Touring with 8 & 11 yo

[mousemom11]

We will be in Orlando 11/4 - 11/14/09. Our DD's will be 8 and 11 and are adrenaline junkies, just like Mom and Dad. We will be staying offsite at a vacation rental home close to WDW. Last summer I got a great deal on 3-park (includes Wet-n-Wild) 7-day tickets. We are veteran Disney travelers, so are used to the get-up-early-be-at-the-park-before-opening style of touring.

This will be our first time at UO, and I would appreciate suggestions on how to tour UO to minimize wait times, especially at the big thrill rides. I would say our biggest obstacle is that DD8 is 51 inches right now, and I rather doubt that she will grow 3 inches in the next 6 months. I'd guess that she will probably grow 1 - 1 1/2 inches and her shoes would probably add another inch, so she may be just shy of 54".

• How rigorously do they enforce the 54" height requirement on Hulk and DD?
• If she can't ride due to height restrictions, will they allow DH and I to do rider swap?
• We plan to spend 1 day each at US, IOA, and Wet-n-Wild. Is there a specific order in which we ought to do certain attractions to minimize our wait times?
• Which parks, if any, should we avoid the weekend of 11/7, 11/8?
• It sounds like we should put off the decision to buy FOTL passes until we arrive and assess crowd levels that day. Correct?

TIA for all your help. We are so excited that our girls are finally tall enough for us to cross over to the Dark Side.

 

[Metro West]

We will be in Orlando 11/4 - 11/14/09. Our DD's will be 8 and 11 and are adrenaline junkies, just like Mom and Dad. We will be staying offsite at a vacation rental home close to WDW. Last summer I got a great deal on 3-park (includes Wet-n-Wild) 7-day tickets. We are veteran Disney travelers, so are used to the get-up-early-be-at-the-park-before-opening style of touring.

This will be our first time at UO, and I would appreciate suggestions on how to tour UO to minimize wait times, especially at the big thrill rides. I would say our biggest obstacle is that DD8 is 51 inches right now, and I rather doubt that she will grow 3 inches in the next 6 months. I'd guess that she will probably grow 1 - 1 1/2 inches and her shoes would probably add another inch, so she may be just shy of 54".

• How rigorously do they enforce the 54" height requirement on Hulk and DD?
• If she can't ride due to height restrictions, will they allow DH and I to do rider swap?
• We plan to spend 1 day each at US, IOA, and Wet-n-Wild. Is there a specific order in which we ought to do certain attractions to minimize our wait times?
• Which parks, if any, should we avoid the weekend of 11/7, 11/8?
• It sounds like we should put off the decision to buy FOTL passes until we arrive and assess crowd levels that day. Correct?

TIA for all your help. We are so excited that our girls are finally tall enough for us to cross over to the Dark Side.

1.) They enforce the height rule very strictly...especially on the coasters.

2.) Yes...you can do the baby swap if she can't ride.

3.) No specific order needed...the parks are not busy during early November.

4.) Wet 'n Wild will be busier on the weekends with locals provided the weather is warm enough. You might want to go there during the week.

5.) Yes...I doubt you will need the Express Plus passes so you should definately wait until you arrive to purchase.

 

[Jonny_Duck]

We will be in Orlando 11/4 - 11/14/09. Our DD's will be 8 and 11 and are adrenaline junkies, just like Mom and Dad. We will be staying offsite at a vacation rental home close to WDW. Last summer I got a great deal on 3-park (includes Wet-n-Wild) 7-day tickets. We are veteran Disney travelers, so are used to the get-up-early-be-at-the-park-before-opening style of touring.

This will be our first time at UO, and I would appreciate suggestions on how to tour UO to minimize wait times, especially at the big thrill rides. I would say our biggest obstacle is that DD8 is 51 inches right now, and I rather doubt that she will grow 3 inches in the next 6 months. I'd guess that she will probably grow 1 - 1 1/2 inches and her shoes would probably add another inch, so she may be just shy of 54".

• How rigorously do they enforce the 54" height requirement on Hulk and DD?
• If she can't ride due to height restrictions, will they allow DH and I to do rider swap?
• We plan to spend 1 day each at US, IOA, and Wet-n-Wild. Is there a specific order in which we ought to do certain attractions to minimize our wait times?
• Which parks, if any, should we avoid the weekend of 11/7, 11/8?
• It sounds like we should put off the decision to buy FOTL passes until we arrive and assess crowd levels that day. Correct?

TIA for all your help. We are so excited that our girls are finally tall enough for us to cross over to the Dark Side.

They are pretty strict with height reqs. Yes they will allow child swap if she is not tall enough. There is a room one waits in with the kid and will switch places after.

Definately hold off on buying the passes till you are there unless you want it all payed for before you show up. But I highly recommend waiting esp in Nov.

