Planning a Trip on Short Notice

[iDamien]

Hey everyone!

I'll be traveling to Orlando for a business trip next week, and I thought it'd be the perfect time to take the family with so we can go to Disney World (I have a 5.5 year old and a 10 month old)! We'll be there for 7 days. EXCITING!

I've done a ton of research, but most of the advice/guides I've seen is for planning an actual trip weeks/months in advance, but not for more ad-hoc/short notice trips.

The first thing I do need some advice: what the heck are my options for food when I'm, literally, only 8 days out (e.g. Trying to do Character dinners, etc)? Just wing it? No budget btw,, just a great recommendation can go a long way here.

Here's a planned schedule (EDIT: Updated based on some feedback -- thanks everyone!) I was thinking:

• Sunday: We fly in the evening, so nothing here.
• Monday: "Day off", maybe have a chill day for them at the resort pool while I go work
• Tuesday: Epcot (Or HS?)
• Wednesday: Disney Typhoon Water Park -- the idea here was to give the kids another water day, and not deal with the stress of the parks
• Thursday: AK (Grandma will come on the Brightline from South Florida)
• Friday: MK (Maybe?)
• Saturday: MK
• Sunday: Fly home in the morning

The thing about the parks is with the 10 month old: obviously can't stay out there all day, and sometimes napping outside can go so far. My logic was, during the week I'm working to have Mom only go there for a couple hours, go back to the hotel for a couple hours, then go back out after 4PM-ish (Where I can join them). I'm just a bit stuck on how to do dinner.

To pile on: I'm also struggling a bit with activities/what to do there. We have our standards low, but if Mom goes by herself in the morning (For example), what are some options that won't drive her/the kiddos bonkers? We're troopers and can handle the kiddos solo when needed, but going there with no itinerary/suggestions on where to go could be a disaster. Should we just do the half-day tickets, and go after 4PM once I'm done for the day? It also seems everything, festive-wise for Halloween, is completely sold out. What are the options there? Use a travel agency? Go second-hand market? Pray? Do the rain dance?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[NYCgrrl]

As far

 

[R&RsMom]

I might suggest going to the water park after your first park day, to provide a break. Do you have accommodations yet? If offsite, make sure the transportation is easy for one parent and 2 kiddos. For table service and character meals, you can see if anything’s available now, check the day before or day of - people cancel all the time. You may be able to do walk up some places, but less likely I think for character meals. Halloween party tickets are not transferable, so no legitimate secondary market. You could try stopping at the ticket booth day of the party, but it’s at best iffy that they would have any tickets. You’ll still have a great time.

 

[iDamien]

I might suggest going to the water park after your first park day, to provide a break. Do you have accommodations yet? If offsite, make sure the transportation is easy for one parent and 2 kiddos.

Yep -- accommodations is at one of the Marriott properties over in Kissimmee (only 8 minutes away by uber/car)

For table service and character meals, you can see if anything’s available now, check the day before or day of - people cancel all the time. You may be able to do walk up some places, but less likely I think for character meals. Halloween party tickets are not transferable, so no legitimate secondary market. You could try stopping at the ticket booth day of the party, but it’s at best iffy that they would have any tickets. You’ll still have a great time.

What's some of the recommendations? Was surprised to see
Princess Storybook Dining Dinner at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall was available, so I booked something there. Should I do a character dinner every time?

And bummer with the Halloween stuff. Is there anything related to Halloween that's still festive outside of Tower of Terror?

 

[MICKIMINI]

I saw your response that your Marriott is just 8 minutes away....okay, stop right there. Those roads between where you will be and WDW and on WDW and huge multi lane roads with frequent lights and bumper to bumper traffic. I hope you have GPS as you will need it. Plan on ONE HOUR to get to a park, water park, DS or anyplace at WDW. MK is even longer as you have to park at TTC and take the tram into MK. With kids, 90 minutes is the minimum to get to the gate from your hotel..

Please add up the time going to and from as it is very real. When I first started going eons ago, there were two lane roads. Those adds are very misleading and the biggest tip I give to people planning trips is LEAVE EARLY. Efficiency in all you do is crucial. You don't have much time to study this so IMO, plan to do the easiest meals possible even if it costs a bit more. Time is your currency at WDW and the more you drive around, the less time for fun.

