I want to do take my son to disney world in April and have never been there myself. where do i begin to plan?

Question

my son will be 3 so I want to do things he will like and were only going to be there for 3 days so what should we make sure we see and also should I book flight and hotel package or is there a cheaper route because I know tickets to the parks are spendy.....

Answer 1

I almost book flights with the Disney package for my clients because they only deal with the major airlines and there are often cheaper airlines like Southwest. But Disney sometimes has the cheapest so it worth asking. You can use Disney's Magical Express shuttle service between the airport & the Disney resort even if you book your flights on your own.

Start with booking your hotel and planning your daily itinerary. Then book any character meals you need. You can worry about rides & touring plans after this is done. Some meals like Chef Mickey are very popular and should be booked early. You're within the 180 day reservation window now.

Booking a Disney hotel & ticket package can be a great way to go. You probably don't need the "Waterpark, Fun & More" option - it is an extra $45 + per ticket and your son is too young to enjoy the water parks. Also, you can save an additional $45 per person by sticking to one park per day and skipping the "Park Hopper" add-on.

There will be a lot of attractions that you'll be able to do with your son - Disney is great that way. For Epcot, see: http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com/article-epcot-with-young-children.html

Walt Disney World Resort and Theme Parks With Toddlers or Small Children

Walt Disney World Resort features "theme parks" - not just "thrill parks". Walt's intention from the beginning was that the whole family would enjoy the experience. As the oldest park, the Magic Kingdom most reflects that goal but there will be good options at each of the parks. We most highly recommend Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. You could easily fill two days at Magic Kingdom. Disney-MGM Studios is a good choice if your child is not going to be bored by shows and productions.

The whole family will be able to do these attractions:

Magic Kingdom:
• Its A Small World
• The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
• Snow White's Scary Adventure
• Pooh's Thoughtful Spot (play area)
• Enchanted Tiki Room (show)
• Jungle Cruise,
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Pirates of the Caribbean (gentle boat ride but pirate scenes may frighten some small children)
• Country Bear Jamboree
• Tom Sawyer's Island
• All of "Mickey's Toontown Fair" with the possible exception of Goofy's Barnstormer (must be 35 inches tall / 89 cm)
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority
• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
• Parades, fireworks and other live entertainment.

Honesty requires me to tell you that children can ride the “Tomorrowland Indy Speedway” but we have to warn you that this line is long, hot, and slow and the ride is not nearly as fun as it looks – a riding lawn mower is more fun. Try to direct your child’s attention elsewhere.

Animal Kingdom:
• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Rafiki's Planet Watch,
• The Boneyard Play area
• 2 Animal Viewing Trails
• Triceratop Spin
• "Festival of the Lion King" (great show)
• "Finding Nemo - the Musical". (great show)
• Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" ( OK show - geared towards little ones)
• Street performances
• Character Meet-and-Greet opportunities
• "Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade". (A favorite of my family’s)


Disney-MGM Studios - how well can you keep the little one occupied while trying to enjoy a show? Disney-MGM Studios has some great shows:
• "Lights, Motors, Action!"
• "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular", (warning: flames & fight scene)
• "Beauty and the Beast Live"
• "Playhouse Disney Live on Stage"
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid
• "Muppet 3-D" is not scary - but is a little loud
• "Fantasmic" will also be fine though possibly a bit scary.

This park does not have many rides. Young children will not be able to ride Rock’N Rollercoaster (must be 48” / 122 cm) or Tower of Terror (must be 40 inches / 102 cm) .

• Backstage Tour - There is no height requirement on the Backstage Tour and the ride itself is quite smooth but you do go through “Disaster Canyon” which is a mock-up of a film scene that includes the rocking of your tour bus, flames, and water. Most children will be fine if warned in advance that it is all pretend.
• The Great Movie Ride – Again, this is a smooth ride with no height requirement and the scene from the “Wizard of Oz” is delightful. Some children may be frightened as you pass through the creepy scene from the movie “Aliens”. Also, a Bonnie & Clyde type gangster commandeers the vehicle but your “tour guide” saves the day in an Indiana Jones type scene. Use your own judgment about your child’s probable reaction.
• Star Tours – if your child is tall enough (40 inches / 102 cm), let them ride this fun ride. Even though this has the same height requirement as Tower of Terror, it is a much gentler ride and appropriate for a wider range of visitors.


