Planning advice for first time!

[Nhenn83]

hi all! I just began planning a trip for my princess loving 4yr old & infant this August (I know it’s hot but that’s our only choice with school). We went to Disneyland last year but this seems to be a different animal. Any suggestions for navigating the heat & what is a must see/what we could skip? Planning strategies? I’m overwhelmed! We will be staying at AKL. Thanks!!

 

[crostorfer]

I think you are insane to bring an infant, but to each their own. WDW is an entirely different animal from DL, in almost every way.

Plan for lots of rest breaks, don't try to see everything in one trip with kids that little, you will just exhaust yourself trying, especially in that heat. Take the daily afternoon thunderstorm time to rest, relax, and cool off. Make sure you stay hydrated. Get a guide book, do some research, and decide for yourselves what the top 3 things you think you and your kids would like to do in each park, and focus on those things. Everything after that will just be gravy.

The Unofficial Guide is the holy grail of guide books, I've got several copies, I highly suggest it.

 

[FCDub]

Biggest question: How long are you going for?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

With young children and the August heat, I would plan on trying to do rope drop on each planned park day, plan your initial 3 FP+ for the morning, do any TS you'd like at breakfast or lunch and getting out of the park by 1 - 2 pm to go back to your resort. You can nap or go to the pool (or splash pad at AKL). I would leave your evenings flexible in case your kids nap longer than normal there or if there are prolonged rain showers in the afternoon. You can always do QS in the evening or pick up last minute TS ADR's day-of. You can also go onto the MDE app to schedule more FP+ if your children are up to going back to the parks (or DS or Boardwalk perhaps) and see an evening show. We've been to WDW every August for the last 7 years (DS is 10 now) and this is what has worked for us. Just be prepared. It will be incredibly hot and you may experience torrential downpours each day.

 

[sharonabe]

hi all! I just began planning a trip for my princess loving 4yr old & infant this August (I know it’s hot but that’s our only choice with school). We went to Disneyland last year but this seems to be a different animal. Any suggestions for navigating the heat & what is a must see/what we could skip? Planning strategies? I’m overwhelmed! We will be staying at AKL. Thanks!!

Start perusing the boards to see if others post questions you have and to just gain some knowledge.

Take a look at some menus and restaurant info to get an idea of where you might want to eat. Disney's site is as good as any, but I also like allearsnet.com for menus.

Going in August, my number one piece of advice is to plan for an afternoon break. You will NEED to get out of the heat and get some rest. Get to the parks before rope drop, head back to AKL around noon or right after lunch, and then return to park in the late afternoon/early evening.

 

[Nhenn83]

Biggest question: How long are you going for?

We will be in Florida at the beach for 2 weeks so we were going to drive over & spend 4 days at Disney for my daughters bday.

 

[Nhenn83]

I think you are insane to bring an infant, but to each their own. WDW is an entirely different animal from DL, in almost every way.

Plan for lots of rest breaks, don't try to see everything in one trip with kids that little, you will just exhaust yourself trying, especially in that heat. Take the daily afternoon thunderstorm time to rest, relax, and cool off. Make sure you stay hydrated. Get a guide book, do some research, and decide for yourselves what the top 3 things you think you and your kids would like to do in each park, and focus on those things. Everything after that will just be gravy.

The Unofficial Guide is the holy grail of guide books, I've got several copies, I highly suggest it.

I’m really wondering if it’s insane the more people keep saying how hot it is!

 

[crostorfer]

I’m really wondering if it’s insane the more people keep saying how hot it is!

I suppose its all relative. If you have lived in the southeast US your whole life, you may be just fine. If you are from anywhere else, its the kind of swampy, oppressive heat that makes it hard to even breathe. You take a shower, get all dried off and ready to go, and then you step outside and are immediately drenched in sweat. At the beach, its fine. You've got ocean breezes. In land locked Orlando, literally built on a swamp, it's,...... well....., swampy.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think you need to plan to be ready to hit the parks at Rope Drop. Honestly, it is hot and humid, but if you plan ahead you shoudl be okay. go early, have your FP in place for the three attractions that you really want to do, and get out when the sun is high. Rest and swim in the afternoon, and if you want to go back out later on, do so.

