Asking for tips on how to get the most out of Disney with a five year old.

[A_NY_Outlaw]

Hi all. I'm glad to be back after a few years off from the site. My wife is putting some pressure on me for a decision on whether a trip to Disney World is in the cards this year. All of our other trips previously were just my wife and I.

So I'm asking all of you, how do parents get the most out of trips and doing things, like even more grown up attractions like space mountain? Do parents take turns? Do they still allow single riders? Do they just limit the trip attractions to things a 5 year old can experiences? Should we expect to have more downtime for rest? Previous park visits would always result in my wife and I hitting the parks hard sun up to late night. I certainly doubt that will be the case. We don't want to be those people dragging their ornery tired kid around. I know it doesn't take much.

We would likely be going in October. Do they still do the not so scary Halloween events?
How about dining plans? Are they still being offered?

Going here with our daughter will be new to us, and it would be nice what to expect from everything from covid impacts to dining experiences, etc. Any advice is welcome. It's been almost 10 years since we've last been and I'm sure many things have changed as well.

As for resort, I'm pretty set on Animal Kingdom lodge. She loves animals so that's a given. I don't think I need any ideas for the resort aspect.

10 years ago, I could plan a trip with my eyes closed. Now not so sure.
Thanks everyone. Looking for some great tips!

 

[CindysMice]

How exciting! My DH and I are also going for the first time with our 6 (turning 7 on the trip) DS this Thursday. We’ve gone many times with no kid. LOTS have changed in 10 years. You will definitely notice many new processes. I suggest researching Genie and Genie+ which is the new fast pass basically… also it’s $15 per person per day so heads up on that lol.

Some notes I have are:
- you can do rider switch for the adult rides. Basically one of you waits in the entire standby queue and then the other gets to go through the Lightenting lane (new fast pass lane name) after. Just talk to a CM at the front of the line when you arrive and they will hook you up.
- we plan on taking mid day breaks almost everyday to allow for rest time.
- we booked one TS sit down meal a day to allow for the same.
- because of the slower place we are going for 10 days. Yes it’s long, but much needed after the last two years. This will also make sure I’m not disappointed in the amount we get to do.
- early entry is 30 min early for each park each day for resort guests
- They now have deluxe evening hours what you will qualify staying at AKL. Epcot and Magic Kingdom usually have one night a week each they will stay open two hours later only for deluxe resort guests.
- character meet and greets are at a distance now, even at character meals.
- yep the Halloween events are still happening in Oct.

Good luck! I’ll keep an eye out for your posts to help!

 

[A_NY_Outlaw]

Thanks for that help! Do you still plan to do park hopping or stick to a park per day? Assuming they still offer park hopping....

They still do the bus shuttles between parks and resorts?
How about from the airport?

Are alot of restaurants still closed or limited capacity bc of covid?

Definitely will check out the genie/ fast pass thing. Sounds like another way to add costs to an already expensive vacation.

 

[loves to dive]

Yes, it will be different, yes it will be at a slower pace, yes you probably want to take breaks.

As far as your questions: Yes, one can ride a ride then swap out and the other can. It's called child swap or rider swap. Some rides you have to wait in the entire line until you get to the "official" line entrance both parents and the child then they will scan the MB of the parent "swapping". Some rides you don't have to wait in the line with the child, you go to the blue umbrella tell them you want rider swap, they will ask who is swapping, MB swiped parent #1 gets in line, after they get off, parent #2 goes to LL entrance and gets in line (used to be Fast Past entrance).

Last year they did have an abbreviated Halloween party going on, who knows what will happen in 2022.

As of right now there are still some Covid practices happening, you (including your child) have to wear masks in all indoor locations unless you are sitting down eating and/or drinking. Some restaurants still haven't re-opened and most of those that have have reduced menus. Who knows what will be in practice by Oct.

Yes if you are staying on property they still provide transportation. No, they no longer provide transportation from the airport.

