First timer, first draft itinerary may 18

[Jace2013]

Hi everyone. I’m all new to this and have tried to write some sort of itinerary as a start. We arrive quite late Monday 30th April and staying at summer bay resort. It will be me, husband and our 4 year old son. Please let me know what you think of my days:

Tues 1st: food shopping, resort day.
Weds 2nd: Epcot
Thurs 3rd: magic kingdom
Fri 4th: resort day
Sat 5th: unsure as parks may be busy?
Sun 6th: animal kingdom
Mon 7th: Hollywood studios
Tues 8th: typhoon lagoon
Weds 9th: resort
Thurs 10th: blizzard beach
Fri 11th: shopping day
Sat 12th: resort / visit any parks we want to go back to
Sun 13th: resort / visit any parks we want to go back to/ pack our bags
Mon 14th: home

Thank you for looking

[loldis]

Welcome

Don't do a resort only day on your first day. No matter how late you get in, you'll be up early and excited to get going. At the very least, I would do a morning in a park, then do food shopping and rest in the afternoon. Also if you're wanting to avoid the Saturday crowds, I would do a park on Friday 4th and move your resort day to the 5th.

I would also allow 2 days at MK, it's a big park with a lot to see. Even with wiggle room those last few days to revisit parks, I think you'll need at least 2 days on your first trip. Also you've got four "down" days in a row from 8th-11th, I would space out the waterparks a bit more. Maybe visit TL on Friday 4th and put a second MK day in its place on the 8th.

[jojo_3596]

I'd agree with Loldis- your first morning you'll be wide awake crazy early then crash around tea-time ( if you are like us!) so would head to a park for rope drop until lunch, then do some shopping and spend the rest of the day at the resort. My 4, 6 and 10 year old were all bouncing round desperate to do a park at 5am, then fast asleep by 6pm!

[Jace2013]

Thank you both. I’m not really sure what time we will get to our villa, I’m anticipating 9-10pm (US time) so that’s 2-3am UK time so really not sure what time we will be up so I think the first day might be a see how we go day.

Thank you I will have a look through and adjust slightly to get two days in at MK. I was working off the busy day guide but not sure if that’s really worth it, I imagine just expect queues any day.

Thank you for your help, I’ve got two months until I can do fast passes so hoping to have an itinerary sorted by then.

[Ridersmom]

Unless you have limited days on your ticket, I would plan shorter, more frequent park 't know that you need to do both.days with a 4 year old. Also Unless you are huge water park fans, I don't think you need to do two.

I personally think the Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom are the best parks for a young child but AK is my favorite park.

[buryboy]

Welcome to the dibb Jace. Many first timer plans start off like this - ie a day in each of the parks then kind of fizzle out. Personally I wouldn't plan any full resort days. You've paid for expensive tickets , use them . If only to go to water parks , or for half a day or an evening
You need more than a day to do each of the parks , apart from maybe HS but even then people often do a day and a separate evening for Fantasmic.
Personally with a 4 year old , I would have a quieter day every third day . And plan for early starts and early finishes early in the holiday, and later starts and/or late finishes ( for firework shows ) later in the holiday as you get accustomed to the time zone .
Do some fast passes for MK on day one, I bet you are up early and go there

My plan in your situation would look something like this ( using the busy day guide )

Tues 1st may - MK from early to just after lunch. Then food shop/ resort
Weds 2nd - epcot
Thurs 3rd- waterpark
Fri 4th- HS
Sat 5th - resort am, MK aft/eve for happily ever after
Sun 6th - animal kingdom
Mon 7th - waterpark
Tues 8th - Epcot including illuminations
Weds 9th - half day at MK
Thur 10th - waterpark or resort am , then AK for Pandora/ rol
Fri 11th - shopping , evening at HS for Fantasmic
Sat 12th - day of choice
Sun 13th - pack in morning , aft / evening in MK ( finish with HEA finale
Mon 14th - home

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Jace2013

Hi everyone. I’m all new to this and have tried to write some sort of itinerary as a start. We arrive quite late Monday 30th April and staying at summer bay resort. It will be me, husband and our 4 year old son. Please let me know what you think of my days:

Tues 1st: food shopping, resort day.
Weds 2nd: Epcot
Thurs 3rd: magic kingdom
Fri 4th: resort day
Sat 5th: unsure as parks may be busy?
Sun 6th: animal kingdom
Mon 7th: Hollywood studios
Tues 8th: typhoon lagoon
Weds 9th: resort
Thurs 10th: blizzard beach
Fri 11th: shopping day
Sat 12th: resort / visit any parks we want to go back to
Sun 13th: resort / visit any parks we want to go back to/ pack our bags
Mon 14th: home

Thank you for looking

See more...

I think you have too many resort days and not making enough of your time or your expensive Disney tickets (!) especially as a first timer. We did almost exactly your dates last year also as first timers, but we came back a day earlier.

I definitely would not us the first day as a resort day. We checked in at 8pm, headed straight off to MK until closing time and were still up and raring to go for a 7:30 breakfast at Chef Mickey’s. So I would recommend starting the trip with something a bit more exciting. Maybe do food shopping after a park.

We also thought we would do both waterparks, but we didn’t feel the need in the end so just did Blizzard Beach. I also think water park, rest day, water park is more down time than you find you will need, water parks are pretty relaxing days.

I wouldn’t go to a theme park on a Sunday and then have a Wednesday (or even Friday) as resort day. I would always try to take the rest days at weekend when parks are busier, Wednesday is a good day for a park visit.

As I mention we did a trip about the same length as yours but we went to every park several times. We must have been to MK about eight times, AK maybe six times and Epcot and HS three or four times each. We were onsite and only two adults to consider, but I still think you will be able to fit a lot more in.

Obviously you need to pick your “main” park for each day for the FP but in reality you might go to more than one every day. I would also pick a park to visit after the water parks, even if you just use your three FP for the day and then go.