Been there three times, just got back a couple of weeks ago. Girls are 10 and 3. We did the "exploratory trip" when oldest was 4. Then, we did not do Epcot or AK and we didn't miss them. MK and HS were all the four year old needed. We added Epcot for the next trip because that is where the fairies were, but they are back at MK now, so no need for Epcot with such little kids. We have eaten at Akershus a couple of times, and the appetizer buffet is good, but the food itself is salty and you are paying not for the meal, but to see the princesses. It is the place to knock out 5 princesses at once, but you can accomplish almost the same thing with some well timed fastpasses at MK.

We have never eaten at Royal Table, and we are a fan of the dinner with Cinderella at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. The kids don't recognize the difference between eating a meal in a castle or eating in a hotel dining room, plus you don't have to waste time in the park for this one. We have done this one on arrival day for the first visit for both girls and it was a big hit. I thank an alert reservation specialist back on my first trip when I tried to get Royal Table and she recommended this one. Food is buffet and has some good selections, including carving station.

Right now HS is "Frozen Central" which might change when the new Frozen ride opens in Epcot, but keep an eye on it.

The bus times to the parks varies depending on which park. For MK, take the bus. If you drive there, you have to park at the ticket and transportation center and then take the ferry, monorail or bus. On the days we were there, the monorail wasn't running, and the ferry doesn't run as frequently. We ended up missing the opening on the first day, and you want to be there for at least one opening.

Park Hopper was a waste of money when we have purchased it. If you have one that will need to nap, just go to the park early, go back to nap, then go back for the evening stuff at the same park the same day.

We could not find refillable mugs at the parks and opted to skip them at the resort. The one time we did the dining plan, our first trip, we had way too much food. Everyone in our party had to have it. If you have even one light eater, skip it.

We did fine with all four of us in one room. It was tight, but if your kids will sleep with you in the same room, do one room. You won't be in it enough for it to matter too much.

Also, I am the poster who always recommends the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. I have a copy of the 2015 I am willing to now part with. You'll want to get the 2016 when it comes out. Especially for my first trip, it set the context for me. After that, it's not as important.

Anonymous wrote:We were too late for reservations for a character meal (I'll never doubt the 180 day reservations again!) but we had LOTS of character interactions! We FastPass-ed time with characters who were important to my DS: Cinderella, Ariel, and Mickey/Minnie at AK. We also booked a pirate fireworks excursion, so we could meet Captain Hook and Mr. Smee.

If you download the My Disney Experience app on your phone, you can keep up to date on where characters are when, and "chance upon" them, or line up early. That's how we met Jake from the Neverland Pirates at HS, and Jasmine/Aladdin and Tinkerbell at MK. We also randomly ran into Goofy and Donald at HS and Mary Poppins at MK.

Just a note to OP or anyone else planning a Disney trip--if you don't get the reservations you want at first, keep trying! People will change their mind and cancel, and then it leaves the spot open for a new booking. Especially good days to check are around 45 days prior to your trip (that is when final payment is due--so some people will decide to cancel at this point) and also a little more than 24 hours before the time you want (your credit card gets charged if you cancel less than 24 hours prior to the reservation, so some people will cancel at this point too.)

Great!!! Thanks so much to the PPs - yes the Frozen sing along is on our must do list (as we sing the soundtrack every.single.day in the car). I hadnt heard of Winter Summerland but I'm definitely going to check it out.

We were too late for reservations for a character meal (I'll never doubt the 180 day reservations again!) but we had LOTS of character interactions! We FastPass-ed time with characters who were important to my DS: Cinderella, Ariel, and Mickey/Minnie at AK. We also booked a pirate fireworks excursion, so we could meet Captain Hook and Mr. Smee.

If you download the My Disney Experience app on your phone, you can keep up to date on where characters are when, and "chance upon" them, or line up early. That's how we met Jake from the Neverland Pirates at HS, and Jasmine/Aladdin and Tinkerbell at MK. We also randomly ran into Goofy and Donald at HS and Mary Poppins at MK.

Anonymous wrote:PP - that's our plan re: breakfast & lunch! Assume the drop off from garden grocer was easy? Also considering Tusker house over chef Mickey for the main characters

Yes, delivery was easy. They left the food at the front desk and we called when we checked into the room. Remember to order water. Freeze some to keep food cold during the way.

The frozen sing along is good at Hollywood studios.

We had a very similar itinerary with our almost-4-year-old in March. We actually usually go at the end of February, but March worked better for various reasons this year.

We had a 4-day park pass with Park Hopper, and were there for a week. We did:

* Day 1 Hollywood Studios (he also loves Disney Jr & this was the perfect amount of time for this park)
* Day 2 Magic Kingdom
* Day 3 Animal Kingdom morning, Downtown Disney evening
* Day 4 Day off! Hotel pool & mini golf at Winter Summerland
* Day 5 Day off! Hotel pool & Downtown Disney
* Day 6 Magic Kingdom morning (did everything we missed out on on the first trip), Animal Kingdom afternoon

We decided to skip Epcot for this trip even though DH & I love it, and I stand by that decision. We'll go when DS has more of an attention span for it.

