in the Epcot parking lot.
--On another day, we have reservations at Trail's End. We would like to ride the boat but I have no idea where to get on it. I have read I can catch one from the Contemporary but we will be at MK and would prefer to get on there. It would help me plan if I knew where to get on the boat at MK.

And lastly, what are the must do rides or rather fastpasses I should have? Sadly, I could not get Anna and Elsa at Princess Meet. Still trying for a FP. My kids are both 40 inches and above. But scary rides are not their thing. So we are skipping things like the Haunted Mansion, etc. Would Space Mountain be scary for a 4 yr. old? I have researched all the rides to see what we are getting into but it's hard to tell what the kids will like.
Thank you for reading my novella. Would welcome any other suggestions.

 

[ldymcbth]

My kids found SM scary that young, so I don't know that I would waste a FP on it. Mine Train, though, is not scary and might be a big hit. I think I would try for that one. Keep trying for Anna and Elsa - you never know, you might get it!

You will LOVE Pirates and Pals - hands down, that was the best "extra" money we've ever spent at WDW. We all LOVED it. Honestly, if you're able I might suggest going back to your car after Epcot, and then parking at the Contemporary for Pirates and Pals - it's late when it ends and we would not have wanted to have to schlepp all the way back to TTC to get our car at that point in the evening. We were tired.

Make sure you get to Pirates and Pals on time (or a bit early) and that you don't eat a huge dinner that night - the snack/dessert buffet is so fun and you will want to have room for treats!

 

[siskaren]

So my questions are:
1. After parking, do we walk to the entrance in the parks except MK? Or do we need some sort of transportation? We will have 2 single strollers with us.

2. We have reservations for Pirates and Pals at the Contemporary after a day in Epcot. What is the easiest and fastest way for us to get there? I read about the monorail but do we have to change it to another one to get to Contemporary? Or can we get out of Epcot and drive to the Contemporary? Is that easier? What about getting back to our car if we go the monorail route? It will be parked in the Epcot parking lot.

3. On another day, we have reservations at Trail's End. We would like to ride the boat but I have no idea where to get on it. I have read I can catch one from the Contemporary but we will be at MK and would prefer to get on there. It would help me plan if I knew where to get on the boat at MK.

1. Yes. Since you're not going for rope drop, you might end up parking far enough away to use the tram, though.

2. Since you'll have a car, that is definitely going to be the quickest and easiest way to get from Epcot to the Contemporary.

3. There is a boat that goes from the MK to FtW. I don't know exactly where it is, but you'll see signs for it when you exit MK.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

--After parking, do we walk to the entrance in the parks except MK? Or do we need some sort of transportation? We will have 2 single strollers with us.
--We have reservations for Pirates and Pals at the Contemporary after a day in Epcot. What is the easiest and fastest way for us to get there? I read about the monorail but do we have to change it to another one to get to Contemporary? Or can we get out of Epcot and drive to the Contemporary? Is that easier? What about getting back to our car if we go the monorail route? It will be parked in the Epcot parking lot.
--On another day, we have reservations at Trail's End. We would like to ride the boat but I have no idea where to get on it. I have read I can catch one from the Contemporary but we will be at MK and would prefer to get on there. It would help me plan if I knew where to get on the boat at MK.

And lastly, what are the must do rides or rather fastpasses I should have? Sadly, I could not get Anna and Elsa at Princess Meet. Still trying for a FP. My kids are both 40 inches and above. But scary rides are not their thing. So we are skipping things like the Haunted Mansion, etc. Would Space Mountain be scary for a 4 yr. old? I have researched all the rides to see what we are getting into but it's hard to tell what the kids will like.
Thank you for reading my novella. Would welcome any other suggestions.

1. Yes, you can walk directly to all parks after you park except for MK
2. I would drive from EPCOT to CR for Pirates and Pals
3. You can take a boat from MK to Ft. W. Simply exit MK and you will see the boat launch directly in front of you on the lagoon.
4. Space Mountain can be scary. It is completely in the dark and is a rather jerky roller coaster. My DS didn't try it until he was 6. Splash can be scary. BTMRR is fast, but not scary. Dinosaur in AK can be quite scary. The dinosaurs in Ellen's Energy also scared my DS when he was younger. I wouldn't do Stitch (it's terrible anyway) or It's Tough to be a Bug. I also wouldn't do Great Movie Ride (there is a scene from Alien in it) or Tower of Terror!

