[jennyd]

Hi all! My family is planning our first trip to Disney early Nov. We have gotten conflicting tips on what to do on our trip. Our son is 2 1/2 and daughter will be just under 4. A friend told us that with our childrens' ages we should skip MGM altogether. Another friend said the same thing about Epcot. I would like some expert opinions on these ideas. We would love to see all there is to see, but don't want our kids to be bored. PLease rate top attractions for young children at each park or if you think park should be skipped. Really appreciate the help!

[karliebug]

At MGM there is a lot for the preschool set. There is playhouse disney, The little mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Honey I shrunk the kids play area. There is also a great parade, and Fantasmic is the best. I don't think there would be too much at Epcot for little ones, except maybe the living seas. I agree that you'll spend most of your time at MK.

[CaraMia]

My son is 2.5 also and these are the rides he loved:

Magic Kingdom: Peter Pan (all-time favorite), Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Aladdin, Carousel, Buzz Lightyear, All the meet and greets with the characters, Country Bears Jamboree

MGM: Playhouse disney show, Little Mermaid Show, Beauty & the Beast

Epcot: He was cranky - he hated Spaceship Earth and wasnt crazy about the Living Seas...but he was in a bad mood.



Magic Kingdom will definitely be a favorite. My son loved his autograph book and going up to the characters to get autographs. Have a great trip!

[EmpressJenny]

I would spend most of your time in the Magic Kingdom. As soon as the park opens, pick up the kids and run straight to Fantasyland. Jump on Dumbo, Peter Pan, and Pooh right away. These will be mobbed if you don't go straight there. Snow White's adventures might be a little too scary for kids that age. Also, Ariel's Grotto is nearby, but the line to meet her can be long. Mickey's toontown has a fun walk-through for kids to see Minnie's house, and you can also meet Mickey there.

MGM you might not want to skip, as you can see the Bear in the Big Blue House, the Muppets, Ariel's show, the Beauty and the Beast Show, and Fantasmic.

Hope that all helps.

[ARIEL]

hi jennyd,
I have been to WDW many times with Dh before but the next trip I have will be with daughter also who on going will be 21 months old. Personally I think each park has something to offer our little ones and you should definately not miss out on MGM. I do agree that Epcot is probably the least 'tot' friendly but if your babes are as interested in different sights and sounds then you should definately go there too. Don't forget the magic really is everywhere so you should try everywhere, also the AK. I think your 4 year old will find all the animals on the safari and Dinosaur land thrilling.

I expect you are going a lot sooner than me so I would love to hear from you when you get back and let me know what went down the best!


hope i have been of some help

[jk8]

My son is 4 1/2 many at MK are a given as mentioned. His second best park was MGM. 3rd was Epcot and 4th was AK. He was cranky on the AK day and after all the rides was not content to just look at things at AK. I was also fairly bored at AK but that was after 2 days at MK and 1 day at MGM which are my favorite parks. I will say the Lion King show at AK was awesome!

You did not mention how long you will be there. We did 3 days at MK total and one at the rest. If you start out with AK then MGM and build to MK that would be cool, but I could not bear to do that. I was so anxious to see MK!

If I had to skip one next time I think it would be Epcot since I have been to that park 3 times due to some school trips. I think it has the least for young kids.

[sandanv1]

If you go to www.disneyworld.com and select the preschool experience. it will give you an example of what each park has for them.

[inluvwithdisney]

I agree with the others stick mainly with MK but MGM also has Muppets 3~D which my kids have always loved!!! MGM had alot to offer and alot of character meet and greets!!!

[WDWaddict]

My kids fav's at those ages were/are: Pirates of the Caribbean, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Dumbo Flying Elephants, Buzz Lightyear, Astro Orbiter, the Disney train.

Animal Kingdom was also a big favorite of ours as well as the kids. Then again, my kids are animal nuts so anywhere there are animals, they are happy. Little DS(age 3 at the time) rode the Rapids and almost everything there and was happy(he was terrified of Dinosaur though)

MGM didn't go over as well..he did like the Playhouse Disney show but that was about it. I didn't think there was too much to do there to justify the cost..if you have a Park Hopper ticket, I'd go in for an hour or two and then go back to Magic Kingdom.

