14days with 4yr/old and 2 y/old

[maaron]

Help...

I have been reading through all the itineraries posted here but can't help thinking that we will be restricted in what we do with our two DD 4 and 2.

A lot of what I have read indicates that things like KSC and IOA etc are not really suitable for kids that young.

We currently have the 14 Ultimate Disney passes and the Orlando 4 park Flexitickets valid for 14 days. We are saying in Lake Buna Vista and also have a hire car booked.

I would appreciate it if you could help with an itinery which is child friendly?

Many Thanks, Mark.

[Leanne1977]

Hi Mark, I am in a similar position to you as my two DS will be 4 and 2 when we go. I have just posted my itinery on this forum so might be worth taking a look. Really depends on your kids. Mine are very adventurous and love to keep busy. They are not easily frightened and love most things. I do agree that they will probably find KSC boring just from what i have read as this is my first time also.

As for IOA my two are real fans of spiderman especially my DS 4 and anything superhero so we are going to give it a try and if it isnt really that suitable we will know for next time.

I think you really have to be lead by he kids to a certain extent, they will get extra tired and ratty and it is probably best at that stage to have a break or go for an ice cream to change the pace.

Have you considered a character meal? We plan to PS quite a few as they are supposed to be a big hit with the kids. Not sure if your two like scooby doo like mine do but you can dine with him at the hard rock hotel at universal.

There is so much choice you and your family will have a wonderful time just spend lots of time researching and planning. That is what i am doing and i am learning so much. Plan, plan, plan that is the key.

Any other help or questions please ask.

Leanne.:wink

[maaron]

Hi

DD2 is 'mad' and she will do pretty much anything but DD4 is very cautious so nothing too big and 'scary' looking etc. Up until recently she has been terrified of people dressed up as in costumes as characters.

I was told that Universal is good but IOA is more suited for ages 8 upwards so not many rides can be used for younger.

Is there a particularly good place to read up on the dining side of things like character meals and PS? There is loads of places selling tickets but I haven't actually found anywhere with much more than 3 or 4 line overview.

Mark.

[Leanne1977]

Hi Mark,

You might consider purchasing a brits guide to orlando and walt disney world 2005. It is invaluable i have it and it is packed with information. It tells you everything you need to know about all of disney as well as the universal parks, restaurants, basically everything you could possibly do whilst you are there.

If you click on gallery at the top of the Dibb and then click on dining at WDW on the left of the screen it will give you lots of information. Also try clicking the search button at the top of the Dibb and key in something you wish to know in particular and it will come up with all the threads that have covered what you wish to know.

Anymore help, please ask.

Leanne.:D

[LBD]

Also have a look at The Unofficial Guide to WDW as this rates every ride in WDW and also indicates for what age group it is suitable. There is a discussion about each ride and how scary it is etc.

This book only covers Disney but I think you can also get an Unofficial Guide to the other parks.

I found it very useful for myself as I'm such a wimp!

[deepb]

Have just got back had a 2 3.5yr olds in our party they found the dark rides more scary than fast/high rides. I carried a mini torch which I switched on when needed on these rides and this worked a treat i:e pirates of the caribbean. The first couple of characters seemed to overwhelm them but they soon got into the swing of it and with an autograph book they were spotting them before us. Top tip in the MK Ariel is the most sought after character and opens at 9.30 queues get up to an hour long even at this time of the year so get there as soon as it opens if you are interested. The Dumbo ride should also be done ASAP. While you are waiting for any ride get the fastpass for Peter Pan's flight ride as this also saved a lot of time. We found meeting Mickey,Minnie etc easiest at the Animal Kingdom especially when the Lion King show is taking place but this is a must see show later in the day. We didn't get to Universal so can't help you there but it took 3 visits to MK to see and do all the things the children were interested in and the afternoon and evening parades. A buggy is essential we took ours and found it worked better than hiring as we could spot it in the crowd of disney ones. We had use of it in the car parks and didn't need to queue for rental. The children will need one they get very tired. We were staying in a villa just near lake buena vista and it was great just to get away from the parks for some of the time. We froze juice cartons each night and kept them in a small cooler bag in the bottom of the buggy and this kept the kids happy all day. Hope some of these tips help. Dining we managed to get character dining at the breakfast at the castle and would say this was one of the highlights but CHEF Mickeys is a must if you can get in there they had loads of characters Mickey/Minney/Chip/Dale/Donald and Goofy and it isn't so intimidating.

[TinkTatoo]

Hi Mark and welcome to the Dibb :wavey:

We traveled when our two were 3.5 and almost 2 and to be honest we had to go at their pace. We didn't even attempt Universal or KSC but just stuck to Disney and interspersed park days with pool / shopping days.

We found that they were not up for full days / nights in the park and whenever they got tired we just left (there is no point dragging tired / grumpy kids round the parks.) We didn't get as much done as we would have liked but we still all had a great time.

If you concentrated on the Disney parks you could visit as often as you wanted with your 14 day ticket and perhaps leave mid afternoon for the kids to have a nap and go back in the evening for the fireworks. You said you had a Orlando 4 park Flexitickets valid for 14 days - if this doesn't have an expiry date on it you could save it for your next visit (trust me you will be back at some stage)

Whatever you decide, be prepared to change your plans once you are there. :D