Originally posted by honeymom
Last trip my kids were 5 and 2 1/2. The 2 1/2 year old loved Buzz Lightyear and the raceway. Toontown also popular.
Character meals were great. Not only for the characters, but we could get the food quickly and not have to wait. 2 1/2 year old liked Chef Mickeys best, followed by Crystal Palace.
I would second these two character meal choices. It sounds like you have some Pooh character lovers in your lot, and Crystal Palace has Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet. Chef Mickey's I thought was the best of the 3 meals we attended. They had Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip, Dale, and Donald. Donald was the only one that you had to go and see, every other character came up to your table.
You will probably enjoy seeing Tarzan at AK along with the Dinoland area of AK. There's also character Meet and Greets in Camp Minnie/Mickey. I would definitely do the Kilimanjaro Safari at AK. The It's Tough To Be a Bug show at AK may/may not be a good idea, especially for your youngest one. There are times during the show where it could be scary for your youngest, especially when the theater fills up with fog. This could be bad for anyone with a claustrophobic or asthmatic-type of condition.
At MGM, definitely take in the Playhouse Disney show (if they are into Bear, Rollie Pollie Ollie, etc.), and go into the backlot area by Al's Toy Barn. Usually, Buzz, Woody, and Jessie are out giving autographs and taking pictures. I don't know how your boys will like Beauty and the Beast or Ariel's Adventure, but those are two possibilities as well. There are also big character meet and greets under the Sorcer's Hat at MGM, and definitely do the Stars and Motor Cars parade. Muppetvision 3D is a possiblility, so long as your kids do not get scared of objects flying towards them.
Epcot is more of a toss-up for kids. You never know what you're going to run into that they will like. I would definitely do The Living Seas, as it has now been transformed into a Nemo motif. Take a ride up into Spaceship Earth, and definitely try to stay around for Illuminations at World Showcase when it gets dark. Don't know how much the kids will like World Showcase, but Mom and Dad have to have something for themselves don't they? Sometimes you can see some characters walking around World Showcase as well, although now it appears as though they are doing a character caravan deal there where the characters ride in on a double-decker bus and have a character Meet and Greet at World Showcase Pavilion. Definitely go see the miniature railroad outside of Germany, if it is still there.
Of course...MK will probably be where you'll be spending most of your time. Too much to list here, but one thing you definitely need to do is to stay for the Wishes fireworks show. Hopefully the wind and weather will cooperate, so you'll be able to see Tinker Bell make her flight from the castle. If you get lucky enough to be at MK on a night when the Spectromagic parade is being presented, stay for the parade as well. Another definite must see is Mickey's Philharmagic. This is a 3-D show, so if your kids might be spooked by objects flying at them, you might want to think twice. Then, of course, there are the traditional rides, such as Peter Pan, Dumbo, The carousel, It's a Small World, and Aladdin. There's also the Hall of Presidents and of course Mickey's Toontown Fair. The only thing I was somewhat disappointed with was the Walt Disney World Railroad. There really isn't much that you can see on this ride. Mainly alot of forest with the occasional peek into the park, or other landmarks just outside the park.
My last suggestion to you would be to pick-up the PassPorter Guide to WDW 2004 and/or the Unofficial Guide to WDW. Both are excellent resources. The PassPorter Guide has kid ratings for most rides that were given by the author's daughter. The Unofficial Guide also has a spin-off guide for doing WDW with Kids. It's a bit smaller than the big book, and maybe a bit more manageable.
In closing...ENJOY THE MAGIC!!
Brian
