Please review my itinerary

[disneynewbie16]

My husband and are taking our 7 yr old turning 8 yr old twin girls to Disney world early May. It will be the first Disney experience for all of us! What do you think of our schedule so far?

Day 1: arrive MCO at 12:45pm,take DME to poly, check in and then head straight to HS

FPP for TSMM 4-5pm, frozen at 5:30, H&V Fantasmic ADR at 6:05, then FPP for TOT 7:30-8:30 and Fantasmic at 9

Day 2: the girls 8th birthday!

Arrive at MK at 7:30 for 8:20 pre-RD breakfast, ride 7dmt, pp, then tour fantasyland until 11ish break for an hour for quick lunch/snack

Ride small world, haunted mansion, philharmonic, then back to famtasylamd for belle FPP, 7dmt FPP

Wander until FOF parade (FPP), then off to birthday dinner at 1900 (ADR at 4:15)

6:00 ish go Back to poly to shower/swim and watch water parade and wishes from beach

Day 3: ecot day

Akershas ADR at 11am with morning EMH (8-9am). I'm not sure if we should plan on:

1. 7:30 arrival and ride as much as possible pre-ADR then tour WS afterwards until 2ish, break at poly until 5ish come back to Epcot to see aquariums, land, and wrap up with dinner and illuminations

Or...

2. Sleep in for 10:30 arrival and test track FPP, then after ADR tour Epcot all afternoon in till illuminations.

Day 4: MK early EMH (8-9am)

Arrive 7:30 and tour tomorrow land until 9, then adventureland until 10:30

Back to poly for 11:30 Ohana ADR then rest/swim/relax

Head back to MK 5-6pm for more rides then parade FPP followed by wishes then back to poly for bed

Day 5: AK EMH (8-9am)

Another choice here...

1. Tour from 8:00-2:00 ish (with hour break for lunch at 11) then rest for a few hours and back at 6 for hopeful ROL dinner package

Or...

2. Sleep in and arrive at 10am for safari FPP and stay until ROL

Day 6:

Morning EMH at HS if we are for it ... Then park hop to MK

Booked good FPP at MK but figure we can go to whatever park we liked best or just hang at the poly all morning

2pm kona cafe ADR (Mother's Day lunch)

Catch DME for 7:30 flight home

Thank you for any feedback! We are first timers and I would far prefer to get to parks at 7:30 every morning as we are morning people, but not sure if that is humanly possible in Disney world . Are our daytime breaks enough time to get a quick nap in or at least recharge us sufficiently? Do we have enough down time scheduled? Am I over-scheduling in your opinion?? Of course I am aware we might not stick to the plans in any case but want to at least have a reasonable plan in place to try and follow!

 

[pa. dad]

Every family and person's different. From about the age of 3 on, my twin sons would never ever take a nap. Once they're up, they're up for the day and it's still that way 18 years later.
So we'd use the afternoons when I guess others were napping to have a sit down lunch and watch some shows , check out a few gift shops with ac and things like that. We seemed to see a real lot of other kids that age in the parks so I have to think that my boys are not exactly unique in that respect then.
I wonder what there is left to do at the 2nd day at Hollywood studios. Maybe a water park if they are good swimmers might be better? A little more variety is what I'd think about that.
Kids can be a little picky at that age also. My guys loved space Mt but hated test trak and others it might be just the opposite. Have fun.

 

[Ensusieasm]

My husband and are taking our 7 yr old turning 8 yr old twin girls to Disney world early May. It will be the first Disney experience for all of us! What do you think of our schedule so far?

Day 1: arrive MCO at 12:45pm,take DME to poly, check in and then head straight to HS

FPP for TSMM 4-5pm, frozen at 5:30, H&V Fantasmic ADR at 6:05, then FPP for TOT 7:30-8:30 and Fantasmic at 9

Day 2: the girls 8th birthday!

Arrive at MK at 7:30 for 8:20 pre-RD breakfast, ride 7dmt, pp, then tour fantasyland until 11ish break for an hour for quick lunch/snack

Ride small world, haunted mansion, philharmonic, then back to famtasylamd for belle FPP, 7dmt FPP

Wander until FOF parade (FPP), then off to birthday dinner at 1900 (ADR at 4:15)

6:00 ish go Back to poly to shower/swim and watch water parade and wishes from beach

Day 3: ecot day

Akershas ADR at 11am with morning EMH (8-9am). I'm not sure if we should plan on:

1. 7:30 arrival and ride as much as possible pre-ADR then tour WS afterwards until 2ish, break at poly until 5ish come back to Epcot to see aquariums, land, and wrap up with dinner and illuminations

Or...

2. Sleep in for 10:30 arrival and test track FPP, then after ADR tour Epcot all afternoon in till illuminations.

Day 4: MK early EMH (8-9am)

Arrive 7:30 and tour tomorrow land until 9, then adventureland until 10:30

Back to poly for 11:30 Ohana ADR then rest/swim/relax

Head back to MK 5-6pm for more rides then parade FPP followed by wishes then back to poly for bed

Day 5: AK EMH (8-9am)

Another choice here...

