How to plan a 4-park day with LOs?

[lynzi2004]

Headed to Disney the first week of April with 7 Day parkhoppers. DH and I are tossing around the idea of doing a 4 park day. Kids are 5 and 4. I know they are considered really young to try this but we are going to give it a shot one of the days and if we bail half-way through oh well. But given the kids ages, where would you start and which park would you FP. Thinking of this on a Wednesday when MK has late Magic Hours. Thanks!

Edit to add: Thinking right now AK-Epcot-HS-MK

Maybe do at least one ride and a meet and greet in each park?

 

[gap2368]

I do 4 parks in one day a lot I think it depends on what you want to get done at each park if it is just do one ride and take a photo then this is more do able then ride the biggest ride at each park. my suggestion is

1 first park hit at RD

2 FP for second park ( have your first FP about 2- 2 and a half hours after first park opens) and make the first FP one that if you miss it is not a big deal.

3 I would do MK either 3 or 4 as this park really is the easy to get a 4 or 5 FP at.

4 if it is still there and you can afford it do the express buss service saves so much time and so easey

when I did this last here is what I did

started at AK ( it was an EMH morning) rode dianasours and EE whent to HS ( FP for TT TSMM and ST) then went to EPCOT FP space ship earth. and did soaring

then headed to MK I got to MK around 5 and rode space and a few other things

 

[loves to dive]

It's doable but they may need a break somewhere in the middle. I'd buy the new express bus pass but even without it's easy enough. Start at AK at rope drop, no FPs needed. Ride Safari, then walk the trails, do IGTBAB and maybe see Lion King show, go to HS, FP TSMM around 11, ride that and maybe do a show, hop over to Epcot, grab lunch, ride Nemo, Figment, maybe SE, monorail over to MK and if you didn't do your FP at HS, book all of them for here. Grab supper and enjoy. You could possibly do that and even get in bed at a fairly early hour.

 

[kwdw]

Okay - I can think of lots of ways to do this with kids that age - BUT - I wouldn't. Each time you enter/exit a park - you have to walk to the front of the park and to the transportation site - and get through bag check and security. That's a lot of extra walking on little legs for what gain? They are too little to appreciate the 4 park in one day as a cool thing to do.

I also don't know if your kids are familiar with the parks yet. At that age - my niece already had her own opinions about what to see in a park - and would have had strong objections if we were leaving a park before doing something she cherished to do - but she wasn't great at understanding we'd do that on a different day. Now a couple years older - she would get it - but for us - not at that age. Now - if your kids don't know stuff about what they want to see - that might not be a big deal.

Now - I might consider this with the new Express Transportation option as I hear that drops you closer to the park.

 

[lynzi2004]

Okay - I can think of lots of ways to do this with kids that age - BUT - I wouldn't. Each time you enter/exit a park - you have to walk to the front of the park and to the transportation site - and get through bag check and security. That's a lot of extra walking on little legs for what gain? They are too little to appreciate the 4 park in one day as a cool thing to do.

I also don't know if your kids are familiar with the parks yet. At that age - my niece already had her own opinions about what to see in a park - and would have had strong objections if we were leaving a park before doing something she cherished to do - but she wasn't great at understanding we'd do that on a different day. Now a couple years older - she would get it - but for us - not at that age. Now - if your kids don't know stuff about what they want to see - that might not be a big deal.

Now - I might consider this with the new Express Transportation option as I hear that drops you closer to the park.

Thanks for your honest opinion! The only park they've ever been to is Magic Kingdom, so they don't really know what to expect. I'm most concerned about the transportation, but we still push them in a double stroller to and from the parks and then typically park the stroller in each land and walk to the attractions so hopefully that part won't wear them out.

 

[jvz82]

That sounds exhausting to me. If you have a stroller, that means every time you get on a bus you have to fold it up and carry it on, then haul it back off the bus. Then you have to go through security and bag check 4 different times with tired kids. I can't think of any positives to this plan, lol.

 

[gap2368]

That sounds exhausting to me. If you have a stroller, that means every time you get on a bus you have to fold it up and carry it on, then haul it back off the bus. Then you have to go through security and bag check 4 different times with tired kids. I can't think of any positives to this plan, lol.

you do not have to go thought bag check security if you do the express service.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

you do not have to go thought bag check security if you do the express service.

but you will still have to unload and fold stroller at each park and can be a pain if one has fallen asleep in stroller esp at end of night at last bus

 

[gap2368]

at the end of the night you will have to take the buss back no matter what or they could drive to the first park and just take the buss back and yes the express buss service really make things so much easer

 

[lynzi2004]

Ok so I'm being humorous here, I get that transportation is going to be a pain! Last trip at 4 and 3 we were in MK for 16 hrs both times, still married and no real meltdowns from kids. So aside from transportation, logistically what's my best bet for FP? Epcot or HS?