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

[A_NY_Outlaw]

Feels like I'm learning everything for the first time again

 

[CindysMice]

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?

The Skyliner is a new gondola transportation system that connects Art of Animation/Pop Century, Caribbean Beach and the Riviera to HS, Epcot as well as to each other. Pic below but I would YouTube some videos. Some love it and some don’t like the risk of it breaking down midair for hours…. Which I think it has done 2 times since it opened just over 2 years ago. Someone might know better. I’m team love it. Booked Pop for most of this upcoming trip because of it. Heres the pic:

 

[sponica]

I'm going to put my answers in bold, but with a caveat. There's NO wrong way to do Disney, it's all about what works for you.

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? We invite grandparents along (to pay their own way) and one is usually a non rider
Do parents take turns? This is also an option, a rider swap
Do they still allow single riders? I think a few rides still do single riders, but in some cases the single rider line is longer than the regular standby line.
Do they just limit the trip attractions to things a 5 year old can experiences? some people might, we haven't (yet)
Should we expect to have more downtime for rest? This depends on the kid and also what you want out of your vacation. We're planning more pool time for this trip (it's 7 park days and we normally only do 4).

We would likely be going in October. Do they still do the not so scary Halloween events? I think they have Halloween After Hours (essentially)
How about dining plans? They have not returned yet.

 

[Anna131517]

How you approach rides really depends on what the adults want. We aren’t all that focused on going on adult rides so we mostly ride stuff the whole family can enjoy. I‘m especially prone to motion sickness so if my husband has a ride he wants to go on I’ll just do something else with the kids. For us the best part of Disney is seeing how excited and happy our kids get. Our kids have all napped in strollers so we would never leave the park for a midday break, but we would either call it a day mid-afternoon, or get a later start and stay late. We have never park hopped with kids because they’re usually exhausted after one park. The most important things to keep in mind with kids is bring a nice stroller so they can rest, remember to take frequent bathroom breaks, and don't push meal times. Hangry tired kids are no fun for anyone.

 

[GreatLakes]

We will be taking my 5 year old down this year for his third trip. He went last summer at 4. For us we only do a few days in the parks. We did only one park day last summer and are only doing two in the spring. We go see family, spend a lot of time at the resort in the pool, and do other non-park stuff both on property and off. When we are in the parks we generally stick with the stuff he wants to do but my wife and I will take turns doing the rides we want to that he can't yet.

When he was one we went down with a large group including his grandma and she watched him when we wanted to do an evening at Epcot. We also have family about 30 minutes away and in the future we will let him stay a day or two with them while we do the parks solo.

We have accepted that until he is older our park days will be different.

 

[Disturbia]

We’ve travelled 3 times post pandemic with now teen, 5 year old and recently turned 2 (not since she turned 2). Masks are a must, big kids around 5 are already trained on wearing them at school (we’ve been trying to get our 2 year old; so far she can wear it 15-45 mins max).

Don’t try to push the kids. Let them rest, take a pool break and ride the carousel 4 times in a row if they want to (yes we did). You’re trying to have fun and make good memories not break ride records or have melt downs. If they’re done after 3 rides, go break for some ice cream and watch a parade before heading to the resort to relax. The only bribe that worked at Disney was pool time (5 year old couldn’t care less about how many rides we did). We don’t ever do rope drop. You can maybe do 2 rides and need to be there 1 hour earlier (plus 40+ mins transportation; 1 hr getting ready) and 30 mins early entry=not worth it for us. Tired kids and hot weather (hot and humid Oct) is not a good combo. We book a longer trip which makes it easier to book more popular dining towards the end and we can divide up the rides we want to do.

We order fish sticks (gardengrocer) and fill our 5 year old with protien before heading to the parks (made that change after 2 hour long tantrums). Discovered that on our AKL checkout day. Make sure food and water is readily available as it gets hot in the mask and kids can’t tell what’s wrong. I take liquid IV packets (with vit C); they taste great and easy to pour into a bottle. Use restroom before getting into any line (we’ve had to sprint back from Seven Dwarfs LL and Big Thunder; fortunately the CM didn’t change shifts; they ask you the CM’s name if you have an issue btw).

Booking dining is complicated (60 days in advance) with some things like Space220 and Enchantment dessert party opening at 5:30 am. Read reviews and watch recent YouTube videos to see what changes have been made and if it’s worth it to you. Mobile ordering is now a must for quick service except if you have more allergies than the menu lists. For popular locations mobile ordering can have a 1-2 hr wait.