 

[caroline1851]

You need to be prepared for long lines if you don't plan to do rope drop ever. You should view rides you're not sure about on YouTube. Space mountain is relatively mild (I'm a non-roller coaster person and it's no big deal for me), but the fact that you are sitting one in front of the other, your 4 year old might be scared. Dinosaur was scary when my son was 6. Stitch is scary to some kids and just overall bad anyway so I wouldn't bother. when my kids were 5 or 6 they enjoyed haunted mansion. Some would say Great Movie Ride can be scary. It's just hard to tell and depends on your individual kids....

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

My kids found SM scary that young, so I don't know that I would waste a FP on it. Mine Train, though, is not scary and might be a big hit. I think I would try for that one. Keep trying for Anna and Elsa - you never know, you might get it!

You will LOVE Pirates and Pals - hands down, that was the best "extra" money we've ever spent at WDW. We all LOVED it. Honestly, if you're able I might suggest going back to your car after Epcot, and then parking at the Contemporary for Pirates and Pals - it's late when it ends and we would not have wanted to have to schlepp all the way back to TTC to get our car at that point in the evening. We were tired.

Make sure you get to Pirates and Pals on time (or a bit early) and that you don't eat a huge dinner that night - the snack/dessert buffet is so fun and you will want to have room for treats!

^^^This^^^

 

[mshanson3121]

As I write this, I am surrounded by maps, and Fast passes info. and a whole bunch of Disney planning. I used easywdw for most of my planning and have also bought a subscription to touring plans although their suggested itineraries are really throwing me off. I have read so much on these forums that my head is spinning...
We will be going to WDW for the first time and perhaps, the only time. But who knows, right?
Couple of things:
1. We are a family of 4 (kids will be 6 girl and 4 boy) and we will be staying off site. We will have a car (Ouch for the huge increase in parking fare).
2. We will not be on the dining plan.
3. We are not early risers and will probably forgo the rope drop advice on most days that is so often insisted upon. I know, I know...but it is a vacation. We have a lot of late morning breakfast ADR's.

So my questions are:
--After parking, do we walk to the entrance in the parks except MK? Or do we need some sort of transportation? We will have 2 single strollers with us.
--We have reservations for Pirates and Pals at the Contemporary after a day in Epcot. What is the easiest and fastest way for us to get there? I read about the monorail but do we have to change it to another one to get to Contemporary? Or can we get out of Epcot and drive to the Contemporary? Is that easier? What about getting back to our car if we go the monorail route? It will be parked in the Epcot parking lot.
--On another day, we have reservations at Trail's End. We would like to ride the boat but I have no idea where to get on it. I have read I can catch one from the Contemporary but we will be at MK and would prefer to get on there. It would help me plan if I knew where to get on the boat at MK.

And lastly, what are the must do rides or rather fastpasses I should have? Sadly, I could not get Anna and Elsa at Princess Meet. Still trying for a FP. My kids are both 40 inches and above. But scary rides are not their thing. So we are skipping things like the Haunted Mansion, etc. Would Space Mountain be scary for a 4 yr. old? I have researched all the rides to see what we are getting into but it's hard to tell what the kids will like.
Thank you for reading my novella. Would welcome any other suggestions.

One thing you didn't say - when are you going and how long are you staying? How big of a mistake your non-RD decision is will depend on these factors. You would be best to plan on at least a couple Rope Drop days, especially at MK. Also, if you plan on doing Jedi Training Academy at HS during a busier season, you need to rope drop.

As for your questions:

1. If you're not there at rope drop/early morning, you will not want to be walking, because you will be parking much farther away. Therefore, you will want to wait for the shuttle tram which takes you to the park entrance. If you arrive at RD, you walk to the other entrances. At MK, you will have to walk from your car to the transportation center. Again, if you're not doing rope drop, you will want to wait for a shuttle tram. Depending on arrival time you'll be a very, very long ways away.

