Newbie here -- need advice on several issues

[weschmom]

Hi All,

I am brand new here and am planning a trip to WDW for early January 2007. It will just be myself and my turning-5-year-old DD. Planning a 4-night stay. I read somewhere that the new discount codes come out tomorrow (11/2), so I'm hoping to get a deal that way (?).

A few things...

-Much of the parks will not pertain to my DD5, so I have reviewed the list of attractions at each park and determined that the MK has the most for us, followed by Disney/MGM and Animal Kingdom. I didn't see much at Epcot that would interest her. (I have been to Disney myself in the past...actually worked there on the College Program in '93...but things have changed much, and I didn't have kids then!) My thought is to NOT get park hopper tickets, and hit one park each day. My fear, though, is that she will like one park more than the others, want to spend more time at one, there won't be enough in one of the parks to occupy us for a whole day, etc. What do you pros think?? Seems like a lot of money to add the hopper option...which we MAY not even need.

-Airport transportation: are there Disney buses? what do most people do? we are staying on property, and i have no intentions of getting a car.

Thanks for your help!

 

[PixieDust742]

Hi!

First off, I would not cross Epcot off your list. Is your daughter a fan of Finding Nemo? She will love Turtle Talk with Crush, and the Seas with Nemo and Friends. And what about visiting all the countries, making a mask with "artifacts" from each one, and seeing characters like Belle and Beast, and Aladdin and Jasmine? Epcot also has the Character Connection near Innoventions, one of the best places to see the some of the Fab 5 characters and sometimes others.

As far as the park hopper option, it can be added at anytime during your stay at either your resort concierge or the theme parks ticket window. Just remember, the park hopper option costs $45.00 plus tax, regardless of the length of your ticket. So it might be wise to decide if you would like to add the park hopper near the beginning of your vacation.

There is a shuttle service to and from Orlando International Airport, called Disney's Magical Express. This service is complimentary to WDW resort guests. If you decide to use this service, make sure you pack medicines, bathing suits, and necessities in your carryons, since your luggage arrives at your resort seperately, about 3 hours after your flight. Also, the bus picks you up a mandatory 3 hours before your flight time (FAA regulations, also makes stops at other resorts, and to allow for traffic).

Hope this helps!

 

[MJMcBride]

I wouldn't rule out Epcot either. the Living Seas, Maelstrom, Imagination, HISTA, Spaceship Earth, possibly Test Track. In fact, I prefer Epcot over MGM for my little ones.

I would get the Park Hopper. Much more freedom. And you can go to a different park after a mid-day break. Its great.

 

[scarboroughmom]

Re: Park hopping

It's nice, but not crucial to move between parks. If you're watching pennies, (like alot of us), you can save that money. When my kids were that young, they would have a hard time covering a whole park. They would often stay in a small area forever because they were entranced with one small feature, like a statue, or a fountain, or a grouping of trees, or one ride they wanted to do over and over. We could make a whole day of of Tomorrowland. I always tried to go with it. That fascination with little things is over so fast, I just wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. You'll be there at a pretty quiet time, so you won't need park hopping to manage crowds.

 

[ANTSS2001]

Hi All,

I am brand new here and am planning a trip to WDW for early January 2007. It will just be myself and my turning-5-year-old DD. Planning a 4-night stay. I read somewhere that the new discount codes come out tomorrow (11/2), so I'm hoping to get a deal that way (?).

A few things...

-Much of the parks will not pertain to my DD5, so I have reviewed the list of attractions at each park and determined that the MK has the most for us, followed by Disney/MGM and Animal Kingdom. I didn't see much at Epcot that would interest her. (I have been to Disney myself in the past...actually worked there on the College Program in '93...but things have changed much, and I didn't have kids then!) My thought is to NOT get park hopper tickets, and hit one park each day. My fear, though, is that she will like one park more than the others, want to spend more time at one, there won't be enough in one of the parks to occupy us for a whole day, etc. What do you pros think?? Seems like a lot of money to add the hopper option...which we MAY not even need.

-Airport transportation: are there Disney buses? what do most people do? we are staying on property, and i have no intentions of getting a car.

Thanks for your help!

You might not need to pay for the hoppers if this applies to you..

Disney Visa Magic Your Way Package with free Park Hopping and Water Parks Fun & MoreTravel dates:

1/1/07 - 3/8/07
Codes:

ZCJ - MYW Package without dining
ZCI - MYW Package with dining
Minimum stay:

3 Nights
$495 per adult (based on double occupancy) for a Six night/7 day stay at a Disney Value Resort

NOTE THAT ALL PAYMENTS MUST BE MADE USING YOUR DISNEY VISA. THIS OFFER REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE $200 DEPOSIT UNTIL 11/2/06. At that time, this offer will become available to the general public and the immediate deposit will no longer be required.

