First Time DW trip this October

[Michaelsch]

My wife and I are taking our daughter who will be 4 years old to DW October 21-16. I have a subscription to TouringPlans but I am still looking for advice. I'm not sure what I can realistically expect to get done, especially at MK. We are planning to go to MK at least two days. From what I've read, it looks like its worth the lower crowds to do MK on MNSSHP nights. We will be staying at Pop Century. Are we going to need a mid-day break? How long does it usually take to get to and from the parks? Any tips on when to visit certain rides or any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. How is the weather? We live in a dry part of the country so I'm worried about the humidity, it always kills me. It sounds like it rains fairly often. As far as dining, how bad are the wait times at counter service restaurants? We have character diners scheduled at other parks but should we get a sit down lunch or dinner at MK each day too?

I don't even know enough to know what questions to ask but any advice would be great.

Thanks!

 

[pitpat]

You are in a good position with a 4 year old, since you won't need some of the big headlining rides. With two days at MK, I would split it in half - Adventureland/Frontierland/Liberty Square one day and Fantasyland/Tomorrowland the other. This minimizes walking and makes your FPs much easier. Of course you can explore more / shop / stray if you have extra time. We like party days at MK.

Try to eat a little earlier or later than typical lunch times (11am is good). Take advantage of mobile ordering when possible.

A break really depends on heat / park hours / your child. In the summer it's more necessary. October shouldn't be bad temperature wise.

https://www.easywdw.com/easy/cheat-...t-sheets-maps-touring-plans-and-wait-times-4/
These cheat sheets are one of my favorite planning tools, especially for first timers.

 

[AaronInWI]

Are you getting park hoppers? That would have a bearing on some of your planning. For instance, as you have probably already read, you will have to exit Magic Kingdom early (I think 6:00 pm) on the party nights. Would you be up for continuing the night at another park? Or would your daughter be ready for a swim and bed?

We always take a midday break, but that's because we take a very leisurely approach. We'll spend a lot of time sitting on a park bench, just enjoying being there. We take midday breaks to swim, nap (if needed), maybe check out another resort. It helps us from getting burnt out too quickly.

Probably the best advice I can give you is don't worry about what you might not get to do, and instead enjoy what you do get to experience. You'll see a lot of Clark Griswold types, rushing their families from attraction to attraction, because they HAVE to do EVERYTHING, and their trip will be ruined if they don't. And there's nothing wrong with that, if that's what your family wants to do. But you run the risk of being so worried that you aren't going to get to do X, Y, and Z, that you won't enjoy doing A, B, and C.

 

[hiroMYhero]

My wife and I are taking our daughter who will be 4 years old to DW October 21-16. I have a subscription to TouringPlans but I am still looking for advice. I'm not sure what I can realistically expect to get done, especially at MK. We are planning to go to MK at least two days. From what I've read, it looks like its worth the lower crowds to do MK on MNSSHP nights. We will be staying at Pop Century. Are we going to need a mid-day break? How long does it usually take to get to and from the parks? Any tips on when to visit certain rides or any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. How is the weather? We live in a dry part of the country so I'm worried about the humidity, it always kills me. It sounds like it rains fairly often. As far as dining, how bad are the wait times at counter service restaurants? We have character diners scheduled at other parks but should we get a sit down lunch or dinner at MK each day too?

I don't even know enough to know what questions to ask but any advice would be great.

Thanks!

to DISboards, Michael!

You’ll be receiving lots of great advice here on TPAS.

Are your dates Oct 21 - 26 or Oct 21 - Nov 16th?

You may need a mid-day break time on your Party Day if you plan to stay until midnight with your 4 year-old.

 

[Michaelsch]

Yes we will get park hopper tickets. We arrive late on October 20th and then we check out on the 26th but will still spend the morning in a park on the 26th.

You guys are really quick with the help BTW!! Thank you!!

 

[Mome Rath]

We are planning to go to MK at least two days.

Good to do at least 2 days there with a four year old. With your hoppers you will have even more flexibility, esp. if you want to end a day there after a different park.

We will be staying at Pop Century. Are we going to need a mid-day break? How long does it usually take to get to and from the parks? Any tips on when to visit certain rides or any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. How is the weather? We live in a dry part of the country so I'm worried about the humidity, it always kills me. It sounds like it rains fairly often.

This is where I feel it is trickier to answer. A lot is going to depend on the weather and the weather can vary. I've been in October when it is really comfortable, and I've been when is it is just as hot as the dead middle of summer. You will have to do one of those "check the weather report every day before the trip for a week, and then every morn when you are down there" maneuvers. Same with rain; I've been when it's not rained at all, and I've been when you have the fairly normal afternoon shower every day. With a four year old I do think a break is probably going to be a good idea. Just being out and about can be overwhelming in that environment, but you can also use a sit-down meal as a break too if you chill and take some time somewhere quiet.

Are you planing on taking the buses? If so, that is the biggest variable; when do you time the bus. It is usually a spread between walking up and getting right on one and walking up and waiting 20 min.

As far as dining, how bad are the wait times at counter service restaurants? We have character diners scheduled at other parks but should we get a sit down lunch or dinner at MK each day too?