Epcot:
I think Epcot is WONDERFUL when traveling with a little one. Maelstrom (must be 3 years old or older / Norway pavilion) and Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3-D might be too loud or scary.

Future World Area:
• Spaceship Earth
• The Universe of Energy (Dinosaurs & 45 blessed minutes of air conditioning)
• Journey into Your Imagination with Figment
• One of the Innovention pavilions has a lot of things geared for little ones.
• “The Seas with Nemo and Friends” is great for kids – marine life & “Turtle Talk with Crush” are fantastic.
• “The Land” has a character meal
• Princess meals at the Norway Pavilion.
• Character Meet & Greets all through Epcot
• Jammitors are a “Stomp” like percussion group
• Grand Fiesta Tour with the Three Caballeros, the boat ride at the Mexico pavilion is similar to “It’s A Small World”
• Test Track (must be 40 inches / 102 cm) is not particularly intense.
• Soarin’ (must be 40 inches / 102 cm) is fantastic and very gentle – if your child is tall enough, go ahead and do this one.
• Mission Space (must be 44 inches / 122 cm) has a “less intense” option that may be fine if your child is tall enough. You might want to do a rider swap fastpass and let the more cautious parent ride first. If he/she thinks it is okay, the child can ride with the other parent using the rider swap pass - 3 or 4 people can usually ride together using one rider swap pass. There is a nice play area at the non-ride area of this attraction to keep your child busy while you wait for any riders.
•
Keeping a little one occupied may make it hard to enjoy the American Adventure or the Circle Vision movies in China & Canada. If I was going to choose one, I’d go with the China movie. The American Adventure is a good spot for a nap.

World Showcase Area:
• Kids are intrigued by the model train at the Germany pavilion.
• Most kids love wandering through the Morocco pavilion.
• Japan Pavilions - There are Koi fish in the pond. Japan has three great things for kids – “Matsuriza” is a traditional drum act; “Miyuki” is a very neat candy artist (a “must see” for our family), and there is a Japanese Storyteller called “Honobono Minwa”.
• France Pavilion - The “Serveur Amusant” is a comedic balancing act.
• Italy Pavilion - Sergio is a juggler.
• The Outpost - “OrisiRisi” is the drum circle and African Storytellers (Mon- Fri)
• China Pavilion - Kids always love the Dragon Legend Acrobats because they are children too.
• Some kids will enjoy “Off Kilter” (Canada) – bagpipe rock, “British Invasion” (Beatles sound in the U.K. pavilion) and “MoRockin” (Morocco) – Middle Eastern pop sounding band.
• IllumiNations is the evening fireworks show and it is excellent.

Epcot takes a little advance planning so that you see the entertainment that you want to see - some starts earlier in the day, others a little later in the afternoon. The entertainment at the France Pavilion usually ends earliest in the day.

Answer 2

Hi,
Yayyy! You're going to Disney World!
For three days and a three year old, you will probably want to focus mainly on the Magic Kingdom, so I would be tempted to choose a hotel near that Park. Or, to keep the budget lower, stay at the All Star Movies (they have a giant Buzz and Woody from Toy Story that your son will most likely love!)

I would definitely buy a book and do research on the web - a lot of the websites people already gave you are really good ones. Here is one that has a step by step guide to planning a Disney trip.
Have a great time and best of luck to you. Happy Planning!

Answer 3

you can book a last minute getaway and save 70% off a 3 -5 day vacation which will include flight and room. We went to Disney earlier this year and had a blast. You have to go to Magic Kingdom. There is a Animal Safari that is also there and then there is Universal Studios. Most of the hotels have buses that transport to these places and it is less of a hassle for you.There is a website that you can book on and plan everything from the computer ytbtravel.com/amcleodtravel. I hope you have a wonderful trip with your son.

