Stressed Out. Seems impossible.

[jessbedell0513]

The word I hate most at WDW is the word "done". As in get it done - were done by 7 pm. Please - especially since this is your first trip - don't think in those terms. Think instead of enjoying a wonderful day at MK. If you are so busy trying to get these rides done or those rides done you are likely to miss the magic of MK. Please watch all the little shows they have throughout the park - and watch the castle show! See the parade! Eat a hot dog at Casey's and enjoy a dole whip in Adventureland. Get sprayed by the camel next to Jungle cruise. Get a popcorn basket and refill it all day. Like one of the others said, play the games they have there.

The first thing I would do is get online witt your son and look at all the rides on You Tube. Find out what HE would like to do. I took my now 12 year old DGD many times since she was 2 and she was cautious about rides and loved seeing princes and Peter pan and Poo. I recently took my DS's 6 year old stepson and all he wanted to do was ride the big thrill rides - the bigger the coaster the better!.

I really liked the OP who said to rope drop Peter Pan and FP 7Dwarfs. That 7D line gets really long first think in the morning and you don't want to waste early morning in line. If you ride Peter Pan at rope drop (and honestly your 11 year old may almost be too old for this young a ride... we took a 7 year old and he thought it was a baby ride!) but if you do that and then head back to the mountains you can ride whichever of them you like a couple or even 3 times in a row. The line for Splash takes forever to walk through so ride one with a shorter queue first like Big thunder or hit Pirates and Jungle Cruise and use your FPs for Haunted Mansion, Space and Buzz Lightyear. If you go left to Adventureland when others are heading to Fantasyland you can ride more of the bigger rides before using your FPs for those you think your 11 year old will like most. Depending upon the boy some just really want the thrill rides

He probable will think it is a baby ride. That ride is more for me. I really want to see it. I am thinking of hitting Peter Pan first, and then Big Thunder and then heading to adventure land and seeing how long the lines are. I think I am going to fastpass Splash (I dont want to get wet early in the morning), 7DMT, and space mountain and trying to get them before like 3pm, and then see what I can add the rest of the day. I hope that if I get to adventureland right after the other two rides it wont be too bad.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

You know your son best, and at 11, he IS likely to think of Pooh as a kiddie ride, but not necessarily Peter Pan.

Overall, WDW attractions aren't thrill rides; they are storytelling rides with great details. Many thrill rides are little more than a box on a metal track. The only reason to ride them is the thrill of the intense movement. Disney rides are far more immersive. If either of you is expecting to find intense-motion rides, you might be disappointed.
It is especially worth adding that Epcot doesn't even have many rides. Much of what Epcot offers is non-ride attractions.

I can't say enough, the thing that makes WDW special is the attention to detail. While Fastpasses are great, and long lines are boring, the WDW queues are often quite entertaining themselves. Most of them are designed to set the stage. the Haunted Mansion queue is especially full of stuff to do/play with.

Splash isn't quite as wet as it once was. If you are unlucky, you might end up getting some water on your hair(do), Avoid wearing thick denim at WDW in June, especially on any rides with water. Generally though, if it is 80-sih, you'll won't get very wet on Splash, and you'll dry off within a few minutes. (Kali Rapids is a different matter; about 1/4th the folks who ride Kali end up VERY wet. There are also several VERY wet rides at Universal's Islands of Adventure.)

As others have said, afternoons get HOT. They are also pretty crowded. Even though you only have one day in each park, try to find a way to escape the peak afternoon heat each day. Aim to use ALL your after-dark park hours. From MK, it is pretty easy to take the resort monorail over to any of the 3 monorail resorts. They are fun to see, and GF has an especially enjoyable lobby with plenty of seating, shops and music. All have food, gift shops, and arcades.

For Epcot, the China, France and Canada movies offer a respite. The Mexico indoor area is also cool and fun to explore. All the WS pavilions also have Kidcot stations, but only a few are indoors. At each country they'll stamp it, and he can color for a bit if he wants. At 11, I know he's a little beyond the coloring age, but both of you can still enjoy the respite from the heat.

Another way to escape afternoon heat is a long meal/snack somewhere indoors. If possible, eat lunch after 1:30 or dinner before 5:30pm, or even just take an indoors snack break to escape the heat. The MK Little Mermaid ride and Dumbo play area are also afternoon respite options.

In AK, we linger in the bigger gift shops. The new eatery and gift shop in Pandora is a good places to relax. The animal exhibits aren't indoors, but they have shade. It Is Tough to Be a Bug will get you out of the heat for a little while.

Indoor character queues are another option, though you'll have to stand.