Getting money's worth with little kids?

[lemondog]

Hi everyone. We are hoping to visit Disney this time next year -- early Jan. 2006. We have 3 kids, DD who will be 4.5 yrs. and twins who will be 23 months. Obviously, a good bit of our trip will be downtime -- resting, naps, etc. since the kids can't go all day nonstop. I guess I am just a little worried we are paying all this money for park tix and won't get our money's worth. I figure we can go in the morning after breakfast, come back for lunch and nap, then back in late afternoon and dinner but then back to the hotel early since my kids have an early bedtime. It sounds like we'll be spending more time in our room than in the parks. Is the cost worth it? I just want to make sure we get our money's worth. Thanks!

Angela

 

[F1Julie]

How long are you going for? My advise would be to alternate park days with non-park days. There's plenty of stuff to do outside of the parks. Those days are great for character meals and swimming. Another option would be to split up in the afternoon. Maybe one day you could take the twins back for their nap while DH stayed with your older child. Then you could meet up all together later. The next day, switch. My DD4 can go all day at the parks. She usually falls asleep in her stroller around firework time.

 

[jodifla]

There are upsides and downsides to your situation.

First, the twins will be free, so it will just be three tickets instead of five, definitely a cost savings. Also, I found my DS, now 3, would often just pass out in his stroller, and we didn't always have to trek back to the room. We often started the day in one park, went home for a late nap or swim or rest, then did dinner and evening in another park. This is harder to do in January, because the parks don't stay open as late, other that Epcot, which is always open until 9. It's also easier if you have a car. We only take Disney transportation if we're going to the MK. And we stay on property always. That helps quite a bit too in time savings.

We've been taking DS since he was five months old. He always has loved all the things there are to look at. We have year round passes and go more than once a year, which really helps bring the overall cost of the trips down, too. The more you go, the cheaper it is. Or at least that's what we tell ourselves!

 

[Waggy182]

I figure we can go in the morning after breakfast, come back for lunch and nap, then back in late afternoon and dinner but then back to the hotel early since my kids have an early bedtime.

This really depends at which resort you are staying; GF, Poly, or CR this is a good plan. Any other resort and you will spend more time to and from with all these trips than actually at the park. The napping in the stroller is a good point also; you won't always have to go back to the room.

I would alternate days as F1Julie stated. One day full bore; next day easy, etc.

It really takes one trip to get a rhythm down that works for you.

 

[crisi]

We discovered the wonders of the Disney transportation nap.

Our kids slept while we looped buses, rode the MK train, and the ferry. And would have been happy sleeping on the monorail as well had we been on it at nap time. This gave them enough down time that with early bedtimes we did ok.

But all kids are different. As was said, the little ones are free.....

 

[crusoe2]

I think it really depends on whether your kids will nap in their strollers. If that isn't a problem, there are lots of things you can do while they nap - shop, take time to just enjoy all the neat details in the parks, ride the monorail, take turns riding thrill rides or having some one-on-one time with your 4yo, take your time exploring the World Showcase at Epcot, etc. But with the parks closing earlier you will need to use your time wisely. I would probably spend the early part of the day at a park that closes early, have some rest time back at the resort, and then do afternoons/evenings at Epcot or enjoying your resort. The evenings at Epcot will work especially well if you stay at either a monorail resort or an Epcot resort - the kids can go to sleep in their strollers and you won't have to take them out until you get back to the room. If you do baths during your midday break and dress them in something soft and comfy, you might be able to just move them from the strollers to their beds.

 

[Brian Noble]

Be careful about "getting your money's worth." When you start thinking that way, you push to ride "just one more thing" about four or five times, tire yourself out, stress yourself out, and the kids too. This happens even with the best of intentions, which you clearly have, and good for you!

I used to be a "get my money's worth" guy until I bought a season pass at Cedar Point, my homepark---since each admission was pre-paid, and I could come back some other time, I started taking a much more relaxed approach---I didn't push to get in "just one more ride", and I didn't wait in lines I knew would be shorter some other time. And, much to my surprise (I guess I'm not all that smart) the relaxed approach was a whole lot more fun. Now, I follow that apporach every time our family visits any park, even if we are visiting on full freight single-day tickets.

Our standard theme park days look like this: arrive at opening or a bit before (my kids are early risers), tour until about 1 or so (including a quick counter service lunch), go to hotel to rest/nap, come back for a handful of short-wait attractions (at most) and a nice dinner, or maybe a show, or just to enjoy nights in the parks. We're heading back to the hotel by 8; 8:30 at the latest.

If we are only visiting a park for one day, and aren't staying nearby, we come in at opening and stay until about 3 or so, and then we are out of there.

We've been following this model for the past three years, both at our homepark and parks we visit elsewhere, and my kids are 4 and 6 now---they are starting to get old enough to stay up a bit later, and maybe not nap every day, but we still get out of the parks every day in the early afternoon without fail.

This is a plenty full and fun day. If you are there at opening and leave at 1, you'll probably see more attractions than you would if you arrived later and stayed through until the kids collapse.