If you go to a popular CS at peak times, they can be packed. But, if you go a bit early or late they are not a problem. My main advice is to scope out the seating arrangement first before you go up to order just so you can judge the "busy-ness" level, noise level, etc... If you do a break in the day you don't need a sit down as much as if you stay in the parks. If you stay all day then the sit down becomes a break. Everyone is so different, for us, we do a sit down every other day.

I don't even know enough to know what questions to ask but any advice would be great.

Thanks!

You'll do great! I hope you guys have a ball!

 

[Kalea]

I'm another vote for midday breaks. Even as a grownup, it's really nice to get out of the parks in the hottest/most crowded parts of the day.

With MK specifically, I'd split the park in half and focus on staying in one or two areas so that you aren't ping-ponging around. That might help get a little more done. And while I'm the type that likes to go-go-go, it's just not fun when everyone is hot and tired. So I think when traveling with kids lowering your expectations is key.

The time it takes to get to the parks vary, especially if you're going to take the bus. Then going through bag checks and walking to your destination takes extra time.

Orlando is frequently pretty humid. But October won't be anywhere near as bad as July/August. Our trip is early October, but I'm planning to take a lot of moisture-wicking/athletic type clothes. My husband and my son are planning to wear tennis shoes but I can't stand socks. My daughter and I will probably be in Teva/Keen type sandals.

 

[Clbemrich]

Me, my husband, daughter who was 6, and son who was 4 almost 5, went to Disney for the first time in October 2015. We spent 3 days in the Magic Kingdom, and got everything done that we wanted, which was almost everything except the "streetmosphere" things. We also repeated just about all the major rides multiple times. I would say 2 days in MK is plenty. We had an absolutely magical time. We did attend the Halloween party, which wasn't a great as I thought, but still fun. I think the crowds were lighter that night, but we didn't focus on the rides. As far as getting things in, get there at rope drop, plan a major ride first thing, and use your fastpasses early. That will allow you to make more fastpasses later. Do things like Tom Sawyer Island and Mickey's Philharmagic toward the middle of the day. We took a midday break every day. I think this was really helpful. We made the kids take naps. Some days we needed one too. I had a lot of foot pain, so i would ice my feet during the break, and that helped a lot. Another thing that helped a lot was having a good stroller. My kids were certainly capable of walking, but it was crowded. The stroller allowed us to be a lot more efficient with our time. We powered through a lot, and got a lot done. We are not the sit on a bench of people watch type. You will need to gauge your own family on that. Keep your kid hydrated, keep yourself hydrated, take a nap if you need it.

At 4 your daughter should be able to ride everything in the MK. As long as she is willing, I would try to do all the headliners. My 4 year old did everything including Tower of Terror at HS. The only ride he didn't ride was Rock n Roller coaster at HS and some twirly ride at dino land in AK as he wasn't tall enough.

Time to parks depended on which park, we also stayed at POP. MK took the longest maybe 20 minutes? However, you have to walk into the park and get where you are going which is another 15-20 minutes. We found later in the trip that other than MK we much preferred using our own car. The bus ride can be a pain if you have to stand up on the way back at night with a kid or a stroller. That seemed to happen to us each night.

If you already have sit down dinners at other parks, then you could skip them for MK. There are lots of good quick services there. Our favorites were Casey's Corner and Pecos Bill. With pre-ordering, you could gain more time to enjoy the attractions. Either way, as long as you plan ahead (prepare to be flexible and give things up if needed), use your fastpasses, and get to the parks early. I think you will have a great time.

 

[Oneanne]

I'm also a proponent of midday resort breaks. I usually stay at POP, partly because is it doesn't share buses with any other resort and there's only one bus stop, plus its centrally located. So getting to and from doesn't seem to eat up too much time, provided my good bus karma is activated. But breaks don't necessarily have to mean leaving the park... you should also schedule in attractions that are sit-down in air-conditioning and will give a bit of a sensory break, like Carousel of Progress, and People Mover.

 

[ktlm]

Whether you need a mid-day break is going to depend on your child. We learned when DD was 2 that mid-day breaks did not work for her. She was an open to close kind of kid, who was furious and would not nap if we made her leave the park. She would just nap in her stroller as needed int he pre-school years. I'm not sure if you are thinking about a stroller at age 4, but although DD never set foot in a stroller other than at WDW after she took her first steps at 12 months, at age 4, she still needed the stroller at WDW. She did not have the stamina yet to walk the parks from open to close. A stroller made it much easier.

Whether you are doing the headliners- depends on your child as well. My DD was 40 inches on her 3 year old trip. As such, she could do most of the headliners with a few exceptions. That does not mean that your DD will want to do them or will like them. Some kids are total thrill seekers and some want nothing to do with the thrill rides. DD liked Soarin at that age. We had to bribe her onto Test Track. She loved Star Tours. She refused to get on Splash at age 3, and when we finally got her on it at age 4, she hated it and refused to ride it again for years. I don't think we got her on Space Mountain until she was 6 or 7, but she liked it. BTMRR, we bribed her onto at age 3 or 4, and I think she refused to get back on that one until she was 10 (she's 12 now).

