louise25

We are going to Orlando at the beginning of August with four children 9,7,4 & 2. We are not sure which parks to choose, they all look so good - any recomendations? I think Magic Kingdom is a must. 4 days worth of theme parks in a week is plenty - we'll need a rest too.

Ryan

Your two youngest will have a tough time enjoying Universal Islands of Adventure. My 42 inch tall four year old daughter would only have been able to get on a few rides. Not worth the money unless your older kids REALLY want to go.

I would suggest Sea World as a must. It's actually my son's favorite park. A few thrill rides for the bigger kids, a large play area that'll keep all of them happy, great shows for all ages, and plenty of interactive things like the dolphin and stingray sections.

I'd also suggest Disney's Blizzard Beach. We had a great time there a couple of weeks ago when we were in WDW. Plenty of fun for your older and younger kids. All but the two year old can ride on most of their water slides. (My kids loved the tobaggan (sp?) run.) Thye also had a great time in the lazy river. We stayed from 10 until the closing at 8:00 p.m.

The only WDW park that might not appeal to all is EPCOT. (Both MGM and Animal kingdom are really good.) The exhibits are interesting, the different countries are also, but there only two big rides always have MASSIVE lines. Forget Soarin unless you're willing to wait several hours for a FastPass time or in line for 80 or 90 minutes.

In terms of your 4 year old, if they are a "young" looking 4, you can probably avoid buying them a ticket. Disney is not militant about it especially if they are riding in a stroller.

swalter518

I's pass on the Universal Parks but that's just my personal preference. Definately Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Sea World is fun too for all ages. You might want to by the Park hopper option for the disney parks and then you can split your time at the other disney parks on your last day. You may find that your kids want to go back to the parks they've already been to.

rizzo0904

Magic Kingdon is a must.

I would skip MGM and Universal.

My favorite as a kid was EPCOT...but I think that may be unusual.

Seaworld is fun.

I would skip the water parks as you can do that anywhere.

I haven't been to Animal Kingdom but imagine that would be a good choice.

JoyinVirginia

With those ages, there are many rides at Universal, WDW they are too short to ride, too young to enjoy. Seaworld is definitely the best choice - the kids can get up close to lots of animals, and the staff are terrific at talking to kids about all the animals in a way they can easily understand. The shows are great!
I also recommend you go to allears.net and read abo

travelinwifey

Disney likes to keep travelers at their theme parks, I think you will find the park admission price to be the same for 2 days or 4 days. MGM Islands of Adventure is great for adults wanting to have a little more excitment.

IMO Animal Kingdom is skipable followed by MGM Studios even though if I had more than 4 days I'd hit all the parks. Plus Sea World.

travelinwifey

PS, I think a whole week at the parks is not park overload for the kids, they all have different themes.

JoyinVirginia

My last post got cut off. At allears.net go to the tips section and search for tips for WDW with kids. Also - and this is VITAL with kids the ages of yours - when you go to the parks find out the location of the first aid/child care offices. These are havens of peace, quiet, and cool, usually equipped with rocking chairs and family bath rooms. When your kids are really tired and hot, you can take a break here as long as you need to. Be sure to take plenty of water. Animal Kingdom is also fun for kids with the opportunity to get close to animals at the Conservation Station. Have fun!

Ryan

"Disney likes to keep travelers at their theme parks, I think you will find the park admission price to be the same for 2 days or 4 days."

I don't know when that might have been true but unless you're aware of some discount program or comprehensive package, that isn't true today.

A 2 day ticket for a child is $110. A 4 day is $168. Yes, you get a discount with each incremental day but you don't get free days.

travelinwifey

I misspoke, the price between a 4 day ticket and 10 day ticket is $12 more total for an adult. It is between $4 or $2 more per person per day when you stay more than 4 days. A park hopper pass is only $1-2 more per day when you stay more than 4 days.

In any event, I do not think 4 days is enough to really see Disney and Orlando's other theme parks. The park hopper pass is great so you can return to Disney's Magic Kingdom at night and enjoy the parades and fire works.

travelgirl2

It might be nice to spend some half days in the park and return to the hotel/apt for a relaxing afternoon at the pool. If the longer pass is only slightly more expensive, it might be worth it.

Many years ago, we went with kids aged 3 and 1 and always left the park in the afternoon for a nap, sometimes returning in the evening and sometimes not.

Most kids really like the safari ride at Animal Kingdom. The Universal parks may be more geared to older kids.

mikesmom

Quite honestly, I think your children would love a Disney vacation. If you are going to be there a week, I would buy five-day park hoppers. You will then have plenty of time to enjoy the parks and have the flexibility to come and go as you please. It will be very hot and humid and you will want to take afternoon breaks for naps/pool fun. Your children are the perfect age for Disney. I think they will enjoy all the parks, including EPCOT. We have been to Disney, many, many times and our son loves it. His first trip was when he was four and we are going again next month. He's now 20 and we taking his girlfriend with us.

If you are ambitious, you might want to spend a day at Sea World. I do not recommend Universal for your children yet. When they are older, they will enjoy it, but for now I think it's a Disney vacation for you!

You can get tons of information on Disney at disboards.com

Have fun!