What are the must-do's with a 4yr old and 3 yr old?

macdoodle

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 8, 2001
We are planning our first family trip to Orlando the week of 3/16-3/24/02. We are planning on renting a house off-site. I haven't been to WDW in 8 yrs, DH since he was 4 yrs old and the kids never. What are some things that we shouldn't miss. We are planning a very laid back vacation, thinking of only doing the MK & AK, SeaWorld, and maybe going to Busch Gardens or the beach. We plan to take it slow this time around, as we plan to go to WDW every year or two. Any suggestions on things the kids would really enjoy (other than all of it!)? TIA

macdoodle
 
we have been to WDW for each of the last 3 years. Definitely make ressies for a character meal-your kids will enjoy the one-on-one interaction with the characters. Last year and this year, older DS enjoyed having an autograph book for the characters to sign. DSs love riding on the monorail-they think of it as a ride, not transportation. At AK, DSs love to play in the Boneyard, a sort of playground with slides and a sandy area to dig dinosaur bones. At MK, DSs love the Buzz Lightyear ride the best. Also, DH and I have always been surprised by how much DSs enjoy the shows. Have a great trip.
 
when I saw your username! Our dog's name is McDougal and I often call him macdoodle :D

I'm planning an October trip with my to-be-2yr 9m DD so not too far from your youngest. I think you might enjoy at least one morning or afternoon at MGM - are they Little Mermaid fans? That show is great. Do they watch Bear in the Big Blue House? I also think they might like the Muppet 3D movie and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. Like you we plan to hit MK and AK but I think we will actually spend more time at MGM than AK (plus we are staying at the Swan so it's the easiest place to go!).

It has been many many years since I've been to Busch Gardens but isn't it more of a thrill ride park? I would guess rides for 3 & 4 year olds might be a little limited. But I'm really not sure, just a guess.

I agree character meals would be wonderful for them! I love the Chrystal Palace for breakfast. We are also going to try Chef Mickey's for dinner.

Have a wonderful time!

Meredith :D
 
My daughter's name is Mackenzie, so some how she has become macdoodle, along with many other variations!

They both LOVE animals, so we thought maybe Busch Gardens, as we were told they have a lot to see. MGM definitely sounds like it would be great. They love little mermaid and my 2-yr-old adores Bear in the Big Blue House.

Sounds like we definitely need to do a character meal, how do you go about that? Would we make reservations ahead of time? I have no clue, as this is essentially my first time going as when I went before I was young and single!

Any help is greatly appreciated. TIA
 
to Disney World many times it was mostly as a kid or teenager when my mom did the planning (and bill paying!) I've been as a day tripper many times but never planned a moment of those days. This is my first time as the MOM and official trip planner. I actually think it is way more fun this way. :D

Browse through a few days of postings on the Restaurants Board and you will quickly become familiar with popular choices and the all-important PS (priority seating). PS is kind of like a reservation- you are given a time, a confirmation number and then given priority in getting a table at that time over any walk-ins without PS. Since you are traveling with small kids I would say PS is important - you want to eat as close to their normal schedule as possible (I would think). Also, the character meals are popular so you might want the peace of mind of the PS.

Meredith :D
 
My DD is 3 and LOVES Fort Wilderness. They have pony rides $2 i think, a petting zoo, a huge playground and the Barbecue buffet there is great!! Very laid back, good food, casual for kids and NOT very pricey. At dusk, they have a campfire, Chip N' Dale Sing Along and a Disney Movie every nite. I would definately consider that on an "off" day. Well worth the trip and the $$. You can also take the Hay Rides. Its Great!!
 
Love everyone's ideas!! I agree that a character meal is a must. My kids also love anywhere they can run around, so the Boneyard at AK and the Honey, I shrunk the Kids play area at MGM are musts for us. They also enjoy the Bear show, as well as the Little Mermaid show, both Lion King shows, Winnie the Pooh ride, the caurosel at MK, the Jungle cruise, etc. There are so many things to do with kids that age!! Have fun!:D
 


I would definatly say Chef Mickey's or CInderella's Breakfast!!

Where rides are concerned definatly do Small World, Dumbo, the Carosel, and Mickey's Toontown Fair at Magic Kingdom.

At Epcot I think they would be fine on Spaceship Earth and the Living Seas.

At MGM The Animation Show is good as is The Beauty and The Beast Show


Animal Kingdom will be wonderful for them just walking around and seeing all the Animals. Definatly let them Dig a while at Dinoland!!

Have fun!!
 
