How much time in each park?

[masondoggy]

Hi.

My family is planning our first trip to Disney Dec. 12-21. We're taking four kids (11,10,6, &2). What should we expect with crowds during this week before Christmas? Will it be too bad?

How much time is reasonable to plan to spend in each park? We're not really planning any other activities outside Disney, but we'll also have a toddler to slow things down a bit. I was thinking we'd designate two days each for the MK and Epcot, and one day each for the other two. Does it take a whole day to get through Animal Kingdom if we get there at opening?

And one last question.....does anybody really bother to go back to their hotel mid-day for a break when the parks close early? That sounds like a lot of hassle when time is limited...but that's the advice I keep hearing over and over.

Thanks!

[Buttercup]

I usually spend one full day at each park. Sometimes we only go to Animal Kingdom for half a day. It's nice there but we prefer the other parks more.
Then I take one final day to park-hop between all the parks, getting a chance to go on things again or catch the stuff we missed the first time around.
We didn't plan on going back for a mid-day break unless we could tell it was needed (whiny kids and whatnot). If the park was closing early, I don't know if I would. Maybe we'd go back to the hotel for lunch -- and make our mid-day break earlier. But if the kids are happy and nobody is complaining, we don't take a break.

[BigRedDad]

It will be entirely up to what your party enjoys. You are going for 10 days, so you have plenty of time to do most things. I would be sure to get the 10-day park passes because the cost difference is almost negligible. This way, you can go for part of a day if you weren't planning on going at all that day.

People think DHS and AK are just one day parks. I think with my DD2, she will absolutely love AK. She loves all types of animals, birds. We are planning to go to AK for 3 half-day trips. MK for 3 days, Epcot 1.5 days, and 2 half-day at DHS. I totally expect this to change based on her excitement.

As for crowds, it will be very quiet earlier in your trip and picking up as you get closer to the end. It may not be drastically packed by 12/21, but it will be noticeably more than 12/12.

[masondoggy]

We're planning on buying the 8-day ticket, no park hopping. That's just too much hassle with a 2 year old anyway, lol....

So we're basically just planning on doing one park a day and probably leaving whenever the little one gets cranky. He's usually good about going without a nap, but at this point he doesn't nap in his stroller...so we'll see how this goes.

[Strmchsr]

As far as crowds, they'll start off not too bad and grow towards the end of your trip. By the end things will be fairly crowded, though not overwhelming.

Taking a break - your 2 yr old will more than likely not be able to go every day non-stop. There is so much to see and do at WDW that 2 yr olds quickly get overwhelmed. With my DS2 this past Nov we took turns. I would take him back to the hotel one day while my DW stayed with DS7 in the parks, then the next day we'd switch. Letting a child that age have some time just to run around or play in the kiddie pool is vital. They need the time to work out their over stimulation. 2-3 days and they'd be okay, but after that the child would start having problems.

Park time - with the age kids you have MK will probably be 2-3 days. If your kids really enjoy culture and learning, Epcot can also be 2-3 days. DHS and AK seem to be personal preference. DHS is usually 1 day for us, but we can definitely spend 2 in AK seeing everything. If you just hit the "highlight" rides in those parks, sure they're only 1 day or even a half day, but if you enjoy shows and seeing all the animal stuff (like Rafiki's Planet Watch) 1-2 days is a must.

[Tygger7]

My recommendation, after many, many trips, is to buy the park hopper. It's really not a hassle moving between the parks, and I can't tell you how many times we started out at one park and then moved to another park because of crowds. Plus, when travelling with young children you never know when they'll get bored and want to do something else. For example, AK is HUGE park and very spread out. Trying to stay there for a whole day is exhausting. We try to go first thing in the morning and do the safari & EE, then we hop to another park for lunch and to spend the balance of the day. Normally, we end up back at MK, just because it's our favorite.

One key piece of info I didn't see in your post is what resort you plan on staying at. If it's one of the monorail resorts, it would be worth it going back to the hotel in the afternoon to let the little one take a nap and let the other kids swim. If you're staying further out, then I'd base it on how the kids are doing.