1. Tour from 8:00-2:00 ish (with hour break for lunch at 11) then rest for a few hours and back at 6 for hopeful ROL dinner package

Or...

2. Sleep in and arrive at 10am for safari FPP and stay until ROL

Day 6:

Morning EMH at HS if we are for it ... Then park hop to MK

Booked good FPP at MK but figure we can go to whatever park we liked best or just hang at the poly all morning

2pm kona cafe ADR (Mother's Day lunch)

Catch DME for 7:30 flight home

Thank you for any feedback! We are first timers and I would far prefer to get to parks at 7:30 every morning as we are morning people, but not sure if that is humanly possible in Disney world . Are our daytime breaks enough time to get a quick nap in or at least recharge us sufficiently? Do we have enough down time scheduled? Am I over-scheduling in your opinion?? Of course I am aware we might not stick to the plans in any case but want to at least have a reasonable plan in place to try and follow!

On your AK day stick with the early morning plan. Much better to take a midday break from the heat, then head back for ROL. Factoring in waiting for buses and time for a real break, plan at the very least 4 hours from the time you head out till the time you want to be back because AK is a distance from
your resort, otherwise it's not worth it. Have fun!

 

[dancemonkey]

We enjoy mini golf. I see you don't have Disney Springs. We enjoy Splitsville. Also if renting a car is in your budget I'd highly recommend it. Because you're staying at a Disney resort you get free parking at the parks. We find it really helpful for getting to AK and HS. We like the flexibility it gives us.

 

[disneynewbie16]

We enjoy mini golf. I see you don't have Disney Springs. We enjoy Splitsville. Also if renting a car is in your budget I'd highly recommend it. Because you're staying at a Disney resort you get free parking at the parks. We find it really helpful for getting to AK and HS. We like the flexibility it gives us.

Thank you for advice! I figured on AK day we will über or take cab to save precious time And our last day is very open and flexible so we might try Disney springs then. None of us our big shoppers though so we might not make it there, is mini golf there worth the trip? Especially since it would replace a park morning or resort pool time at poly?

 

[disneynewbie16]

On your AK day stick with the early morning plan. Much better to take a midday break from the heat, then head back for ROL. Factoring in waiting for buses and time for a real break, plan at the very least 4 hours from the time you head out till the time you want to be back because AK is a distance from
your resort, otherwise it's not worth it. Have fun!

Thank you very much for advice! I'm glad to hear the break is better as it will help to get showered and out of the heat! We are probably using uber or cab for AK break to save time!

 

[disneynewbie16]

Every family and person's different. From about the age of 3 on, my twin sons would never ever take a nap. Once they're up, they're up for the day and it's still that way 18 years later.
So we'd use the afternoons when I guess others were napping to have a sit down lunch and watch some shows , check out a few gift shops with ac and things like that. We seemed to see a real lot of other kids that age in the parks so I have to think that my boys are not exactly unique in that respect then.
I wonder what there is left to do at the 2nd day at Hollywood studios. Maybe a water park if they are good swimmers might be better? A little more variety is what I'd think about that.
Kids can be a little picky at that age also. My guys loved space Mt but hated test trak and others it might be just the opposite. Have fun.

Thank you! If the girls want to stay open to close a few days we just might try it , I have lots of breaks planned out so we don't miss the best attractions if we need them! I hope the girls are troopers and can long days at Disney!

 

[dancemonkey]

Disney Springs is great on the last day! An uber or cab is a great idea! The minigolf is not essential it just a nice break!

 

[richmo]

...we might try Disney springs then. ...is mini golf there worth the trip? Especially since it would replace a park morning or resort pool time at poly?

Mini golf is not at Disney Springs. There's one course near the Swan/Dolphin and the other near one of the water parks (Blizzard Beach?).

Your plans look good, and early May should be pretty good crowd-wise. I just tend to caution first-timers with trying to do too much or overplanning. You absolutely should plan, but also prepare to be spontaneous. Kids tend to love a ride and want to "do it again". Its hard to predict what they're going to love, and not like so much. Also at that age its hard to predict when they're going to "hit the wall", or maybe not at all. There's a lot of input at Disney, and most of it is great, but just be ready to shut it down if they're tired. I think most of us have seen lots of parents at Disney that have overtired kids but still try to move on, with mixed results. Just keep your options open, and have a great time!

 

[Disneymom1126]

I agree that AK is great at rope drop. If you have FP+ for the safari, a lot of people head there at rope drop and that leaves everything else a walk on for about the first hour. Last October we rode EE 4 times in a row, went and rode Dinosaur, and came back and rode EE a few more times then met Mickey and Minnie all without waits (it was also an 8am open without EMH and was the recommended park for the day for what that is worth!). I'm not sure how the new offerings at AK will affect crowd levels, but my guess is more people will visit later in the day to enjoy the things happening at night and the morning will still be relatively less crowded.

 

[JaimeK]

for Day 3 I'd do rides in FW from 8-10:45am, go to Akerhus, then maybe one or two more things and take a break earlier. When you go back in the evening do the world showcase. Epcot is a lot of concrete and can feel really hot mid-day.

