What would you do? Help deciding to go or not to go.

[1DW4US]

We have flight (booked with points), off site hotel reservation, car rental and 6 day park tickets purchased for trip late January for a family of 3 to DW. Our oldest, 14 yr old will not be traveling with us. We went 10 yrs ago and I don't remember doing any planning then.

The 4 yr old who is going, doesn't watch tv and doesn't really know any characters except maybe Elsa (lego set gift), Moana and has read some Mickey & friend and super hero & pet friends books. Of course he is a very inquisitive kid who loves new experiences. Due to an eye surgery I haven't been able to do any planning or reservations and my husband's surgery (minor) last summer as well had made things tough. We are staying offsite due to one of us being GF and lactose free and the other being currently on a very low fat diet so thought (wrongly perhaps, I see now) that a small pantry with microwave etc would help.

Since dining reservations are all but gone and quick service doesn't look very doable in our case, it will be work to pack most food daily. Also 30 days ahead FP may not be as good as 60 days prior (even though it's January). I am dreading the wait times without FP. The period when I would have to select the FP one day at a time, we are traveling, visiting family so it would be problematic though not impossible to keep checking and picking FP rides etc.

According to me, we should pay the 5% restocking fee for the tickets and get all else refunded and think of another time. I don't think we would do DW more than once. Per DH, we must go as we may not have another time during a low period, due to his work and health too is iffy in future and that we should take a chance since the 4 yr has already been told (though he is amazingly understanding and I don't think will mind the postponement to an indefinite date).DH of course has done zero reading and as I just started, I am realizing this needs more planning than even a 15 day trip to Europe! i would hate for this once in a lifetime trip to be below average or poor. What would you do?

We are not interested in any non-kiddie rides. 4 yr old is not yet 44" and does not nap so we would likely be done by 5ish.

Thank you for reading and comments from DW veterans really appreciated.

 

[LizGirl]

Personally, I'd probably still go. Late January is a great time because the weather is nice and the crowds are so low. Your son being 4 is a really fun age and I wouldn't be able to cancel the trip once my son already knew about it. I think you can enjoy many attractions with minimal planning at that time of year.

FP+ has definitely changed the game as far as planning goes but it is possible to just pick a few rides and then go with the flow. I'd prioritize getting SDMT, Soarin, TSMM and Kilamanjaro. Then just mix in other stuff he may enjoy. Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Speedway. If you are avoiding the "thrill" rides, getting FP is not too bad. There is also much to be enjoyed that does not require FP at all.

If you have a Touring Plans subscription, you can let them help you find restaurant reservations. The table service restaurants do take walk ups - you just have to go off peak and/or plan ahead. We don't have food restrictions so I'm not totally knowledgeable about what services are available at counter service locations. Don't forget that the resorts have some terrific options as well.

 

[Melissa Perez]

DH of course has done zero reading and as I just started, I am realizing this needs more planning than even a 15 day trip to Europe!

I'm a seasoned Disney-er and I will say that I am new to the DisBoards and it can absolutely seem overwhelming! I've been going to WDW for 25 years and posters here know more than I even could have guessed that I didn't know. With that said, there is no perfect way to do this vacation, whether you do it yearly or its going to be a one and done. You are going to get some great advice here but always stay true to what you three want out of it. I promise you will enjoy it most that way

 

[disneyvoice]

My personal feelings about ANY kind of WDW trip is that if you go into the trip stressed out and worried that it won't be the perfect trip it could be, you will be disappointed. That includes trips where people have scored every FP and ADR they want prior to arriving. Many people end up having miserable trips because they are more concerned about racing back and forth to do as many rides as possible than actually stopping to consider if they would have more fun with a more laid back approach.

