How can I do a magic visit for a small-town 10 year old and her mom?

[mortimeriwerks]

I have been to WDW 3 times, but not since late 1980's.

My new girlfriend and her 10 year old have wanted to go there since they were kids. I remember the vast spaces and the Southern sun, and "If You Had Wings" from Eastern Airlines.... They have no clue. We live near Holiday World in Santa Claus IN, a teeny-tiny theme park; that is their reference.

We are renting a car and are leaving Saturday, February 2nd, driving direct (14 hours!) to a gifted stay at a resort in Orlando, staying to Saturday, February 9. The plan is to relax and regroup on Sunday. Then, on Monday February 4th visit Disney's Magic Kingdom. We have three "4 DAY (1 THEME PARK PER DAY)" adult tickets from UndercoverTourist. Then, plan is to visit Disney's Animal Kingdom on Tuesday, then Disney's Hollywood Studios on Wednesday, and then back to the Magic Kingdom on Thursday and Friday. Then check-out and drive home (may stay overnight in Atlanta area) and off to work on Monday.

I am just a paying participant, and all I can do is make some inquiries as to advice, suggestions and how to focus the adventure on a 10 year old who loves animals, animated dragons (I have seen the new flying dragon on video!) and Cartoon Network(!) Has she abandoned Disney Channel? Yes, but she is still a kid. Her mom has some mobility issues, but is up for a few days of paced multi-mile hikes. Me, I am but a jaded 50 year old with a love for the tech and history of Walt and the other Imagineers.

Meals will be cheap and easy, no travel or lodging issues, and will have a car. What advice can you offer?

Thank you(!!!!)

[Main Street Jim]

Take your time

You have four theme parks to explore. Let your girlfriend and her daughter lead the way, but also take in the memories that you experienced. Tea Cups, Peter Pan, Speedway, Haunted Mansion, Pirates...haven't changed all *that* much, and are all things that you can experience *together*. Splash and Thunder Mountains have been added since the '80s. Take a rocket trip through outer space with Space Mountain. *DEFINITELY* make time Wishes and Main Street Electrical Parade.

Must-dos for us at EPCOT: Soarin' (*definitely* make use of FastPass on this one!), Test Track, Living with the Land, Imagination. American Adventure brings tears to my eyes *every* time, no matter how often I've seen the show. Impressions de France is beautiful. Grand Fiesta Tour and Maelstrom. Make a reservation (if you haven't already) for Garden Grill at The Land pavilion - my wife's favorite restaurant, and all-you-can-eat (at least it was last time we were there in 2011). And, make sure to see Illuminations at the end of the night.

Studios and Animal Kingdom are usually half-day parks for us, but, if you want to do Toy Story Mania, *make sure* you run back there first thing in the morning to grab FastPasses! They run out *quick* at TSM! Lights! Motors! Action! Stunt Show is pretty cool, as is Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Beauty and the Beast stage show and Voyage of the Little Mermaid are pretty decent. Then....you have Tower of Terror and Rock'n' Rollercoaster starring Aerosmith! Fantasmic! is pretty good at the end of the night. Studios is also pretty good for meeting characters. As far as food, Mama Melrose's, Hollywood and Dine, and Sci-Fi Dine-In are all pretty good choices for sit-downs.

At Animal Kingdom, we usually only go to do Safari, Festival of the Lion King, and maybe Everest, although the Flights of Wonder show is pretty cool to see, and the two walking trails are nice (I prefer Maharaja Jungle Trek).

Take some time off away from the parks as well...relax at a pool, head over to Downtown Disney for some shopping, take in a nice restaurant at a resort. With your own vehicle, it's a bit easier to get around instead of waiting on the Disney buses. You didn't say if you were staying at a Disney resort or not, but, if you're not, you'll end up paying for parking. Keep in mind that your parking pass is good all day long, so if you leave the parking lot and come back later in the day, your pass is still good for that day.

I am but a jaded 50 year old with a love for the tech and history of Walt and the other Imagineers.

Me, too, which is/was why I became a Cast Member in 2001 I'm a*very big* fan of Walt Disney, the man - not necessarily the company

[stephicakes]

My advice? Just enjoy it!!! Your story sounds a lot like our first trip to the World! My then DB (now DH of 4 ½ years ) took me and my DD to the World when my DD was about that same age. We had NO plans since I didn’t know too much about WDW at that point… and it was MAGICAL!! I still think it was one of our BEST trips because we just “winged it” and did whatever we felt like doing! I was blown away by everything I saw & experienced!

If you are early-risers (I find it hard to sleep in at WDW!) then you may want to take advantage of any EMH in the morning. You may be surprised at how much you can do in the morning. That way you can take a break and enjoy some pool time at your resort if the weather permits to recharge your batteries. You may have already thought of this, but I always carry a backpack with me for things like rain ponchos, sunglasses, phones (in Ziploc bags to keep dry), wallets, water, camera, etc. It always comes in handy.

