Booked in January with NO KIDS! and a WWYD?

[DrummerAlly]

We just booked the best kind of Disney World trip! The type of trip where the 3 and 1 year olds stay home with Grandma!! (Worst parents ever perhaps?)

Animal Kingdom Lodge from January 23-26. We were thinking since it was just the two of us and we are at AKL, that we'd skip the park hoppers and make sure we spend some extra time at the resort, but since the trip is so short, I also want to maximize park efficiency. The day we get there (arrive at WDW around 1pm), I originally planned on doing HS, but they close at 7. MK is open to midnight, so I'd like to go there instead, but also want to do another full day there.

Would you get park hoppers (+$130~), skip AK or HS, or just do one long night at the MK?

If you were leaving the young children at home for a quick 3 night 4 day trip, what would you be a must do for you? We've snagged lunch reservations at BOG, dinner at the Grand Floridian Cafe so that we can listen to the orchestra and have drinks after, and dinner at Sci-Fi Dine In and Sanaa.

4 DAYS WITHOUT THE KIDS!!!!!!!!! (My husband says I'll miss them, he's right. He says I'll miss them too much to have a good time, I say a margarita and mickey ice-cream will fix that.)

 

[lostpro9het]

... (Worst parents ever perhaps?)...

Hardly! Have a blast, kidfree trips are just as awesome as awesome as kid trips but in a different way! Parents only dining suggestions:
Il Mulino
Shula's
Jiko
Trattoria al forno
Yachtsman
Sanaa

 

[DrummerAlly]

Hardly! Have a blast, kidfree trips are just as awesome as awesome as kid trips but in a different way! Parents only dining suggestions:
Il Mulino
Shula's
Jiko
Trattoria al forno
Yachtsman
Sanaa

Thanks! We've got reservations at Sanaa, which is one of our favorite dining locations. ADRs are pretty available right now - I might snag Ohana if we skip DHS since we've never been there.

I know I'll feel a little guilty because my three year old has been talking about going to Disney World and meeting the princesses for months now, but she is special needs (sensory processing disorder, low muscle tone, generalized anxiety) and isn't ready to handle the trip yet. She'd doesn't know how loud, busy, bright, sensory rich, it is and she wouldn't have a good time. I'm saving my guilt by saying that we'll take her someplace else on vacation this summer and go back to WDW when she'll actually be able to enjoy it.

I'm thinking I might dump our day at DHS and my Sci Fi reservation and swap it with another day at MK and a Ohana reservation.

 

[Chernaboggles]

Personally, I'd get the Park Hopper. When time is limited, extra flexibility is really nice to have.

If you decide not to get Park Hopper, swapping out HS in favor of an extra night (with late close) at MK is a smart move. HS has some good stuff but it's very much in transition, you'll get more bang for the buck from an extra night at MK.

 

[Minnie1986]

I am a sucker for the Park Hopper option; it's just so nice to know that you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. If you don't get it, I'd say go to MK the day you get there(even if it's not a full day, you're still getting at least a full work day's worth of time there. I feel like Hollywood Studios is something you shouldn't miss when you don't have kids with you.

 

[MickeyMomV]

I am also a big fan of the park hopper!!

We did a 3 night adult trip in 11/2012 and had a blast. I would pick the MK nights based on EMH at night. I remember EMH hours till 3 am when we went. It was like we had the park to ourselves after midnight or so. IT WAS AWESOME!! There is a lot to be said for not having to deal with other peoples kids. There was one night we did HS and when it closed we went downtown had a drink or two and then caught a 11:30 pm movie. Both nights we didn't get back to the hotel till about 3 am.

 

[Minnie1986]

I am also a big fan of the park hopper!!

We did a 3 night adult trip in 11/2012 and had a blast. I would pick the MK nights based on EMH at night. I remember EMH hours till 3 am when we went. It was like we had the park to ourselves after midnight or so. IT WAS AWESOME!! There is a lot to be said for not having to deal with other peoples kids. There was one night we did HS and when it closed we went downtown had a drink or two and then caught a 11:30 pm movie. Both nights we didn't get back to the hotel till about 3 am.

MK will be open until 3am while we are there also. I am SO excited!

 

[MickeyMomV]

MK will be open until 3am while we are there also. I am SO excited!

I remember walking the back walkway in-between Splash Mtn and Pirates at 2:30 am and there was not another person in sight! No other guests or cast members, it was almost a little creepy.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Have fun! The kids are too young to know what they're missing, and I'm sure Grandma will spoil them rotten!