We even did this at Disneyland last February, where the parks open an hour later (10 rather than 9), and we were staying offsite (at least 30 minutes from hotel room to front gates, so 2 hours a day communiting to and fro) and STILL had a great time and plenty of fun. You might need to spend an extra 15 minutes each way at WDW, but the parks open earlier, so it's a wash.

True, some families with similarly-aged kids happily and healthily spend more time in the parks when they visit. As far as I know, we could do it too with no ill effects. But, I have found I am getting more than my money's worth out of this plan. The way I see it, time spent laughing and playing with my spouse and kids are what I'm paying for---the parks and their attractions are just the stage on which we play.

Edit: I will add, though, that my plan absolutely requires either two connectiong hotel rooms or an honest-to-goodness suite with at least one private bedroom. That way, DW and I don't have to pretend to be asleep in a darkened hotel room during nap time and bed time.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Brian is so on target! You have to change your perspective on "money's worth." We have discovered that if we have an awesome morning in the park, everyone is calm, cool and collected, then we have gotten our money's worth. Sometimes we go back for awhile, but only if it seems the best to do. If a swim is more appropriate, that is what we do.

It was REALLY hard to break that mind set, after years of seeing and doing everything, but it made for a really nice vacation.

Have a lovely time!

Michelle

 

[meandtheguys2]

Brian is so on target! You have to change your perspective on "money's worth." We have discovered that if we have an awesome morning in the park, everyone is calm, cool and collected, then we have gotten our money's worth. Sometimes we go back for awhile, but only if it seems the best to do. If a swim is more appropriate, that is what we do.

It was REALLY hard to break that mind set, after years of seeing and doing everything, but it made for a really nice vacation.

Have a lovely time!

Michelle

 

[Selket]

My kids were 5 yrs old and 20 months old when we went Aug of 2003 and as for getting your money's worth for the park tickets....you probably will not - at least if you are comparing it to how you may have toured WDW before you had kids. I found it easier just to scale back my expectations to zero and have perhaps 1 or 2 rides per park that were must-see's and the rest is just gravy. Since it was a busy time of year I recommend doing some PS's for lunch or dinner so you have a nice place to sit and relax awhile. I highly highly recommend Tour Guide Mike (http://www.tourguidemike.com) for his touring plans with young kids. I found them invaluable and I wasn't a rookie at WDW either.

We did park hop and took the afternoon's off but I had a devil of a time getting anyone to nap no matter what we did - our little was was always keyed up and ready to roll.

Have fun!

 

[sbrown]

Last year we went to WDW with DD's 3 yrs and 13 mos. Our plans to get "our money's worth" were soon thrown out the window. This year we have scaled back our expectations - parks until about 1pm, then nap, swim, dinner. We realized "getting our money's worth" was more about having a fun family vacation without the intrusion of everyday household chores, etc. than exploring every inch of the parks and ending up with 2 very cranky toddlers.

 

[sha_lyn]

the twins are free admission and free at the buffets, preplated character meals and family style meals. So in all reality you are saving a bundle by going before they turn 3.

 

[mjmcca]

As long as you and your kids enjoy yourselves then you will have gotten your moneys worth.

 

[Tinkerbelle99]

We went to WDW in March 2004 for the first time and DD was 4 1/2. We didnt know what our approach would be until we go there, but we went to the parks every day, but didnt push ourselves. What got us thru it? Midday breaks EVERYDAY of our trip. We would head out early and come back to our room, rest, swim eat, whatever we felt up to. Then we geared back up and hit the parks again. It was the best vacation we have ever had and the breaks had alot to do with it (along with all the Disney magic of course!)

Of course taking breaks was made easier by staying onsite, we were at Pop. We just hoped on and off the bus and never had more than a 5 minute wait. it couldnt of been more perfect for us.

We dragged our huge stroller with us (we drove down), brought it to the room and it never left until we packed up the truck to leave. DD handled the walking like a champ...again, thanks to the breaks!!

Can you tell i am a huge advocate for breaks?

 

[kldmom2000]

We just got back a few weeks ago from our first trip with our girls (ages 4 and 26 months at the time). Believe it or not, we could have just stayed at our hotel the entire time-all they wanted to do was the pool (Stormalong Bay) at the Beach Club. We would hit a park in the morning for a few hours, end up at the hotel for swimming (and the 2 yr old sometimes would nap) and then at dinner time, go back into another park-it was MUCH different going with kids than without!LOL! I "feel" that we didn't do much, but we did have a wonderful time as a family and made tons of great memories even though we didn't tackle much of the parks this time around.... just go with low expectations and maybe you'll exceed them?

 

[NotUrsula]

Staying onsite will help immensely with that, b/c you can take advantage of the extra hours that onsite guests get. Bring comfy strollers and your little ones can be snoozing in them while you're baby-swapping in the evenings. If you want to maximize your ride time, you'll have to get on top of the FP system, and that means doing extra walking as you crisscross the park; strollers are the only way you'll survive doing that with little ones.