Early morning you should get the coasters out of the way asap. They tend to have semi long lines. Also sometimes have only one train going during slow times.

 

[mousemom11]

Thanks Metro and Jonny. I know that DD will be disappointed if she can't go on Hulk and DD, but I'd rather she be safe. Plus, there's plenty of other things for her to do. Looks like HRRR will be open by the time we go, so she can console herself with that.

 

[Bluer101]

Thanks Metro and Jonny. I know that DD will be disappointed if she can't go on Hulk and DD, but I'd rather she be safe. Plus, there's plenty of other things for her to do. Looks like HRRR will be open by the time we go, so she can console herself with that.

Don't forget the Mummy also.

 

[mousemom11]

Don't forget the Mummy also.

Absolutely. Plus the Simpsons. Our family quotes Simpsons dialogue verbatim to each other.

 

[phamton]

We will be in Orlando 11/4 - 11/14/09.

That is a great time to go as the parks are not busy then. But they will close earlier during the non-peak season so make sure you are at the gates by 8:45 AM.

How rigorously do they enforce the 54" height requirement on Hulk and DD?

Very strict on height requirements

If she can't ride due to height restrictions, will they allow DH and I to do rider swap?

Yes, and your older daughter can ride twice. Example: Dad rides with 11 year old while Mom waits with 8 year old daughter in baby swap. Then Mom rides with 11 year old while Dad waits with younger daughter in babyswap.

We plan to spend 1 day each at US, IOA, and Wet-n-Wild. Is there a specific order in which we ought to do certain attractions to minimize our wait times?

If the parks happen to be busy: Do Mummy, Men in Black, and Simpsons first at Universal Studios. Get a park map and check for times of Terminator 2:3D and Horror Makeup Show. Plan to hit those when you are in the general area of them.
At Islands of Adventure do Hulk, Spiderman, and Dueling Dragons first.

Which parks, if any, should we avoid the weekend of 11/7, 11/8?

Avoid IoA on Saturday as the locals seem to go there then.

It sounds like we should put off the decision to buy FOTL passes until we arrive and assess crowd levels that day.

I really doubt that you will need express passes on those days.

Here would be my touring plan but honestly you will probably be able to play it by ear on those days.

Universal Studios: Revenge of the Mummy, Simpsons, and then MIB. I'd ride each of those a couple of times if there aren't lines. Then onto Jaws. Disaster next and then Twister. (Lunch--I'd pick Louie's for Pizza or Monster Cafe--both are close to the Revenge of the Mummy ride and not that far from Twister. The food isn't wonderful at Monster but the atomosphere is fun and kids love it) After lunch: Terminator 2 and then Horror Makeup Show. Then on to KidZone to ride ET. Give the kids a chance to play in the water play area. And also the Ball Factory will probably be a big hit. If you have time, you might want to see the Animal Actors show. Then for the end of the day: Jimmy Neutron and Shrek. (neither of which are usually busy at the end of the day) Then head to the Hard Rock Cafe or NBA City for an evening meal with the kids.

Islands of Adventure: Hulk and Spiderman first. (Ride them a couple of times) Next Dr. Doom's Fearfall (if any of you are interested in this ride) Skip Toon Lagoon for right now. Head toward Dueling Dragons. You will pass Jurassic Park River Adventure on your way, so ride it next. Then Dueling Dragons and Poisedon's Fury (you can skip this if the next show is too long of a wait. Now that the water vortex is gone, it's not really a favorite of mine.) Spend some time talking to the Talking Fountain. It is a hoot. If you're interested in Mytho's restaurant, I'd eat there next. Now onto Seuss Landing. Definitely ride Cat in the Hat. It's a fun ride even for adults and older kids. Your kids might like One Fish, Two fish. It looks similar to Dumbo but the water is fun. Now is the time to head back to Toon Lagoon for some serious water time. Once you get there, ride Dudley Do-Right and Popeye and Bluto's Barges. Plan on being soaked to the skin. I usually follow that ride by either Dueling Dragons or Hulk just to dry off. And then catch Spiderman one more time on my way out.

If you need some down time during the day at IOA, the Discovery center is a fun place to learn about dinosaurs. They have tons of interactive things to do there. In fact, if you didn't eat lunch at Mythos, you could eat at Thunder Falls Terrace (counter service) and head to the Discovery Center after lunch.

For dinner, the kids would probably like either Nascar cafe or Bubba Gumps. Make sure you take the kids shopping at the Endangered Species store. That seems to be a favorite with the kids.

 

[mousemom11]

Wow Phamton! Thank you so much for the effort that you put into your reply. I'm printing it out and putting it into my planning folder right now! Who knew how pleasant it could be over at the Darkside?

 

[phamton]

Who knew how pleasant it could be over at the Darkside?

We only do this for redheads and redhead wannabes.

 

[mousemom11]

We only do this for redheads and redhead wannabes.