How to make second trip different

[aliceg]

Hi! We went on our first family trip in fall of 2011, when our sons were 3.5 and 2.5. It was great! We did Epcot, AK and MK for 4 days and one day of mini-golf/pool time/etc. The kids were definitely over stimulated after our second consecutive MK day and were an absolute mess the fourth day in the park (even though we got to parks early and left around 3pm each day and they took stroller naps) Apparently it caught up with them on day 4. Or, rather, it caught up with ONE of them, and then the other one picked up on it and joined in the fuss. That's usually how it rolls in our house. Anyway, it was a fun trip and we decided that we'll go back in a few years, when they're older, maybe 6 and 7 or 7 and 8.

Well after a tough and stressful 2012/2013, we're ready for another vacation. And we're floating the idea of a WDW trip around, even though we had said we wouldn't go back again so soon. I don't want my sons to think that every vacation means Disney - plus it's just expensive for us and there's other things to see. But...Disney is so easy! I'm tired and I don't feel like planning for activities that may or may not interest preschoolers. And I want to go somewhere warm. So, that means it's possible we have a May 2014 trip coming up.

So I'm thinking to avoid the overstimulation issue we had last time, and to spice things up for us so we're not essentially going on the exact same vacation twice in a row, I'm thinking of how to make this different. Last time we were offsite (Doubletree - SOOO nice having a suite!) so maybe we'll stay on site this time? I doubt we could afford a suite, but maybe the decor of a Value will make up for that? And the kids are part fish and swimming well, so they may enjoy a waterpark. How are those in May? And then, I love beaches - and I mean an ocean beach - not an imported sand by a lake beach. So maybe Cocoa Beach? Is that the closest one? And that's a day trip, right? Anyone done that before?

 

[scrapquitler]

Hi! We went on our first family trip in fall of 2011, when our sons were 3.5 and 2.5. It was great! We did Epcot, AK and MK for 4 days and one day of mini-golf/pool time/etc. The kids were definitely over stimulated after our second consecutive MK day and were an absolute mess the fourth day in the park (even though we got to parks early and left around 3pm each day and they took stroller naps) Apparently it caught up with them on day 4. Or, rather, it caught up with ONE of them, and then the other one picked up on it and joined in the fuss. That's usually how it rolls in our house. Anyway, it was a fun trip and we decided that we'll go back in a few years, when they're older, maybe 6 and 7 or 7 and 8.

Well after a tough and stressful 2012/2013, we're ready for another vacation. And we're floating the idea of a WDW trip around, even though we had said we wouldn't go back again so soon. I don't want my sons to think that every vacation means Disney - plus it's just expensive for us and there's other things to see. But...Disney is so easy! I'm tired and I don't feel like planning for activities that may or may not interest preschoolers. And I want to go somewhere warm. So, that means it's possible we have a May 2014 trip coming up.

So I'm thinking to avoid the overstimulation issue we had last time, and to spice things up for us so we're not essentially going on the exact same vacation twice in a row, I'm thinking of how to make this different. Last time we were offsite (Doubletree - SOOO nice having a suite!) so maybe we'll stay on site this time? I doubt we could afford a suite, but maybe the decor of a Value will make up for that? And the kids are part fish and swimming well, so they may enjoy a waterpark. How are those in May? And then, I love beaches - and I mean an ocean beach - not an imported sand by a lake beach. So maybe Cocoa Beach? Is that the closest one? And that's a day trip, right? Anyone done that before?

Just the fact that they will be three years older will make the trip different because they will have different things that interest them and they will be more aware of what is going on around them and they will be able to ride more things that they weren't able to do last time.

If you go early in the morning and stay and then leave mid-afternoon, maybe you should try leaving the park earlier, going to the room for a swim/nap/lunch and then head back to the park a little later. That is more easily done if you are staying on site than if you are offsite.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

Just the fact that they will be three years older will make the trip different because they will have different things that interest them and they will be more aware of what is going on around them and they will be able to ride more things that they weren't able to do last time.

If you go early in the morning and stay and then leave mid-afternoon, maybe you should try leaving the park earlier, going to the room for a swim/nap/lunch and then head back to the park a little later. That is more easily done if you are staying on site than if you are offsite.

