How much time needed in the parks....

[lisaross]

OK i'm heading down Aug 27th - Sept. 4th (hoping Delta does not mess me up) anyway i'm wondering how long i'll need in the parks this is what i'm thinking - what do you think???

Sunday - arrival - hang around CBR

Monday - Epcot morning/afternoon lunch at Garden Grill (1:00p) will probably leave park b4 dinner - head back to hotel for swim grab something to eat

Tuesday - MK morning/afternoon lunch at Plaza (1:00p) leave park either b4 or after dinner.

Wednesday - MGM i definitly want to stay for the Fantasmic show at 8:00 and i was planning on getting to MGM in the morning with a 1:00p lunch at Sci-Fi BUT my friend just came back and said i won't need an entire day at MGM - oh i didn't mention its me my husband and 2 sons 4 and 6 years old. Now i'm thinking should i go to MGM late in the morning and push lunch back to about 2:00 or so?

Thursday - i'm planning our rest day and we'll see what happens

Friday - Animal Kingdom have a dnr reservation at Boma for 5:45pm - i'm planning on getting to AK when it opens will i be ready to leave by 3:00p you think or we'll be able to enjoy an entire day??

Saturday - MK arrive in late morning have 5:30p dnr at Chef Mickey's and hoping to had back to MK for fireworks....

Sunday - See where kids want to go back and hope to get to Epcot in the evening for the illuminations fireworks

Monday - home sweet home.

I know lots recommmend going back to the hotel for an afternoon rest - i don't think we'll do that - think i'd be too lazy to go to a park again once relaxing - but hey i might and also i have the hopper if need be but i think with the two kids we'll be better off w/a park a day and have the hopper as a backup.

What do you think about the time i plan to spend at the parks?

lisa

 

[WIcruizer]

I would rearrange your days based on how you want to use morning and evening extra magic hours. I can't help with how long you should spend in parks, everyone is so different. Your days do seem short to me, but that's just us.

Plenty to do at AK, much more than people give it credit for. I do recommend a rest for most people, especially with young kids. In GENERAL, I think the best strategy is to go in the morning, go back to the resort in the afternoon, and go back at night for as long as the kids can handle it. The afternoon is hot, busy, and the kids may have had enough by then.

 

[lisaross]

the reason i'm doing the short days is i think thats about what the kids can hande - also, they are use to being in bed by 8pm so i don't want to mess that up much in the beginning of the trip and having them Cranky also, i'm going against EMH - i'm hoping the other parks will be lighter then the park w/emh.

hope i'm right............

 

[liamandcaili]

With the age of your children, you probably won't need an entire day at MGM or AK. My children love these parks, but at AK we arrive at opening (it gets really hot and crowded as the day progresses!) and do safari, the two treks, and the Lion King show. Last time, we spent a little time in DinoWorld, but I wouldn't make it a priority to return. They wouldn't like Kali River Rapids, although I think that is a possibility for your family if you want to get soaked, and I vowed never to take my children to Its Tough to be a Bug after seeing it on my honeymoon. If your children (or you) are afraid of bugs of any kind, it is a definite skip! There are some other shows there too, but if your kids will only sit through one, you have to make it the Lion King.

As for MGM, DS(7) loves Star Tours. DD(4) won't ride. Both like The Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Of course, all the thrill rides are out. They did enjoy the Indiana Jones show our last visit, and DD liked the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground, but I didn't. Just imagine your child running through the playground as you are trying to crawl after that child. It was a nightmare. Both children also enjoyed Muppets 3D. They also really like Fantasmic, so we usually get to MGM in the afternoon, hit the attractions they like, eat dinner, and then see the show. We usually do the Fantasmic Dining Package so the wait isn't too unbearable.

 

[liamandcaili]

Just saw your last reply about bedtime. My children are used to being in bed at 7:30, but at Disney we broke all the rules. There was one night they were up until well after 10 PM and they were perfectly fine the next day.

The only time we had problems was when they were hungry. Bring lots of snacks into the parks with you...maybe even sandwiches. My children hated almost every CS lunch we bought. They loved the sit-down dinners, but they rejected almost everything else.