How Would You Spend 10 days at WDW?

[tterrag24]

In August me, my daughter (4), and girlfriend are booked for 9 nights at the POp Century resort. Is it better to go to the parks with late or early extra hours.? In what order do you go to the parks?

We would like to go to Universal & Island of Adventure but don't know if it's worth the trip with my daughter only being 41" and with us not renting a car, having to take a cab or public transpo.? Should we just enjoy our time at WDW on the property?

Thanks

 

[gnuts0306]

We are going to be in WDW sept 29-oct 9th and this trip we are going to Universal for a day (at the request of my brother). I was also concerned about rides at Universal my DD is 6 and is 49" so shes a bit taller than your daughter. We will also be taking a cab...which looks it will be about 120$ roundtrip for the 4 of us with tip. If it were up to me we wouldnt "waste" that day outside of Disney lol. We ALWAYS go 11days 10 nights so we can throw in a couple days for relaxing. On our rest days we either shop at DTD or do some resort hopping, or stay at our resort and go swimming!

 

[surfsupdon]

At that age and height, stay on property.

Ten days is a great trip, tons of time. Spend a lot of it at the pool relaxing. Pool days are the little things that make a huge difference on a Disney vacation. To relax, to laugh, to have fun not in a jammed up park.

MK is a ghost town in the early morning, especially for an EMH.

 

[gnuts0306]

Oh, and we never do the parks in a certain order, other than usually ending with the MK! And we usually avoid the parks with the EMH!

 

[NewfieFan]

10 days is the perfect amount of time to experience WDW! There's certainly enough to keep you occupied at the World if you didn't want to spend the extra money to go to Uni.

I personally would avoid the parks with EMH... unless you can get up early enough to experience the morning EMHs. They are great as the parks are practically empty. And with a daughter that young how much would you really see and do in the evening EMHs!?! My kids stay up late on vacation and always see the fireworks but they're just too wiped and tired to enjoy the evening EMHs.

See the four parks, spend some time at Downtown Disney, hang at the resort and pool, etc. and you'll find your 10 days go by too fast!

 

[Tinkerbell 8]

Liek others have said, 10 days is the perfect amount of time for a disney trip. Ever since we stayed for 10 days back in 2009, all of our 7 day trips since then seem too short. The 10 days lets you have some relax time instead of running around trying to fit everything in. Its also really nice since its August and will be very very hot and sticky, you will have time to go back to your hotel for an afternoon swim & nap. I would not "waste" a day going to US & IA, with your daughters height there would be a large amount of rides she would not be able to ride.

 

[yankspy]

My ideal would be 2 days at MK (1st and Last) 2 days at Epcot, 1 day at AK, 1 at DHS, and one at AK in the A.M. and DHS in the P.M. I would also spend a day resort hopping around the monorail resorts. I would also stop at one of those resorts and rent boats and have lunch. The other days I would spend just hanging out, maybe visit downtown, or the Boardwalk. I might also get a massage at the GF or Saratoga which is a great way to relax even though it is expensive.

As far as a strategy for the parks, go early, take a break in the afternoon and go back to the hotel for a nap, and go back at night. August can be really hot. The parks are generally open later in August anyway. Evening EMH can be good but only if you stay the whole three hours. People usually get tired after 12:30-1:00 and the parks empty out but I am not sure if you can do that with a four year old.

As far as Uni, I would skip it since your daughter is so young. A cab seems pretty pricey according to some.

 

[yankspy]

We are going to be in WDW sept 29-oct 9th and this trip we are going to Universal for a day (at the request of my brother). I was also concerned about rides at Universal my DD is 6 and is 49" so shes a bit taller than your daughter. We will also be taking a cab...which looks it will be about 120$ roundtrip for the 4 of us with tip. If it were up to me we wouldnt "waste" that day outside of Disney lol. We ALWAYS go 11days 10 nights so we can throw in a couple days for relaxing. On our rest days we either shop at DTD or do some resort hopping, or stay at our resort and go swimming!

Wow. That is expensive. One day some enteprising person is going to have a shuttle to Uni that stops at all the disney resorts. Think about it, just 20 people at half that price is $1000.

 

[Bulldog1653]

As others have said, 10 days is an excellent amount of time. My family and I spent 10 days at DisneyWorld in September of 2008 and it was a TON of FUN.
First and foremost, I wouldn't worry about Universal. I've been there in the past and it's average at best.
When you arrive, you'll realize that there is so much to do that you'll forget about the outside world.
Make sure you have the park hopper and water park options on your tickets. Trust me when I say you'll be glad you did. It tends to get very hot and you'll want to cool off at the water parks or the hotel pools.
My advice is take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours and the last 2-3 hours before the parks close to catch the major attractions like Space Mountain, etc.
Also, make sure you get your dining reservations booked now while you can. A great character breakfast is Chef Mickey's at the contemporary resort. Take advantage of as many character meals as you can, especially if you have the dining plan.

 

[Mukta]

We will also be taking a cab...which looks it will be about 120$ roundtrip for the 4 of us with tip.

I have never paid more than $85 round trip for a cab to Universal. With a party of four, the cab is a cheaper option over the Mears shuttle.

There is a shuttle that picks up at Disney resorts and goes to Universal. $18-$20 each way. Sometimes they have a deal where transportation is free with purchase of a 2 park 1 day ticket.

