WDW 3/27/12 to 3/30/12 - any input appreciated.

[Makeup]

Been to WDW and DL and finally ringing family of 4(2 small kids) to WDW for the very first time. Yay! :D We're staying offsite with rental car. Can you guys give me some tips? I truly appreciate it. Although i've been snooping in the site for a week, there's so much info and my head's going to explode soon. I want this trip to be really fun for the whole fam.
Is the crowd really bad? Want to hit all 4 parks in 4 days(tue to fri: 3/27 to 3/30). Which one do you recommend we go first?
What about dining? I liked Casey's(fast but sitting down) before. Kids will be ok with it too(I guess anything with fries they can eat, haha!). Any other suggestions when were at MK, AK, Epcot, HS?
What about fast pass? Do i do it for kids rides?
Should we go back to hotel mid day when it gets really crowded? Do i have to pay for parking when we go back?
Thank you thank you so much for any input.

[LVT]

What fun. Keep up the planning. WDW is huge.
Parking is pay 1 time a day and keep receipt for all day at any park's lot.
Study up on Fast pass use. It does not always make sense until you have done it a lot.
ASK ANYTHING!
When you ask, do mention the ages of the children involved. While the WDW rides are not as scary as big rollercoasters at amusement parks, some height restrictions are in place.
We stay on site and take afternoon naps. It does take about 90 minutes bus time to and from a park. You may not lose much more since you are driving. However there are some questions 1. will you all actually nap or swim. 2. How late can everyone stay up with or without naps. 3. How early can you get out the door in the morning to be in line before Park opening.
4. How far can the family walk. I seem to reach at least 6 miles a day when doing the long 8am to 11pm days.

I hope we keep hearing from you.

[Makeup]

LVT, thanks so much for replying!!

My kids are 4 and 6. We can get up 630-7am, bfast at the hotel and be at the gate between 8-9am. I was not sure yet if we're going back to the hotel mid day. I guess i was going to do it if the crowds get really crazy. The kids can use a 1-2hr nap. If they nap, they have energy to stay late as 11pm. If they don't nap, they'll be dozing off by 9-930pm, under normal circumstances. But if we're out(parties, vacation), they'll stay late as long as there's something going on and will kinda just doze off once everything dies down(in the car or sitting somewhere quiet). And they can walk pretty far if there's a lot of stops and sitting in between.

[Jillirose]

:welcome:

You're going to have a great trip! For information on fast passes and anything else, check the 'info central' tab. When my kids were your kids' ages, there were a few lessons we learned:
1. It's all about them - we just let them decide what we went on, the pace, when we left, when we ate. A lot less stress that way!
2. You can easily walk 9+ miles in a park on a day. We found that renting the large rolling stroller/cart was still a good investment. I was surprised, but my oldest took more rides than the younger one! It also helps to stash snacks (a must), waters, and purchases.
3. Lunch, pool, and nap were a good option
4. We split and took breaks or stayed back from the park if someone was too tired. Also, you can trade off a child on a ride if they choose not to go.
5. I learned to relax and enjoy - I tend to be a little too type A and want to have a plan, go by the plan, not to miss anything. I learned that you miss a lot anyway you plan it! That just leaves us with more to look forward to on the next visit. :thumbsup:
6. At the disney.go.com site (parks & travel tab (http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/)) you can explore the parks and view attractions/rides by your children's ages.

[tinxmom]

Here's an idea for a "down time" spot if you don't want to leave the park (MK). When our kids were small, we found Tom Sawyer's Island to be a nice spot to kind of escape the park "frenzy" feeling by midday/early afternoon. Raft ride is fun for the kids and Aunt Polly's is an easy place to grab a bite and find a spot to "picnic".

[Janmac]

I highly recommend revising your 4 parks in 4 days plan. Especially given the ages of your kids. We went to WDW for years with only one park and then 2 parks. Even now, when we take newbies who only have 4 or 5 days, we'll leave out a park or two.

I would leave Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS) for another trip. Kids in our extended family group didn't really start having fun here until about 10 or so. We've yet to find, in the last 15 trips, any good counter/quick service place to eat in this park.

Also recommend the park hopper (I know - this is about another $250 bucks). Recommend going to Magic Kingdom (MK) two mornings at least, if not 3. Recommend spending your evenings at Epcot, doing a different Future World pavilion each night before moving on to a different country in World Showcase.

The reasoning behind this recommendation is that there is more for kids of your ages to do at MK. If this is going to be a one time trip, they will have better memories because they have seen the same things - familiarity is important at their ages - more than once. Another is that the walkways at Epcot are much wider, accommodating crowds better later in the day. And it could be busy, when you are there. And, most importantly, if you are going to have the best time, going at the kids' pace will be easier if you know you'll be able to pick up missed stuff the next day. Or do favorites.

The wild card in the mix is Animal Kingdom (AK). I'd recommend one morning here, as the attractions are limited here - much as MK was in the early days. Add to it that some of the attractions are not for kids (Expedition Everest - EE - and Dino or whatever it's called) and you can get a lot done in a morning.

Even when the kids in our extended family group were the ages of your kids, Epcot has been the family favorite park. Hands down and way above either MK or AK. Even tho some of the adults in our group say Tower of Terror (ToT) and Rock'n'Roller Coaster (RnRC) are their favorite attractions, DHS is not one of their favorite parks.

AK has some great quick service eating places: Pizzafari or Flame Tree BBQ. Love these.

Epcot is full of great quick service places. In Future World, the Land Pavilion has a wonderful quick service area, Sunshine Seasons, and Electric Umbrella is okay. In World Showcase there are LOTs of great places. You can munch your way around the World each evening.

Jan

[barnaby]

Only bit of advice is that these dates are right around Easter and Spring Break. I live in NJ, and it is the week after Easter, so your dates are OK. But it may be spring break for some other schools/colleges, which may effect crowds.
Just something to check out.