Any 'must do' things for a first timer??

[krichbourg]

I hope that this is in the right place. I've been to Disney YEARS ago...but we are taking our children for the first time. They are 14, 11 and 3 1/2. Since I got remarried...we've done parks...Universal/Islands every single year and Sea World...but have been waiting on the baby to get to the right age to really ENJOY Disney! We are going in Feb and I'm hoping to find some neat tips and tricks for his first visit!!!

I know that with the girls, the princess breakfast is a big deal. What about for a 3 1/2 yo little boy?? He LOVES Mickey Mouse...and I just know that he's going to be blown away by it all!!

Thank you in advance for your suggestions!!

 

[noahdove]

WOW!! How wonderful I would certainly recommend Chef Mickey's for breakfast..Great character interaction for all, but Mickey is there for your little one. The other thing I can say is to take it slow and enjoy every minute because each day is different and take lots of pictures... Be sure too, to rest at some point in the day...even if he doesn't nap, let him veg out without busyness.. maybe even watch the Disney channel for an hour...While someone stays with him, the girls could rest(heaven forbid they tire) or let them swim...Magic Kingdom is so full of awesome things for everyone, it may take you 2 days to do and really enjoy it. Try to see Disney thru his eyes and drink in all the magic...You don't say when you are going in Feb. I hope it isn't busy..anyway, just enjoy the time with your family...I'm sending pixie dust to help with the magic.

 

[GoinToDisney]

Here are our musts:

MK- Fantasy Land especially Pooh, Philharmagic, and Small World (dd called it the happy house last year when she was 2 1/2) Spectro, ***Wishes*** and Crystal Palace for lunch or dinner
AK- Nemo show, Festival of the Lion King, K. Safari, Jammin Jungle Parade
DHS- Play House Disney, Muppets, Lunch with Jojo at H&V trying High school musical PR this trip too
EP- Nemo ride, Turtle Talk with Crush, dinner at LeCellier

Another must not at parks is to show ride throughs on youtube and explain that the rides will be darker inside so that we can see the pretty colors better.

Scary things we will skip (but we only have a 3 1/2 yo dd, no older kids):
MK- haunted mansion got away with it when she was younger, but not now
AK- It's Tough to be a Bug
EP- Not skip, but make sure to hide eyes or distract when we see the scary angler fish on this ride.
DHS- No Fantasmic for us... too much time with the villians.

 

[krichbourg]

How do I sign up for the Chef Mickey thing??

 

[SmallWorld71]

How do I sign up for the Chef Mickey thing??

Call (407) WDW-DINE. If you can't get Chef Mickey's for breakfast or dinner(very popular) he is also available for lunch and dinner at Graden Grill in Epcot, breakfast at 'Ohana at the Polynesian, and breakfast at Tusker House in AK. You may also want to see if you can get an ADR (advance dining reservation) for another restaurant that would appeal to you older ones as well if it is in your budget. My boys really like 'Ohana dinner, Sci-Fi (for the milkshakes not the food) and Biergarten. Whispering Canyon Cafe and Teppan Edo are also good for that age. You can check out the menus on-line at allearsnet.com.

Definitely utilize fast pass and the baby swap so the older ones can go on the big rides without a lot of waiting. If you don't know how this works, let me know and I will explain.

Find out what things the older children really want to do and make sure to work them into your plans. Ex. It was easy to say to my boys that they needed to smile on Dumbo when they knew we had fast passes for Space Mountain. A little give and take will go a long way.

Don't be afraid to split up if necessary. Especially if the little one needs to go back to the hotel for a rest. Also, get to the parks when they open and have a game plan. This can be a tremendous help when traveling with split ages.

Have a magical trip.

 

[bellebuzzandpooh]

I agree with the others that it's great to have some sort of game plan before you arrive at the parks so that you're not just wandering aimlessly wondering what to do.

Also if you're staying on site, try to take advantage of the Extra magic hours! Different parks open early or stay open late on different days to allow resort guests some extra time in the parks. We took advantage of those and got to do so much more than we would've otherwise!

 

[krichbourg]

Thank you for the tips! We've done Universal/Islands of Adventure/SeaWorld enough that I've got the 'park' thing down pat...just not sure what to take advantage of with Disney. Plus my other two are 14 and 11...so splitting up isn't an issue. I'll work on the dining reservations now! Thank you!!! I'll keep yall posted!

 

[krichbourg]

Yeah! We got a late breakfast with Mickey at the Polynesian. Since we have to leave by around 4(Orlando Magic game), this will work out great and serve as brunch for us. I did order the vacation DVD thingy..hoping that it has a map included to help me navigate the grounds. Thank you again for the tips!

 

[SmallWorld71]

Yeah! We got a late breakfast with Mickey at the Polynesian. Since we have to leave by around 4(Orlando Magic game), this will work out great and serve as brunch for us. I did order the vacation DVD thingy..hoping that it has a map included to help me navigate the grounds. Thank you again for the tips!

I haven't been to this one, but it gets good reviews here on the DIS. Besides Mickey, you should meet Lilo and Stitch and I believe, Pluto. And, since it is served family style, you won't even have to leave your seats.

 

[dspads]

Big hits for my 3.5yo little guy:

MK: Spectro Magic parade, Indy Speedway, riding the WDW train, Goofy's Barnstormer

MGM: Car stunt show & Lightning McQueen

Also loved Chef Mickeys & riding with the driver on the monorail.

The plane ride!!!!!!!!!

 

[sumrmist]

I do not have the link anymore but there is a place at the disney website to get free park maps.

 

[bopper]

Remember, he is 3.5 and won't remember any of it later. Don't feel it has to be the "perfect" vacation for him with the perfect activities. He will enjoy things where he doesn't have to sit still in lines (each park as a playground kind of area). I am sure anything to do with transportation (train, monorail, bus) will be a hit. He will probably have more fun riding on the bus or monorail than actual real rides. So keep it slow and when he takes a nap take the big kids on the thrill rides.

 

[krichbourg]

Since Parker is a Thomas the Tank NUT....we'll be sure to ride the train!!!!!