Our strategy has always been to hit the EE at MK to get in the kiddy rides all at once, and then you LEAVE after a maximum of 2 hours and go back to your resort for a break (or go to one of the Monorail resorts for a special lunch and THEN take your break.) Except for maybe one E-ticket ride each morning, you'll do your best grownup-oriented touring after 5 pm.

One other thing; you will find that your money is buying some experiences that you breezed right by when you didn't have kids. Is an hour spent watching your toddler chase the lights in Epcot's sparkling sidewalks, or playing endlessly in the fountains worth the money? You bet your bippy it is!

 

[BevS97]

I think the new passes will help a lot with the 'get my moneys worth feeling' - or else, buy an AP - that helps immensely!

With the new passes, I think the 6th day is only a few $ more than 5 days, so you start getting some days practically for free.

We basically just add the pass price onto our holiday price, and view the total as the cost of our trip - that time may be spent in parks or at the resort, it's all part of our holiday

 

[lemondog]

I want to thank all of you for such wonderful input! You are so right! Just seeing the magic in my children's eyes will be all worth it. This is my first time going to Disney with kids, so yes, I am used to quite a different Disney experience.

I am one of those moms who rearranges my whole life so my kids can get their naps and into bed on-time, and in doing so I have created little monsters. All 3 of my girls are so used to napping in their beds that they really don't nap at all in strollers or being held. I guess that's just something we'll have to deal with. The 3.5 year old has almost given up naps now, so I am sure by next year she won't need to sleep, but the twins will, and of course they'll all need some downtime.

I had been thinking all along that we could do a cheaper resort to save money, but now I am thinking we maybe should do a NICER resort since we'll be spending more time there than if it was just adults, and maybe spend less on park tix?? Also, if we're hanging in the hotel more we can do breakfast and even some lunches in there, to save even more money.

Unfortunately, 2 rooms or a suite is not an option for us financially. I became a SAHM after the twins were born and we have had to give up certain luxuries -- like yearly family vacations! This will be our first one EVER since having kids. We have been saving for 6 months already, and with another year to save we feel we can swing it financially, but we still can't afford a suite. We are thinking of the FW cabins, if we can get a good rate, but if we're going to be spending more time at the hotel then I want somewhere with amenities, activities, and if weather permits, a nicer, themed pool, which FW does not have. Also, this will be DH's first time EVER to Disney (which is a shame since he was born on Oct. 1, 1971-- same day Disney opened) and I want to make sure he gets a good overdose of the Disney magic! Which means no stays offsite, of course!

Thanks everyone. I really value your input. If you have any suggestions, keep them coming!

Angela

 

[redsoxgal]

We've gone year after year as our kids have grown. Our first trip DD was 4, DS was 2. We were actually staying at the beach and took a two day trip to disney. 2 yr old napped on 4 yr olds shoulder while in stroller, bummer for the 4yr old. We decided to buy him his favorite character stuffed animal and each year we would buy a new one, he would nap curled up with that in the stroller. Also, I would definately suggest a park plan. MK is a definate with young ones, the best for them. AK is good, but did not require a full day for us. We skipped Epcot & MGM, on advice of these boards, just because we had enough to do elsewhere and they didn't seem quite as geared towards little ones. Do a character meal! It's a must at this age! We did the Crystal Palace back then for a late lunch and it was the highlight of their day! It really broke up our day and refueled them! Another thing we learned the hard way is standing in line for all the pictures & autographs. It was a waste of time to stand in line at Minnie's house & Mickey's barn (although cool) when we could go to Chef Mickey's for dinner and see both of them, get their autographs/pictures. Do fast pass, bring snacks/drinks, and things to do while standing in line. After all of that, remember you won't be able to do it all and don't get discouraged. Have fun with what you do!

DD9,DS7,DS3
June 2000
June 2001
June 2003
planned March 2005

 

[Brian Noble]

3.5 year old has almost given up naps now, so I am sure by next year she won't need to sleep

You might be surprised. My DD6 hasn't regularly napped at home in nearly two years, but in the past year, she has napped about 2/3 of the time on a "park day". It's *exhausting* compared to "regular life."

Unfortunately, 2 rooms or a suite is not an option for us financially...no stays offsite

I know you've ruled it out, but at least consider an offsite condo. You can get a 3 BR condo (with a kitchen and washer/dryer!) for about the same cost as a value room. As an example, I was looking at several offsite condos for less than $600 per week during President's Week. You are not immersed in the magic, and you'll lose an extra half hour to hour per day in commute time, but we find that the extra space and comfort far outweigh the "lost" time, and the value cannot be beat. In the end, privacy for DW and I trump wake-up calls from the Mouse Himself.

However, I think FW would be *perfect* for you. True, the pool is bland, but the kids probably won't care. Plus, there is a petting farm *and* pony rides *and* bike rentals *and* boat rentals *and* the campfire/movie night with Chip and Dale (which costs nothing more than marshmallows.)