3 year old's first trip - schedule

[abouley]

We are going to Disneyland on July 2nd and 3rd with my nephew who is turning 3. My son who is also 3 has been to disneyland 3 times and we'll have our 8 month old as well. Normally, we go in and hit dumbo, storybook rides, etc first (doing the ridemax order). But, I'm afraid of scaring my nephew on some of the dark and "scary" rides right off and then having him afraid of rides (he hasn't really done anything like this before). The tickets they have don't let them park hop so we were planning Disneyland on the 2nd and CA adventure on the 3rd.

My question is - how should we plan our day so that we ease him into the dark and scary rides but don't end up standing in line forever. I think with only 2 days and no park hopping, we aren't going to hit everything. Nemo might not be on our list this trip for example. Oh, and of course Monday is EE so likely the ride lines will start off busy and we don't have EE.

I'm thinking something like this:
Dumbo
Alice
Teacups
Casey Jr.
Carousel
Pirates (if they seem ok with it)
Jungle cruise
Winnie the Pooh
Small World
Buzz (get fast pass earlier)
Toon Town (probably just play)
Go to the Island (if we have time)
Autopia (get fass pass earlier)
Train around the park at some point when we need a rest

Any rides I missed that a 3 year old should really do. Think we will be able to squeeze this all in? We will probably want to watch the parade and fireworks. Not sure if we'lll be able to hit fantasmic. That's a lot of sitting all in a row for 3 year olds.

Thanks!
Alison

 

[DLR29]

I definitely would not miss Peter Pan. There are no scary parts and it is a very fun ride for all ages. It is tough though because both Monday and Tuesday are EE days so Fantasyland lines will be long to start both days. Also even though Nemo might be a great ride for everyone, if both days are EE and you don't have it, I wouldn't bother with the already long line.

I am curious at what tickets your nephew has that won't allow park hopping. I don't think there is a ticket out there over 1 day that doesn't allow park hopping (except for the 2fer promo which ended a while ago)

 

[abouley]

I love peter pan and my son loves seeing captain hook! I guess we'll see how long that line is first. You're right it's not really scary. A little dark and my son was afraid when we went at 2 of the dark but a couple of months ago he was ok.

They live in So. Cal and costco was offering 4 single day tickets that had to be used by end of Nov I believe. I think cost was around $120ish. They are planning to go back for 2 more days with us in Oct as well. Hopefully Nemo lines will be shorter then!

We have an annual pass so no EE for us but I was planning to be able to go to DL before CA on our 2nd day and now can't. You can ride so many rides 1st thing!

Alison

 

[DLR29]

Oh, the Costco tickets. I see. My grandparents bought those once and joined us 1 day of our trip. It is a good deal although it is a bummer to not be able to hop. But if you are planning to go again in October, take your time. As you noted in your first post, you won't see everything, so tell the kids that and make sure that they understand that skipping a ride is okay.

 

[tinkerbelt]

I'd ease into the dark rides later. But honestly, you really never know what's going to scare little kids, especially 3 year olds.

Definitely try really hard to go to Pirate Island. It's so much fun, and it's great for little ones who have had to stand in line all day long. It helps them get the pent-up energy out.

 

[bumbershoot]

When you write dark and scary rides, I can only think of Snow White and Pinocchio. And honestly, I doubt I'll ever do those rides again, until DS or a future child insists. The storylines were so chopped up, the seemed to only show the bad parts of the story, and the sound was awful (I will note that I seem to have some hearing loss and tinnitus...BUT my hubby said he had a hard time hearing too). Especially with 3 year olds (I have one too!) IMO there's no need to go there.

Therefore, none of your rides, IMO, are dark or scary! Maybe officially "dark rides" b/c they are inside and there's some darkness, but not dark in the sense of the storyline.

Oh wait, now I'm NOT an expert at all. See my sig, as an adult I've only been there twice and those were one-day trips! And we got there late (darned slowpoke brother and SIL!), to boot! But I've read the guidebooks, and I seem to remember them saying that Casey, Jr wasn't a must do, and that doing the storybookland canal boat is a much better way to see the same sights. Plus the Casey Jr train cars are eeensy, they say! So I'd swap out Casey Jr and do the boat instead (that line was long last year in October!).

