I’m lost on an itinerary.

[MissDolewhip]

my husband and I are taking my 5 and 8 yr olds to Disney world for the 1st time May 11-19th. We have a 6 day park hopper and quick service dining plan. I haven’t been to Disney since before we had kids, when everything was still fast pass and easy to navigate. I’m having a hard time even getting started on an itinerary because everything seems confusing to me now.

Here are my thoughts, please tell me if I’m even starting in the right direction.

Sun- arrival day, take it easy at resort
Mon- magic kingdom day
Tue- epcot
Wed- Hollywood Studios
Thur- rest day
Fri- Animal Kingdom
Saturday- Epcot
Sunday- Magic Kingdom

How would you all split up the days? I’d kind of like to keep the last half of the last day to just repeat any favorites in the magic kingdom. Other than that I’m pretty open. We will probably do a few table service meals but I haven’t even gotten that far. I’m feeling stuck planning at this point. Any one have any suggestions? Next steps? Itinerary samples to use? Help, lol.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I think the problem you're having is that you were used to 180+10 pre covid.
No need to and in most cases its not even that possible to plan things more than 60+10.

Are you staying onsite?
What hotel?
If you're staying at a Deluxe resort just know that there are 2 hours of extended evening hours on Monday (that time of year should be EPCOT) and Wednesday (that time of year should be MK).
So you may want to switch up your park days based on that.

Also note that if you're staying onsite in 2025 you get a free water park day on check in day.

For now I'd say just explore and learn all that's new and then you'll be ready when its time to take action.

 

[Mle8308]

my husband and I are taking my 5 and 8 yr olds to Disney world for the 1st time May 11-19th. We have a 6 day park hopper and quick service dining plan. I haven’t been to Disney since before we had kids, when everything was still fast pass and easy to navigate. I’m having a hard time even getting started on an itinerary because everything seems confusing to me now.

Here are my thoughts, please tell me if I’m even starting in the right direction.

Sun- arrival day, take it easy at resort
Mon- magic kingdom day
Tue- epcot
Wed- Hollywood Studios
Thur- rest day
Fri- Animal Kingdom
Saturday- Epcot
Sunday- Magic Kingdom

How would you all split up the days? I’d kind of like to keep the last half of the last day to just repeat any favorites in the magic kingdom. Other than that I’m pretty open. We will probably do a few table service meals but I haven’t even gotten that far. I’m feeling stuck planning at this point. Any one have any suggestions? Next steps? Itinerary samples to use? Help, lol.

Did you do the free dining? If you plan on a few table service meals, it may not be the best value, it might be cheaper to get a room discount and non-hopper tickets and just pay for what you eat. Most people find it works out better financially that way. Kids that age are going to want to spend time at the pools, you may not be doing a lot of hopping, so why pay for hopping if you may not really use it. Your plan looks fine, you could go to Touring Plans to see the crowd calendars, it might help with your decisions. You can also do a water park for free on your arrival day, something to consider. And maybe some time at Disney Springs. Don't stress too much, remember, you won't be able to see everything, though with 6 days you will get a lot done, but be prepared for things to not go as planned! And sometimes those are the best days!

 

[scrappinginontario]

my husband and I are taking my 5 and 8 yr olds to Disney world for the 1st time May 11-19th. We have a 6 day park hopper and quick service dining plan. I haven’t been to Disney since before we had kids, when everything was still fast pass and easy to navigate. I’m having a hard time even getting started on an itinerary because everything seems confusing to me now.

Here are my thoughts, please tell me if I’m even starting in the right direction.

Sun- arrival day, take it easy at resort
Mon- magic kingdom day
Tue- epcot
Wed- Hollywood Studios
Thur- rest day
Fri- Animal Kingdom
Saturday- Epcot
Sunday- Magic Kingdom

How would you all split up the days? I’d kind of like to keep the last half of the last day to just repeat any favorites in the magic kingdom. Other than that I’m pretty open. We will probably do a few table service meals but I haven’t even gotten that far. I’m feeling stuck planning at this point. Any one have any suggestions? Next steps? Itinerary samples to use? Help, lol.

I understand you're planning an easy, resort day on your arrival day but if you wish, in 2025 arrival day includes a free water park day if that interests you.