Character dining is modified and some dining locations went downhill (Ohana).. The best interaction (in our opinion) is at Topolinos breakfast (we’ve only been to dinner-3 times; last 2 times cut of meat served was bad; did book for April). There are supply issues everywhere (Ohana had to stop serving bread temporarily.

Rider Switch has changed. Only 1 child is allowed with the waiting parent AND the entire party has to wait in the outdoor portion of the queue (baby in stroller) if there is one until you reach the front of the ride (was 20+ mins at SDMT; only 5 at FOP). I asked to take our infant to Winnie the Pooh but the CM refused and said we all had to wait; others have had luck sneaking infants in and out of the line; wait times have increased for all rides so there was nothing 20 mins anyway. This was our experience - please don’t kill the messenger.

5 year old and then 1 year old loved Oga’s. They fit into high chairs (bar level) and were dancing to the DJ when they could see him (booth was boring). Only few standing tables have a good view facing the DJ. Booths have plexiglass.

https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2021/10/22/plexiglass-added-to-ogas-cantina-in-disney-world/
You will probably be taking a folding stroller. For a single child I recommend the Macclaren Volo with a britax parent organizer (you need the shade) and for two young kids the Joovy Caboose sit and stand (AA limits gate check to 20lbs, but was ok with this; be ready to be refused). Definitely take the stroller cover. One day in Nov it rained all day at AK and our stroller was unusable. Fortunately we had a zip up poncho and we put our infant in a carrier with her head covered with a hat and popping out. Ponchos and misting fans (I like neck fans and they can be hung on strollers.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08BJZMWNR?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
We hated having to wait 30-40 mins for a bus at AKL, having little to no housekeeping despite paying $1200 a night (no discounts) for the room and asking for it every other day. At day 4, the kitchen trash was overflowing. We ’ve stayed at AOA ever since. Housekeeping limits coffee to 2 pods only (call back they will say). Checkout day bell services wait can easily be 30-40 mins due to checkin folks dropping off luggage along with check in (current staffing shortage)

We love the skyliner and it’s a ride in and of itself (check refurbishment and closures). We stopped at le petit at Riviera to get some desserts before Topolinos (love the relaxing atmosphere). The AKL pool is far away and our kids love the AOA pool; 2 baths are a big plus (we did love the 1 bedroom at AKL which did have 2 baths; just transportation (30-40 min waits at Deluxe is unacceptable), housekeeping (overflowing trash with full kitchen; paid $1200 per night) and bell services (waited 1.5 hr at checkout) were bad-read TripAdvisor reviews)

Character dining is modified. The best interaction (in our opinion) is at Topolinos breakfast (we’ve only been to dinner; did book for April). Be our Guest was great (kids don’t want pictures with the beast anyway). CRT is not worth it right now for characters-Cinderella waves from afar. Dessert party was nice to not have to line up but our kids didn’t eat much.

AOA had trick or treat locations in the lobby and around the pool on Oct 31 which surprised us (never seen that before and it was great).

We had a small pen, paper/small booklet and stickers with us. Came in real handy when ROTR broke down for 2 hours (Had a battery backup for the iPhone; we had favorite games on there as well).

be prepared for crowds:

 

[Disturbia]

Also, check how tall your 5 year old is. FOP is 44 inches.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

The SINGLE biggest help when we took our daughter (then 2.5) was that we traveled with extended family. It allowed us to do the "big kid" attractions without having to deal with rider swap, and we got a date night out of it. Of course we are fortunate that we genuinely enjoy traveling with the grandparents and extended family, and that our family had the means the time to join us.

That said, a 5 year old is a different ballgame than a toddler, and either way I think "getting the most" of your trip is all in how you look at it. Your "vacation goals" with a little one might be different than they would be on an adults-only trip, so you plan in accordance with that. Other than having extra adults around, my best advice is to take it slow, allow time at the pool and to relax, don't try to just power through everything, or your kiddo is bound to melt down at some point. Be flexible. A Disney trip with a little one is less about ticking off every attraction than it is about just enjoying your family. If you have the option, stay at a resort that gives you access to at least one park that doesn't involve a bus. The idea here is to give yourself a night time transportation option where you don't have to break your stroller down - then you can just leave your sleeping kiddo in the stroller right until you get to the room, pop them in their bed, and be done with it. Crescent Lake resorts, anything on the Skyliner route or on the monorail, or Wilderness Lodge (you can take a stroller on the boat without having to break it down) are exceptionally convenient.