As for how much time at each park, I can say what we're budgeting for our 10-day trip:
2 days - DHS
1 1/2 - 2 days - AK
3 days - MK
3 days - Epcot

I can guarantee that we won't be at any one park ALL day, and that even without little ones (we're taking DD15 and her best friend(15)) we'll be spending a lot of time at the pool.

Good luck and just try and pace yourself. There's so much to see that it can be overwhelming, so be sure and allow some "down" time.

[Deesdisney]

In jan we went 2 days in each park. And it was great. We took our time and did everything we wanted to do.

[Tinksmom]

As you can tell everybody has an opinion about the right way to tour the parks. And you know what...they are all right. The hardest thing for a first timer is finding out what is RIGHT for your family at each stage.
The best thing is to have a flexible plan. You will need to most time a MK. If you have lots of girls and/or thrill ride lovers you may need 2 days at DHS. While Epcot is big so it can take a lot of time, if your kids aren't that into it, you may only need 1 day there. And Animal Kingdom is a "you love it or you don't" park. I'd try to get to each park once before you go back for repeat trips. By then you will know where you need more time.
As far as mid-day breaks go, it's not worth it when the parks close early. It's amazing what a kid will and will not do at Disney World. You won't know until you get there! A nap in the stroller or a dark show (like Hall of Presidents) might just happen if a child is tired enough and it may be all they need to keep going. Also there are fun run around areas in each of the parks that can help little ones unwind (Pooh's Playful Spot in MK, Honey I Shrunk the Kids in DHS, Surprise Fountains at Epcot, Boneyard at AK). And these are great options for the little one while the big kids ride the thrill rides.
I hope you have a magical time you and your kids will never forget!!!

[Kidsmom]

Last August we went for 10 days also with our 4 kids (just 4, 6, 7 &9).

We planned 2 days at each park and 2 resort days to relax. The day we were suppose to go back to AK the kids decided they wanted another day at Epcot so we did that (3 days total at Epcot - one day at AK).

We also stayed all day at the parks and never went back to the hotel for rests. We would sleep in (9:00) and have breakfast maybe go for a swim or just let the kids hang out in the room and play. We got to the parks around 12-1 had Counter service lunch and Table Service dinner and had a blast. We got home between 11 and midnight and usually some of the kids would go for a swim (always the 4 yo!) and then sleep very soundly....until 9ish (one day until 10!!)

I think the Hoppers are great after you have been many times. IMHO, the first time you take the kids....they want to explore the one park you are at and make a day of that theme. Everything is new and it takes a long time to get to everything. Even with 3 days at Epcot we did somethings 3x and some we didn't get to other things.

I think it just really depends how your kids sleep and how their temperment is.

I was always told to take mid-day breaks, but for our family and the way we did it...the kids were awesome. We only had about an hour the whole time with our 6 & 7 year olds whinney...this is not the norm...at home usually much more!

There are many ways to do the trip...find what works for your family.

Have a great trip!!

[Von-Drake]

We usually devote a full day to the Magic Kingdom (usually 2, just because we like doing most things more than once). We split a day between the Animal Kingdom (2/3) and Hollywood Studios 1/3). The fourth day is usually 1/3 Hollywood Studios and the rest at Epcot. But as my son (almost 5) grows older and interests change, I am sure our allotment at each park will as well.

[c&d]

I think mid-day breaks are really necessary, especially with a 2 year old. I speak from experience, our 2 year old was so excited that he couldn't sleep at night. It was really nice to go back to the hotel in the afternoon and either take a nap or just have some quiet time at the pool. We still will go back to the hotel for a mid day break. The pool at the hotel is usually pretty empty during the day.

I would also definitely get a park hopper pass if you can afford it. It is really nice having the option to go to a park during the day and then have dinner in another if you want. Also if you get to a park and it's really crowded you can go to another one.

And finally

[Mary M]

I'm going to echo the above recommendations to get a Park Hopper option if possible, and to include some days off in your vacation. We'd usually do 2 park days and then 1 "off" day. Spend the day at the water park (if it's warm enough), miniature golf, or just chill at the resort (there's a lot to do there, too). You don't want to come back exhausted!

Also, don't get too worried about doing it all - it's impossible. You'd have to spend a month or more to do it all. So focus on what's fun, on having a good time with your family, rather than on the number of rides you go on. You'll be much happier.

