purplemama Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 We are planning to go in late April of next year when my husband, who is about to deploy to Afghanistan, comes home for his R&R. He got a deal on the accommodations and we are hoping Disney will extend their 4 day park hopper pass deal for military members so the tickets will be more affordable. We will have only 4 days as my husband wants to be home at least some of the time he is here on his leave. So, my question is, what are the best of the best so to speak so we can be sure to hit the highlights. We have never been to Disney before and probably won't go again for a LONG time. By the time we go, my son will be 12, and my two girls will be 10 and 6. Youngest girl ADORES Princesses, but my 10yo is beyond over them. I am trying to plan ahead so that I can make any advance reservations that need to be made. Thanks for whatever input you have! Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Four days in April should be fine - you'll be able to do almost everything inside the parks. I recommend getting the Unofficial Guide to WDW. Unbiased reviews of every restaurant and ride. If you can swing it - stay on site. It will save a LOT of time. If not - stay close - the Guide has great lists. Have you checked for availability with Shades Of Green yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelaughs_times_three Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 If it were me, I'd spend one day a piece in each of the 4 parks. There are wonderful books at Books-A-Million and other bookstores that help with planning Disney. I have 2 of them!! :D They describe the rides, attractions, restaurants. They give sample schedules and great tips on how to save time and money. I'd recommend that. The princess are in every park, I think. They have certain places to meet them, but sometimes you get lucky and one is simply walking by. It is fun to get the autograph books for the kids and let her get all the princess's autographs. I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 We loved Epcot the most and Magic Kingdom the least. My kids were 6 and 8 at the time and they disliked seeing all the little, little ones crying and being drug around at MK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelaughs_times_three Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Four days in April should be fine - you'll be able to do almost everything inside the parks.I recommend getting the Unofficial Guide to WDW. Unbiased reviews of every restaurant and ride. If you can swing it - stay on site. It will save a LOT of time. If not - stay close - the Guide has great lists. Have you checked for availability with Shades Of Green yet? :iagree: By the way, I just got a SUPER great deal at Windsor Hills! I got a 1400 sq ft, 3 bed, 3 bath condo for 8 nights for only 775! It is only 2 minutes from Disney. It is also really cool to stay on property, as well. That way the "magic" keeps going all night too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarenM Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 When we go we do 4 days. We do Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and MK again. If you can I highly suggest the princess breakfast at the castle or princess lunch at Norway at Epcot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 With four days as Disney newbies, I'd probably budget one day per park (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Studios, and Epcot). Disney Studios is our least favorite park, but it has two of our favorite rides (Rock-n-Roller Coaster and Toy Story). If we had Park Hopper passes, we'd spend the morning there and then head to another park for the afternoon and evening. Sadly, my penny-pinching side usually chokes on the extra price of a park hopper ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 I'd plan on starting one day at each park. Then hop to the other parks as you like. Animal Kingdom will only be open til 6pm at the end of April most likely so you'll have time to hop to another park after it closes. I think I"d spend an entire day at Magic Kingdom. Start one day at Epcot and hop to another park. Start one day at Hollywood Studios and see how that goes, possibly hopping to another park. Start another day at Animal Kingdom and hop to Epcot when you're done there for the Countries and Illuminations. This way you'll be sure to get on all the high demand rides with little to no wait at each of the parks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplemama Posted August 14, 2011 Author Share Posted August 14, 2011 Thanks a bunch for all your help. Good to know that 4 days should be good. Now, to make sure we don't go during the black out week for the military tickets (which I just found out have been extended through 9/12). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Four days is enough. I would suggest one day at each park. You will finish Animal Kingdom early but then you can go home and rest. best advice...be there when the park opens. Take a break in the middle of the day either go home or just a long lunch or hang out in an air conditioned show. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 The military passes are park hoppers. We just went in February. Here is how we split up our time (we spent longer than 4 days in Florida): Day 1: Magic Kingdom Day 2: Epcot Day 3: Seaworld Day 4: Animal Kingdom most of the day, then Epcot for dinner Day 5: Disney Studios for most of the day, then back to MK for a last few rides Day 6: Downtown Disney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 When we go we do 4 days. We do Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and MK again. If you can I highly suggest the princess breakfast at the castle or princess lunch at Norway at Epcot. Me too. I would skip Disney Studios. