Major Disney newbie questions for first trip

[kalirob]

I am planning to hit DW with DD3 and DD20m in the beginning of May. I have tried to do some research with regards to trip planning, but I am overwhelmed with all the information. I was referred here by many people, so I hope you experts can help me out.

More info - I will NOT be staying at a DW resort and I will have a double stroller w/Ergo.

1) I was planning on getting a FL resident pass for 3 days. Can you leave a park and come back to that same park later in the day with this pass?

2) How likely is it that I could snatch a cancellation for the princess dining at Akershus? I'm thinking no way.

3) DD3 loves Belle, is there a guaranteed meet and greet after the ETWB, or should I do a FP with the character M&G?

4) What do you do with young children when you're waiting in line? I don't see my youngest lasting more than 10 minutes!

5) Is there an app that would be helpful while at DW?

6) What do I pack in the stroller? E.g. what are some things that I wouldn't think to bring inside the park?

7) Any other "insider" tips that would help?

Here is my very preliminary "schedule" for our visit

Day 1 (Friday) - MK at rope drop

FP - ETWB, Peter Pan, Ariel's Grotto

I'd also like to see the fireworks and the parade. Should I FP these instead?
​

Day 2 - NO IDEA, do we go to MK again? Or, what do you think between EP & HS? I would like to see fantasmic (I think?).

Day 3 - AK

FP - Nemo, ?, ?​

I need help filling in these blanks. I've never been to DW with children, and only went as an adult two times (F&W festival over 5 years ago). What rides or events would you suggest for two children 3 and under?

DD3 is over 40" tall, if that matters for some rides. She would not appreciate any rides that would be considered scary (e.g. POTC) or where something jumps out.

I really appreciate any help you might be able to offer.

 

[jerlove]

I am planning to hit DW with DD3 and DD20m in the beginning of May. I have tried to do some research with regards to trip planning, but I am overwhelmed with all the information. I was referred here by many people, so I hope you experts can help me out.

More info - I will NOT be staying at a DW resort and I will have a double stroller w/Ergo.

1) I was planning on getting a FL resident pass for 3 days. Can you leave a park and come back to that same park later in the day with this pass? -Yes

2) How likely is it that I could snatch a cancellation for the princess dining at Akershus? I'm thinking no way. It is possible I would check a few times a day you just never know who might cancel. You could also try to get a walk up but depending on time of year it might be real difficult.
3) DD3 loves Belle, is there a guaranteed meet and greet after the ETWB, or should I do a FP with the character M&G? There is a picture that is taken with the children who participate in the "show" So as long as she is in the show than yes she will meet Belle
4) What do you do with young children when you're waiting in line? I don't see my youngest lasting more than 10 minutes! Bring along Nintendo DS' or other activities that can keep her occupied

5) Is there an app that would be helpful while at DW? The my Disney experience app is pretty good but also lines has an app that gives you current wait times

6) What do I pack in the stroller? E.g. what are some things that I wouldn't think to bring inside the park? Rain ponchos, spare clothes for younger kids, not sure my kids are out of strollers now

7) Any other "insider" tips that would help?

Here is my very preliminary "schedule" for our visit

Day 1 (Friday) - MK at rope drop

FP - ETWB, Peter Pan, Ariel's Grotto

I'd also like to see the fireworks and the parade. Should I FP these instead?
​

Day 2 - NO IDEA, do we go to MK again? Or, what do you think between EP & HS? I would like to see fantasmic (I think?).

Day 3 - AK

FP - Nemo, ?, ?​

I need help filling in these blanks. I've never been to DW with children, and only went as an adult two times (F&W festival over 5 years ago). What rides or events would you suggest for two children 3 and under?

DD3 is over 40" tall, if that matters for some rides. She would not appreciate any rides that would be considered scary (e.g. POTC) or where something jumps out.

I really appreciate any help you might be able to offer.

I hope some of that info helps.

 

[DisneyMomma2000]

Planning can be VERY overwhelming, but the responses can be just as overwhelming. Take your time and plan according to your family style. There are many sites like this one to give you tips. Browse through the threads and find what's best for your family. There are single threads for every question you asked. Type key words in the search and find them. i.e. "packing tips". There's one thread that took me days to go through.

Our first times to Disney were years ago, and I did very little planning. We had a blast. This year we are going at the end of May and I have been planning like mad since January. This may be our family's last vacation just the 4 of us since our oldest is graduating, so I wanted it to be BIG. We are staying a full week and trying to cram in as much as we can. Our kids are older, so we can do more too.

