3 days enough with 3 and 5 year old?

[kll856]

I have a feeling I'm about to become a regular here!

We're planning a trip to Disneyland with our 3 and 5 year old daughters. The 5 year old is pretty short so won't be able to do the rides requiring 42" height and is pretty cautious anyhow so we'll be sticking to teacups and the like. We're tentatively planning on 3 day park hopper tickets, thinking that will give us enough time to check everything out on a relatively slow pace, taking maybe an afternoon off, etc.

Does this sound reasonable? Or am I crazy?

 

[mouseymommy]

I think that should be enough time. It really does depend on the time of year and how busy it is. If you decide you want to ride the bigger rides, remember they have rider switch. Those are such nice ages for DL, you'll have a blast!

 

[coaches24]

I think that should be enough time. It really does depend on the time of year and how busy it is. If you decide you want to ride the bigger rides, remember they have rider switch. Those are such nice ages for DL, you'll have a blast!

Yes the rider switch is great. While I long for the time when I will be able to ride Indiana Jones with my DW and DD instead of alone it is still great to be able to take a little break with my DD while my wife goes on the ride and then she gets a little break while I go. And my DD (3) just loves being at DL so she is happy regardless.

Our last trip when my DD was 2 we did a few rides that she could do and then would hit a big one we wanted that she wasnt big enough for. I also used that time to take my DD through peter pans tree house and some other things like that.

I only have one kid but 3 days is just right for us (I would like to do more but our budget doesnt allow it). So 3 days we get through all the major stuff and our favorites we hit quite a few times (poc, hm, and all the little kiddie ones).

 

[dbbydk]

I have a feeling I'm about to become a regular here!

We're planning a trip to Disneyland with our 3 and 5 year old daughters. The 5 year old is pretty short so won't be able to do the rides requiring 42" height and is pretty cautious anyhow so we'll be sticking to teacups and the like. We're tentatively planning on 3 day park hopper tickets, thinking that will give us enough time to check everything out on a relatively slow pace, taking maybe an afternoon off, etc.

Does this sound reasonable? Or am I crazy?

Yes, you will become a regular here. It's addictive.

We went to DL when our DD was 4 and DS was 9mos. She was a little under the 42" height, but rode anything she was tall enough to ride. We were worried about the roller coasters, but DH took her on the Chin n' Dale one in Toon Town, and she loved it, and couldn't wait to do BTMR, Splash Mountain, etc.

And, we had 4 day park hoppers the second time we went, during a slow time, and it was fine. We used the 4th day just to shop, and lazily ride some rides.

 

[runr]

When DS was 1 and our niece was 3 I thought 3 days was plenty. Our disneyland trips area always over long weekends anyway though... For me it's plenty. Exhausting but worth it. I also know that we will go every 1-2 years so I don't feel any pressure to "fit it all in" which could be trouble with small children anyways. We also bring at least one grandparent though so the kids can go to sleep, have grandma stay with them and then us parents can go back over to the park or out to a nice dinner and that has worked fabulously!

 

[Butterfly123]

We did 3 days when our kids were younger. I think it was fine. We didn't go all commando, just took our time and enjoyed the things the kids wanted to do. There is plenty of time for going all out as your kids get older. I know after 3 days the kids were pretty tired (and the parents, too.).

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Our first trip with the boys was when they were 3 and 5. We had 3 day hoppers. There were many things we skipped by choice, and we did take afternoon rest breaks at the hotel on two of the days and in DtD on the last day. It was a challenging trip since it was our first experience at Disneyland and since it was during spring break (the week before Easter). We hadn't expected to make a regular event of going to Disney and after that week I told DH I had had enough of Disney and didn't care if we ever went back.

My stance softened and we went back about a year later a couple of weeks before Easter with 5 day hoppers so we could take our time and really feel like we were on vacation. I loved that trip and really became hooked. We have been back over twenty times since.

We had a lot of things working against us that first trip, unfamiliarity with the parks, really young kids (one still in diapers), warmer than expected weather, heavy spring break crowds. In that situation, 4 or 5 day hoppers and a more relaxed approach would have been really nice.

If you are not going at a peak time, 3 day hoppers and the expectation of saving some activities for future trips will be fine, but I still think 4 day hoppers would be better so you don't begrudge break and nap times. If you are going at a very peak time like the weeks around Easter or Thanksgiving week or Christmas time, then I would suggest a 5 day hopper for sure and a lot of patience.

 

[Disluvney]

I think 3 days will be perfect in the "off-peak" times. We recently went in 3rd week of September (most kids back in school) and 3 days was perfect for us. We took our 4 yr old dd and 18 month old ds for the first time. Wait times were not more than 25 min for non FP rides and we strategically used the FP system for the popular rides. That made for happy kids since we never had to wait that long. We never felt rushed and just took our time soaking in the whole experience with the kids. So I think you will be able to cover a lot of the park in 3 days during the slow times. However, if you are going during the busy times, especially on the weekends, it's hard to say you will get "everything" done. Also, having an extra adult (in our case, Grandma helped out a lot) is always nice to stay back with anyone who can't ride or who needs a rest/snack so Mom and Dad can enjoy the rides with out having to do Rider Switch.