I agree. I would also allow yourself flexibility this time. They will be older and able to do so much more so you may or may not need to schedule downtime. I've only ever stayed onsite so I can't compare the ease of onsite vs offsite but definitely weigh your options. If they love water, a water park day would be great and May should be perfect weather. If you always left at 3, maybe they would enjoy fireworks this go around for a nice way to cap off an evening. Good luck with your planning.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

I think the fact that your children will be almost three years older during this next trip will make a huge difference. I think part of the reason for the overstimulation you experienced on your first trip is that at 2 and 3 children don't always have the ability to understand the "big picture" like they do when they are 4 or 5. That doesn't mean they can't enjoy themselves at Disney or that there isn't fun to be had for toddlers at Disney, but that the developmental maturity that comes with being a little older makes a huge difference in how they process what's going on around them. Another thing is that I think consecutive days at MK may not be particularly ideal for toddlers because that is the park with a lot going on in terms of so many sights, sounds, and rides and attractions that little ones can do; so maybe starting out a trip with a more laid back park like AK may be a good way to get the trip started, and after doing a day at MK maybe spend the next day at a water park or the morning at the resort pool with an afternoon at the World Showcase in Epcot if that is something of interest, just to give a couple examples. On our first family WDW trip in 2011 our youngest DS was 2.5 years old at the time. He had fun and there was a lot that he could do since most attractions don't have a height requirement, but he was timid and sometimes afraid of the characters, needed his naps, and spent a lot of time in his stroller. Fast forward two years and on our trip this past May he was 4 and was all about meeting the characters, wanted to ride everything, and had no problem with being on the go all day in the parks I think he "got it" in terms of what it meant to go to and be at "Disney World" and was really taking it all in. I always say 4 is such a magical age for that reason. Our youngest DD was 4 on our first trip and it was so magical for her at that age on many levels too because she was definitely "into" the whole experience of everything that was going on around her and really wanted to take it all in.

 

[kohlby]

We've had three trips with a 3/3.5 year old. (And one trip with a 2.5 year old). Being 2.5 years later will make a HUGE difference. You could even plan the parks longer and be perfectly fine. We start at rope drop and leave when someone acts slightly like it's time to leave. I'm in charge of detecting this since hubby doesn't quite get it until it's too late. I can't make them nap, but I can get them in bed at night on time, so that's the main way we are able to handle Disney.

We went to Cocoa Beach two trips ago and enjoyed it. I have relatives not too far away from it so we spent a couple nights there after our Disney days. I can't remember where we stayed other than it was a Sheraton. (We had credit card points so it ended up free). It was a nice hotel and they liked the beach.

We've done both on and off-site. We usually have a split stay to save money. For example, we may stay at the Dolphin and then a cheaper hotel other nights. (Also used credit card points to make the Dolphin cheaper or even free). We did AKL two trips ago and did a split stay - actually had 2 nights at Cocoa Beach, then 5 at AKL and 5 off-site. Though AKL was nice, it really wasn't a big deal being off-site. My husband doesn't mind the driving and has a great sense of direction so I let him deal with that.

We have not done water parks. Only one of my kids is a strong enough swimmer so it would not be relaxing for me at all. When they were the ages of your kids, I had zero strong swimmers. Plus, two hate getting their eyes wet still. And the youngest hates getting his head wet. They do well in pools though so we stuck to those.

 

[aliceg]

Just looked at my calendar - it was actually last September we went. September 2012. I told you it was a stressful year! It just feels like two years.

Anyway, they'll be 4 and 5 if we go this May. I'm think if we go, we'll take it easy with the parks, for sure. And fireworks would be nice, this time. And we skipped HS last year because I doubted they would sit through a bunch of shows. They may be better at it this time around.

I'd still really like to fit in a day trip to a beach, though.

 

[kohlby]

My youngest really enjoyed the Indiana Jones show at DHS last year, at 3.5 years old. He didn't watch his first movie in the theater until 4, due to being too wiggly but he did great at most Disney shows. 4 and 5 is still much easier than 2.5 and 3.5. DHS wasn't a fully-packed day for him though. My 9 year old would have loved two days there but the 3.5 year old was done by 5pm.

