First trip!

[bellagirl9388]

Hello!
This will be my first trip as an adult with kids of my own! I went many times as a kid..but never "planned" out and I havent been in almost 10 years.

We will be taking our 4 yr old from November 1-7th.

I am trying to set up an intineray but need some help. I have been told that Hollywood Studios and Epcot are not all day parks with that age because there isnt as much to do and we could probably do those in half days? True? We have a breakfast scheduled at Hollywood and Vine Tuesday the 4th at 9am and we have a breakfast at Tusker House Thursday the 6th at 9am. So we will obviously do Hollywood Studios on Tuesday and Animal Kingdom on Thursday. We plan to additional do a day at epcot and possibly 2 days at Magic Kingdom. Do you think two days are needed? I know she will want to meet all the characters there and I remember standing in pretty long lines so I didnt know if its better to schedule two days at Magic Kingdom? We plan to do parks sunday-thursday but I would like to have an afternoon/evening at downtown disney as well. I was hoping if Epcot/Hollywood studios can be done in half a day that we would have those evenings free. Looking for the best plan and hoping for some input!

Thanks!!

Also, anything else we should make time for?

 

[ericstac]

how awesome is that.. first trip planning!!

i would move both of those breakfasts to 8am so you can get into the parks an hour prior to park opening.. enjoy the park without the crowds, eat, then leave the restaurant and head over to your first attraction and be the first one there if you keep it the way it is now you will be eating the first hour the park is open and that is the best time to be in the park riding rides, meeting characters and stuff like that..

for Hollywood studios, we usually eat early then head straight to the Toy Story game ride and be the first in line.. ride it 2-3 times and then we are pretty much done with Hollywood studios..lol. So yeah to us, it is definitely a half day or less park for us.

We love EPCOT and the world showcase so we usually do two half days or 1 fullday and a half day there.

AK is our other half day if we even go..

MK is always a 2 day for us as it is so much fun.

 

[crazycatgirll]

With younger kids Hollywood Studios and EPCOT are definitely half day-ers. One of those evenings would be perfect for DTD. I would recommend eating at the T-Rex restaurant. It has good food and it's a lot of fun for kids. Doing 2 days at MK would probably be smart to make sure you have time for everything.

 

[ses1230]

Epcot and MK are always 2 full days for us. HS and AK are full days but if you have to do one park as a half day I would say AK.

I would not do a breakfast at 9am, that just eats up too much prime touring time. Try moving them to pre park opening like eric suggested, if you can. If not I would do a late morning breakfast.

MVMCP will be happening during that time if you are interested in that. The Food and Wine festival will still be going on as well.

I'm going at that time as well, my dates are Nov. 1-9. Come on over to the November planning thread http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3066016

If you are on facebook we have a FB group, too.

 

[williamscm3]

We went with our almost 4 year old last year, and for us HS and Epcot could be half day parks. I would spend as much time as possible in MK. We also spent 2 days in AK, but that park will close around 5 that time of year so can be somewhat of a shorter day as well. I personally wish we hadn't gone to DTD on our trip, I didn't really find anything there that I couldn't have found elsewhere. Plus it is kinda a mess to get there and back if your using Disney transportation. Planning a first trip can be so much fun! Be sure to have mid day breaks! Those are VERY important

 

[bellagirl9388]

I just planned this trip, like last week! The times I got for breakfast seemed to be all that came up, but I will go back and double check if I can get a different time! My 4 yr old loves animals, so that is why we figured on animal kingdom. We were going to honestly skip HS but she loves the playhouse Disney characters (Sofia, Doc, Jake) and I really wanted to do the Hollywood and vine breakfast so I figure we will just maybe spend a few hours there and have that day be our more relaxing day. Thanks for all the tips!

 

[Malibustyle23]

We have never spent a half day at any park, ever. Every park to us is atleast a full day if not two days. Since you seem to have the time I would do one day at each park except MK would be 2 days. You would still have two empty days available that you could spend at DTD if you choose. While enjoying everything available at a preschoolers pace anything could be an all day excursion. In addition to the Disney Jr characters you can also meet Lightning, Mater, Mike, Sully and other characters at HS. Plus she would probably enjoy the Disney Jr show, Little Mermaid show, Beauty and the Beast show, Muppet 4d and a bunch of other things there.

