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View Full Version : Would you do Disney as a day trip?



buddyleebaby
04-14-2008, 11:06 PM
We will be in Florida for a family wedding Memorial Day weekend.
We are flying in mid-week and I am considering going to Disney one day (probably Thursday) simply because we have nothing else to do.
It would be a three hour drive. We would leave the hotel early and hope that the girls sleep some more in the car. I'm not sure if it would be worth it. I am pretty sure dd#1 would like it. She knows the Winnie the Pooh characters and likes going on amusement rides. I'm not sure about DD#2. Also, I will be six months pregnant- will they give me a problem going on the rides? (Just the ones that are appropriate for my girls).

egoldber
04-14-2008, 11:10 PM
I wouldn't do that. I would find something closer that you would enjoy. WDW is exhausting (even one day) and I can't imagine sandwiching it in between 3 hour drives.

hez
04-14-2008, 11:20 PM
I agree with Beth-- 3 hours each way is a long, long way. We've done the 1 hour thing several times (staying with family on the north side of town), and that's rough on whoever's driving home. 3 would be tough, and I'd be tempted to get a hotel room near the park for that night if I were to even consider it.

Melbel
04-15-2008, 07:11 AM
I also agree that it would be too much for one day considering the 6 hours of driving. I would also add that the Memorial Day timeframe has historically coincided with Gay Days. While we are generally very tolerent of different lifestyles, we were appalled at the graphic, explicit tshirts, language and pdas. Not what we envisioned for a day at Disney. The Disney parks tend to be very crowded on holiday weekends and it will very hot for Memorial Day. We love Disney, but timing is everything! If you specify where in FL you will be staying, I'm sure we could come up with some alternate recommendations. If you have your heart set on Disney, I would definitely try to stay closer if possible.

Momof3Labs
04-15-2008, 06:14 PM
I would avoid it due to the holiday weekend (crowds) and the long drive. Disney is best IMO if you slow down and savor it.

That said, both of your girls would love it and you can go on any rides without a height restriction while pregnant. If you can find a way to stay overnight and start out fresh the next morning, I don't think that you'd be disappointed!

Davids-Coco
04-15-2008, 08:09 PM
Memorial Day weekend is historically one of the highest weekends/times for crowds. There are days that the parks actually close because they are at capacity. This also means huge lines.

Honestly, I think it would not only be hard but nearly impossible.

buddyleebaby
04-15-2008, 09:01 PM
Memorial Day weekend is historically one of the highest weekends/times for crowds. There are days that the parks actually close because they are at capacity. This also means huge lines.

Honestly, I think it would not only be hard but nearly impossible.

I know Memorial Day has huge crowds, bu I was thinking of Memorial day weekend as Sat., Sun., and Mon. I was hoping by going on Thursday we could avoid some of that.

buddyleebaby
04-15-2008, 09:09 PM
Thanks everyone for your input!
The drive is not so much a factor for my DH because he commutes two hours to work. We have successfully done a trip from NY to NH and back in one day with both girls so maybe our idea of a long drive is skewed.
The park is open from 9am-11pm so I think that would be more than enough time, but I am also concerned that it may mean that Thursday is in fact considered part of Memorial Day weekend.
I called today and made reservations for a character lunch IF we decide to go. We have to rent a car anyway so we can always wait and see how we (and the girls) feel after the flight, I guess.
It definitely would not be the time I would have chosen to go if I were planning a Disney trip, but I feel badly being so close and not going, especially since it will probably be our only opportunity for a couple of years at least.

egoldber
04-15-2008, 09:20 PM
Long drives are one thing. Long drives AND spending all day in the Magic Kingdom is really something else yet again LOL!! ;) You'll see more meltdowns per capita in the MK than almost anywhere else on the planet. The degree of sensory overload just really has to be seen to be appreciated.

Your kids are also still pretty young for WDW. While I do think that WDW can be enjoyed by kids of all ages, I think the "prime" age for enjoying and believing in the magic is probably 4 or 5.

That Thursday will definitely be part of the "weekend". A lot of kids are already out of school for summer at that point so its definitely a popular time at WDW.

buddyleebaby
04-15-2008, 10:53 PM
[quote=egoldber] You'll see more meltdowns per capita in the MK than almost anywhere else on the planet.

[quote]


This made me LOL!
I agree with you on the age thing. We have never gone on an "official" Disney trip because I thought they were a little young- DD1 doesn't know most of the characters and I think even a lot of the kiddie rides would be scary. That's sort of why I started thinking about a day trip, because a full day for them would be something like: Winnie the Pooh, It's a Small World, Country Bear Jamboree, Lunch with characters, Dumbo, home.
Or something like that. If the crowds are going to be unbearable, though, we might just skip it and go to the beach instead.

Davids-Coco
04-16-2008, 06:12 PM
I know Memorial Day has huge crowds, bu I was thinking of Memorial day weekend as Sat., Sun., and Mon. I was hoping by going on Thursday we could avoid some of that.