Otherwise, I think your plan is perfect. Have a great time!

[bruin1344]

Hi.

My family is planning our first trip to Disney Dec. 12-21. We're taking four kids (11,10,6, &2). What should we expect with crowds during this week before Christmas? Will it be too bad?

How much time is reasonable to plan to spend in each park? We're not really planning any other activities outside Disney, but we'll also have a toddler to slow things down a bit. I was thinking we'd designate two days each for the MK and Epcot, and one day each for the other two. Does it take a whole day to get through Animal Kingdom if we get there at opening?

And one last question.....does anybody really bother to go back to their hotel mid-day for a break when the parks close early? That sounds like a lot of hassle when time is limited...but that's the advice I keep hearing over and over.

Thanks!

Since you seemed to be going to WDW around 10 days, you should have no trouble seeing everything. My personal perference is to do 2 parks in a day and visit the parks multiple times. Usually on a 6 day vacation for me, i spend in average of 3 half days at MK and Epcot, 2 half days at MGM, 1 half day at AK and Typhoon Lagoon.

[masondoggy]

With my DS2 this past Nov we took turns. I would take him back to the hotel one day while my DW stayed with DS7 in the parks, then the next day we'd switch. Letting a child that age have some time just to run around or play in the kiddie pool is vital.

That's a great idea, thanks!

[masondoggy]

One key piece of info I didn't see in your post is what resort you plan on staying at.

As of right now, we have a reservation for All-Star Music resort through AAA. That may change if funds are tight and we need to save $$ by staying off-site.

I would also definitely get a park hopper pass if you can afford it. It is really nice having the option to go to a park during the day and then have dinner in another if you want. Also if you get to a park and it's really crowded you can go to another one.

And finally

We decided against the park hopper because this is just one area we're willing to save some $$. It's either that or skip the (nasty!) airfare and drive from Akron Ohio with 4 kids! Yuk! Something's gotta give, ya know.

We figure if we get tired of a park or the crowds get too bad, we'll take that opportunity to spend the rest of the day relaxing or visiting DTD or something.



Thanks for all the suggestions!

[GrmGrninGost]

We try to go for 9 days. 3 at MK, 3 at Epcot, 2 at MGM and 1 at AK. We usually see most everything at least once, and our favorites 2 or 3 times. We never leave the parks, unless it's for a meal. We get there early and stay late. We like to do a lot of things besides the rides. We meet and greet with the characters, do all the shows and spend a good deal of time dining. I love the character meals! Of course, if you don't have 9 days to spend there, stay as long as possible and enjoy what you can!

[BandMan]

Although some of our Disney-going friends (and many on this board) like the park-hopper, we have not found it to be necessary. We just plan what we need to see for the day in that park - we'll get to the next park tomorrow.

We spent some quality time on the info pages of INTERCOT looking for best days to avoid the crowds. Although it's no guarantee, it worked well for us.

Also, you may not need those afternoon breaks with shorter hours and cooler temperatures. But if after a couple days you find the little one getting cranky, you may find you really do need it.

[Hull-onian]

to Intercot.

I guess whatever way you plan your trip it is the right way. My two grandchildren are 13 and 11. I can't believe it, I am giving them choices. As long as I can ride on Pirates. My daugher has other ideas however. So on our way down there, we are going to review our iteniary and if anyone wants to make any changes they can. I am very open minded. I had to fit in Seaworld too. So it should all be good. We got park hoppers and one AP for the discounts.

[crazygoalie39]

We spend 3 days at Mk, 2 at Epcot, 1 at DHS, and 1/2 at AK. I find that it's unnecessary to go to the hotel during the day. The only reason why we ever do it is if we don't feel good because of the heat or rarely to shower and change before dinner if we're eating somewhere nice.

[Hull-onian]

We spend 3 days at Mk, 2 at Epcot, 1 at DHS, and 1/2 at AK. I find that it's unnecessary to go to the hotel during the day. The only reason why we ever do it is if we don't feel good because of the heat or rarely to shower and change before dinner if we're eating somewhere nice.

We don't go back to the hotel either. The logistics of getting there, and going back out is too much. This year we will have dinner around 5:30 p.m. and then head back to the hotel early. However, if the kids want to do fireworks after, I don't see it as a problem.