How to manage park day with spouse and multiple kids

[flick23]

Myself (39m) and my wife (38f) are going to WDW from October 20-25 with our three boys (10, 7, and 11 months). We are flying in from NY and staying at Saratoga Springs and have the following schedule.

Sunday - arrive, pool day at resort.
Monday - AK
Tuesday - HS
Wednesday - Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure
Thursday - MK
Friday - pool day, departure

I'm trying to think through a plan for our park days given the fact that we'll have two spouses who each want to have some fun and do roller coasters, but have kids with different wants and needs. Our 10-year old is probably an 8/10 in terms of thrill ride comfortability, our 6-year old is probably a 4/10 and won't do anything remotely scary, and we'll have a baby who will need to nap. Anyone with a similar experience who can provide some advice so everyone stays happy?

 

[ArielDreams]

Myself (39m) and my wife (38f) are going to WDW from October 20-25 with our three boys (10, 7, and 11 months). We are flying in from NY and staying at Saratoga Springs and have the following schedule.

Sunday - arrive, pool day at resort.
Monday - AK
Tuesday - HS
Wednesday - Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure
Thursday - MK
Friday - pool day, departure

I'm trying to think through a plan for our park days given the fact that we'll have two spouses who each want to have some fun and do roller coasters, but have kids with different wants and needs. Our 10-year old is probably an 8/10 in terms of thrill ride comfortability, our 6-year old is probably a 4/10 and won't do anything remotely scary, and we'll have a baby who will need to nap. Anyone with a similar experience who can provide some advice so everyone stays happy?

Definitely make use of rider swap if both you and your wife want to go on a big “scary” attraction with the 10 year old. Or you could just go down the list of rides and see which ones are priorities for each of you and which you’d be willing to sit out. For instance, next trip I will have a (fearless) 6 year old and 11 month old. I can skip RnRC so I’d probably just have DH and the 6yo go on it but ToT is a priority for me so DH would probably sit that one out with the baby. Rope drop the big attractions with 10yo to minimize wait times.

We usually do an early sit down lunch and then head back to the resort for rest time, returning to the parks around 4-5pm. Will the 11 month old nap in the stroller? My older son never would but that would definitely be helpful for staying out later with the older two.

With that age spread and so much to do in the parks, I would definitely make a list of your family’s “must dos” and just try to hit those and have fun! You won’t be able to do everything.

 

[LoveToDisney]

I guess that’s why grandparents were invented….
The chances of you and your wife riding together will return once your kids are teens. You or your wife will be riding thrill rides with your 11 year old while the other adult watches the 6 and 11 month old. You have better chance riding together on rides your 6 year old can ride but then there’s the baby. A few rides have no height limit where all can go. I would accept this is your “kids” trip now so you won’t be disappointed. They grow up fast so enjoy your kids at whatever stage they are at.

 

[Ensusieasm]

Perhaps one parent could go back to the park at night and stay out late while the other takes the kids back to the room for the night.
The next day the other parent could be the one to stay out at the parks late.

 

[BlueGreen5]

Myself (39m) and my wife (38f) are going to WDW from October 20-25 with our three boys (10, 7, and 11 months). We are flying in from NY and staying at Saratoga Springs and have the following schedule.

Sunday - arrive, pool day at resort.
Monday - AK
Tuesday - HS
Wednesday - Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure
Thursday - MK
Friday - pool day, departure

I'm trying to think through a plan for our park days given the fact that we'll have two spouses who each want to have some fun and do roller coasters, but have kids with different wants and needs. Our 10-year old is probably an 8/10 in terms of thrill ride comfortability, our 6-year old is probably a 4/10 and won't do anything remotely scary, and we'll have a baby who will need to nap. Anyone with a similar experience who can provide some advice so everyone stays happy?

Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It’s wonderful visiting WDW with younger kids and forming core memories with them! But, everything is going to be slower than you expect, and the kids are going to be tired, so be prepared for that.

Thursday is by far going to be the most draining day of your itinerary. At that point, you’re all going to be spent. Consider whether to move MK to an earlier day when you’ll all be “fresher.”

For this short of a trip, consider dropping Universal. They are amazing parks and you’re not going to be able to do them in one day. Instead, you may want a second day at MK since, of the three parks you’ll visit, that is going to have the most rides that all of you can ride together.

Agree with the above commenter: develop a list of priorities. You could double the length of the trip and not do everything. Especially when you factor in kids.

Finally, make sure you factor rider swap time into your plans. One thing we - being WDW veterans - often forget is how much time rider swap actually takes. The second rider doesn’t go directly onto the ride. You essentially get in the lightning lane. Depending on the ride, the lightning lane queue, plus the pre-shows, plus the ride time, can take up considerable time. Only plan to do rider swap for the highest priority rides for both you and your spouse.

