OT: Disney World
- Thread starter tom1944
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As an adult who is pretty much past going on rides Star Wars world is awesome. Id just chill there and drink alien beers.
i figure a 5 year old would be into it (substitute the beers for a kid friendly alien milk drink) as well.
its right next to toy story land which is definitely good for kids too.
i figure a 5 year old would be into it (substitute the beers for a kid friendly alien milk drink) as well.
its right next to toy story land which is definitely good for kids too.
We made a reservation for the Cantina to get out of the extreme heat. My boys loved it. Their drinks steamed, which was enough to get them to stay there for about an hour.
Ya the eating and drinking were part of the attraction. As was the shopping which is not something im typically into but there it was cool.
Timely thread for me! Going on Saturday to WDW with the family. 4 year old boy and two girls 5 and 11. Going for 6 days and staying at the Dolphin. We plan to hit each of MK, Epcot and Hollywood the first three days and then maybe half day at each to round out the week. Any advice on navigating these parks in bad weather? Looks like a tropical system of some sort may bring thunderstorms for a few days next week
Bring rain pants and waterproof shoes. Ponchos and umbrellas are worthless in Florida and will let you still get soaked from the waist down. With the right gear you can walk around with no problems.
It almost always rains in late pm but normally clears out. Most bring rain ponchos… they ‘re cheap and staying dry is nice. Bring extra pair of comfortable sneakers / walking shoes. Wet soggy socks is a bummer. Otherwise enjoy. Everyone has their own favorite parks , restaurants , rides and things to do list. We were there 10 days. 3 days MK ( character dining / meeting other characters etc. ) 2 Days Hollywood Studios Star Wars , 2 days Animal Kingdom Pandora , Epcot food , heat, Ratatouille Ride , Soaring and did I say HEAT? 1 day relaxing at the Contemporary Pool ( rented Cabana for day) last day chill and shop some more. Best if money isn’t an issue stay on a WDW property, if you can elevate to concierge levels even better yet . Since 1980 this was our 7th trip and first with our 6 year old grand daughter. No rushing around …no pressures … actually moderately crowded … a very good time … gonna try again in 2024 Next up Hawaii In May 23 ‘ . It will be our 19 th trip since 2005 missed 2020-21-22) will celebrate 52 years of married bliss in a place we both love more than NJ.
You got it, thanks! Looking forward to being there and being in it rather than stressing about planning it and all the unknowns
Two?
You should buy the main Birnbaum guide and then the Official Guide to WDW.
Also, best website for planning:
AllEars.Net
The Unofficial Disney Vacation Planning Guide - Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line
allears.net
This guy honed in on the most critical "planner" aspect.
Go to https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/ they also sell a planner book
The idea is that restaurants book early.. and parks I suppose.. for a kid of 5 it might be all about The Magic Kingdom park.. maybe Animal Kingdom number 2 if a zoo-like experience is desired. They have some nice behind-the-scenes things you can purchase like with the elephants.. but go early in the day, beat the heat. In summer that's a good plan.. early and late and leave the afternoon to the cold-blooded. Then Holywood Studios if Star Wars or Toy Story land.
Character meals for photos with characters for your 5-year old.
The Contemporary is the most convenient to Magic Kingdom as you can walk there and it has a Monorail station. You can also get a room. Bay Lake Tower is next to Contemporary and you get a room/suite there as well.
Good luck. Learning how to buy and use their new Lightning Lane stuff can save you time waiting in lines.. but planning everything is quite a chore. The parade schedules and shows.. that can be key as well. Rides are secondary, I would think. Hint for the regular 3PM parade.. everyone stakes out space along main street and near the castle.. but the parade starts in Frontierland near Splash Mountain and you can probably see it all there and then get the hell out before it finishes near the train station.
Its a real shame what Disney is doing these days. New CEO just doesn't "get it". They were going to build a new resort over near the Campgrounds where River Country was. Something that would fit the modern western look.. building on the neighboring Wilderness Lodge look. I thought of it as looking very much like the house at the top of Mt. Rushmore in the film North by Northwest.
Anyway.. they canceled that.. but seem to be using all the stuff they had for it for a new resort building between the Grand Floridian Wedding Chapen and the Polynesian.. officially to be a Polynesian DVC (Disney Vacation Club) property. Its look will clash with both Polynesian and the Grand Floridian look. And.. why? To save a few bucks re-using already purchased materials? Crazily short-sighted.. like so many of their recent moves.
There are indoor shows you can hit in each park to duck out on rain (or extreme heat). Lets see if I remember them.. MK has some muppets 3D show, Country Bears, Monsters Inc, Beauty and the Beast.. Philarmagic... Tomorrowland has the people mover going through it were you can dodge a downpour. And the stores of course.
