HELP Totally lost planning 1st trip to wdw

[hardysmom]

This will be not only our 1st Disney trip, but also our first real vacation with our 5 yr old and just-turned 3 yr old twins. I am very, very overwhelmed and could use some direction.

As part of a larger trip to visit my parents in Naples, FL, we (my DH, the kids, and I) can do 3 nights, 2 days at Disney. We have to go during the first half of April.

Since we are outnumbered by our small children, proximity and convenience will be an issue. I REALLY had my heart set on staying at Animal Kingdom, but I don't think the rooms will allow 5 (the twins will be 3 yrs, 2 weeks) without a BIG upgrade. If anyone knows a way around this, I'd love to know.

So- if we can't stay at Animal Kingdom, what is the best resort for toddlers? This trip is really for the kids, so we don't need anything romantic for grown-ups. Still, I would like the resort to be an experience in itself, since we will probably spend a chunk of time there. The Contemporary looks good b/c of the monorail...

My best-guess is that we would hit the parks as early as possible for 3 hours or so then retreat to the hotel for lunch and a nap, then return later in the afternoon/evening for parade, etc... It would be great if the hotel had fun activities geared for a 5 yr old (playground, pool, etc...) so he can wind-down and have fun while the twins are napping. Doesn't have to be a super-grand pool. My DS is easily impressed, lol.

Are there any add-ons (like the character meals) which are must haves with the 3-5 yr old crowd?

Am I correct to think we will probably want to do both days in Magic Kingdom-- it seems like the best park for this age group. My 5 yr old would like the water parks, but I don't think it would be safe for the twins (without 1:1 adult supervision) In other words, do I NEED a park hopper pass, if we are only staying 2 days?

Finally, if you could pick any time in early April to go, when would you pick? Are weekdays less crowded? I believe most Spring breaks end by the 2nd. Peak season lasts until the 22nd...

When do I need to make reservations? Will deals come up or should I just go ahead and book?

I would LOVE some advice. I am so overwhelmed, I can't see straight.

Thank you!
Stephanie

 

[cdrn1]

Take a deep breath and stop being overwhelmed...there is so much great advice on these boards that you will have it all figured out way before you go!
Just sit back and wait for the helpful suggestions to pour in!

 

[Bob P]

Welcome to the DIS, Stephanie!

A few thoughts based on your post:

I would invest a few dollars in the Unofficial Guide to WDW. Read it at your leisure. Also go to www.allearsnet.com, which will give you a rundown on all hotels and ideas on places to eat (both character meals and non-character meals). It also has a ticket FAQ.

BY ALL MEANS avoid the weeks of April 1 and April 8, 2007. Crowds will be very large for Easter breaks.

I'm pretty sure many of the rooms at AKL and other deluxes will sleep 5. There's usually 2 queens and a daybed, or a queen, bunkbeds, and a daybed.

Don't stress...and enjoy your trip!

 

[Ilovemyprincesses]

If your kids are fans of playhouse Disney all of that stuff is at MGM. There is the character meal with Jojo and the little einsteins, playhouse disney live onstage and the charater meet form jojo and little einsteins. They don't appear at the other parks.

 

[hardysmom]

So, some people have an Easter Break after Spring Break in March? Didn't know that.

Would the whole weeks of the 1st & 8th (which is Easter Sunday) be crowded or just weekends? I was really thinking about Sun 4/1-Wed 4/4 since the latest spring breaks seemed to return on 4/2. I can wait if is is packed though.

Stephanie

 

[hardysmom]

If your kids are fans of playhouse Disney all of that stuff is at MGM. There is the character meal with Jojo and the little einsteins, playhouse disney live onstage and the charater meet form jojo and little einsteins. They don't appear at the other parks.

Wow, That is HUGE information. Yes, my kids are big-time Playhouse fans. I guess we will need a park-hopper.

Stephanie

 

[loriandmatt]

first off.....welcome. we at the dis are quite passionate about WDW and will be more than willing to give you our seasoned viewpoints and opinions.

second....congrats on your first ever trip to WDW and with little ones who will be so into it.

to answer some of your questions:

as far as resorts with rooms that can hold 5 people, most if not all of the delux resorts can accomodate 5 in a non-suite room. pretty much the only moderate that can accomodate 5 is Port Orleans riverside (my personal favorite resort - but i have to admit that i have not stayed at a delux) One of the value resorts have family suites that could hold 5 guests.

the value would be theamed nicely for the kids. POR, again i love this resort,and the theaming is great with a great pool and the option to take a short boat ride over to PO - French Quarter and experience their pool as well - with it's dragon water slide. The delux resorts also have great theaming. if it were me picking i wouldn't be interested in the contemporary - even with the monorail, but it is darn close to MK. Again, if it were me picking and i could afford it, i would be staying at Wilderness Lodge. Nice pool area, close to MK.

