Would love some opinions

[mamato3girls]

Trip is December 11-17, we have a 6 day park hopper and free dining. The crew involved are twin 2.5 year olds (boy/girl), 4 year old girl, 8 year old girl and 10 year old girl and of course the overtired and overworked cruise directors known as their parents who are too old to even consider their age, lol.

I need to book dining in about 46 minutes so I'm freaking out!

A few things about me. Never done park hopper, epcot is my favorite but kids love mk.

Thinking

Night of the 11 (arrive in town around 5) go to epcot, enjoy the fireworks and a quick service meal probably.
12th magic kingdom, CRT for dinner. It looks like the Christmas party is not this night
13th magic kingdom again. Chef Mickey's for dinner. Possibly BOG for lunch
14th Animal Kingdom during the day then Epcot at night and do Garden Grill for dinner
15th Hollywood Studios during day, Minnie's Hollywood and Vine for Christmas party
16th Magic kingdom again and 1900 park fare for dinner (one of our favorite dinners)

Am I going to miss a ton at Epcot? My kid's really don't care about Epcot beyond a few rides but I love it. Any other recs? Something you would switch around?

 

[hakepb]

There's the new Frozen ride (Norway) and the new Soarin film. Both are Tier 1 FP+ so you cant book them both...

Some of our favorite dinners are in EPCOT, but we generally hop there in the evening after attractions in other parks.

 

[minnie mum]

Just an FYI. Dining won't open for your 180+ ADRs until 6:00 EST for online, 7:00 for phone reservations. So you've still got over 6 hours to go.

Personally, I'd drop the 3rd MK day in favor of Epcot. In addition to the rides, including the new Soarin and FEA, there's the A&E M&G. And then there will be all of the Christmas Storytellers in WS. And maybe a Candlelight Processional.

 

[hakepb]

Just an FYI. Dining won't open for your 180+ ADRs until 6:00 EST for online, 7:00 for phone reservations. So you've still got over 6 hours to go.

Personally, I'd drop the 3rd MK day in favor of Epcot. In addition to the rides, including the new Soarin and FEA, there's the A&E M&G. And then there will be all of the Christmas Storytellers in WS. And maybe a Candlelight Processional.

I don't think I would take a 2.5 year old to a Candelite Processional (I'd stand behind the theatre and watch as long as they stayed asleep or quiet)

 

[Nancyg56]

I like MK, I really do, but you have a lot of MK going on there. I would skip one of those days and go to Epcot. There is a lot for the family, especially around the Holidays. First, the characters are out if your kids like them. There are attractions and restaurants, shows. FW alone has Turtle Talk with Crush, Soarin, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, The Nemo ride, Livin with the Land. WS has the new FEA, and the THe Fiesta Tour in Mexico. The Agent P scavenger Hunt is a blast fo kids.

 

[TeamH5]

Are you planning to do MVMCP? It's on the 13th and the 15th at MK.
Might see you there we are there same days! Already booked some of our ADR's, but staying off site so don't get the perk of 180+10. .

 

[Amanda999]

.. epcot is my favorite but kids love mk.
... My kid's really don't care about Epcot beyond a few rides but I love it....

If mama ain't happy, ain't no one happy! (Go to Epcot!)

Agree with PPs - plenty for your kids to enjoy at Epcot (and I find it much easier to manage with young kids than MK - far faster to get in the park and do something, easier to walk around, fountains/etc. of interest just there as you walk, and several attractions often don't require waiting in line or FP (if not huge crowd day), like Mexico's Grand Fiesta Tour and Figment - my sons LOVE both of those.

 

[Princess Kendra]

Am I going to miss a ton at Epcot? My kid's really don't care about Epcot beyond a few rides but I love it. Any other recs? Something you would switch around?

I think your plan is fine! You know your kids better than anyone. If your kids love Magic Kingdom and don't care about Epcot, I like your schedule of 3 MK days and two evenings at Epcot. When I was helping my close friend plan a first time 6-day trip with her young kids, she settled on 3 MK days, with one day at each of the other parks (no park hopper), and it worked out great. They had fun in every park, but MK was definitely the favorite, and 3 days wasn't too much.

And I'm sure it's not easy to switch things around because you have the Christmas Party to deal with.

