Disney newbie here seeking major advice

[Mickey & Minnie Mom]

I would rethink going to DTD on three separate occasions.

I definitely think it is worth one trip since you are staying at POR and our kids always enjoyed the boat ride. Just be sure you plan to do when the boats are running as the busses to DTD (from any resort) are the least reliable on property.

With so many meals planned away from the parks, you are adding a lot of travel time --- which means less time in the parks to do all the fun stuff. Sitdown meals can average anywhere from 1.5-2 hours from the time you arrive until you depart. That doesn't include getting there. If you are using Disney transportation and not your own car, this will add up.

For example, the boat ride to Boardwalk from DHS for lunch at ESPN -- you are going to have to walk to the front of the park from where ever you are, walk out past the entrance to the boat dock, wait for a boat. Load onto the boat. Take the ride to Swan/Dolphin load/unload, Y&B Club load/unload and then to Boardwalk. And while it can be an enjoyable boatride, it is very slow moving. It will take longer than you think .. trust me. And just hope they aren't switching crews ... yes, more time!

I agree that if you can change your tickets to non-hopping, you will save yourself some money and time. If you can't, then I would get as much done as possible first thing in the am, then take a break, and had back to the same park for dinner, or a nearby resort, then enjoy the evening there as well.

Good luck with your planning. Hope you have a great time with your kids.

 

[heather13]

You're going to have so much fun!! I think Disney is even more magical for little girls. I don't know about a stroller used in lieu of a wheelchair, but when my mom went with us (wheelchair bound for the trip) we were able to work with the CM at the entrance of every ride and they found a way to accommodate us. Sometimes we stayed in line and just pushed the chair, other times we moved to a separate line so that she could leave the wheelchair there and we could get into an accessible boat / car / teacup (whatever was the mode of transport for that ride). She did almost everything except Buzz Lightyear and Dumbo. But at least the CM was able to help guide us for what was best at that location.

Personally (having traveled with a 2 and 5yo) I found it easier to just stay in one park. There was a bit less pressure then for us to see everything. At AK we even missed two areas (although we went to Camp Minnie Mickey which can be a time waster, and saw two shows and the parade) and were there from opening through EMH. I also found that my girls could be a bit cranky in the morning. They were very wound up at night, so when they awakened it sometimes took a while to get everyone out the door. There will be a LOT of walking so even your oldest might want to be carried or ride in a stroller by the end. One park allows for more down time and resting between rides.

I agree with a pp comment that you don't have much time at EPCOT. I agree - that requires at least a full day. Most of all relax and have a good time. Planning this can be SO stressful; just remember that the main goal is to have fun!

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

It looks like a lot of hopping around, which may be difficult especially with little ones. But, that is my opinion--we never hop. We get to a park first thing in the morning and stay until the end of the night. Our little ones nap in the stroller and we take breaks during the day. It works best this way for us. Have fun!!

 

[MARCIAKAZ]

I agree with most other posters about too much park hopping. Honestly, hopping is tedious and time consuming...you end up with a lot of extra walking entering and exiting parks, waiting in line for buses, riding buses. If you're going back to your resort anyway, it's not too bad if you spend AM at one park and PM at another because you don't end up with extra trips. Another thing to consider is that the table-service meals will take 1 to 1 1/2 hours, so between meals and traveling back and forth, you use up a lot of prime time.

Here are my suggested changes-I moved a couple of things around to reduce the number of hops/trips, but didn't change any of your fundamentals:

June 7th:
Arrival day
check in to riverside
take the boat to DTD
dinner at Earl of Sandwich
admire the Legos statues, etc...then back to the resort for a good nights rest!

June 8th:
Breakfast in room
magic kingdom
lunch at a quick service place
bbb appointment for the two older girls
back to mk for dinner at cinderella's royal table
I would not take the afternoon nap break this day. The girls (and the parents!) will get to rest a bit during lunch, the BBB appointment and dinner; and there is always the stroller nap option for your youngest DD

June 9th:
Breakfast in room to save time so you can get to AK early.
animal kingdom in am
Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ
back to room for swim/rest
epcot evening
dinner at rose and crown
illuminations


June 10th:
Breakfast in room
go to the boardwalk
lunch at ESPN Club
back to resort to rest/swim
dinner at chef mickey's at contemporary
ride the monorail and "tour" the monorail resorts, before and/or after dinner. Shortly before 9:00pm, plop down on any one of the monorail resort beaches to see the Electrical Water Pageant. Since you have little ones, I suggest the Poly, because the Pageant begins there.