Temper your expectations though. WDW is NOT DLR. It is HUGE in comparison, and traveling to any park takes time. There is a lot of walking, and the temperature goes from Soup to Nuts in record time. My DD loves Summer, and loves teh heat. In our office she has a heater going in July while the rest of us swelter. She drinks water like it is her job. She and her family were in the WC in July, and the heat was manageable when they went into one show, When they came out the sun was high in the sky and ridiculously hot. SHe overheated on the trek back to the monorail and thought she was having a heart attack. It was awful. Please be sure you are aware of the rapid rise in temperatures so you are not caught off guard with the children.

 

[Klayfish]

I’m really wondering if it’s insane the more people keep saying how hot it is!

My opinion is different than many here, but I think the fuss over the heat is overblown. Yes, it's hot. It's Florida in summer, duh. Yes, if you stand in the direct sunlight and run around non-stop without hydrating, it's dangerous. Yes, infants are more prone to heat issues (we took our twins when they were infants). To me, all of these things are quite easily avoidable with just a dash of common sense. It also depends on where you live now. If you're used to that climate, it's easier. If you're from Alaska, it's different. Nothing wrong with mid-day breaks if you want them, but they're not necessary. A ton of rides are air conditioned, even the queues are air conditioned. Do those during the heat of the day if you don't want to take a break. Things like Philharmagic, Carousel of Progress, Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo, etc...are fantastic heat breaks. Stay hydrated. Any QS place will hand you free ice water. Take advantage of that. Wear proper clothes. Use sunscreen. Beyond that, I don't think the heat is as big a deal as it sounds. Just be smart about it.

As for the rest, WDW is massive beyond massive. If you only have 4 days in the parks, you won't even begin to scratch the surface of what it has to offer, so don't even try. Heat or no heat, don't rush around trying to cram it all in, because you can't. In other words, don't rush to just barely see 100 different things...instead, see 20 things and fully enjoy each of them. Learn the FP+ system and use it to your advantage. If you want to rope drop, you can, but it's truly not necessary, especially in summer...so if you want to sleep in a little, go for it.

As for "must do" rides, that's subjective. What kind of things do you like?

 

[kwdw]

Four days is not a lot of time to see Disney for a first-timer - so you are definitely going to need to go in with a plan to see the highlights. Definitely visit your local bookstore and browse the Disney guides - and pick the one you like best.

Florida in August at the beach - totally manageable. Florida in August at a central FL theme park - totally HOT and HUMID experience. You might get nice weather in August - you might get oppressive heat that wears you down in a few hours. Really. I didn't believe folks here until I experienced it myself. After one day of nearly getting heat stroke - I had to adjust my touring plan. For me - it meant touring the parks from about 4 pm to midnight - which is NOT my normal sleeping/activity routine.

For a princess loving 4 yo girl - you are going to want to do a Princess character meal - and those ADR's start 180 days in advance - so you are going to need to decide which one to go to relatively soon. With an infant also along for the trip - I'd suggest the castle as the food is all brought to you - while the princess meal in Norway is part buffet.

Given you are staying at AKL - I'd suggest planning one TS meal at Boma for the adults. Your 4 yo will not care about eating there - but it really is a great restaurant.

You are not going to be able to see everything in any given park with an infant in tow - so plan your highlights based on the interests of the parents and the 4 yo. Beyond your 3 FPs - pick a handful of other things you hope to see. A big decision for you will be whether or not you want to stay for fireworks any night. If you do - you might leave that until the last night - as that way your 4 year old's sleep schedule might not be too messed up early on. I recommend the MK parade pretty highly for a kid your age - but to get a spot in the shade - you are going to need to stake out a spot early - and the infant won't be able to wait that out unless sleeping and out of the sun. And its also mid-afternoon - the hottest time of day. So - you'll need to weigh your options about that.

I think you will feel LESS overwhelmed if you get a book - read up - and realize you are not going to see it all. Trying to do everything will drive you insane - so give up that idea early on - and go from there. You'll have a great time as long as you have done some planning, can adjust as needed based on family needs, and don't tire everyone out. For all you know - your 4 yo might be more miserable if you drag her from the pool at AKL one day - and your plans might need to be thrown out!

