I'm taking my 3yr old son 2 Disney Land, Florida. Any suggestions 4 things we want/or don't want, 2 do there?

Question

We're off to Disney Land in Florida and I can't wait. I'm as excited as my 3 year old son, if not more!
We were going to go to the one in paris as we're in the UK and having just had a holiday, just wanted a short break 4 the little one.
But......have you seen the price of a 4 day hol in disney land, Paris? £1700. Yes, for 4 Days! So we decided on a week in Disney Land, Florida. The money can be justified for 7 days in Florida, Actually staying in the resort too. We're staying in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.
We stay there 4 a week and then leave 4 Cancun, Mexico 4 a week, where we will be staying in the Crown Paradise Club.
I have just passed my PADI Scuba diving, Open Water course, so am hoping 2 do some diving while away.
Does anyone have any reccommendations for things 2 do or not do while in either Florida or Mexico? Disney Land or Universal Studios? Bear in mind my son is 3. How far is the kennedy space center from Disney? Busch Gardens? What excursions can we do in Mexico?

Answer 1

Rides:
Here are my suggestions for each park:
Magic Kingdom-The Haunted Mansion is a classic fun ride that shows off some of the true Disney magic that Walt Disney created himself. I also highly recommend Splash Moutain, Buzz Lightyear, Pirates of the Carribbean and Dumbo. All are great rides for any age! Make sure you take sometime one evening to see the Electric Night Parade! It is beautiful and make sure you find a spot early on. People start sitting around 7 p.m. for the 9 p.m. show.

EPCOT- Test Track is my favorite. Make sure you get a Fastpass early if you ever want to ride it. I also recommend the ride in Norway and you can't go to EPCOT without riding the ride inside the big ball!

MGM Studios- Tower of Terror, the Great Movie Ride, the Beauty and the Beast theatre show, the Little Mermaid show....Great attractions at MGM. I love the old Hollywood feel of the park. Has great charm.

Animal Kingdom- The Kilomenjaro Saffari, the whitewater rafting ride, the It's Tough to be a Bug show, The Dinosaur Ride....Fun park. Make sure you go early in the morning. It seems to get hot at that park! The park also closes earlier than any of the other parks.

Restaurants:

Magic Kingdom- Cinderella's Royal Table (Character breakfast) Pricey but the food is wonderful (stuffed french toast) and its all you can eat. Also has a nice view of the Magic Kingdom. The Crystal Palace is another restaurant served buffet style with Winnie the Pooh and friends as the characters. Casey's has great hot dogs and is more of a eat and run type of place (much cheaper too)! Tony's Town Square serves Italian food which is reasonable for Disney.

EPCOT- I suggest trying any of the restaurants in the World Showcase. I enjoy Mexico and Canada but you won't go wrong with any of the countries sit-down restaurants.

MGM Studios- The 50's Prime Time Cafe is my favorite at this park. It's theme is 1950's and the staff of the restaurant treat you like you're at your family's house. It's a fun atmosphere that both children and adults enjoy. I recommend the Smores for dessert! The Hollywood Brown Derby is also good (more for adults) and if you have children, go to the Sci Fi Drive-In. You actually sit in replica 1950's cars and the setting takes place at a Drive-In movie. It's cute.

Animal Kingdom- Not many places to sit-down to eat at this park. There is the Rainforest Cafe and for breakfast, Donald's Prehistoric Character Breakfast served buffet style.

Resorts- If you have children (don't have to), check out Chef Mickey's Character Buffet for breakfast or dinner at the Contemporary Resort. Awesome atmosphere and the prime rib buffet is excellent. At the Polynessian, try Ohana. This is my favorite place to eat anywhere at Walt Disney World. You are served family style, with steak, pork, shrimp served hot from skewers. It is amazing. At the Grand Floridian, try the Grand Floridian Cafe. Pretty atmosphere around the rose gardens of the resort. They serve sandwiches and salads for lunch. Steaks and fish for dinner. The Grand Floridian also has 1900 Park Fare which is a character buffet.

As far as advice: Make priority seating for restaurants. It helps secure your place and time to eat, rather than walking around being turned down because nothing is available. I also highly suggest staying on Disney property. If you are flying in, Disney picks you luggage up (you don't) and Disney transports you directly to your resort. You also get other privilages by staying on property such as getting into the parks an hour and a half before anyone else. There are also additional park hours at night where guests can stay later than anyone else. The lines are short and you get to experience that much more on your vacation! If you like to shop or browse, I suggest taking sometime to head over to Downtown Disney Marketplace. Most of the stores are Disney related but if there is something specific you are looking for, they are bound to have it there.

Since you are thinking of taking a trip in January, make sure you pack sweatshirts and jeans. It is cold in the morning down there at that time. The first time my family and I went around Christmas time, we totally did not think of it being chilly so we ended up having to buy sweatshirts to keep warm.

