Booked for our first Disney trip...for everyone! Need advice (long)

[infocrazy]

We are going for 6 nights end of April, due to a surprisingly great airfare, but no one, including DH and I have ever been so I'll need some help! ...and it appears we are behind in planning at least by disboard standards--although that site is pretty intimidating!!!!

Just us--DH, me, 4 kids under 7. I know.

We are staying at WBC in a 2 bedroom deluxe. What should we request? At this point, I have in my notes, Fireworks view, PNP, and highchair. Anything else? Location?

Renting a minivan, but man do we need a discount. I have some time on that, but right now, it is more than WBC!!!!

I plan to rent a stroller. Kids are 7, 5, 2, and infant. By plan, the stroller is for the younger too, but I expect at least the 5 yo to want a turn a few times. For that reason, I was leaning towards a double BOB v a BJCD. I have a single BOB and have frequently had an older kid sit in the footwell, can you do that with a double? Who should we rent from?

Tickets, right now will either buy from UT or AAA (to get parking pass--do you get 1 per day?). We are likely going to get the 3+1 ticket without hopper. I just can't imagine us going to another one in the same day with our crew.

Looking at the UT crowd day site, I am thinking of the following plan:

Wed, arrive at 10am (yes our flight is EARLY), shop for supplies, hang out at hotel, POSSIBLY character dinner (see below) or go to DTD for dinner.
Thu, AK
Fri, MK
Sat, beach daytrip -- DH wants to "see" Port Canaveral...what is there to see? Museum? I am thinking the kids are going to be young--thoughts? Is there a decent beach near it?
Sun, rain out day for the above, probably family vote if we've had good weather.
Mon, DHS
Tue, probably hang out at hotel, flight is at 6pm

We have one day of park left on the tickets possibly, so we MIGHT do a double or go somewhere Tue morning, probably play by ear. Maybe try and do some of Epcot, but I've heard our kids are a bit young for Epcot. Thoughts on the plan? DH and I do want to have a vacation and with having young kids, don't expect that the whole day is going to happen or be wise...

Character Dining? In general, we aren't Disney fanatics. The boys have aged out of Disney Jr and are into Ben10, Ninjago, Wild Kratts, etc... DD is getting into Disney Jr (loves little einsteins and sophia) and is starting to get into princesses. Do they actually eat with you or are they just there? Do you pay extra for the character part? I can't believe how much the restaurants are!!!! OMG Right now, in general, my plan is to eat breakfast at the room, pack lunches, and if we are still in the park for dinner, likely just do quick service (I think it is called). I am thinking we'll do Chef Mickey for the general mouse experience, but I'm open to other options if there is a must see. We are going soon by reservations standards I think because there doesn't seem to be a lot to choose from on our dates. Do you think character dinners are worth it? We can afford it, but our family adds up to big money fast.

Rides: DS1 and DS2 will ride anything and everything they are tall enough for but we will likely only have DH with them. Any can't misses? DD is an unknown on rides so we'll have to play that by ear. I like the idea of kid swap but I'm not sure DD will and it isn't fair if the line is long for her to wait and not get to ride.

Can someone explain fastpass?

Ok, that's enough for now, I'm sure more later. Also any tricks/tips much appreciated! Thanks!

[Cam&Clay]

There is no way I can answer all those questions at this hour but I will give you a few hints:

www.magicstrollers.com

Excellent company. Great customer service. Inexpensive. VERY convenient.

I've heard Costco is good for car rental rates.

Park Hoppers are more important that you may think. Sometimes the park that is "best" in the daytime is not the "best" at night. We seldom went to the same park in the evening that we did during the day.

Where on earth would you hear that Epcot isn't good for your age kids? It's amazing for kids. DS1 and DS2 both loved it and were there when they were under the age of 5. Do not skip Epcot.

Both of my boys loved character dinners. When DS1 was younger, he loved Crystal Palace and Garden Grill. The last time we went, we did Cinderella's Royal Table, Hollywood & Vine, Chef Mickeys, and Crystal Palace. By far, the biggest hit was Chef Mickeys, followed by Cinderella's Royal Table. Those princesses really know how to make little boys swoon!

For your older ones, you might want to look into the Jedi stuff at Hollywood Studios.

Every park has its "can't miss" rides, but the one my family goes nuts for is Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios. Pure fun. Fastpasses are gone so fast that you have to be there at opening and run to get them. Worth it, though.

I highly recommend the following website for info on how fastpasses work and other questions you've asked. It's easier to navigate than the disboards. And it's funny, too.

www.easywdw.com

Have a good time!

