Disney parades

[lostatdisney]

It's been almost 17 years since DH and I went to Disneyworld on our honeymoon, and now we're headed back on March 12 for a week-long vacation with DS (11), DS (10), and DD (8). (I'm new to these boards - I hope my abbreviations are correct!) Anyway, we are thrilled, counting the days, and excited to be staying at POR.
I do have a few questions for the experts: I was thinking of taking a light blanket to help "define" our area as we wait for the parades to begin, hoping that we wouldn't get squeezed out of our spots as did happen to us in Disneyland several years ago. *Would this work, or is it not worth it?
*What essentials do you take with you to the park each day? I'm thinking of taking a backpack.
*How much time should I allow to really see each park? I've never been to MGM or AK, and Epcot was very new when I was there.
THanks for your help!

 

[freddieflounder]

AK and MGM one day easy. Epcot if you like it a lot at least 2 days, if not 1-2 days. MK any time you 2 days. I've would not suggest a blanket for the parades, most people are standing, try the unofficial guide book for wdw for the best places to be and when to be there for the parades.

We'll be there at the same time march 12-20
I CAN'T WAIT

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by lostatdisney
It's been almost 17 years since DH and I went to Disneyworld on our honeymoon, and now we're headed back on March 12 for a week-long vacation with DS (11), DS (10), and DD (8). (I'm new to these boards - I hope my abbreviations are correct!) Anyway, we are thrilled, counting the days, and excited to be staying at POR.
I do have a few questions for the experts: I was thinking of taking a light blanket to help "define" our area as we wait for the parades to begin, hoping that we wouldn't get squeezed out of our spots as did happen to us in Disneyland several years ago. *Would this work, or is it not worth it?
*What essentials do you take with you to the park each day? I'm thinking of taking a backpack.
*How much time should I allow to really see each park? I've never been to MGM or AK, and Epcot was very new when I was there.
THanks for your help!

I was just there last week. I have to say that honestly, you can put down a blanket, but the people who are rude enough to push and shove, will push and shove anyway , unfortunately.

I planned on taking a backpack each day and only ended up doing so once or twice. I wound up using my camera case as a sling bag (its small) and stuffed extra medicine in there. I brought an extra bag the day it rained just in case. You might want to take umbrellas too. It can rain kind of suddenly (but it's not bad at all). I found that I never ended up needing anything I packed, except umbrellas. There is a first aid area in each park so band aids etc, were not needed.

Are you going to have a car? We ended up just leaving stuff we probably wouldn't need but wanted nearby just in case (extra shoes, change of clothes) in our trunk.

I think a big part of my problem was over planning. I sketched out where we'd be each day, each meal. Now granted it was just me (27) and my boyfriend (31) but trust me when I say , his idea of fun is probably much like your young sons We ended up actually adding a day to the Disney part of our trip to spend more time at Epcot. I think your boys will love it there. Innoventions is really neat, and Mission Space and Test Track both have areas with games and such. Good stuff. Of course, I am just assuming all young boys (and grown men who act like young boys...hahaha) are into video games and computers. It really depends on what your children (and you!) like.

For instance, we both really love animals. We spent 1/2 day at AK and that was with seeing everything but the shows (we kept missing the times ) and Kali (we hate getting soaked!). We really enjoying the walks, and safari and Rafikis Planet Watch. We went on Dinosaur! 3 times & Primeval Whirl.

I would say 2 days each at EPCOT & MK. MGM maybe a day and AK 1/2 a day unless you want to see all the shows. Utilize the free fastpass , and get to the parks when they open and you should be fine.

I guess what I am trying to say is , every family is different. Where you will want to spend most of your time will vary by your families tastes.

Read up on the different attractions. www.wdwig.com is a great place to do this. And leave room for a change of plans if the weather is bad or your kids really love something you were not expecting them to love

Have fun!!!

 

[iluvtink]

What fun to be seeing it all through your kids' eyes for the first time! Be sure to allow time for Disney Quest if your kids like interactive and virtual reality computer stuff. You don't need a whole day there, but try to at least get a few hours in.

Blanket is okay for sitting on at parades, but it's true that it won't protect the space. We always try to sit apart a little and then invite a little kid or two from the back to come up and sit with us where they can see!

I found a backpack to be too much, until my DD gave me her small (6"x9")Girl Scout one. Do buy a 2004 copy of the Unofficial Guide to WDW, and read it at least once before you go, using a highlighter and paperclips on important pages. Don't stress if you don't follow the books' strategies exactly. IMHO, flexibility is the key to a good trip. Recognize that you can't see it all in this one trip, and start making lists of what you will go back for next year. This will be our 8th trip to WDW, and there are still things we haven't seen/done!

 

[wannabebelle]

We took a backpack to the park every day and we never thought it was a problem. The only ride that it was an inconvenience on was the River Rapid ride at AK. It was a little to big to put in the storage contained. We shoved it in as well as we could. It didn't get that wet.

My husband and I took our 4-year-old niece. We took three bottles of water (purchased at Publix) each day and filled an empty bottle with Kool-Aid for our niece. That saved us a lot of $$. Especially for my niece. When she gets thirsty, she will take several gulps out of whatever she's drinking and that's it, so I didn't want to buy a lot of soft drinks in the park. We also packed our ponchos in the back pack for each day that it might rain. We went in Jan., so it didn't rain every day like it does in the summer.

We also packed a bag of fruit snacks and a snack bag of chips for her. Also, pack some wipes or moist towlettes if you take a back pack. Those came in handy for sticky fingers (after ice cream breaks).