 

[Disneymom1102]

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!

You have a lot of great tips to make sure to use including early hours, using parent swap, etc. We go frequently with my 7 and 3.5 year old. A few tidbits of advice is to bring a stroller even though you wouldn’t normally think to for a five year old. Disney is a LOT of waking and even my 7 year old needs a break sometimes. Plan to arrive at early entry in the morning, head back to resort for a rest midday, then head back for evening. Also don’t assume he/she will like fireworks. Mine find it too loud so we have to plan to be out of parks before then (usually watch on the boat back to transportation and ticketing center). Book your reservations asap or you get basically locked out. Bring your own ponchos. Make sure to hit all 4 parks since they’re all great for a 5 year old, maybe a water park one day, and plan a day off to relax, swim at pool, and explore Disney Springs. Lastly, set the goal of a few specific rides each day as your must dos and then consider everything else bonus so you don’t get disappointed if you don’t get to everything. You can use parent swap but I wouldn’t plan for more than one or two max per day as it ends up being a lot of waiting time and the little ones get impatient.

 

[Disturbia]

We’ve stayed at AKL multiple times. We now stay at AOA-Nemo suites for ease of transport, dining options (Topolinos) and pool.

The hot tubs at AKL kidani were overcrowded with groups who would not leave - peak of COVID when masks were required.). It’s dangerous to be in the hot tub for that long (2 hrs.). A kind CM pointed another tub but it was full as well. The 1 bedroom has 2 bathrooms and a nice tub at Kidani.

There was little to no housekeeping service at AKL (had to repeatedly ask on day 3 and 4 and finally someone showed up with towels (to leave at the door) and 2 coffee pods for a 1 bedroom with full kitchen - overflowing garbage) and the pools were out of the way. At AOA it was pretty similar-We pointed out the floor and finally the CM agreed to sweep (understaffing; COVID restrictions were lifted).

The buses to the parks took 40 mins to arrive and then another 20+ mins to go (read TripAdvisor reviews) if you got on the first one. For a deluxe resort it was an overall awful experience post COVID and we know this was not what it used to be. At least at AOA I am not paying for mediocre service (although we paid $600 for a room at AOA). Do not stay in the little mermaid rooms - friends of ours that did regretted it. AKL studio is a bit cheaper than AOA suites but our family doesn’t fit anymore.

At AKL kidani they put us in the pembe section (not facing the savanna but the exit?) and said it was a savanna view (it was a long trek and that view is horrible and should be a free upgrade as no animals roam there; it’s just a strip of grass where animals enter or something). This was a birthday trip (I’ve learned not to ruin any more birthdays by going to WDW). We had to switch rooms the next day (we had noted a disability and they still gave us that room at the far end).

One time (pre COVID) a housekeeper at AKL told me to show where our son had soiled the bed (I had washed it out and it dried by the time she arrived mid day). She was so mad that I was asking her to change the bedsheet. She calmed down after seeing the dirty soaked clothes in the bathroom. We tip a good amount but the housekeeping staff at AKL are not pleasant to deal with.

We’ve had great experiences on the Jambo house side in a savanna view bunk bed (no longer offered). If you can get a room closer to the lobby on the Boma side, that’s great. We bought refillable mugs but you had to go to Mara so we barely used them (AOA you walk through the food court to get to your room). At Kidani you can refill them in the gift shop so you don’t have to take elevators or anything

Also the ride from the aiport took 1.5 hours with Magical Express to AKL as we were the last stop (MEARs makes more stops). AOA took us 35 mins (MEARS) this past trip.

We do Uber to Boma at least once per trip. Overall, lower expectations for AKL

 

[Disturbia]

Here is a trip report I just read (lower expectations for AKL transportation).

I don’t like split stays and we love the resort otherwise-kids can stand in the balcony and watch animals for hours (wanted to get DVC here)

https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...-the-quickest-trip-report-youll-read.3878020/

 

[Feberin]

We did Rider Swap when we went with little kids however we only used it for stuff we really wanted to ride. For us it was Soarin', Space Mountain and Everest. My husband also did Test Track by himself as a single rider. The other person would take the kids on a ride, get a snack or bathroom break so they weren't just standing around.