Park hopping is totally up to you. You can't hop until 2 pm right now, again who knows if that will stay. You must have a park reservation for one park a day and actually tap into that park before you can hop, even if it's after 2 pm. We have always hopped, even when my son was just shy of 3.

It will be hot and rainy, no doubt about that.

Genie + is not a must do but can help if you don't mind paying $15 per person (including the little one) per day to use the lightening lanes (sort of old paper fast pass system but costs). Do your research on that and don't buy it in advance. You can buy it each day if you think it's necessary. Who knows how that will be structured by Oct. since it's fairly new.

When I used to take my son when he was that age, we went at his pace. If he wanted to go back to the resort to swim, we went back to the resort and swam. If he was tired, we went back to the resort. If he wanted to just run around the hub at MK, we ran around the hub at MK. If he wanted to ride Pirates 5 times in a row and nothing else, we rode Pirates. Get the idea, it was all about him. I'm not saying it was all about him in that if he wanted something out of the question he got it but we did it at his pace. Nothing worse that forcing a child to ride a ride they think they aren't going to want to. I was a single mom so no rider swap for me so your mileage may vary.

You'll be surprised how different it is seeing it through a little ones eyes.

 

[CindysMice]

Thanks for that help! Do you still plan to do park hopping or stick to a park per day? Assuming they still offer park hopping....

They still do the bus shuttles between parks and resorts?
How about from the airport?

Are alot of restaurants still closed or limited capacity bc of covid?

Definitely will check out the genie/ fast pass thing. Sounds like another way to add costs to an already expensive vacation.

Before I comment on your asks, I also want to point out a big new rule. You need to make a “park pass reservation” for each day. You basically tell Disney what park you are starting out each day of your trip. It’s required and you can’t enter your first park without both a ticket and park pass reservation.


- You can still park hop and we plan on it. New rules are only after 2 pm can you move to a new park. You also need to have visited your first park (the one you made a park pass reservation for) before hopping. Even if it’s after 2 pm you have to scan first at the first park before visiting another. We park hop because we like to do what we want when we want lol. We almost always hop to a different park. I also think taking mid day breaks will make it easier to be like “ok what’s next?”. People have a whole strategy around Genie+ and park hopping. Definitely grab a cup of coffee or a hard drink and hunker down and give it a read. 100% worth it.

- still offer busses. Skyliner is a new form of transportation that connects Epcot to HS as well as some other resorts. Not AKL though.

- Airport Disney Magical Express is now no longer offered as of Jan 2022. Company they used to outsource for it called Mears is offering a service which I think is around $17 for adults each way and $13 for kids. They don’t deliver luggage to your hotel though. You have to go to baggage claim and bring it to the bus/shuttle with you. Great info on the Mears connect thread on here. A lot of people are doing Lyft or Uber though or private town car as well now. Check out the Transportation thread.

- I think not only will almost all restaurants be open by October but we may have one or two new ones. They said in 2022 a new Toy Story themed food spot is going in HS. Well maybe. Disney and their timelines.

- and yep Disney has been grabbing for money like crazy.

Haven’t had the Disney Dining Plan in a long time. I think they said they plan on bringing it back but who knows lol.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

Other replies have lots of good info, but the emphasis seems to be on what you won't do, what you'll do less, etc. You're going with a 5yo girl. Is she into princesses? Might she become into princesses when they're right in front of her, begging you for a dress at Castle Couture if you didn't bring one from home? Our last trip (Jan 2020) was timed to be the Perfect Princess Trip because our DD was 5.5yo. We did CRT for the first time (lunch, and we enjoyed a lot, food and atmosphere), BBB with photos afterward, 1900 Park Fare's HEA dinner (fun!), Snow White's dinner (good for adults who think they're not into character meals), and Jedi training (still closed), and met every princess and Rey (among others). When our sons were younger, we loved the Neverland-themed fireworks boat ride, and they got the knight's package at BBB, too. Taking a child to Disney World will be different from your previous trips. For my money, it will be more magical. Enjoy the different experience. They won't always throw themselves into Olaf's arms.