 

[MissDolewhip]

I think the problem you're having is that you were used to 180+10 pre covid.
No need to and in most cases its not even that possible to plan things more than 60+10.

Are you staying onsite?
What hotel?
If you're staying at a Deluxe resort just know that there are 2 hours of extended evening hours on Monday (that time of year should be EPCOT) and Wednesday (that time of year should be MK).
So you may want to switch up your park days based on that.

Also note that if you're staying onsite in 2025 you get a free water park day on check in day.

For now I'd say just explore and learn all that's new and then you'll be ready when it’s time to take action.

I think you’re totally right that I am in precovid planning mode. It’s so crazy how much has changed since we last went.

We are staying in Fort Wilderness in our own camper.

I’m kind of tempted by the waterpark idea on arrival day, but just not sure. I’m trying to not push too hard to see everything because I know it’s going to be harder with kids than when we visited as child free adults.

 

[MissDolewhip]

Did you do the free dining? If you plan on a few table service meals, it may not be the best value, it might be cheaper to get a room discount and non-hopper tickets and just pay for what you eat. Most people find it works out better financially that way. Kids that age are going to want to spend time at the pools, you may not be doing a lot of hopping, so why pay for hopping if you may not really use it. Your plan looks fine, you could go to Touring Plans to see the crowd calendars, it might help with your decisions. You can also do a water park for free on your arrival day, something to consider. And maybe some time at Disney Springs. Don't stress too much, remember, you won't be able to see everything, though with 6 days you will get a lot done, but be prepared for things to not go as planned! And sometimes those are the best days!

Hm you might be right. We didn’t book during free dining, we just booked the quick service as part of a package staying at Fort Wilderness. I’m not sure they do room discounts there since we are staying in our own camper? I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for your input!

 

[MissDolewhip]

I understand you're planning an easy, resort day on your arrival day but if you wish, in 2025 arrival day includes a free water park day if that interests you.

I’m so tempted to take advantage of this but I feel like I will be really exhausting the kids before we even get into a park, lol.

 

[Chili327]

If you're staying at a Deluxe resort just know that there are 2 hours of extended evening hours on Monday (that time of year should be EPCOT) and Wednesday (that time of year should be MK).
So you may want to switch up your park days based on that.

I’m so tempted to take advantage of this but I feel like I will be really exhausting the kids before we even get into a park, lol.

If you know you wont be attending, not a big deal, but i love to plan as if I'm going to.
Also i like to hop from one park to another, giving myself a break during the day... so i usually plan 2 parks per day, the first one being the one to "take care of business" the other to catch up on other things or to just enjoy the extra evening hours.

You could play with TouringPlans.com if it helps you to see it on "paper".

I'd do a basic plan for the beginning part of each day (or night if there is something to check off at night) & leave the rest open to do whatever you feel like doing after... not having a plan can be so much more enjoyable.

 

[Upatnoon]

my husband and I are taking my 5 and 8 yr olds to Disney world for the 1st time May 11-19th. We have a 6 day park hopper and quick service dining plan. I haven’t been to Disney since before we had kids, when everything was still fast pass and easy to navigate. I’m having a hard time even getting started on an itinerary because everything seems confusing to me now.

Here are my thoughts, please tell me if I’m even starting in the right direction.

Sun- arrival day, take it easy at resort
Mon- magic kingdom day
Tue- epcot
Wed- Hollywood Studios
Thur- rest day
Fri- Animal Kingdom
Saturday- Epcot
Sunday- Magic Kingdom

How would you all split up the days? I’d kind of like to keep the last half of the last day to just repeat any favorites in the magic kingdom. Other than that I’m pretty open. We will probably do a few table service meals but I haven’t even gotten that far. I’m feeling stuck planning at this point. Any one have any suggestions? Next steps? Itinerary samples to use? Help, lol.

After full days at MK and Epcot I would want to rest. Much is going to depend on the stamina of your family and if you start at rope drop and go until the final bell.

Also, your kids may want more time at Hollywood than at Epcot. You can always hop from Hollywood to Epcot in the evening.