I think that even Thursday will be bad, as will the week before and the week after.

I do have to say though that it sounds like you are realistic about what you want to see... and may not make all of that. Do your kids sleep in a stroller, because naptime is another thing to consider.

We did WDW by ourselves as adults and it was very wearing on me - and we were there in September after the kids go back to school and lines are non existent. We did DL with our DS (14 mo at the time) and while it was fun and he went on a lot of rides with us, it was also hard. We had to be keenly aware of his tolerances so we didn't push him too hard.

Meltdowns per capita for sure!!!

Momof3Labs
04-17-2008, 08:59 PM
Since you really only plan to spend half a day, here's how I would "do" Disney:

Hit Downtown Disney (free admission - heavily themed shopping area), then head to one of the resorts for a character lunch (book a late breakfast at Chef Mickey's, for example). Take a monorail ride, then pack up to leave. It's not my idea of the way to spend a day at Disney, but you would get a little taste of it without spending a ton of dough, only to be stuck in hour+ long lines and crazy crowds (which IMO the Magic Kingdom just isn't built to handle).

IMO, it's really not worth $150+ for two adult admissions to deal with holiday weekend crowds, ride a couple of rides (forget Dumbo unless you are in line right when the park opens - you'll wait forever and ever and ever) and go home.

cca
04-21-2008, 12:48 AM
We live near DisneyLand not Disneyworld. We have season tickets so going to DL for one day is not a big deal. But if this is the first time you're taking dc's it would be very frustrating to spend all that time and money and only be able to (if the park is crowded) go on 2-3 rides. Though you're close and its tempting, you'll shortchange the dc's by letting them go but not letting them get the full experience.


-c

klwa
04-23-2008, 06:53 AM
Okay, I'll bite, too. If you're willing & able to get there for rope drop (be at the gates by 8:30), and since you say you and the girls are used to driving long distances, I'd consider it. I just did a quick search & Gay Days as mentioned by someone else on here won't be until June 3-8, so that won't be an issue. (I've heard that it's nothing to get yoru panties in a wad about by some who were there, and similar stories to PP from others, so at least it won't be an issue.) Oh, and I'd move Dumbo to the first ride for the kids, regardless of crowd levels. It's very slow loading & the line gets crazy. Same goes for Peter Pan. Since both girls will still be under 3, there's no tickets for them. But, with all of that said, I was in the same camp as most people, thinking that a 3 hour drive might be much for the kiddos. You may want to go to www.disboards.com and post to find out what the crowd level predictors are calling for that day, as well. Someone there should be able to answer it for you.

buddyleebaby
05-14-2008, 11:24 AM
We've gone back and forth for the last month and read this thread a dozen times, but as of now, we are planning to go. Based on the advice of you mamas we have revised our plan so that we will be driving from Jacksonville the night before and staying in a hotel a little less than two miles away.
For future reference, what is Downtown Disney? Shopping? Do they have characters? Rides?

egoldber
05-14-2008, 11:44 AM
Downtown Disney is a shopping and eating area. Basically an outdoor mall, but like anything at Disney, its a mall like only Disney can do a mall. ;)

Puddy73
05-14-2008, 12:24 PM
For future reference, what is Downtown Disney? Shopping? Do they have characters? Rides?

Mostly shopping and restaurants, but there is a carousel and a SMALL train that your girls can ride. I've never seen characters walking around, but sometimes there are musicians and "street performer" type acts. There are some character statutes outside the stores that my DC had fun posing with. There is also a salon that will make up the girls to look like princesses, but it requires reservations and is pretty expensive (like everything at Disney!). The Lego store is very cool. Earl of Sandwich is a good reasonably priced place for lunch, although it is definitely themed more for adults than kids.

buddyleebaby
05-29-2008, 10:16 AM
Just updating on our trip.
We drove out to Orlando the night before so we were able to be at the park right as they opened. Our first ride was Dumbo, which already had a twenty minute wait. That was the only ride we had to wait for all day. Crowds were not an issue. I don't know if it was because it was early or because the weather was on/off drizzling. We had a reservation for lunch at 12:50 and had to kill time until then, so we went on a bunch of rides I had not intended to originally. They did well on all of them but liked some more than others.
One thing that was a bust was the Tiki room. DD1 was smiling and clapping along as the birds were singing, and then Iago came down and started yelling at them and calling the Tiki Gods morons and she just about burst into tears. She's never seen Aladdin and I guess she's not used to harsh personas. I was surprised because I thought the Tiki room would be a safe choice for her age group.
The Winnie the Pooh lunch at the Crystal Palace was a huge hit for both girls, as was meeting Mickey and Minnie. If you ask DD1 about Disney world she will say "I got to march with Winnie the Pooh and ride on Dumbo! But I did not like the grouchy bird."

egoldber
05-29-2008, 10:26 AM
I'm glad you had a good time!!

Tondi G
05-30-2008, 01:34 PM
It sounds like you had a great trip! I love it when things work out better than expected!