Offer based on availability. Certain restrictions apply

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Well, I definetely don't think you should rule out epcot either. There are lots of things a 5 yr. old would enjoy there such as: the living seas- nemo and turtle talk with crush, the imagination pavillion- journey into imagination with figment, Universe of Energy- ellen's energy adventure, el rio del tiempo boat ride in Mexico, maelstrom in norway, live entertainment in all of the countries- dragon legend acrobats in china, sergio in italy, server amusant in france, and one of the best thing for kids here is the kidcot stops. Your DD could go to each country and do an activity or get a stamp to show that she went to them. There are characters located throughout the countries and at the character connection too.
As far as the other parks, they'll be plenty to do. I even disagree with people who say they only spend a few hours in AK because there isn't enough to do. My family could spend 2 whole days there and still have stuff to do and things to see.
If by any chance you do everything, redo your favorites. Chances are, you'll see stuff you didn't see the first time around.
It's a good thing if you don't want park hopper. You can spend a whole day in each park. It costs extra money and your wasting time traveling to that 2nd park. Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[shellyfive]

with 4 days you could go a park a day...depends on your travel schedule however. All parks will have stuff that a five year old will be thrilled to do. have fun!

 

[MermaidMommy]

Here's another vote for Epcot! When DD was 5, she loved many of the things mentioned, plus Test Track (and she can't wait to do Soarin' and Mission Space on our next trip), Illumination, Innoventions, the "pixie dust" that lights up on the ground at night (hey, that's a big deal when you're 5), and the Princess Storybook Breakfast in Norway. And she LOVED the KidCots. We always did Animal Kingdom in half a day when she was younger, because she only rode Kilimanjaro and Triceritops Spin; we finished with those, plus the shows and a couple of trails close to lunchtime. MGM really only has about half a day-ish worth of rides specificaly for little ones, too: Playhouse Disney (if she's not too old for it), Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Muppets 3-D, Beauty and the Beast Show, and Fantasmic. Personally, with 4 days, I would do:

1 day MK
1 day AK/MGM in the evening for Fantasmic
1 day at Epcot
1 day at whichever park/parks you enjoyed most

We always park-hop, but we usually take a nap/break in the middle of the day, so it's not extra time for us to go from one park to another. We just really like having the flexibility to go to another park like Epcot, for example, on the days when we go to AK and it closes at 5.

 

[blondeheroine]

I do think that she'd love Crush and Nemo, but you still might find that MGM will be an exceptional choice. Playhouse Disney, Muppetvision and the motorcade parade will more than likely be big hits with her.

 

[weschmom]

You have all been a big help.

I see today there is a discount package for my timeframe that offers free park hopper passes, so maybe that will solve that problem for me.

I will take your advice and look further into Epcot. I guess I was basing my opinion more on when I visited there in my twenties and I remember it as being more of an older persons park. Of course, I didn't have little kids then, so I probably didn't pay attention to what they have for them! She does like Nemo, so I will definitely check out all the things you all listed.

Like someone said...my DD does tend to get hung up on certain things and not want to leave them. That was my fear with trying to plan/do too much...she would probably be thrilled to spend the whole day on the Small World ride!

Thanks again everyone! This is a great board...so glad I found it!

 

[MiniGirl]

My youngest DD will turn 5 in March, so our girls sound pretty close in age. MY DD LOVES Epcot. Soarin' is her favorite ride in all of WDW. She also love Turtle Talk and the new Nemo ride and SpaceShip Earth and the boat ride in Mexico and, oh the list goes on and on. Plus, if you are a Disney Visa Cardholder, you can get a free pic in Epcot at the Character Connection. (Isn't that correct? I know it is at Epcot, but I'm fuzzy on exactly where in Epcot.) There is also an interactive goomroom of sorts we stumbled upon last time that my DD loved. Lots of computers, set up at their height level and they can play ToonTown games and such. My DD (4) also loves Test Track, but my other DD (7) does not.

At AK, on the other hand, she loves the ride that is like Dumbo but has dinosaurs instead of elephants, and she likes the BoneYard, but that is about it. She also likes to play the games in DinoLand, but those cost more $$. I know there are others who will disagree with me, and I personally, love AK. It is not my DD's favorite though.
HTH, Eva

 

[Dan Murphy]

Just wanted to welcome you to the DIS, weschmom, enjoy.

 

[Hound 109]

Since you are staying on property, I like the idea of the Park Hopper. With a 5 yo (heck, for everyone) I like the idea of going to a park in the morning, taking a break at the hotel for a couple of hours, then going to a park (maybe a different one) in the late afternoon/evening.

I look at it as not "4 Days" but as 7 or 8 visits. Park Hopper allows you to go to THE park (for each visit) that makes the most sense.

have a great time!

hound

 

[javaonline]

I didnt think my son (5) would like epcot either. Turned out being his favorite park of any of them.

 

[MJMcBride]

When my kids were that young, they would have a hard time covering a whole park. They would often stay in a small area forever because they were entranced with one small feature, like a statue, or a fountain, or a grouping of trees, or one ride they wanted to do over and over. We could make a whole day of of Tomorrowland.

I agree. but with young kids, I always head out around 2-3 o'clock for a break. The Park Hopper lets you go somewhere else. I love that. If you can afford it, I would do it. In fact, I would rather have that option and get a cheaper room