First time with kids

[Fantasia2017]

Hi everyone! The hubs and I are taking our two kids, ages 3 and 7, to Disney for the first time. I've been reading through these "first time " threads and they've been so helpful. However, I do have a few more questions. Everyone here is so knowledgeable!!

1- Bibbity Bobbity Boutique
Is it worth it? How expensive is it? I see they cater to boys as well. What can a boy get done? (My son is the 3 yr old).
Do they make over adults-just kidding.

2- We have 4 days to days to explore. We were thinking of doing universal studios- Harry Potter for one day. But man, it's so expensive. Then one day at MK and one day at Epcot. Or 2 days at MK. I'd love some Thoughts in this.

3- are the double strollers hard to navigate through the crowds? I'd like to rent one, even if it just holds our stuff. I am positive my kids would want to sit too. My 7 yr old is petite and I am sure she'd fit.

4- we are not staying on site so the dining option is not available to us. How much do I budget for food?

5- we are not renting a car how would we get to the parks? Uber? Are they required to have car seats?

I am positive I will have more questions!

Thanks!!

 

[Go.Nijntje]

You should check who provides the shuttle service and read some reviews etc. from people who have used them. Hotel shuttles are notoriously bad and can take up to 2 hours to drop you off at the park or back to your hotel if they stop at other hotels along the way. They also might not have room for your stroller.
I think staying off site without a car will really impact your enjoyment and time spent at the parks.
I am not trying to be negative just want you to be prepared and have the best time possible.

 

[DisAl]

Lots of good advice from other posters. One thing I would do though is to look closely at on site vs. off site. By the time you consider car rental, parking cost, and extra time you may find that staying on site is very competitive. In some cases we have found Disney value resorts to actually be a lower cost per night than some of the name brand off site motels.

 

[LAKid53]

You should check who provides the shuttle service and read some reviews etc. from people who have used them. Hotel shuttles are notoriously bad and can take up to 2 hours to drop you off at the park or back to your hotel if they stop at other hotels along the way. They also might not have room for your stroller.
I think staying off site without a car will really impact your enjoyment and time spent at the parks.
I am not trying to be negative just want you to be prepared and have the best time possible.

Getting around using Disney Transportation can be a challenge at times, I can't imagine using an off property hotel shuttle. Either rent a car if you stay off property or stay at one of the Value resorts - Pop Century has newly renovated rooms. If you need to return to your resort so your 3 year old can have a nap, you going to have a looooong wait for that hotel shuttle. Plus, as others have said, it will be quite a walk from where the offsite hotel shuttles drop you off to the park entrance. I'm sorry, but you're going to spend a good part of your days riding a bus from/to your hotel.

Oh, Uber will drop you off at the Ticketing and Transportation Center by the Magic Kingdom. Which means you'll have to take either the monorail or ferry to MK and the monorail to Epcot. Too much time wasted getting from Point A to Point B....

 

[JillC LI]

Thanks for all the replies! We've decided not to visit universal. The kids are just too young. My daughter saw the bbb online and got super excited. We are not staying on the Disney property but my husband said our hotel providers a shuttle. We are very excited!

Better ask what times the hotel shuttle runs and which parks it goes to. Many hotel shuttles are infrequent and not at the times you want to go.

So glad you decided to skip Uni this trip. We took our kids to WDW for the first time when they were 5 and 7, and there is so much to do there that it is not worth the expense to go to Uni where there is far less for little kids to do. As for the shuttle, I agree with others that if cost is not an object, a rental car will make your trip far more enjoyable if you are staying off site. Frankly, it makes our trip more enjoyable when we are staying ON site.