June 11th:
Breakfast in room to save time so you can get to HS early.
hollywood studios
back to resort to lunch/rest/swim
hop to epcot for evening
dinner at askershus restaurant

June 12th:
Breakfast in room
mk morning
counter service lunch
Fort Wilderness afternoon, take the boat over
tri-circle D ranch for pony rides and/or a carriage ride
dinner at Trails End
Chip'n Dale's Campfire Sing-a-long starts at 7:30. Roast marshmallows and watch a movie.

June 13th:
Breakfast in room
studios am
back to resort to lunch/rest/relax
dinner at raglan road at dtd
DTD souvenir shopping, either before or after dinner

June 14th:
Breakfast at kona cafe
then head home

 

[keypooh90]

One more tip--don't expect to do it all. Slow down and really enjoy your time as a family!

 

[Fire14]

I personally find I can't stand AK for more than 1/2 day and I usually vist AK in Am than hop to DHS.

 

[jennabcassell]

You will have a refridgerator in your room and I would bring breakfast food to eat. The resort breakfast food is really not that great- eggs, waffles pancake, bagels, fruit, yougurt. Bring your own! I would save your qs dining credits for luch. If you do buy breakfast at the hotel, pay for it out of pocket and save the dining credits. A yougurt and fruit parfait is huge and your three girls could easily split it. I dont know if you are flying or driving, but i'd bring granola bars, dried cereal, bagels, bananas, apples, that kind of stuff and eat on the run or in the room. Also you can bring food into the parks as long as it is not in a glass bottle and the cooler is under a certain size. (if it fits in the stroller your fine) I bring juice boxes, gold fish, etc... Disney will give free glasses of ice water, i also bring the powdered drink mixes and pour the drink into our water bottles. Bring water bottles you can hang on your stroller, also go to Walmart and buy water mister bottles with the fan- Walmart is the only place I have found them, $7, a I write the kids name on them and decorate them with Disney stickers. They are expensive at the parks and you will want them! Ialso grab a little disney notebook to use as an autograph book. Also know that you can use your snack credits for breakfast like food at the resort. A bagel, fruit, juice, milk- all 1 snack credit. Also you dont have to use them all each day, you can use them all at once or spread them out as you see fit.

I would not really try to park hop that much. It is time consuming and a lot with three kids getting on and off the buses. I almost would pick one park a day, go in the am, rest , and then go back in the pm to do what you missed. Tkae advantage of fast passes and child swap passes! They make things go smooth! There are several child play areas around attractions that you and your husband can let the kids play while you ride adult rides, like Splash Mountain and Mission Space.

Get on the Disney website and see what other options are available for dining if you want to switch. SOme of my kids favorite restaurants that I didnt see on your list are The Crystal Palace, Rainforest Cafe, Coral Reef, Sci fi dine in, 50s prime time, Ohanas, Chef Mickeys, Via Napoli, Sunshine Seasons at Epcot(quick service), Caseys Corner (MK QS).

Dont forget to pick up a couple cheap ponchos at walmart incase it rains, also get one to go over the strollers. It always happens to rain on the stroller when we are on a ride!! And the stroller parking is not covered!

Sorry to ramble on and on! Hope you have a magical trip! Be sure to explore more of the boards to answer any of your questions. I also find the moms panel on the disney website really helpful as well as allears.net!

Jenna

 

[defendthehill]

I am going to agree with most of the PPs that for me there is too much running around. We went to Disney with our three girls when they were 7,5, and 3. Did not do Park Hoppers and obviously focused on one park a day. Studio and Animal Kingdom days were short and we would go back and swim after lunch. Breakfast in the room is what we did and continue to do when we go. With the exception of a Chef Mickey's trip. I think you are obviously planning a wonderful trip....my advice would be not to waste too much time transferring between DTD, Parks, Resorts for meals, etc.... your little one will get tired! Have fun planning and a wonderful trip!!

