Going to Disney withOUT the theme parks?

[devotedchristian]

Have you ever done this? Family of 4 (possible 5) 2 Adults, 2 kids ages 3 and 14 at time of travel.

I believe I read that there is alot of walking in the parks and that concerns me for my (then) 3 year old. Originally, we had decided on 1 Theme Park, Magic Kingdom, but now, I am not so sure. Because of the age difference, we know there is a possibilty of splitting up, which DH and I agreed is NOT an option. Plus, I have a very sensitive toddler and worry about sensory overload for this age.

Also, Dh and I have taken DD to Disney World at age 10 and we did Disney Quest and she was happy with that. I'm afraid we are a "slow" family .

I am thinking I may want to wait until DS is age 4 (2007) for a Disney Theme Park. We could still go to Orlando and just take things nice and slow. What else is there to do in Disney withOUT the theme parks. We would go for the weekend, Friday-Sunday.

Have you ever done this?

Thank you.

 

[gigi1313]

on our first trip with kids we arrived in the morning, checked in, swam, had lunch and enjoyed our resort... we visited w/my aunt (who lives about an hour from wdw) and then called it a night... the next day we did some of magic kingdom, very slowly, only riding/seeing those things that really interested us using a stroller for our then 2.5yo - which i highly recommend - skipping the parade and all the "sensory overload" type stuff (ds has sensory integration disfunction as well as some other special needs) and then the rest of the days we were there we spent at the pool, checking out dtd (ds loved the lego playground) and just hangin' out...

so, while i know that there is lots of enjoyment to be had outside of the parks, i cannot imagine foregoing them all together... i would plan to spend a day, but keep to your own pace, using fastpass for anything you really want to see/ride... maybe plan a character meal in the park to break up your day...

 

[tazdeb]

We camp in FW for 10 days every summer and only go to the major parks about 4 of those days. Other things we do? Fish,swim, bike ride, explore the other resorts, go to the water parks, golf, shop, horseback ride, rent boats, go to DTD, go to the BW, etc.........TAZ

 

[minmate]

you could try a character breakfast at one of the resort hotels -- try to get a PS as late as they will allow... it will be less busy and not feel as hectic. Chef Mickey's at Contemporary is a good one. Others I've heard are good are Ohana's at the Poly and Beaches at Boardwalk (I believe). These would give you a Disney experience and test out the overstimulation concerns you may have without being committed to be inside a theme park.

Also, I don't know what your youngest child's needs are for bedtime and such... but maybe booking a Wishes Cruise might be one way to see the Fireworks w/out being too close... or you could just go to the marina at the GF or to the Poly and view the fireworks from the beach where they won't be so overwhelming.

Also, riding the monorails and resort hopping to do some shopping might be fun for your older dd.

IMHO, I don't think you'd find Epcot to be as overwhelming as say, MK. I think if you have your child in a comfortable stroller, you could probably do a couple hours of walking around without getting him too overstimulated. Maybe even take the boat ride from there to the Boardwalk.

 

[G&J's Mom]

My dd is mildly autistic and has sensory integration dysfunction. I reluctantly took her in June a month after she turned 4 and I am sooooo glad I did cause she had a blast. She was a totally different child. I avoided some attractions, cause I knew it would cause overload. No 3D shows and no indoor shows (found that out the hard way! lol) The one thing that put her on edge was waiting in line. I fastpassed alot and on rides that did not have fast pass I used a guest assistance pass. It doesn't move you to the front of the line but lets you wait in some place less hectic. I think we used it twice maybe.

We are going back in a couple of weeks and dd is soooo excited.

Dd absolutely loved the Animal Kingdom. That might be a idea for you.

Denise

 

[laceemouse]

DH and I could easily go to WDW and never step foot into a theme park, but the kids, no way. I think even a 3 year old knows that Disney World equals Mickey Mouse, riding Dumbo, ect. I can see only doing MK, and only do the things that will interest your child. I have 4 and none of them have ever been scared of the dark, loud noises, characters or anything like that. You know your child best, but no park at all would be hard IMO.

 

[all4fun]

Great suggestions so far. I just wanted to clarify from a prev. post. Boardwalk doesn't have a character breakfast. The one I think the pp was referring to is at Cape May in the Yacht and Beach Club resort. Beaches & Cream is also a restaurant there, but doesn't have a character meal. It's a 50's style diner complete with a Wurlitzer (sp?) and their signature desert is the Kitchen Sink (I think that's what it's called) which has every type of ice cream in a huge bowl that looks like an old-fashioned sink, all kinds of toppings and is just way too much even for two people sharing (They're regular sundaes are wonderful too). They also make a big deal about it when they bring it out, so everyone knows you ordered it. Quite a spectacle! That is one of our favorite places to eat. Anyway, 'nuf said about that, lol. We did the Breakfast at Cape May - Minnie, Chip & Dale, Goofy were there. It was wonderful food, relaxed atmosphere. The food is buffet style and it was all very good. I especially enjoyed my Mickey waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. (OK here I go again! Sorry about that...)

Another thing you can do outside the park is go to The Boardwalk at night. The atmosphere there is really fun and they have performers that do all sorts of carnival style acts - Magic tricks, rope tricks, fire-eater, sword-eater, to name few things we've seen down there. Lots of fun and you can stand at the outside of the crowd and not participate or get right up in the front and be a part of the act if you want to. There are a few good restaurants too.

Hope you have a great time!
Cheryl