One of my favorite sites is wdwprepschool.com. Shannon does a fabulous job breaking things out. It's where I started. I also joined the touringplans.com site and there is some very valuable info there as well.

As for the rides, there are many youtube "point of view" videos for the rides. Unless you think it will spoil the fun, take a look at some of them to sort through the ones you want.

Every family is different and will tell you things to do that may or may not work for yours. For example, some people leave mid-day to take the kids back to rooms to nap. We never did with our little ones. They slept in the strollers and we planned the rides accordingly. We rested inside the park to save on travel time. You know your kids best and know what they can or cannot do.

If you are overwhelmed and you're not a "planner", then don't....it's your vacation and there's nothing wrong with taking it all in a little at a time. I forget the exact detaisl, but I heard somewhere that even if a family was in WDW for every day of the year, they still would not be able to accomplish and see everything that's there. You won't get to see everything in the 3 days you are there, so enjoy what you can and don't stress about the stuff you miss....catch it next time.

 

[ferd]

Just chiming in to say that if you are considering HS simply for Fantasmic, you might want to reconsider that. Malificient (the dragon) can be pretty intense for little kids. My 2 1/2 year old pretty much freaked out when she saw it. (Same for the Festival of Fantasy Parade Malificient, but I told her it was a dinosaur and she then rawred and was okay.) Just fair warning.

MK without a doubt has the most to do for little kids and you could easily fill 2 days there. Epcot, not so much. HS does have some things for kids (Muppets, Little Mermaid Show, Disney Jr. Show, Toy Story ride, and lots of meet and greets plus the Honey I shrunk the kids play area. But for wee ones, I've never seen it as a full day park.

Arkeshus should be a far easier reservation to get after April 20 (i.e. after Anna and Elsa move out of Norway.)

Belle does not meet at Fairytale Hall. She is in ETWB and the 'meet' is pretty brief. A quick photo at the end and some during the show (if she is in it, some little ones are too shy to participate, so if she doesn't just have her get into the line as Belle circles the room.) You will recieve a bookmark pre-signed by Belle, she will not sign an autograph book for you. The pics will be taken by a Photopass person. The light is low in the space and you cannot use a flash with your personal camera. She is in her yellow ballgown.

Belle will take a pic in Arkeshus, she is in her yellow gown there as well. The best 'meet and greet' with her is in Epcot in France. She is in her blue 'peasant' dress there but will sign and pose for pics. She even read to my daughter there. You may also have good luck seeing Belle in HS during Characterpalooza, though there is no guarantee of that

While waiting in line, have snacks handy (goldfish, etc) that your child likes. If they have a hand held game (like a Nabi or something) that can come in handy. Washable crayons and a small pad of paper. Mark your stroller well so you can pick it out of a sea of 1,000 strollers. You will have to park them outside rides. Be prepared for the heat. Pack a 'chilly pad' to keep the little ones cool. A battery operated fan and/or water misting fan. SUNSCREEN. Changes of clothes. Socks. Sunglasses, visor or hat.

 

[MouseOfGold]

If your children enjoy watching some of the Disney Junior shows then I would visit DHS. Most of those characters are there as well as Pixar characters (i.e. Cars, Monsters Inc., etc.) Hollywood & Vine restaurant at DHS has a character breakfast & lunch with Dis. Junior characters. I plan on booking a Fantasmic lunch VIP pkg. for my next trip so my kids can meet the characters and we have VIP passes for seating at Fantasmic that evening.

I did MK twice last visit. I planned one day mainly for Fantasyland & lunch at BOG. And I devoted the other day at MK for the rest of the park. I guess it depends how much you want to see/do at MK.

For AK I used my FP's on the Safari ride, Nemo and Lion King our last visit. I would def. FP Safari ride if you plan on doing that.

My kids do pretty well waiting in lines & they are very young. Plan on moving at a slower pace & having to make frequent stops to tend to your children's needs. The way I do WDW without children is totally different than I do WDW when I bring my kids. There is a baby center in each park, great place to take a break from the busy parks. It's air conditioned, mostly quiet, they have microwaves, diaper changing stations and also sell baby items if you need something.

I pack extra clothes, diapers, wipes, baggies, snacks, sippy cups, any med.'s in case I need them, sunscreen, small fans.

I hope this helps a little! Enjoy your trip!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Fantasmic scared the snot out of my 6-year-old. She does not do well with "creepy", and Fantasmic has "creepy" in abundance. She also didn't care for Bugs Life at AK, but was way less freaked out than at Fantasmic. We steered clear of Haunted Mansion and POC.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Okay, I've actually never gone with young children, but I've advised many otehr folks that have.

