Will 3 nights at WDW feel too short?

[ArwenMarie]

We like short trips, they are fun in a different way. Limiting the number of parks helps.

 

[KathyNY76]

We just went for the first time at the end of Jan and only had 2 days in parks. Yes, it was too short. Yes I'm planning again for next year (and going a week this time), BUT we had a great time and did SO much! You just have to plan it out. Everyone in the family was asked for the one thing they HAD to do in MK and one thing they really, really wanted to do. (they didn't know enough about Epcot to care about a 'must do', though they ended up loving Epcot). I booked FP+ off of must dos and planned around it. I used the maps to see if we were FPing lunch at BOG, meeting Gaston right before would be the best timing, etc etc. Looked up menus of restaurants we would be near at various times so could just go to X or Y and not spend valuable time looking at menus and deciding which place to go, etc. Know that you will not do it all, remind the kids of that, know that you will go back, and just have fun!

I also agree that Epcot should be full day. We had to leave at 4pm for a family reunion offsite. My kids are 5 and 7 and we spent all that time in Future World (with the exception of Akershus breakfast and riding 3 Caballeros). If we had been able to stay, 4pm would have when we started out adventure through World Showcase!

 

[RustManFan]

twice I have been in the Orlando area on business and had only 2 or 3 nights to extend to WDW.

Never felt that I was missing out since I:
1- knew I would be back and
2- visited only 2 parks so I wasn't spending much time on transport.

Park hopping adds to expense too

 

[eyehartdisney]

For me, the optimum days for a short trip is 6. One day to arrive (and do nothing) one day to leave (and do nothing) and one day in each of the parks. We're seasoned vets of the parks and do hop on our APs, but with kids so young, and it being a first time, I think that would be a mistake. Keep in mind that it can take up to an hour for travel, between the buses, entering the park, and leaving the last. You can always add it for the exact same price once you get in the parks and decide you want it.

Another piece of advice is... will your kids be happy going to epcot having spent 2 days at magic kingdom? I would start with your half day at the other parks, go to a full day at epcot, and then use the remaining days at MK.

 

[gtpoohbear]

We've done several 3-night trips and have really enjoyed them. What we do is focus mainly on one park - we do one really full park day there (open-close) and the rest of the trip is more relaxed, doing stuff at the resort or DtD. Maybe an afternoon at a different park, but with only a couple of priorities to hit. It works really well for us, but you just have to figure out what works for you. Any time is better than no time at all!

 

[crazylady]

I prefer to go to WDW for short trips. My ideal trip would be a day or two at the parks in conjunction with a week at the beach. It gives us something to look forward to on the next step. While I loved EPCOT as a teenagers, my kids don't have much love for it. I would recommend skipping it in favor of something else if you're not going to park hop. And I prob wouldn't park hop on your first trip with kids that age.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Yes and no.

We usually do trips between 8 and 10 days. About three years ago we went to Disney for a friend's wedding. We arrived on a Thursday morning and stayed until the following Monday afternoon. We had the wedding on Saturday, so that day didn't really "count."

When we arrived on that Thursday, we drank and ate around the world with the bride and groom. That night my family dined at Brown Derby and spent the night at Hollywood Studios. On Friday, the boys went golfing for the day while the girls went to Magic Kingdom. I can't remember specifically what we did that night. I'd assume we laid low, as the wedding was the next day.

Saturday was the wedding - so we didn't go to the parks.

On Sunday we went to Hollywood Studios for the day and then relaxed at the resort. That night we did a group dinner at O'Hana and went to MK for late-night EMHs that night. Monday we relaxed at the pool before heading back to NY.

The trip was short and certainly unconventional. We didn't accomplish everything we wanted - time didn't allow it - but it wound up being one of the most memorable trips to date. I think it was having a huge group of people that made it so special. We used the EMH to our advantage - staying very late on Sunday night (almost 2am!)

Obviously your trip with young children will be different. You said you're going in the fall - definitely check the schedules and make sure your time at MK doesn't fall during MNSSHP or MVMCP. This is a separately ticketed event so it could really mess up your plans.

I'd recommend arriving early in the morning and tacking some rides. Fortunately, fall is much less crowded than the rest of the year (depending on when you go.) Around noon or 1pm, eat some lunch and go back to the resort for a nap and to relax. You can do dinner and another park or return to the park after dinner for an hour or two.

Make a list of your must-do attractions. See Wishes, Illuminations and Fantasmic. List the rides you'd like to go on and work from there. Next, schedule your FP+ to meet your schedule. Don't worry about "maximizing" the use. On an 8-day trip, maximizing the value of your FP (i.e. getting it for the afternoon or doing a ride just because it's hard to get on) makes sense. During a shortened trip, just hit the rides you want to do.

Hit the classics. In Magic Kingdom, go on Dumbo and Peter Pan and Small World etc. See the characters and the shows. Right now, the novelty of Fantasyland is still pretty strong. It would be great to get a FP+ for 7DMT but if you can't, don't wait 2 hours in line to go on. It's a great ride, but it's not worth the 2 hours. Every hour of a shortened trip is vital. You can easily get on at least two rides in that time! The novelty will wear off by the next time you go there.

