Leaving in 6 days, read please

[kman1011]

Ok we are leaving and want to post our schedule and open it up to suggestions. We are travelling with myself 26, wife, 26, son 6, and son just turning 4 in a few days. No rest breaks as our family is an on the go family.

01/31/04 Arrive at 5 pm in orlando, get rental car, check into ASMO, if time maybe swim that eve.
02/01/04 MK for EE, have a ps for supper at liberty tavern at 5:30, that night since its superbowl sunday we thought about taking the kids to pleasure island and taking in the comedy club first show at 8 and adventurers club.
02/02/04 AK for EE, ps at 10:30 at Donalds, then a 5:30 PS at whispering canyons. Unsure of the rest of the eve? Epcot? Ft wilderness sing along? Disney Quest?
02/03/04 MGM for EE, pizza planet sometime for lunch(kids are big toy story fans) PS at 50's PTC at 5pm(hope this is enough time for fantasmic? The no Idea about that night?
02/04/04- Epcot EE, trying to get a late ps for princess breakfast still, otherwise all counter service or spur of the moment, hang out all day till we are tired, maybe make illuminations but not that big of deal to us.
02/05/04- BAck to MK for EE and at 9:45 doing that family magic tour. Stay there all day or bounce somewhere else if we deem, that night epcot? DQ? PI?
02/06/04- get up maybe maybe early swim(doubtful as flight leaves at noon.

So can anyone give me feedback and suggestions to make changes in this or things you would add?

Thanks a bunch!!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I think your kids are a bit young for PI. How about getting a baby sitter or letting them go to a kids' club instead and the two of you going to PI? I think you might get some real nasty stares if you show up with two small children.

With a 6 yr old and a 4 yr old, I would schedule breaks in the day, nap breaks or swim breaks. You are really running those kids ragged by your schedule.

We always schedule two parks a day, one in the AM, then break at the hotel for a swim or nap, then hit another in the afternoon. We've done this since our son was 4 on our first trip. He seriously needed the naps at mid-day on that first trip.

On your Disney Studio day? After Fantasmic, you won't have much time to do anything else. Unless you are on lots of caffeine and uppers.

Take your time. Smell the roses. Let your family enjoy the trip. Your younger kiddo may only remember seeing Mickey Mouse and swimming in the pool.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

We've done the midday break/nap and that has worked well when the parks are open late. We don't break midday, though, when the parks close at 6 or 7. I'm not planning on breaking when I go in a couple weeks with my 4yo, but if he looses it I will leave before closing.

Your schedule looks good to me. You'll be exhausted, but a good type of exhaustion! My son and I will be getting there the day you leave.

T&B

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Oh, I forgot, I agree with Deb about Pleasure Island. I would leave the kids in one of the kids clubs and have a fun time with your wife!

T&B

 

[kman1011]

The PI thing we won't change, our children love comedians, and don't care mcuh about the stares. I can't get my kids to take a break if I try, we are on the go from 6 am at our house till 9pm every night. Thanks for the help tho.

 

[tiberius]

Since you asked, I would either find a sitter for the kids and do Pleasure Island as a couple or make that day an all day park adventure, and consider a slightly later start the next day--perhaps an early swim with a late breakfast--that would probably do well since it is your AK day. Then you can still get to Whispering Canyon for dinner, then I would follow up at MK to catch anything missed the fay before.

What kind of tickets do you have? I hope Park Hoppers or Park Hopper Plusses, since you are not going into parks on first and last days.

I think your kids are too small to really appreciate Disney Quest. But I bet you could maximize their enjoyment with several evening or afternoon swims.

I have seen people get caught up in the mentality of "I spent X thousand dollars on this vacation so you had better enjoy it or else!!" No one benefits that way. Take some time to sit around every now and then.

 

[kman1011]

We have length of stay passes throug 1st-5th, the other nights are room only. Disneyquest for our kids is huge n their list, thewy are huge game fanatics(shame on us) they have aps2, n64 and a gc) The Pi thing they really want to do, we do comedy clubs together a lot. We are not big on having our kids somewhere else. I know some of you say PI should be adults only, but we aren't taking them "clubbing" and if children were to be restricted they would(Disney restricts very well when they find the need)

 

[Deb & Bill]

It's good that your kids like comedians, because you are going to be the butt of lots of their jokes.

