planning our first adventure ...

[Simba726]

Hello all.

I am in the throws of planning our April trip.
Here are the basics:

DS 3 - loves pirates, sulley,monkeys, and Mickey. Can be a little timid in the ride department, but getting better all the time.

DD5 - princess through and through, but she has a tough side. She Loves rides... even the haunted ones. She is an adventurous spirit. And is dying to meet Ariel.


DH and I are along for the rige, whatever makes them happy. It is our first trip. I have never been (Imagine that! and I am a ride junkie, but then again that whole theme parl)

We are arriving on 4/2, but I estimate not making the AK until 11am
4/3 is the MK day .. lunch ressies at CRT
4/4 is still open ... poss epcot 5pm dinner at Ohana
4/5 ... also open. ... for now.

I have two specific needs ....
1) attraction suggestions for my tiny terrors. DH was told there isnt much at HS or EP for the kids, is this true??
2) What are your favorite things to do in the park that are not specific "attractions"?


Thanks for all your help!

 

[Reddy]

HS is more shows than rides but there are rides
EP is more thinking - hmmm does that make sense?? to really enjoy EP you need to understand what is happening. Alot of fun learning

besides eating & meeting Chartacters?? looking at the details of everything - the trash cans match the area - same for lights - everything is detail to fit the theme (benches in Epcot go with the country)

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

I had a 4 year old with me on our first trip. She enjoyed everything. Well...except for maybe the Tower of Terror. When the ride finished, this was all I heard..."That. was. NOT. fun." So funny. She's determined to ride it again this time though! Way to conquer fears little one! Epcot has Spaceship Earth, which is fun for all ages. It's in the giant ball, and is a very calm, slow ride. We rode it several times. She loved Test Track too, but that one is fast! Epcot also has The Seas with Nemo and Friends, which we haven't done, but look forward to it this time. We had a blast looking at everything in Epcot. My kids were enthralled by Living with the Land and the Gran Fiesta Tour. Both are slow boat rides. For your daughter, you might want to check out Akershus at Epcot. Not sure if you have the dining plan, but we got right in as far as making a reservation last minute went. We met all the princesses, and my daughter got to hold Cinderella's hand for the Princess Procession. Every princess that shows up comes right to the table and chats with the kids. So fun. The food was only ok, but it was about the experience. Roasted chicken is my failsafe when I'm unsure about the food. Hollywood Studios and Epcot are our faves. Granted, I have older children too, but my younger two had a blast too. We loved all the shows. The Voyage of the Little Mermaid was amazing! We loved Muppets, and the block party bash was outstanding! Try to take time to see Mulch, Sweat, and Shears! They are a band that plays in different spots. So fun. My daughter got to go up and play a blow up guitar with them. I've heard Toy Story is one of the best rides, but it's hard to get on, so as soon as you get into the park, get a fast pass! We eat at 50's Prime Time at HS. My little one still says "keep your elbows off the table." It's one of the rules there. We are also doing the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. Have fun, and try not to rush! You will miss things!

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

Oh. And are you flying or driving? Just wondering b/c on my first trip I kept saying we would make it to one o'clock reservations, and my mom said "no, we won't." Our plan arrived at 11:30 AM. We never would've made it if I hadn't rescheduled. It takes quite a bit of time to get to the resort (and we had to wait a while for magical express), then check in, then getting to our room...yadda, yadda... It all took a lot of time. AK closes early, so you may want to adjust your schedule. Or not...just wanted to let ya know since you are a first timer.

 

[Simba726]

we are flying.. so I didnt think we would want to make any res. for the first day. Just a CS meal for the afternoon and dinner, either of which may be at the park.

Reddy ... that does make sense... The only hting I am certainly committed to at Epcot is going to Japan and having my DD pick a pearl ... it's her birthstone and I know she would love it!

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

we are flying.. so I didnt think we would want to make any res. for the first day. Just a CS meal for the afternoon and dinner, either of which may be at the park.

Reddy ... that does make sense... The only hting I am certainly committed to at Epcot is going to Japan and having my DD pick a pearl ... it's her birthstone and I know she would love it!

Depending on what time you get in, you could make a dinner reservation if you wanted. Boma is supposed to be great. We are going after AK closes one day. They give you night vision goggles to see the animals. It's at the AK Lodge. We are also going to Ohana one night at Polynesian Resort. It is Hawaiian themed, and is very family focused. It gives you a chance to see some other resorts while still using the dining plan. Look them up on the WDW website. Might be worth a try for you. Then you will have time after to swim and such at your resort. That's how we plan our AK days. Sometimes we will go to T-REX in DTD, which is out of pocket, but worth the experience.

We LOVE Epcot and HS. We've allotted at least two days for each park on our trip in May. We have 3 days to play with, so we may end up in one, the other, or both again!