I havn't got a clue

[maxsdad18]

I am taking my son to Disney in September. He will be 4 y/o. I have no clue on what to do. We will have 3 days of park time. I am staying at the Wilderness Lodge. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Nicholfamily5]

Welcome!
You'll find lots of great information here. I recommend browsing the different forums to get a good feel.
Also, TourGuideMike is a GREAT site, I highly recommend him to pick out your activites for the days.
Well worth the subscription!

Also, I'd plan one day at Animal Kingdom, and Probably the other two at Magic Kingdom. MGM might be a plan if your son enjoys playhouse Disney characters, and Epcot might be a bit much for him at this age.
Most importantly, plan to go EARLY and take a midday break!!!!!
I have a 4 year old and a 10 month old, that's the best advice I can give you. THere is NO WAY he will make it through a full day at any park without a little pool time and a N.A.P (giggle)

Have fun!

 

[FamilyGuy]

IMHO, the best investment for you would be "The Unoffical Guide to Disney World." Used it our first trip and it was very very very worthwhile! I acutally have purchased an updated version since then also.

http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Gu...8938042?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184349974&sr=1-1

There's lots of info on this site and everyone is very helpful. Enjoy your planning.

 

[maxsdad18]

I'll probably need a nap also!. How about stroller? My son is also a picky eater. He loves vegetables like green beans, brocolli, tomatoes and the like. Do park resturants have food like this available.

 

[GottaGetToDisney!]

Hi maxsdad!

I just took my 4 yr old son last month and I wanted to tell you: don't completely rule out Epcot! My son looooved Epcot! If your son is at least 40 inches tall, he'll be able to enjoy Soarin', & Test Track! Strangely enough, my son's favorite ride turned out to Spaceship Earth. There's also a really cool design-your-own-robot-and-race-it attraction in Innoventions, Journey Into Imagination ride, the Finding Nemo ride, Turtle Talk With Crush, etc. etc! That's just the FutureWorld side of Epcot! He liked World Showcase, too. Just liked, not loved.

The stroller definitely helped to keep the crankiness level down. If I'd been stroller-less, I know he would have been crying to be held within the first hour in the park. It's a whoooole lot of walking!

Disney has been trying to make healthy foods a lot more wide-spread throughout the parks (compared to how it was 5-10 years ago). I'm not sure about broccoli, tomatoes, and green beans specifically, but I know that the kids meals usually offered a choice of carrots,applesauce and grapes as side item choices. You should take a look at the sample menus on allearsnet.com to get a better of idea of which restaurant offers what.

Have a wonderful trip!

Gotta Get To Disney!

 

[maxsdad18]

Thank you, I think he will like the things at Epcot especially Nemo. He loves Nemo. I will check out the menu. Can I brng food into the park? He loves fruit also, but I would think that would be available inside. It is a bit overwhelming looking at all the information. I know I wont be able to do everything, but I want to make it special for his 4th birthday.

 

[Iott Family]

I say invest in the park hopper ticket and do one park in the mornings, get lunch and then take an afternoon break at the resort for swimming and naps and plan to go back into a different park after 5pm to catch more rides and the night time shows. Yes you can take food into the parks in a small cooler and yes you are going to want a stroller. You might also want to look into character meals. What characters does your son love? Chef Mickeys gets rave reviews and we love the Crystal Palace with the pooh characters.
Also if this is your first trip invest in a good guide book such as Passporter. It has everything broken down and has pockets for everyday you are there to keep your tickets and your itinerary. Also tour guide mikes site is great if for nothing more than his least/most crowded information.

Good luck and have fun! Dont try and do everything just do enough to keep yourselves in the disney mood!

 

[disneyjunebug]

Look at eating at some of the buffets. Chef Mickey (Contemporary Resort), Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom), and Garden Grill (Epcot -- actually served family style), all have veggies that I think he would love. And the characters come around to the tables for pictures, autographs. All of these take Advance Dinner Reservations and fill up quick, so you might want to call as soon as possible.

We are taking my 4 yr old in November. We are doing a park in the morning, pool/nap, then a park in the evening for fireworks, etc. Go at his pace and let him do what he wants! You will probably spend a lot of time in Fantasyland, but don't forget about the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (my son loves Pirates!) and Buzz Lightyear rides.