Plan on leaving at least 2 hours early for Story Book at EPCOT - at least. Topolino's at RIV has a great character breakfast. Chef Mickey at The Contemporary. Story Book at Wilderness Lodge. Much easier to get to as they are at resorts, not MK (most difficult to get to). MNSSHP is sold out and it is really more geared to teens and adults. You will get the same vibe at night without trick or treating. Little kids can wear costumes anytime.

I would send them out on Monday and take a break midweek. There are no 1/2 day tickets. You should look at the daily park schedules and choose days that have long hours so you can send them in early and have a chance to go back if everyone cooperates. MNSSHP dates MK closes at 4 pm I believe. I would do MK again so you can enjoy two days at a slower speed. Some of the best memories are chance encounters with characters, parades or enjoying the little details at each park. There will be Halloween decorations until parks close on Halloween and decorations will begin to change over time.

Enjoy!

 

[sdk1231]

My daughter is a CM at the Grand Floridian (she used to work at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios). She lives in Kissimmee near Animal Kingdom. (You can literally see her apartment from the Animal Kingdom Lodge). We drive back and forth to MK all the time and it takes about 20 min in non-rush hour traffic. It's about 5 min to DAK, of course. Epcot and Studios are 10-15 min. I don't personally find the roads huge, and have never experienced bumper-to-bumper traffic. Just got back from a trip this past week. I go many times a year, always last minute (last month I went with 1 day advance notice). You'll have a blast. Regarding Halloween, don't sweat not having party tickets. MK is very Halloween-y this time of year with lots of decorations and Halloween treats.

Regarding dining, definitely wing it! I never book Advance Dining Reservations. I always book on the app day-of, and find tons of availability, even for "hard to get" locations. (People hoard ADR's and then drop them day before/day of). A couple of suggestions for character meals:

Hollywood & Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios - for Halloween fun, you might consider this. The characters are in their Halloween costumes. This restaurant always has availability.

1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian - I love the dinner here. Breakfast also good. Characters very interactive. Really good food. You could hit this up on your way to/from the MK. Park at the MK parking lot, monorail over to the Grand Floridian. From there you can monorail or boat to the MK. (Or do the reverse, head to the MK and then boat/monorail to the GF on your way out.)

Plan/Park Thoughts - I think your plan looks good. Your 5 year old will love MK and DAK. There is some kid appeal at Studios. The little kids I've travelled with have disliked Epcot. Typhoon Lagoon, I cannot speak to, as I've never been there. But I always thought it was geared more toward older kids? I'm not sure.

Have a great time!

 

[iDamien]

I saw your response that your Marriott is just 8 minutes away....okay, stop right there. Those roads between where you will be and WDW and on WDW and huge multi lane roads with frequent lights and bumper to bumper traffic. I hope you have GPS as you will need it. Plan on ONE HOUR to get to a park, water park, DS or anyplace at WDW. MK is even longer as you have to park at TTC and take the tram into MK. With kids, 90 minutes is the minimum to get to the gate from your hotel..

Am....am I missing something here? My resort is over by ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. If I take something like a Minnie Van, it would take me an hour and a half?????

Please add up the time going to and from as it is very real. When I first started going eons ago, there were two lane roads. Those adds are very misleading and the biggest tip I give to people planning trips is LEAVE EARLY. Efficiency in all you do is crucial. You don't have much time to study this so IMO, plan to do the easiest meals possible even if it costs a bit more. Time is your currency at WDW and the more you drive around, the less time for fun.

My mindset was for everyone to get up around the same time on park days, and essentially get there before it opens (8:30/9AM), and we keep expectations low (Let the 5.5 year old take it all in; little one won't even care and probably wants to crawl around). Maybe try to get a ride in, but the point was to stay for a couple hours, then they head back to grab some grub (lunch), then relax a couple hours, before heading back out with me for dinner. The midday nap is crucial from what I read!

Plan on leaving at least 2 hours early for Story Book at EPCOT - at least. Topolino's at RIV has a great character breakfast. Chef Mickey at The Contemporary. Story Book at Wilderness Lodge. Much easier to get to as they are at resorts, not MK (most difficult to get to). MNSSHP is sold out and it is really more geared to teens and adults. You will get the same vibe at night without trick or treating. Little kids can wear costumes anytime.

You actually brought up a concern I've been having: is it better to go straight to dinner from the hotel, or from WDW??? My worry is the little one: I just have a feeling he could be melting by dinner time (Hence the midday nap).

I would send them out on Monday and take a break midweek. There are no 1/2 day tickets. You should look at the daily park schedules and choose days that have long hours so you can send them in early and have a chance to go back if everyone cooperates.

