Planning whole day at park...do we..???

[jlk51496]

book our TS dinner at that park or somewhere else...should we expect to be there all day up until dinner??

Our example:
1 day we are doing (with our 2.99 yr old and our 1.5 yr old) HS and dont really have anything planned the rest of that day...does that park take ALL DAY and should we do ADR there or should I expect to be done with the park beforehand and it doesnt really matter where I book our TS dinner that day!

thanks! =)

 

[lucysdad]

Personally I can't imagine spending an entire day at DHS. Also, I don't think the restaurant there are very good. So, I would say booking a TS dinner anywhere would work.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I agree with pp about not spending all day at DHS and the restaurants that are there..also if staying on site (or even close by) I think I would get the little ones back for the pool or a nap before dinner

 

[jlk51496]

That is what I figured! That is great and now harder to choose a place bec it can be anywhere!! lol!

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Luvchefmic]

That is what I figured! That is great and now harder to choose a place bec it can be anywhere!! lol!

Thanks for the advice!

When are you going?

 

[jlk51496]

When are you going?

early OCT!
Next week is my 180 days out for ADR..can you tell? I am in ADR panic mode!

 

[Luvchefmic]

I love that brings back alot of memories! Have a great time

 

[Princess&CowboyMommy]

I completely agree with PP that little ones will need a nap and/or break. Our past trip Nov. 2009 was the very first trip where my kids didn't take a nap at least every other day, and they were 5 and 7 then. When they were in the 2-5 range, they'd practically zonk out by 2-3pm, sometimes on the boat or bus rides back to the hotel. We learned to leave the parks no later than 1-2pm so that most of the time they'd zonk out in the room and not on the bus/boat.

(my kids are the type that if they fell asleep on the ride back for 10-15 minutes, they'd wake up when we stopped, be grumpy, and have a VERY hard time falling back asleep - fighting it almost, lol)

So, we learned to take them back after lunch, let them nap for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, then wake them up so they could go swimming around 3-4pm. They swim for about an hour or so, come back, clean up, then dinner somewhere.

(I should note that we almost always get to the park at or before opening, so we are there for a good 5-6 hours and get to leave when it starts getting crowded )

As far as DHS - I agree with the other PP. It's hard for families with younger kids to spend a full day there. A lot of the rides have height requirements or didn't interest my kids until more recently. The Voyage of the Mermaid show, Beauty and Beast show, maybe some singing/dancing in the streets, Toy Story Mania, and Playhouse Disney your kids may like. Almost all of those are right by each other, so they can probably be done fairly quickly in 1/2 day.

 

[Kelbell]

Ok so personally, DHS is my second fave park. However, I do agree, even though we always try, it's hard to spend the whole day there.

Idealy you would want a park hopper ticket, so you could do half a day and go else where. Or if you don't have a hopper, you could eat at one of the resorts those nights like Ohana @ the Polynesian. BUT, I do love the Prime Time Cafe at DHS. We made reservations, and it was sooo good. I got the pot roast! Plus we sat a cool table with a little tv and all. When we went though, it was taking forever for people who didn't make reservations.

The best thing to do if your not sure about a certain night, make two diff reservations!​

 

[2Tiggies]

early OCT!
Next week is my 180 days out for ADR..can you tell? I am in ADR panic mode!

I'm with ya - mine is on April 5th and now busy rearranging our WHOLE schedule Fine time for me to be doing this when the trip was booked last May

I would not plan on spending a whole day at DHS either. We always leave to eat - usually at DTD.

 

[Andrea73]

As a 1st timer, with kids my plan is to be at DHS until the 3pm parade.

I don't think we will be there until closing. We plan to rope drop and do all we can, have lunch, watch the parade and head out if we are done. That way we can chill out and be well rested for RD the next day. I would plan dinner elsewhere.

 

[tami82]

I guess it all depends but when i went i seperated between me & my 5 year old and my 7 & 17 year old girls did their own thing. By only a few hours i was getting bored but the other two girls could have stayed longer (they like the thrill rides whereas me & the youngest one didnt find much to do other than a few shows). Maybe go in the morning plan a lunch at sci-fi or 50's and then leave if you want if you plan on going to either of those two places to eat. That is what we are going to do this time again since my husband didnt get to go last year to DHS.

 

[declansdad]

What is a 2.99 year old?

 

[jlk51496]

What is a 2.99 year old?

she turns 3 the week we get back home after the vacation....So she is still 2 but pretty close to 3! (I can't take credit for that I saw that on some forum before! Thought it was funny!)

 

[prttynpnk]

I so want DHS to be my favorite park- I love the atmosphere- Star Wars weekends, the great movie ride, but it just isn't an all day park for me. If we could get the fantasy monorail connection to it so I could have a better dining selection, maybe I could do it, but I always end up having exhausted all fun possibilities and having to return later for Fantasmic- I just can't stay the whole day.

 

[jlk51496]

As a 1st timer, with kids my plan is to be at DHS until the 3pm parade.

ooh! That is a good plan...I like it! I might try that too!
Thanks!

 

[scarlett24]

We really enjoy 50's Prime Time. We actually do spend an entire day at DS and our kids are 6, 3, and 9 months (now). It is our 2nd favorite park, after MK of course. Your kids may enjoy Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Toy Story Mania, Playhouse Disney, Great Movie Ride (one of my kids faves), Beauty and the Beast show, Block Party Bash Parade, Indiana Jones (my 3 year old was mesmerized), and there are also may character meet and greets, and Muppets. Anyway, we like to plan for an early dinner around 4:30 at 50's Prime Time or you could take a stroll over to Yacht and Beach Club or Boardwalk for dinner. It is nice to stroll over there in the evening.

 

[2Tiggies]

she turns 3 the week we get back home after the vacation....So she is still 2 but pretty close to 3! (I can't take credit for that I saw that on some forum before! Thought it was funny!)

That is really funny. I assumed it was a typo.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

DHS is, if you make RD, a 4-5 hour park. Since you've got little kids, probably much less, since they can't do the thrill rides.

 

[Faldred]

Last year, we did the whole, albeit short, day at DHS with a not-quite-4-year-old and 2-year-old twins. The twins napped in the stroller, which helped. A lot.

We did an early in-park dinner (5:30, I think) and actually left the park before that night's 7PM closing. We could have easily just left the park early for a resort dinner. Your call.