I am agreeing with you on the two days at MK thing. your kids are little, they will love all there is to do for their ages at MK and with a break mid-day, two days is just not long enought to try to cram in too much or another park. If it were me i would just get the base tickets and not pay for the hopper option.

i would certainly go during the weekdays in April and definately after the easter rush is over or at least winding down. i am not sure if most schools have easter break before or after easter itself. (on the 8th of April in 2007)
Since you mentioned early April as opposed to mid or late april, and given what Bob P informs you of below -avoiding that first full week in April - i would bank for sometime mid week on the week April 9th.)

I would do some research over the next week or two and make your reservations soon. (before or right after the new year) Many, if they don't already have them made, start making their spring break plans after the holidays. (get over one large event and start planning your next one.)

I am not sure about waiting on a deal. i can't imagine that they have too hard of a time getting guests in the parks/resorts during that time of the year, so there might not be much to go on for discounts. You could always book now and then if something great comes along, you could either change your existing reservation or make a new one and cancel the old one. (as long as it is not a discount package, and as long as you are within the allowable time frame, you can cancel without losing any deposit.)

as far as add ons that the kids might like...there are gobs of them. what your kids might like has a lot to do with if they are boys or girls. are they really into pooh? princesses? pirates?

sorry to have rambled. - lori

 

[mill4023]

April 1st to 15th will be 2 of the most crowded weeks of the year. The weeks surrounding Easter always are.

So if there is any way you can avoid those two weeks, I'd highly recommend it.

If you are only going to have 2 days and with kids those ages, it would definitely be nice to be on the monorail.

 

[The Mick]

If you're determined to do 2 days at MK, it might just be easier to stay at the Poly. Convenient and easy monorail access to and from the room.

Not that far from MGM either, if you decide to hit that too.

 

[twinspluscade]

Hi! I also have a set of twins--girls that are 4. We also have a 3 year old son.

We went to Disney in September for 4 nights/3.5 days and had so much fun! I'm sure you guys will too.

As for which resort to stay at: Animal Kingdom Lodge's "standard" room does NOT allow 5 in the room. The "duluxe" rooms do though. They are about $350/night during VALUE season---however, I'm pretty sure early April falls into PEAK season which means it would be substantially more.....I'm guessing $400 or so/night (I'm sure someone else would know more about this). Wilderness Lodge is the same way: "standard" rooms don't allow 5; but the Jr. Suites will (quite price....$400/night during value).
I think all other deluxes do allow 5 per room. Again, because it is "peak" season....they're going to be expensive. If it's in the budget though, a monorail resort would be nice if you plan spending most of your time in the Magic Kingdom.
For moderate resorts, POR is the only one that will allow 5 in a room. None of the values allow 5 with the exception of the Family Suites in All Stars Music. Because it will be peak season, if I were you I would probably book one room at POR--this will be your cheapest option. They do charge an extra $10 or $15 a night for the trundle bed rooms (which you'd need with 5 people). I'm totally guessing here, but would imagine it'd be roughly $190 or so a night during peak season.

For the parks: I would recommend at least one full day at MK. If you can swing it, I would also advise getting the park hoppers. We didn't last trip and regretted it--mostly because Disney Studios (for us) was just a 1/2 day park. Disney Studios has Disney Playhouse, which my kids loved. They also have the Beauty and the Beast show, which was really good. They had a Muppets 3-D movie and a Little Mermaid show---our kids were scared though so we left early. Otherwise there isn't a whole lot to do at Disney Studios for pre-school age and younger.
My kids also enjoyed Epcot but weren't "wowed" by it like at MK.
If I were you, I'd do one full day at MK, 1/2 day at Disney Studios, and then another 1/2 day either at MK or Animal Kingdom.
Another thing to keep in mind is that April (the entire month) will be very busy--weekdays as well as weekends. Which is why it's considered peak season.