 

[DebbieB]

I wouldn’t do Monday at MK, it’s the busiest day of the week. I would switch Epcot and MK.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Have you camped at the Fort ?
I just took my grandkids to stay in the cabin during Xmas week .
We only planned one day in a park because we rented a golf cart.
407-824-2742 to reserve in advance but they have plenty. It was $70 a day I think which is kinda $$.
That is probably the most fun they have ever had.!
Plus visiting the Tri-Circle D Ranch where all the Disney horses live in luxury .
Horseback riding for all age groups .They even rented Canoes with mom & dad.
Archery wasn’t available .
They have outdoor craft tables and they wanted to tie dye their own design t-shirts. It’s pretty amazing and the cast members have it down to an easy mess free craft!
All ages were designing them . They sell cotton t shirts and have squeeze bottles and the shirts are wrapped with rubber bands to make the Mickey shape appear . When fun is done , they tightly wrap them in plastic Saran Wrap to take home Nothing leaked! They recommend you wait a few days after arriving home to wash because the color will last longer. I did go outside to unwrap and went to a laundromat . The only thing I wish I had done was squeeze as much moisture out o before they wrapped them . I think they used too much of the dark colors and it seemed like it soaked up in the cotton overall. But Mickey and dye design is fun keepsake still !

The nightly ChipnDale Campfire roasting marshmallows , with sing a longs and dancing with Chip nDale doing the HokeyPokey! And nightly outdoor movie after the sing along… and watching the fireworks from the waters edge of the campgrounds and then waiting for the Electric Water Pageant after the fireworks too!
You’ll be too tired to go to the theme parks everyday ! Haha

I kid you not, but my grandchildren travel a lot and have even camped at Natl Park in AirStream rental… The entire family had so much fun at the Fort!

 

[DisneyDillyDally]

I also wouldn’t do three days in a row - it causes meltdowns in my family. YMMV

 

[DL1WDW2]

And the only other absolute advice …
First question every trip
Grandma did you book SCI- Fi at Hollywood Studios ?
If you have problem getting this reservation …try the walk up… when they Open for the day .
I also recommend the Plaza on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom for late afternoon / early dinner relaxation dining … It helps to plan that mid day break to re energize .

 

[mi*vida*loca]

That’s exactly how we used to set up our park days when our kids were younger. And it worked very well for us!

MK, EP, DHS or AK, rest day, DHS or AK, EP, MK.

We always did RD, midday breaks, back to
a park in PM. On AK and DHS days we would either go back to MK in the evening to stroll around and enjoy the atmosphere or stay at the resort pool. The kids loved the pool back then. I think once or twice my son did the arcade too.

Three park days in a row didn’t bother us because we weren’t going RD to close all three days. The first 3 days we were full of excitement so we would do more. The second MK and EP days we didn’t do RD. We would arrive around 9-10 am and we didn’t stay until closing. We would leave a bit earlier to beat the crowds. Sometimes at 4 pm and then enjoy the resort or at 8 pm and go to bed. It really depended on the kids.

As for an itinerary, I would get a subscription on Touring Plans and check them out. It’s with the price just for the Lines app that can be used while you’re in the parks.

 

[SwanVT2]

I would subscribe to Touring Plans have use it to organize your days. I agree that the first day going to the water park would be too much. I do not recommend park hopping with children-too exhausting. Also, what I have found with my DD, who is not a morning person (12), if we do rope drop then go back to the hotel, she has no motivation to return to the park. Majority of kids can do this, ours can't, so consider what your children are like when it comes to taking a break. You might want to take more than one rest day, too, so you can enjoy what your hotel has to offer. This could mean eliminating a day at Epcot, which is more of an adult park, and so much walking! What do you have planned in terms of character meals and staying up for fireworks? This can determine when you want to take a break day if you have been up late for fireworks.

 

[Anna131517]

Look at crowd calendars. We never do MK on a Monday because it tends to be busier those days. I would start with EP then do MK. Fort Wilderness is so much fun for kids so I think spending time there when you arrive and on a rest day is a great idea! Look at the magical extras they have there - like pony/horseback rides. With the ages of your children I would plan on rope dropping parks and getting back earlier rather than later most days.

