A Laid-Back trek through Magic Kingdom?

[DisneyJukebox]

Ok, I'm reading the Unoffical Guide and I'm already thinking that the invasion of Normandy in 1944 took less planning. I'm picturing hordes of people with Unoffical Guide-toting Drill Sergeants leading them to and fro around the park.

I've got two little kids, (3 and 4 1/2) so it is not essential that we hit every attraction. Is it possible to take a laid back approach to visiting Magic Kingdom? Meaning, not having to be there an hour before the gates open, and hitting the attractions in a mathmatically perfect order.

I don't doubt that the Unoffical Guide covers this in later chapters as it seems to have just about everything you want to know about planning your WDW vacation.

Thanks for any responses.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Try to find a happy medium.

Make a checklist of the attractions that you really want to see or think the kids would appreciate, and just wing it from there. Try to use FastPass to your advantage, although it can take a little time to learn the vagaries of the system enough to use it effectively. Don't be afraid to just walk around looking. On an average crowd day, 6 or 7 attractions will pretty much equal a full day at MK (maybe fewer if you're trying the child swap), so keep that in mind when picking what you want to see. You won't see it all in a day, so just enjoy what you do get to and take time to appreciate the surroundings. My 2 cc

 

[Gucci65]

With two little kids, if you don't take the laid back approach you will be worn out. You didn't mention what time of year you are going. If it's during the summer a lot of people leave the parks between 11 and 4 to get out of the heat/go swimming/take a nap - then come back when it starts to cool down. If you are staying on Disney property then you could take advantage of the hour early to avoid some of the crowds.

I have rarely seen anyone carrying a guidebook around. Do each land one at a time, don't jump around. (Wish I could tell my 12 yr old that - "Mom, I've got to go get a fastpass). Get a stroller, bring a backpack with drinks and snacks and enjoy yourself.

Oh before I forget my manners - Welcome to the boards!!

 

[Thunder Kz]

I've seen too many parents dragging their screaming kids through the park on the "we spent a lot of money to be here!" theory. That makes it miserable for everyone.

My advice is to get there early and start with Fantasyland and Toontown. Then, grab some lunch and hop the train back to the front of the park. Or maybe walk through Tomorrowland back to the front. At this point, go back to your resort and swim and take naps. Return to the park around 4, just in time for the afternoon showers (depending on the season), and go on whatever else they want. Also, the indoor shows are good for the kids to nap.
Just a few thoughts.

 

[DisneyGrandma]

As a Grandma of little ones 2-8 - a laid back visit to Magic Kingdom or any of the parks is the only way to go. Just follow the advice given above and enjoy the magic - believe me your little ones will enjoy just walking around and watching everything. You may wish to go back to Toontown and see some of the characters - a tip- Toontown opens at 10:00 am and many times we head to the gate right before it opens - a lot of the characters are back there and out at that time - our last trip my 5 year old grandson got to ride the Barnstormer with Goofy - what a great treat. Goofy usually rides on one of the first Barnstormer rides of the day. Just ask if your little one can ride with him. Else just enjoy and let your little ones dictate how fast to go and how much you need to see.

Welcome and I hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[DisneyJukebox]

I'll actually be there in exactly two weeks, but we will only be going for one day to Magic Kingdom. This is kind of a quick getaway introduction to WDW type of trip.

I figure Fantasyland will be where we spend most of our time.

We'll probably have fun just seeing all the sights and buying some Mickey ears.

 

[tigsmom]

Welcome aboard!!

With little kids you have to remember...they set the tone for the day!!

We have been taking our girls since the oldest was 4 (they are now 15 & 9).
While I like the Unofficial Guide, I like Birnbaum's book much better. They have one for kids, by kids that is a big help. It looks at the World thru kids eyes. It has a lot of info, games, etc.
Getting there before the park opens actually works to your advantage...its not that crowded and you may get most of what you want to do before the park gets too crowded. Try to use the Extra Magic Hour if you are staying on site. A stroller (double) is a must as are quick snacks for the kids & water bottles or juice boxes. Take a break for lunch...head back to the hotel & take a nap or swim (or both). Then head back out into the parks for the late afternoon/evening when everyone is rested.

Remember, you will not see & do everything there is on any one visit. Pick your Must See, want to see,etc and plan accordingly.
Take pics & let us know how you make out.

:wave:

 

[wannabeBelle]

I have to agree with all of the postings thus far. Get your kids the Birnbaums book for Kids and let them peruse it. Each child should pick out one or two special things and then just wing the rest of the day!!! In the interest of saving shoe leather try to group things by where they would be in the parks. For example dont pick something in Tommorowland, then something in Adventure land and then back to Tomorrowland. Try to group stuff as best you can within certain areas! A laid back approach is much more likely to be a pleasure and not a trial for you and the kids!!!! Take plenty of time and see the stuff that means a lot to you and the kids. That is the stuff the Magic is made of!!! Incidentally dont forget the other parks for the little ones also. I have heard from some people that EPCOT isnt for kids. I dont agree with that at all, but that is another topic. Just some food for thought. Belle

 

[Sir Hiss527]

I could probablly do all of the Magic Kingdom in one day...It's easy. But if you have little kids, it might be just a little harder. Have fun on your vacation.