As you can see, I have many favorites. To anyone reading this, if you are planning on traveling to Walt Disney World, I suggest purchasing the Birnbaum's guide to Walt Disney World. It is the official guide to WDW. It is very detailed and gives a lot of information and tips for your trip. It's worth the money!

I hope you have a magical trip to Walt Disney World. I love Disney very much and I am always willing to talk about Disney! Good luck with planning your vacation and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Answer 2

Sounds like a wonderful vacation. Florida has Disney World, California has Disney Land. You'll enjoy it. Animal Kingdom is nice too. And Sea world & Universal. Epcot might be a little boring for a 3 year old. The resorts at Disney World are really great. They will cater to your children. Have a great time. Bring lots of sun screen. It's very hot here.

Answer 3

My parents took me and my sisters to Orlando when we were little and the thing I found most exciting was actually meeting Mickey and Minnie and co and watching the big parade through the Magic Kingdom. We actually went again a few years ago and if you stay till it's dark there are fireworks and everything!

Sea World is always worth a visit - the killer whales are amazing and the Americans always know how to put on a good show.

From memory Kennedy Space Centre is a couple of hours from Orlando but well worth a visit in my opinion. If your son is into space and rockets and stuff he will love it and its just as fascinating for the grown ups too.

Me and the family are off there again this Christmas and I cant wait - we are taking my nephew who is going to be four whilst we are over there and I'm like you - just as a excited as him!!!

Hope you have a really wonderful time.

Answer 4

busch gardens is good but quite a long journey and as i found out very easy too get lost. Animal kingdom is good. I first took my son when he was about 4 and i think he preferred Universal studios and Islands of Adventure. There is only so much Mickey Mouse you can take before reaching for the medication. A good place to start is Seaworld on the firsr day, it is a smaller park and probably less queuing. I wnt to Kennedy Space Centre and I think we all found it boring unless you are relly into it but is not worth the hour car ride.
I dont know if you have arranged it but you will really need a car so i would hire one. if you want anymore info please email on [e-mail].
I have been twic and it was definately the best holiday i ever had and i am planning on going again

Answer 5

i would suggest you buy your park passes before you go either with the travel agent or the disney shops as it is cheaper. The other thing is go to the parks early and then you can go on the busy rides before the crowds get the and the heat starts to build up especially with a young child.

Take your own drinks as they can prove expensive in the parks themselves, if you are going as part of a package see if you can pre book some trips with the rep to universal studios etc or failing that most hotels have free bus shuttle services you could use.

Answer 6

We have been a number of times to Disney World in Florida with 2 and 3 yr old.
a must is animal kingdom make this trip special by having breakfast at crystal palace with winnie the pooh and friends.
many things at Magic for your child to do and I am sure you will all enjoy it's a small world.

Islands of Adventure next to Univeral is great for a 3 yr old. start off with breakfast with spiderman then go on to Seusses landing all aimed for the younger guests and this year they added the mini monorail around that part of the park. make sure you take a change of clothes for both islands of adventure and universal studios as both have areas to get wet for kids. in Universal theres barneys play area.

sea world has a kids wet play area and a sand area with toys and play houses for younger guests so i am sure you will manage to have a few days to relax in the parks while having fun.

buy your tickets before you go it is cheaper here than there. orlando-ticket-deals.co.uk is a good site.

Answer 7

It always amazes me how much money Europeans spend on Holidays-I have a friend there who says they spend 2-5000 euro for holiday for his family of 5. Anyways-your trip will be worth it-you'll love it-but DisneyLand is in California, Disney World is in Orlando Florida. *wink- just thought u shud know!

I kinda like all the rides and attractions there.

Answer 8

No one so far has focused on the fact that you have a THREE YEAR OLD. I don't know many 3-yr olds who can tolerate scary rides and long lines; I admire your child if he can, but it would be unusual.

Stay away from Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror; he will not understand what is happening. While I as a grownup am not frightened nor impressed by the Mansion ride (it is a corny, slow, one-level trip through a building with robotic skeletons, headless characters, holographic ghosts), young children may become upset.

Other scary rides would be "Dinosaur" and "It's Tough to Be a Bug" show at Animal Kingdom. The former is not scary to a normal grownup, but the surprise of seeing a robotic dinosaur come at you while on the ride may be too much; you decide. The 'Bug show is very exciting and actually scary, as opposed to the Haunted Mansion. I will try not to spoil the surprise, but it's about the ant movie and the other bugs come to attack: it gets dark and smoky, your seats have special effects that make you feel under attack, also. There is always crying when the fight is over and some children have to be taken out before the show was done. It's actually one of the most satisfying attractions at all of Disney, but again, you have to know your child.