MK is a 2 day park even when it's only Disney-familiar adults. You cannot hope to scratch the surface of it in 1 day with 2 little kids in tow. I'd suggest 2 days in MK and save Epcot/HS for when they're a bit older. Having the 3rd day at AK is a good choice if your kids like animals. I second the folks about AK fastpasses: Kilmajaro Safaris, Nemo, Festival of the Lion King.

Some additional suggestions of what to bring into the parks: ponchos, aspirin (or whatever your preferred headache treatment), water!, bandaids.

 

[disnut8]

Pipe cleaners are good kid friendly diversions in lines. Easy to carry and if you lose one or two, no big loss on the finances.

 

[kalirob]

Wow, you guys have given me some excellent advice! Thank you so much for your time to help me.

I will definitely skip fantasmic, sound like it's pretty scary and that won't work for us

I know as long as we meet Belle, my girl will be thrilled. I guess that will be my main goal.

 

[kitayama]

I have never been to Disney World, but I always go to Disneyland (I can only give advise on waiting in line and packing). We gave up on our double stroller and instead go with two easily foldable and relatively small single strollers. They are easier to maneuver and collapse for transportation. We also discovered that it is easier to get around if you go minimalist and buy stuff you may have forgotten. Disney sells everything, but I find that I rarely need to purchase anything. I keep a few snacks, two old iPhones for the kids to play with in line when they become bored with me, a change of clothes, sweaters or jackets if it might be cold, sunscreen, diapers/wipes and water bottles and that is it. Everything fits in a single backpack. The snacks are only for emergencies since we usually buy snacks in the park when the kids need them and I can't get to a popcorn or fruit stand (this rarely happens). When my son was 20 months old, we also used a small framed baby carrier. We had a larger one, but a baby carrier that resembles a hiking backpack gets in the way. A 20 month old is also too big for a Baby Bjorne or Ergo baby.
Oh, and if your kids are in any way sensitive to loud sounds, buy shooting headphones from a sporting goods store or Amazon. They make these to muffle loud sounds, and they come in infant/toddler sizes. These things finally made it possible for my kids to see the fireworks and other loud shows without going into a complete meltdown. My kids used them until they were about two, so your three year old will probably not need them and your 20 month old may or may not need them. Every kid is different.

 

[twolittletinkerbells]

Went last year with 2 girls practically same age. For sure 2 days at MK. We did rope drop and FP and never waited more than 15 min for a ride. Went for a walk after lunch on the path from circus area to space mountain area (Quiet and uncrowded until they dosed off for a nap) Then went and parked as they napped about an hour prior to parade for a good seat on mainstreet. When they woke, we treated to ice cream while waiting on parade. They LOVED the parade. Rides they enjoyed in order for us:

Dumbo
Carousel
Alladin
Pooh
Barnstormer
Small World
Peter Pan
Little Mermaid
Buzz Lightyear
Country Bears
Railroad

ETWB was not ready, but we did a LOT of meet and greets.
Have fun.

 

[over50visits]

7) Any other "insider" tips that would help?

Read this group for LOTS of great ideas. But, here is my heartfelt advice:

You cannot begin to do everything, or ride every ride. Disney is overwhelming, even for repeat guests.

Don't go to RD then try to spend all day. You don't want to end up late at night with everyone tired and grumpy. That's not fun. Either spend a reasonable amount of time there, or take a break in the middle of the day.

Enjoy what you do experience, savor it, and look forward to next time, even if it is years before that happens. You can't do it all, and everyone has their idea of the "must do" attractions. Read about them, dream, then go and enjoy every moment.

 

[kalirob]

Read this group for LOTS of great ideas. But, here is my heartfelt advice:

You cannot begin to do everything, or ride every ride. Disney is overwhelming, even for repeat guests.

Don't go to RD then try to spend all day. You don't want to end up late at night with everyone tired and grumpy. That's not fun. Either spend a reasonable amount of time there, or take a break in the middle of the day.

Enjoy what you do experience, savor it, and look forward to next time, even if it is years before that happens. You can't do it all, and everyone has their idea of the "must do" attractions. Read about them, dream, then go and enjoy every moment.

More great advice, I am lucky that I live relatively close to DW, so I suspect we'll be going more. I was planning on taking a break for them to nap for 2-3hrs. I figure we'll go back to the hotel, as I've never got them to nap in a stroller (you never know though).

Thanks also to everyone else who responded, everything has been very helpful. Sounds like an old iPhone and Mommy's phone will work for both kids if they get bored waiting in line My youngest is a mover/climber/all around crazy girl, so getting out and walking will be a big thing for her.