Something I just recently read was the suggestion to do Peter Pan first, and THEN do Dumbo. I remember reading it b/c there were Dumbo-first people questioning it, but the reasoning for PP first made sense. It was less than a week ago, and I think the post was something about EE and order of rides. Now, if you're not doing EE, then that suggestion might be ridiculous. But I know for our trip, assuming Peter Pan is open (it hasn't been on our trips), I'm going on it first, because I've never been! I only hope my decision agrees with our son.


And my last thought is about Autopia. Make sure they aren't tired or upset or in an otherwise clingy mood. I found out the hard way that over a year old, they HAVE TO sit on the seat. They won't even let you go if the kiddo is on your lap over a certain age. DS was clingy and upset that we couldn't go in the car with DH, and wanted to sit on my lap and wouldn't even *pretend* to sit on the seat until we left, and DS and I had to get up, out of the car, and do the walk of shame out the exit. So make sure the kids are raring to go and fine sitting on the seat, when you go.

One more...the FP line for Autopia is, unless they changed it, JUNK. We spent just as long going through FP as others we saw getting into the stand-by line. It joined up with the regular line INCREDIBLY early on in the line, so it was just silly. I mean, maybe we shaved a little time off, but just don't use FP thinking it's going to be, you know, FAST, because it may very well be very very slow.


Hope that helps, have a wonderful trip!

 

[Twinprincesses]

I would dewfinatly do Peter Pan.

Our issues at that age was Snow White and Haunted Mansion. SO we stayed away from those.

If he is big enough do Soarin. My girls LOVE that ride. Also Monsters Inc is good.

I would stay away form Roger Rabbitt too it totally creeped my girls out.

 

[brenda1966]

My DD didn't like Alice ride the first time-- she thought it was scary, so i'd probably switch that out for Peter Pan too.

Also, agree that the FP for Autotopia is a joke. They just sent me to the regular line for my 40 minute wait.

I'd also do the canal boats over casey Jr. Train if I had to chose one.

My DD didn't like Roger Rabbit at first either.

 

[bumbershoot]

What is bad about Roger Rabbit?

We never even went into TT on our previous visits, and DS saw a picture of RR on disneyland's site, and DS is talking talking talking about it now.

Also, I've never been on Alice or Peter Pan, so please, no one take my not including Alice as a "dark" ride as factual.

Oh, and I think DS would have been fine at 2 with Haunted Mansion, but the Nightmare/Xmas overlay was just too creepy for him (and me!), and then the people screaming their lungs out in the "stretch room" sent him completely over the edge, and we had to leave the attraction. (and those black-painted hallways were FAR scarier, longer, quieter, and spookier than the ride could possibly have been)

 

[tinkerbelt]

What is bad about Roger Rabbit?

We never even went into TT on our previous visits, and DS saw a picture of RR on disneyland's site, and DS is talking talking talking about it now.

Also, I've never been on Alice or Peter Pan, so please, no one take my not including Alice as a "dark" ride as factual.

Oh, and I think DS would have been fine at 2 with Haunted Mansion, but the Nightmare/Xmas overlay was just too creepy for him (and me!), and then the people screaming their lungs out in the "stretch room" sent him completely over the edge, and we had to leave the attraction. (and those black-painted hallways were FAR scarier, longer, quieter, and spookier than the ride could possibly have been)

RR is kind of dark and loud. It scared my DD when she was little, but I know kids that it didn't scare. DD also liked the Nightmare version of the HM better than the regular for a couple of years.

I think it will vary with every kid. I'm sure there are kids who are scared on It's a Small World.

 

[PrincessIM]

Definately do Autopia. My son (2 1/2) loved it. He also really enjoyed the Casey Jr. Train (didn't do the boats). Went once on PP and he refused to go again so we didn't even try him on Pirates of the Carribean, Snow White or Pinocchio. Buzz was also a big hit as were the Astro Orbiters and Dumbo. Pirates Lair is a great place for them to burn off some energy. Have fun!