Anyone ever just "wing it"???

[mudnuri]

We had a family meeting tonight after dinner for some more questions and answers from the kids....at their ages, 6 & 7, they are more overwhelmed than anything else...the biggest "park" they have ever done is a day at Six Flags New England....They are not grasping the idea of numerous parks, each with numerous areas inside one another, and that you can not walk from one end to the other and ride every ride you want, and still get it all done in a day......

They've said a few things, DD1 (7) wants to go to Epcot...and get the passport, etc.. DD2 wants to, because DD1 wants to...DD2 wants to go to MGM and see Playhouse Disney.....DD1 said that was fine with her, she likes Rolie Polie Olie as well...okay we agree so far....

In MK- they are interested in Toon Town.....no interest in Animal Kingdom, and no real interest in the big rides, splash mountain etc... DD1 (reads at late 3rd grade level, she's in 2nd)...read a few of the ride "reviews" in the unofficial guide...and made a few comments, none "oh I gotta do that..."..

I am thinking what might work best, is just saying- this park this day- this park this day...and whatever we see we see...3 days are set with the 3 parks- that leaves 2 full days to revisit a park if we decide to check something out again, or go do something we miss etc....

I have read a few itineraries (thank you all for posting them) and trip reports, and by golly I think I'd be wiped out from most of them, let alone my DD's....I do not want to end up with crabby kids, this is a VACATION after all, and will be our biggest one until late 2005 so I want them to truly enjoy the experience, and not be overwhelmed to the point that they are miserable, which in turn makes me miserable..

Brandy

 

[Deb & Bill]

Are you staying at a Disney resort? That will make it easy to head to a park in the morning, go back to your hotel for a swim or to take a little rest (get refreshed, relax, etc) and then head back to a park in the later afternoon and evening. That is what we have always done. It is just too difficult to spend an entire day in one park. We pick out the parades, meals, etc that we definitely want to do and plan the rest of the time around that.

For example, if we want to see the Share a Dream Come True parade, we might do something else in the morning (maybe a water park, Disney Quest, swim at the hotel, do some shopping - DTD or outlet malls, or sleep in), then we head over to MK around 2PM, watch the parade, have something to eat, and spend the rest of the day/evening at MK.

Make a list of all the things you and your family want to do. See how they match up for parks, give yourself some resting time, and plan around it. We only block out time in a park, not the actual minutes. Then if we decide to change our mind or the weather changes it for us, we see what we still want to do and work around that.

And we always end our vacation at the MK. We head there on the morning we leave after we have checked out of the hotel, spend a few hours until about 1PM, then drive home.

If you have any of the planning videos or Birnbaums for Kids books, let your two kiddos pick the things that the want to see or do.

If you really want crabby children and spouse, don't plan anything and wander around saying "what do YOU want to do?"

 

[tinaluis]

We plan only which day we'll be at a certain park (to avoid EMH because we don't stay onsite) and let our daughters decide what they want to do at each park when we get there. We've been to WDW several times before so it's a little easier for the girls to select what they absolutely have to see at each park. We also have no interest in AK and have never been there. One thing we didn't count on during our last trip was that we'd spend almost 2 whole days at EPCOT! The girls enjoyed the kidcot stations so much on Day 1 (which wasn't quite a whole day as we got there at 1pm) that we went back on Day 2 specifically for them. DH and I also enjoyed the great food at Lotus Blossom Cafe and Tangierine Cafe in Morocco. Decide what is most important in each park, get that accomplished and anything else you do will be a bonus. Most of all, have fun!

 

[Memaw2Wm]

When I took my grandkids to Disney for the first time (they were 5 & 7) I made very simple itinerary for each day.

It included which park we were going to, any PS ressies (I usually have one breakfast or lunch ressie each day). Then I had in mind which rides I thought the kids would enjoy ... but we wandered around the parks ... if a line was too long we moved onto another attraction (sometimes getting a fastpass for later).

Neither of my grandkids wanted to go into the Haunted Mansion, but this was on my "must do" list ... and they ended up loving it. They also decided to try rides after seeing them ... my granddaughter (5) loved Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for example ... this past summer she fell in love with Space Mountain.

We also took breaks in the early afternoon and went back to our resort ... being that we were there in August the kids liked to go swimming during our breaks.

My suggestion is to have a general plan, but go with the flow ... my grandkids also loved getting autographs from the characters and collecting pressed pennies. I saved my change for months then filled snack baggies with quarters and pennies ... you can also use film canisters or the tubes from mini M&M's.

 

[Lewski709]

We are pretty much "winging it". The exception I have made is to know which parks, which days....mainly to take advantage of the EE allowed, plan to view all the parades/fireworks. The rest is up in the air.