I would say you definitely want 2 days at MK. October is usually beautiful at WDW. It is still nice enough to swim every day, but normally not too hot. It can sometimes be hot, but not nearly as hot or humid as it is in the summer. We have been in October several times, and I do agree that party days the MK is less crowded. You might want to think about Crystal Palace for an MK meal if your DD likes Pooh. It is a Pooh and Friends Character meal. DD has always liked that one.

 

[Babs1975]

You will get all sorts of conflicting advice, but here's a few tips:

Buy ponchos at the Dollar Store before your trip and have them with you in your park bag daily.

Bring a stroller into the parks.

Especially when my kids were that small, we would rope drop and then go until we were done. Sometimes that would be 2 in the afternoon and that was it. The break in the afternoon just didn't work for us. None of us wanted to go back in the park after we were out!

Plan in rest days with no parks.

 

[FCDub]

My take on dining: If you regularly eat at sit-down restaurants for two or three meals in a single day, go for it on your trip.

Me? There's no way I could eat sit-down food twice in one day. It's too much.

 

[YesterDark]

My wife and I are taking our daughter who will be 4 years old to DW October 21-16. I have a subscription to TouringPlans but I am still looking for advice. I'm not sure what I can realistically expect to get done, especially at MK. We are planning to go to MK at least two days. From what I've read, it looks like its worth the lower crowds to do MK on MNSSHP nights. We will be staying at Pop Century. Are we going to need a mid-day break? How long does it usually take to get to and from the parks? Any tips on when to visit certain rides or any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. How is the weather? We live in a dry part of the country so I'm worried about the humidity, it always kills me. It sounds like it rains fairly often. As far as dining, how bad are the wait times at counter service restaurants? We have character diners scheduled at other parks but should we get a sit down lunch or dinner at MK each day too?

I don't even know enough to know what questions to ask but any advice would be great.

Thanks!

I've been down there in October and it could range from 80s to 90s, but the humidity is lower than the summer (but probably higher than you are used to if you're from the southwest). Here are a few random tips:

1. If you are doing a bunch of character dining, look in to getting a dining plan. You tend to break even/come out on top with one if you are doing a lot of character meals. You already probably know the cost!
2. Breaks are a personal decision and depends on you! I went down last year with a preggo wife, a 4 yo and a 2.5 yo. What I did was make sure I had a character/sit down meal every park day. This gave us an hour or two each day to sit down and relax. It's well worth it. I did MK twice and on the first day I did Chef Mickeys at lunch and BOG for dinner (when it was 1 credit). On the second day I did BOG lunch (quick service) and Crystal Palace dinner. The dinner was amazingly timed so we relaxed and strolled the park before fireworks.
3. You're staying at one of the busier resorts. Your buses to the park may be more full than others. Plan your schedule appropriately, you may have to wait a bus or two in the morning/night. Especially if you're rope dropping.
4. TouringPlans is awesome. Use their service to book all of your hard to get ADRs. They have a great notification system. ALSO! Use their service to book a good room at a location in the resort. A protip I've heard is to pick a room near the first bus stop. This way you're first off when getting back from the parks and first on in the morning. TouringPlans will fax a request in for you a week before your trip. It works well.
5. If this is your first trip, and you want to maximize your fun, especially with a little kid. I wouldn't go back to the resort in the middle of the day. You'll be wasting 1-2 hours of travel time each day just walking out of the park and back plus bus rides. Instead, like you've mentioned, schedule Character Meals (if the cost is not prohibitive) for each day. Parks like Hollywood Studios have plenty of shows to watch and sit down in. They are great for breaks.
6. Get to all the parades/fireworks about 60 minutes early. Pick out a good spot and chill out and take in the sites. Good way to take breaks.
7. Don't try to do too much, especially with the young one. Schedule breaks, meals and down time NOT activites (outside fastpasses).
8. Go read the refresh thread. This way you can avoid longer lines and keep your kiddo active and not standing in as long a lines. Essentially, schedule your fast passes early in the day. Once you use up your third fast pass for the day, you can then keep scheduling the next fast pass as you use them. So as soon as you ding your magic band for your 3rd fast pass, whip out your phone and schedule the next ride. Keep looking until you find a ride and a time. Even if you're 30-60 minutes early, sometimes the cast member will let you on early if it's not a crazy long wait. Last time I was down there, I never waited on a line longer than 10 minutes. Stand by is for suckers! (unless it's a popular ride!)

I think #7 is my biggest piece of advice. You can read up on plenty of blog posts all throughout the web about preparing for Disney World. They're all good ones. But Touring Plans and the My Disney Experience site really helps you plan. Your big ones are grabbing your fastpasses and dining reservations. The rest is personal planning. Make sure you know where you'd like to be so you're not wasting time wandering around frustrated. Familiarize yourself with maps and locations and set up a loose itinerary for every day. Don't be a time cruncher, but set timely goals and enjoy the days.

If you need help with the dining plan, let me know!

There are a ton of other things that you can do, a lot of more detail but that depends on how regimented you want to be, but you're doing the right thing by planning. NOT planning would be a disaster.

 

[old feller]

Peter pan flight is a must do..