Above everything, enjoy your trip! It doesn’t matter whether you got to go on ride X, meet character Y, or see show Z. The magic comes out of the time you spend together. Don’t spend that precious time upset if things aren’t going to plan (because they won’t). Just appreciate where you are the amazing thing you are experiencing!

 

[sponica]

You'll either have to commit to rider swap (which is a time suck, I won't lie) or just aim for a "good" trip where most people are content most of the time. Don't aim for perfection.

Also, the kids you bring on vacation aren't always the kids who live with you. At home, mine are up with the birds....at WDW they sleep in.

Make sure the kids are well fed and well hydrated, then they won't be as cranky.

A 6 year old will need breaks from walking so keep that in mind.

Honestly I would worry the least about the 11 month old naps, with any luck the 11 month old will stroller nap (make sure your stroller has a full recline).

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Agree with don't aim for perfection. We have fantastic memories from trips when our kids were split like this, even though some of the time I spent sitting in the shade enjoying the scenery while the youngest was asleep in the stroller and my husband and older kid rode a roller coaster. We never tried to baby swap. We'd been before and we knew we'd be again, so didn't worry that we were missing out on anything.

 

[WinterSolider]

OP I think you need more time. You're trying to do way too much in the amount of time you have when you're going to be juggling thrill tolerances, height requirements, etc.

When we do just Walt Disney World, no Universal, we feel like we need 8 nights to do everything we want to do at a comfortable pace. For us, "comfortable pace" means rope dop every morning, alternating full park days with half-days in the park and afternoons at the pool. "Comfortable pace" is going to mean different things for different families but four full park days back-to-back while skipping the best ride in Orlando in my opinion and only giving Magic Kingdom one day is a recipe for just sheer exhaustion.

A 6 year old will need breaks from walking so keep that in mind.

That's entirely child-dependent. We just did 8 days in August with a 4-year-old and no stroller and he was fine from rope drop to dinner time. When my oldest was that age she would have melted down after 15 minutes.

 

[BlueGreen5]

while skipping the best ride in Orlando

Intrigued - which one are you referring to?! Guardians, since they aren't going to EPCOT?

If you asked my kids a few years ago (when they were about OP kids' age), the answer would have been the skyliner because we had a tradition of taking that to get ice cream...

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I think you’re trying to do a lot in a short amount of time. If it were me I would cut out universal and add a Disney park day.

I think with the ages of your kids and the limited time the best strategy would be to divide and conquer. One parent with 1-2 kids to do certain rides. Other parent doing other rides with the other kid.

 

[BlueGreen5]

Sorry for the double reply, but I was just being nostalgic about the trips we took with kids approximately your kids' ages and thought about some more things.

One thing I remember they loved - and I know they still do it at MK as of this past summer - is the opening show at the castle. They do this right about when the park technically opens for the day and it's usually not terribly crowded because most people are rope dropping a ride. There are a bunch of characters that come out and welcome the kids to the park. My kids ate it up every time! It's short, so the older kid won't be terribly bothered by it, except that it would mean that s/he can't rope drop a thrill ride. Having said that, if you're really only going to do MK for one day, and want to tackle most of the rides, you're going to need to rope drop a ride or two, so maybe this show isn't an option.

Parades are also big hits with the younger ones and - while the older ones may claim to be too cool for them - my experience has been they still sit and (secretly...very secretly...) enjoy them every time. There's loud, upbeat music, there's a fire-breathing dragon, it's fun! If choosing between something like Tomorrowland Speedway and a parade, I can promise you all of my kids (again, very secretly) enjoy the parades more. I'll carry their secret with me to the grave.

If the little one - or the bigger ones, ha! - are not having it for MK fireworks, the Grand Floridian boat dock and Polynesian beach are excellent places to watch them away from the crowds. Both locations are within a 10 minute monorail/boat ride and pipe in the soundtrack so, other than being a bit further away from the booms, and not being able to see the projections on the castle, they're perfect spots. Almost always, you're absolutely welcome there even if you aren't staying there (exceptions for like 4th of July and New Years Eve, where those spots are reserved just for resort guests, but there would be signage and you could always ask someone beforehand if you wanted to be sure). Consider those as alternative viewing spots that don't require a big time commitment to secure a spot. It's a virtual consensus that fireworks crowds are the most predictable and yet the absolute worst part of MK. You can even get a dole whip, ice cream, snack, or alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink (dole whip only at the Polynesian) and, *gasp*, maybe even a table and seats at these spots! Pro-tip: these are also good options on your AK and non-park days, since you don't need a park ticket to get there!

 

[sponica]

That's entirely child-dependent. We just did 8 days in August with a 4-year-old and no stroller and he was fine from rope drop to dinner time. When my oldest was that age she would have melted down after 15 minutes.

My 4 year old could probably do the same, but then I'd be chasing her everywhere. I use the stroller as a child containment device more than anything. I'd use a leash, but then she'd be like a wild dog pulling me everywhere.