 

[rimomma66]

We took our 4 year old for his first trip in April and we could have spent MORE than a day at HS and EPCOT both. (I will say- he is tall for 4 and LOVED Test Track and Mission Space).
MK is definitely a 2 day park and AK is a full day park for us.
It depends on your family. We are about more than just one ride at each place- we like to see all the shows and enjoy the atmosphere at a nice pace that doesn't make for cranky kiddos or parents.

 

[DisneyObsessed87]

For my 5 year old's first trip, HS was our favorite. We spent an entire day there from pretty much open to close (we left for dinner). We enjoyed all of the shows and star tours was his again and again ride. But Epcot we did do only half a day. It really depends on your family.

 

[wdw4rfam]

I would personally say for first timers ( or first time in a while) , they are all full day parks. As much as we have been there, we still spend all day at all except AK. MK we do 2full days, HS we do 2 half days, Epcot a full day, and AK a half day. Now that we've been so many times, we venture out and do universal, sea world too.

 

[andyman8]

Hello!
This will be my first trip as an adult with kids of my own! I went many times as a kid..but never "planned" out and I havent been in almost 10 years.

We will be taking our 4 yr old from November 1-7th.

I am trying to set up an intineray but need some help. I have been told that Hollywood Studios and Epcot are not all day parks with that age because there isnt as much to do and we could probably do those in half days? True? We have a breakfast scheduled at Hollywood and Vine Tuesday the 4th at 9am and we have a breakfast at Tusker House Thursday the 6th at 9am. So we will obviously do Hollywood Studios on Tuesday and Animal Kingdom on Thursday. We plan to additional do a day at epcot and possibly 2 days at Magic Kingdom. Do you think two days are needed? I know she will want to meet all the characters there and I remember standing in pretty long lines so I didnt know if its better to schedule two days at Magic Kingdom? We plan to do parks sunday-thursday but I would like to have an afternoon/evening at downtown disney as well. I was hoping if Epcot/Hollywood studios can be done in half a day that we would have those evenings free. Looking for the best plan and hoping for some input!

Thanks!!

Also, anything else we should make time for?

Congratulations on your first time planning a trip!

My first question for you is do you have anytime available on the first or the seventh? I'm going to assume those are entirely travel days for now. Here's what I would do per your existing dining reservations and easyWDW recommendations.

Sun. - MK
Mon. - Epcot
Tues. - Hollywood Studios
Wed. - MK
Thurs. - Animal Kingdom

Speaking of your ADRs, I'd recommend trying to change them to either later or earlier, preferably earlier. If you're going to be in the park at 9am and waking up early, I'd recommend using that time to hit attractions and moving your breakfasts to as close to 8am as possible. Arrive at the gate at 7:45 and you'll be let in so you can eat and hopefully be out by 9am to hit attractions at rope drop.

I think there is enough to do at DHS and Epcot to constitute full days plus, so long as he can make it that late, the nighttime spectaculars (IllumiNations for Epcot and Fantasmic! for DHS) are can't misses. I'd recommend taking a midday break at your hotel to nap, rest, and maybe relax by the pool. Then, just return to the park in time for dinner and the nighttime entertainment.

In terms of working DTD into your trip, I'd probably go for it on your DAK night considering an evening return won't be necessary to DAK if you're there at rope drop. This would mean you'd be doing DTD your last night of the trip.

If you have time on your arrival day, you could do a visit to DTD then, and if you have time on your departure, you could hit MK one last time. Particularly with New Fantasyland, there's a lot to do there for a little one. Trust me.

Also, as adults, you may want to do some attractions that the little one cannot or will not want to ride. This is where Child Switch comes in handy. Your entire party (including the little one) waits in line after obtaining a Switch pass from the attraction attendant at the entrance, then one of the adults rides while the other waits with the child. After the adult returns from the ride, you hand off your child and the other adult rides. This also works with FastPass+ (that's something you're going to want to heavily research by the way).

