alldaytravel

Hi All,

I am planning to take my 3 boys (twins who will be 4 and an 8 year old) to Disney in August. Which park(s) would be best to visit with these age groups? Should we plan on 1 park or 2? Also, any recommendations on a convenient hotel? Any other advice on must see attractions within the Disney parks, tips/tricks on food, tickets, shows, discounts, etc. is MUCH appreciated! This will be our first time with the kids at Disney and I know we will need to be efficient since it will be a bit daunting with the twins being so young. Thanks in advance!! They will be SUPER excited!! - Laura

P.S. My older son LOVES Harry Potter and we were thinking of doing 1 day at Disney and then 1 at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - is this feasible?

marvelousmouse

I would take your kids for 2-3 days at Disney, and I’d say I’d lean towards 3-4 because it’s your first time and because with a 4 year old, you’re going to want to take break. It will be hot in August and BUSY. I love both parks.

you can look at HP rides, but I think 4 is too young for universal. And for HP, I’d go to Universal Florida anyway.

you might want to get a guidebook for Disneyland or read some of the blogs. It would help to get an idea of what rides your kids can ride height wise.

Dukey1

IF you can afford it I would stay somewhere on the Disney property if at all possible. There are many different levels of accommodation price-wise and a whole raft of different Disney pricing "seasons" also.

janisj

MarvelousMouse -- >>And for HP, I’d go to Universal Florida anyway.

you might want to get a guidebook for Disneyland or read some of the blogs. It would help to get an idea of what rides your kids can ride height wise.

schmerl

Magic Kingdom is good for young children.
The disboards is loaded with great and helpful information.
Walt Disney World Discussion Forums and Chat - Find answers for Disney questions, tips on Walt Disney Vacations

gmoney

For only 2 days stay onsite if possible to maximize your time in the parks and efficiently use the little time you do have. You know your kids better than we do so it would impossible to tell you which parks they would enjoy more, Magic Kingdom has the most rides and attractions. I would also save Harry Potter for another day. Wizarding world is split between the 2 Universal parks (Studios and Islands of adventure) so you would have to buy a 2 park ticket to see it all.

MoBro

When our two were that age, it was a saving grace to be able to take a nap break from Disney World in the heat of the afternoon. We stayed on property and it was easy to take the monorail back to our room. I don't know how Disney Land hotels are located, though. Kids can easily get over-stimulated, exhausted and cranky-- even at Disney Land. Parents, too! haha

marvelousmouse

Oh, thanks, Janis! Forgot to check the tag, and assumed DL with 2 parks mentioned.

in that case, definitely at least two days for Disney. The heat is brutal and the parks are big. Stay onsite and take a pool/nap break in the afternoon. You should probably start booking- if you stay onsite, your dining reservations are already bookable, and your fast passes will open in about a month. Both really important for efficient touring.

I would still skip Universal. HP is amazing, but all of the Disney parks have more for your 4 year olds. And as mentioned, you would need a 2 park ticket at universal- very expensive.

alldaytravel

Thanks everyone!! Which onsite Disney hotel would you recommend with our crew? I read the Fodors recommendations and Disney's Grand Floridian sounds nice with great views of The Magic Kingdom castle, BUT, the reviews said the monorail often breaks down from there? Also, the Animal Kingdom hotel sounds nice, BUT, it says that is far from the other parks?? If anyone has a recommendation, we'd appreciate it. I definitely plan to stay on the property to make it easy with our limited time.

marvelousmouse

It depends on what parks you’re going to. AKL is a little removed from all parks except AK. But it’s an amazing hotel, and the reality is that no hotel is close to everything as it’s such a huge resort area.

my picks would be:
fort wilderness cabin. I love FW, and like that there’s a boat to MK. I like the ferries more than the monorail
akl because I love jiko’s. And the lobby is like something straight out of a little kid’s wild imagination.
yacht or beach for stormalong bay.
Polynesian- ferries, monorail, buses. Plus I love the theme.
art of animation- they have family suites that would fit you, and I like the food court.


I am not a fan of GF; I think it’s overpriced and uninteresting because I like the crazier themed hotels like AKL. Given how often the monorail was down when I was there, it wouldn’t be a perk to me- I also think when it is working, it’s hot and crowded. Prefer buses or ferries. That said, hotel is nice and I can understand why it’s popular. I’d stay at any of the on-site resorts, and I think a lot depends on availability and price. So if you have specific dates, I’d start with what is available and then look at budget and pros and cons of each resort.

schmerl

We like the Yacht and Beach Club. GREAT pool area and boats to the parks. You are also near the shops and restaurants at the Boardwalk.
Polynesian is also wonderful and offers several modes of transportation as stated above.

gbelle1

The kids may think they’re too big for a stroller, but my recommendation is to get/bring one. When the boys are tired of walking, or just tired, it will be a lot easier to “drive” them than carry them. Nap breaks back at the hotel are a good idea too.