 

[mommamonster]

I have a feeling I'm about to become a regular here!

We're planning a trip to Disneyland with our 3 and 5 year old daughters. The 5 year old is pretty short so won't be able to do the rides requiring 42" height and is pretty cautious anyhow so we'll be sticking to teacups and the like. We're tentatively planning on 3 day park hopper tickets, thinking that will give us enough time to check everything out on a relatively slow pace, taking maybe an afternoon off, etc.

Does this sound reasonable? Or am I crazy?

I second that feeling. I just joined the boards a few days ago and so far I've learned a lot

I am taking my boys - ages 2 and 6 - in May/June and we are aiming for 4 days, but we are going to try to just go with the flow because we won't really know how much we can do and see until we see the size of the crowds that day. I plan to do a DL trip in 2013 in the fall, that will be closer to a week once we know what to expect with the parks and our kiddos.

Hope you & your daughters have a blast!

 

[BNM]

We just got back from a trip with our almost 5 yr old and 2 yr old. We had 4 day hoppers and went just for the evening to DCA on arrival day to eat and see WOC. We were able to do almost everything we wanted to do, and many things multiple times. We took a break each afternoon, but we got there early every day and toured pretty intensely. This was at a slow time of year, so crowds were low but a lot was under refurbishment.

Things I want to do next time that we missed include Alice ride, Snow white, autopia, Tom sawyer island, Fantasmic, muppets 3d. Oh, and matterhorn! And grizzly river run! We also want to go back to see Cars land. Next time I want to take a more leisurely pace and get 5 day hoppers, to give us another full day in the parks.

 

[mommamonster]

We just got back from a trip with our almost 5 yr old and 2 yr old. We had 4 day hoppers and went just for the evening to DCA on arrival day to eat and see WOC.

I am thinking about doing this same thing, if WOC is showing our arrival night. I am wondering how well my kids will do waiting to get good viewing spot for WOC and waiting for the show to start - my 2 y/o is a very busy little guy. Did you wait long to get your spot before the show?

 

[coaches24]

I am thinking about doing this same thing, if WOC is showing our arrival night. I am wondering how well my kids will do waiting to get good viewing spot for WOC and waiting for the show to start - my 2 y/o is a very busy little guy. Did you wait long to get your spot before the show?

Last Jan (2011) my DD was 2 on our trip to DL and she was so tired by the time F! and WOC were getting close that she passed out in the stroller and slept through both shows despite how loud they were. We were maybe 10 ft away from one of the speaker sets for F! and she still slept right through. This was after all day in the parks though.

 

[LoveMyTwoGIrls]

I am doing it in two days with a 2 and 4 year old. We aren't doing any of the "big" rides, just the rides that the kids can go on and of course site seeing.

I do plan to go back within they year when cars land opens, so I am not too concerned about seeing everything right away. But regardless, I am fairly certain that 2 days will be fine for our family.

 

[BNM]

I am thinking about doing this same thing, if WOC is showing our arrival night. I am wondering how well my kids will do waiting to get good viewing spot for WOC and waiting for the show to start - my 2 y/o is a very busy little guy. Did you wait long to get your spot before the show?

It worked out great for us. A weds night in off season is about as slow as it gets. We got the dining package (Ariel's) since we wanted to eat a nice dinner anyway. We couldn't finish the desserts so we brought our box of desserts along. We waited in the viewing area; about an hour before the show we had our pick of spots in the reserved dining section. I highly recommend this. Removed a lot of stress for me, and was a great beginning to our trip. I let the kids watch movies on my iPad While we waited, and pulled out some light toys I had brought from home as a surprise. I wish we had chosen a spot right at the front rail, though. The first rail back was ok, and was supposed to give the best view, but I still had to hold the little one up because the section with benches blocked his view of the projections.

 

[mommamonster]

Last Jan (2011) my DD was 2 on our trip to DL and she was so tired by the time F! and WOC were getting close that she passed out in the stroller and slept through both shows despite how loud they were. We were maybe 10 ft away from one of the speaker sets for F! and she still slept right through. This was after all day in the parks though.

Oh! I hadn't even thought about how late and how tired my littlest one might be. He can sleep through anything, so he would be the kid sleeping in front of the speakers too

It worked out great for us. A weds night in off season is about as slow as it gets. We got the dining package (Ariel's) since we wanted to eat a nice dinner anyway. We couldn't finish the desserts so we brought our box of desserts along. We waited in the viewing area; about an hour before the show we had our pick of spots in the reserved dining section. I highly recommend this. Removed a lot of stress for me, and was a great beginning to our trip. I let the kids watch movies on my iPad While we waited, and pulled out some light toys I had brought from home as a surprise. I wish we had chosen a spot right at the front rail, though. The first rail back was ok, and was supposed to give the best view, but I still had to hold the little one up because the section with benches blocked his view of the projections.