Oh, I would also recommend checking out Allearsnet.com
It has great info. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World also has a lot of good info---but one thing to keep in mind is that it is kind of negative about taking small children to WDW. It does have some good tips though.

Kelly

 

[tlriv5]

Hi there! I have twins also. My twins are 8 now and I have an 11 year old. The first year we took our girls to Disney they were 3 and our oldest was 6. That year we only spent one day at WDW and that was at Magic Kingdom. We spent the WHOLE day there. My girls are not ones that need naps. They loved the MK and we would definitely have loved at least two days there. This Oct. we took the girls back for a full week of all the parks. Magic Kingdom is still their all time favorite. We spent two days there and one day we went back for a couple of hours before our meal. We liked all the parks, Animal Kingdom was our least favorite, but it was our last park of the week and I think we were worn out. We stayed at the POR and we liked it. The rooms have two double beds and a trundle bed pulled out from underneath one bed. We requested a water view room for a little more and a pool was right outside our door which was very nice. It wasn't the big themed pool, but it was defintely a quieter pool. Next time we go we want to stay at a resort that has the monorail, just so we don't have to ride the bus to everything. I loved the looks of the Polynesian, but I haven't checked prices yet. Someone mentioned MGM and they do have a lot of Playhouse characters (my kids were too old for these), but you will definitely not need a whole day here. We did almost everything and we were done by 6:00, but stayed to watch Fantasmic, which was our favorite evening show. The girls loved it, they have so many characters to see. You probably won't need a whole day at Epcot either if you are going just for the kids. It's a huge place and we went for two half days and didn't see it all. Have a great time!!!

 

[lordnamis]

Welcome

I went to WDW in August with my 6 yyr old son and had the best time, as will you. I hadn't been myself for 16 years and I was as stressed as you.

1 Invest in the Unofficial guide to WDW it is worth the money
2 You are right to want MK, but if I were you I might consider a resort on the monorail with kids that age. Animal Kingdom resort is the farthest away from MK and only has busses to MK which will be very full in April especially at closing when you and the kids might have to stand.
3 If you are spending both days at Mk, park hopper is not needed, however if you plan on seeing some of the preschool shows at MGM its worth it cause it is not a full day park and you could park hop back to MK for the rest of the day.
4 allearsnet has very good descriptions and all the pictures you will need for all the resorts and their pools.

Have a great trip, and plan soon, don't bother waiting it is peak season and better deals wont be coming.

 

[steelfish535]

Congrats on your trip!
Check out allearsnet.com for menu information and other tips for families with kids. I received a ton of information by checking them out.
If it's in the budget, I'd choose Polynesian over Contemporary. I think the ambience is much better there. The pool has a slide that (maybe) your 5 year old could do, and a playground. It's great to be so close to the monorail, makes things much easier. And it's just a short bus ride for MGM.
Port Orleans is also a great resort. The busses just take a little longer...but not a big deal.
MGM has some great stuff for the little ones, I'd definately suggest at least a morning there. Fantasmic is great, but during that time of the year, you'll need to get seats early, which means sitting and waiting. Just a warning... can get boring for the kids to wait an hour to see the show.
Magic Kingdom is a great idea too.
I'd get the park hoppers, just in case (again, if it's in the budget). You never know what might come up, and you might end up somewhere else for a few hours. It gives you other opportunities.
Just relax and enjoy your time with them! We just went for the first time with DD9 and DS1 and it was too hectic in the beginning of the trip. We went commando and tried to fit everything in. It's just not going to happen. Take time to sit and watch their reactions to everything.
Make sure you make your dinner reservations (at table service restaurants) as soon as possible! This way you don't have to wait hours or be turned away from places.

 

[Ashes8380]

Such a strange coincidence, but I actually went on a recent WDW trip with my two year old twin cousins and their five year old sister! I was brought along as a third adult to make sure everything stayed under control, plus they knew I loved WDW. So I have LOTS of suggestions for just your situation.

We stayed in a Fort Wilderness Cabin, which includes a full bed, muprhy bed, twin bunk beds, and the option of getting pop up cribs for the room. It includes a full kitchen which is nice for cheaper meals, snacks, and baby food. There is also cheap, family friendly dining on site. I'm not sure what the price is, but I am sure it is far cheaper than AKL. As far as access goes, the resort itself is a bit large, we rented a golf cart (So much fun!) to get around it. However, it has a boat to MK and buses to all the other parks.