 

[Missymouse18]

I am so happy for you and your family!! You are going to have a blast!! Let me start by saying that your plans look pretty good, but as newbies, I am not so sure all the hopping is ideal. A lot of people park hop, but we never do. It is an added expense and it requires a lot of time that I don't want to give up . But there are some who hop and love it , but usually it is the seasoned vets who kind of have a tried and true game plan. I think that whoever mentioned the Earl of Sandwich made a great recommendation. We usually eat at our resort food court the first night we arrive and head to DTD after we eat, but that depends on what time frame we are running on. I do hope that you and your family have a Magical time. Good luck and have fun!!

 

[mommaof3girls]

Well, I have taken the advice you all have given and have rearranged plans and changed some ADRs to not have to use park hopping.

June 7th:
arrive at MCO at 1:00 pm
get rental car and go to Riverside
boat launch to DTD
dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express

June 8th:
breakfast in room
MK
lunch at Columbia Harbor House
BBB appointment at 3:30 pm
dinner at CRT at 6

June 9th:
breakfast in room
Epcot
lunch at Sunshine Seasons
back to room for rest/swim
back to Epcot early evening
dinner at 6:30 pm at Rose and Crown

June 10th
breakfast in room
Animal Kingdom am
lunch at Pizzafari
Jammin Jungle Parade
dinner at Rainforest Cafe
evening at resort

June 11th:
off day
breakfast in am
lunch at River Mill Food Court
dinner at Chef Mickey's
campfire and movie at Fort Wilderness

June 12th:
breakfast am
DHS morning
lunch at ESPN Club out of pocket
back to Studios
dinner at Mama's
Fantasmic!

June 13th:
MK morning
lunch at Captain Cook's at Poly
dinner at Plaza Restaurant
MK evening for Wishes

June 14th:
breakfast at Olivia's
depart

 

[Traveliz]

Well, I have taken the advice you all have given and have rearranged plans and changed some ADRs to not have to use park hopping.

June 7th:
arrive at MCO at 1:00 pm
get rental car and go to Riverside
boat launch to DTD
dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express

June 8th:
breakfast in room
MK
lunch at Columbia Harbor House
BBB appointment at 3:30 pm
dinner at CRT at 6

June 9th:
breakfast in room
Epcot
lunch at Sunshine Seasons
back to room for rest/swim
back to Epcot early evening
dinner at 6:30 pm at Rose and Crown

June 10th
breakfast in room
Animal Kingdom am
lunch at Pizzafari
Jammin Jungle Parade
dinner at Rainforest Cafe
evening at resort

June 11th:
off day
breakfast in am
lunch at River Mill Food Court
dinner at Chef Mickey's
campfire and movie at Fort Wilderness

June 12th:
breakfast am
DHS morning
lunch at ESPN Club out of pocket
back to Studios
dinner at Mama's
Fantasmic!

June 13th:
MK morning
lunch at Captain Cook's at Poly
dinner at Plaza Restaurant
MK evening for Wishes

June 14th:
breakfast at Olivia's
depart

That looks MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE! My only comment would be ESPN after Studios (which we actually do) and then dinner at Mama Melroses might be too much food. That is just us though.

Next I would fit in what you plan to do before lunch, before dinner, after dinner, etc.

Liz

 

[jhaig]

I would still work in some time for rest/swim back at the hotel. Summer can be brutal, especially for tired little feet. I can see those late dinner dates with worn-out kids being pretty stressful (I speak from experience)

 

[Hook326]

Your new plan looks great! With a 2 & 5 year old we don't hop, and it's just so much easier! Have a great trip!

 

[Ariel2983]

I agree with everyone else..its to much hoppping..you will need to plan for atleast 1 hour using the disney transportation..I know how you feel though each trip to Disney I wish to do it all too!! but its better to just take it all in one park at a time and relax and spend time with your family..make some memories and take some pictures instead of feeling like this waiting for a bus all day and BBB before swimming isnt a great idea either..maybe skip it that day..or do it after dinner? Im sure you all will have a great time!!

 

[Ariel2983]

oops sorry! didnt see the revised plan..its looks great!! have a good trip!

 

[mommaof3girls]

So we have looked at the attraction descriptions online and made lists of everything we want to do at each park.