We took our 4yodaughter In March, and also when she was 2 1/2. The great thing about Disney is there is not much they CAN'T do. On the 2 1/2 trip we also went to Busch Gardens, but we were disappointed in the amount of attractions for our daughter. Even in kiddie land she was too small to ride most things alone, and most didn't allow adult riders on those rides. She rode the carousel there and I think that's it. In March, she rode everything we did except Space Mtn and RockNRoller Coaster. She even rode Tower of Terror and Test Track (3X). Here's my recommendation:
Do everything in Fantasyland and Toontown, watch the parades. My daughter also really liked Pirates and Tiki Birds and all those kiddie shows at MGM. Get the autograph books & meet as many characters as you can. Go to the character tent at Toontown (MK) and you will see a lot of favorites. There are 3 lines -- one for Hundred Acre Wood characters (Pooh & friends); one for Disney favorites (Minnie, Donald, & Goofy when we were there); and one for storybook friends (Cinderella & her mice when we were there). All the parks have character greeting areas, so you can look for your favorites.
Definitely do a character meal or two. We have done the char. breakfast at O'hana (Polynesian resort) and this trip we did the Ice Cream Social at Epcot (at the Garden Grill Restaurant in the Land). If you do a search you will find info on this, or read my trip report posted on the trip reports board. Both of these events had great food and superb character interaction.
Enjoy!
 
I have 2 ds ages 2 and 5. We just got back from a trip in April. We were there 7 days. One thing with little kids is to pace yourself and plan for naps. We stayed at WL onsite. It was great because it took us about 4 days to do MK. We would go early entry to MK and we could stay until 1 or 2pm. They both were exhausted even though they cruised around in a double stroller and napped for 2 hours. I really had to focus on what they would enjoy not on making sure I did everything I wanted. I still want to go back to AK. We could have done 2 days there easily. We did not do MGM at all except Fantasmic.

Think about staying onsite just so you can get back for a nap easily. The pools are great and have lots of lifeguards. My kids loved the natural setting of the WL. There were ducks and birds everywhere for them to see and feed. The boat transportation is a fun experience for them also. Definitely do a character breakfast or two as the kids love them. Chef Mickeys is great.
 
BEAR BEAR BEAR! THe Bear in the Big Blue House is a MUST SEE - highlight of the trip for DDs 2 and 4 last year. Also B&B show, Little Mermaid (although the dark part can be a bit frightening), Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh Ride, Small World, and the afternoon MK character parade. The night MK parade is a lot of fun as are the fireworks over the castle - just make sure that day is an easy one and you get a late start the next day so your kids won't be wiped out! Meeting the characters somewhere other than Toontown (to avoid those long lines!) was always a great time, as was the character meals. Also agree with Ft. Wilderness idea - that's where we stayed, and the girls loved it. Have a great time! :bounce:
 
When my son was 4, Buzz Lightyear was his favorite ride. We must have ridden it 25 times in the 6 days we were there. He also like running around in the dancing fountains in Mickey's Toontown. Bring a bathing suit or change of clothes if the weather is hot. It will be a great cooling off break. He also like driving the cars (can't remember the name), Dumbo and riding the monorail.

Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary is our favorite character meal.

When it gets closer to your trip, you'll want to check on things to do that are related to your kid's current favorite characters. For example, if they are Pooh fans you'll want to find a Pooh character meal for them.
 
We went last year with our DS who will be 4 in August. We're going back next month. He has already laid down the ground rules for us: Magic Kingdom first then take the monorail to Epcot (and try to sit in the front). Breakfast with Donald at AK and dinner with Mickey at Chef Mickey's. No Little Mermaid Show, Illuminations, Pirates of the Carribean or Tough to Be a bug- too loud!
No Splash Mountain, but he wants to try Big Thunder Mountain Railroad...whatever! Just be sure to pack earplugs if you want to see some loud attractions like Universe of Energy (he doesn't gripe about that one because we had his earplugs in).
 
Hello mcdoodle,
Our youngest daughter's name is Mackenzie also!
You might want to spend some time at Fort Wilderness Campground - they have hayrides, a petting zoo, and you can visit the horses from Main Street in their barn and maybe get to watch the blacksmith in action. They have campfires and movies at night also. They also have bike rentals and boat rentals. We haven't done any of this yet, but we plan to in November for a day or afternoon away from the hustle and bustle.
Have a great time!!!
 
At least one character meal is a must.

Must see at MK:
Peter Pan's Flight
Winnie the Pooh
Buzz Lightyear
The Legend of the Lion King
Dumbo
Toontown

Must see at MGM:
Beauty and the Beast Show
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Jim Henson's 3D
Bear in the Big Blue House
Check out the map where you can meet characters

We haven't done AK yet, so I can't help you with this one, but we will definitely will spend some time at the Boneyard Playground. I know my kids 2 and 4 will enjoy themselves there!

Have fun!!

:bounce:
 
Think about Tom Sawyer's Island, at MK. It's a great place for the kids to run around and explore. It even has a fort they can climb around in, with tables full of Lincoln Logs.

I see alot of people recommending Voyage of the Little Mermaid, but my daughter (2 1/2) was very scared by this. Ursula and her eels look awfully big and scary. It's dark and loud, also. You might want to see it first, without them, and decide on whether or not they'd like it.

Tom
 

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