 

[Tramp]

Add this to the suggestion list.

Originally posted by DisneyJukebox
I'll actually be there in exactly two weeks, but we will only be going for one day to Magic Kingdom. This is kind of a quick getaway introduction to WDW type of trip.

I figure Fantasyland will be where we spend most of our time.

We'll probably have fun just seeing all the sights and buying some Mickey ears.

Ouch! One day?

Ya don't have alot of time to visit with characters so since ya have to eat dinner at some point, I would suggest grabbing the monorail and taking the family to Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary Hotel. The kids will get to meet Mickey, Minnie, Chip& Dale, Goofy and Donald and you'll get some fabulous first-time pictures. As a bonus, you'll get a fabulous buffet dinner and a well-deserved hour or more of relaxation.:wave: If the kids like the Pooh characters better, have dinner at the Crystal Palace and you won't even have to leave the park to do it.
Like everyone else has said, the important thing is to pace yourself or you'll knock yourself out early.

Good luck and have fun!

Welcome to the forum!:wave:

 

[wannabeBelle]

one day!!! ONE DAY!!! I completely missed that point the first time I read this thread!!! WOW I dont even know what I would do if I only had one day!!! Magic Kingdom certainly is the beginning of the Disney experience, but it certainly isnt the end!!! there are three more parks, two water parks, two night time type of areas and the list goes on!! Are you aware of just how big Disneyworld is? It is literally almost twice the size of the island of Manhattan!! There is just so much to see and do there. I would also direct you to a website by a good friend of this site, Deb Wills. Her website is www.wdwig.com. She has a pretty good write up on just about everything in Disney!! I recently went for 2 days and I didnt get to half of what I wanted to do!!! Any possibility of extending your Disney visitation time? Belle

 

[DisneyJukebox]

Well, like I said, I have two little kids and we are only going to be in Orlando for 3 days and our main goal is to take a break from this New England winter and enjoy the warmth.

We will be coming back and will probably spend a week at a Disney Resort when they are older but I thought a quick tour of Magic Kingdom, though not cheap, would still be fun for one of the days.

 

[johnvree]

Do some planning. But don't feel like you have to stick to the plan. (Did I just say that? Therapy must be working:sohappy:

If you go there with no plan at all, unless you are a disney veteran, one of two things will likely happen:

1. You will find yourselves wandering aimlessly at various points of the day wondering what to see next and which way to go. If you have a plan, you will at least always know which attractions you really want to see and what direction you should be heading to get there.

2. You may find that you are unable to pace yourselves. It's like when I run on a treadmill, I can run for an hour. But if I run outside, I have a hard time pacing myself and I run myself out very quickly. If you go there with a loose plan (attractions you want to see that day) you will have a feel for how you are doing. So if it's 1:00 and you already hit 4 of the 6 attractions you planned to hit that day, you know that you are ahead of schedule and you can relax.

Hope this helps. Keep in mind, I'm nuts. I overplan and hope that my medication will get the best of me when I get there. But you will never see me dragging my family through the park in the name of getting our money's worth. . . . They usually ditch me about 30 minutes after we get in the park. :lol:

 

[cindy_k]

Ack! Stop reading the Unofficial Guide. I'll never understand why that man writes about WDW, I don't even think he likes the place...

Try this book instead: <U>Walt Disney World with Kids, 2004 : Including Disney Cruise Line, Universal Orlando, and Islands of Adventure</U>
By Kim Wright Wiley

<A href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0761526285/qid=1076119989/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-4654822-1718328?v=glance&s=books">Link to Amazon</A>

Its a much better book for planning with small kids.. Heck I use to plan for myself...

My other favorite planning book is :
The Passporter by Jennifer Watson, Dave Marx, and Allison C. Marx
<a href="http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710129.aspx">Link to Passporter.com</A>

Have a fun trip! You can't do everything any way. It would take a 2 month trip to come close.



Cindy in NY

 

[DisneyBound]

We learned after our first day at MK with little ones to pace ourselves. This past year, we picked out a few attractions that we felt were must see for the kids and did them...and spent most of the time sight seeing and visiting characters. That seemed more important to the kids than rides and shows....we always take our cues from the kids...

