First time taking my two boys to Orlando and I would love to hear some suggestions

[greeny]

Hi all. I'm taking my boys ages 9 and 4 to Orlando for the first time from November 27th - December 3rd and would love to hear some suggestions on my plan. They like to do rides but have said they want to do everything I have mentioned below.

We arive in Orlando on Saturday night off site at the Renaissance Orlando Resort .

Sunday - Seaworld because we will have the tickets and I love the place.

Monday - Discovery Cove.

Tuesday - My buddy gave me a hopper pass for this day so we have some options. Right now I'm thinking of heading over to AK for the day and then hopping to MGM since it's open until 8. My older son wants to do Tower of Terror. Since they want rides I thought it would be better to do MK for part of the day and then hop over to MGM but they insist they want to do AK. Any opinions on what they would have more fun doing would be appreciated.

Wednesday - Magic Kingdom

Thursday - Universal Studios

Friday - Maybe seaworld for a couple of hours but mostly rest. Then MVMCP. I hate to book this on a Friday but we will be leaving the next day and we can sleep late. I'm afraid that if I book it during the week it will kill us for the next day and we won't want to do anything and we're short on time.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Kimberle]

It sounds like a good plan. I think you can do both AK and MGM in 1 day. You won't see everything, but you'll get a good feel for what's there.

TOT, are you going to take your 4 yo on? Some 4 yo's like it, but others don't. Would you send your 8 yo on by himself?

There are lot's of things to do with both of your children. The only problem I see is when your 8 yo wants to do something your 4 yo is not ready for. Also, some rides only seat 2 (like the little race cars in MK). You might want to give some thought as to how you will handle the situation.

Otherwise, looks good! Have a great trip.

 

[greeny]

Kimberle

Thanks for the reply! I realize the age difference could (will) be a problem so during these times we will split up. I should have mentioned that my wife will be coming along with us. At times I guess it does pay to be married

 

[laceemouse]

Looks good! We are an animal loving family so Seaworld and AK are favorites of ours (have not done Discovery Cove yet though.) The safari ride and trails at AK are great!!!

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Oh what fun! We love the Renaissance. What about some time at Downtown Disney? The Lego store, the toy store and Ghirardelli ice cream are reasons enough. And they decorate charmingly for Christmas.

 

[greeny]

I have to say I'm so very impressed with this site! I had no idea about all that cool stuff at downtown Disney. My wife wants to go and my son loved legos. I guess I have to find time for it. Thank you all for taking the time out to respond.

 

[Disnutty]

If you plan on AK and MGM in one day then make sure you have a plan for both and that you make use of the Fast Passes whenever they are available. Make sure you list the "Must Do" attractions from both boys and that they rank the Must Do's so that they know that they may have to compromise on doing certain rides at certain times and that they are part of and buy into the plan. If its rides that they want to do the most then remember that AK is a very large park in terms or area and criss crossing the park is extremely time consuming and tiring. Therefore a good plan is important. For example if the must do list includes the safari, the Kali River Rapids, the dinosaur ride and Its tough to be a bug and the Primeval Whirl, then starting with the Safaris and head back to the front of the park by doing the Bug and Rapids and then do Dino and the Whirl. You will probable be sidetracked more than once because someone might want to see the Tigers or the Gorillas or the mole rats or the monkeys or the birds (or whatever) so be prepared to be flexible with the plan. Knowing where the must do attractions are is a big advantage in trying to do a park in a half a day. Having the attractions ranked may come in handy if you start to run out of time.

 

[DisneyMSF]

Since you're already planning time at MK on Wednesday and then MVMCP, I would definately spend some time at AK on Tuesday.

Both your kids should enjoy the Safari and the walking trails in Africa and Asia and Kali River Rapids (if 4 yr old is tall enough - note that you get soaked on this ride). Also, be sure to see the Lion King show at the AK. The Dinosaur ride might be too scary for the 4 yr old, but your older son might enjoy it. You're older son will also probably like Primevil Whirl (the 4 yr old will probably be too small - it's a 48 inch height requirement). There is a great playground area (The Boneyard) near Dinosaur and Primevil Whirl, so it's a great place for the younger one to play while the older one does those rides. There's also a Dumbo like ride (Triceratops Spin) near Primevil Whirl which is another option for the younger child while the older child is riding one of those rides.

Here's a tip - If getting fastpasses for Dinosaur or Primevil Whirl, where one child isn't going to ride, still get four fastpasses. One adult rides w/ the older child (while other adult hangs out with other child in Boneyard area). Then the adults switch, with the older child riding twice (once w/ each parent) in a row. We've done this many times at AK for these rides and it works great.

Have a great trip!

 

[greeny]

Disnutty and DisneyMSF

Thank you for the tips. One of the best pieces of advice I have heard on these boards is don't try and do everything. With that in mind I think the best thing to do is go to AK first thing in the morning and stay till almost closing. Then hop over to MGM and do one or two things before either trying to see Fantasmic! or heading home. The older guy really wants to do TOT so if we just accomplish that at MGM it will be a success.

 

[Disnutty]

It sounds like a great plan. As soon as you get to MGM, go to ToT and get a Fast Pass. That way you can go do some other stuff until your Fast Pass time window comes up. Then you will know that you will be able to get to ride TOT and avoid any lines if there are any at that time of year.

 

[bethbuchall]

Another tip is to ask the CM at the ride entrance about the child swap procedure. Usually, one parent will ride with the older child and when the second parent goes back to ride (without waiting in the whole line again), the older child is allowed to go again.

 

[swilphil]

I think AK can be done in a 1/2 day. I would steer away from the Dinosaur ride for your 4 year old. It could scare him off of other rides for the rest of the trip. My 4 year old liked ToT but not Dinosaur--too jerky and loud. Your 4 year old will like the Boneyard, especially the part where they dig for fossils, and there are other rides in Dinoland. The Lion King show is also good. MGM also has some good shows--Beauty and the Beast and Disney Playhouse, which may be a little young for the 9 year old. You could head over to MGM early that day and then go to the Boardwalk if there's not enough at MGM.

I would skip Universal, and do Epcot, MK or everyone's favorites. My kids loved World Showcase, especially the 4 year old.

 

[Planogirl]

Your plan sounds really good. If you make sure that you arrive before opening each morning and try to eat during offtimes, you shouldn't have too much trouble. Be sure to come visit the Universal board to get advice about that park too!

 

[greeny]

I again want to thank everyone for the responses!

I'm hearing conflicting things about Universal. One family with two boys ages 5 and 9 told me they hated it while another family with a 9 year old loved it. Reading the boards most people enjoy the park so I will probably just go for it.