I think you would still have a great time as long as you are realistic about your expectations. My DH and I have actually enjoyed our WDW trips MORE since we decided to be much more laid back in our approach. Most of your concern about FPs aren't really an issue since you only want to do kiddie rides. Most of the attractions that require FPs are much bigger rides that you aren't wanting to do anyway. If you can do rope drop you will be able to get the more popular kiddie rides out of the way while everyone else races to the bigger rides. Rides like Peter Pan and Frozen would be things you would want to do at rope drop. Even if you can't do rope drop, you will still be able to do the kiddie rides without FPs if you do just a bit of research on the times those rides tend to have shorter lines. My DH and I go several times a year, during both busy times and lighter times, and we don't wait in line for anything that has more than about a 20 or 30 minute wait - yet, we still end up doing most attractions.

I would also encourage you to look at various menus for the quick service restaurants. WDW is extremely accomodating toward allergies and dietary issues. I think you WOULD be able to do QS restaurants even with your family's food restrictions but you would need to do some advanced research. Really, since you want to leave the parks by 5:00, it would really only be lunch you need to deal with in the parks if you eat breakfast before you leave. There are MANY more healthy options at WDW now and GF items are becoming much more common now. If you have concerns about whether you would be able to eat something, just ask - they will be able to help you.

I don't think it will matter that your son doesn't know the characters. If you prefer for him not to watch the movies you could read him stories about the characters so he is at least familiar with them. But even without doing that he will still enjoy the various rides. My son didn't necessarily know about all of the characters when he was that age but he still enjoyed everything.

 

[JennyDrake]

IF you have already decided the trip will be a bust, then don't go. I think you *may* be surprised at the QS options. Don't stress about the FP+, just do the best you can. At ANY park you can still get a lot done (especially MK) by being there at rope drop with breakfast in your belly. Overall, I think most people on DisBoards do WAY too much planning--to the point they set themselves up for stress and disappointment. _I_ would see if it was in the budget to stay on site and not mess with the whole transportation and food packing....

In any event, if you decide not to go, Disney will still be there!

 

[elaine amj]

I would still go. Looks like you are worried about

1. Fastpasses
30 days (and even after) is still plenty for many rides. You'll only have trouble with a few rides including:
- Frozen Ever After
- Seven Dwarves Mine Train
- Flight of Passage (this is pretty awesome so your may want to try rope dropping this and use child swap if your kid isn't tall enough)
- maybe Na'avi River Journey (we enjoyed it but can be skipped if you can't get it easily)

You'll still have sooooo many other amazing attractions to do. I'd suggest printing off easywdw's cheat sheet and just following that as a plan (makes things much easier). If you are all early risers, get to the parks 45 mins before open. You'll find everything so much more enjoyable in the first couple of hours.

My niece's favourite ride was Barnstormer - she rode that again and again and again. Oh and the teacups. She also adored Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh (these are easier with Fastpasses though).

2. Food
I'd suggest booking lunch table service places at each park. Take a quick look at a crowd calendar (there are a bunch of them - I usually use kennythepirate) and decide which park you want to visit each day. Then just look for restaurants that appeal in each park and book them. Now you likely will have trouble with the most popular restaurants but there will still be plenty of places to eat as long as you book early enough. Even 20 days out you'll still be able to book places. I would book now and then just switch up if you change things after booking FPs.

Then go back to your condo to cook dinner in your room in the evenings. Or grab QS if it's handy

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Nobody but you can decide what is best for your family!

 

[BrianL]

I'd say go for it. You should still be able to get decent ADRs (maybe not Be Our Guest or Cinderella's Royal Table but there are plenty of places). Disney restaurants are good about dietary restrictions as well. Just ask your server. You'll get plenty of good Fast Passes, but do try to snag Flight of Passage, Frozen Ever After, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, as those will be the toughest. Everything else is cake.

Try not to stress and have a great time!

 

[Magpie]

You're the only one who can decide this, of course, since you're the one who will be doing most of the work. And if this is causing you too much stress, so be it.

However, personally, my sympathies are with your DH. He sounds like he's worried this might be his last opportunity to do this with his youngest child. That's a really big deal.

