First timers & feeling a tad overwhelmed!

[Mexy02]

My tip , go with how the kids feel as well . Absolutely no point dragging g kids round who would rather play for an hour in a pool and be happy. Same with getting them up at 6am to hit rope drop. If they are tired leave them be.
I too would ditch gator land and I would tag golf on after the water park as they are in the same place .
With kids you sometimes need to play it by ear. They may love mk so 4 days may be mk , al, that mattters is they are happy and you are . Have a great holiday x

[DisneyDaffodil]

You have made an excellent start and are being very sensible to just do Disney for a first trip with small children. I have never been to Gatorland but don’t think I would bother on a first trip, maybe that day could be used for a second AK day or a water park?

Tips would be:
Read lots of trip reports on here, especially ones with children around the same age as yours

Make plans to suit you and your family, not what others do. We are all different and you know what your children like and what time of day they get tired etc

Plan to spend early mornings in the park for the first 4 days and quieter evenings, then plan more restful mornings (maybe by the pool) and go into the parks a little later to see the fireworks.
Children may struggle with the late nights if you don’t have rest time. Alternatively, have a mid afternoon break by the pool if you plan a late evening

Try to avoid MK on a weekend, if you do go avoid the middle of the day, so go early and leave around 1pm or go in around 4-5pm. Epcot can be very busy on a weekend too, especially in the evening or if it’s Food and Drink or Flower and Garden festival times etc. Use the busy day guide to help.

Use the planner on here and tweak it constantly. I love this tool and couldn’t manage without it. But when you are there don’t expect to stick to it rigidly. We always change a few days around, swap rides and skip things completely if we are tired.

Make sure you take time to relax and just sit and watch everything sometimes. Many children seem to love the time spent in play areas or by the pool as much as the parks

Definitely let your children meet the characters. We don’t have small children but one of our favourite things to do is to watch kid’s faces when they do this, and I think most people with small children agree that they love it. A character meal is a good way to do this but there are often quite short queues for meets around the parks too.

Have a wonderful time 😀

[cornishfrogboy]

I agree re gatorland. Ditch it.

If you want to see Alligators with great commentary and in addition, have the adrenaline rush of speed, then you cannot go wrong with an Airboat ride.

My favourite (and particularly with the ages of your children), would be Boggy Creek, Kissimmee. It is nearby and well within economical Uber range.
The reason is not strictly about the airboats (those at Spirit of the Swamp are smaller and you are more likely to have one to your selves). It is about the Indian encampment and presentation which is by a Native American Indian and right next to the Landing.
The presentation is well aimed at the younger and besides being informative, is very humorous. He demonstrates.
The camp and why it's structure is as it is.
The History of Indians in the area and how they historically would catch and kill Alligators using sticks.
A good display of Archeological Indian finds.
A demonstration of how to use Blowpipes, Bow & Arrow, Spears and also Spears with a throwing stick.

At the end and for $5 pp he will teach your children how to use all of the above. It really is a brilliant half day out!

Hoping it gives you food for thought (and they handed out free samples of deep fried Alligator).. before inviting you to eat some for in their Cafe/Restaurant.

[Ridersmom]

With kids you kids ages, I would spend a lot more time at AK. I think it is the best park for little ones.

I have never been to Gatorland and wondered why that was there. Depending on your reasoning, I might skip it.

I disagree with the comment about characters-some kids love them, some are scared out of their wits. DO NOT force a reluctant child to meet them. Also listen to your kids. A tired and whiny child is not fun for anyone. I don't know how far you are from WDW or how you are travelling there but the afternoon break is a lifesaver to avoid crowds and get out of the heat.

Go, have fun, bear in mind you will only scratch the surface and don't worry if you miss something.

Also I personally was a big fan of sticking to a regular schedule for my children, even when travelling. It doesn't always work out but the predictability can be a big help.

[dx4100]

Would recommend you only do one day at Epcot and add in an extra at one of the other Disney Parks. Epcot is great but more to do for younger kids at the other parks.

I would go to a Disney Park over Gatorland...

Booking sitdown meals for Midday worked with my young family. Pre-booked, decided mid-day break gave the kids a break from the sun and we knew exactly where we was going to eat taking the in-decesion out of it all and the potential disagreements at the hardest part of the day.

You can then plan your fast passes around it as if you know where you are eating you know what rides to hit.

Good luck

[DisneyDaffodil]

Obviously, I wouldn’t force a child to meet the characters. I made the comment suggesting that children seem to love meeting the characters and many do, but if your child is nervous about this or seems unsure when they are waiting then don’t do it. I also said that you know your child best so choose attractions they will like. Some four year old love the big thrill rides but no parent would force their child on them unless the child was happy to try it.

[dx4100]

Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

but no parent would force their child on them unless the child was happy to try it.

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Rubbish Some times the softies need more than a little push #NoToCottonWoolParenting

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by dx4100

rubbish some times the softies need more than a little push #notocottonwoolparenting

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😂 😂 😂 😂

[Ridersmom]

I didn't mention thrill rides because it differes with indivudual kids and pparents. My grandson is a cautious sort and while at Disneyland this Christmas (age 4.5), he needed encouragement to try Splash Mountain and the like. I also know my son would encouarge but not force. Ryan loved them.

I jave also seen parents push (force) a scared child to ride. The child screams through the ride and no one around him gets to enjoy the ride.

Being at WDW is not an excuse for insensitive parenting. Your child may hate the thought of Thunder Mountain but will find 100's of other things to enjoy. A WDW vacation should not be an excuse for traumatising. NOr for dragging an overly tired child around a park. When kids get tired, go to your accommodation.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by Ridersmom

I didn't mention thrill rides because it differes with indivudual kids and pparents. My grandson is a cautious sort and while at Disneyland this Christmas (age 4.5), he needed encouragement to try Splash Mountain and the like. I also know my son would encouarge but not force. Ryan loved them.

I jave also seen parents push (force) a scared child to ride. The child screams through the ride and no one around him gets to enjoy the ride.

Being at WDW is not an excuse for insensitive parenting. Your child may hate the thought of Thunder Mountain but will find 100's of other things to enjoy. A WDW vacation should not be an excuse for traumatising. NOr for dragging an overly tired child around a park. When kids get tired, go to your accommodation.

See more...

I totally agree, and would never suggest forcing a child to do anything, I merely observed that many children absolutely love meeting characters.

Same with the rides, there are plenty of rides for children who are a bit nervous so no need for them to ride anything they are not confident to try. I am still too scared to ride quite a few rides in Universal parks 😀