Add. Booked activies worth the time & $?

[UTgirl]

Is the additional activities you can book worth the extra time and money? IE - Kid's Pirate Adventure, Guided tours, etc.....

If so, which ones have you tried and recommend?

 

[EnviroChick]

I'm wondering the same thing. At times I even feel guilty for simply doing a one week WDW trip with only character meals and no "other" activities such as the fireworks cruise, P&P party etc... My husband thinks I'm crazy to feel that way; the family should be happy and grateful that we going, staying exclusively onsite in a deluxe resort with AP's and park hoppers and he says: "Enough is enough, the parks and all that go with them are plenty; let's not put everyone into SOM (stimulation overload mode)".

 

[Bibbidi]

My kids are still too young to have tried any of the extra activities yet, i.e. Pirates Cruise, Wonderland Tea Party, but I am thinking of doing the Family Magic Tour at the Magic Kingdom this time. I think it could be a fun change of pace through the park and I think my husband would enjoy it actually. It would switch things up from just racing to get a spot in line for rides. The reviews I've read about it have been positive and it seems like fun to have a "guided tour" of the MK.

 

[Tjaleks]

I booked the Family Magic Tour recently for our June trip. I enjoyed all the reviews and 98% were positive. (You can't please everyone.) I think this is something my children will enjoy. Also all of the reviews mentioned a lot of interaction between the characters, (usually Peter Pan & Wendy), and the kids. I think we will have a blast and I will have no problem jumping, skipping, and just being silly with my kids.

 

[Redbudlover]

If yhou plan to add anything and yhour kids are old enough - or yhou can get away - try the Segway Tour around the world. I haven't had so much fun in ages!

 

[ukwildcat]

I'll second the motion for the Segway Around the World. Get a baby sitter if the kids are too young and do the earliest tour. I think it starts at 7:30 a.m. or something.

We did it over Labor Day weekend. DW and I were the only two in the early group. We had a blast and pretty much had total freedom around the park. Really worth it, IMO.

 

[momsully]

My boys have done the Pirate Cruise from the Grand Floridian, the Pirate Cruise from the Beach Club and the Grand Adventures in cooking. All three times they loved the activity and it was one of the high points of the trip. We also did a wishes fireworks cruise as part of a Grand Gathering last year and it was spectacular. If you have time these are all fun activities. DH and I got to have a nice relaxing breakfast while the kids did the pirate cruise in October. Sometimes the little break is nice!

 

[minniebeth]

"Enough is enough" sounds exactly like my DH!!!
I have to say, some of the "extra" activities at WDW have been my kids' most memorable events. They LOVE everything about WDW, but these seem to be some of the highlights that they truly just love...
They loved the Pirate Cruise at the GF...
They love the Neverland at Poly...
They loved mini-golf at Winter Summerland...
They love the surry bikes at the Boardwalk and some of the resorts...
They love the water mice boats.
We've done many character meals and MNSSHP.

We go to WDW almost once a year, so we look for different things to do to make each trip unique.
I say, if you have never been or won't go often, there is not a NEED to feel like you should be doing these things or missing out if you don't.
I feel like as overstimulating as the vacation is, it is nice to take a break away from the parks and do something fun that is more low key.
You don't neccessarily need to spend extra money if you want to do something either...we love to resort hop, or take the boats between different points like at the Boardwalk, or the Poly etc...
Downtown Disney is a nice break in the action as well.
You can even find unique experiences in the parks as well, and look for the moments to make memories rather than racing on by.

It is an experience chock FULL of fun! Enjoy whatever you choose to do!!

 

[WDWCPAlumni]

My oldest, at the time was 4.....he did the pirate cruise at the GF and LOVED it! This trip he will do it at the BC!
I say it was worth every penny (it is under $30) and the time was great for us, we took our youngest (2) to 1900 PF
This year not only is he doing the BC one but both of the kids are doing the tea party with Alice at the GF and DH and I are eating at the Cafe, ALONE!
I cant believe it!!!!
And I know the kids are having fun, and we will be right there in the same hotel.
I know for these they give the parents a beeper, just in case.

As for the tours, My mom did the segway and LOVED it, My husband did the Aqua Seas Tour and LOVED it!

 

[Fionasmommy]

For girls, the Princess Tea Party at the GF is absolutely fantastic. I never thought it would be worth the expense, but it was and we'll probably end up doing it again!

 

[WAHMto5]

Our girls did the Bippity Boppity Boutique and LOVED it. It was soo much fun and they even enjoyed the photo shoot. Our son did the Pirate cruise at POR and it was worth the $30.00, though I would try for the GF one next time (it books up fast). They also enjoy the water mice or when we rent a boat for a hour.
We are planing on trying the Tea Party next

 

[devalsam]

My girls did the Haunted pirate cruise this past Halloween that departed from the Poly. It was great!! One of their favorite parts of the trip!! And DH and I ate at Kona while they were on the cruise and got to see the fireworks from the Poly beach. What a night!!
They've also done the Alice in Wonderland Tea Party and LOVED it!! I think it is well worth the extra expense!!

 

[InstImpres]

We have done a lot of it (with over 25 trips for me and 10 for DD and DNs). That said, we did none of the extras the first few times. There is so much to see and do already it is not necessary, IMHO. There is also plenty of "scheduling" already with the meals.

 

[ajcolorado]

We always wonder about those parents who feel they have to add something "special" every day. We feel like WDW is pretty stinking special and we don't tend to add anything to park days. Well...we have three daughters so we've done a princess breakfast at Epcot and a princess lunch at MK.

We will tend to do something on our arrival day, if we get there early enough. We don't live near a lake so we rented two Sea Racers at Downtown Disney (my oldest two are 19 & 20 and could drive them). They all thought that was fun.

We eat breakfast in the room and will take a picnic lunch into the water parks so we will tend to use those evenings for a special dinner - Ohanas & Boma are two favorites. We've also done the Campfire Sing-Along and movie in the evenings after a waterpark - those are free unless you buy a s'mores kit (which we did) www.buildabettermousetrip.com/activity-campfire.html

We did rent a surrey bike over at the Boardwalk once and that was the highlight of the whole trip for my daughter who was 7 at the time.

We do have a few little traditions though - we always buy Dole Whips at MK. We always buy funnel cakes at the water parks. My oldest daughter always gets a churro at MGM. My husband tries to get at least one mickey ice cream bar on every trip. My youngest two always buy one of those giant jawbreakers in the mickey shaped package that you can wear around your neck.