Don't forget, both your kids will need admission for PI since they are both 3 or older. It opens at 7 PM. And, I thought I read the other day that they discontinued the early show at the Comedy Club. I may be wrong, though.

Have you thought about taking the kids over to Fort Wilderness to see the petting zoo there? It's free and little kids really enjoy it. You can take the boat over from MK to Ft W and then back to MK. I think it only operates during daylight hours, though.

 

[kman1011]

With our passes PI is included, I don't know if the butt of the jokes was a snide comment or a truthful comment but truly we do not care if someone wants to use our family as their humor point just because when we take a vacation as a family it is just that. We don't believe in having someone esle having them during that time. On our adult vacation we have time enough. Again I state if Disney thought they should not be there it would be restricted, as there are 2 clubs there that are. I really do appreciate everyones feeback here but every family is different.

 

[MPLsDad]

Bring your kids to PI, they'll enjoy much of it! I wouldn't bring them to the comedy club and you won't be admitted to some places, but they'll love the Adventurer's Club. If Disney didn't think it was wise to have children there, they wouldn't let them in - and if you didn't think your children couldn't handle it, you wouldn't bring them, so don't mind the what others think! I brought my 3 yo and 15 yo last summer and they enjoyed the 70's club and the beach club and the Adventurer's club and the midnight fireworks! A nice alternative to waiting in lines at a park!

This is an edit to my post -> It's my 100th post - yippee!

 

[tiberius]

Originally posted by kman1011
I really do appreciate everyones feeback here but every family is different.

We really are just trying to give you the benefit of our opinions and experiences here, but in the end it is your vacation and your $. Good luck with both.

My best advice is to be flexible if you see something might work better during the vacation.

 

[XStAnt]

kman1011,

I'm not going to join the debate about: 1) bringing young kids to PI, and 2) going non-stop from early am to late pm with a 4 and 6 year old. You know your family best. I would love to hear how they do going every day from monrning to night. Most people feel that is too much but I don't have children so I really can't comment. I'd love to hear how they did when you get back. I'd also like to hear how they enjoyed PI. Let us know if they understood enough of the jokes, etc.

I would definitely do Illuminations at Epcot one night. It's great--have a late dinner at a restaurant in Epcot and stay for Illuminations.

I'd also try to fit in Wishes, the new fireworks show at MK. It's supposed to be wonderful and is something kids of all ages would enjoy.

If you're looking for something else to do one evening I'd check out the Hoop Dee Doo Review at FW. It, also, is great for kids of all ages. In fact, a friend of mine who hates Disney went with his family and told me he actually love HDD and would go back on their next trip.

With that in mind, on 2/1 stay at MK for wishes, since you are already there. On 2/2 (your AK day), go to PI at night. On 2/3 stay for Fantasmic (go to the Boardwalk afterwards if the kids are still raring to go). On 2/4 stay for Illuminations. And on 2/5 do DQ. That should cover a lot in the evenings.

Good luck and let us know how your kids did.

 

[jacksmom]

Has your family ever been on a Disney trip before? I am asking because we go pretty frequently (our 3rd trip in a year comin up!). We have a 6yo ds (soon to be 7!), and he is a very on the go kid! At home he does seem to go non-stop(loves sports)! But, when we are at Disney he will go early am to late pm for a couple of days. Then, he really enjoys a day to just hang out at the pool and explore the resort. I think it is more over stimulation than tiredness! So, something to think about! Also, out of our many trips he enjoys most renting bikes at WL and riding over to the campground via the path in between and riding one of the ponies!(Blueberry is his favorite pony) When he talks about his Disney trips to friends, he talks about the ponies, bikes and great pool slide more than anything. He does also love Disney Quest and both water parks, though Typhoon Lagoon is his favorite. Another thing he enjoys is the mini golf- Winterland/ Summerland, and it is right by the water park! If you have any more questions feel free to ask! Happy trip planning!

 

[Lisa AF]

Our dds love Disney Quest and if it's included on your passes I wouldn't skip it. You might want to prepare your boys that many of the attractions have height requirements. Not sure if there is a site that list them.