Answer 4

www.waltdisneyworld.com is a great site, and since it was updated it is even better. You can compare hotels, packages, find dinning options, read about each ride etc.

My suggestion is to stay at Pop Century the newer of the value resorts. Purchase park hopper tickets, and the dinning plan. Plan character meals, he will adore these. You can make payments at the site, with a 200 dollar deposit. You can prearrage meals at 1407WDWDine. As to the flights, prices are always cheaper when purchased well in advance.

You will be amazed at how simple travel with Disney can be. They will pick you up at the airport, drop you off at your hotel. If you arrive before check in time, they will stow your stuff and you can go out and enjoy. When you return your baggage will be in your room.

Another cost saving ideas is to purchase a refillable cup at the hotel. You can get juice, coffee, soda in the mornings and all refills there are then free. We package breakfast sandwiches and toaster breakfast and heat them in the cafe, get our refill of liquids and then head out.

Three is a great age, but he may get very tired of walking and waiting in line, each park has a play area. Go there for your rest and for him to simply play and recharge his battery. Return to the room for a nap and head back out again each day. You will not be able to do it all on a single trip so dont' kill yourself trying.

HAVE A GREAT TIME.

Answer 5

check the links. You can get discounts among many other useful things.

For very small children, MGM studios was the best. Magic Kingdom is a lot of gift shops and a 2 hour wait to ride the Dumbo ride.ewwww.
Never been to Animal Kingdom.
It takes a full day to get through 1 park.
I used travelocity and found a hotel suite in Kissemmee, just down the road from Disney World.
My brother and sister in law have been there several times with small children and always stay at a Disney resort. They get to enter the parks early w/free transportation. The parks fees are included in most packages,and the kids get to eat a meal with Mickey.
So, now it's time to do your homework.
goodluck and have big fun!

http://www.orlandoinfo.com/
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index?bhcp=1
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-475010-kissimmee_vacations-i

Answer 6

I would look at packages on this site:

http://www.orlandovacation.com

They are very reasonable. Also check out this site. It gives good info on hotels, ride restrictions, attractions, shows, dining and anything else you would want to know.

http://www.allears.net

For kid friendly attractions I would check out these:

The many adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Nemo ride at Epcot
Mexico ride at epcot
Spaceship earth at epcot
Peter Pans Flight
Jungle Cruise
Small world After all
Tommorowland transit authority



For Dining I recommend these:

Garden Grill at Epcot--in the land pavillion, rotates while you eat and gives you views of the attractions, character meal, and very reasonably priced.

Crystal Palace At Magic Kingdom- Beautifully decorated restaurant with characters. your son will love it!

Best wishes and have a good time! I am taking my 3 year old and 1 year in 4 weeks and I cant wait!

Answer 7

http://disboards.com/index.php is a great resource for new to disney travelers. Allears.net is allegedly good too, but I prefer disboards.

If you want to do any character meals, it is extremely important to book them way in advance. Disney allows you to book them up to 180 days away and I recommend you do this. I know it seems weird to plan meals that far ahead, but it will save you a lot of disappointment when you get there and find out there are no available seats.

Answer 8

There are some great books that help you to plan your trip to the park. You can either buy them or get them from the library. My advice would be to stay on the grounds to make the most of your time there. Check package deals and compare them to getting air fare and hotel separate. Snacks,meals and souvenirs are very expensive so plan on taking some extra cash.

Answer 9

Just make sure that Easter and spring breaks will not fall in April next year and you'll be just fine. Otherwise, you're going to need more than 3 days in the area because of all the extra crowds.

Answer 10

JetBlue is great if it serves your city: cheap, roomy, good snacks, and TV in the seat back in front of you.
Try The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World ( http://www.touringplans.com ) or the WDW Today podcast ( http://www.wdwtoday.com ) for your info needs.

Answer 11

if you go online they should have a package deal like the flight the hotel and the transportation there and other things to do and in your hotel there should be many many broshures for things to do in orlando theres also a package deal where you can go to disney and animal kingdom and everything