 

[DisneyPhD]

Some good advice on this therad so far. Hit Fantsy Land 1st, it gets too crowded to do much after 11:00 am, and it is the place kids that age like the most. Beware of doing Peter Pan and Pooh with out fast pass. The line is much longer then it looks because of the fast pass people getting in frount. We always hit dumbo 1st. (it is a tradtion.) Use fast pass when you can, but remember it tends to take some planning. (and spilting up to go get the fast pass or double traking back.) One good thing to know is if you miss your time to go back, most rides will let you go anyway. Fast pass tends to run out at most places by mid afternoon, so try to hit all the most sees or get fast passes before then.

Don't forget places the kids can just run and play. Toon town has some good places for this. The train ride also makes some good down time. Do a character meal as Tramp suggests. We like CP with winnie the pooh and friends. We find getting there right when it opens you get in faster and the food is fresher. We also like Liberty Tree Tavern. We often find that a nice sit down lunch works for us with young kids instead of dinner. Don't get stuck in long lines waiting for characters, but the time of year you are there should be good.

One place we always want to hit, but end up missing is Tom Sayer Island. We keep thinking it would be a great place to go in the afternoon when the park gets busy, to let the kids run and play free. However being DVC members we are always on prop and end up back at the room for a nap and swim instead.

The next word of advice is start off at your kids pace. Don't try any rides that might scare then at 1st, it can be hard to recover and end up making the rest of the trip difficult. We took a friends son on Buzz 1st, he really wanted to, but it really scared him. Get a feel of how they react to rides before trying some of the more intense ones.

Bring some of your own snacks and water, small soft coolers are now aloud in the parks.

Have fun. Glad to hear you are going back for a longer trip later, one day is not enough. Beware, buy this age they are old enough to remember how much fun it was and keep asking to go back. My not yet 3 year old asked everyday when we are going back (not until March 2005 when her new little brother or sister is at least 6 months old!) Poor girl, we have spoiled her with 4 trips before she turned 3 years old.

 

[DisneyJukebox]

Originally posted by cindy_k
Ack! Stop reading the Unofficial Guide. I'll never understand why that man writes about WDW, I don't even think he likes the place...

Well, I haven't read anything anti-WDW in it yet, and really it is just my type of book. Full of information and the scientific approach it takes to touring the parks is fascinating to me as an engineer. Of course, I won't follow the plans until the kids are old enough to understand why the plans work.


Thanks to all who have provided advice in this thread.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Good Job PhD! I agree completely. I know what you mean about kids asking to go back. About 3 years ago ( just before 9/11) my best friend, her Darling Husband and the kids all joined me for a trip. I actually think I joined them, but we did put a lot of planning into it. DH was amazed and thought it was one of the best vacations he had ever taken!! The kids to this day still talk about going back to Disney with me. At the time of the trip my niece was 4 my nephews were 7 and 11. It is dangerously addictive!!!! Hopefully we will be going altogether again this summer, maybe in time for the July Meet & Greet!!
As far as the guide book, whichever approach seems to work for you is fine!!! As long as you get the general idea, it is OK!!! Are you talking about the book by Bob Schelinger ( sorry if I spelled the name wrong) If so I actually had the privilege to meet one of the contributing authors on my trip in December 2003, Len Testa who is also a member of these boards!!! As others have said, try to make a loose plan, but be willing to be flexible about it. Your kids may completely surprise you and throw your plan right out the window!!! Enjoy the warm Florida sunshine on your faces and the Magic in your hearts!!! Take lots of pics/videos and just enjoy yourself. I agree about the Character meal but if you see that your kids are afraid of the giant characters, try to get into Cinderella's Royal Table for lunch or dinner!! Awesome place to eat. Food is good and the atmosphere is amazing!!! Good luck and tell us all about how everything went when you get back. Belle

 

[WDW1971]

Originally posted by cindy_k
Ack! Stop reading the Unofficial Guide. I'll never understand why that man writes about WDW, I don't even think he likes the place...

Try this book instead: <U>Walt Disney World with Kids, 2004 : Including Disney Cruise Line, Universal Orlando, and Islands of Adventure</U>
By Kim Wright Wiley

<A href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0761526285/qid=1076119989/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-4654822-1718328?v=glance&s=books">Link to Amazon</A>

Its a much better book for planning with small kids.. Heck I use to plan for myself...

My other favorite planning book is :
The Passporter by Jennifer Watson, Dave Marx, and Allison C. Marx
<a href="http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710129.aspx">Link to Passporter.com</A>

Have a fun trip! You can't do everything any way. It would take a 2 month trip to come close.



Cindy in NY

My wife and I used a Passporter and loved it. We didn't have our kids on our trip, but we will for the next one. I can't wait to go!!! But we're probably going to pay for my parents to go with us so that we can still hit the attractions that aren't kid-friendly (RnR and ToT, in particular).

 

[EpcoTim]

Dont forget about the train or the Wedway peoplemover. Both are great ways to see the park, very relaxing, and can kill some time if the kids needs a break. Both also offer a nice degree of seperation from the chaos that can occur below. But you still get to see the chaos, and figure a plan on how to avoid it.