How long?

[shm_helene]

My husband and I are in the process of planning a trip to Disney. We've been several times before (6 I think) but are taking daughters 3 and 1 this time around. I know that there is no absolute to this answer depending on the temperament of the girls but I was wondering if anyone had done a trip that was 8 days with that age range and was successful. Thank you in advance for any experiences!

 

[TwinkleKS]

We took our twins for their fourth birthday in November and we are planning on returning in May. DS was with us also and he is 2.

We had a great time. Because the kids are young we preferred staying at a monorail resort. That wat we didn't have to wait on or ride the buses except for a day at HS and a day at AK. We could also ride back for naps if we needed to. DS still fell asleep in his stroller, but their were times when the girls became a little over stimulated and we needed to go rest for a while.

 

[shm_helene]

Thanks! We were thinking Poly for that reason - although I think Emily would like AoA better.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

No personal experience with kids, but I k ow a lot of parents with youngsters stay on the monorail line for convenience. We stayed at the Poly in August and the monorail service was not what we expected. We had several long waits, and the monorail stopped on the line a lot. We saw a lot of frustrated parents with kids trying to get back to the monorail hotels with kids. And from what I've read on the Dis, a lot of people are not thrilled with the monorail right now. I'm hearing it is a combo of increased safety measures (which I understand and am fine waiting for) and maintenance issues. If you want a monorail hotel, I recommend the contemporary so you can walk if the monorail shuts down. Or be prepared to take the boat.

DH and I decided that we won't be staying at a monorail resort again until they get the links worked out. The premium price isn't worth it to us without that benefit.

 

[shm_helene]

Thanks for that info! Hadn't read much on that. Hopefully kinks worked out by August... I'm fine with the boat also I like that quiet in the AM. I had only planned on it for MK anyways, not Epcot. We usually rent a car...

 

[quandrea]

With small children, I think a car rental is money well spent. I can usually get a van for around $250, sometimes lower. Then the hotel you stay at is not an issue. Waiting for transit with little ones is a pain. Walking from the car with the stroller is quick and easy and the pleasure of returning to the familiarity of your car when you want is terrific.

Spend less on the hotel and stay at Art of Animation or a villa with a kitchen. You'll love the two baths and the ability to do some food prep (even if it's just breakfast and snacks) and the option to spread out and give mum and dad some space.

We can't imagine being in a hotel room with our three kids. Having somewhere to do a little food prep is so important. The kids love access to healthy snacks and some room to move.

Oh, and back to your original question. I think 8 days is great. It will give you enough time that you don't have to run around like maniacs. Don't underestimate the over stimulation of Disney. While they'll love the parks, your time at the pool and chilling out in your room with quiet activities will be important and things they really enjoy.

 

[theAfamily]

I've never had an unsuccessful Disney trip! I have 12 kids(Yes i know its crazy) with the oldest being 19 and youngest being only 1! And its like when we are in Disney all the fighting goes away and everyone becomes happy! We usually stay 8 days too and we think it is the perfect length. We went last in August and my two year old twins actually had the most fun out of everyone! They are just understanding the whole concept of who the characters are and such and love it! It's a great age and time span, good luck and have fun

 

[Julie711]

We are a family with DD (5) & DS (15 months ) and we usually stay 7day/6 nights and haven't had any issues. DS first trip was this past November DD has been 4x, first trip was at age 2yrs.

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

We went for 9 nights/8 days with our 3 1/2 year old last November. It was great because we were not rushed at all. Is she wanted to look at the ducks swim in Bay Lake for 30 great, we had plenty of time. Also, this allowed us to not rush at all in the mornings which meant no meltdowns. Our little one likes to sleep in.

 

[tzolkin]

We went for 9 nights our first trip. My younger two kids were just turned 4 and almost 2.

I heard from so many people that that was too long of a trip with kids that young, but we found the longer trip to be just right for our family. We found that we were able to take it much slower. Our typical day was get up early and head to a park for am EMH, leave around 11, take a long nap (up to 4 hours--and yes, we ALL wound up falling asleep) then head to another park in the evening. Since we were only in the parks for 3-4 hours a time, no one got overwhelmed or tired and since we were there for so many days and had park hoppers it was never an issue to leave the parks because the kids always felt that they could come back to do whatever later.

I think if we were to go for a shorter trip there would be a push to stay in the parks all day to see all of our "must-dos" and to "get our money's worth" Even though the kids are older now (oldest in HS) we still like to relax and take lots of breaks at Disney. It just makes for a much more enjoyable experience for our family.

All of our trips since have been 11-12 nights.


Oh, on the topic of transportation... I think the Dis really seems to scare people off the busses. We always have our own vehicle (we drive to FL) and we have never once used it at Disney. We have had absolutely no issues with the busses or other Disney transportation. And a few of those trips were with two strollers and three kids.

Certainly families have different preferences, but I wouldn't let avoiding the busses determine where you must stay or feel that it's absolutely necessary to rent a car.

 

[Timandalicia]

My husband and I are in the process of planning a trip to Disney. We've been several times before (6 I think) but are taking daughters 3 and 1 this time around. I know that there is no absolute to this answer depending on the temperament of the girls but I was wondering if anyone had done a trip that was 8 days with that age range and was successful. Thank you in advance for any experiences!

We actually went on longer trips when the kids were younger than they ate now. We went 14 days at that age. We did half-days and three-quarter days to the parks- and a few days off. Also, we did a lot of sit down meals, took it easy. I mean there were times they passed out in the stroller. Don't get me wrong. You just have to slow yourself down. With 8 days, you need to tell yourself that you are just stretching out a 5 day trip. Truthfully, it was the best way to experience the magic.

 

[DisneyGal24]

My husband and I are in the process of planning a trip to Disney. We've been several times before (6 I think) but are taking daughters 3 and 1 this time around. I know that there is no absolute to this answer depending on the temperament of the girls but I was wondering if anyone had done a trip that was 8 days with that age range and was successful. Thank you in advance for any experiences!

We stayed for 10 nights last summer and it was perfect. DD6 an DS3 loved every minute. We always arrived at rope drop and stayed at the park until noon. We went back to the resort to swim, rest, trade pins and so on. We were usually back in the parks by 3:00. We would stay for a three or four more hours. We really took it easy and didn't push the kids. We are doing 11 nights his time.

 

[rainynight]

A longer trip with young kids is much better than a shorter one. You will have more down time and it will be easier on everyone.

 

[6disneykids]

I don't think that is too long. Never underestimate how important building in downtime for both kids and parents. Last year, DS4 (then 3) just loved to ride the busses, and then if one passed us while walking to our room, he had to watch it pass by. We spent part of a day just riding different forms of Disney transportation: monorails, busses, boats, it really made him happy, and no long lines with lots of people. These are the kind of things you can do on an off park day.

 

[shm_helene]

Thanks! I definitely don't want to rush around but I wasn't sure if that would be too long for a little kid.

 

[OklahomaTourist]

Our first trip when the kids were 3 and 5 was one week, (well, 6 days) in Florida, and that was just about the right size. We hated leaving, so we knew we hadn't stayed too long.

 

[Happyjen27]

I travelled with my 5 year old twins in Dec, we were gone from home 12 days, did 9 at Disney.

It was a long trip. Because it was a long trip, we were able to chill and enjoy things slowly. If they want to play in the sand for hours on the Poly beach, no problem, we've got days.

I think the 12 days away from home was too much for my pair. They were aching to get home, and were so happy to be home once we got there.

I think next time I will do the 7-8 day trip, only do Disney and not visit with ILs, etc.

A long trip like that really does lend itself to going at the kids' pace, and with the kids' desires in mind.