Looking for trip advice.

[Christopher Hoots]

Hello all! My wife and I along with our two sons(4 and 20mons) and my parents are going to Disney World in November. This our first time staying at Disney. We have previously done quick pass through trips. We are staying at the Art of Animation resort, checking in on Friday November 2nd and checking out on Tuesday November 6th. We did not do any of the dinning plans because we are just not big eaters. We do have park hopper passes though. We are looking at doing MK, Epcot, and AK. Can anyone give opinions on making the most out of our short stay?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Christopher

 

[maryszhi]

because your kids are so young, i recommend breaks in the day for naps and such. i would spend a lot of time at magic kingdom because they have the most for that age group. i would recommend Disney junior live at the studios in terms of animal kingdom, its huge. just like any zoo pick the animals you want to see and see them. make sure to see festival of the lion king and other entertainment options epcot will have kid cot crafts which are so much fun and you get to add stuff from each country you visit. depending on your sons, he might like journey into imagination. in terms of dinning, i recommend character dinning that way you eat and see characters. pretty much all the restaurants ,except a few, are child friendly and have children menus. also their is a baby care station at all the parks for dipper changes and such. its also a great place to rest. hope this helps

 

[bethymouse]

w/ 5 day park hopper passes you should be able to manage visiting all 4 parks.
Plan to see Wishes at MK nighttime fireworks as well as the Electric Parade.
Plan to see Illuminations at EPCOT at night 9pm.
Plan to see Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios- also nighttime spectacular!
Plan for the daytime parades at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom- usually around 3pm.
Use fastpasses whenever possible(Peter Pan, Toy Story Mania).
W/ 2 little ones, I would suggest going early and leaving mid-afternoon for a break at the pool or a nap, and then go back @ night.
Will you be wanting to eat just quick service or table service? If you plan on table service, you MUST make reservations ASAP! If interested in Character dining ( a bit pricey, but if you only do 1, then it's OK), then may I suggest booking Crystal Palace (Pooh characters).
Try not to waste too much time waiting in line for characters, unless you are looking for one in particular, just roam around and "get lucky" so to speak.
If your 20 month old is unable to ride, then take advantage of BABY SWAP. it's like a fastpass for couples w/ young children so that it cuts time waiting in line for rides. The best one is Splash mountain, where they have a small playground in the shade to wait.
Plan for Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom.
Plan for Beauty and the Beast show at Hollywood Studios.
But, remember always no matter how SHORT your time may be in WDW, enjoy the magical memories you'll be making w/ your family!

 

[wdwmagic]

Welcome to WDWMAGIC!

For a short trip, I think it is essential to have some kind of plan in place. If you arrive and try to wing it, I think you will be overwhelmed, especially as it is your first trip.

You will definitely want to make use of FASTPASS http://www.wdwmagic.com/Other/Fastpass.htm, and Extra Magic Hours http://www.wdwmagic.com/Other/Fastpass.htm

Check out the park maps before you go, and get an idea of what you want to see.

Consider working out a rough plan for food, so at least you have an idea of where you may go. The last thing you want is to be hungry, and then really have no idea where you want to eat.

This might be helpful to you http://www.wdwmagic.com/trip-planning.htm

And of course, keep reading the forum and site here, lots of great tips and info to help you out before November.

I'm sure others will have suggestions.

Have a great trip!

 

[bethymouse]

because your kids are so young, i recommend breaks in the day for naps and such. i would spend a lot of time at magic kingdom because they have the most for that age group. i would recommend Disney junior live at the studios in terms of animal kingdom, its huge. just like any zoo pick the animals you want to see and see them. make sure to see festival of the lion king and other entertainment options epcot will have kid cot crafts which are so much fun and you get to add stuff from each country you visit. depending on your sons, he might like journey into imagination. in terms of dinning, i recommend character dinning that way you eat and see characters. pretty much all the restaurants ,except a few, are child friendly and have children menus. also their is a baby care station at all the parks for dipper changes and such. its also a great place to rest. hope this helps

OOPS! Forgot about Disney Junior Live on Stage @ Hollywood Studios- that's a must do!
Also- the official Disney World website has "experiences" you may choose from. If you choose toddlers/preschoolers it will give you a list of rides and attractions for them!

 

[maryszhi]

im 21 and feel like a kid again when i take a break and go. its also a great stop on the way out before break time at the hotel my friends and i love it

 

[Christopher Hoots]

Thanks for the quick responses. I failed to mention that we will only be in the parks for three days. My wife is a teacher and will not be arriving at Disney World until late friday night and are planning to leave around 9:00 Tuesday morning. We did just go to MK on June 9th. Seing as how we were only there for a day then, I did plan ahead as to what and where we wanted to eat. I had several options ready just depending where we were when it was time to eat. The kids did good with the long day at MK in June. But that was only one day.

Thanks again