2. It's easiest to drive to Pirates & Pals.

3. You can take the boat to Trail's End. All you do is leave the park and go to the same place where you got off the monorail, you catch the boat there.

4. Some possible FP+ options:

MK: Splash, Thunder, Mine Train, Peter Pan, Voyage of Little Mermaid, Winnie the Pooh
AK: Rivers of Light (if it's open, again, not sure when you're going), Safari, Festival of the Lion King
EP: Frozen Ever After, Test Track (could be scary), Nemo, Soarin (if it's open again)
HS: Star Tours, Frozen Sing a Long, and any of the other shows

For what it's worth - my husband is NOT a morning person at all. But he FAR preferred getting up in time for rope drop, putting in a few hours at the park, then going back for an afternoon rest/nap, then going back after supper. By doing rope drop we were able to avoid the busiest/hottest times of the day. Three fast passes don't go very far if you're not arriving in the parks until they're already crammed and wait times are at their peak.

 

[TI double-GUH ER]

Sorry, I can't help with the transportation stuff - I've only stayed on site. But yes, monorail to Contemporary from Epcot isn't direct. It's an easy switch though - down one ramp, up another.
As for FP - I wouldn't get one for SM. My kids had ZERO interest in riding it (at age 7 and almost 4) even after seeing it from the people mover. But - you can get a better idea of how your kids handle things like that with some of the other dark rides. For example - if they are bothered by how dark Peter Pan is, they won't handle SM. There's enough to do without that ride.
Assuming you want all of your FP for rides, I'd recommend getting them for 7DMT, Splash, and PP or BTMRR in the MK
in Epcot, I recommend trying for Turtle Talk with Crush, and maybe Spaceship Earth - unless Soarin' is back up when you're visiting...
HS - the Disney Junior Show, Toy Story Midway Mania, and Star Tours
AK - Festival of the Lion King, Safari
(I highly recommend skipping Tough to Be A Bug if your kids scare easily )

Of course if there are other characters who are a priority, you may want to FP those -- sometimes the lines get crazy, especially in the middle of the day.
Have fun planning!!

 

[Chrelaine]

The height requirement for SM is 44". Is DS that tall? Our DD is very tall and she was only 42" last year when she was 4. It helped me eliminate some of the rides and made planning easier.

 

[cjhudson]

As I write this, I am surrounded by maps, and Fast passes info. and a whole bunch of Disney planning. I used easywdw for most of my planning and have also bought a subscription to touring plans although their suggested itineraries are really throwing me off. I have read so much on these forums that my head is spinning...
We will be going to WDW for the first time and perhaps, the only time. But who knows, right?
Couple of things:
1. We are a family of 4 (kids will be 6 girl and 4 boy) and we will be staying off site. We will have a car (Ouch for the huge increase in parking fare).
2. We will not be on the dining plan.
3. We are not early risers and will probably forgo the rope drop advice on most days that is so often insisted upon. I know, I know...but it is a vacation. We have a lot of late morning breakfast ADR's.

So my questions are:
--After parking, do we walk to the entrance in the parks except MK? Or do we need some sort of transportation? We will have 2 single strollers with us.
--We have reservations for Pirates and Pals at the Contemporary after a day in Epcot. What is the easiest and fastest way for us to get there? I read about the monorail but do we have to change it to another one to get to Contemporary? Or can we get out of Epcot and drive to the Contemporary? Is that easier? What about getting back to our car if we go the monorail route? It will be parked in the Epcot parking lot.
--On another day, we have reservations at Trail's End. We would like to ride the boat but I have no idea where to get on it. I have read I can catch one from the Contemporary but we will be at MK and would prefer to get on there. It would help me plan if I knew where to get on the boat at MK.

And lastly, what are the must do rides or rather fastpasses I should have? Sadly, I could not get Anna and Elsa at Princess Meet. Still trying for a FP. My kids are both 40 inches and above. But scary rides are not their thing. So we are skipping things like the Haunted Mansion, etc. Would Space Mountain be scary for a 4 yr. old? I have researched all the rides to see what we are getting into but it's hard to tell what the kids will like.
Thank you for reading my novella. Would welcome any other suggestions.