I love Downtown Disney and Disney Springs, but skip it this trip. You mentioned that you have family in Orlando. Even if you can't afford a Disney vacation or don't feel like going doesn't mean you can't go to Downtown Disney when visiting Orlando. Save it for a longer trip or swing by when visiting the family.

Don't expect to accomplish everything. Set realistic expectations with your kids and most of all, have fun!

 

[Meriweather]

way to short for me. I would feel I didn't get anything done.
a week is our minimum with 2 weeks being our normal
But you need to do what feels right for you

 

[Canuck16]

For us it would be too short for sure but we are coming from the Northwest so when we go to WDW we stay for a few weeks.

Add the extra day if you can.....you will definitely not regret the decision.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I have done 7 night trips and 4 night trips. Even on the 7 night trips we only hit the parks 3 or 4 days each visit. We like to relax a bit at the pool, visit DTD and Disneyquest, do the waterparks. The parks are exhausting...3 days is enough for me to see and do a ton in them!

So yes, 3 days can still be a great trip!

 

[lustergirl]

I would say 3 nights going solo would be great. But with a whole family it is a different story. With that number of people it is going to slow you down. My upcoming trip I am staying for 4 nights with 5 park day tickets. Going solo I will be able to do more in a shorter amount of time.

 

[tcherjen]

Yes, it will feel short. It will also make you want to come back. We are doing a two night trip in June. We live 3 hours away and come often though.
On our short trip, we are just focusing on MK and Epcot. We are staying at YC!!! Have a fabulous time!!

 

[brinkley07]

I think it is a short trip, but as you said you have family in the area and will go back. It will be great to see what is there, and what they will be able to do on the next trip. My DH and I went before kids, but now we are going back with a little one who will be almost 2. To me it's a whole new world planning around his schedule with possible naps and things he may not like or can't ride yet. Although we will be there for 8 days it's still just a precursor to the next trip when he will be taller and older and able to do more. I'm trying not to worry about what we won't/can't do and enjoy what we can.

 

[lauradis]

Like other pp keep saying if you really enjoy being at Disney, you can never get enough time.

I would do max 3 parks.

Like magic kingdom-2 days
One full day at Epcot

I love hoppers, but with little, little kids and their luggage it's a pita to me.

The things you have to ask your self is
1. Do my kids nap?
2. Do the people in my party sleep in or are they morning peeps?
3. What time do the kids normally go to bed?

Having a great time at Disney always depends on the information you have about disney and taking all members of your group into consideration when making those plans.

 

[writur]

Thanks, everybody -- I really appreciate the input! You've given me a lot to think about. I'm still waffling on the 4th night; I need to plan out our trip a little more and see how long we'll need to pack in the must-haves for this trip. I do think we'll just do MK and Epcot and save AK or HS for another trip and that should help some of the scheduling.

We have season passes to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and went last Saturday. It was a good experiment to see how long the kiddos could last. They made it from opening until 3 p.m. then crashed hard. They'll be six months older when we go, so more stamina, but I don't think 4 straight days of being that busy would be fun.

 

[North of Mouse]

Planning our first family trip to WDW for this Fall (kids 5 and 3). We have in-laws in Orlando so will hopefully get to WDW every few years (yay!). So, we're not trying to fit everything into this trip, as much as I have the urge to do so. We were originally thinking to go for 3 nights/4 days:

Day 1: 1/2 day at MK
Day 2: full day MK
Day 3: 1/2 day Epcot, 1/2 day MK
Day 4: 1/2 day HS or AK

But now that I'm planning out our time, it seems so short. I don't want to spend all that $$ and feel rushed or like we missed out. Or, maybe with small kids, that will be more than enough time and we'll be ready to go home. Any opinions?

If we add a 4th night, it would up the cost by ~$300. Which at this point, frighteningly enough, seems almost marginal.

Three nights would seem like just a drop in the bucket, to me, but if that's all you can do---------------

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

It sounds like a great plan and you will have a good time. Even a 10 day vacation feels too short, that is how vacations are.

 

[Minniekins]

Yes, too short, lol! And, if you can, I'd add the extra day! That being said, my DD24 and i just spontaneously planned a three night 4 day trip for the 24 hour day at MK! So even though it's short we'll be excited to be there. Haven't been in such a short trip in many years so we'll see how it is. But we are going back for 10 nights 11 days in Dec so we're happy with that, lol! Have a great trip, and yeah, of course add a day if you can!

 

[calismic]

My husband and I own a private practice, so we cannot afford to close down more than 2 days. That makes our trips 4 days tops. I always book the earliest flight in and the latest flight out. This is what our plan generally looks like,

Day 1 - Magic Kingdom (9AM Arrival)
Day 2 - Epcot
Day 3 - AK / DHS
Day 4 - Magic Kingdom (Flight leaves at 9PM)

We try to go during off seasons or low crowd days. It doesn't leave room for much else, but we still always have a great time. Depending on AK crowds, we've even been able to squeeze in some pool time before heading to DHS!

 

[Bullseye]

The first year we went for 4 nights. Before we went I asked the DW "what are we possibly going to do for five days at an amusement park" .
By the end of the five days I was so bummed we were already leaving . I would add another day if I were you op. Just wondering, why do you have so much MK planned on such a short trip?