disney 'must do's'

[jbcarbs]

hi. i was wondering if anyone had advice on the things we MUST do with a 3 & 4 year old....our first visit to disney is in may & we need some advice! thanks! jbcarbs

 

[Faldred]

Not to be pedantic about it, but the #1 "must do" is to ignore all "must dos" and simply have fun.

That said...

You know your kids better than anyone else, and you should be able to pick up on their cues.

Will they enjoy interacting with characters? If yes, try booking a character meal or two, or set time aside for meet & greets in the parks. If not, don't plan on "forcing" them into those situations.

Parades can be fun, but often require getting there early to get a viewing spot.

Do you think they will like rides in general? If so, make sure you read the tips around here as to how to avoid long waits -- children are not known for their patience! -- on many of the attractions. Be especially sure to research the rides so that you know what might be too scary or intense for your children.

 

[Perditamarie]

Welcome to the DIS!!!

Definately visit the playground areas of each park so little ones can get out fo the stroller and have a good run..watch out for water squirters though!

At MK, just about everything in Fantasyland is perfect...watch out for the Snow White ride, though, it is a bit dark and scary. Buzz Lightyear ride, Pirates of the Carribean and Autotopia are also a lot of fun. Check out Poohs Thoughtful spot.

At DHS, we loved Playhouse Disney show and Toy Story Mania and Beauty and the Beast show is excellent. The Honey I Shrunk the kids playground is a lot of fun...we always have 1 parent man the exit and 1 w/the kids if you think they are too young to roam on their own.

At AK, we love Festival of the Lion King show and Kilamanjaro safari. The boneyard is a lot of fun..there is a dig site just perfect for little ones! Watch out for It's Tough to be a Bug...may be too loud/scary/dark for your kids.

At Epcot, we enjoy Figment and Nemo and love doing the Kidcot funstops around World Showcase....kids can color a mask and collect charms from each country. Ellens Energy ride is long and has loud/scary dinos, but is great for a cool rest (the dinos are at the beginning after the pre show). Watch out for Honey I Shrunk the Audience...young kids can find this scary.

Don't forget to schedule plenty of pool time at your resort, your kids will love it as much as the parks!!

 

[beach__barbie95]

one thing your little ones would surely enjoy would be the ride in epcot where the aqaurium is the little nemo ride where you follow nemo and friends its fun and relaxing

 

[sandrabees]

Welcome to the DIS!!!

Definately visit the playground areas of each park so little ones can get out fo the stroller and have a good run..watch out for water squirters though!

At MK, just about everything in Fantasyland is perfect...watch out for the Snow White ride, though, it is a bit dark and scary. Buzz Lightyear ride, Pirates of the Carribean and Autotopia are also a lot of fun. Check out Poohs Thoughtful spot.

At DHS, we loved Playhouse Disney show and Toy Story Mania and Beauty and the Beast show is excellent. The Honey I Shrunk the kids playground is a lot of fun...we always have 1 parent man the exit and 1 w/the kids if you think they are too young to roam on their own.

At AK, we love Festival of the Lion King show and Kilamanjaro safari. The boneyard is a lot of fun..there is a dig site just perfect for little ones! Watch out for It's Tough to be a Bug...may be too loud/scary/dark for your kids.

At Epcot, we enjoy Figment and Nemo and love doing the Kidcot funstops around World Showcase....kids can color a mask and collect charms from each country. Ellens Energy ride is long and has loud/scary dinos, but is great for a cool rest (the dinos are at the beginning after the pre show). Watch out for Honey I Shrunk the Audience...young kids can find this scary.

Don't forget to schedule plenty of pool time at your resort, your kids will love it as much as the parks!!

are the shows free? or is it added cost? where can you see more about them

 

[Perditamarie]

The shows are included w/admission to each park. When you go through the turnstiles, make sure you get a map and list of show and parade times. DHS probably has the most shows....there is also an Indiana Jones show and Lights! Motors! Action! which is a must for car lovers/boys/big boys! and also Muppets 3d and Little Mermaid.

At AK, there is Nemo the musical and Festival of the Lion King (truly excellent) and a sweet bird show..