In terms of dining, here are some places I recommend eating with a little one.

• Hollywood & Vine Lunch or Breakfast - Disney Jr. characters - Hollywood Studios
• Chef Mickey's - Mickey & Friends - Contemporary Resort
• 'Ohana - no characters but fun for kids - Polynesian Resort
• Cinderella's Royal Table - Princesses - Magic Kingdom
• 1900 Park Fare breakfast - Marry Poppins, Pooh & Friends, Alice in Wonderland & Friends - Grand Floridian
• Crystal Palace - Pooh & Friends - Magic Kingdom
• Garden Grill - Chip & Dale - Epcot
• Whispering Canyon Cafe - no characters but a lot of fun for kids - Wilderness Lodge Resort
• Coral Reef Restaurant - no characters but neat for ocean-loving kids or fans of Nemo - Epcot
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall - Princesses - Epcot
• Be Our Guest (definitely not going to be available but worth checking for cancelations) - no characters but fun for kids - Magic Kingdom

Finally, your hotel is important. With such a young one, I'd really recommend staying onsite at one of the Disney Resort Hotels. You'll be wanting to get back to your hotel quickly for naps and breaks throughout your trip and this is most easily done at Disney Hotels. Just a suggestion.

Happy planning and enjoy your trip!

 

[tinkermomto3]

When we went to Hollywood Studios (kids were 1, 2, and 4) we did from 9-4 (had plans on going back after dinner and were just too tired) and missed stuff I know my kids would have enjoyed. We are going back next year (kids will be 3, 5, and 7) and plan on spending a full day here. Epcot is also at least a full day park for us. We spent 2 days at Epcot, one full day (rope drop to fireworks) and our second day was 9-6 (just because we were exhausted, we could have done some stuff again the kids really enjoyed).
MK is always 2 full days for us, we did 2 days last time and missed out on all of Tomorrowland due to some heavy rain storms that kept us in Cosmic Rays for about 2 hours. We did a REALLY short Animal Kingdom trip (it was our last day in a 10 day trip and it flooded for about 2 hours. We will probably skip it completely until the kids are older. We missed a ton of stuff there, but we were all kind of miserable by AK day and it will take me some time to forget.

 

[bellagirl9388]

Okay..would you guys suggest I nix Animal Kingdom and do either another day at MK (making 3 days) or another day at Epcot or HS? Or maybe even something like Seaworld? My daughter does like animals..but we can see animals anywhere so I dont want to base going just off that? From the majority I have read on different threads, AK seems to be the least enjoyed park. We are getting 5 day tickets but no hopper so I dont know if I want to use a whole days ticket on AK if we only will be there a couple hours?

 

[captain america 2003]

Hi Bellagirl ,
First let me tell you that everyone has an opinion about the parks and what's good, bad, and everything in between including but certainly not limited to which parks are full day parks and which are half day parks . My advice is to read up on the attractions and shows offered at each park and make a list of which of these you think you would like to do and think are appropriate for your child . Once you do that you'll have a better idea of how much time you'll need in each park to see and do what you want. Also consider whether or not you feel like you want to see the night time entertainment (Illuminations and Fantasmic) that are exceptional in Epcot and Hollywood Studios . Another suggestion I can make is to watch videos of any attractions/shows you're not sure about on youtube so that you can get a better idea about what they're like .

 

[Malibustyle23]

Okay..would you guys suggest I nix Animal Kingdom and do either another day at MK (making 3 days) or another day at Epcot or HS? Or maybe even something like Seaworld? My daughter does like animals..but we can see animals anywhere so I dont want to base going just off that? From the majority I have read on different threads, AK seems to be the least enjoyed park. We are getting 5 day tickets but no hopper so I dont know if I want to use a whole days ticket on AK if we only will be there a couple hours?