Understood. It was just the rides: what are the must for a 5.5 year old? Completely understand rides are only done by height, but especially if Mom is by herself, not quite sure how that would work.

MNSSHP dates MK closes at 4 pm I believe. I would do MK again so you can enjoy two days at a slower speed. Some of the best memories are chance encounters with characters, parades or enjoying the little details at each park. There will be Halloween decorations until parks close on Halloween and decorations will begin to change over time.

Enjoy!

Oh, boo (no pun intended). There's reservations slots for Cinderella's Table past 9PM, but I'm thinking you'd need a ticket to MNSSHP to be able to stay, and looks like that's the case.

But I'm seeing park guest for MNSSHP can arrive as early as 4PM, but MK closes at the time as well? The party doesn't start until 7!!!

Plan/Park Thoughts - I think your plan looks good. Your 5 year old will love MK and DAK. There is some kid appeal at Studios. The little kids I've travelled with have disliked Epcot. Typhoon Lagoon, I cannot speak to, as I've never been there. But I always thought it was geared more toward older kids? I'm not sure.

Have a great time!

Very interesting! I've seen blogs say Epcot is more kiddie friendly than HS (Like more stuff to do).

Which is cool with me. I just want to overpay building a lightsaber and nerding out over the Star Wars stuff .

 

[Anna131517]

I’m confused. What days / hours are you working, and when will grandma have the kids? Will grandma have access to a car? Do you have a partner who’s also coming on the trip?

If grandma has the kids solo I’d let her decide what she wants to do - and if she’s comfortable handling an infant and 5 yr old in the parks on her own. I think a water park with two very young children would be especially stressful if she’s on her own, but doable if you’re there. I think the easiest park for her to take the kids to by herself would be animal kingdom, especially if she drives there. Because kids that age don’t stay up late I wouldn’t plan on hitting the parks with them after you get off work, presuming you work regular hours. Maybe just plan to hit the parks on days you’re not working. Just keep an eye on the Disney app for dining reservations. If you can’t get table service then do quick serve. I would prioritize MK, then AK, then EP for the five year old. I agree there’s less for a 5 year old to do at HS.

 

[iDamien]

I’m confused. What days / hours are you working, and when will grandma have the kids? Will grandma have access to a car? Do you have a partner who’s also coming on the trip?

Work days is Monday-Thursday; if it's light, I wrap up around 1/2PM. If it's busy, then i'll wrap up in the evening (4/5). If it's insane (Doubt it), then it could go late into the evening

Just me, my lady, and the kiddos (5.5 years and 10 months). Grandma comes up Thursday. My sister is still up in the air.

If grandma has the kids solo I’d let her decide what she wants to do - and if she’s comfortable handling an infant and 5 yr old in the parks on her own. I think a water park with two very young children would be especially stressful if she’s on her own, but doable if you’re there. I think the easiest park for her to take the kids to by herself would be animal kingdom, especially if she drives there. Because kids that age don’t stay up late I wouldn’t plan on hitting the parks with them after you get off work, presuming you work regular hours. Maybe just plan to hit the parks on days you’re not working. Just keep an eye on the Disney app for dining reservations. If you can’t get table service then do quick serve. I would prioritize MK, then AK, then EP for the five year old. I agree there’s less for a 5 year old to do at HS.

I see where the disconnect is -- apologies on that. By "Mom", I meant my lady/mom of the kiddos, not my mother (Grandma).

One thing I'll call out (Btw thanks for the help everyone, it's starting to come together. Already have three character dinner reservations on the agenda): no car due to the proximity (Plus I thought a car would become a burden due to parking). I told my mom (Grandma) to take the train in, and just Uber/Lyft. Did I make a mistake? Because if having a car is worth it, then I'll just tell her to drive.

 

[ArielDreams]

Just my 2 cents as I am planning my next trip when my kids will be 6 and 11 months…

I have a big note in my planning doc to remind myself not to overload us with ADRs! It’s so unpredictable what the little one’s schedule will be, when we’ll get back to the parks after nap etc that I’d rather just wing it. Last trip we did have some success with the walk-up list and ADR slots can become available due to cancellations.

I would not want to take the kids solo to Typhoon Lagoon. Logistically, I don’t think I could watch the baby while doing slides with the older one. It would be an expensive day just for pool time which I would assume you could accomplish with the pool at your resort.