As far as resort ambiance goes, there are nightly outdoor movies with campfires, a petting zoo, playground, basic pools, boats dinner shows, and daily activities. Some of these are free, some have an extra free but most are fairly cheap. Again, so much fun! Perfect for kids! The twins were a bit young, but the five year old LOVED IT!

As far as character meals go, my best experiences were with Chef Mickeys and breakfast with Pooh in the Crystal Palace. I liked the breakfast best as the food was great and Pooh is my favorite, but Chef Mickey's was a huge hit with the kids and was still quite nice.

I don't know that I would bother with a hopper pass, as MK is probably what you guys are all about. After all, if you do one day at MK and want to try something else the second day, that would be easy enough. As far as a second park goes, with the kids, I'd do Animal Kingdom. I know my cousins liked Epcot and MGM, but not nearly as much as AK and MK.

Please feel free to ask me any more specific questions, our vacation was fabulous last year and I hope yours is too. It's just too funny that you're traveling with kids almost the exact age that I traveled with.

 

[mamaprincess]

Try to make a breakfast or lunch reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle (if they have anymore) or Arkershus in Norway usually easier to get) in epcot if you're going. Get some princess costumes from toys r us or walmart and let them get dressed up for the meal. They can also meat Cinderella prince charming and others for dinner usually an easy reservation to get) at 1900 parkfare in the gorgeous Grandfloridian resort which is located right near MK on the monorail. They can meat Ariel in Ariel's Grotto in Fantasy Land. They can meet several of the princesses in the Judge's tent in Toontown Fair.

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

Since your only going for 2 days and 3 nights stay either at the Poly or Contemporary. They are both right on the monorail and its so worth it with little ones. Since you are going in April the parks will be crowded so being able to head back to the hotel on the monorail is very quick and easy. The poly has a great South Pacific theme and is very relaxing and have a great pool, but the standard view rooms in the wings at the contemporary are less expensive.

If you stay at other resorts you'd have to wait for the buses and most of the time its standing room only. Also, most of the other resorts are at least a 20 minute ride to the MK so its not as convenient to go back to the resort as it could be a 40 minute trip (buses come every 20 minutes or so and figure a 20 minute commute back to the resort). Also, it your bus stop is the last stop on the resort loop, there may be NO Room on the bus and you'll have to wait for another one. (that happened to us last trip-NOT a fun experience). The monorail resorts are more expensive but if you want to get the most out of your trip its really worth the extra.

I would only visit the MK this trip. The reason for this is that Disney is very overwhelming. Since this is your 1st trip, take it slowly. You have so much to discover and enjoy in the MK that is will take you 2 days to experience it all. If you concentrate all your energy to just one park you will have a better experience. The MK alone has 3 parades(3:00 parade, nighttime parade and a family parade), 4 or 5 shows, tons of characters to meet and lots of great rides. its also a smaller park so you & your spouse won't be as tired. Its also the best park for your kids ages and if you stay at a monorail hotel, its the most convenient park to and from your hotel (that's why I recommended the POly or Cont)

If your 5 yo is a thrill seeker you may want to do the parent swap (if the twins are shorter than 40") My kids have been riding Thunder MT and Splash Mt since they were 3 and 40" and Love them. The haunted Mansion still gets my DD6 spooked out but the 8 yo loves it!


Chef Mickeys at the contemporary is a great way to spend the night of your arrival for Dinner. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald & & CHip & Dale are there. Its a buffet and its a great 1st day activity since you won't be going into the parks that day. The kids get to meet Mickey right away so you won't be wasting time standing in line to meet them in the parks. Also, Chef Mickeys has a character breakfast - which would also be great on the day of your departure-- the kids can spend more time with the characters before you have to leave.

Another great character dinner outside the parks is the 1900 Park Fare at the GF - a short monorail ride from the Cont or Poly. Cinderella, the fairy Godmother, Prince Charming and Suzy & Perla (the mice) are there. Great buffet too.

The chrystal palace in the MK has a buffet and feature POOH, Eyeore, tigger and Piglet. Also a great place to eat- however, you do need to be in the park to eat there.

Also, if you can avoid the parks until after the 22nd of April I would do that. We just got back and left Disney on Thanksgiving day and the 2 days leading up to Thanksgiving were so crowded. Rides we walked on with no wait 3 days before had 2 hour waits. It not worth going when its crowded especially for your 1st time. If you can't go any other time, don't worry about it, Fast passes help out a lot and even though there will be lots of lines for the rides, you can still enjoy the shows, parades, character meals & fireworks and the resort too. d

I hope you have a great time!!!

