Is this strategy too much for a 4 yr old?

[DisneyFave]

Our plans just changed because I realized I booked the wrong dates for MNSSHP Still considering paying the change fees, but for now I think myself and my 4 yr old niece will do the following Sept 12-15:

Day 1 - arrive MCO 11:30 am, check in at Boardwalk, play in pool for an hour, walk (with her stroller) to DHS. Meet Mickey+Minnie, Dinner at Prime Time or Sci Fi and then Fantasmic
Day 2 - MK rope drop to close with a long nap on the couches @ Contemporary resort convention area or on MK train.
Day 3 - Epcot all day with a long nap/pool break mid-day before returning until Illuminations
Day 4 - BWV pool and maybe Beaches n Cream before departing at noon. I will probably get her the kitchen sink sundae just for the photo op

I'm always commando when I go alone. Is this too much?

 

[nono]

Nothing wrong with trying for it, but being ready to pull the plug if it is not working out. Kids have a way of keeping us flexible!

 

[mchelle77]

I know that when we brought out daughter years ago at 4 years old, that first day would have been a little much. I'd say skip the pool on Day 1 and let her nap.

 

[OZMom]

I think that looks fine. DS4 kept up just fine with us in November. He fell asleep in the stroller once, but otherwise we didn't go back to the room for breaks at all, so I think your schedule is just right.

 

[Oathkeeper13]

Just remember to be flexible in your plans. Having a planned nap time/swim time every afternoon is a good idea. But, four year olds are unpredictable creatures especially in a place as over stimulating as Disney World. The child might be up for being at the parks for long periods of time, but don't be surprised if the kid needs some quiet time to rest at other times during the trip. Just watch and react accordingly, if the kid seems overtired head back for a nap or some quiet time in the pool. Always better to act overcauiously and leave the park, then wait in a line with a kid having a melt down.

 

[dkrauss]

You know your niece the best so you know what she can handle............the MK day looks to be the most, how can I put this.........challenging . All your other days seem ok because of your proximity to both "park of the day" and your home base. Wishing you a magical vacation!!!

Doug

 

[DisneyParkLover]

I didn't think tickets were on sale yet for MNSSHP?

 

[DisneyFave]

I didn't think tickets were on sale yet for MNSSHP?

They're not yet, but Kenny the Pirate posted the September 2015 schedule. I was looking at his 2014 dates when I made my nonrefundable reservations

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Our plans just changed because I realized I booked the wrong dates for MNSSHP Still considering paying the change fees, but for now I think myself and my 4 yr old niece will do the following Sept 12-15:

Day 1 - arrive MCO 11:30 am, check in at Boardwalk, play in pool for an hour, walk (with her stroller) to DHS. Meet Mickey+Minnie, Dinner at Prime Time or Sci Fi and then Fantasmic
Day 2 - MK rope drop to close with a long nap on the couches @ Contemporary resort convention area or on MK train.
Day 3 - Epcot all day with a long nap/pool break mid-day before returning until Illuminations
Day 4 - BWV pool and maybe Beaches n Cream before departing at noon. I will probably get her the kitchen sink sundae just for the photo op

I'm always commando when I go alone. Is this too much?

I have a 4yo. For a daily schedule, it looks fine. My daughter still rides in a stroller, so I think that will help a bunch. My daughter is also very ride focused. She doesn't care as much about shows and meet and greets. So mine would probably appreciate commando style if I were able to accommodate. She does get very tired in the evenings, pretty much retiring to her stroller if we hang around for fireworks. She does not nap unless she is so exhausted, she just falls asleep.

So with the naps, I think you will be okay. As suggested, just be willing to adjust if you feel she needs it.
*to bring the stroller on the train, you would have to fold it up. Otherwise, it will have to stay at the station. We have an umbrella stroller, so this is easy to do.

 

[DisneyFave]

That's good to hear! I fear I will get so bored if all she wants to do is meet characters, but I have a feeling my niece will be ride focused too.

Do you use the stroller during the day, or does she not need it? I feel like it would be helpful for times like rope drop when it's good to walk fast. But I don't want to be weighed down by it if she doesn't need it though.

 

[BugsDaddy]

I think it sounds like a very reasonable plan. If you find that it is a little conservative, you can always do more and adjust either way, actually. For my 4 year old daughter, I don't think swimming in the pool would be an option for the first hour. She would be clammering to get to the park the moment we arrived. Each kid is different but taking conservative approach is best when it comes to the planning.

 

[BugsDaddy]

That's good to hear! I fear I will get so bored if all she wants to do is meet characters, but I have a feeling my niece will be ride focused too.

Do you use the stroller during the day, or does she not need it? I feel like it would be helpful for times like rope drop when it's good to walk fast. But I don't want to be weighed down by it if she doesn't need it though.

I would bring the stroller absolutely. Even if there are large portions of time when she doesn't use it, you do not want to have to carry her through the parks when she decides she is done walking or gets tired. Plus, it serves a dual role as a place to store bags, etc.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

How early are you getting up for your flight on arrival day? That may end up being a very long day if you're basically not stopping until after Fantasmic, depending on what time you start that morning. And then being up early enough to get to rope drop the next morning. And you know your niece best, but how is she going to be about napping "on the run" so to speak? I know when my guys were tiny, they could sleep anywhere. But by that age, they needed more quiet, relaxed space than a couch in a resort or on the train.

And as others have said, be ready to drop your entire schedule without notice! Plan all you want, but a 4-year-old can rip those to shreds in no time!

 

[DisneyFave]

Plan is to wake up at 6:30 (she lives 15 min from airport). So not too bad, but you're right that (at least I!) might be tired. I'd be fine taking a long nap at the hotel when we arrive and then just doing Mickey meet+greet + 50s Prime Time dinner + Fantasmic. You have a good point about naps. She's 3.5 now and falls asleep within about 2 mins in the car, but I do have a feeling that it would be hard for her to settle down on a hotel lobby couch. Maybe we'll ride the train a few times and if that doesn't work I'll take her back to the Boardwalk.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That's good to hear! I fear I will get so bored if all she wants to do is meet characters, but I have a feeling my niece will be ride focused too.

Do you use the stroller during the day, or does she not need it? I feel like it would be helpful for times like rope drop when it's good to walk fast. But I don't want to be weighed down by it if she doesn't need it though.

My daughter is very small for her age and would not otherwise be able to keep up. Sometimes at MK, we will park it in a central spot in Fantasyland while we go from ride to ride. But elsewhere, she just rides and goes.

Some 4yo's wouldn't have a problem though.

 

[Marthasor]

I think it's fine. When my DS was that age, he would simply nap in his stroller and we would walk around or sit someplace quiet while he napped. In MK, if she falls asleep in her stroller, there is a great quiet spot between the shops on the right hand side of Main street (as you face the castle), where the silhouette artist is.

 

[laughinplace199]

Staying up for Fantasmic on the first night and being up early for MK rope drop the next day could prove challenging, depending on the child.

 

[kimieko]

I went last you with my 4 year old nephew in September. You absolutely need to be somewhat flexible with your plans, but if you have a stroller, it will help you tremendously. At least it did for us. He was in the stroller a good amount of the time, which kept him from getting tired, so the days could be longer. On our arrival day, we had the MNSSHP AND the Villans Sioree at midnight, so it was a loooooonnnnggg day! Having the stroller was key. He was able to nap and rest in between attractions. It's a great time for you to rest and people watch or do some shopping without having to leave the park for a nap. As others have said, it is also great for helping with your bags.
I would be cautious of early morning plans after a late night. We ended up canceling 2 early character breakfasts because the night seemed to work better for my nephew after taking naps during the day.