Sure, have a game plan, but don’t rush or get stressed about things - there is A LOT to do so it is easy to get frazzled. Just keep reminding yourself that you won’t be able to do EVERYTHING. It gives you an excuse to go back and start planning for another trip! You will make so many great memories as you all are experiencing it together for the first time. If you can, please post a “Trip Report” so that we know how it went!

Happy Planning!!
steph

[VWL Mom]

Pretty good ideas so far! Be sure to utilize FP for the rides. They will help you avoid standing in long lines. We usually grab a FP for ling lines and then ride somethings with a short line or grab a bite to eat while waiting for our return time.

Take the time to stop and look around. The street people at DHS are fun to watch, the birds trails at AK are beautiful, there are hidden gems everywhere. Grab a snack, sit and look around.

As the leader of your group, you may want to pick up a Hidden Mickey book before hand, Many kids (and adults) enjoy looking for them while in line, one rides, and just walking. My boys are 17 & 21 and we still look for them every trip.

My suggestion is plan but don't overplan. Enjoy!

[BigRedDad]

I posted this on the other site as well.

You cannot do everything, so don't try. It is as much your vacation as it is the 10yo, so don't miss out on anything. Most everything you will want to do, the 10yo can as well. However, don't deny the 10yo of things she wants to do as well. Definitely look into some of the crowd calendars to get an idea of which parks on which days. I would make a list of 10 must-do's at each park and have a plan around doing all of those. Also, go with the flow because you never know what is lurking around the corner. An example is walking up to Kilimanjaro Safari only to realize African Drummers are there entertaining. It is fun to sit and watch the street performers.

I think you will be more than fine. The enthusiasm in her eyes will be incredible and just enjoy every minute of it.

[roses]

Welcome!

You've come to the right place! There's so much to do and see at the WDW Parks and Resorts - you won't be able to see everything in one trip. My suggestion is to go online and research what you absolutely want to hit at each park, then on a map find where these attractions are - therefore you'll know where you need to hit, and you won't be bouncing all over the parks!

Another bit of advice, take in the atmosphere, the child will love it. Just standing in the middle of Main St USA is going to give you a sense of amazement. Enjoy the shows and parades, Disney does it best! Be sure to grab a brochure when you walk in with all the show times.

Take an afternoon and go to Downtown Disney and/or the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk has street performers and it's free to watch! You can go into their restaurants, or hit the pizza place, or enjoy some desserts at the Boardwalk Bakery.

Each park is great and has so much for everyone. Enjoy your time there!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I didn't see Epcot in your itenary. Don't skip this park its my second favorite and you will find plenty to do there for the child as well.

Remember to utilize fastpass to get in as many must do's as possible. I suggest arriving at the park at opening time and going straight for the most popular rides before lines are too long.

Here are some tips:

AK-Don't miss the Safari, Festival of the Lion King or Tough to Be a Bug...if you like big thrill rides you need to do Everest as well. I recommend Flame Tree BBQ, it is a relatively inexpensive place to eat and has top notch BBQ...I think they offer hotdogs as well if the little girl is a picky eater

DHS-Don't miss Toy Story Mania (may need fastpass), The Muppet Show, Great Movie Ride and if adventurous Rockin Roller Coaster-Fantasmic is a great show to see at night/Quick Service is not as good here as in other parks, we like Starring Rolls but it has a limited menu-I hear Studio Catering and Backlot Express are okay

Epcot-WS is like being at the world's fair and you can't go wrong eating at any of their quick service restaurants-our favorites are fish n chips in the UK and nachos in Mexico-don't miss the ride in Norway

Future World-Don't miss Soarin and Spaceship Earth...also Test Track-(Soarin is my favorite you may need to fastpass this if line is long)

Also you must stay for Illuminations!

MK-Don't miss new fantasyland-I haven't seen it yet! Also don't miss Haunted Mansion (my favorite), Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Buzz Light Year, Carousel of Progress-

Good Places to Eat are Columbia Harbor House, Cosmic Rays and Pecos Bills-don't forget to stop at the Bakery and Candy stores on Main St. for a sweet treat.

Must stay for nighttime parade and fireworks here too!

DTD-Go to the World of Disney and Christmas Store-eat at Wolfgang Puck express

[ransam]

Best advice i can give is to read everyone's advice, and then not follow any of it! lol.
Just listen, get ideas, and then make your vacation, your vacation.
WDW is so big, so awesome, you have no chance of covering it all. So just enjoy what you can and remember, WDW isn't going anywhere, you can always go back.

[Cheshire_Girl]

My best advise...
Remember Fast pass is your friend
Remember shows are a nice break from walking around the park and are worth their time in gold just for that fact
Water, Water Water...Even on cooler days its easy to ger dehydrated and that can put a real damper on your fun
If you missed it, then you didn't miss it cuz you don't know what you're missing so don't sweat it
Let the magic carry you away!!!
And have a Fantasmic time!