ETA: My DH says to mention that you need to think of all the rides you'll go on that you normally don't. Like Winnie the Pooh. He rode it five times with my DD when she was 2.5yo on her first trip because she insisted. (I was with older kids on Seven Dwarves.) It's going to be a whole new (Disney) world with a very special first-timer.

 

[martikus]

Trips with kids are fun with the right expectations. We found jumping all in to what our son loved made it amazing to see through his eyes. At 4 all he wanted to do was meet characters so we saw allll the characters. At 6 he wanted to ride small world over and over and over!

we do not park hop with him. He was an early riser so we’d do rope drop and go until 2 or3 and se, rest and do dinner at some place by Disney springs. Yes it means we did no nights when he was younger but it worked for us as he was rested. And the things you may never have considered doing like tiki room or country bears can be their favorite at that age!

we didn’t do much that he couldn’t - we’d usually do one ride each he was too small for but preferred to just do things he liked.

we brought a stroller as sometimes it’s a great place to sit. And bring LOTS of snacks. When they get hungry they get HUNGRY and it can save break down!

we saved sit downs for dinner. His favorite meal was Garden Grill. Watching the restaurant move, the characters, it was great.

 

[PollyannaMom]

So I'm asking all of you, how do parents get the most out of trips and doing things, like even more grown up attractions like space mountain? Do parents take turns? Do they still allow single riders? Do they just limit the trip attractions to things a 5 year old can experiences? Should we expect to have more downtime for rest?

Definitely go at your child's pace! You'll probably be surprised what her favorite things are. We used to make a tentative plan, of course, but always left gaps in it to "follow the kid".

As for resort, I'm pretty set on Animal Kingdom lodge. She loves animals so that's a given. I don't think I need any ideas for the resort aspect.

We stayed there on our last trip (Dec 2018) and loved it!! If I remember correctly, they feed the animals in the late afternoon, so if you have an early day, make sure you look out your windows then, or go out on one of the walkways.

Going here with our daughter will be new to us, and it would be nice what to expect from everything from covid impacts to dining experiences, etc. Any advice is welcome. It's been almost 10 years since we've last been and I'm sure many things have changed as well.

I feel the same way, and it's only been three!

- we booked one TS sit down meal a day to allow for the same.

We did that when DS was that age as well! We found it so important to slow down and be in the AC for a while. (We usually did lunch, as we did not go back to the resort mid-day, but just went rope-drop to mid or late afternoon most days.)

Before I comment on your asks, I also want to point out a big new rule. You need to make a “park pass reservation” for each day. You basically tell Disney what park you are starting out each day of your trip. It’s required and you can’t enter your first park without both a ticket and park pass reservation.

Super good to know!!

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Hi all. I'm glad to be back after a few years off from the site. My wife is putting some pressure on me for a decision on whether a trip to Disney World is in the cards this year. All of our other trips previously were just my wife and I.

So I'm asking all of you, how do parents get the most out of trips and doing things, like even more grown up attractions like space mountain? Do parents take turns? Do they still allow single riders? Do they just limit the trip attractions to things a 5 year old can experiences? Should we expect to have more downtime for rest? Previous park visits would always result in my wife and I hitting the parks hard sun up to late night. I certainly doubt that will be the case. We don't want to be those people dragging their ornery tired kid around. I know it doesn't take much.

We would likely be going in October. Do they still do the not so scary Halloween events?
How about dining plans? Are they still being offered?

Going here with our daughter will be new to us, and it would be nice what to expect from everything from covid impacts to dining experiences, etc. Any advice is welcome. It's been almost 10 years since we've last been and I'm sure many things have changed as well.

As for resort, I'm pretty set on Animal Kingdom lodge. She loves animals so that's a given. I don't think I need any ideas for the resort aspect.

