Princess activities for a 3 yo

[Merida3]

We are going 5/11-5/16, have tickets for 5 days, didn't get park hopper (assuming we can use 5th day of tickets if want to see 2 parks in 1 day). Thinking 2 MK, 1 AK, 1 HS and skip Epcot. Is that a big mistake? I know some princesses are there. Can't get CTR but got CP, PF dinner, HV reservations. Thoughts?

 

[Dasha Hermosilla]

We are going 5/11-5/16, have tickets for 5 days, didn't get park hopper (assuming we can use 5th day of tickets if want to see 2 parks in 1 day). Thinking 2 MK, 1 AK, 1 HS and skip Epcot. Is that a big mistake? I know some princesses are there. Can't get CTR but got CP, PF dinner, HV reservations. Thoughts?

Just a note.... You can not use two "day" tickets in one day. If you want to go to two parks in one day you must have park hopper.

 

[Merida3]

Really?! Just assumed we could. It was buy 4 and get 5th free, so hadn't planned on going the first night. Maybe we should reconsider.

 

[MandiC]

We loved Epcot, and they do have princesses all over the World Showcase, most lines are much shorter than if you would go to Fairytale Hall for a meet and greet. They also have Akershus which is a princess character meal in Norway. So you can see a lot of the main princesses during dinner without any lines. Not sure if you could still get a reservation. For us, Epcot is a must-do park.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

I know most people think to skip EPCOT but it has now become tied with if not above MK. Our kids love it - our DDs love Akershus much better than CRT. There are so many characters to meet in EPCOT. If we had to skip a park we would skip AK over EPCOT.

 

[Merida3]

We're novices at this so can't get reservations at either place (although hoping might get lucky with someone canceling one on here). But sounds like we need to make time for Epcot. Is an evening enough? Maybe we could do it in the evening after AK during the day?

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

We're novices at this so can't get reservations at either place (although hoping might get lucky with someone canceling one on here). But sounds like we need to make time for Epcot. Is an evening enough? Maybe we could do it in the evening after AK during the day?

To us AK is a half day park - we are usually done by 1pm or earlier. I don't do EE or Dinosaur. Then I would head over to EPCOT. The only problem is that the characters are usually done making appearances in EPCOT by 5pm-ish.

I would keep trying for Akershus - I bet you will get something. Take anything Breakfast, lunch or dinner. Especially a weird time - 2ish. That is when we have luck.

Where are you staying? I hope this helps - ask anything else you need.

 

[MandiC]

Epcot is BIG. You definitely won't be able to do it all in one evening . Honestly if I were to do two parks in one day I'd do AK in the morning and HS in the evening. Neither of those parks were full day parks for us. We had two full days in Epcot and it took both to see everything, but with a little one I think you could do most of what they can do in one day (you'd probably skip Test Track/Soarin due to height limits). The Seas building is so fun with little ones, especially if they like/have seen Nemo

 

[Merida3]

Sounds like we need to rethink our plans! I've thought the same thing about HS and AK being half day parks. Problem with half day at HS is which half. Sophia is only at HV for breakfast and lunch, but we hear fantasia at night is not to be missed. Maybe we'll just have to suck up the cost and do the park hopper passes. That would free up a few half days. And yes, looking for CRT or Akershus any day/time. Will reschedule everything else around that if we can get one. Has been just calling/checking website. Just found this today so keeping fingers crossed!! If not, we'll try to walk in at CRT at an off time. We've heard they can sometimes work you in.

 

[Merida3]

Oh and we're at port Orleans riverside.

 

[Merida3]

And we're at port Orleans riverside.

 

[MandiC]

If it weren't for the 11am H&V reservations I would definitely say AK in the morning and HS in the afternoon/evening. I think you could manage that if you had a late lunch at H&V (more like 1pm, could bring snacks to tide you over till then). Honestly whatever you do it will be what is right for you.
We also stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and with that resort it might be nice to have the half-day parks to be able to go back to the resort. There is so much to do there, the kids loved the pool, the campfire, the outdoor movies, there is Yee-Haw Bob you could try to see the night of your AK day (since AK has no nighttime entertainment). There are a lot of variations you *could* do, but as I have heard if you stayed a year you still wouldn't be able to do everything. So pick what works for your family and it will be great.

 

[Merida3]

There is a lot to do! We don't want to be overbooked but hate to miss the important stuff. Too many decisions!

 

[lovemy4sweeties]

The prob with going later in the day to HS is that you might not be able to see all the shows you want. When we go we get there early, look at the daily schedule and plan out what we want to see based on the schedule. There is so much and we never end up doing it all in one day. Can you go to one park on the evening you arrive (for your 5th day ticket)? If not, I would prob do 2 days at MK, one at HS and another at Epcot. That's if she really wants to see the princesses at Epcot.
Otherwise, I would consider doing AK in the morning, get there for rope drop and go to Epcot in the afternoon. But I wouldn't pay for a park hopper just to do it.

 

[Dasha Hermosilla]

There is a lot to do! We don't want to be overbooked but hate to miss the important stuff. Too many decisions!

Disney is huge and you will never see it all. I'd personally skip Fantasmic with a 3 year old. It's great (I've only been when I went with my husband pre-kids), but it an be late, very crowded and by not being locked in to that at night it frees up your schedule a bit.

I'd not waste my money on PH passes either.

 

[strmtroopr96]

Sounds like we need to rethink our plans! I've thought the same thing about HS and AK being half day parks. Problem with half day at HS is which half. Sophia is only at HV for breakfast and lunch, but we hear fantasia at night is not to be missed.

If you are mainly going to Hollywood & Vine for Sophia, then just be aware that she also has her own meet and greet near the Playhouse Disney show. So you can still see her without doing the meal.

My girls are 7 and 14 now but they have always loved all the parks. Epcot was a favorite for both even when they were very young. We always plan for at least 2 full days in each park if not more.

 

[tbia]

We have twice gone and done the Magic Kingdom late on arrival day....just simply to get the wonderment out of the way, see the parades and maybe ride a couple of things.

It has worked well for us. Doing it again this year, except when we go in Oct, we will be hitting MK for MNSSHP.

DDs have been 8, 20mos, 9, 3.5, and 14mos on the trips.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

If I was to skip anything, it would be AK.

You can't miss Epcot - the World Showcase is full of princess character m&Gs. Anna and Elsa at Norway, Mulan at Japan, Snow White at Germany, Belle at France, not forgetting Alice and Mary Poppins (and Pooh) at UK.

If you have an odd evening you'd like to use up the spare ticket on, if you arrive at your resort early enough how about MK if it's got a late night opening? MK at night is wonderful - it's all lit up beautifully, and you don't have to stay really late, either. We always recommend giving the parks a miss for fellow UK travellers because of the time difference (we're 5 hours ahead of Florida), however if you're fairly local then there shouldn't be as much of a problem.