 

[sdk1231]

Jumping in again... to clarify, Magic Kingdom closes to day guests at 6pm on Party nights. MK has lower crowds on party days as a result of the early closure. For this reason, many people plan to visit MK on party days to take advantage of lower wait times. It's a good strategy.

I read through the above. I'd been a bit confused, but I think I've got it straight. You're going Sun-Sun. You, your wife (Mom), 10mo old and 5 yr old. Grandma joins on Thurs. You're working Mon-Thursday. Got it.

If I were planning this trip I would be most concerned about making life "do-able" for Mom with the baby and the 5 year old on Mon, Tues, Wed when she's solo with the kids. I consider myself a park pro. I go all the time, know all the ins and outs and logistics. Even so, I shudder at the thought of doing parks solo with a baby and a 5 year old. Maybe I'm a wimp. You know yourselves best. If Mom is up for that, then more power to her! If planning for myself with 3 days basically solo with an infant and little kid, I might do something like this:

Sunday - arrival day

Monday - You go work, Mom/kids have a nice resort day. Evening, Uber to the Grand Floridian for dinner at 1900 Park Fare. Meet Cinderella, Aladdin, Maribel and Tiana. It's an extremely kid friendly buffet location with Grand Floridian Culinary high quality food. Step outside and walk to your left, grab a table at the patio by the Marina and gaze at the castle. Let your 5 y.o. play some lawn games. Go upstairs to the 2nd floor and hop on the monorail. Ride it all the way around, passing the Contemporary, the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC), the Poly and back to the Grand. Free ride and your kid will love it. Hop off at the various resorts if you want to have a look around.

Tuesday - You go to work. Mom/kids have a nice resort day. Evening, you all head to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Eat dinner at Hollywood and Vine and see Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Pluto in their Halloween costumes. Ride Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway. Head to Toy Story Land. Ride Alien Swirling Saucers, Toy Story Mania and maybe Slinky Dog Dash. 5 y.o. will like Toy Story Land. Head on into Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. Enjoy the ambiance. Build a droid! Build a lightsaber! Have a drink at Oga's. You could probably ride Rise and Millenium Falcon (not sure of the height requirements for those). Then if you're up for it, go see Fantasmic before heading out. Tons of characters.

Wed - You go to work. Mom/kids Uber to Cape May character breakfast at the Beach Club resort. Characters are cute in their beach outfits. Mom/kids could then stroll around the lake and the boardwalk before returning to your resort. Evening, Uber to Epcot for your Princess Storybook Dining dinner. Maybe ride Remy, Frozen, Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth and Turtle Talk (I'm struggling to think of any other kid rides at Epcot) and watch the fireworks. OR save your money on the park ticket and consider dinner at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary (Mickey/Minnie buffet, kinda loud, but kids like it) or Story Book Dining (Snow White) at Wilderness Lodge, or Boma buffet at Animal Kingdom Lodge (where you can then go outside and look at the animals).

Thurs - Yay! Grandma Arrives! Maybe Mom/Grandma hit up Animal Kingdom with the kids. See the sights, ride Safari, see the Lion King show, see the Bird show (it's really good), do the animal trails, let the kids play at Dinoland if you can stand the carnival atmosphere.

Friday - You're off!! Rope drop Magic Kingdom. This is a party day, with lower crowds. Head straight for Peter Pan which gets heinous lines very quickly. Other rides in that area are Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, Teacups, Little Mermaid, Small World, Carousel. Tomorrowland Speedway is right by Teacups. Barnstormer rollercoaster is probably okay for your 5 y.o. You could let your kid play in the water play area by Dumbo. You could ride the train (stops at Main Street, Frontierland, and Fantasyland). You could maybe do Haunted Mansion and Pirates if you think your 5 y.o. would like those. Shows include Country Bears, Tiki Birds, Mickey's Philharmagic, Hall of Presidents. All air conditioned. Grab lunch somewhere. CRT/BOG are a little heavy for lunch and take too long in my opinion. For lunch with a 5 year old, I'd probably choose Crystal Palace and see Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore. After lunch I'd hang around for the 2 p.m. Festival of Fantasy parade which heads down Main Street right by Crystal Palace. I'd head out after the parade because I'd be tired by then LOL. You might want to make the most of your ticket and power through til 6 p.m. Evening - head to another park if you have Park Hopper tickets and lots of energy. If no hopper, maybe do one of the resort character dinners you haven't done yet.