10 years ago, I could plan a trip with my eyes closed. Now not so sure.
Thanks everyone. Looking for some great tips!

we haven’t been to WDW yet, but we took our first DL/DCA trip when our DD was two, and then trips every 8 months (or so) until the pandemic hit.

our daughter is amazingly resilient. Naps are pretty rare, and she’s fine doing rope drop until 9pm or so. We’ve stayed later, but you can tell she’s getting cranky. Riding in the stroller /carrying her lets her save up her energy for when she needs it. She’s only needed a nap one in 5 days we were there, and she pretty much napped while we wandered through the shops, so that worked out great! I’m sure she’s the exception, so planning for nap time back at the hotel is probably a great idea.

my wife rode on a few rides - I passed on the rider swap because I’d rather do something fun with the DD than to make her and mommy wait for me ride a ride I’ve been on dozens of times. It’s funny how priorities change when you’re bringing kids for the first time(s).

the Oogie Boogie bash at Halloween was great! We’ve done it twice, and everyone had fun. Definitely not too scary for our little one. She was relentless in going through the treat paths. We came home with 10lbs of candy each time. Even though there was no way she was ever going to eat so much candy, and it would’ve been fun to ride some rides, she was having so much fun trick-or-treating, there was no way we were going to tell her she had to stop!

There will be some adjustment involved, just pay attention to how everyone’s feeling and go with the flow instead of marching towards an “expected” trip plan. It’ll be a blast!

 

[Ecomommy09]

I second Martikus in that I don't park hop with my daughter (who is now 6 almost 7). We've been 3 times in the last 3 years and she still gets to tired if we try to push through the whole day. You know those people in the park yelling at their children that they are terrible and they're ruining vacations....those are the parents who forgot that they are still dealing with children. I do NOT want to fight on vacation. I know my girl.

We will eat breakfast somewhere in the park after several rides. It will take an hour because she is a very very very slow eater. How does your girl dine? Is she a grab and dash OR are you also going to have to accept slow dining?

We love rides but can't really wait much longer than 40 minutes because I will eventually have to carry her. It's hard to have no where to sit when you have short little legs

I rent the stroller. FIRST thing. It's a life saver to me because I am a FAST walker and she is not yet 4 feet tall. She can chase after me the whole day and be exhausted and grouchy by 11, or I can push her around and we both stay in a good place.

After a late lunch, we head back to the resort and rest (watch her videos) for an hour or so and then head to the pool. After pool time, you can bounce back to the parks if you're not early to bed, but our bedtime is 8 and if I want to RD (which I do, because I need those shorter waits), then I can't also keep her up until 2300.

All that said, if I take into account her needs, It's so much fun! She's my best travel buddy! We eat fancy food. We paint our nails and see our parades and fawn over Maleficient and pretend to be bad guys.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

ETA: My DH says to mention that you need to think of all the rides you'll go on that you normally don't. Like Winnie the Pooh. He rode it five times with my DD when she was 2.5yo on her first trip because she insisted. (I was with older kids on Seven Dwarves.) It's going to be a whole new (Disney) world with a very special first-timer.

LOL -I rode on WTP 5x while my wife and friends were riding Splash Mountain (DL). There was no line, and my DD’s first words each time the ride stopped were “Again! Again!”

 

[A_NY_Outlaw]

Wow, thank you everyone. I had no idea that Disney did away with the dining plan. Are they still allowing restaurant reservations like six months out? I don't want to be eating chicken nuggets and turkey legs every day. We did that on our honeymoon because we couldn'tget into any restaurants. It's rough.

Also thanks for heads up on park reservations. This something due to covid restrictions or just an attempt to keep uniform number of people in a particular park?

The more I read the more I wonder if it's not worth waiting one more year and hoping for less restrictions.

 

[Ecomommy09]

Wow, thank you everyone. I had no idea that Disney did away with the dining plan. Are they still allowing restaurant reservations like six months out? I don't want to be eating chicken nuggets and turkey legs every day. We did that on our honeymoon because we couldn'tget into any restaurants. It's rough.

Also thanks for heads up on park reservations. This something due to covid restrictions or just an attempt to keep uniform number of people in a particular park?