 

[tinkerjo]

Just a tip from a grandmother. I have been taking my kids to Disney since they were babies. I love everything Disney and still ride every ride (I am only 52) while taking grandparents along for help isnt a bad idea just don’t rely on them as babysitters. We did rider swap at 7DMT and Pooh only had a 5 minute wait so we took the babies on it while their parents went on 7DMT. Needless to say, they were upset because they expected us to just do nothing while they enjoyed themselves. They also expected us to stay with the babies every night so they could go back to the parks. I love them, but I want to enjoy Disney too. (BTW, we paid for the trip) Just make sure everyone has them same expectations before going.
Also in my experience, our 5yo kids could and would ride almost all the rides at WDW, and honestly, watching their enjoyment far outweighed riding some ride they couldn’t. (Which were few) but occasionally we have split up and that works too. I love RnRc and DH took DS to Disney Jr to meet characters and get autographs while I rode it.
Just a reminder to everyone not to abuse the grandparent and to have a plan in place that works for everyone.

 

[Disturbia]

Just a tip from a grandmother. I have been taking my kids to Disney since they were babies. I love everything Disney and still ride every ride (I am only 52) while taking grandparents along for help isnt a bad idea just don’t rely on them as babysitters. We did rider swap at 7DMT and Pooh only had a 5 minute wait so we took the babies on it while their parents went on 7DMT. Needless to say, they were upset because they expected us to just do nothing while they enjoyed themselves. They also expected us to stay with the babies every night so they could go back to the parks. I love them, but I want to enjoy Disney too. (BTW, we paid for the trip) Just make sure everyone has them same expectations before going.
Also in my experience, our 5yo kids could and would ride almost all the rides at WDW, and honestly, watching their enjoyment far outweighed riding some ride they couldn’t. (Which were few) but occasionally we have split up and that works too. I love RnRc and DH took DS to Disney Jr to meet characters and get autographs while I rode it.
Just a reminder to everyone not to abuse the grandparent and to have a plan in place that works for everyone.

I agree. When we took grandparents they were in their late 50s and did ride almost every ride (they rode Space Mountain but didn’t feel right as we had a big lunch an hour before). Research Space Mountain and high BP (not a good combo). They stayed with us the whole time (back then we did 9-10 pm continuous with a 5 year old). We pay for the trips and expect grandparents to enjoy their time with us.

Be careful with RocknRoller (not recommended for any back/neck injuries), Test Track (mild but bumpy), Dinosaur (bumpy bad for neck) and Space Mountain. My moms favorite ride is Soarin with FOP being a close second (she has gone with us in her mid-late 60s and still rides those). Our now teen wanted grandma to ride with her and they both loved it (it’s important to relax your back/neck and move with the ride or you end up with neck pain). Once they’re in their mid 60s and especially if it’s a repeat trip they might prefer to stay back and relax instead of heading back to the parks (except for fireworks; my dad went back for Fantasmic even though he had fallen (advanced disc degeneration) and could barely walk). We rented a scooter the next morning (despite his objections).

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Really good point about being clear in expectations with grandparents. My mom joined us for a trip, and we had setup in advance a babysitting night with her. We had 3 kids at the time (5, 2, and 6 months), and we all knew that there was no way mom could handle them every night especially after a long day in the parks. The only real snafus we had in terms of expectations was watching kids between attractions - at one point DH and I thought my mom was holding hands/watching the 5 yr old, but she thought we were, and there were a few tense moments (she was within 10 ft of us, so not a big deal - but I had that instant adrenaline hit of omg my kid is out of my sight). Knowing the grand parents, and understanding there is a wide variety of involvement is key. We knew my mom didn't like crowds and is fairly inactive normally so the walking got to be a lot, but wanted to feel helpful. One evening she camped out in front of the hub people watching and saving a small spot for us to watch fireworks. She loved the downtime away from our rush from attraction to attraction, but still felt like she was helping and part of our group which was important to her. For someone else, that might feel like being used/missing out on the rides, so talking about it ahead of time is crucial!

 

[StevieB81]

Be prepared for wanting to watch animals much longer than you might. And a lot of time at the pool. You know your child and when things are going to take a wrong turn due to being too hot or too tired. Pay attention to that so you can stay ahead of a potential meltdown. Other than that, enjoy the memories you will be making, as it truly is a different experience. I would also take a picture of your child every morning before heading out, just in case someone gets lost.