Planning with 12 year old and 3 year old

[Bork]

We have been to WDW and DL many times and our DS12 has been going since he was 3. When he was smaller, we just skipped the bigger rides. This will be the first trip for DD3, so we want DS to be able to do all the big rides, but also keep DD happy (who is 40 inches). She likes princesses and fast rides, but not the dark.

I'm thinking single rider for RnR and EE.
Do we split our FP+ for the other big rides?
Can we do a rider swap for something like Dinosaur that she could ride, but most likely won't want to?
Any tips for dealing with an age gap like this?

 

[themouseandme]

We went in November with a 13 year old and a 4 year old.

My 4 year old thought she was going to be scared of the dark rides, but ended up loving all of them! We also discovered she's a speed junkie!

For the rides she wasn't tall enough for, we just took turns. You could definitely do the rider swap. My daughter loved Dinoland, which is right outside Dinosaur, so we took turns doing that with her while the other rode Dinosaur with my older daughter. She loved getting to do it twice!

For RnR, I had no desire to ride that, so I just booked FP+ for DH and DD and my little and I met the Disney Jr characters while they did that one. But you could do RS instead if you want to ride.

I'd let your 3yo try everything she's tall enough for...mine ended up loving everything!

 

[texasroni75]

We plan to do mostly rider swap. My sons are 11 and 4. Our 4 year old is not tall enough for RNR, Space Mountain, Expedition Everest, Primeval Whirl and Mission Space. And I'm not sure DS(11) will be confident enough for Single Rider without me on the thrill rides, so I'm planning as if he won't be. We've booked all our FP+ for those rides at the same time as my DD and her fiance, so they can go on with him, use rider swap, then I can go on again with him while they stay with my youngest. (DH isn't coming on our upcoming trip). I plan to use the "wait" time during his first ride to shop, have a snack, or do a walk-on to a smaller-kid-friendly ride. For those rides that DS(4) is fearful of but technically tall enough for, and therefore doesn't qualify for rider swap, we will take turns.