 

[philharmagic fan]

I think you’re totally right that I am in precovid planning mode. It’s so crazy how much has changed since we last went.

We are staying in Fort Wilderness in our own camper.

I’m kind of tempted by the waterpark idea on arrival day, but just not sure. I’m trying to not push too hard to see everything because I know it’s going to be harder with kids than when we visited as child free adults.

We used to do a waterpark on arrival day every trip when our kids were grade school-middle school age. Often there would be one of those mid afternoon rainstorms (we went in August; not sure afternoon storms are that common in May) and everyone who arrived in the morning would leave. We'd hunker down in the gift shop or a covered dining area, and once the rain ended the slides would all be walk-ons.

 

[bluezy]

Another option to consider. A little background info: We have 5 kids -- now all adults -- but we've been taking trips with them since the oldest was 11. The youngest age we've ever taken our kids on a Disney trip is 4 (we had a rule about not needing a stroller and scheduled naps, and they had to be at least 40" tall so they could go on most of the rides). We usually go for a 7-night/8-day stay but leave at 6:00 a.m. on day 8, so it's really 7 days for us (or technically 6.5). We used to get 6-day parkhoppers and would just hang out at the resort, ride the monorail, go to DTD/DS, etc. on our arrival day (we drive and usually arrive between 10-11 a.m.). Then one year we booked under a Buy 4/Get 3 free deal for resort and tickets. So now we had an extra day of tickets. We took advantage of that and spent a few hours at EP on arrival day -- headed over around 3:00, did some rides, had dinner, did another ride or two, and then headed back to the resort to get to bed at a decent time so we could hit the ground running in the morning. Disney's little "trick" worked. We've bought a ticket for arrival day for the 7 trips since that promotion. The cost to go from a 6-day ticket to a 7-day ticket is about $25. To us, it's totally worth that extra $25 to spend a few casual hours at a park (usually EP) on arrival day. It allows us to ease in to our vacation and get some things done at one park. That way we can have another sleep-in day during the week when we return to EP because we don't need as much time to do all the things we want to do since we've already done several things on arrival day.

And after several trips of allotting a full rest day in the middle of our stay, we also quit doing that and started buying tickets for every day of our stay. We found that we didn't really want a full day away from the parks, just another day to sleep in. Having tickets for every day allows us to go at a much slower pace throughout the week. We do mid-day breaks on the days we do rope drop (at MK, DHS, & AK -- haven't done rope drop at EP in years) and then either return to that park in the evening or go to a different park. The rest of the days we can sleep in a bit (or a lot) and just arrive at a park late morning/early afternoon...or sometimes not until late afternoon.

We've done the short visit to a park on arrival day and no full rest day method since our 3 youngest kids were 4, 7, & 8 years old and it has worked really nicely for our family. We actually find this method less exhausting than doing long park days and having a full day off in the middle of the week (we found we always wanted to be at a park that day anyway). I'm not saying this works for everyone because everyone's kids/family are different. Just another option to think about.

 

[Mitre10]

When our kids were 5 and 8, we did 6 days of single park tickets, RD until the kids were done, which was usually 5 or 6pm, back to the hotel for dinner, swimming, and bed. We had one late morning midweek. We scheduled character meals for lunchtime--they were the perfect age for that. If it helps, our itinerary from 2017:

Saturday: arrive, explore resort (we were at Contemporary), ride monorail loop, dinner at Chef Mickey's (chaos)
Sunday: Epcot, ate at Akershus
Monday: HS, had an early reservation for Hollywood and Vine to sign up for Jedi Training Academy, which doesn't exist any longer
Tuesday: MK (all QS)
Wednesday: slow morning, Epcot, Garden Grille lunch (top tier IMO, so cute)
Thursday: MK, CRT lunch
Friday: AK, Tusker House (also excellent, loved the food and characters)

For us, the pretty full mornings, followed by a sit down lunch, then hitting other things we'd like to do and leaving when we were tired but not exhausted, worked well. Adding extra transition time and energy for breaks didn't work well for us at that age. The kids were conked out by 8 every night.

 

[WDWLODGE]

I wouldn’t do Monday at MK, it’s the busiest day of the week. I would switch Epcot and MK.

I second DebbieB