Good idea bringing the box of desserts along. I am seriously considering the Ariel's Grotto meal, and we rarely have room for dessert after dining out so we usually take the dessert to go. I am feeling much more confident that we can do that kind of stand-still wait now.

 

[cari12]

We went in 2009 when our kids were 4 and 6. We did 3 day parkhoppers and it was perfect. DS4 was not 42" either so we concentrated on all the little kid stuff. We went in October and were there Mon-Wed so not super busy. We were there at park opening each day and used some of the trip plan tips on here of which rides to do in what order to avoid lines as much as possible. We rarely had a line up of more than 5 minutes. We used MM to do Peter Pan, Dumbo, Toad, Alice and the Teacups and DH and DD6 went on the Matterhorn. The plan works! Did Nemo first thing one day and walked on. Went to TSMM first thing on the 3rd day and rode 3 times in a row with 10 min. max line-up. The only thing we did not get to do that was on my list was the Redwood Creek trail because the day/time we were going to do it, the kids were really tired so we went to Playhouse Disney Live and watched a live performance with characters from Little Einsteins, Handy Manny and more.
This year kids are 7and 9 and we are going for 5 days. We may do one day not at the parks though and just go to a beach or something.

 

[Vougar]

We recently got back from our trip to Disneyland and found 5 days was not enough for our family (Feb 7-11). It was the first trip to Disneyland for the four of us DW, DD(4), DD(2). Our two girls would not do the big rides (except the 4 yr old loved Soarin) and didn't like the dark rides. Two out of the five days we came back to the hotel for naps, but the other days we stayed till closing. Tuesday through Thursday we focused a lot on rides since lines were short, and Friday and Saturday we spent more time doing shows, character breakfast, and unpopular rides since the park was more crowded. Even though we arrived at the park at gate opening, and followed many tips on ride order from these forums, we still felt like we needed one more day to see the rest of the attractions.

I think one factor in deciding if X amount of days will be enough days in Disneyland is asking how often you will be able to get back. Since it was our first trip and because it will probably be 5+ years until we return, we wanted to soak in as much as we could. It was my goal to mark off all of the attractions/shows from both parks but we still missed some.

 

[Midnightred]

Our family went last summer and had 3 day Park Hoppers. We missed Casey Train and the Canal Boats, both Toy Story rides, Little Mermaid, and Toon Town. We will be back with 6 day Park Hoppers next time. We rode some of our favs more than once, Alice, Dumbo, Teacups, Pirates every day.

Midnightred

 

[lwilkison]

I have a feeling I'm about to become a regular here!

We're planning a trip to Disneyland with our 3 and 5 year old daughters. The 5 year old is pretty short so won't be able to do the rides requiring 42" height and is pretty cautious anyhow so we'll be sticking to teacups and the like. We're tentatively planning on 3 day park hopper tickets, thinking that will give us enough time to check everything out on a relatively slow pace, taking maybe an afternoon off, etc.

Does this sound reasonable? Or am I crazy?

Crazy?! Not at all! When we first took our DD (3 year old @ first visit)...we did 6 day park hoppers.

We took it easy though...we had 6 days, well the option to do 6 days anyway. We would get up in morning, get ready, have breakfast stroll over to DLR, when gates open we usually went through Gate is it 21?! It moves the fastest...then we waited for the train that went around DLR as everyone walks down main street and with little ones you will have a better time jumping on train (even if you wait 15 minutes for the first one) and ride all the way around to Fantasyland as that is where all the great rides are (there and Toon town)...if you take the train you will even beat the crowds to Fantasyland.

It is a great opportunity to have your little ones see characters with (hardly) any line ups...which DLR has line ups!

Also, get some walkie-talkies...they were indispensable when we get separated even just 10 feet away from each other! It made our trip much more enjoyable.

So for the amount of days you have just remember, you are in DLR...have a great magical time! We ALWAYS do

 

[bakerudall]

We just got back from a trip with our almost 5 yr old and 2 yr old. We had 4 day hoppers and went just for the evening to DCA on arrival day to eat and see WOC. We were able to do almost everything we wanted to do, and many things multiple times. We took a break each afternoon, but we got there early every day and toured pretty intensely. This was at a slow time of year, so crowds were low but a lot was under refurbishment.

Things I want to do next time that we missed include Alice ride, Snow white, autopia, Tom sawyer island, Fantasmic, muppets 3d. Oh, and matterhorn! And grizzly river run! We also want to go back to see Cars land. Next time I want to take a more leisurely pace and get 5 day hoppers, to give us another full day in the parks.

I love that the first thing we all think about after a Disney trip is what we are going to do on our next Disney trip.