 

[lilclerk]

There is a shuttle that picks up at Disney resorts and goes to Universal. $18-$20 each way. Sometimes they have a deal where transportation is free with purchase of a 2 park 1 day ticket.

As far as I know, that's the Mears shuttle. The last time I priced it, it was $18/person round trip (that was a couple years ago, it's probably gone up.) They also do the free transportation with purchase of a 2 park 1 day ticket, but I think you can only get that through a Universal-specialized travel agent.
With a party of four, unless you're getting the free transport, its probably only a little less than the cab. And with a cab you don't have worry about being outside your resort/leaving the park at a specific time.

 

[disneygirl1]

10 days is the perfect amount of time! You should be able to take all the parks at a more leisurely pace. At least that is what we tend to do when we stay for that lenght of time. I love that you don't have to feel rushed to get everything done at the parks in one day. As far as Universal goes. I'm not sure that your daughter will be tall enough to ride alot of the rides. We were there in August and my son was 9 at the time and I was shocked at the number of rides he was not talk enough for. But if you are Harry Potter fans, I highly recommend going. As far as transportation to and from Universal. We used Mears. It was $18 round trip person. You set up a pick up time at your resort, amd coming home all you have to do is call and 1-2 hours before you want to be picked up from the park. Worked great for us.

 

[ThinkTink721]

Is it better to go to the parks with late or early extra hours?
The crowds shouldn't be too bad in August. Although, the parks w/ EMHs do tend to be busier. I prefer the evening EMHs.

In what order do you go to the parks?
MK (at least 2 or 3 days), Epcot (2 days), AK (1 day), DHS (1 day), 1 day for rest or waterparks, 2 days for Universal & Island of Adventure (if you decide to go)

We would like to go to Universal & Island of Adventure but don't know if it's worth the trip with my daughter only being 41"?
It may be a little early for her since she wouldn't be able to ride most of the rides.

Should we just enjoy our time at WDW on the property?
My kids are older now & we would love to take a couple of days to visit Universal Studios & Island of Adventure, but it's just not in the budget this year. Maybe we can do that on a future trip. Believe me, there is enough to do at WDW to keep you busy!

Suggestions for a 4 year old girl:
BBB at the castle
Princess Tea Party at the GF
Wonderland Tea Party at the GF
Pirate Cruise

Are you getting the WDW dining plan? There are some great character meals for girls her age!

:wave:

 

[HouCuseChickie]

In August me, my daughter (4), and girlfriend are booked for 9 nights at the POp Century resort. Is it better to go to the parks with late or early extra hours.? In what order do you go to the parks?

We would like to go to Universal & Island of Adventure but don't know if it's worth the trip with my daughter only being 41" and with us not renting a car, having to take a cab or public transpo.? Should we just enjoy our time at WDW on the property?

Thanks

I think the going late or early depends on you guys...i.e. are you early birds, night owls, or a little of both? Also, does your daughter take a nap? If so, you'll want to factor that into your days. For us- we're early risers b/c of our normal work schedule, but with nap time, we can stay out a little later than normal. As for order, you might look at Touring Plans or Tour Guide Mike to see crowd volumes for each day so you can pick the least crowded parks. Of course, we always start with MK, since I can't have it any other way.

As for Universal/IoA...my friend took her 4 yr old and he had a blast, but he's also on the tall side. Our older daughter is a little over 4 1/2 yrs and she's only 39.5". She love Harry Potter, but she wants to ride the big rides - so a trip to Universal/IoA would be a total disappointment for her. In light of that, we're waiting on that until both she and her sister are tall enough. Ultimately, you have to decide how you think your daughter will react to the situation.

I've heard the public transportation (shuttle?) is the way to go, but having never done it- I can't really say for sure. Sorry.

 

[Diznee97]

In August me, my daughter (4), and girlfriend are booked for 9 nights at the POp Century resort. Is it better to go to the parks with late or early extra hours.? In what order do you go to the parks?

We would like to go to Universal & Island of Adventure but don't know if it's worth the trip with my daughter only being 41" and with us not renting a car, having to take a cab or public transpo.? Should we just enjoy our time at WDW on the property?

Thanks

9 nights! that's great, that gives you time to enjoy at a slower pace with your daughter---i would go to Magic Kingdom first---it will be a great place to start building magical memories---book breakfast at Cinderella castle---get an autograph book at your resort before you hit the parks so she can get pictures taken with the characters---do half days so you can relax at your pool in the afternoon and go back to the parks in the evening---take at least one full day for a pool day and go to downtown disney in the evening---i would skip universal---that's a big expense for one day---time better spent on property---above all enjoy your time---the memories can't be beat!---take lots of pictures and use disney's photopass in the parks!

 

[zurgandfriend]

Our trips are usually 7 days in duration broken down as follows;

Magic Kingdom 1½ days
Epcot 1½ days
DHS 1 Day
Animal Kingdom 1 day
Water Park 1 day
Unfortunately there are two ½ days dedicated to travel

If I had 3 more days I would more than likely add

Universal 1-2 day (s)
Animal Kingdom ½ day
Mini Golf/boating/horse back riding etc ½ day
Other Water Park 1 day if not spent at Universal

With our evenings of course spent at one of the other 3 Disney parks.