My personal opinion no! I would keep AK in the mix. I would end with your second MK day as your last day. For me the comparison of a zoo available anywhere is completely off at AK. The safari is a great ride that is a different experience every time. You can visit the petting zoo animal area where kids can get up close to the animals. They can see at scheduled times vet visits and learn about upkeep at a zoo setting. The Lion King and Finding Nemo shows are amazing!!! I have heard great things about the Flight of Wonders show also but have not enjoyed it, yet. You can meet Russell and Dug there since you said she is into characters. Also Tusker House is a nice character meal there if you have an open TS to use. I would definitely reserve a day for AK.

 

[andyman8]

Okay..would you guys suggest I nix Animal Kingdom and do either another day at MK (making 3 days) or another day at Epcot or HS? Or maybe even something like Seaworld? My daughter does like animals..but we can see animals anywhere so I dont want to base going just off that? From the majority I have read on different threads, AK seems to be the least enjoyed park. We are getting 5 day tickets but no hopper so I dont know if I want to use a whole days ticket on AK if we only will be there a couple hours?

I wouldn't nix DAK, particularly for the first-time visitor. I wouldn't do a third day at MK or bother with time at SeaWorld in exchange for no time at DAK.

DAK is actually a really fun park and under-apreicated. I enjoy that it can be done in a morning and a bit of an afternoon leaving time for DTD. There's the Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo, and It's Tough to Be a Bug shows in addition to Kilimanjaro Safaris, Rafiki's Planet Watch (great for any animal lover!), The Boneyard, Triceratops Spin, Wilderness Explorers, and the Fossil Fun Games area and that's assuming she doesn't meet any height requirements. Plus, there's tons of unique characters! If you do breakfast at Tusker at 8am then do rope drop and lunch, you could get at around 2pm, go back to pool to rest, and then DTD in the evening. Definitely worth it if you ask me.

I might actually suggest doing DAK on Tuesday and DHS on Thursday for lower crowds at each park instead of the reverse but whatever works.

 

[HWY20RIDE4MYSON]

All the parks except MK are half day with a 4 year old. I would also add a 3rd day at MK as most of a stuff a 4 year old will even ride is there

 

[williamscm3]

Okay..would you guys suggest I nix Animal Kingdom and do either another day at MK (making 3 days) or another day at Epcot or HS? Or maybe even something like Seaworld? My daughter does like animals..but we can see animals anywhere so I dont want to base going just off that? From the majority I have read on different threads, AK seems to be the least enjoyed park. We are getting 5 day tickets but no hopper so I dont know if I want to use a whole days ticket on AK if we only will be there a couple hours?

We love animals too and we loved AK! I wouldn't nix it! Your daughter will probably love the safari and all the animal trails. The Nemo show and Festival of the Lion King were great shows, and my son LOVED the Dino dig area. I would do 2 days at MK and one day at each other park. Everyone has an opinion on what is a full, half day, or skippable park and it all has to do with each persons own likes and dislikes. You won't know until after this first trip what your family likes the most and what you will consider skippable in the future.

 

[tinkermomto3]

I wouldn't nix DAK, particularly for the first-time visitor. I wouldn't do a third day at MK or bother with time at SeaWorld in exchange for no time at DAK.

DAK is actually a really fun park and under-apreicated. I enjoy that it can be done in a morning and a bit of an afternoon leaving time for DTD. There's the Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo, and It's Tough to Be a Bug shows in addition to Kilimanjaro Safaris, Rafiki's Planet Watch (great for any animal lover!), The Boneyard, Triceratops Spin, Wilderness Explorers, and the Fossil Fun Games area and that's assuming she doesn't meet any height requirements. Plus, there's tons of unique characters! If you do breakfast at Tusker at 8am then do rope drop and lunch, you could get at around 2pm, go back to pool to rest, and then DTD in the evening. Definitely worth it if you ask me.

I might actually suggest doing DAK on Tuesday and DHS on Thursday for lower crowds at each park instead of the reverse but whatever works.

Agree with this. I definitely wouldn't nix it without going and having personal experience.