I don't know how often you come to the States, but there are several parks that make up Disney World (make sure your travel agent knows the difference), and each require a full day to appreciate. Animal Kingdom is the newest and the best; your son will enjoy the safari ride. They have the sweetest parade in the afternoon; no need to clamor for a spot. There's also the Magic Kingdom; arrive early and stay till closing. Watch the middday and nighttime parades and in-between go on rides and eat. Most of the rides are gentle (except for Haunted Mansion, in a way); "It's a Small World" is old, corny, slow but surprisingly the most satisfying and sweet experience. I guess that's why it's still around. Perfect for 3yr olds and 93 yr olds.

MGM Studios and Epcot are the other major Disney park areas. Epcot can take a whole day, or split it up with Animal Kingdom in the morning (or any park that closes at 5) and go twice. Parts of Epcot may not impress your 3yr old, but you'll like it. There are buildings representing different countries that contain items for sale and cuisine for that respective country. There are rides inside the buildings. Mexico has a very gentle cute boat ride through its history in the vein of "Small World". The nighttime FIREWORKS at EPCOT in the middle of the lake were awe-inspiring. We did not have to clamor for a spot (disboards.com, the Disney discussion website, have ongoing debates about the best spots for all these parades and fireworks events). The music was great; the fireworks were so good and well-designed that at one point they were so intense I thought there had been an accident on the barge!

There are proper rides and attractions in Epcot before entering the individual country area. "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" is a 3D show with effects in your seats, but not as scary as "Bug" in Animal Kingdom. The Nemo attraction is at Epcot, also. I wouldn't go on the "ride in the globe", as someone wrote here, for that is the one that uses centripdal force and causes great motion sickness and disorientation if one looks away from the screen. A 3 yr old can't help but look around, no matter how compelling the screen. This ride has lately been a whipping boy in the news media due to the recent deaths of a child and a woman with undiagnosed high blood pressure. For this ride, read the precautions and think before you go.

There are also water parks within Disney. Your 4 days in Florida will be completely filled with Disney. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is the best hotel; it's not kitschy and corny, it's subtly designed. Be sure to spend some time in the resort looking at the animals on the grounds and play in the pool, the largest of the hotels.

Use the Disney buses and trains (free) to travel between the Parks; no car is needed at Disney. Actually, if you plan on doing all 4 days there, you don't need a car at all, since there are buses from the airport. Get the Magic Transportation deal from your travel agent (read disneyworld website for more).

Nitty Gritty: 1) Decide how many days you'll actually be going to the Parks and get Park Hopper Passes. You'll save money and will be able to split up your visits by going to two in one day.

2) As for avoiding lines on the popular rides, you must do the FastPass-- a machine gives you a ticket for, say, Buzz Lightyear ride, telling you what time to come back to ride it. Lines can be up to 2 hours long! The strategy is to get a FastPass and then hop on another ride that has little or no line. You'll see on the FastPass ticket that you can't obtain another for a different ride until a certain time. This is so people don't rush into the parks taking FastPasses for everything at once.

3) Have the Disney stores send your souvenir purchases and professional pictures to your Disney resort, the best perk for staying at Disney property. It takes about 24 hours to arrive, so be prepared to carry your last days' purchases with you.

4) Get the meal plan. Food and snacks are much cheaper; you actually get to eat when you want and not have to worry about the a la carte prices which may make you want to skip a meal to save money. The meal plan ensures you 2 meals and a snack (Mickey-mouse shaped ice cream bar, anyone?) every day. You also don't have to carry food and drinks with you. Also, the plan allows you credit at a Character Breakfast-- where the kids eat and get to take pictures with characters walking around. Those are expensive breakfasts otherwise. Each Park and some resorts have a Character Restaurant, but you should only experience it once or twice. Ask your son who he wants to "meet" (Donald Duck? Cinderella?) and make reservations for that character meal.

5) Make meal reservations weeks/months ahead of time. The Character Breakfasts and Luncheons, especially for the Princesses, fill up quickly. Sit-down restaurants at Epcot's countries and MK also prefer reservations. Mention your meal plan when you call (one phone number covers all the restaurants).

6) Go on disboards.com and mousesavers.com to get details and plan your visit. They have the most comprehensive information; not yahoo. With 4 days, you're going to have to read the disneyworld website, decide which attractions you really need to see, read the reviews on disboards.com and plan, plan, plan.

Busch Gardens is a 2 hour drive and if you use mapquest or yahoo's maps, you won't get lost, but you have to see if you: a) want to rent a car that will sit at Animal Kingdom except for the one day you use it or b) rent a car at Disney (there's a shuttle bus to take you to the agency) for just the one day or c) you decide to stay at Disney and not even visit other places, which means saving money on a car and taking the Disney shuttle from/to the airport.

I hear nearby is a Nickelodeon park in the Orlando area. There is also Sea World! Kennedy is an hour away, and I don't know if your 3 yr old will get it. You'll have to visit again!

Answer 9

Sea World is a must. Have a happy holiday

Answer 10

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