Does anyone have suggestions of the order to do the rides in each park:

MK: Dumbo, Barnstormer, Small World, Carousel, Winnie the Pooh, Philharmagic, Peter Pan's Flight, Tommorowland Transit Authority, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Aladdin's Carpets, Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, child swap for Haunted Mansion, Space, Splash (only DD 6 is tall enough for Splash and BTMRR), maybe do Pirates

Epcot: Spaceship Earth, Figment, Nemo, Turtle Talk, child swap for Mission: Space and Soarin (DD 6 is tall enough, DD 4 and 2 are not), all the countries and kidcot stops, epcot character spot

DHS: Great Movie Ride, Character greetings, Toy Story Mania, child swap for Star Tours, RnRC, and ToT, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Disney Junior and Disney Channel Rocks, hopefully Idol

AK: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River, Festival of The Lion King, Nemo, animal trails

 

[Stasieki]

So we have looked at the attraction descriptions online and made lists of everything we want to do at each park.

Does anyone have suggestions of the order to do the rides in each park:

MK: Dumbo, Barnstormer, Small World, Carousel, Winnie the Pooh, Philharmagic, Peter Pan's Flight, Tommorowland Transit Authority, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Aladdin's Carpets, Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, child swap for Haunted Mansion, Space, Splash (only DD 6 is tall enough for Splash and BTMRR), maybe do Pirates

Epcot: Spaceship Earth, Figment, Nemo, Turtle Talk, child swap for Mission: Space and Soarin (DD 6 is tall enough, DD 4 and 2 are not), all the countries and kidcot stops, epcot character spot

DHS: Great Movie Ride, Character greetings, Toy Story Mania, child swap for Star Tours, RnRC, and ToT, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Disney Junior and Disney Channel Rocks, hopefully Idol

AK: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River, Festival of The Lion King, Nemo, animal trails

For MK, my favorite order is: fast pass Peter pan, dumbo, pooh, barnstormer, Fastpass space Mtn, buzz, fast pass splash, haunted mansion, jungle cruise, Aladdin, pirates. Then, lastly philharmagic and TTA

For Epcot: fast pass soarin, character spot, mission, nemo, turtle talk, figment, spaceship earth, countries

DHS: toy story, rnrc, tot, beauty and beast, Disney junior, little mermaid, star tours, great movie ride

AK: safari, animal trail, nemo, lion king , Kali

Also, is there a special reason you want to eat at captain cooks? I just stayed at Poly and I thought the selection and food was pretty poor. Port Orleans has a much better counter service IMO

Your trip looks great!!!!!'

 

[lumpy08]

Your trip looks great. The only thing I wanted to mention is that you will be there during star wars weekends. I know yu have girls, but it is really a lot of fun. It is on June 8-10 at HS. The opening of the park is really cute with the storm troopers. They have a parade and a dance off. Go on you tube and do a search on star wars dance off. My DD loved the dance off. Or if it doesn't interest you the other parks may be less busy.

I see you have fantastic and dinner at melrose so I am assuming you have the package. You will love it! I would suggest bringing a package of the glow bracelets. You can get them at Michael's. They are 15 for $1. It kept my kids busy. You do have less wait with the package,but there still is a little wait. I brought a couple paks with me and the kids around us had a ball. Then since it is dark you can always find your kids with the bracelets on. I would also suggest to pick up some ear plugs. My DS is sensitive to loud noises. Just where you have the little one. They don't take up much room in your bag. (you can also use for illuminations. I remember coming out of akersaus and the fireworks already started. It was beautiful but very loud.

The other thing I did when planning my trip was someone posted on here a link for estimated travel times from resort to park. I just drafted an out my day along with travel times and it really helped. We went in June our first trip and it was hot. The best advice I used was once they complained we headed back to the resorts for a swim.

 

[MrsJD]

I think your revised trip looks very good! Wishing your girls a magical trip!

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

It looks like you don't have an evening planned at the Studios, I would plan to make it to Fantasmic unless you think it would be too intense for the kids, you know your kids best but Fantasmic is a must-see for me Also I didn't see you specifically mention Wishes at MK, DON'T MISS WISHES!!! That is a MUST-MUST-MUST-SEE!!! Consider the Wishes Desert Party. Hope your trip is magical