Saturday - do whatever you want during the day, but be sure to hit up Magic Kingdom to see the Happily Ever After fireworks show at 8:30 p.m. Your kiddo will be amazed (and so will you). It'll be a great end to your trip.

Whatever you do, you're going to have a great time. Nothing like a last minute surprise Disney vacation!

 

[lanejudy]

If I take something like a Minnie Van, it would take me an hour and a half?????

Minnie Vans are only on-property, you cannot take one to/from an off-site hotel. So will you be relying on Uber/Lyft or hotel shuttle? Travel time is definitely a consideration. "8-minutes away" from which park? For example, close to MK is not necessarily close to AK or DHS. The property is HUGE. That 8-minutes is probably best timing without traffic, which may be reasonable depending on the time of day. But also include time to wait for the ride-share pick-up, time to get into the parking lot for drop-off, time to walk from drop-off into the park (drop-off at MK is at the TTC and then requires a ferry or monorail to the park), and it could easily be 45 minutes from leaving the hotel room before you even get in the first attraction queue. Reverse that for going back to the hotel. Once my family leaves the park we are done for the day.

Should we just do the half-day tickets, and go after 4PM once I'm done for the day?

Unless your work is a conference with access to special tickets, WDW does not regularly sell half-day admission. It's the same price whether you go for 2 hours or 12 hours.

Any dining within a park will require valid admission ticket. That's a pretty hefty price to go just for a meal, and character dinners are pricey already. I'd look more at resort dining.

Completely understand rides are only done by height, but especially if Mom is by herself, not quite sure how that would work.

Most of Fantasyland at MK is not height restricted. Here's a list of height-restrictions and you'll see many are "any height." The baby can go on any without a height restriction; when mom is solo with the kids they'll need to stick to attractions without a height limit.

Wednesday: Disney Typhoon Water Park -- the idea here was to give the kids another water day, and not deal with the stress of the parks

Skip the water park. Your 5-yr-old will be thrilled with a hotel pool. Waterparks aren't worth it with really little ones, and since mom would be solo with the kids it's not much different than hanging at the hotel pool.

And bummer with the Halloween stuff. Is there anything related to Halloween that's still festive outside of Tower of Terror?

The parks and resorts are decorated. Many campers at Fort Wilderness Campground also put up decorations. I don't know if the travel time is worth it, but an Uber to the TTC and then boat to the campground might be fun. Golf carts can be rented but are often sold-out, so you might be limited to the loops you can walk. Still could be fun for the 5-yr-old. But it's a lot of travel time with little ones.


It's definitely do-able. But both you and your partner need to have very very low expectations of what you'll be able to do actually at WDW property -- be that parks, waterparks, dining, etc.

 

[loves to dive]

A few points since you've already had some good answers. The front of Epcot is very kid friendly and the baby can ride just about every ride. Both kids will be able to ride - The Seas with Nemo, Living with the Land, Figment, SpaceShip Earth, the ride in Mexico, Frozen, Remy. Baby will not be able to ride Soarin, depends on height for the 5 year old. Moana is a walk through water type thing so both kids can do it. The Kid Kots in World Showcase in Epcot might be fun for the 5 year old.

I would not rent a car, if you can swing the Uber/Lyft cost go with that. I would not book a bunch of character meals. The baby is probably not going to tolerate the length of a lot of them, I know when my grand daughter was that age she was afraid of the non-face characters.

Both kids can ride everything in FantasyLand at MK, they can also ride Pirates and Haunted Mansion but HM might depend on the 5 year olds tolerance for dark spaces. Both kids can ride PeopleMover and go on Buzz Lightyear at MK, Buzz might not be too fun for the 5 year old.

Only 2 rides in AK that both kids can ride - Navi River Journey and the Safari. They can both take the train to Rafiki's planet watch where there is a petting zoo. I would only pick one show in AK to go to, my grand daughter wouldn't tolerate sitting still for more than one at the baby's age.

Both kids can ride Mickey and Minnie's, Aliens, Toy Story Mid-way and go to the shows at HS.

We have been taking my grand daughter since she was 5 months old. She is 3 now and has already been 4 times. Her favorite park is Epcot believe it or not.