 

[revdon64]

Quick question: How are you and your husband at handling meltdowns? I only read the first two days of your itinerary and I can't see single digit aged kids keeping that kind of pace without losing it at some point. I'd suggest longer breaks in the afternoon than just an hour for lunch. You're on the monorail - go back to the pool and swim for a bit, take a nap, or do all you can in a half day and take the rest off. Otherwise I think all you're doing is setting yourself up for having to deal with tired, hot, cranky kids. JMO

 

[ErinF]

My family is also mostly morning people/early risers. I think you will do well to be at the parks early and take advantage of that less crowded time. But I do think you need to take afternoon breaks at the hotel. And the Poly is perfect for that! We stayed there on our first trip back in 2008, and it is super easy to travel to and from both MK and Epcot using the monorail (and busses will be fine for HS and AK). Your afternoon break can be swimming and/or actual rest/napping, but you will want to recharge those batteries and be out of the hottest and most crowded time of the day. I have to say, we've only ever done morning EMH at MK, which can be awesome. It looks like you're trying to hit morning EMH almost every day, so that might catch up to you as the trip goes on. You'll figure it out as you go along, and it may be that everyone can keep up, or you may have to adjust your plans/expectations. Just know that you cannot see and do everything, but what you do see and do will be amazing! You have some good plans in place, and that's a victory right there, having a plan--if you need to deviate from the plan, you can, but a plan is wonderful to at least give you a framework for your days. I think you'll have a wonderful vacation!

 

[disneynewbie16]

Quick question: How are you and your husband at handling meltdowns? I only read the first two days of your itinerary and I can't see single digit aged kids keeping that kind of pace without losing it at some point. I'd suggest longer breaks in the afternoon than just an hour for lunch. You're on the monorail - go back to the pool and swim for a bit, take a nap, or do all you can in a half day and take the rest off. Otherwise I think all you're doing is setting yourself up for having to deal with tired, hot, cranky kids. JMO

Thank you for honest feedback! Our plan never has more than 1-2 hours of touring in between one hour breaks....

Our first day we have one ride and one show, then a sit down dinner followed by one ride on the way to Fantasmic, is that really too much?

Day two we do rides from 9-11 break 11-12 then do rides from 12-1:30, wander or rest until parade, then sit down dinner at 1900 at 4:15. After dinner going back to poly to hang out the rest of the day.

How much more rest time would you recommend for kiddos this age to get through that first day until the parade? Of course if we miss parade not a big deal but I was hoping they could make it if we take those breaks.

 

[disneynewbie16]

for Day 3 I'd do rides in FW from 8-10:45am, go to Akerhus, then maybe one or two more things and take a break earlier. When you go back in the evening do the world showcase. Epcot is a lot of concrete and can feel really hot mid-day.

Thank you for the suggestion! Earlier break would keep us out of the heat

 

[twinspluscade]

Thank you for honest feedback! Our plan never has more than 1-2 hours of touring in between one hour breaks....

Our first day we have one ride and one show, then a sit down dinner followed by one ride on the way to Fantasmic, is that really too much?

Day two we do rides from 9-11 break 11-12 then do rides from 12-1:30, wander or rest until parade, then sit down dinner at 1900 at 4:15. After dinner going back to poly to hang out the rest of the day.

How much more rest time would you recommend for kiddos this age to get through that first day until the parade? Of course if we miss parade not a big deal but I was hoping they could make it if we take those breaks.

One issue with breaks is that you also have to count in the time to leave the parks, travel to the resort, and then enter the park again. Even with staying at a monorail resort, the one hour break scheduled on day 2 really won't give you a break by the time you wait for the boat or monorail, load it, arrive at Poly, walk to your room, etc. To be riding rides back in the MK at noon you'd pretty much have to turn around once you get to the room to wait for the monorail or boat.

 

[twinspluscade]

....or by a "break" do you mean taking a break from rides in the park? Sorry if I misunderstood; when I read "break" I thought it meant you wanted to go back to the Poly but after re-reading I think you meant staying in the park?

 

[ArielSRL]

I think you are fine as far as the planning. I personally think its better to over-plan and then adjust once there. You can always scale it back.

 

[disneynewbie16]

....or by a "break" do you mean taking a break from rides in the park? Sorry if I misunderstood; when I read "break" I thought it meant you wanted to go back to the Poly but after re-reading I think you meant staying in the park?

Yes I meant stay in park somewhere to eat and rest

 

[disneynewbie16]

I think you are fine as far as the planning. I personally think its better to over-plan and then adjust once there. You can always scale it back.

Yes that is exactly my thoughts! I am totally prepared for the fact that we might not get through each day like planned (but I'm also really hoping that we can cause that would be awesome!!) hopefully the rough schedule is at least possible if all goes well I will definitely take the posted advice to break earlier at Epcot and maybe even extend our day 2 break by another hour or two so we have time to cool off at resort if needed. Thanks for all of the advice it has been fun to plan this trip using expert opinions!