 

[Tink&PirateMama]

hi. i was wondering if anyone had advice on the things we MUST do with a 3 & 4 year old....our first visit to disney is in may & we need some advice! thanks! jbcarbs

What I did with my kids was a few character meals with their favorites (which at that time were pooh and princess), so we didn't have to wait in lines to see them. I also looked through the websites and of the attractions I knew they would like, I talked to them about it, and made a list. Honestly, our first trip with the kids at that age we ONLY went to the MK (for 4 days!), and it was perfect. We went back to the hotel (poly) for naps, and just took it easy. It was a completely amazing trip and we had the best time! Our very favorite thing was the pirate and princess party, but lunch at the castle was a close second, the BBB my daughter LOVED, and they loved the pooh ride and also (surpisingly- but my kids like spooky, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this) the haunted mansion. A great break, and really fun, is the philharmagic at MK too, I would do that, and it's something you sit down for awhile, always nice! Really, I mean, at that age, MK is just amazing, it's totally magic, it's spectacular to see them- when they saw tinkerbell and peter pan in the parade they were just awestruck!

This time, at 4 and 5, we spent 9 days and went to all four parks, and I did the same thing- made a list and discussed it- we did not get to do it all, and that's OK! We all picked our favorites (and those we did multiple times). They really loved the playgrounds (especially the dino one at AK), stopping to snack and most of all, play in the resort pool! Make sure you include downtime for the pool (and for you!). They actually both learned to swim at the resort pool last month. Think of it this way, what you don't get to see, will get to make the next trip extra special. In 9 days, we still missed all waterparks, spectromagic, fantasmic, and the epcot fireworks, LOL! So we have plenty to keep us busy that is all brand new next trip We did however, do star wars ride several times, including doing the jedi academy, and if your kids are into star wars, wow I really recommend it!

Have a really wonderful time

 

[homedad]

you "must" build in a break everyday from the parks and bring a stroller for both children....you also must have fun......i

 

[4Ms Family]

Just subscribing to this thread as I will be travelling with my two toddlers this September.

 

[DRS_Are_Best]

The most important thing is to HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!! You know your kids best and know what they may or may not like -- what scares them, etc.

We took ds when he was 13 months old -- was the first vacation we took after becoming parents. He LOVED the Tiki Bird show (MK) and fell in LOVE with Bear (from Bear In the Big Blue House) at the Playhouse Disney show (DHS). Now, the show is totally different now (since BITBBH is no longer on), but we are DEFINITELY planning to see those 2 shows! If your kids watch and enjoy Playhouse Disney, that is a GREAT one to go to since they already know the characters.

The best advice I can give is (1) plan for quiet time(s) each day and (2) follow your kids' cues -- if they don't like something, don't do it again!

As I said at the beginning of this response, HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF FUN!!!!!!!!!!

 

[W21981Brick]

Funny you ask, DH, DS(8) and I were watching old video of our son at WDW at ages 4 and 5 just last weekend. One of his joys was running around in the splash fountains at Downtown Disney and Epcot. We were always prepared w/ a extra change of clothes and sandals, we could sit and watch him laugh and have fun for quite a long time. Enjoy the trip w/ your little ones, make time for unplanned things and you will be fine.

 

[an_evans]

Must do- Double stroller, shade, and a popsicle!

 

[szubie1]

 

[Darcy03231]

I took my niece for her first trip in October 2008. Her top 10 favorites, in order, are:

1. Swimming in the pool

2. Playing in the Winnie the Pooh Playground and the Chip n' Dale Playground (Magic Kingdom).

3. Being made up like Princess Ariel (Bibbity, Bobbity Boutique).

4. Having dinner with Cinderella (1900 Park Fare) and breakfast with the Princess (Askerhaus). She also really liked Chef Mickeys, Crystal Palace and Coral Reef.

5. The fast rollercoaster (Test Track)

6. Splash Mountain

7. Thunder Mountain

8. The Beauty & the Beast show (Hollywood Studios)

9. Lion King Show (Animal Kingdom)

10. Seeing the animals (Conservation Station as Animal Kingdom)

As you can see out of her top 10, only three are rides. You never know what will appeal to kids. We did do Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party which was in her top 10 but I left it out since it doesn't apply to you (actually it was Trick or Treating - all that candy you know).

I found the best thing was to take our time, not to try to cram too much in and allow for plenty of down time. I planned my trip around the theory of quality and not quantity. We had a wonderful trip and only had tears once during the whole week (we were leaving the park because it was closing and she didn't want to go).

Have a wonderful trip.

 

[jen22984]

Just subscribing.....we are taking our first trip in Sept. Will have a 1 and 2 yr old.

 

[tam626]

We took our 3 yr. old boy in Oct. He loved the cars at tomorrowland speedway. Daddy let him drive & he just loved it!