[Momof3Labs]

Yes, do NOT skip Epcot. That has been my boys' favorite park on every trip, even when they were 2.5-3yo. I'd skip AK with kids that age before I'd skip Epcot.

[billysmommy]

Yes, do NOT skip Epcot. That has been my boys' favorite park on every trip, even when they were 2.5-3yo. I'd skip AK with kids that age before I'd skip Epcot.

:yeahthat: Epcot has some of their favorite rides -Test Track, Mission Space, the Viking ride in Norway, ds2 has loved the Nemo ride since he was 2. The Kim Possible missions (now its Phineas & Ferb) through the World Showcase are really fun and DH and I have a few drinks while we wander through with the kids.

[acmom]

We've gone twice in the last couple years with our kids (4.5 and 2.5) and are heading back in Feb.

We have done MK, AK and Epcot the last 2 trips and skipped Hollywood Studios. We are staying longer this time and going to do all 4 parks. We always do 1 park a day (no park hopper) and then head back to the hotel for naps and afternoon at the pool/around the resort. We just feel a little more relaxed this way, especially bc our kids really need a little downtime in the pm. So far, we haven't missed the park hopper (although when we went without kids, we did do the park hopper and will probably try it again once we are past napping!).

We have also done MK twice each trip bc there was so much to do for little ones - if possible, I might try to do 2 days there especially since you have little ones and it is your first visit. Our kids love animals so we have done AK and they have loved the safari ride (done that twice each visit), the Lion King show and just walking around. Our Epcot and AK days have both been shorter days and then we usually do a character dinner that night. I can't speak to Hollywood Studios as we haven't been there in several year (and it was before kids) but we are looking forward to trying it.

Our family has loved the character dinners- takes the pressure off having to find favorite characters in the parks and we like that many of them are buffets. The buffet and family style works well for us bc our little one can eat there for free, there are lots of food options and they tend to be quicker than the menu table service which helps with little ones.

HTH! I'm sure you will have a great time no matter what you do!

ETA: we have brought our double stroller in the past but are planning to rent thru baby wheels Orlando this time based on recs here. (looked at magic strollers and baby wheels and baby wheels was cheaper).

[jjordan]

We found the best stroller rental price at babywheelsorlando.com. It worked out beautifully.

If you do a character meal, I'd definitely do a buffet (like Chef Mickey's, or Crystal Palace, though CP is just Pooh characters) - the youngest two will be free, and it's a more relaxed feel.

With young kids, I'd plan on at LEAST the younger two going back to the hotel each day after lunch for rest time. They'll burn out otherwise. You can all go back and the older kids can play in the pool, or they can stay in the park with one parent, but DEFINITELY go back with the younger ones.

Parkhoppers can be very valuable, especially for a short stay. For example you might see all you want of the Animal Kingdom or DHS by 1 or 2 pm - it's nice to have the option to "hop" back to Epcot or somewhere else where you have a few things on your bucket list. In particular, since the World Showcase (in Epcot) doesn't open until 11-ish, it can be nice to just go there for an afternoon sometime and catch some of the special events like the Chinese acrobats or whatever, even if you're done with the Future World Epcot stuff.

Fastpass works like this. You go to the ride and put your park tickets into a machine. The machine spits out paper "fastpass" tickets that tell you to return to the ride during a certain 1 hour time period. When you go back, you go to a special line for Fastpass only and they get you on the ride within about 5 minutes. If you do this in conjunction with Baby Swap, it works great, because the Baby Swap ticket gets up to 3 people in without a wait. So, your dh and two older kids ride Soarin' or whatever, with a fastpass so there's basically no wait, and you get a baby swap ticket. When they get off, you and the two older kids get to use the baby swap ticket to go right back into the fastpass line. So the kids get to go on the ride twice with basically no waiting.

Our kids are 6.5 and 4.5 and mostly liked the "kid" rides, though they both did enjoy Soarin'. I think they would characterize it as a no-miss.

Remember that on the first and last day, when you have time for hanging out at the hotel, to check the hotel's check-in and check-out times. See if there are alternatives to hanging out in the lobby if your room isn't ready or you've checked out. Honestly - with your flight leaving at 6 pm, you don't have to leave for the airport until 3:30 at the earliest, so it would be totally do-able to have nearly a full day at a park. Price it out and see if it's worth it to get an extra day on your tickets.

[fivi2]

I. Cant do a long reply right now, but I wanted to address something I think you mentioned (I may have misunderstood) . Check the disboards but I believe if you want to go to 2 parks in one day you must use parkhoppers. Even if you have days left on your tickets. Doublecheck that before you try it.

[jjordan]

I. Cant do a long reply right now, but I wanted to address something I think you mentioned (I may have misunderstood) . Check the disboards but I believe if you want to go to 2 parks in one day you must use parkhoppers. Even if you have days left on your tickets. Doublecheck that before you try it.

