Disney World Planning

[PenguinHunter]

Hello!

We are planning a DisneyWorld Trip - please help!

I never went as a kid... so I need help from you with experience to make this a great experience for my kiddos.

I will take all information - because I am not even sure where to start.

[2014olympicgold]

Here's a good reddit thread on it.

Go to the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge land. Our company did a lot of the stuff there and anyone I've talked to about it says it's great.

You can also use ChatGBT to help you plan vacations. I've done it already to help plan my parents vacation, to help plan a bachelor weekend, and my fiance used it to plan a Montreal girls trip. It's actually amazing to help plan a trip.

[doulos]

Be prepared for sore feet!

[GinFizz]

any kids? if so, how old?

[PenguinHunter]

any kids? if so, how old?

Good question - I should have included this important info!

7 and 4.

[doulos]

We took our kids at the same age. They had a blast. The 4 year old couldn't go on all the rides and was PISSED at times though.

[lucafen4]

Good question - I should have included this important info!

7 and 4.

Don't mean this as a deterrent... but one thought...
If the idea is to build lifetime memories for your kids - wait a few years.
Your 4 year old won't remember much, if any of it by the time their 20.

I have so few fleeting memories from that age.

[4T2]

Save the money and use it towards a live PQMC draft in Vegas!

[doulos]

Don't mean this as a deterrent... but one thought...
If the idea is to build lifetime memories for your kids - wait a few years.
Your 4 year old won't remember much, if any of it by the time their 20.

I have so few fleeting memories from that age.

Yeah, that's always a tricky thing. Our son has very few memories of the specifics of the trip at that age but "in the moment" he loved it.

[pmorrow]

I went as a kid. Don't remember a lot of it. Tower of Terror was great. MGM at the time was considered the "best" park although not sure if that's still the case. Bringing back memories.

[Pengwin7]

My family (w/wife & kids) never had the money to justify going to Disney.
But I've always listened to the stories of people that've gone.

There are three types of parents that've been to Disney:
i) Those who went, honestly loved it, and tell you about it
ii) Those who went, hated it, and tell you it was amazing ('cause they spent so much $$$)
iii) Those who went, hated it, and will tell you they hated it and did it for the kids
[I only know the second option exists through a few people that've "come clean" after several years have passed.]

Take lots of photos.
I - apparently - went with my parents when I was 7/8 and don't remember whether I had fun or not.
But I'm smiling in the photos, so those carry the weight. LOL.

Once you go to Disney - you can, at least, always tell your kids "We went when you were XX years old."
My kids, 1-2 times per year, rag on my and my wife for not having taken them.

Good luck.

My advice:
Know that you will either love it or hate it... but get a few photos with everybody smiling... and you've done your job.

BTW - I think 4&7 are great ages. In 2-3 more years, your kids will likely be screenheads (like mine) and their interest in doing real things for extended periods of time might be gone!

[finnys_fanatsy]

Get the fast passes. If they still exist.
Plan to spend at least one day at each pavilion. I think there like 5? We spent a second day at whatever pavilion had the Everest ride. (At least that’s what I recall it being lol)

[roenick27]

Get the fast passes. If they still exist.
Plan to spend at least one day at each pavilion. I think there like 5? We spent a second day at whatever pavilion had the Everest ride. (At least that’s what I recall it being lol)

Pretty much this. We went in ‘18 I think ( kids were 7 and 4). It’s a ton of walking. Like start at 6 am -11pm each night. We’re going back this year and we planned at least a few “down days” in between

[Call of Doughty]

Jim has advice.

[stevegamer]

I went to Disney with my then wife decades ago. There were no kids involved, unless you count a few of her (supposed) personalities. My advice is as follows:

1. Make sure to see what other attractions are nearby that you want to see. I am not a Disney person. I wanted to go to Cape Canaveral and see a rocket launch, go to Universal Studios, as it was more interesting to me, and go to a theme park that is now long closed (Cypress Gardens) which is apparently part of LegoLand. Figure out what those things are, and try to schedule some of them. I got a day at the othr 2 parks, and we didn't drive to Cape Canaveral, but I did that later, and it was awesome.

2. Give the people who are going options. Realize you are traveling a long way, and think about whether N days at Disney is better than N-2 days at Disney and 2 days elsewhere.

3. There is a Disney Rewards program, which has a credit card that has bonus offers, and also various free point codes. My ex-gf used to go almost annually with her mom as they had family in Orlando.