 

[3gr8boys]

DEFINITELY plan on TS meals .... a good air conditioned break. If I was making first trip and thought my kid would want to meet characters/princesses, I would reserve multiple character meals instead of planning to stand in line for meet N greets.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

We have been a couple times in August and it wasn't too bad until we went once we had kids! Oh my it was hard with the heat. My son was 2 his first time and we spent so much time trying to keep him hydrated and stressing over how hot he was when he fell asleep in the stroller. He would wake up soaked. It was just not comfortable for any of us...We won't do it again.
That being said, if that's the only time, start early and take a break during the hot afternoons. The less you have to stand in lines in the sun the better! I agree with the character meal idea instead of waiting in lines.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

To be a little more specific as to "must-do's" with a princess-loving 4-year old in the August heat - I would consider trying to book an early morning BBB appointment on your MK day (as early as possible), focusing solely on Fantasyland (7DMT, Enchanted Tales with Belle, PP, etc.) and having lunch at CRT (then going back to the resort). In EP, I would get your Tier 1 FP+ for Frozen Ever After (I would consider having a breakfast or lunch reservation at Akershus close to the FP+). In AK, I would focus on doing the safari and the two shows and in DHS, I would consider a meal at H&V (breakfast if your DD likes Disney Jr. or lunch/dinner if DD likes Minnie and friends) and doing the Frozen Sing-a-long, the Beauty and the Beast show, TSMM. If you want to go back to a park in the evening, exploring other lands in MK would be fun (along with the fireworks if the kids can stay up that late), EP at night is also lovely.

 

[Cynthiab]

I took both of my kids when they were 3 in August and no one died. It’s a great time to take kids because everything is real to them. And with the transportation, it’s a stress free vacation.

We only go in August now because crowds are lower and costs are lower. When the kids were little and napped, we went back to the hotel for nap time. We would plan fast passes for the morning, and play the afternoon by ear - either go back to a park or stay at the hotel.

A lot of the park is indoors and air conditioned. If we get hot, we hit an indoor show.

For maximum princess, I love Cinderella’s Royal Table for dinner and princess visiting. Belle’s Enchanted Tales is my favorite attraction. I would suggest a fast pass to meet whatever favorite princess you have closer to the time as well.

 

[disneylover102]

DEFINITELY do Magic Kingdom. They have something there for everyone, whether you are a big thrill seeker like me or if you have little kids. There is plenty to do in Fantasyland like Peter Pan, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (an infant probably isn't tall enough), It's a Small World, Little Mermaid, and even more! The meet and greets get really long lines. So, there are 2 important things to do: Go in the morning and reserve FP+ 60 days ahead for the meet and greets, Peter Pan, etc. Rides in Fantasyland that generally get long lines are Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan, sometimes Little Mermaid, and sometimes Winnie the Pooh. Going at park opening is really important because you can do more in the first 2 hours the park is open than you could do the rest of the day. Lines for Fantasyland rides are also shorter at night (not as much as the morning though!) so I would recommend going in the morning and night and taking a nap in the middle of the day and eating outside the park. Buzz Lightyear in tomorrowland is also a fun one- don't do that first. It has short lines in the evening and once you use FP+ you can usually get a lot of FP+ for Buzz at night. (One time we went we would reserve a FP+ for buzz and once we used it, another one would be available immediately!) Get FP+ pretty early. If you use them later in the day, FP+ for the evening for more popular rides is usually gone.

Epcot isn't really a park for younger kids. They might enjoy a couple rides but don't spend a whole day there. Frozen Ever After is really fun for kids but it is REALLY popular. Go there first thing of the day or get FP+ (you will have to reserve that one as early as possible. They run out quickly.) or do both. Seas With Nemo and Friends and Turtle Talk With Crush are both fun for kids. Spaceship Earth was kind of boring to me as a kid but you have to ride it because it is inside the huge golf ball! There is a Frozen meet and greet in the Norway pavilion and I believe the lines don't get too long. The only ride that really needs a FP+ that doesn't have a height requirement is Frozen Ever After. I believe the Frozen meet and greet doesn't have FP+.

Animal Kingdom is good for kids. They will love the animals and they will probably like the Na'vi River Journey in Pandora. I've heard Flight of Passage is really great but the infant probably can't go on it. Do the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Get FP+ for Na'vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and honestly you won't wait for anything else that doesn't have a height requirement.

Hollywood Studios would probably be fun for kids. They have plenty of shows and Toy Story Mania is super fun. Toy Story Land is opening in summer 2018 so if it is open when you go, get FP+ for it. (Toy Story Mania is already open) Get FP+ for Toy Story Mania and the new Toy Story Land rides. You probably don't need FP+ for the shows. Get FP+ for meet and greets.

So in general, Magic Kingdom is the best park for kids. Go early, stay late, and take naps in the middle of the day. Hope this helps.