April 6-15 With Wife & 3 Kids

[TAZBOM]

MY FAMILY IS COMING TO WDW AND STAYING FROM APRIL 6-15 AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE. WE HAVE 3 BOYS (13, 11, 7). DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR US. I AM THINKING ABOUT GETTING THE 5 DAY PARK HOPPER PASS. THE FIRST AND LAST DAY WILL BE SHOT DUE TO TRAVEL. I WANT TO GO TO THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER ONE DAY AND MAYBE HAVE A DAY OR TWO TO LOUNGE OR SEE SOMETHING ELSE (WILL IT BE POOL WEATHER IN EARLY APRIL). WE ARE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND HAVE BEEN TO DISNEYLAND MANY TIMES BUT NEVER TO WDW. I HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT THE CHARACTER MEALS, BUT ARE THEY STILL SUITED TO BOYS THIS AGE (MY BOYS ARE REAL BOYS BOYS). IF SO, WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD ONE CONSIDERING WHERE WE ARE STAYING. I AM THINKING ABOUT TRYING TO WORK THE EXTRA MAGIC HOURS INTO OUR TRIP SO WE WILL PROBABLY BE STARTING EARLY MOST DAYS. OUTSIDE OF CHARACTER MEALS ARE THERE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHERE TO GET GOOD FOOD (PARKS, OFF-PROPERTY, DOWNTOWN DISNEY...). DO YOU HAVE ANY ITINERARY SUGGESTIONS OR HOW WE SHOULD GO THROUGH THE PARKS MOST EFFICIENTLY. IS THE PARK HOPPER PASS THE WAY TO GO? IS A 5 DAY PASS ENOUGH? WHERE SHOULD I BUY TICKETS? WE ARE GOING FOR MY WIFES 40TH BIRTHDAY...DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE THAT DAY SPECIAL...IT WILL BE OUR LAST FULL DAY THERE. WE ALSO HAVE A RENTAL CAR. ARE THERE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR THINGS TO DO OFF-PROPERTY? I AM LOOKING TO MAKE THIS AS FUN AS POSSIBLE AS IT WILL LIKELY BE OUR ONLY TRIP HERE AS A FAMILY. DO I NEED TO GET THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO WDW? ARE THERE ANY OTHER WEBSITES THAT OFFER GOOD INFO? ANY SUGGESTIONS GEARED TOWARDS OUR FAMILY SITUATION WOULD BE GREAT AND MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE.

 

[Luvtomickey]

On our first trip I started with Birnbaums Official Guide and read it cover to cover I found this info. easy to understand and easy to adapt to my familys needs and interests.

Have Fun!

 

[KJGrilliot]

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is a great book! We ordered it from Amazon.com and have read it. It has great tips in it. I couldn't imagine going without having read it.

 

[campingcorgi]

The character breakfast at Animal Kingdom--Donald's Breakfastasaurus--is great fun and I bet your guys would like it. A big breakfast buffet can be a good way to fill up those bottomless pits--pre and young teen boys!

WDWIG.com is a super site for getting information about all parts of Disneyworld! You can spend days checking out this info!!

I would recommend a guidebook--official or otherwise. It will give your family some information about each ride and let everyone choose a 'must do' for each park and try to be sure to hit those. Be sure to use fastpass as needed--it's free and can really help during crowded times!

It will definately be pool weather then, and the pools are heated in case you have a lucky-cooler day! Port Orleans has a nice pool, and you may want to check out one of the water parks, too. My favorite is Typhoon Lagoon but to each his own.

You'll have lots of fun planning, and remember--the more you know the more fun you'll have!

 

[Kim Styles]

My family really enjoyed the breakfast in Animal Kingdom, it is not so 'twee' as some and the theming in the resturant is like a dig with artifacts and jungle bits. The meal was good too. My DD had a Goofy hat on and goofy paid a lot of attention to our group, we have a brilliant video of it. It is also my 40th while we are there this April, so I have been looking for some treats for myself! We are having breakfast that day at Chef Mickey's and I made sure they knew it was my Birthday!!
I would definately get a book, we have the DIS unofficial guide and it has given me so many tips, especially plan your days so you have something to aim at. WDW is SO big if you don't have a plan you will waste a lot of time and not see all you want to. Typhoon Lagoon is great even for older ones.
We have old friends from LA, Disney Mad like us, who are flying out to spend a week with us at WDW, they are the experts!!
We live in the UK so it is something really special for us.
There is so much for every one you will all have a brilliant time whatever!

