Just got back

[HappySpirit]

WE just got back yesterday from our trip to WDW. My 5 yr old loved it and my sisters boys (ages 13 and 14) were more excited about getting back to the hotel to swim. I was most surprised about the lack of rides for the older children but there was a lot for our 5 yr old to enjoy. My husband enjoyed to shows to some extent but would have liked more roller coasters. We went to MGM, MK and AK. If anyone has any questions, please ask. I will be happy to answer when I check in again.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

No questions.
Welcome to the DIS!

 

[Amirah95]

Welcome! Did you stay on or offsite? How was it?

 

[HappySpirit]

We stayed on at SoG. The bus picked us up and took us to whichever park we wanted to go to. Everything that is done at Disney is done perfect. Not much room for improvements with each show/ride. I just wish there were more adult/older children rides.

 

[Amirah95]

We don't mind the rides because we do them all regardless of age. I'm glad you had fun though.

 

[head2toewinner]

I think you probably shoul;d have hit Epcot if you were looking for adult themed rides. MISSION: Space is really good and so is TT.

 

[HappySpirit]

My husband and I would have liked Epcot but we opted for Animal Kingdom because we thought that our 5 yr. old would have enjoyed that more. She loved it. I heard that Epcot was more for adults but the trip was more for her than us but my husband loves roller coasters and wish there had been more.

 

[moonshot]

WE just got back also. Our kids, 5 and 7, had a blast. We stayed at the Fort Wilderness campground. We had four-day park hopper passes and then took an extra day just to stay at the campground and do the things offered there. I am so ready to go back!!!

 

[dzneelvr]

We've been going for years and our DS is now 17 and DD 14. They always find lots to do: ToT and RRC, Star Tours, Backlot Tours, Indiana Jones at MGM.

At MK: Haunted Mansion, Splash Mtn, Thunder Mtn, Tiki Birds (my fave), County Bears (their fave from when they were little), Buzz, Carousel of Progress (they find it neat to see how things have changed over the generations), and of course Space Mtn.

At AK they do all the water rides, the safari, and Bugs Life.
At EPCOT it's Norways Maelstrom ride and Mexico's river ride, Mission Space, and we make them go to a few others such as Japan, China, and America siting that it's good to sit down for awhile in the cool (we go in the summer).

we can't wait until DD turns 16 so we can do the underground tour at MK.

Hope this list helps--we've not had an issue with finding things to do at any age.

 

[logan1_2000]

We will have a couple 13 yr olds, an 8, and two 7's during an extended family trip, staying at SoG during Jersey week. Is everything up and running at SoG, and did you try to watch the fireworks at MK from the SoG's new parking garage, as I have read? I have been doing a major sell job on space mountain, splash mountain, rockin roller coaster, tower of terror on the older kids. Disney is great for all, but given the number of princesses in their stories, it is more heavily weighted for younger girls interested in princesses. But there is some for all, and if for some the attraction ends up being swimming, well, Walt did choose FLA for its weather as the WDW location--he could have gotten land cheaper in South Dakota--so swimming must have come to mind. Any SoG details appreciated as this will be our first trip there since the renovation/expansion.

 

[FOV]

Originally posted by HappySpirit
My husband and I would have liked Epcot but we opted for Animal Kingdom because we thought that our 5 yr. old would have enjoyed that more. She loved it. I heard that Epcot was more for adults but the trip was more for her than us but my husband loves roller coasters and wish there had been more.

Epcot has a reputation for being set up for older kids but it is my sons favorite park and he was only 4 last time we went. You can check it out next time. This trip all 3 of my kids want to go to Epcot first - go figure! I think they have added more attractions than they used to have (Test Track, Mission Space etc.....)

For thrill rides and rollercoasters Islands of Adventure at Universal is really fun. My daughter is a coaster junkie and she loved that park. If you go back you may want to budget in a few days for Universal.

Glad you had a great time!

 

[HappySpirit]

SoG couldn't have been any better. We didn't watch the fireworks from the parking garage but there was a place to the lower right from the entrance where we watched them from. They lasted 13 min and had a few that I have never seen before (green heart fireworks) and so forth. SoG has 2 pools (both heated), one in the shape of MM head and another that is rectangular. Both start out at 3 ft but the MM head only goes to 6 ft and the other goes to 8 I think. They ask you to not take the towels from the room and towels are provided at the pool area. You have an ironing board and iron in each room but it only fits into one plug (beside the table and chairs). Coffe pot and coffee are provided each day, some games on the TV using a keyboard, game room (I didn't go) and you can buy a few things (doughnuts, coffee, juice) before leaving the bus in the morning. They have scheduled days where you can get in early to the parks so take advantage of getting there early and get on those rides where the lines will get longer as the day goes on. It did take us about 20 min to get registered and a room key. I didn't like the parking garage being so far away because if you wanted something it was a trip just to go back to get it. We forgot our cell phone chargers at home and could only charge them from the car so everyday we had to make the trip, twice. They have a room safe also and you put your own code in and don't have to carry a key. We were on the ground floor because we asked for a room that was close to the pool. The one thing that we didn't like was if you didn't want to walk through the grass to get to the pool you had to go into the hallway, down the hall to get to the exit to reach the pool. The mosquitos were bad at night so don't forget some kind of repellant. It is beautiful there inside and out. There is a small refrigerator in each room also.