If DH and I were at WDW by ourselves, I know that some big, fancy dinner (not necessarily V&A's, but at least California Grill or, since you're at AK, Jiko) would be one of the top items on our list. I'm sure we'd also spend far more time in World Showcase than the kids' short attention spans otherwise permit -- the Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar would be a nice spot to spend a late evening. We'd probably also take in all of the late-night shows/fireworks. (With the kids, we have bedtimes to preserve in order to keep everybody happy, so they've only seen the MK fireworks, which we let them stay up and see on our last vacation day.)

I'm sure we'd also treat the trip both as a romantic getaway, as well as a way to gather reconnaissance for a future trip with the entire family (and I'd probably start planning that family trip the moment we got back, even if we weren't planning to go for another 2-3 years).

Enjoy -- given your kids' ages, I imagine this will be the last "adults only" trip for a long time.

 

[LAKid53]

We just booked the best kind of Disney World trip! The type of trip where the 3 and 1 year olds stay home with Grandma!! (Worst parents ever perhaps?)

Animal Kingdom Lodge from January 23-26. We were thinking since it was just the two of us and we are at AKL, that we'd skip the park hoppers and make sure we spend some extra time at the resort, but since the trip is so short, I also want to maximize park efficiency. The day we get there (arrive at WDW around 1pm), I originally planned on doing HS, but they close at 7. MK is open to midnight, so I'd like to go there instead, but also want to do another full day there.

Would you get park hoppers (+$130~), skip AK or HS, or just do one long night at the MK?

If you were leaving the young children at home for a quick 3 night 4 day trip, what would you be a must do for you? We've snagged lunch reservations at BOG, dinner at the Grand Floridian Cafe so that we can listen to the orchestra and have drinks after, and dinner at Sci-Fi Dine In and Sanaa.

4 DAYS WITHOUT THE KIDS!!!!!!!!! (My husband says I'll miss them, he's right. He says I'll miss them too much to have a good time, I say a margarita and mickey ice-cream will fix that.)

A margarita will fix just about anything.

 

[Kosmo1986]

Park hoppers are great but if you don't want the extra expense I would still go to HS on your first night. When the park closes early they usually have Fantasmic at 7:30 (not really sure why but its after park closes). You can get a fast pass for Tot, Toy Story, and star tours and do RnRc as single rider (normally only about 10 minute wait). You would still have time to see a show (either Indiana Jones or the stunt show) and sit down for dinner.

My husband and I went last sunday, we showed up midway through out 1st fast passes, rode the 4 rides mentioned and were out the gates in less than 3 hours.

 

[TXDisney]

My advice when just adults is so nice dinners at the resorts and enjoy drinks everywhere

 

[ekutchey]

I would go for the Park Hopper then you can explore as you please and go back and forth. Also you could do some dare I say it "non-planned" park visits. I would also check for a California Grill or Artist Point reservation especially on an adults only trip.

 

[Plutos Pal]

Park hopper is definitely the way to go. Always nice to have the flexibility. My DW and I booked a parents only trip for November 17-21. Got a three day park hopper and we are going to MVMCP on the 19th. Going to spend more time at the World Showcase, visiting other resorts we haven't been to yet, and eating at restaurants we wouldn't hit when the kids are with us. Not planning on going too crazy. Have fun and enjoy the your time together at the World!

 

[DrummerAlly]

Thanks everyone! I think right now our plan is
Saturday: Check in, MK, dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern, try to ride all the rides until park close at 12am.
Sunday: Leisurely morning around AKL, then MK with a dinner somewhere in the area (Chef Mickeys, GF Cafe, 1900 Park Fare, Kona Cafe?), followed by drinks and the orchestra at the Grand Floridian and watching fireworks from their beach.
Monday: Epcot, back to AKL early for animal watching, drinks at the bar, dinner at Sanaa, and relaxing by the fireplace in the lobby.
Tuesday: Hollywood Studios, then back to my Princesses at home!

I'm hopeful that ends up being the right mixture of fun and relaxing!

 

[Tinkerbell 2000]

(Worst parents ever perhaps?)

My parents last year left us with our Grandparents then texted us photos from DTD and Universal. As long as you bring us back presents that we would buy if we were there you we are generaly good. We might be a bit mad when you tell us what you are doing but it makes the trips that we go on with you so much better because you (as paerents) have already walked around the parks and done what you want to do.