 

[5stljayhawks]

When my kids were younger, we would park two days off a day. or go every other day. We would also all take good power naps then stay up late for extra magic hours usually 1-3 hours after regular bed time then sleep in the next morning.

 

[nighttowll]

I wouldn't worry about a repeat experience or getting bored or feeling like "haven't we been here before". There is so much to do at Disney that every trip ends up feeling different, and it is not hard to find new things to see and do. I also bet that you see a huge difference in your kids and how they react. Even a year can make a big difference, kids just grow and change so fast when they are that age.

I've done the water parks in May, and it was fine weather and crowd wise. And the best part is you have two water parks to choose from. TL is my favorite, but for little kids I'd recommend BB. There is more for that age to do there or you could do like my family does and go to both. If you don't buy the water park admission separate from your theme park ticket, you can technically go every day. If you did mornings at a park, you could try just an hour or two at one of the water parks. Test them both out that way. Instead of going back to the hotel for a swim, just head to a water park for one.

Something else to think about is if you do decide to go with a value hotel, the pools at Art of Animation are very well themed, and also have splash zones with fountains and stuff, no slides though. Only the moderates have slides. Another note, an Art of Animation suite is actually more than a Moderate room.

As far as the parks go:

Epcot will have the Flower and Garden Festival so that will be new for you guys. If I remember right, there is a special playground and butterfly house this time of year that would interest younger kids.

HS may have Star Wars weekends depending on which part of May you go. If your kids like Star Wars (I know many little boys that age who do), I'd definitely recommend it. If not, I'd avoid it, since the crowds are much worse on those days.

MK - I don't remember them doing anything special in May, but the whole new Fantasyland will be open, so that will all be new for you for this trip.

AK - only "new" thing I know about would be the Wilderness Explorers Program, but it is probably just a little too old for your kids.


I think HS would be a good way to change things up this trip. You've got the Disney Jr show and character breakfast, TSM, Star Tours, Jedi Academy, the HISK playground, Legend of Captain Jack, and the Muppet show which should be short enough to hold a young kid's attention. Possibly, the car show or Indiana Jones show as well depending on the kid. You could probably find enough choices from these options to do at least a morning there. There's also the parade to see.

Also, a good way to try to make the trip a new and different experience is to try to think about the small stuff - meals, parades, fireworks, and character meets. These are all things that you can do differently every time you go. It's easy to make reservations to eat at different restaurants or different character meals then you did the last time, and that will give the trip a different feel.

You could even turn a meal into an adventure. For instance, try Whispering Canyon. I would think boys that age would love it with the cowboy / Indian fights, horse races, and other games and silliness. Then take them out to see the geyser. At that age, they are young enough to be impressed, and maybe finish up with a hidden Mickey hunt around the resort. The front desk has a list you can get. Although, they may be too young for that. There is also the electrical water pageant to see; however, for most kids that age, it would be coming by way too late at night.

Don't rule out DTD either. You could easily spend an afternoon or evening there for a different experience. You could try Rainforest or Trex for a fun meal (Trex has a big sand box/ excavation site to play in, plus build a dino), let them play at the Lego store (there's an area to build and race cars, plus just build areas), play in the DTD fountains, shopping wise - let them build their own light saber or car or design a shirt (with help of course, but kids that age love to try to do stuff like that, makes them feel bigger). You could also ride the hot air ballon if it wouldn't scare them or see a movie.

Another different place to spend some time would be the Fort Wilderness Camp Ground. You've got trails, a playground, wagon/hay rides, pony rides, fishing, boat / kayak / bike rentals, plus character meals and shows there, as well as the campfire program (sing along with Chip and Dale around the bonfire, you can also roast marshmallows, and then there's a movie afterwards under the stars).

I've also heard the beach is a day trip, but we've never tried to do it. If the kids have never seen the ocean, I'd keep that in my plans. I remember going to the beach for the first time at that age, and it was just as magical as Disney for me. Plus with the exception of a long drive, it would be a much more laid back relaxing day. Definitely less stimulating, if you are worried about the over stimulation you experienced last time.

Hope maybe I've been able to give you a few ideas. Good luck with your planning.