WDW newbie, need advice, have little kids

[mskeshaffer]

Hello! I am new to WDW, and new to the boards. I did, however, grow up by Disneyland, so have been to that park a lot. (I even have a vague memory of Carousel of Progress there- it left when I was 6). I left So Cal in 1999. I have been to EPCOT once in 1992.
Now I have a husband and 3 kids- a girl, 5; a girl, 4; and a boy, 2 (almost 3). Planning a trip , arriving afternoon Thursday Sept 9th and leaving noonish on Wednsday Sept. 15th. Will have car.
Staying at AKL for one night on Sept.9th, then at a timeshare condo Silver Lake for the remaining time.

We have a priority seating for Epcot princess breakfast at 10:20 am on Friday, but I'm not happy about this, since I want to go to AK on Friday for EE.

Questions:
1. Is there advantages to getting princess breakfasts early vs late? Breakfast vs. lunch?

2. What might my little ones like in EPCOT? They're wimps about walking...

3. Which would you recommend- Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon?

4. Should we check out the other resorts? If there's cool stuff we can only see with our disney resort id, maybe we should do this upon arrival?

5. Which is faster: to drive and park, or take Disney transportation?

Thanks in advance! Sorry for being so long winded!
Martha

 

[pjlla]

I personally really like the earliest PS I can get at a non-EE park. That way I am in the park and ready to ride before the "crowds" decend. We have, in the past, eat with Cinderella at 8:05 am, been done with food, pictures, and autographs and been waiting for the rope to drop to let us into Fantasyland. We encountered Mickey and Minnie who climbed over the ropes on their way to "work" that day!

But some people swear by later bkfst, as it can give you a nice break and can count for lunch.

RENT A STROLLER! No sense in wearing the children out unnecessarily! And Epcot is BIG! But my kids really enjoy it, especially the Kidcot activities in World Showcase.

You can check out the public areas of the other resorts any time, even without being a WDW onsite guest. Just be aware that you are not supposed to use the pool or other "guest only" facilities. But our family likes to check out the giant characters at ASM!

I'm not sure about your last question about transportation. If you are only staying onsite one night, you would really only be using WDW transportation on the day of arrival and the next day... the rest of the time you would need your own transportation. I think that you will find strong opinions in both camps about driving versus WDW transportation. I guess I would give it a try for the day you are onsite, at least, so that you can know what it is like for future visits.

.......................................P

 

[suerob]

Welcome to the boards Martha! We just returned yesterday from a week at WDW. We have three dd's ages 7, 5, and almost 2.

1. As far as the breakfast goes, is this the only day you could go? If you can't do a different day, I wouldn't worry too much about EMH at Animal Kingdom. We actually went to the parks that weren't having the EMH that day. As long as you're there early you should be fine especially at that time of year, We like early breakfasts just because everyone is hungry and they don't want to wait to eat.
2. Epcot - I would recommend a stroller, maybe a double and they could take turns riding. My 5yo loved Test Track. Spaceship Earth is neat but my 1 yo got scared during some parts but it never bothered kids before. They liked the boat ride in Mexico, the Living Seas, and Illuminations. There's also kidcot stations throughout World Showcase where kids can do things like color masks.
3. Did both water parks. Liked both but I think Blizzard Beach has a better area for small kids. Don't miss the family raft ride!
4. Don't really know what you could check out at other resorts. We like to look around when we go eat at other resorts but as far as just going to there to look around I don't think it's worth the time, unless it's around the holidays.
5. We drive to Disney but take the buses once we're there. The kids wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes the buses can be slow but having to drive especially to MK can be a hassle.

Hope this helps!

 

[Grumpy92]

Your children might enjoy the campfire with Chip & Dale over at FW. They roast marshmellows, sing songs then watch a Disney movie. The best thing is that it is free, you can purchase the smore kit at the campfire if you wish. They also have a petting zoo with pony rides, a hayride and the chance to see the horses from the MK, which are boarded at the Tri Circle D Ranch at FW.

The Electrical Water pageant might also be fun. This makes stops every evening at the Resorts on Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. The storytellers at AKL are fun too.

Another fun thing is the WL, Whispering Canyon in particular is a fun restaurant for young children.

Butterfly/Lady Bug releases take place at some resorts and at EC.

 

[sters]

My kids love Epcot, even from a very young age. There are interactive water fountains in Futureworld that are always a big hit. They like Imagination and the play area outside the ride. Spent a lot of time there. They also liked Spaceship Earth, which by the way is open until park closing and VERY uncrowded late in the evenning. Even if you don't go on Mission Space, there is an excellent play area at the exit of the ride. It's a bit like McDonalds play areas only way cooler with a space theme. Another section is for older kids.. some time of game. I thought it was great that Disney didn't have you exiting from that ride into yet another shop. My kids also liked the Living Seas, but if you live in an area with an excellent aquarium, this attraction could be a bit disappoining. At the Land there is character dining at a really interesting restaurant... it slowly rotates. If you don't want a full meal, you can go for an ice cream social. Also, there was much to enjoy at Wonders of Life. It's a shame that this pavillion is only open at busy times, because it is great for the kids to run around and try things, and some cute little shows, too.

In the World Showcase area, there is a playground in Norway that is nice... also a princess breakfast at this pavillion. My kids liked the very gentle boat ride in Mexico, as well as the shopping area... trying on the hats, etc. There are miniature trains in Germany that the kids enjoyed. My son loves and I mean LOVES the drum show at China and my other son loved the silly shows at Great Britain and the Living Statues in Italy. As other posters have mentioned, there are Funcot stations at each pavillion that the kids liked. Illuminatins was a mixed bag... some my kids were afraid of the fireworks. (Fantasmic at MGM was more enjoyable to them.)

I hope that helps. It irks me when people say that Epcot is not for little kids, when my own experience has been so different. In fact, if they fall asleep in their strollers, the grown ups can still enjoy the outside enteratainment, while at the other theme parks they might be stuck people watching. The only time I'd say that Epcot is not kid-friendly, is during Food and Wine Festival. There were a lot of people there on their way to getting drunk cursing and cutting off strollers.