No touring plan for parks???

[ChrisAlli]

We leave Friday. I have all my ADR's, I know what park we're doing each day, however.....I haven't really planned how to tour each park. My kids are 3 and 1, and not sure what they'll want to do or how???

Am I making a big mistake? At first I thought it wouldn't be crowded do to the time of year, but that seems to have been an incorrect thought. We obviously won't be doing too many major rides, maybe me or my DH, but we could use singles lines or FP, so do you think we'll be OK, or should I start thinking fast

 

[VSL]

You'll definitely want to look into some kind of touring plan for Fantasyland at the very least - you'd be suprised how quickly huge lines can be formed there!

I'd suggest doing some research before you go.

 

[Leota]

We never plan how to tour the Parks. Never have, never will. All you need to know is get there early, get the "Big Deal" attractions done first before the crowds hit & use Fast Pass. You'll never get it all done in one trip anyways, so just go, have fun - stop & smell the roses & expereince the Magic. You'll experience the little things more if you're not rushing from place to place on a schedule anyways.

 

[umaangel00]

I didn't have a touring plan this past March and I am glad we didn't. That way I wasn't worried about going from place to place on time. I had more time to enjoy the Magic and enjoy each other. I figure I am on vacation so why plan everything down to the last detail?

 

[jann1033]

i don't really think a 3 or 1 yr old can plan all that well so you might have to do it for them.

i'm guessing this is your first time or first time in along time so i think some planning is really important( after you've been a dozen times, not so much)

i'd look over a guide book or the disney site at least and see what i really want to go on. even if it's just doing baby swap you don't want to wait hrs for a ride so do them first if they have a tendency to get long waits. something like philharmagic or the mgm shows let a bunch in at a time so the waits aren't usually as bad

our kids were not that young when we went for the first time but we always go as early as possible( emh if possible), go to the big things( tot, rnr at mgm, all the mts at mk, soaring, tt and ms at epcot, safari at ak) or things that get lines quickly ( buzz, dumbo, peterpan) first before tons of others get there.

have fun but a little planning helps make it much more fun and you get to see more. hopefully the llines won't be long for you. WDW is really really big and if you don't know some what where you want to go i think a first timer would be lost. there are maps on the disney site if you want to get a general idea of the lay of the land

 

[It's A Happy Day]

Just got back with a 3 & 4 year old and I too had planned what day, where, and had all ADR's planned. Other than that I just had a list of things I definitely wanted to hit. I think you will manage fine without planning what and where. We found it to be busier that expected and just bypassed rides with long lines and utilized fastpass when able to - esp. when me or dh wanted to do big attraction rides the kids wouldn't be able to ride. Luckily our children took the response "we can wait here for 2 Dora's or we can ride something else and come back later and do this" as rides like Dumbo can get quite backed up. I would plan on hitting fantasyland 1st - as soon as you get to the parks as those rides are quite busy by midafternoon but take things in any order as you see fit with your 2 young ones. Another recommendation if you haven't already thought of it but plan on either bringing or renting a double stroller as both will want to get off their feet.

Big rides for my DD3 who was a little more intimadated by rides were: The teacups, dumbo, aladdins magic carpet ride, the playgrounds (1 in MGM and Poohbears playful spot in MK), the race cars the kids can steer around the course (you have to press on the gas pedal) and the carousel. We did these rides more times than I could count. They loved the country bears show and the tiki birds too (although I found tiki to be loud). My daughter chose this trip to show us she could decide what she did or did not want to do so we were unable to get her onto/into some rides/shows and in particular rides that she could not see what was going to happen. If it was out in the open she was fine, but if the ride went behind doors and she couldn't see around the corner she didn't trust it so it is good to go with a mindset that you might no do too many rides - you really have to take it at their pace and attitude. I had planned on both kids doing so many more but they still got alot out of this trip so have fun with it. My son was a little daredevil and at 4 did Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, and more so it will definitely depend on the child. Other things they really got into: pin trading (their grandparents started them when the pins first came out so they already have quite a collection), autograph books - tons of photo ops, epcot kid stop spots - we did both the masks (free) and purchased the passports (10.00 each). If you do the passports have a phrase in mind (have a nice day, welcome to my country, etc.) for all the CM's to write so that looking back you will know what they wrote in Chinese, French, etc. But relax and...

Have a GREAT trip!

 

[KathylovesPooh]

You'll be OK. That said, I would have a bit of knowledge before you go to MK - probably the only place the kids would want to do much. On this day, plan to go at opening, head straight to Fantasyland and then over to Toontown (which opens around 10am). Then walk around to the other lands and go on the attractions the two of you might want to do solo (I'm assuming the kids are good and will stay in a stroller). The family will love the other parks but I can't imagine you need to have too much of a plan.