You can Park for free at both water parks. Both have bus stops that take you to any resort/I also think they go directly to the other parks too. But worst case scenario you ride a bus to a nearby resort and then board bus to whatever park you want to go to. Save a lot of money on parking.

 

[mshanson3121]

You can Park for free at both water parks. Both have bus stops that take you to any resort/I also think they go directly to the other parks too. But worst case scenario you ride a bus to a nearby resort and then board bus to whatever park you want to go to. Save a lot of money on parking.

Saves money but what a huge waste of time!

 

[cjhudson]

Saves money but what a huge waste of time!

Depends on how important time compared to money is to you. OP mentioned parking fees so I wanted to offer this info. We never stay offsite so I haven't personally had to do this before.

 

[caliope]

As I write this, I am surrounded by maps, and Fast passes info. and a whole bunch of Disney planning. I used easywdw for most of my planning and have also bought a subscription to touring plans although their suggested itineraries are really throwing me off. I have read so much on these forums that my head is spinning...
We will be going to WDW for the first time and perhaps, the only time. But who knows, right?
Couple of things:
1. We are a family of 4 (kids will be 6 girl and 4 boy) and we will be staying off site. We will have a car (Ouch for the huge increase in parking fare).
2. We will not be on the dining plan.
3. We are not early risers and will probably forgo the rope drop advice on most days that is so often insisted upon. I know, I know...but it is a vacation. We have a lot of late morning breakfast ADR's.

So my questions are:
--After parking, do we walk to the entrance in the parks except MK? Or do we need some sort of transportation? We will have 2 single strollers with us.
--We have reservations for Pirates and Pals at the Contemporary after a day in Epcot. What is the easiest and fastest way for us to get there? I read about the monorail but do we have to change it to another one to get to Contemporary? Or can we get out of Epcot and drive to the Contemporary? Is that easier? What about getting back to our car if we go the monorail route? It will be parked in the Epcot parking lot.
--On another day, we have reservations at Trail's End. We would like to ride the boat but I have no idea where to get on it. I have read I can catch one from the Contemporary but we will be at MK and would prefer to get on there. It would help me plan if I knew where to get on the boat at MK.

And lastly, what are the must do rides or rather fastpasses I should have? Sadly, I could not get Anna and Elsa at Princess Meet. Still trying for a FP. My kids are both 40 inches and above. But scary rides are not their thing. So we are skipping things like the Haunted Mansion, etc. Would Space Mountain be scary for a 4 yr. old? I have researched all the rides to see what we are getting into but it's hard to tell what the kids will like.
Thank you for reading my novella. Would welcome any other suggestions.

As previously noted, height requirement for SM is 44 inches so that may make the decision for you.

"Scary" is relative depending on your child. We took our 3 year old on Great Movie Ride in HS and he thought it was fun. Two girls older than my son (perhaps 5-7) sitting with what I assume were their parents behind us cried the entire time and hid in the footwell of the seat. We also took our son on Haunted Mansion in April when he was 2. He told us he didn't really like the dark but otherwise wasn't scared and asked to go again when we were done. As others have suggested, you can view YouTube videos of different rides and use those to judge what's best for your children's personalities.

Others have answered your question about parking though I'll add that strollers have to be folded on the trams. The outer parking spaces are FAR if you arrive much later than opening. The earlier you arrive, the closer to the main entrance you'll be (or in the case of MK, the TTC).

The boat to Trails End is easy to get in front of MK. I believe it's the green flag boat (just check the signs for Ft Wilderness; they're clearly labeled).

 

[tcherjen]

Enjoy your upcoming trip!!!

 

[jim o'reilly]

We went with our daughter, also 4, hated SDMT at first (cried, balling), then loved it.