 

[ariane37]

I agree with many pp's in adding some more Epcot time. We LOVE Epcot; it was both DS's favorite park from the time they were toddlers and at 10 & 14 they still enjoy it. I realize your kids don't, but have you ever stopped and had them watch any of the performers? That's something my boys enjoy - Serveur Amusant in France, the acrobats in China, they'll even listen to the band in the UK for a little bit. But when you're going all the holiday storytellers will be there and those are special and very interesting. Add all that to the new Soarin' and the new Frozen ride, plus possibly stopping at a few Kidcot stations for your younger ones, and you may be able to do some of the things you enjoy there
They've also added some coloring/painting/computerized thing in one of the Innoventions buildings. I'm drawing a blank right now as to what exactly it's called but I'm sure someone can help out; I do know it's interactive and looks fun for kids. Another newer activity for your children that might interest them!

 

[scrapquitler]

I don't think it's too much MK, but that's our favorite, and we spend the majority of our trip at MK (and our only 'child' is 13).

You might want to consider spending one of the evenings in AK with all the new night time stuff.

 

[mamato3girls]

I don't think it's too much MK, but that's our favorite, and we spend the majority of our trip at MK (and our only 'child' is 13).

You might want to consider spending one of the evenings in AK with all the new night time stuff.

Am I missing something? I am seeing AK close at 5 every night? We would love to do more Animal Kingdom.

So our schedule got a little switched around based on what dining I was able to snag.

11th (we should arrive by around 4) Epcot
12th MK-9 AM BOG breakfast and then 7:45 Crystal Palace dinner We will likely close the park at 10 pm.
13th Magic Kingdom the first part of the day, Chef Mickey's for dinner right around the time MK closes then head over to epcot probably until closing
14th Animal Kingdom, we have Tusker House reservations at 9:20 so we will get into park a bit early. Then we will either go back to the hotel and nap or head straight to Magic Kingdom and do dinner at O'hana at 9:20
15th Hollywood Studios in the morning then an early dinner at the Minnie's Hollywood and Vine party. We will head from there to Epcot. Hollywood Studios is not our favorite. It is usually a half day for us
16th MK in the morning, kids are doing BBB and Harmony Barber shop. Then depending on the day we may stay there until a dinner reservation at 1900 park fare or we may move over to epcot.

We very much are MK people. It is usually a 3-4 day park for us. Hollywood studios we don't have much interest in. We do love AK though, I wish it didn't close so early.

 

[scrapquitler]

Am I missing something? I am seeing AK close at 5 every night? We would love to do more Animal Kingdom.

So our schedule got a little switched around based on what dining I was able to snag.

11th (we should arrive by around 4) Epcot
12th MK-9 AM BOG breakfast and then 7:45 Crystal Palace dinner We will likely close the park at 10 pm.
13th Magic Kingdom the first part of the day, Chef Mickey's for dinner right around the time MK closes then head over to epcot probably until closing
14th Animal Kingdom, we have Tusker House reservations at 9:20 so we will get into park a bit early. Then we will either go back to the hotel and nap or head straight to Magic Kingdom and do dinner at O'hana at 9:20
15th Hollywood Studios in the morning then an early dinner at the Minnie's Hollywood and Vine party. We will head from there to Epcot. Hollywood Studios is not our favorite. It is usually a half day for us
16th MK in the morning, kids are doing BBB and Harmony Barber shop. Then depending on the day we may stay there until a dinner reservation at 1900 park fare or we may move over to epcot.

We very much are MK people. It is usually a 3-4 day park for us. Hollywood studios we don't have much interest in. We do love AK though, I wish it didn't close so early.

AK closing times this week are 11PM. The Rivers of Light show should (hopefully) be open by the time you go on your trip. There's a new light show of some sort on the Tree of Life, They now have nighttime safaris with the twlight effects, The new Jungle book show ( https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/animal-kingdom/jungle-book-alive-with-magic/ ) is playing at 9 and 10:30 tonight, and that's going to continue. There's also a whole bunch of new nighttime entertainment.

For whatever reason, Disney has not yet updatesd the AK park hours to reflect all the new nighttime stuff too far into the future, but I'm sure you will be able to anticipate at least 8PM closings (and likely later as the crowds build during the month of December) for the nighttime shows to take place.

We just missed the start of all these new things when we went in April, I'm really looking forward to checking it all out on our next (yet unscheduled) trip.

 

[minnie mum]

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[Elliemay2]

I couldn't get Hollywood and Vine to come up until just now.
I'm glad you got it!