Now my 8 year old complains after 25 minutes of walking.

 

[CariadMartin]

We tend to divide and conquer as another poster said. One parent can do thrill rides with the eldest, and one parent can be with the younger 2 so they can have rest breaks and enjoy the atmosphere and vibes! We also tend to spend most of our time on attractions everyone can do together like Pirates, Small World, etc.

Universal I think is really hard with split ages kids because there really isn't much for little ones to do.

 

[Miffy]

OP, with your limited time in each park, you should seriously consider spending the money and purchasing LLMPs for each of your park days. You can now book these 7 days in advance of your arrival, since you're staying on-site at Saratoga.

And unless someone in your family is such a huge Harry Potter fan that missing Universal would be a significant disappointment, I think spending your entire trip at WDW would be preferable. Get park hoppers so you can be flexible with the parks (I know, more $), and consider spending some time in Epcot. You might be surprised at how much everyone in your family would enjoy it.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

Like others have posted, I would drop the Universal day (staying in the 'Bubble' saves time, also keeps you close to the resort in case of melt downs / issues)

Taking advantage of LL's would benefit the spouses. Rider swap helps some but each parent still has to have the other 2 kiddos while waiting for each other - this is probably your main "obstacle" to both spouses having "fun / coasters". I see multiple times where each of you will be entertaining the kiddos while the other does a big time ride. Figure out how to take those in-park breaks where each has the chance to take advantage of these slower paced moments. Example: AK- LL Everest while the group tours Jungle Trek / Bird show.
LL FoP while the the group takes a snack break.

Pre booking probably won't work because, well, things unexpectedly happen with young children.

 

[OlliePop27]

Have a great trip! I love traveling with our young kids, even though it does make things more challenging. I recommend dropping Universal also (as big a fan as I am) and add a 2nd MK day.

My wife and I just do Rider Swap, so not many coasters together. I go back at night sometimes by myself. There are so many rides everyone can do together.

I'm not writing this to be snarky, but honestly something maybe worth considering on a different occasion. Consider visiting Disneyland on a future trip as long as you have very young kids. I realize it's a long trip from NY, but it's great with very young kids because everything is walkable - hotels, parks, shopping, dining.

Yes, bringing grandparents is also a great option!

 

[Anna131517]

I wouldn’t rely a lot on rider swap because the people not riding are just waiting around. It works OK if you can also take the younger kids on nearby rides / shows / meals at the same time but it really does suck up a lot of time. So I would do 1, maybe 2, rides a day that require rider swap. Another option is to hire a sitter.

When we go DH generally rides the roller coasters and I stay with the kids who don’t want to ride. I personally don’t care because I’m there to spend time with my family - which rides I go on don’t really matter to me. But obviously some people are really into rides.

 

[OlliePop27]

I wouldn’t rely a lot on rider swap because the people not riding are just waiting around. It works OK if you can also take the younger kids on nearby rides / shows / meals at the same time but it really does suck up a lot of time. So I would do 1, maybe 2, rides a day that require rider swap. Another option is to hire a sitter.

When we go DH generally rides the roller coasters and I stay with the kids who don’t want to ride. I personally don’t care because I’m there to spend time with my family - which rides I go on don’t really matter to me. But obviously some people are really into rides.

This is the key. For me going with little kids is about spending time with family. The reality is, not everyone will get to do everything. I'm okay with that when going with young kids - the memories sitting with my baby playing outside a ride are priceless and some of my most memorable experiences at the parks.

 

[sponica]

I wouldn’t rely a lot on rider swap because the people not riding are just waiting around. It works OK if you can also take the younger kids on nearby rides / shows / meals at the same time but it really does suck up a lot of time. So I would do 1, maybe 2, rides a day that require rider swap. Another option is to hire a sitter.

When we go DH generally rides the roller coasters and I stay with the kids who don’t want to ride. I personally don’t care because I’m there to spend time with my family - which rides I go on don’t really matter to me. But obviously some people are really into rides.

I don't think I had factored in the time suck ahead of time for the 2 rides we used it on in Epcot....GOTG and Test Track. I think we spent the entire morning in Future World (well whatever it's called now) just dealing with those 2 rides.

 

[kwdw]

Did you already buy that Universal ticket? If it’s not purchase yet, I would advise to not buy it. That is going to add a lot of cost for kids who aren’t ready to enjoy those rides. Now, if the two of you just want to explore the WWOHP and kiddie stuff, it’s fine. I think you need to hope the 11 month will stroller nap.

I think the main thing for you all is to not push it. Maybe think of setting the pace of the 7 yo. Get enough sleep, take enough snacks they like to the parks, and know what everyone can/will go on. As the adults, discuss the one thing in each park you don’t want to miss and then plan how that is going to happen. Do that in advance so you aren’t fighting about it in the moment.

And finally, accept your plans and expectations need to be flexible.