 

[dahess]

Check out this website. WDWIG.COM. There is tons of useful information.

 

[r3ngels]

I can't give a lot of advice because I have 3 girls... lots of princesses in our future. I would eat at pizza planet, it is fairly cheap and fun. The boys will definately love test track. We love the water parks. I would also get a book I have the unoffical guide and a disney with kids version. They are a couple years old and this trip I got one from the library they had a ton to choose from and I just took notes. We go every other year in April (this year the week before you). It is usually warm, but sometimes breezy at night. Hope this helps.

 

[MELSMICE]

I would recommend getting the Birnbaum's Official Guide & also The Unofficial Guide to WDW. This will give you a few different opinions & perspectives on WDW.

As far as character dining - you could probably do with or without. We have 3 DD's, (13, 10 & 10) & they don't ask to do character dining any more. A great place for a fantastic buffet breakfast is Pioneer Hall in Fort Wilderness. It is very reasonable & just a boat ride away from the MK. For 3 boys FW has many things to do so you may want to look into some of their activities. They rent bikes, boats, have fishing, basketball courts near their cabins. In fact, if your hotel plans aren't set in stone you may want to look into renting one of the cabins. FW is an awesome place to stay & I think that "boys boys" would love it.

The weather is usually great in April. Take advantage of your resort pool & also go to at least one water parks. Boys that age will really enjoy it. If you get a day of rain think about going to Disney Quest - an indoor interactive theme park. Also, the Contemporary Resort has the largest game room on property.

For what you have planned, it seems as though a 5-day hopper would be enough. Is there a plus on that? If not, get a plus on it so you can do a water park.

I'm sure you'll have a great time.

 

[hotcarib]

Hi,
I was reading the posts and I waondered what Extra Magic Hours are?
Thanks,
Janice

 

[grayhawk]

We just got back on Feb. 26th. I had a guidebook but honestly, I found the disboard to be my best info place.

We stayed at Port Orleans. I think you'll really like it there.
Your kids will likely love Disney Quest.

For your last night I'd arrange for Priority Seating at the France Pavilion at Epcot for a wonderful meal and end with Illuminations. We did the Illuminations cruise but I don't actually recommend it.

Fantasmic is a great show to end on as well. You could get VIP seating by eating at the Brown Derby and buying the dinner/show package.

Take more video and more pics than you think you want. We have so much less than we wish we did.

Now we have to go back.......

 

[hotcarib]

Thanks!!!
Fantastic info!!!
Glad you had such a great time!! I didn't even know you could do the France dinner.
Again thank-you,
Janice

 

[LKS]

We stayed about the same amount of time and used the 6 day PHP. We were planning to use 5 park days and 2 water park days, but it rained so much that we used all 6 park days and only 1 water park day. We had one totally non-park day, and no parks on arrival and departure days. That worked well for us. The weather will probably be nice for the pool on some of your days and kind of cool on others. If you are lucky, it will be plenty warm and sunny the whole time you are there. Your boys might love the water parks. We did Blizzard Beach and my kids still talk about that a lot. Our remaining water park days are good forever, but we are much closer than you are, and can use them on long weekends. Anyway, consider going to Blizzard Beach or typhoon lagoon one day.

I WOULD highly recommend the Illuminations cruise. We did that on my husband's 40th bd last year and it was a highlight of the trip. Each of my 3 kids got a chance to drive the boat (and they were younger than yours) and we got great seats for Illuminations with no staking out and competing for space with the rather pushy crowd.

We also used child care for a dinner at V&A on our 15th anniversary. Your older son is too old for the child care center, but you could hire a sitter (probably an unpopular idea for a 13yo - but a sitter could take them to the arcade or whatever), or get the boys an in-room pizza and let them watch movies (depends on the maturity level there, of course.) Less time-consuming and expensive, but also nice, was Artist Point.

Your boys are great ages for Kennedy Space Center.

Have a great trip.