[PETE FROM NYC]

You said the Mom has mobility issues. You can rent a scooter in the park for use in that park for $50/day. But I recommend renting one from an outside vendor so she has it 24/7, and costs half the price than park rentals. Also be advised, that in the parks they can run out of them early in the day.
I have used Apple Scooters several times and love them.

[Janmac]

As another poster said, there's no Epcot in your schedule.

Do you have 4 day passes or 5 day?

Magic Kingdom is fun but probably you won't need to go there all day Monday, Thursday and Friday. That's a lot of Magic Kingdom (MK) even if it's a large park.

You're staying off property? Best not to go to a park that is having Early Extra Magic Hours (EMH) for on property resort guests. Many will have gained entry a whole hour early and lines can be long when you get to enter. You can find this info at the tab at the top of this page marked info central.

For MK this would be Thursday.

Given the EMH hours, I'd suggest MK on Monday, Animal Kingdom (AK) on Tuesday, back to MK on Wednesday, Disney Hollywood Studios (DHS) on Thursday and then Epcot on Friday, if you have tickets for 5 days. As others have said, AK and DHS are smaller parks. Alternating these parks with MK gives you and your family a built in rest.

Epcot is an evening EMH park on Friday, but Epcot has wider walkways and seems to handle the crowds better. Still doable.

As for suggestions by others, you've been given good ones. It is best to look at maps, either here or search on line for other map sources, and learn as much as you can about what's available in each park. The public library I frequent has Disney guidebooks for check out. The easiest to use, perhaps with the most photos, is Birnbaums. I'd use this to familiarize yourself with what the various attractions are like.

Then when you get to Disney, wing it. But you'll be winging it from an informed point of view. You won't be doing, as I heard one guest do (and I don't credit this), spending all day in Tomorrowland at MK thinking that was all of MK.

I would add one suggestion for Animal Kingdom, as the 10 yr old likes animals. Get to the park about 30 minutes before the official park opening. At park opening, head for Kilimanjaro Safaris (this is where your pre-trip map study comes in handy) and get a Fast Pass (FP). There are ticket dispensers (like large trash cans, maybe) at some attractions. When you put your park admission ticket in one slot, it comes back to you, and from another slot is a slip of paper, which is your FP. It'll have two times, making a return window, during which you can enter the FP line for a shorter wait. Each person needs her own FP.

Then, after getting your FPs and while you're waiting for the return time, go to the train for the Conservation Station. Sometimes, at the vet area at Conservation Station you can watch while vets do procedures. We were lucky enough on our last visit to watch a Komodo Dragon being examined. The 7 yr old with our group watched at the glass, for 2 hours. She was mesmerized.

I have heard that your best chance to see a procedure is to arrive as early as possible. But I have also heard that many times guests don't get to see anything.

The trails at AK - Pangani Forest Trail and Maharajah Exploration Trail - are great and worth lingering. Disney Cast Members (CMs) are stationed along the trails to answer questions and chat with guests.

Disney World is huge. Parks are miles from each other. There is a lot of walking. But there are lots of benches and plenty of places to sit for a spell. A lot of the World is the ambiance of the park, and you don't get that by rushing from attraction to attraction.

Keep in mind that you can leave your park of the day, perhaps it's MK, return to your resort for whatever, and return to MK that same day. Same with any other park. You just can't go to two parks in one day, unless you upgrade your park admission tickets.

Enjoy!

Jan

[Scott C]

Not much that I can add but would like to emphasize the importance of just touring at a steady pace. We have gotten so stressed during some of our trips that we did not enjoy them. We had to realize that we could not do everything on every trip. It is more fun to just relax and soak it all in.

Greetings from Evansville - where are you from?

Scott c

[nfrustaci]

Pretty good ideas so far! Be sure to utilize FP for the rides. They will help you avoid standing in long lines. We usually grab a FP for ling lines and then ride somethings with a short line or grab a bite to eat while waiting for our return time.

we do the same thing

Take the time to stop and look around. The street people at DHS are fun to watch, the birds trails at AK are beautiful, there are hidden gems everywhere. Grab a snack, sit and look around.

always have a snack while going through the trails.

As the leader of your group, you may want to pick up a Hidden Mickey book before hand, Many kids (and adults) enjoy looking for them while in line, one rides, and just walking. My boys are 17 & 21 and we still look for them every trip.

just on our last trip (#12) we purchased a hidden mickey book and had a really fun time looking for them and when we found them quickly opened the book and searched to see if we were right in our findings. lol
My suggestion is plan but don't overplan. Enjoy!

love the no planning thing. we have 2 dining reservations this feb and that is the only days that we have planned for.

have a great time on your trip. the above is a great way to introduce yourself to WDW again and to create wonderful memories with your new loved ones. Congrats to you for making a special dream of theirs come true.

[KevMcNJ]

My wife was expecting it to be like Six Flags when I took her for her first WDW visit in 2008
She was blown away even before we got into Magic Kingdom and she cried the morning we had to go home