Loved: Peter pan flight, It's a small world, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Enchanted tales with Belle, Under the Sea, Winnie the Pooh, Barnstormer, Dumbo, Mad Tea Party, Tomorrowland Speedway, Monsters Inc Comedy, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, People MoverAnd all the character meet and greets too (Ariel, Anna/Elsa, Rapunzel/Cinderella, Merida, Pete's Silly Sideshow (Donald, Daisy, Minnie, Goofy), Tinkerbell/Mickey

Hated and cried on: Stitches great escape

DHS, she loved, loved, LOVED Toy story mania. Also, Disney Jr on stage, Indiana jones, Beauty and the beast show, Little mermaid show, Frozen singalong and all the character meet and greets (toomany to list!)

Hated and cried on Star Tours, couldn't stop for about 5 minutes afterward! Didn't bother trying Tower of Terror then

AK: She was indifferent to everything except, she cried and cried at Bug's Life 3-D show. She still talks about how she hated that show and how she cried. Don't take your kids unless they like bugs.

 

[DVCcurious]

I have a 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son so I can help you with the rides they like. I've also been to WDW about 10 times since 2010 so I have a lot of experience.

Our next trip is Easter Week. We will be at the MK from 7AM open until 12:00PM lunch time. Then we're getting the heck out of there. Why? Because we'll do more between 7-12 then anyone could possibly do between 12PM and 12AM close. If there's one thing you need to understand it is this:

Between 11:00AM and 10:00PM the parks are JAM PACKED!

You should either Rope Drop or close the park every day. If you guys are not early risers then you need to stay until close every day. The difference is quite dramatic. For example, last Easter we went and Haunted Mansion had short lines (20 minutes or less) until about 11:00. We always leave at 12:00 (as I mentioned) but one day I decided to leave my family at the pool and go back to Magic Kingdom at about 3:00PM. The line for Haunted Mansion was 65 minutes! During early hours you can do 3-4 rides per hour easily. During mid-day you'll do 1 ride per hour. After 10:00PM the lines also drop quite dramatically as everyone leaves after the fireworks.

Now, Anna and Elsa can be done best if you stay until close. If the park closes at 12:00AM you get in the Anna and Elsa line at 11:50PM and you'll have a very short wait.

My only piece of advice is this: Mid-day park touring is terrible. Early morning or late night is the only way to go. I will never again be in the park between 1:00PM and 6:00PM. EVER.

Now let's talk rides. My 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son loves these best:

Magic Kingdom:
Dumbo, Teacups, Tomorrowland Speedway (they LOVE this), Astro Orbiter, It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise (they LOVE this), Country Bear Jamboree, Aladdin's Magic Carpets (the LOVE this). My daughter wants to meet all the characters. Even ones from movies she's never seen.

Now, Aladdin's Carpets, the Speedway, and Jungle Cruise aren't exactly the Tier 1 Rides you keep hearing about, but for my kids they are the top 3 rides at MK. I don't even understand it myself!

Epcot: Nothing really fantastic for them here. They like the Donald Duck ride in Mexico the best.
Hollywood Studios: They love Disney Junior Live on Stage
Animal Kingdom: They could spend all day at the Boneyard, especially the dig site. They also love the Petting Zoo.

You'll read everything online and I doubt anyone would ever mention the Bone Yard, but it is a huge hit with my kids. I guess my point of all this is that if you spend your days waiting in 70 minute lines from 11AM - 10PM and you come back only having ridden 1 headliner every hour and a half all day and you did none of the "lower tier" rides you'll totally have missed out. For kids this age it's better to be going on lower tier rides continuously than waiting in lines all day. I know for a fact my kids would rather ride Aladdin's Magic Carpets 4 times in an hour than ride Splash Mountain once in an hour.

As for your questions:
1) after parking there are trams to drive you to the entrance or you can walk.
2) Drive from Epcot to Contemporary. Don't bother with the monorail.
3) There are boats in front of MK to Fort Wilderness. They are quite obvious, you can't miss them. Just walk out of Magic Kingdom and look at the boat docks to the right of the massive ferry.

 

[DVCcurious]

We went with our daughter, also 4,
Hated and cried on: Stitches great escape.

In fairness to her, I also cry on Stitches Great Escape.