 

[MICKIMINI]

A response to your quotes of my initial post:

It takes a very long time to get anywhere around WDW. 40 square miles large, it is size of a city. Crowded with tourists each day, not all of whom stay onsite, locals and delivery vehicles make for a very busy place. Think of getting kids out of your hotel, into your vehicle, driving "only 8 minutes" in perfect weather/traffic conditions and then having to go through a gate (another potential back up), parking (with lots of other guests), getting the kids out of the car and walking to the park. Then you get in a security line and then walk to your ADR. I've done it hundreds of times over 50 years. Yes, it takes a LOT of time.

Rides at MK for kids: Anything they are tall enough to get on. Do head back to the #1 ride they want to do first and be ready to be flexible.

MNSSHP: Party guests can get in at 4 pm even though it is listed as 7 pm. It takes a very long time to "encourage" day ticket guests to leave.

EPCOT: At 3 yo our son fell in love with geography at EPCOT, we went overseas with him as a young kid and he and his wife travel internationally several times a year. EPCOT started it all for him. Kids either love it or they aren't interested. There weren't many rides when he first went in the early 1990's, but he soaked up the atmosphere like a sponge.

Many good suggestions. Another is make sure you have a few snacks on hand for cranky kids along with some juice boxes. Standing in line for a between meal pick me up is another waste of time, though snacking around WDW is truly a fun thing, just that little kids have no tolerance for waiting for a fancy snack at F & W!

Enjoy!

 

[sponica]

How do you plan on transporting the 10 month old around? Are you bringing your own seat? There aren't a ton of ubers left with car seats and 10 month olds can go either way as to whether they are still in the removable bucket seat (which mine never stayed in past 6 months because they were so freaking tall) or a rear facing 5 point.

I'm not sure which Marriott property you're at (there are soooooo many), we stayed at one of the timeshares (I think Sabal Palms) and I want to say it was about 20ish minutes from the resort to the TTC? But we had a rental car with us, and honestly offsite with a 10 month old, I'd want a rental car so that I could install my own car seat into it

 

[BlueGreen5]

The first thing I do need some advice: what the heck are my options for food when I'm, literally, only 8 days out (e.g. Trying to do Character dinners, etc)? Just wing it? No budget btw,, just a great recommendation can go a long way here.

You won't starve, if that's what you are worried about lol. There are a ton of options in and around the parks that don't require reservations. You might also want to think about packing meals - you're allowed to bring outside food and non-alcoholic drinks into parks as long as you abide by their container rules (which are common sense and you can easily find on the WDW website). At MK and EPCOT, you have countless options in the park as well as 3-5 resorts within easy walking distance that all have several walk-up dining options a piece. At AK, there is nothing right outside the park, but plenty to eat in the park. At HS, it's a longer walk or boat ride to the EPCOT resorts, but you have those as well as a healthy number of choices in the park that don't require or even accept any sort of reservation. It's probably harder to tell you what your options ARE than what they ARE NOT.

As far as recommendations, we love taking the monorail to the Polynesian or Contemporary for dinner on MK days (Grand Floridian has options too, just not our favorite -- personal preference is all that is). We'll eat inside the park at HS and AK. From EPCOT, we might go to Pizza Window on the Boardwalk or Beaches n Cream at Beach Club. We might even take the Skyliner from EPCOT and eat at Sebastiens at Caribbean Beach resort.

• Wednesday: Disney Typhoon Water Park -- the idea here was to give the kids another water day, and not deal with the stress of the park

Overkill, IMO. Your 5.5yo is probably not tall enough to do a lot. And it's big, so really scary for one adult to try to handle two kids.

To pile on: I'm also struggling a bit with activities/what to do there. We have our standards low, but if Mom goes by herself in the morning (For example), what are some options that won't drive her/the kiddos bonkers? We're troopers and can handle the kiddos solo when needed, but going there with no itinerary/suggestions on where to go could be a disaster. Should we just do the half-day tickets, and go after 4PM once I'm done for the day?

I would be willing to take a 5.5yo and 10mo by myself to any of the parks. The 10mo can't walk, I assume, so really (s)he is just dead weight. MK is going to have plenty of attractions that the three of them can do together. EPCOT is probably not bad either - probably 8 or 9 attractions that are relatively easy to do with one adult and two small kids and then obviously the world showcase is fun for them to experience with minimal stress. HS and AK are going to be a little tougher just because they are both limited on the number of non-thrill attractions they have, but even in those two parks, there are shows, performers, parades, characters, and some attractions for the littlest ones. For example, at HS, there are the Frozen and Beauty and the Beast shows that could easily eat up two hours. At AK, there are the Nemo and Lion King shows that could do the same.