PP - that's our plan re: breakfast & lunch! Assume the drop off from garden grocer was easy? Also considering Tusker house over chef Mickey for the main characters

Your itinerary sounds pretty similar to what we did with our 3-year-old (minus HS). We loved the Tusker House character breakfast at Animal Kingdom: we met each of the characters at least twice. Also, we didn't do a dining plan but brought our lunch to the park and ate breakfast in the room; we ordered food from Garden Grocer. Highly recommend.

OP - Good food for thought, thanks!

You should keep in mind that Hollywood Studios probably has the least to offer of any park right now for kids and it is undergoing a significant amount of construction. The main draws at Hollywood Studios are the Tower of Terror, and Rockin' Rollercoaster, both of which kids can't go on. Toy Story Mania is good for kids, but unless you can get a fast pass ahead of time, don't bother. Wait times are usually 1+ hours.

We typically spend a half day at Hollywood studios and do the Disney Jr. Show, Toy Story Mania, the little mermaid show (which is pretty lame honestly, but at least there is no wait), and let the kids play in the honey I shrunk the kids playground. They have a new frozen singalong which is ok (Elsa make an appearance at the very end), but if your kids are into frozen it is worth doing. You might also consider the great movie ride, but some parts can be scary for young kids.

If I were you, I'd move the half day to Hollywood studios and either spend a full day in Animal kingdom, or spend the morning in AK and then the afternoon / night at Downtown Disney.

As for skipping EPCOT, that our my favorite park. I'd go there over Hollywood Studios anytime. There is a lot for kids, they have a Nemo ride, turtle talk with crush, the living with the land boat ride, the imagination ride, the donald duck ride in Mexico and they are working on converting the Norway ride into a Frozen themed ride. Also our kids generally just like listening / dancing to the bands play in world showcase, while the adults drink beer. England is a good place for this, the kids can run around in the hedge maze (its only about 1 foot tall) while the music plays.

Also all of the countries have "kidcot" stations where you can do art projects and decorate stuff. My kids enjoyed that starting at about 3 years old.

If your kid loves Disney Junior, then HS is the place to be. Would even consider going there twice instead of MK twice. DTD will occupy a half day. Yes to ADRs. Download the app so that you can change your reservations on the fly if needed.

OP - thank you!! Exactly the thoughts I was looking for. I actually changed our dates to not be there during princess 1/2. We'll be there 2/23 - 2/28.

Thank you again - may look into other hotel options. We'll have a double stroller :/

Carribean Beach does not have balconies for the rooms--it is more "motel style" where the walkways are outdoors. Also, there are no elevators-something to keep in mind if you are going to have a stroller. You may want to request a ground floor room, though that is just a request and they will not guarantee it.

The mugs are only good for free refills at your resort--not at the parks. I have purchased the dining plan once, received the mugs, but we didn't even use them. 1. We were staying club level (Yacht Club) so we got our drinks in the lounge 2. We just don't drink much soda.

Which specifc days will you be there? The Princess half marathon weekend is in February.

I would reconsider Fantasmic with your little ones--many find it scary. If you decide to do Chef Mickeys you could do that on your free night.

To the Disney experts on here...just wanted to run this by someone. Planning Disney at the end of Feb 2016 - 2 adults, toddler who will turn 3 at Disney and 13 month old baby. Toddler is a Big Frozen & Disney Junior Fan. Wrae are looking at this as an exploratory trip in preparation for the "big" trip when both kids are a bit older.

4 days in the parks: 2 MK, 1 AK, 1 HS. Order is MK, AK, HS, MK. Planning 1/2 day at AK and then afternoon at the hotel pool. Skipping Epcot. Is this OK? I know there is a princess breakfast at Akershaus and good food. Parents like good food.

Staying at Caribbean Beach resort - how long should I plan in the AM to get to the resorts via the bus? Also how long to get home in the evening? Husband is not thrilled with having us all in one room (but suites/two rooms is cost prohibitive). Will we be ok? Anyone know if there are balconies?

Ideas on what to do on arrival day (we arrive at 3PM and aren't doing a park that day) and our free afternoon/evening? Will Downtown Disney have enough to occupy us with one of those days? What else?

Planning on skipping the dining plan and maybe getting the mugs.

Thinking about ADRs and prioritizing Cinderalla's Royal Table, Be Our Guest, Dinner at California Grill for Wishes, Fantasmic Package at Hollywood and Vine (lunch), and maybe trying for Chef Mickey (how long to get to the Contemporary Resort) or Crystal Palace.

Thanks for any wisdom and thoughts!