If you have any more specific questions, don't hesitate to ask! I've never taken a 4 year old before, but I've taken over 1000 teenagers! (not all at the same time!)

 

[maxsdad18]

Thank you for all the replys. I checked out some of the menus and I think I will be OK food wise for us.

Any suggestion for what type of stroller to bring. He walks/runs everywhere now and never uses a stroller anymore. He does ask me to carry him once in a while, so I thinking he might like a stroller if he gets tired.

He really likes the Elmos World water park near where I live, but I don not think he would like it every day, so I would probably just get a park hopper ticket, and if we go to a water park, it would be in the morning the day we leave (3:00 PM flight). The Wilderness Lodge seems to have a nice pool and kiddie pool which may be enough for him anyway. Any thoughts?

Thank you. I went to Disney World in 1972 so it has changed a bit since then.

 

[Iott Family]

You know is he is a good walker you might just rent a stroller as you need one, if that is not feasible then just grab a basic umbrella stroller. It will be light weight and not at all cumbersome on the buses. Have you thought about the parent/child leashes? We have one for our 3 yr old to keep him from running off in crowds. It is actually a backpack of a monkey and the tail is the "leash" you hold on to. Walmart and Target carry them. It also comes in a blue dog version. Also if you are carrying in snacks, water, change of clothes put those in a backpack to keep your hands free.
The pool at WL is really cool and themed.

Good luck and have great fun!

 

[mrstomrice]

I suggest getting to the parks at opening, trying to hit the park that opens an hour early for resort guests. We found that even during spring break, you can get through the big rides with ease. With only 3 days, I might suggest skipping the table service meals...maybe just do 1 special one. You could even do one the 4th day, depending on what your traveling plans are. Chef Mickey's could be done easily since it isn't in a park. Have fun!

 

[Jletendre]

We brought our daughters (last year 4&5) to their 1st WDW trip .. our older daughter was overwhelmed by the amount of people and became apprehensive about rides she couldn't "see" .. most rides she's been on are all carnival type so while I explained Peter Pan or It's a Small World were very nice she was nervous about going on .. so just don't be letdown if you have to change plans. She loved meeting characters and things like riding the monorial, boats etc .. you sometimes forget what's exciting for a small kid

WDW site has a section about pre-schoolers with nice maps and ride height requirement print outs:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wd...g?id=PreschoolersExpListingPage&expandedTypes

Have fun making memories!

 

[grumpy.uncle]

You will definitely need a stroller for your son. You can rent a Disney one, but I think they charge $8 per day. You will need to have great walking shoes. I believe I read here that you walk between 5-8 miles per day at WDW. I carry a small tote into the parks w/me. I always bring a semi-frozen bottle of water with me and plenty of snacks. They will search your bag on entry but you can bring in most anything except for alcohol or glass bottles. You may also want to carry a damp washcloth in a baggie or some wet wipes. Very handy for clean up or cool down. Sunscreen is a must also. The new continuous spray sunscreens are really easy to apply. As other posters have said, get to the parks first thing in the morning and then head back to your room around noon for rest time( swim and a nap). I need to break up my day, and I'm not four years old. It just makes your trip so much more enjoyable if you split up your days. You are also staying at one of the nicest resorts so be sure to take advantage of what WL has to offer. Have fun!

 

[danielle782001]

1) Yes, RENT a stroller (Get the three day ticket up front, which gives you a small discount).
2) Take the boat for WL to MK. Spend one entire day there. Try to catch the light parade and/or fireworks.
3) If you have an extra day without a park ticket, you may want to head over to Fort Wilderness next door from WL.... there are pony rides and other fun things for small ones to do. You can take a wagon ride.
4) My 2 and 4 year old love Animal Kingdom the most... the safari is the best. Maybe go there on a Magical Hours AM and go on safari first! We also like the breakfast with Donald there. It has great characters and good food. My kids love it! If you get in and out early you can get in another park in the evening.
5) Stay away from "It's Tough To Be A Bug" in AK. It scared my boys and I hear/read it happens all the time.
6) Check out the water parade on the water outside the WL.
7) Another non-ticket thing to do is Downtown Disney. There is a big Lego store there with tons of Lego bins for the kids to play with (for free).
8) Make some Advaced reservations NOW!!!!!
9) HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[byoung]

Welcome to the DIS!!! You will learn a lot here.