I would recommend developing some sort of plan, though. It's really tough trying to figure out "what's next" with little ones who are on an emotional roller coaster.

It also seems everything, festive-wise for Halloween, is completely sold out. What are the options there? Use a travel agency? Go second-hand market? Pray? Do the rain dance?

I am not aware of any travel agent or second-hand market where you could acquire these if they are sold out. They are non-transferable. I would be extremely skeptical of anyone who tells you that they can sell you one. Your best (and, in my experience, only) bet is to keep calling Disney Guest Services to see if they have anything.

I have a big note in my planning doc to remind myself not to overload us with ADRs! It’s so unpredictable what the little one’s schedule will be, when we’ll get back to the parks after nap etc that I’d rather just wing it.

Good advice. It wasn't that long ago when we were in a similar position and reminded ourselves of the same thing. Frankly, even with the kids being older now, they're still unpredictable and we still cancel like half of our ADRs because they want to do something different.

Wed - You go to work. Mom/kids Uber to Cape May character breakfast at the Beach Club resort. Characters are cute in their beach outfits. Mom/kids could then stroll around the lake and the boardwalk before returning to your resort.

Love this! Cape May is very underrated. Just know that Mickey is not at Cape May -- it's Minnie and Friends. If memory serves, it's Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Goofy, and maybe Pluto?




As far as travel time goes, everyone, of course, has different experiences in life and can only speak to their own. I have never seen bumper to bumper traffic except on a busy day when fireworks at MK end - usually the traffic to get out is a bit nuts. With that said, traveling with the littles is going to take SO MUCH D**N TIME. Like, however long you are thinking something would normally take, plan to double it. Security is different/slower for the stroller crowd. Getting on transportation is harder. Walking is slower (some wonderful Disney adults DGAF if they cut off a child). Attention and ability to follow directions is half of what it normally is.

Have so much fun!

 

[LynnTH]

Will you have a stroller you are bringing? As it is for the baby or both kids? For us, we never went back to the resort mid-day. Took too much time away. But both of our kids were good stroller sleepers, so could still wander around and do things as they slept.

A double stroller would be ideal, for keeping both kids contained while only the Mom is there.

Will you have Park Hoppers? If so, I would plan a MK Day during a party day with lower crowds. Can go somewhere else after if you are up to it. And maybe go another evening after a different park to watch HEA and the Fireworks. Fantasmic is also great over at HS.

 

[iDamien]

How do you plan on transporting the 10 month old around? Are you bringing your own seat? There aren't a ton of ubers left with car seats and 10 month olds can go either way as to whether they are still in the removable bucket seat (which mine never stayed in past 6 months because they were so freaking tall) or a rear facing 5 point.

I'm not sure which Marriott property you're at (there are soooooo many), we stayed at one of the timeshares (I think Sabal Palms) and I want to say it was about 20ish minutes from the resort to the TTC? But we had a rental car with us, and honestly offsite with a 10 month old, I'd want a rental car so that I could install my own car seat into it

That's....a good point. We are going to bring our carseat, but since we weren't going to go to the parks everyday, I didn't consider renting a car, and forgot Minnie Vans don't run off property. Shoot.

We'll be bringing our stroller, and the carseat can attach to that, so that's always an option (But not the preferred one). Google Maps is saying from Hotel, to TTC is 10-15 minutes by car.

For everyone else: One more plot twist as we get to the finish line -- because I'm here for a conference, I do get half-day tickets! There's one for admission after 1PM, after 5PM, and the standard full day ticket.

Will you have Park Hoppers? If so, I would plan a MK Day during a party day with lower crowds. Can go somewhere else after if you are up to it. And maybe go another evening after a different park to watch HEA and the Fireworks. Fantasmic is also great over at HS.

I'm considering it, but I'm not quite sure if it's worth it because of the vast distance of these parks from one another. Maybe on Friday/Saturday?

 

[lanejudy]

I'm considering it, but I'm not quite sure if it's worth it because of the vast distance of these parks from one another. Maybe on Friday/Saturday?

The park-hopper option is the same price whether you actually hop every day or only 1 day. Honestly I don't see the value -- especially for your ticket, maybe for mom and the older child if evening plans differ from the morning plans.

 

[jtopp]

Good luck on your trip. One of our best trips was planned 4 days before we left, and everything was spur of the moment. While our trip could have been more organized, the spontaneity made the trip that much more enjoyable. Have fun.