Just got back from a trip to Disney with my 3 y/o - AMA

[Anonymous]

You like throwing money at stupid shit. Going to Disney over Thansgiving is for rednecks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You like throwing money at stupid shit. Going to Disney over Thansgiving is for rednecks.

Unfortunately I was not the one who picked the date... I would've MUCH preferred going in January or February, however other family members have school age children and understandably didn't want to take them out of school for a week. They had the week of Thanksgiving off school of that's when we went.

It's also spelled "Thanksgiving"...

[Anonymous]

OP, what tips do you have for parents of toddlers who go to Disney during peak travel times?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what tips do you have for parents of toddlers who go to Disney during peak travel times?

Get there before the park opens, MK opened one day at 8am, we were there in line at 7:15am (and no where near the front of the line). Get as much done as you can before lunch, then leave if you like for a nap/break, and return for the evening. The park will empty out quite a bit after the 8pm parade, and even more after the fireworks.

We booked all our fast passes for the afternoon, so after lunch we could relax a bit, hit the FP's or other rides with low wait times, character meets, etc. Lined up early for a parade (fall fantasy was quite good and pretty short), etc.

The train that goes around the park (I believe it has 3 stops) is great for naps as well. Ours fell asleep within the 4minutes it took us to get from Fantasyland to Main Street. Took a great 30min power nap. She can also function quite well without naps, which was every other day but that one. We didn't stay onsite and didn't leave for naps. If you stay close by naps for the afternoon would be doable. Just know if you go during a 10 crowd level (Christmas/New Years) you may not be able to get back into the park in the afternoon. Doesn't happen often, but does on occasion (they hit the crowd limit).

Be prepared for the worst (hour+ wait times, difficulty finding seats to eat, etc) and be pleasantly surprised with the outcome. I thought it would be a crazy sea of people, and at times it was, but from open until around noon and after 6pm we were able to do a ton. Spend 2 days at MK, do the parade on one and during the parade on the second squeeze in a few other rides.

Hollywood Studios has all the Disney Jr people, probably my DD's favorite in terms of character meetings, but not a ton for them to ride. MK and Epcot were far better for rides.

Don't bother on park hoppers, crowd levels will make it tough to switch parks midday.

[Anonymous]

You lost me at: in line at 7:15am with a 45 min+ wait ahead of you. But to each their own, glad you had a plan and a good time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the thing is most of us know people in real life who have very recently been to Disney because you can't swing a cat in most parenting circles without hitting someone who's recently gone. And I would definitely ask someone who I actually know for tips, if I ask at all. Because the other option is to go on the internet and find one of the many websites completely devoted to this not-very-interesting topic. This is not a topic where you have unique information that is difficult to obtain.

I sincerely hope you and your family had fun.

Then skip the thread and go to your friends. Not everyone has friends or family who can afford to go to Disney, and thus don't have somewhere to turn.

For all things Disney, you definitely should check out the disboards forum. It really is the best source for any and every question you could have, from lodging to dining to strategies for dealing with crowds and costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at: in line at 7:15am with a 45 min+ wait ahead of you. But to each their own, glad you had a plan and a good time.

+1

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why you booked a campground but then stayed in a condo (?)

[Anonymous]

We went to Disney and the crowds were a 6/7 and my kids only lasted about 2 hours before begging to leave and go back to the hotel pool. It was a mob scene. I simply cannot imagine what a level 9/10 day even looks like, or why someone would pay money to go on such a crowded day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you booked a campground but then stayed in a condo (?)

Condo + Campground were much cheaper than staying at a Disney resort (while keeping the benefits).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to Disney and the crowds were a 6/7 and my kids only lasted about 2 hours before begging to leave and go back to the hotel pool. It was a mob scene. I simply cannot imagine what a level 9/10 day even looks like, or why someone would pay money to go on such a crowded day.

Yeah we didn't get to pick the dates, but DH and I were fearing much worse. We had a great time and didn't feel like it was mobbed at all. Maybe because we were there early and did so much earlier in the day? Whatever the reason we had a good plan which resulted in us having a great time.

[Anonymous]

I'd also recommend the memory maker add on for the magic bands. Across 4 days we ended up with over 400 pictures (from photo spots, character meets and rides). So worth the cost if you're doing a lot.