The more I read the more I wonder if it's not worth waiting one more year and hoping for less restrictions.

Park Reservations appear to be here to stay. Dining is now scheduled at 60 days. ILL and G+ can be scheduled ONLY the day of, time dependent upon whether you are staying on property or off

 

[Caseheidi]

There is some great advise on here thus far. I would add the following from our experiences.

We took DD at 18 months, 3, 5, 7 turning 8, 8 turning 9 and 12. Each trip has been different and special in their own ways. I totally agree that you need to change your mindset when going with kids, and trying to see the parks thru their eyes can be incredible. It is a slower trip, and I always take the time to prepare DD for our time there. When she was little this included watching videos of the rides to have her pick her must rides. DD deals with some anxiety and sensory issues, so it helped her to know what to expect, and have some say in the decisions. So really, it comes down to knowing your child and preparing her for what she needs. Some kids do great with surprises. For DD, it could have ruined the entire trip. If yours is gung ho on trying things, I would look up the suggested order of rides in order of excitement to find her threshold for what works for her. And know that spinning vs speed are two totally different experiences. Also factor in heights, and dark. Kids are sensitive to different things, and knowing in advance can help them.

Our family has also found that we like two park days for every down day. That down day we would swim, do miniature golf or hit Disney Springs. The parks can be overwhelming for little ones, and taking a break can help. The mid-day break has never really worked well for our family, so a day off of parks here and there works for us. Once again, it is finding what works for your family. We are also a family who prefers not to park hop. It is just an expense we don't need, and can be totally happy in a single park each day. When it was just us, we found it useful for dinner reservations, and playing things by ear, but now with kids it is better to not try to do too much.

I am also a fan of renting the strollers for little legs. We used one until the trip we took where DD turned 8. Before then she would just get too tired. She did walk her fair share as she enjoyed that, but it is a long, tiring day and the stroller really helped there. Also, with her sensory overload, she was able to sit in the stroller, and we would cover the opening with a blanket to close everything out. This helped her to feel more in control and rested. We also found out of the way places to take some brakes and get away from the crowds and noise.

One of the things I hear on these boards is that Epcot is an adult park and kids don't like it. We have not found this. In fact, DD claims it is one of her favorites. She loves getting the passport, and visiting all the kid cot spots. It give her a goal. Also during some of the festivals, there is often something to look for and collect. We have hunted for the Easter Eggs, bees and the rat (with veggies) from Ratatouille. She also loves looking into the shops and learning about the different countries. I think this is another example of knowing your kids, and finding what works for your family.

Last thing I would mention is snacks! In the heat, and lots of movement, watch for the "Hangry" monster to come out. It takes very little for kids to turn from having a great time to crashing. We found that we need a snack/water break every couple of hours. We usually get groceries and carry in goldfish, string cheese, granola bars or fruit. Things we can have on hand and not have to wait in line to get. With all the walking and the excitement, these kids burn the calories fast, and need small snacks several time thru the day.

Having said all this, going with kids can be work, but I think it is totally worth it. If you were someone who expects the trip to be exactly as you have always had it, then I would suggest you wait for them to get older. If you are willing to slow down and have fun with your little one, you will have a great time. Hope this helps!

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Snacks, yes! but definitely bring a water bottle! We always find it easy (and fun… and expensive) to find things to munch on at the parks, but being able to get everyone to drink something regularly is critical. We always bring a couple of bottles, half fill one and 3/4 fill the other, and then freeze them overnight. That way we have cold water through most of the morning and afternoon.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Snacks, yes! but definitely bring a water bottle! We always find it easy (and fun… and expensive) to find things to munch on at the parks, but being able to get everyone to drink something regularly is critical. We always bring a couple of bottles, half fill one and 3/4 fill the other, and then freeze them overnight. That way we have cold water through most of the morning and afternoon.