We aren't going to Epcot. I have no interest and we only have 4 day hoppers. We are going to AK and leaving when it closes and hopping over to MGM for the fireworks.

Know the park hours before you go. For instance, AK closes at 5pm and the others close at 7pm when we are there, so we can grab a few extra hours by using the hopper.

Depending on when you are going, PS may be needed. The slow seasons aren't much of an issue for PS.

 

[mudnuri]

I'm waiting for the video to come in from Disney- and will head to the book store tonight to try and find the girls a "kids disney" book...I just know that if every second of every day is planned, we're going to hate it...I'm going to plan our park for the day, and also a general idea of what we are eating, where etc... might do some PS's maybe a character meal or two..

Gonna fly by the seat of my pants with 1/2 a foot planted on the ground..

Brandy

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Get "Disney for Kids by Kids" ... its a great book for kids ... very colorful, easy to read, won't overwhelm them or you, has an autograph section and a section where you answer questions about your trip.

I bought the 2002 edtion and am going to buy the 2004 edition to give to my oldest grandchild. for Christmas. We're going on a land/sea cruise next summer and the book will give him a "heads-up" on what to expect since he was only 2-3 when his other g'mother took him to Magic Kingdom.

 

[Lewski709]

I decided today to take a look at the restaurants to get a general idea of places to eat. Still no PS. Do you have to have PS for Character Meals? Never done one and thought.......maybe.



TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!!!

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Originally posted by Lewski709
I decided today to take a look at the restaurants to get a general idea of places to eat. Still no PS. Do you have to have PS for Character Meals? Never done one and thought.......maybe.

PS ressies aren't required, but you may not be able to get a seat or have to wait ages. I always make ressies ... then I know where and what time we'll be eating.

 

[mudnuri]

Cinderella's castle PS opens up I believe 90 days out- and many people have a hard time getting it...

What I've read/learned/heard is that most people do Character meals in the morning, or late breakfast...we will be doing our's for a late lunch or dinner...I may be wrong about this but if you read trip reports/itineraries, most people are booking breakfast, and then just regular PS's for lunch/dinner...

Brandy

 

[Memaw2Wm]

I believe most PS ressies are now available 90 days out ... much easier (and less confusing) than having to call at the 90-60-30 day intervals.

For our upcoming January trip I've got character meals booked for breakfast (Crystal Palace & CRT) and dinner (Chef Mickey's and Liberty Tavern) ... the one lunch ressie I have is for the Sci-Fi Dine-in Restaurant. I also have a dinner reservation at Whispering Canyon Cafe ... so we have one "reserved" meal a day ... the other meals will be counter-service at the parks, at the All Stars food court or off-site.

 

[papagooch]

We kinda wing it on every trip. The one thing you must have is a PS for dining for every breakfast and dinner but if your plan changes during the day and you don't show for a PS there is no penalty unless the PS requires a deposit. That way you have the ability to keep some kind of normal schedule for the kids. Even in the off season you will find long waits for dinner. We have been renting DVC points for a few years and still make a PS for meals even though we usually cook in the kitchen of our room. You also must check the schedule every morning for changes or cancellations for the parades, fireworks, and shows. We don't plan every ride and show we will go see or at what times, but we generally know which parks we will be in on which days. Remember you are on vacation and if you run around desperately
trying to keep a schedule you won't have time to stop and smell the roses, or ride Buzz Lightyear 2 times in a row.

 

[tricia]

We always wing it. Our last 2 trips there were 6 of us 4 adults, 5 yr old DS and 2 yr old DS. We got one PS for our first night at Chef Mickeys, and one PS for the fantasmic package. For the rest of the 12 days we decided one or two nights before where we were going to be on the day and made our Ps then. Even with 6 of us dining we were always able to get a reasonable PS time. In the evening just before bed we would sit and decide which park to go to the next day, then make our PS accordingly. This way my 5 yr old DS could have some say in what we are doing, if we had planned too far ahead he would have had no input.

 

[oogieboogie]

We're definitely winging it. When we go in 12 days, we'll have 6 adults (3 couples) and 2 kids. I have PSs in place, parades and fireworks are a must, but other than that we'll just get together each morning and figure out what everyone wants to do that day.

Some things are not negotiable such as EMH, must do every park at least once, must do DTD at least once, but as far as which park on what day is up in the air.

This has always worked in the past for us, and with 2 kids 5 and 3 its easy on them too, because we work around their schedule.

 

[catherines_mama]

I like to plan what park what day.. and what PS what day. Other than that, once I am through the gates and not having my belly filled, I will go with the flow.

Sounds like with 2 DDs so close in age, they will pretty much roll with eachother. Hope you find a method what works with you. Everyone and every family are different.

Good luck,

Deedee