There are shows in the other lands as well... though some are not yet running after CoVid closure. Though Lion King recently came back to its full show. I'm guessing teh Frozen singalong in Hollywood Studios will be a must for your girls... and the boy will like the indoor snow and corny Dad jokes in it.
Animal Kingdom might be the toughest to avoid getting wet. And Toy Story land in Hollywood Studios.
I barely remember anything from when I was five
I went to DisWo at 17 and went on Space Mountain with my 5yr sister on my lap
I had no idea it was a roller coaster (it was dark) and almost lost the sis on abrupt motion
She doesn't remember anything either
They had one for kidsTwo?
You should buy the main Birnbaum guide and then the Official Guide to WDW.
Also, best website for planning:
AllEars.Net
The Unofficial Disney Vacation Planning Guide - Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line
All kids are different and this was quite a few years ago but for our two we should have waited another 4-5 years.
Lion King , Beauty and the Beast , Tough to be a Bug… even for Old Angry Men .
didnt realize the day price tickets...when i booked decades ago i booked via AAA
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/prof...isney-world-143500043.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/prof...isney-world-143500043.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
We used the new Genie plus in order to expedite the rides we really wanted and though it cost us an additional $ 700 it was well worth it. Did not wait more than a few minutes for any rides. Similar to the old fast Passes.
Have to go back and check, but think our youngest may have been 3 or 4 on first visit, and the characters in the costumes with the large heads were a bit intimidating. For the little kid too!
Pro tip. Bring earplugs or wear bluetooth head phones for the Its a Small World Ride!! 😜
I'd suggest not using the DFB they are super click baity, and notorious for treating CMs like trash.
Their "food hacks" pretty much involve being a Karen to get what you want without having to pay for it.
Also if you are going to put up the money for Genie+ watch Mammoth Club's vlogs on YouTube how to get the most out of the system by stacking ride reservations and understanding the timing of the entire thing.
It depends to be honest. You won't get 5 or 6 headliners in a single day unless you buy ILL to something like Rise of the Resistance or Flight of Passage.
I'd say with Genie+ you should get maybe 1-2 headliners no issue and a bunch of secondary high capacity attractions.
Daughter loves Small World. It is a lot of fun. However, the Small World in Disneyland is better! We were in DL summer of 2019 when our little one was 7.
I always stayed in Lake Buena Vista. Closer parks than Irlo Bronson Hwy and less traffic.
Like others said:
Like others said:
- You don't need to do everything.
- Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are more kid friendly
- Expect young children to not react as you may expect. A ride that is minimally or not scary to an adult, may be very scary to a child. I've had to do some unexpected consoling after some rides.
- Always add rest time to your daily plan and be flexible. Pay attention to the whine. Sometimes, going back to the park is not a good choice if your kid needs more rest.
I was basing that on being at one park and selecting appropriate rides for a 5 year old
I figured that takes some very popular rides off the list
Is ILL the Lightening Lane?
Yes, ILL = Individual Lightning Lane aka the attractions you pay directly to get on, you don't need Genie+ for this.
This is something like Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage, Guardians Cosmic Rewind.
The only things for a 5 year old that would go quick via Genie+ would be Frozen or Jungle Cruise.
I say this as someone who loves Disneyland and has an annual pass: it's not worth that much if that amount is real.
I am just guessing figure with the plane, transportation, rooms, dining and park tickets it has to be close to that. He said they are staying at the All Star but they must need 10 to 15 rooms
Crazy as it sounds that cost is probably close to that estimate. A property hotel and top of line, food Airfares and tickets and any bonus perks like genie which by the way CAN NOT be purchased until the day of your park entrance . All Parks are the same… Start choosing at 7:00 am sharp each day. Dining you can pick 60 days prior to trip . At this time ( today) if you are going in August 2024 you can book start 500 days from your initial arrival date. For my family sometime in March of ‘24. Please don’t shoot the messenger . I don’t think that has changed since last week when my wife checked with WDW customer service. They are efficient and extremely helpful.
True story - A former MLB player was in our hotel and on our floor couple weeks ago. We were checking out the same time and started chatting with him. He brought up how kids don't understand money and was complaining about the costs. Made me angry more than anything else given the number of additional zeroes he's earned.
Oh please remember you can hire a cast member for private tours and access to all rides with no wait times . I believe when I last checked it runs between $ 4-6 k for the day. Plus tip… based also on number of people in your party. Start saving that loose change.
People with $$$$ sometimes are very tight with a buck… not bad if it teaches a young child to respect money but being somewhat financially stable over the past 25 years it has made me realize I’m not taking it with us. If we can spoil and help our family we always do and have . We have always forced ourselves to invest and save and spend since we first were married. Not the richest but quite happy with what we have accomplished together. Many trips, many new vehicles ( not leased) . But always with a caveat to our kids that the money does not grow on the proverbial tree.