Park reservations are definitely around until the pandemic is over. There’s really no other way to regulate park attendance. When the pandemic moves to endemic issues, my guess is Disney will get rid of reservations toagain maximize park revenue (tickets sold, foot traffic spending on food and gifts, and now Genie + revenue). If you’re the new CEO, it’s a win-win situation. (How I wish Iger could’ve been cloned! Both as a park goer, and as a shareholder!)

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

We typically skip anything that the kids can't ride, but my oldest was 42 inches by age 5, so he could do quite a bit. At age 6, he'll be hovering around the 44 in mark, but so far he said he doesn't want to do Space Mountain or EE. We do use rider swap with our youngest. For Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain (we've only used it there and Millennium Falcon), they scan the magic band of the person watching the child, and then that adult can take the little one to play on a cute little "Laughing Place" themed playspace while adult #1 waits in line and rides. There is also a cute little Dumbo playground while waiting for the Dumbo ride (seriously one of my kids' favorite parts of MK...I think we spent an hour there once). My son at age 5 was really into the Wilderness Explorer stops, getting sticker "badges" for the WE books they give at AK, and the Epcot scavenger hunt that they have for an extra $8 or so during festivals. Epcot still has a couple of Kidcot postcard stops and they gave out little Finding Dory books to kids at the Seas with Finding Nemo this year. My son loved these.

He does pretty good in the parks. At this point, the stroller (which has 2 seats) is mostly for little sis. We took just him to Universal a month before his 6th birthday without a stroller. He did fine, but we didn't arrive til after lunch.

We park hop around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Sometimes we take a food or nap break between parks. We bring food because my oldest is super-picky. The dining plan wouldn't be worth it, even if they had it. We just use our MagicBands to charge food to the room. The stroller makes a good place for the kiddos to sit and eat if there are no seats by a quick service place.

One of the keys to our success is alternating park with non-park days. We like picking a non-park character meal (I think Chef Mickeys or Toppolinos are the only ones right now) on our off days, going to the pool, Disney Springs (my daughter loves T-Rex cafe, I'm a big fan of Raglan Road), playing on the resort playground, or taking Disney transit (boat, monorail, Skyliner) to still feel in the Disney magic. Sometime I want to try the minigolf, but my youngest isn't ready for it yet. I'm finding more and more to do outside the parks, like taking a carriage ride through Ft. Wilderness to see holiday lights (even the Halloween decorations are amazing there).

They still do a Halloween party, but it is now "after hours, " twice the price, but with complimentary ice cream, popcorn, and sodas. However, they don't let people in until 7. We went to MNSSHP in 2019, getting there at 5 and my kids were asleep in the stroller by 10. We went in 2021, getting in slightly before 7. My youngest did okay because she had taken a massive nap. The 5 year old got really cranky around 9 or 10. We loved the shorter lines, but we know we can't do it again until they are older, unless they bring back the old start time.

A 5 year old can be such a fun Disney travel buddy, but it definitely a different trip than one without kids!

 

[CindysMice]

I have another tip that someone gave us that we took. Bring another person with you. My mom was originally going to come with us, but we had some family issues pop up so she can’t anymore. We decided instead to bring my 14 year old niece. Not only does she round us out to four which means no one really sits alone when riding, but when we do rider swap no one has to ride alone then either. She’s also baby sitting a couple nights so we can have some nice date nights. DS is really looking forward to her coming and looks at it as a friend joining. He’s also excited for the nights we are going out and it’s just the two of them. Plus my niece is of course stoked to go to Disney for 10 days and her excitement adds to the fun for sure!

 

[A_NY_Outlaw]

Thanks Cindy. That tip has crossed our mind perhaps asking MIL to go. That way mom and dad might stay in parks later and do more grown up attractions. I see alot of people mentioning this skyliner. What exactly is it?

 

[A_NY_Outlaw]

The other thing I'm reading on many other blog sites, is that the Dining plans are very likely to return in 2022. Free dining may follow.

This prompts me to ask....if someone has already purchased the dining plan, and free dining gets offered during the anticipated trip dates, does Disney historically give the credit?