Epcot..DH and I really liked Epcot, as well as our 9 year old. 3 year old wasn't as thrilled with it, but did like all the interactive areas where he could run and touch/play with things.

I think if both my kids were that young, I would stick w/ Magic Kingdom broken up into 2-3 days and do Animal Kingdom for one day.

[jennyd]

This has been incredibly helpful information. Thanks to everyone for the input. I think I have decided that we need to dedicate less time at Epcot and more time at MGM.

[KarenT]

My DD is 4. We spend most of our time at MK and MGM.
Fav MK rides are Buzz, It's a Small world, Goofy's Barnstomer and Splash Mountain.

MGM- Playhouse Disney, Little Mermaid, Star Tours, Great Movie ride. There are also many characters at MGM

AK-DD is an animal nut. So she loves it. You can meet Stanley from Playhouse Disney there. The Tarzan Rocks show is pretty neat and so is the Festival of the Lion King.

Epcot- Some of the Inovations Pavilions are pretty neat. We skip the Worlld showcase. If the 4 yo is tall enough , Test Track is fun!

Have a good trip

[cincibar]

Hi! Just wanted to share our Epcot experience. Last year our girls were 3.5 and 1.5 and they really enjoyed Future World. In particular they liked The Land boat ride, Spaceship Earth, and the Living Seas. They had fun watching the jumping fountains and trying the different beverages at Ice Station Cool. We also went to the Ice Cream Social and the kids loved seeing Mickey, Pluto and Chip and Dale in their farmer clothes. Oh, they also liked trying the different computer games, too. They probably would have liked the boat ride in Mexico, but we didn't have time. That one's on our list for our next visit!

[EmpressJenny]

Originally Posted by WDWaddict

Little DS(age 3 at the time) rode the Rapids and almost everything there and was happy(he was terrified of Dinosaur though)

I was 25 when I rode Dinosaur and it terrified me!

[WDWaddict]

Little DS actually saw it the other day and said he'd go on it again..then he saw TOT and said "that is NOT my favorite!" LOL

[BuzzLightBeer]

I've taken my DD at 3 1/2 and 4 1/2, and here's what we found. Please note that she's more of a fan of FAST than DARK, and she's very tall for her age.

You will receive lots of contrary tips based on people's own experience, and how their kids experience various ride elements - speed, dark, drops, atmosphere, thrill, multi-sensory activation. Use rides like Winnie the Pooh to gauge their reactions...

MK - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Jungle Cruise didn't really impress her, and once she was more sure of Haunted Mansion and Pirates, she was fine. The others were enjoyed, but didn't stand out much - unless of course, the family had fun with it (e.g. Small World was good, but watching Poppy be bored out of his mind was funnier).

MGM - HISTK Playground, The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Disney Playhouse, Star Tours, Muppetvision all received very high marks. She wasn't overly impressed with Tower of Terror because it was too intense (more for the atmosphere and darkness than the drop). Great Movie Ride was a little intense at times as well.

Epcot - Test Track, Test Track, Test Track...she couldn't ride it enough. She really didn't like the immersive movies like HISTA. Universe of Energy was too boring for a short ride through the dinosaurs. She actually found Spaceship Earth cool because we were so close to the dioramas. Ice Station Cool was a big hit, since she managed to convince everyone to try the Beverly, while drinking about 10 litres of the Watermelon soda. As for the World Showcase, she LOVED adding to her mask at each country; liked El Rio di Tiempo but LOVED it when we rode it while waiting for dinner inside the pavillion; loved shopping in the China pavillion; enjoyed the nap in American Adventure, and thought Canada was pretty cool "'cuz that's where we're from".

Animal Kingdom - If your kids don't like hot and sticky, watch out (then again November is pretty nice). The Safari was well received, especially in the early morning rides. Dinosaur was a one-time affair while It's a Bug's Life was a little much for her. Kali Rapids Run? Well, let's just say that there is NO WAY to stay dry when you ride it 4 or 5 consecutive times. When she was picked to be in The Legend of the Lion King, she was in 7th Heaven - she's a big drama queen like her aunt, and that was the crowning achievement of her trip.