One day at DW?

[jajomo0118]

I've been trying for a few years to get the DS's (13, 12) and DH to go to DW and they no desire at all...I know nuts...lol.

But I have a plan...I'm planning a "mini" pre-view of DW on the Sat we get back from our Oct 09 cruise. I'm thinking if I can just get them down there and see how wonderful it really is that they will want to go on a proper trip soon.

So my questions are?
What do we do for just the one day? MK? Off/ON site? Park Hopper pass?
Would love any advice. TIA ....

 

[TAKitty]

I am just so sorry that your family has no desire to go to WDW! Our boys 14 and 11 love it and ask each time when are we going back.

You will have to know your family to really plan the ultimate "brainwashing" trip. For us, DH hates to drive and we fight over directions so staying onsite is KEY to our happiness. DH loves to just get on a bus and get off someplace. Good food is also important. I don't mind counter service but DH hates it.

The boys like a good pool. Most like the Yacht and Beach Club because of the pool, but my boys found it too crowded. We like AKL because the animals outside the windows are such a unique experience. The boys also love WL. I like BC best.

Do your boys like big rides and thrills? That will really determine which park or two you visit. We have a mix in the family.

Goodness, if your family decides that they hate WDW grab another family member and go. I have taken trips with my mom and sister at different times to get my Disney fix.

I am still trying to convince DH that we need to take a Disney cruise. Goodluck!

I would get the hopper so that you can hop to another park. Even though I LOVE MK, the kids like some of the other parks better.

 

[MaryKLady]

OMG, not want to go to WDW?!? I know, it took me months of talking about it to get DH on a Disney cruise...it helped that I said I would pay for it.

Magic Kingdom is obvious. But DH and I like thrill rides as your boys might. So get a hoper and check out Rockin' Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror at Disney Studios. They also have a great stunt show that even my DD$ loved! Good food can be found at Epcot. We eat our way around the world. The crepes in France are awesome!

Have a great time. Don't worry, they'll want to go back!

 

[njmom23grls]

I also come from a mixed Disney family. Dh "hates" disney (sorry) - I LOVE it. DD (10) likes all the characters and the shows - doesn't care about the rides - other dd (14) will ONLY go on thrill rides - can't be bothered with all the cuteness and characters etc.

Like previously posted - the key to making it work for our family (and I know every family is different) -is to stay on property. We usually stay a shorter time and pay more for the room so that everyone gets part of what they want. We are one of the families that stay at the Beach club because we like the location. The pool/lazy river area is awesome for those times when you head back to the room because you need a break. It is located within walking distance of Epcot and a short boat ride to MGM (now Hollywood Studios)- that satisfies DH - who really likes Epcot and 1 DD because she loves all the thrill rides that MGM offers. Other DD and I go along and then we split up and she and I head to MK. The drawback is that it can be a lengthy bus ride to MK.

I guess it depends on what kind of disney experience you want your family to have - ie balancing everyones interests and trying not to make yourself crazy.

Hope it works out for you -
Lisa

PS - One of the best Disney trips I ever had was when I went with just some friends from work - NO kids, NO husbands - who knew Disney could be so fun for adults? Just a thought.....

 

[jajomo0118]

Thanks for the replys...I'm hoping that giving them a sample will lead to a full week in 2010.

I have a DH and a DS that hates rides....well not all rides just the ones that make thier tummys due that quesy thing...lol and the other DS and I love every ride.... the faster & higher the better.

So I hope my plan works I hinted to DH and he just smiles...

I told him it was very unfair to be taking me on only these cruises..he told me "wow your life is so hard how do you keep going"....LMAO

 

[Anal Annie]

You must stay onsite - there are benefits such as Disney transportation and possibly some Extra Magic Hours, depending on what you want to do - but timesavers. I would say that with only one day that you will not have time to park hop and park hopping adds a lot of $ to the admission price. Especially since Disney has a structured system where the price per day drops for every day that you add. Only going for one day and adding the park hopping feature will make it really expensive. The other thing is that your one day really isn't one full day since you'll be coming from the port, checking in at your hotel...I would guess the morning could slip away from you and it could be 10-11:00 before you actually get to a park. I don't know what the park hours are in the fall, but I would guess things might shut down a little earlier - you might find MK open until 11:00 tho.

Somebody else mentioned food...I would say if you had more than this one day to definitely plan a nice dinner somewhere...but again, with only one day I would not try to tie myself to a time for dinner. I would just wing it and play it by ear and eat CS somewhere. My family HATES it when I am pushing them to be somewhere at a certain time. In July we only had 2 1/2 days. We flew down early but by the time we dumped our stuff in our room & started out it was probably close to 1:30. We had dinner ressies at Mama Melrose at 5:10 for the Fantasmic package so we went to Hollywood Studios...first grabbed a quick light lunch and then went straight to the new Toy Story ride. Fast passes were gone already so we went & got fast passes for Rock N Roller Coaster and then got in the Toy Story line which was supposed to be a 70 min. wait. AFTER we got in line a couple of those Brazillian tour groups came with their fast passes and gunked up the line...we ended up being in that line for 2 hours!! Then we went & rode the coaster but by then it was almost time for dinner! We didn't have time to make the Raiders of the Lost Arc show or anything. It was a horrible, horrible afternoon. We grabbed fast passes for Tower of Terror before dinner but we just weren't able to accomplish what we wanted to do and spent a lot of time crossing the park. We ate dinner, we rode Tower of Terror and we did something else (I forget) but we had to go to Fantasmic at like 8:15...it just didn't go well. We have been down enough times that we know what we want to ride and we know how to work the system pretty good. But sometimes the best laid plans don't work. This was not our most efficient day ever - so I would caution about thinking you have time to park hop. (PS) I don't think any of the rides at MK are spinning rides except the teacups...tummy's should all be fine!

IMO I think one day is not enough and you should just do one park - probably MK so they can hit the highlights - which for us are Space Mountain (which they will probably want to ride more than once), Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. Beyond that there is Lilo & Stitch, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, the Indy cars, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Jungle Cruise...Country Bears...Hall of Presidents...there's some classics too...It's a Small World....Peter Pan....Snow White....the tea cups...we've sort of outgrown some of those but if they've never, ever been they're sort of nostalgic if the lines aren't too bad...we only do some of those if we're done with everything else. If your kids were younger then of course that would be where you would probably start.