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I'd do Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom....and a day at Universal to hit Potter, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Those of you who are recommending she skip Disney Studios, have you ridden Toy Story Mania? In my opinion, it is a complete game-changer, so I'm curious if you are basing your advice on a Disney Studios without TSM or if not everyone in the world thinks like I do. :D ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I don't think that either Universal or Islands of Adventure are included in the Disney park hopper pass. Doesn't Disney have a water park now as well? I know I've seen the billboards down in that area. It looked really neat, but maybe that wasn't Disney? Have fun!!! You can do SeaWorld for free as well. It's not on your Disney pass. You just show up and present your military ID cards at the gate. It's good for one service member and three dependents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 (edited) I second, third, and fourth the Unofficial Guide to Disney!! actually, I would probably check the book out from the library, and pay the $10 for online access. they have all kinds of cool stuff: touring plans, crowd predictors, a "lines" app for smart phones. very, very worth it. I would actually get the online access before making too firm of plans. You can check the crowd predictor for your planned dates, and the dates around that. It takes into account so many things you may not think of: late spring breaks, special events, school breaks in other countries, etc etc. The touring plans are awesome as well. They have pre-done touring plans for almost any situation; for example, you can pick a one day plan for Magic Kingdom that takes into account different aged kids, while still keeping the family together as much as possible. Of course, you can adapt the plan, but it is a great starting point with much of the work done for you. A bit of pre-planning is very, very helpful at WDW. You can easily do twice as much or more if you plan, and it cuts down on the need to rush around greatly. Getting to the parks for the rope drop is also a huge help, as crowds increase the later it gets. We've been to Disney several times, and only one time did we ever miss an attraction on our list - Turtle Talk with Crush, it was very new, and we COULD have done it, but the kids chose not to endure the very long wait. edited to add that the onlince access is for a full year, and the link is Disney Touring Plans Edited August 15, 2011 by katilac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 There were a few years that Sea World was offering free admission for military. That was worth the entire trip for us! Our dc enjoyed WDW, but they LOVED Sea World! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Those of you who are recommending she skip Disney Studios, have you ridden Toy Story Mania? In my opinion, it is a complete game-changer, so I'm curious if you are basing your advice on a Disney Studios without TSM or if not everyone in the world thinks like I do. :D ;) I would NEVER skip Disney Studios! In addition to Toy Story Mania, there's: Beauty and the Beast Indiana Jones Lights! Motors! Action! Muppets 3D Rock & Roller coaster Tower of Terror Great Movie Ride Plus the street theatre people you run into...they're really funny sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 We are planning to go in late April of next year when my husband, who is about to deploy to Afghanistan, comes home for his R&R. He got a deal on the accommodations and we are hoping Disney will extend their 4 day park hopper pass deal for military members so the tickets will be more affordable. We will have only 4 days as my husband wants to be home at least some of the time he is here on his leave. So, my question is, what are the best of the best so to speak so we can be sure to hit the highlights. We have never been to Disney before and probably won't go again for a LONG time. By the time we go, my son will be 12, and my two girls will be 10 and 6. Youngest girl ADORES Princesses, but my 10yo is beyond over them. I am trying to plan ahead so that I can make any advance reservations that need to be made. Thanks for whatever input you have! Jennifer I suggest you join the forum/boards at wdwinfo.com. There is a wealth of info over there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieH Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 :iagree: By the way, I just got a SUPER great deal at Windsor Hills! I got a 1400 sq ft, 3 bed, 3 bath condo for 8 nights for only 775! It is only 2 minutes from Disney. It is also really cool to stay on property, as well. That way the "magic" keeps going all night too! WHERE and HOW did you get this deal? I've been wondering the best place to get deals at Windsor. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I don't think that either Universal or Islands of Adventure are included in the Disney park hopper pass. No, they are not included because they are 2 completely separate companies. Doesn't Disney have a water park now as well? I know I've seen the billboards down in that area. It looked really neat, but maybe that wasn't Disney? Yes, Disney has 2 waterparks. I'd suggest skipping them tho' if the OP only has 4 days. Have fun!!! You can do SeaWorld for free as well. It's not on your Disney pass. You just show up and present your military ID cards at the gate. It's good for one service member and three dependents. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieH Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I would NEVER skip Disney Studios! In addition to Toy Story Mania, there's: Beauty and the Beast Indiana Jones Lights! Motors! Action! Muppets 3D Rock & Roller coaster Tower of Terror Great Movie Ride Plus the street theatre people you run into...they're really funny sometimes! Me either!! I would skip Animal Kingdom before I skipped Disney Studios..but that's just me. Disney Studios is way cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Me either!! I would skip Animal Kingdom before I skipped Disney Studios..but that's just me. Disney Studios is way cool! Not us! Our family rates the Disney parks overall in this order (most to least favorite): Epcot, Animal Kingdom (Expedition Everest is great!), Magic Kingdom, and Disney Studios. We don't care for the shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Everyone has an opinion on favorites. I would get a book as others suggested and have family read over and give input. Since military passes are park hoppers I would take advantage of it and if you are staying onsite I would take advantage of extra hours for resort guests. Join a forum to help sort through questions and to get park hours and tips. I like both the Passporter book and forums - very nice people. A princess meal will save time standing in line to see the princesses, but if crowds are low the lines shouldn't take too long. My favorite princess meal is at 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian. It only has Cinderella, but it also has the evil steps who are hysterical so your older children might like it too. Otherwise Norway has a princess breakfast that won't break the bank like eating at the castle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieH Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 disboards.com has awesome info. I also got a lot from touringplans.com on how to maximize our time in Disney. We try to go yearly or every 2 years and I feel I have nailed our touring times to a science according to our family's likes/dislikes, travel style, ages etc. The more research you do ahead of time, you'll spend far less time waiting around in lines. I also value time, so take that into account in our spending on a Disney trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjins Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 We were in Disney for our second time. We had three days for parks. We actually maxed out MK one day, Epcot two days and bounced back to MK when we were not tired. We did not do everything in Epcot, told my husband it was a homeschoolers best vacation... so much to learn about, talk about and explore. Children (9 and 7) did one Kim Possible Mission. We did this when they were still really excited as were we adults... should have waited until at least one group (kids or adults) needed down time. Spent about 90 min in France helping them to find clues. LOTS of fun though! A few years ago we did Animal Kingdom and decided it was not worth the trip - hopper, sure, but not dedicated ticket. BTW, Busch Gardens (we went in Tampa) has free tickets for Military. We were in Florida on a separate trip. On a spur of the moment we went to Busch Gardens... I asked if they had a military discount was sent to customer service where we found we would all get in free. My understanding is it is good for one trip per year, per military family. What a great day we had there!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 To me, the safari in Animal Kingdom makes it worth going for the morning. And then doing a water park in the afternoon. Disney water parks are like no other... I'm not a water park person except for Disney's (try to get me off of their lazy river!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelaughs_times_three Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 WHERE and HOW did you get this deal? I've been wondering the best place to get deals at Windsor. Thanks! I rented from this website: www.storytimeorlandorental.com. I didn't realize it was part of the Windsor group until later. They have super low rates all year. When we were going in October it was listed at only $105 a night. Then, when I called to make the reservation and he found out we were staying for 8 nights, he offered, ON HIS OWN, to give it to us for $85 a night! I was blown away and SUPER excited. I have since found out that this is where my sister has stayed before. She also said it was really, really nice! It sounds like one of those "too good to be true" deals, doesn't it? I can't wait! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I would NEVER skip Disney Studios! In addition to Toy Story Mania, there's: Beauty and the Beast Indiana Jones Lights! Motors! Action! Muppets 3D Rock & Roller coaster Tower of Terror Great Movie Ride Plus the street theatre people you run into...they're really funny sometimes! :iagree: Not to mention lunch at the Sci-Fi and Star Tours w/its character interactions. We'd skip Epcot for Disney Studios no arguments... :iagree: with both of the above. Tower of Terror is one of my favorite rides! But, we only spent part of the day there, like I said. BTW, Busch Gardens (we went in Tampa) has free tickets for Military. We were in Florida on a separate trip. On a spur of the moment we went to Busch Gardens... I asked if they had a military discount was sent to customer service where we found we would all get in free. My understanding is it is good for one trip per year, per military family. What a great day we had there!!! Seaworld is also owned by Busch Gardens, it is part of the same deal. So, you must choose which you want to do for free. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.