This is true.

[ilfaith]

Every park has its "can't miss" rides, but the one my family goes nuts for is Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios. Pure fun. Fastpasses are gone so fast that you have to be there at opening and run to get them. Worth it, though.



We were just at DHS yesterday, and the fastpasses we got just before 10 am were to ride from 5:30-6:30 pm. Still this was one of my kids' (and my husband's) favorite rides in all of Disney. Your older boys will probably also like StarTours at DHS (my 3YO was thrilled because he just hit 40"...the minimum height for this and other motion simulator rides).

Fastpasses are available for many of the popular rides and attractions. You use your tickets to get them from kiosks outside the individual rides. When you get a fastpass you will be blocked for two hours from getting additional fastpasses...and I don't think you can get more than two at a time.

I wouldn't skip Epcot. Not only does it have many of the best dining options in the World Showcase (as well as plentiful adult beverages if you desire), it has some great attractions. Soarin' (where you will also want to get a fastpass as early as possible) TestTrak, Finding Nemo (and don't miss Turtle Talk with Crush).

If you do a four-day pass I would consider doing DHS or AK on the last day, since your flight isn't until 6 pm. I do like your plan to take a break from the park mid-trip. We live in-state and usually just do two days at a time at Disney. The one time we did a three-day trip, my boys were wiped out on day three. If your younger two are good stroller nappers, I don't think you will need to take them back to the room. We never took breaks with our boys when they were still napping, but they snoozed happily in the stroller or sling.

Aside from the Space Center (which is a fun day, although your younger kids might be bored), I don't know what else you might want to see around Port Canaveral. The nearest beaches would be Cocoa (home to Ron Jon surf shop), Daytona (if anyone is into NASCAR this could be an interesting day trip), and New Smyrna Beach (the shark attack capital of the world).

[jjordan]

<snip>

If you do a four-day pass I would consider doing DHS or AK on the last day, since your flight isn't until 6 pm. I do like your plan to take a break from the park mid-trip. We live in-state and usually just do two days at a time at Disney. The one time we did a three-day trip, my boys were wiped out on day three. If your younger two are good stroller nappers, I don't think you will need to take them back to the room. We never took breaks with our boys when they were still napping, but they snoozed happily in the stroller or sling.

<snip>


Just wanted to point out that napping can be essential for little kids if you don't want them to be "wiped out on day three." :)

[teresah00]

Have fun! My kids are the same ages as yours. We went when we had 4 and 2 yo and I was pg. they enjoyed Epcot then

I have a double bob and my 5yo sits in the footwell to and from the bus stop frequency. When we went we took two singles, not sure what we'll do in the future.


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[ilfaith]

Just wanted to point out that napping can be essential for little kids if you don't want them to be "wiped out on day three." :)

Well this was when the older two were beyond the age of napping (4 and 6)...but when they were younger, they would get a good 90 minute-2 hour nap in their strollers while I rode the roller coasters and other rides DH doesn't like. My children also slept (and/or nursed) though the Hall of Presidents and Carousel of Progress more times than I can count (nice, quiet, air conditioned places to get out of the heat and humidity).

Do keep in mind that a 2-hour nap can easily become a 4-hour break from the park, since getting from the park to your hotel via Disney transportation (or even your own car) can take a while. It all depends on how much you want to actually see and do in each park. I know there are apps to best plan out your daily itinerary. I've never used them, but being semi-local, I know that if there is something we miss this trip, we can return in a short drive and at a discounted rate.

[jjordan]

Well this was when the older two were beyond the age of napping (4 and 6)...but when they were younger, they would get a good 90 minute-2 hour nap in their strollers while I rode the roller coasters and other rides DH doesn't like. My children also slept (and/or nursed) though the Hall of Presidents and Carousel of Progress more times than I can count (nice, quiet, air conditioned places to get out of the heat and humidity).

Do keep in mind that a 2-hour nap can easily become a 4-hour break from the park, since getting from the park to your hotel via Disney transportation (or even your own car) can take a while. It all depends on how much you want to actually see and do in each park. I know there are apps to best plan out your daily itinerary. I've never used them, but being semi-local, I know that if there is something we miss this trip, we can return in a short drive and at a discounted rate.

We just got back, so I'm well aware of how much time a "going back to the room for nap" trip can take. :) Our 4.5 and 6.5 year olds didn't nap during our midday break, but the break did enable them to make it through the rest of the day, for over a week, going strong.

I also think it is probably quite unusual to have kids that will nap for 1.5-2 hours in a stroller at Disney. You got lucky! :)