1st Timers

[Mrs Cox]

Hello we have booked to go next February with our 2 children 6&8 - staying in caribbean beach . Their not be big ride fans so is there any smaller family rides people recommend to book for our fast passes? I’ve seen people have full on daily plans of where they will be and what rides there doing every day along with dinning reservations does everything need to be planned this much? I was thinking more rough ideas of which parks for fast past purposes but going with the flow on eating unless a character meal which I know we need to book in advance.

Also with regards to eating we have the qsdp included is this generally enough food or should we upgrade to the next plan (I’ve heard you can change 1ts meal for 2 qs meals?) I’ve read some bits on how to get the best out of your plan but it all ends up confusing me

This really will be a once in a lifetime trip for us so I really want to make sure we get it right first time round and don’t have any regrets or find useful things out at the end of our holiday.
Any help/info will be really appreciated. Thank you

 

[BigBadDisneyDad]

You will definitely benefit by planning, but just know that you will not get to everything in 1 trip. Magic Kingdom will be the best place for your little ones as it has the most rides (most of which are family friendly) of all the parks. Disney World is more of an experience than a place to ride stuff. However, the more you plan ahead, the better your experience will be. Have fun!!

 

[BigBadDisneyDad]

As for dining, portions for food are typically large. QS quality is pretty good, but TS is better and comes with theming. Our family will sometimes share meals and it is always cheaper than the dining plans.

 

[Bjkandma]

Just want to let you know, you cannot convert 2 quick service credits to 1 table service or character meal. I suggest you compare the regular dining plan (1 qs,1 TS, 2 snacks and the refillable mug) with the quick service plan. For kids (ages 3-9) the cost of the regular plan is equal to or slightly less than one character meal per day.

We use the regular plan and you can share some meals (not character, buffet, all you can eat). Most snacks at definitely shareable. Cupcakes to candy apples cast members will cut\divide. Asking for an extra cup and spoon to share ice cream also doable.

The more you plan, the less "frustration" at the parks. For instance you can book dining reservations at 180 days, fast passes (3 per day) at 60 days out. I'd suggest at least start there.

please know that you will not be able to do it all. You will be walking miles per day. (10 plus miles per day is normal.

 

[Mrs Cox]

As for dining, portions for food are typically large. QS quality is pretty good, but TS is better and comes with theming. Our family will sometimes share meals and it is always cheaper than the dining plans.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply it’s much appreciated.

 

[Mrs Cox]

Just want to let you know, you cannot convert 2 quick service credits to 1 table service or character meal. I suggest you compare the regular dining plan (1 qs,1 TS, 2 snacks and the refillable mug) with the quick service plan. For kids (ages 3-9) the cost of the regular plan is equal to or slightly less than one character meal per day.

We use the regular plan and you can share some meals (not character, buffet, all you can eat). Most snacks at definitely shareable. Cupcakes to candy apples cast members will cut\divide. Asking for an extra cup and spoon to share ice cream also doable.

The more you plan, the less "frustration" at the parks. For instance you can book dining reservations at 180 days, fast passes (3 per day) at 60 days out. I'd suggest at least start there.

please know that you will not be able to do it all. You will be walking miles per day. (10 plus miles per day is normal.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I think I maybe worded it wrongly I meant could we convert 1 ts meal for 2 qs meals?
Thank you for the other information. I was going to do fast passes and book a couple of character dinning restaurants so I will make sure I look into this a little more before our reservation date come available

 

[Bjkandma]

Last year you could convert 1 TS to 2_QS. Now, Disney is saying it's 1 to 1.

 

[Mrs Cox]

Last year you could convert 1 TS to 2_QS. Now, Disney is saying it's 1 to 1.

Thank you

 

[Jessebear]

I look at it this way, if I’m going to be sitting around trying to decide where to eat/ what to do, I would rather do it at home than spend my vacation time doing it. You may want to get Birnbaum’s Guide Book which describes all the rides. Then you can try to predict the ones your kids definitely will want to skip.
I plan out our day with a general idea of where we want two of our meals, then we snack a lot. That way I can almost always say yes when the kids see a snack they want to have.
We like to do one table service per day just to cool off and relax.

 

[Mrs Cox]

I look at it this way, if I’m going to be sitting around trying to decide where to eat/ what to do, I would rather do it at home than spend my vacation time doing it. You may want to get Birnbaum’s Guide Book which describes all the rides. Then you can try to predict the ones your kids definitely will want to skip.
I plan out our day with a general idea of where we want two of our meals, then we snack a lot. That way I can almost always say yes when the kids see a snack they want to have.
We like to do one table service per day just to cool off and relax.

Thank You

 

[JH50]

At their age, MK is probably the park you want to spend the most time at, as they have the most rides for that age group. Definitely FP 7DMT, and the fireworks are also a must. If you need a break, the Peoplemover is a great attraction. It gives great views of the park, and usually isn't much of a wait. My favorites are Haunted Mansion and POC.

For AK, EE and FOP are great rides, but probably not for your kids. I love Kilimanjaro, which is a must do (at night and morning). The Lion King and Nemo shows are also great, and Dinosaur is a good ride. The aesthetics of the park are awesome!

For HS, TSMM is a great family ride, as is SDD (which is a very hard to get FP). I am also a big fan of Star Tours. TOT and RNRC are thrill rides, so your options may be limited here.

For Epcot (my least favorite park), Soarin is great (as long as you sit in middle - Section B), as is Test Track. The Frozen ride is ok, but your kids may enjoy it. I'm not a huge fan of the World Showcase, but that's probably because of the heat and how long it takes to walk around it from our trips there.

You definitely want to book FP's, as this will cut down the amount of time you wait in line. This can be a bit of a science, but will enhance your trip.

Those are the highlights. Keep in mind that it is impossible to see everything, and you will probably have the itch to go back!

 

[Mrs Cox]

At their age, MK is probably the park you want to spend the most time at, as they have the most rides for that age group. Definitely FP 7DMT, and the fireworks are also a must. If you need a break, the Peoplemover is a great attraction. It gives great views of the park, and usually isn't much of a wait. My favorites are Haunted Mansion and POC.

For AK, EE and FOP are great rides, but probably not for your kids. I love Kilimanjaro, which is a must do (at night and morning). The Lion King and Nemo shows are also great, and Dinosaur is a good ride. The aesthetics of the park are awesome!

For HS, TSMM is a great family ride, as is SDD (which is a very hard to get FP). I am also a big fan of Star Tours. TOT and RNRC are thrill rides, so your options may be limited here.

For Epcot (my least favorite park), Soarin is great (as long as you sit in middle - Section B), as is Test Track. The Frozen ride is ok, but your kids may enjoy it. I'm not a huge fan of the World Showcase, but that's probably because of the heat and how long it takes to walk around it from our trips there.

You definitely want to book FP's, as this will cut down the amount of time you wait in line. This can be a bit of a science, but will enhance your trip.

Those are the highlights. Keep in mind that it is impossible to see everything, and you will probably have the itch to go back!

Thank you for all that, I shall make note of it all