 

[Chester's Mum]

Seek out Storytime with Belle, its near the castle, down one of the paths to the side.

Crystal Palace was in my opinion great value for the money, and we got lots of pictures with Pooh and friends.

If you get on the train at Main street it will take you to toontown where you can visit Minnie and Mickeys homes, and visit Mickey in the Judges tent, if your kids like the characters. When my dd was 2 she took a little while to warm up to them.

There are lots of things to do with little ones at the Magic Kingdom, so 2 days is probably your best bet for a first visit with little guys...but beware, you will want to come back, and for a longer time. There is so much more than Magic Kingdom.

All of the parks are a great family experience, my kids love the waterparks, and mini golf. They are big now, but they are kids at heart, and have each been visiting disney since they were two.

Oh, and get the double stroller. Your 5 year old can ride when the little ones want to stretch their legs, and its a great seat for the parade if you get a spot early enough.

Have a magical time, I'm not going until May 07 and its killing me.

 

[kohlby]

My son's first trip was a week after he turned 3. We also had our daughter with us, who was 2 months old at the time. (We're headed back in a few days, just 6 months since our last trip!) We were surprised at what a hit Epcot was. Our plan was to skip the world showcase and just do the other part one evening. We didn't have enough time to do all we wanted and we did a lot! Epcot isn't as crowded as MK normally, so it may be worth it to check it out if you want lower crowds - even if you just end up there for a partial day.

Our original plan was to head back to the room mid-day. Our son doesn't nap but we were told that he would nap due to Disney. He didn't nap. When we went back to our room, we pretty much wasted time since he was ready to crash by 7pm, whether we went back or not. So, we went to MK and just kept going. I think we stopped when DH and I had enough. We told our son that as long as he was behaving and listening to us that we could stay longer. We left at around 6pm after being there for the opening. This was in the beginning of June so we were wiped out by the heat.

Our plan this time is to stay in the parks as long as DS is happy and behaving. He will be made aware of that. If we have to cut a day short, then we will. But we're not going to waste time going back to the room to be met with no nap.

As for the attractions, my son did hit the 40" last May/June. But he only wanted to do a few rides that were 40". We let him decide. Since then, he's become much more fearless based on our trips to other parks and fairs. So he may be doing rides like tower of terror this trip. Just leave it up to the child and I don't think they get scarred too much!

If your kids are sensitive to loud noises, bring ear plugs. Though my DS is now pretty much fearless, he does have a thing with loud noises. Once we introduced ear plugs, he was able to enjoy fireworks. The baby, on the other hand, laughed loudly the last time we saw fireworks. Kids are so different!

I do think you can't go to Disney without hitting Magic Kingdom. But don't worry about not doing all of MK. And don't overplan. We're not doing any character breakfasts or sit down meals since my 3 year old can't handle restaurants unless they're counter service. (And he isn't that into the characters. He knows they're costumes and points that out over and over and over to us). We're taking nutrigrain bars, juice, and fruit for our breakfasts and then relying on counter service for the rest of our meals. It will be cheaper, faster, and easier for our active 3 year old to handle. It means we can easily eat breakfast in our room so we can get out in time too!

We did go to AK our last trip and our son wasn't into it. He's been to the zoo lots of times. And though AK is definately not like our local zoo, DS wasn't that impressed. We didn't get to MGM last time though, so we'll be there this coming Sunday!

 

[NoKatMom]

There is another good guidebook out that I used when we planned our first trip with kids (at that time 2 and 4), Walt Disney World for Kids. It'd very family oriented. I found it quite helpful. One word of advice from me, don't try to do it all and just enjoy what you can do !!

 

[pooh98378]

Congrats on your upcoming first trip! I strongly suggest staying on the monorail if you can. It is so much faster and easier. I agree with what was said earlier -- my bet is that it will take you around 20-30 minutes to get to the Magic Kingdom from the Animal Kingdom area. It is unbelievable how big the Disney Property is! Also, if you do decide to go back to the room during the day, or if you forget something in the room, it is fairly easy to hop back on the monorail and go get it. If you do decide to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, though, I'm sure your kids will love watching the animals there too!