Young Children

[Moscow]

Can someone tell me which wdw park is best for a 3 year old. We will only be there for 2 days. How do we make the most of our time there. We were thinking about staying at the Wilderness Lodge. How is this resort?
Thanks :mickey:

[irish1967]

IMHO - your best bets for the parks would be MK and them MGM.

If your child loves animals, you could probably do AK for 1/2 day and MGM for 1/2 day.

EPCOT didn't hold my children's attention until recently (and they are now 8 and 10)

[IloveDisney71]

The MK is perfect for little ones. The rides in Fantasyland are perfect for that age.

[Mackflava99]

If you have 2 days- its definitely Magic Kingdom and MGM.

When my kids were 3, they loved the Playhouse Disney at MGM and also the Muppet show.
As for MK, there is alot for a 3 year old, so you have alot of opportunities.

Book a character dinner somewhere, like Crystal palace, you will get great pix witht he characters.

Also if you are at Wilderness lodge- its easy to get to MK because you go by boat. very , very easy for those with todlers.

[wdw_bound]

We love the Wilderness Lodge. Our 2yo DS (and the rest of us) love taking the boat to the Magic Kingdom, and the theming of the resort is wonderful, and very kid friendly.

As for parks, if you have only 2 days with a 3yo, I'd say stick to MK. If staying at the WL, you can take it at a relaxed pace, and there is more than enough for you to do in that timefram. Above poster's suggestion to do a character meal is a great one - and there are several possibilities, depending on which characters are your favorite.

Have a great trip!

[#1donaldfan]

MK and AK would be my choice. MGM's signature rides are too advanced for that young, and the activities for that age are too few...so I'd do AK..IMHO....A LOT more to see and do !! WL is a great choice, they have a really great dinner, called Whispering Canyon...don't forget to ask for extra water:thedolls:...actually it's a very interactive and fun eatery...have fun....:mickey:

[baby minnie's mommy]

What, or who, does the 3-yr-old like? Any certain characters or theme? That may help narrow it down.

Our DD's first trip was to AK at age 2, and now that's her favorite park. She refers to all of Disney as "Animal Kingdom." :D She (almost 3 now) also loves Toontown and Fantasyland at MK. There's less she's interested in at MGM and Epcot compared to AK and MK, although she's so happy just to be at Disney with us!

If you use a park hopper, AK would be great in the morning, then a midday break and MK for the evening. You'd have the boat to MK at the W. Lodge. It would probably be pick and choose for attractions, though. You won't see everything at either park.

AK does tend to close early - if you spend a whole day there you could schedule something special for the evening like a dinner at the resort, or shopping at Downtown Disney. (We did that. DD slept in the park while we walked and waited in line.)

The W. Lodge is great! :thumbsup: I loved the animals carved into the bedposts. The creek inside the lobby is really neat, as are all the carvings and other decor! They had activities for kids, such as cookie decorating at the cafe, although we never had time to try it yet. (Check with guest services for the activity schedule.) We actually saw a rabbit hopping around the grassy areas in the courtyard, DD loved that! The waterfall and flowers there were also beautiful.

Happy planning! :mickey:

[wedway76]

If you are going to be there for 2 days, you have to go to the Magic Kingdom for at LEAST one full day. Disney World IS the Magic Kingdom.

You really cant go wrong with any of the parks on the 2nd day but I think after the Magic Kingdom, the Animal Kingdom may have the most attractions for a 3 year old followed by MGM. EPCOT probably has the least for that age group.

Depending on the crowds and how much you get done on the first day, I would even consider going to the Magic Kingdom for both days.

[murphy1]

Welcome to Intercot!! WL is our fave resort, the boat to get to MK is great! I would highly recommend MK for your little one, plus you can take a break. MGM does have some stuff for little ones, but MK is your best bet. You can split up one half the park one day then the rest the next. Have fun!!

[Tigerinvestigator]

Like most everyone has said, my DD3 loves the Magic Kingdom. It is definately the best for young children. My DD3 also loves Epcot. She is a big Nemo fan and loves the new Nemo ride and Turtle Talk with Crush. Journey into Imagination with Figment is also one of her favorites and she also loves the new "Donald Duck ride" in Mexico. Her favorite place to eat at WDW is the Garden Grill in Epcot and she gets more one on one time with Mickey and the characters there than anywhere else. I guess it really depends on which movies your child likes the most. Check the attractions at each park and see which ones appeal to them the most!:thumbsup:

[MinnieMommie]

If possible I would make it a priority to stay at one of the monorail resorts (GF, CR or Poly). That is the quickest way to get back and forth from your resort to the MK. With only 2 days I would either spend both days at the MK or divide it between the MK and another park (EPCOT would probably be of least interest to a 3 yr old). When my kids were young we usually stayed at the CR and got to the parks at opeaning hopped on the monorail for an afternoon break of swimming and rest and then headed back to the park at night. Actually from CR you can walk back and forth to MK. If you decide on WL (which is very nice) you can take a boat to the MK. :mickey:

[Fallendroplet]

MK would be my first choice :number1:.

[realtreebar]

MK all the WAY!!! "gotta love:mickey:"

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I think there is little doubt that MK is the best park for the kid.
2) However, with two days, I'd recommend
. . . Day-1, MK
. . . Day-2, AK then MK about 2:00pm
3) I believe the little one would get a kick out of the (real) animals.

[pink]

MK- especially fantasy land
MGM- playhouse disney, little mermaid, muppets 3d

Also, I agree if your child is into animal then Animal Kingdom would be good too. It is just a lot of walking. I would suggest the Kilomanjari Safari ride.

The Wilderness Lodge is a great hotel by the way and the pool area is beautiful.


Have fun! :mickey:

[KAJUNKING]

:welcome: to Intercot!!!!! I think its pretty tough to beat the magic kingdom with a three year old, i do like the idea one of the previous posters had about going to mk one day and then splitting the second between ak and mgm

[DisneyTwirler13!]

I think that it depends on your child, but I would stay away from Epcot. It's very boring for young children, especially the World Showcase.
Definitely hit MK, it's the perfect park for little kids. If you're going to do AK, the Rafiki's planet watch and Dinoland, U.S.A. are the best places. MGM is also great for little kids, like the Ariel show, the Playhouse Disney, the Muppets. And there's that Honey, I Shrunk the Kids play place too.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

I agree with everyone else...MK is a must do.

Animal Kingdom is fun too. If your child likes animals of course. ;)

MGM is a half day park for us.

To those that think Epcot is boring for young kids...they obviously don't know mine. ;) My kids would chose Epcot over MK if you asked them. Even my just turned 4 year old. We spent three days there in September and she was still asking to go again the last day when we left it up to them. Figment is her favorite ride, followed closely by the new Nemo ride. She loves Living With The Land (Go figure..lol) and Soarin. Unless your child is tall, that would not be an option for you though. The boat ride in Mexico was cute and she even likes Maelstrom in Norway. All three of my kids love visting the countries and even watching the short films.

You really can't go wrong with any of the parks. Have a great vacation!!

[Cinderelley]

A lot depends on what your child likes. MK is really a must in my IMHO. If your child likes animals, then AK would be 2nd. If not, Epcot would be great for a 3 year old ie riding the Nemo ride, seeing the fish, the Maelstrom, watching Illuminations, etc. If your child doesn't like Nemo, the studios might be good for Little Mermaid, the Muppets, the parade, Beauty and the Beast show, Fantasmic, etc. It's been a long time since I dealt with a 3-year-old, but you might even consider doing one park in the morning, taking a nap, and then hitting the other park.

[LudwigVonDrake]

Magic Kingdom :tink: