Planning Park Days for Multigenerational Group

[Medland]

The cast:
Me - 38, The Mom, 3 prior Disney trips as adult, touring style is see and do as much as possible, Disney/Pixar/Star Wars/Harry Potter Fan, late riser when the kids allow it. Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
DH - 37, The Dad, 2 Disney as a kid and 2 Disney trips as adult, touring style is capture as many memories as possible on film, Disney/Pixar/Star Wars/Marvel/Harry Potter fan, early riser but tires quickly due to sedentary job and restless sleep. Favorite Park: EPCOT
DS1 - Nearly 8 yrs old at time of travel, energetic and outgoing, will likely be too nervous to do all the rides he is able to but may surprise me, Disney/Pixar/Star Wars/Marvel/Harry Potter fan.
DS2 - Nearly 3 yrs old at time of travel, cautious socially but a thinker and a doer, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fanatic currently but who knows what he'll be into in 6 months??
Grandma MIL - 66, Bankrolling the accommodations for the trip, fast-walker and touring style is do something every minute until utter collapse and shopaholic, not interested in MNSSHP or waterpark but very excited for Food and Wine Festival, Disney/Pixar/Harry Potter fan, some back pain but doesn't let it slow her, very attached to DS1. Favorite Park: EPCOT
Grandpa FIL - 65, Steak and potatoes guy, along for the ride but also good at putting on the brakes when needed, some foot and leg pain recently, Disney fan. Favorite Park: EPCOT
MyMom - 70, Looks forward most to waterpark/pool time and Illuminations, Disney/Pixar/Harry Potter fan, history of major hip discomfort/pain after walking long distances...most likely to need a wheelchair during park touring. Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
MyDad - 72, Moody guy can go from Happy to Dopey to Grumpy at the drop of a hat, wants to be left out of planning for the most part, Disney/Pixar fan, the boys love him and he loves playing with them and Legos. Favorite Park: "I don't remember"

Reasons trip is extra special:
First Disney Visit for the 2 boys
Likely the Grandparents' last WDW visit/Boys' only visit with all Grandparents
10 Year Wedding Anniversary falls on Sept 30th and will be our first visit back to Disney since our Honeymoon in 2006

The known plans:
Sept 27th - Oct 4th in 3 rooms at Port Orleans Riverside, 6 Day Park Hoppers and Disney Dining Plan...hopefully free dining if the offer can be applied during our dates to our POR stay, and Memory Maker photo package

Desired add-ons:
MNSSHP - one night for Me, DH, and the 2 boys
Blizzard Beach - one day for Me, DH, the 2 boys and MyParents
Universal 2 parks - 1 day for all 6 adults and DS1, DS2 will tag along free

Greatest meal wishes:
1 TS Chef Mickey's for a breakfast or lunch (Mickey and Friends for 2 yr old)
1 TS Crystal Palace for a breakfast (Pooh Characters for 7 yr old)
1 TS Hollywood and Vine for a breakfast or lunch (Disney Jr characters for both)
2 TS California Grill for Dinner (maybe around fireworks time) with kids okay but my husband and I want to return here with or without them as it was our favorite on our Honeymoon and we'll celebrate 10 yrs during the trip...technically Sept 30th but we don't have to go that night as we most likely will do the MNSSHP with the boys that night)
Wandering the food stands and grazing at Epcot Food and Wine Festival
Assuming we could get the above reservations...I'm not sure where to use the last Table Service Meal credit...maybe we could lunch at Raglan Road, T-Rex Cafe, Boatwright's or O'Hana one day during our midday break from the parks?

I'm trying to plan park days so I can try to get ADR's soon as the 180 day mark is coming up already on April 1st! I'm interested in any input on touring plans with such a diverse age-range group.
Our tentative plan is to plan the day in two chunks and take midday breaks. I've never needed midday breaks before as I've only been as an adult. Will this benefit my kids even if they don't nap anymore? My fear is that one or both will melt down about having to leave whatever park we are heading out of and spend the majority of the "break" complaining/whining. For those of you who have done this, what time do you shoot for to leave the park? How long do you stay at your resort? Do you try to head back around dinner? In time for an afternoon parade? Would swimming during the afternoon break make everyone all the more exhausted by evening? Is the tedious nature of bus travel with the kids back to the resort worth the break?
Which parks would YOU hit on each day if you had my dates/cast? I am dying for my kids to see the iconic castle...but I read somewhere that Magic Kingdom should be done after the less thrilling parks to build to it rather than other parks being somewhat of a let down for the kids as Magic Kingdom is likely to be the favorite? Yet, I don't want the kids to be so worn out when they hit Magic Kingdom that they're aching/tired all day either as there is so much to see...
Should we plan to park hop to parks with evening EMH's if we think the kids are well-rested enough for it? Or should we just avoid the parks with evening EMH's altogether? I would like to take advantage of EMH's (and have on past trips) but with the kids I'm not confident that we can consistently get there early enough or stay out long enough to do them.
Right now my focus is what days to try to get which ADR's based on where we think we might try to be each day of the trip but there are so many factors to consider with our group that I'm truthfully overwhelmed.

I tentatively have it laid out as:
Tue 9/27 - Fly in and explore resort and relax at pool and depending on how early we get in MAYBE trying to catch Illuminations at Epcot and do the 9-11pm EMH's at Epcot WS either without the kids if a grandparent will babysit or with them if we think the kids are so excited/napped so much on the flight that they're up for it.
Wed 9/28 - Epcot Future World in the AM then monorail to Chef Mickey's for lunch if I can get that ADR.
After the break at the resort I thought maybe we could hop to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon. I'm not certain this is a good strategy as it is a PM EMH day there that day (9pm-11pm) but as far as I can tell is the only day during our stay that has the Main Street Electrical Parade.
Thurs 9/29 - Maybe we could go do the 2 parks at Universal this day. It's going to be a long one due to not getting a midday break but I think we'll all still be pretty fresh for it and I think Universal is a little less busy on Thursdays than during the weekend.
Fri 9/30 - Blizzard Beach in the morning for those interested in going, MNSSHP in the PM for my Fam of Four. The Grandparents could rest at the resort in the evening or go out drinking/shopping or hit a park of their choice. This day might be a welcome break for FIL. I think MIL would rather we skip these things but the Fam of Four and MyParents value highly our lazy river and splashing kids/lounging adults time after several days tackling parks.
Sat 10/1 - I'm thinking MGM Studios (since Animal Kingdom has the AM EMH) might be less busy this day? Does that sound like a good bet? We could stay until after lunch at Hollywood and Vine if I can get that ADR before taking our break. And then either returning after a break for a few rides and Fantasmic! or hitting World Showcase for dinnertime wandering through the Food and Wine Festival and watching the Epcot fireworks with the kids if they haven't already seen them on the first day.
Sun 10/2 - Breakfast at Chef Mickey's (hopefully before rope drop if I can get the ADR) and as much time as we feel we need at Magic Kingdom after which we can hop to HS if we haven't seen Fantasmic! yet or to Epcot if we feel we haven't had enough time there yet.
Mon 10/3 - Animal Kingdom 9am-5pm with the 8am-9am extra magic hour...try our best to get there for EMH open but either way do the safari as early as we can and then have a leisurely day of watching the animals on our last day there. It's this evening I thought I'd try for a dinner at the California Grill around MK fireworks time for the whole group as a last night special splurge.
Tue 10/4 - Fly home day...mostly packing and getting to the airport unless we can get a late afternoon flight out.

Thanks for advice/input on this plan and I apologize for this post having so many questions. I hope I put it in the right place...I wasn't sure if it belonged here or in the vacation plans thread. I thought since my main concern is which park to hit each day this might be the place for it.

Have a Magical Day!
-Medland

[LandFan]

Holy cow that's a LOT!! One thing that came to mind (I don't have a bunch of time right now to say much) is that on your Animal Kingdom day you might want to leave time for the new Rivers of Light show that will be running in the evenings. The park and the safari and some other items will be open later now and Animal Kindgom after dark is something quite magical to behold. We were lucky enough to be there after dark Thanksgiving day 2014 and it was magical! So - maybe Tusker House with Safari Donald and characters or the new Signature place that will open this summer (Tiffins) in Animal Kingdom for dinner if you do want to stay there later and move Cali Grill?

Just a thought :)

[#1donaldfan]

I didn't read through the entire thing. I would say with that disparity in age groups, I'd tackle each park as separate family units. That way no one is waiting on Grumpy to use the bathroom or rest his legs or they have to try to quiet down an excited kid. I would plan each TS together that way everyone can catch up and tell their stories of the day. Maybe plan a party around the pool with everyone relaxing and playing, but to try to "run" through a park as a unit, as such, will be incredibly hard to do. We have tried to do parks with my sisters family and although it's fun, at some point we or they are waiting, waiting, waiting on someone else. Hopefully this helps some.....oh, the one bankrolling the event should have a larger percentage of say to what goes on daily..... IMHO !!! I'm sure you will have a lot of fun !!

[deedee73]

Having a toddler in tow & planning a WDW vacation is night and day from one without or so I am finding out. Based on some of your questions, I think we have read the same advice but I admit I have some of the same concerns.

For instance - I can't wit to show my son the castle but everything else will be a let down - I still think it will either be DTD (sorry, Disney Springs) or MK. He isn't going to be happy until he sees where Mickey lives. You might be able to get way with DHS & the Disney Junior characters but I think other than that it will be MK or bust.

Swim lessons wear my son out & so I think water park days & swimming at Disney will do so too. I also think traveling will create their own set of hazards - meltdown while leaving, time involved, etc. I think using your TS meal as the R&R for the day might help you. Perhaps deciding what is more important - rope drop or the nighttime festivities. My son sleeps in & is a night owl so this is a no brainer for us. Only you know what is most important for you. Most of the meals with characters you have listed have the same characters for lunch/brunch. I think if I were you, I would choose these options & use that as my break on most days rather than trek bc to the resort. If you are going to park hop then I would go back to the resort, relax, nap, take a cool shower, etc.

As for a special splurge - I would probably keep Cali Grill for just you & your DH. While all Disney restaurants are kid friendly this one is not as kid friendly as some others. Narcoossee's has as larger kid menu & has. Great view for the Electrical Water Pageant & Wishes from the deck. Another option would be to do a family outing - the Pirate & Pals Cruise out of the Contemporary resort is awesome & is so much fun. We went with a large diverse group & everyone had a great time. Just something to think about.

[Ms. Mode]

Remember when planning ADRs that some take 2 TS credit, especially those with characters. You can run out of credits on the dining plan really fast and be spending additional money out of pocket for meals.

[Medland]

Remember when planning ADRs that some take 2 TS credit, especially those with characters. You can run out of credits on the dining plan really fast and be spending additional money out of pocket for meals.

I thought the only character meal that costs 2 credits was the Cinderella Castle?

[Cinderelley]

I have done many large, multigenerational trips. They can be a lot of fun. They can also be a huge headache.

To start with, I ALWAYS use intercot's "when to visit" tab. I set up a spreadsheet with what days I'm going and put an x in the box the busiest days for each park. Then I choose a park that isn't so busy for the particular day I'm working on. For example, you have Epcot listed as your first full day in the parks on a Wednesday. That is traditionally a very busy day for Epcot. You may want to consider Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom instead. Visiting Magic Kingdom first never ruined it for my kids.
http://intercot.com/infocentral/weather/whentovisit.asp

Below the 4 parks, I put a line for each EMH and list where it is each day in case we decide to go for it.

Below that, I list Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. This is where I put our ADR for each day along with the confirmation number and time.

Below that I list our fastpasses, times and the times for anything else we want to do such as fantasmic, parades, downtown disney, etc.

Everyone gets a copy of the spreadsheet. I don't expect them to keep it, but at least they have a general idea of what is going on. I take one paper copy with me, but I primarily take a picture of it on my phone and refer to that if needed.

I also keep things very simple, so that no one gets confused. No park hopping. I plan which park on which day, one table service meal and plan your fastpasses for rides/events you want to do together, such as a family photo on Splash Mountain or at character meet and greets. The rest of the time, the group will probably divide up into smaller groups and wander off to do what they want to do. While you may have visions of the whole group spending all the time together, it is really a lot easier and everyone will be happier if you split up.

I HIGHLY recommend getting your Crystal Palace reservation for early in the morning. The magic of walking down an uncrowded Main St is amazing.

For my family, I plan a meal at Downtown Disney for our arrival day. Maybe you could have dinner at Trex if your kids are into dinosaurs. Rainforest Cafe has animals. Raglan Road is amazing, but it might be a little loud for a 3 year old and a little boring for an 8 year old. I do this because Downtown Disney is more relaxing than feeling like you have to get on rides, but it gives you some of the Disney magic. Another option is to just enjoy your resort. We fly from the western side of the US, so the travelling is an all day affair. It looks like you won't have to travel as far, so your group may not need as much rest.

You don't need to worry about micromanaging, but a little structure will make things go smoother for everyone.

[Disney Doll]

Here's my advice as a mother of three (ages 3, 6, & 8) with a few multi generational trips under my belt.

Will this benefit my kids even if they don't nap anymore? My fear is that one or both will melt down about having to leave whatever park we are heading out of and spend the majority of the "break" complaining/whining. For those of you who have done this, what time do you shoot for to leave the park? How long do you stay at your resort? Do you try to head back around dinner? In time for an afternoon parade? Would swimming during the afternoon break make everyone all the more exhausted by evening? Is the tedious nature of bus travel with the kids back to the resort worth the break?
IMO, this totally depends on the kid. Mine have never been vacation nappers or good at resting in general. We arrive at the hotel for our midday break with antsy kids who are begging to swim not rest. Luckily, mine have always been good about napping in the stroller so we skip the midday breaks an opt for a few early evenings. That said, they do enjoy swimming so sometimes we break specifically to build in pool time.


Which parks would YOU hit on each day if you had my dates/cast? I am dying for my kids to see the iconic castle...but I read somewhere that Magic Kingdom should be done after the less thrilling parks to build to it rather than other parks being somewhat of a let down for the kids as Magic Kingdom is likely to be the favorite? Yet, I don't want the kids to be so worn out when they hit Magic Kingdom that they're aching/tired all day either as there is so much to see...
Like a previous poster I go by crowd predictors. There is more to do at MK for kids so I generally plan more than one MK day. However, my kids love every park and it has never felt like a loss of magic to have MK early in the trip.

Should we plan to park hop to parks with evening EMH's if we think the kids are well-rested enough for it? Or should we just avoid the parks with evening EMH's altogether? I would like to take advantage of EMH's (and have on past trips) but with the kids I'm not confident that we can consistently get there early enough or stay out long enough to do them.
With a two year old I wouldn't bother. We typically pick one night to stay out late for fireworks and otherwise we try to keep a decent bedtime. Crabby kids aren't as much fun.

[Snow's Mom]

My last trip had 11 participants from age 6 to 58. We stayed together almost the whole time, but only did QS meals and no park-hopping. With a 3-year-old and some grandparents, plan to be flexible. Hip and foot problems don't bode well with all that walking. Even an 8-year-old gets tired. If you rent a wheel-chair, someone has to push it. And I assume you will have a stroller, too. More pushing. Take turns, take breaks, take your time. It's about the memories and the looks on your children's faces when they see something magical.

I'd suggest/agree with letting the grandparents watch the kids one evening, while you and your husband go back to Epcot or whatever. Everybody enjoy your time together---and go back with your family again when your kids are a little older. You can do the stuff you missed then. Be prepared for the unexpected---someone getting sick, bad weather, etc. I always make detailed plans and end up changing them. I've learned that it's okay to "wing it" sometimes. Personally, I'd skip the Universal Day and do the pools or Disney Springs and just rest. My guess is that everyone will take naps! But I wouldn't burn the candle at both ends. Fireworks the last night before going home worked for us.

Make your plans, heed the advice from previous replies, and good luck! It sounds like a wonderful trip.