With regards to your specific concerns...

Disney is very accommodating of dietary needs. If you post on the Disabilities board, I'm sure people can give you specifics. But, I can tell you that my son is hypoglycemic and we had no trouble finding suitable foods for him, including at quick service locations. They even had chocolate-dipped frozen bananas in the carts, so he could have an occasional treat!

30 days out is plenty of time to book fastpasses for almost everything you could possibly want, except Frozen Ever After and the Avatar stuff. Since you're going with a 4 year old, you don't need to stress about doing everything. Pick three rides you think he'll like, then just take it slow and have fun. There are wait times posted in front of every ride, as well as a wait time app, so just don't get into long lines. There's plenty to do, and you don't have to ride everything. Take time to check out the splash pads, and the playgrounds. Watch the shows. See the three o'clock parade. Four year olds are incredibly easy to entertain!

And once you've used up your 3 fastpasses, you can always book a fourth and then a fifth.

Book yourself some sit down lunches. There will be plenty of choices left, if you aren't fussy about eating in a particular restaurant! Let them know ahead of time about your dietary needs, and when you get there, ask to speak to a chef. They will go over everything with you, and can modify your meals to your taste. They're incredibly nice, and will make you and your family feel very special. One of our dear friends has to eat gluten-free, and she's now on a first name basis with many of the chefs. They remember her from previous visits and will suggest meals that she might like, and make portions just for her.

Honestly, having our dietary needs catered to by Disney is really one of the highlights of our vacation. For once, you get to feel special and not like you're inconveniencing people. (I always get the impression the chefs enjoy a challenge.)

 

[DisneyFive]

Just an FYI, Dining reservations tend to open up a lot the day before. Reason is, people will cancel so they don't pay the no-show or late cancellation fee.

Dan

 

[hllb]

Late January won't be super crowded. You will get FPs, just probably not for the biggest/newest rides. You will be able to find TS meals, even if you have to wait until the day before. But there will definitely be things. With a good touring plan, you should be fine. There are also some ticketed events that would help if your budget allows and depending on your dates.

 

[kj2mom]

Of course only you can decide for sure but since you asked...I would probably still go. You have a substantial amount of time between now and then to get things together, even if you just spend 15 minutes a day researching something/looking into what needs to be done you would be surprised how much can be accomplished.

In regards to FP, did you know the window opens in the morning now? I could see waiting up until midnight every night while visiting could be a major challenge but now it is 7am and since you have a young child my guess is that it is rare that you are not awake at 7am. If you have a strategy for the morning making the FP can literally take a couple of minutes then you are back to the regular plans of your day. You can even do them on your phone, you don't have to worry about having access to a computer.

Good luck with whatever you decide but I totally agree that expectations are the key to your mind set and mind set is the key to having a wonderful time, for me at least. I always go in with few expectations and a go with the flow mindset so anything we do/experience is all a plus!

Ask away, everyone is here to help in anyway we can and we will help you save some time in your research by pointing you to answers if we can!!!

 

[Dug720]

Glutenfreedairyfreewdw.com has many of the allergy menus on the site as well as her experiences at some of the restaurants.

 

[ElsasFan]

I would definitely still go. I am a super-planner, but just because I “do” Disney that way doesn’t mean you have to. Pick your three fast passes per day, get there ahead of rope drop to be ahead of the crowds, enjoy the lower crowds in the A.M., and do things in the afternoon that don’t require you to stand in long lines (shows, etc.).

There is no perfect time to go. Life has a way of getting in the way, but I encourage you to accept the planning limitations you have had, and enjoy this trip with your family.

 

[Hope Soda]

I think you should go, and here's why:

Two years ago, we planned a trip to Tampa for spring break (college spring break, so the first week of March). After figuring out all of the stuff we wanted to do in Tampa, we had about an extra day to play with, and decided to give Disney World a try since we'd be passing through the Orlando area. Before this, we had figured we would never go to Disney World because it didn't seem like it would be our thing. We'd heard stories about crazy crowds, long lines, and lots of parents yelling at their kids.

We had no ADRs and did not make FP+ reservations until about 10:30am that morning before heading into the park around 11:30. We did not ride 7 Dwarfs Mine Train or any of the mountains, but just kind of followed the fastpasses we could get around the park. We did:

Talking Mickey Mouse (FP+)
Tinkerbell
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (we just did a bunch around Main St. until our next FP+)
Pirates of the Caribbean (FP+)
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Jungle Cruise (FP+)
Train from Frontierland to Fantasyland (hands down the longest wait of the day)
Dumbo the Flying Elephant (FP+)
Under the Sea (FP+)
It's a Small World (FP+)
Late Lunch/ Early Dinner at Pinocchio Village Haus
Enchanted Tales with Belle (FP+)
Monsters Inc Laugh Floor (FP+)
People Mover
Astro Orbiter
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (FP+)
Ice cream cones for dinner in Tomorrowland
Fireworks


If we had made our FP+ 30 days in advance, we surely could have ridden the mountains if we wanted. But we had so much fun, even with basically no planning in advance. Since then, we have been twice more, with significantly more planning, and had a great time. Even though we didn't ride the headliners that first trip, we always had something fun to do. You can plan the heck out of a Disney trip for sure, but you don't have to in order to have a great time.

 

[kwdw]

I think you are reading too many of the die-hard planner posts. Not everyone is that way - and you don't have to be to have a great time.

With the exceptions of a few headliner rides - you can get FP's 30 days out. Occasionally, you can even score a headliner the day before if someone else changes their plans. But really - minus a few - you'll get your 3 FPs per day - and you'll have good choices 30 days out. I've changed up FP's the day before! My last trip - I added a third for the day - on the morning of that day - and it fit perfectly into my existing plans for the day (I simply had forgotten to book three for the day in advance). Not getting to ride Mine Train is NOT a big deal for many visitors! It's one ride. No biggie. And it you really want it - you go at rope drop one day if you can't get a FP.

Dining - LOTS of dining options are still available. I'd second the recommendation to think about table service meals in the park for lunch since you are staying off-site. That will save packing lunch. You might need to try some odd times - try 11 am - or 2 pm - but you should still find things. That would save having to carry so much food each day. Maybe you take a few snacks along for the just in case. Menus say which ones are gluten free - and you can also always ask to confirm. Sure - you might need to ask about lactose free in some cases - but that one is probably obvious most of the time. Low fat is probably the hardest one to manage as that's more "person defined" - but they can often leave sauces off a dish. Disney is great this way at TS meals. And really, even if you ate quick service the whole time - you all would not starve in the park - there are choices available that can work available on the menus for restaurants and as snacks.

Also - I know you were thinking you might leave by 5 each day - but especially for the Magic Kingdom - you may want to be there later one night if you want to see the fireworks show. Maybe plan a dinner instead of a lunch that day.

 

[KittyKitty]

Hard core planner here. If I had the choice of going with no planning or not go, going w/o planning would win every time.

You will have a great time!

 

[Lsrollins24]

We have flight (booked with points), off site hotel reservation, car rental and 6 day park tickets purchased for trip late January for a family of 3 to DW. Our oldest, 14 yr old will not be traveling with us. We went 10 yrs ago and I don't remember doing any planning then.

The 4 yr old who is going, doesn't watch tv and doesn't really know any characters except maybe Elsa (lego set gift), Moana and has read some Mickey & friend and super hero & pet friends books. Of course he is a very inquisitive kid who loves new experiences. Due to an eye surgery I haven't been able to do any planning or reservations and my husband's surgery (minor) last summer as well had made things tough. We are staying offsite due to one of us being GF and lactose free and the other being currently on a very low fat diet so thought (wrongly perhaps, I see now) that a small pantry with microwave etc would help.

Since dining reservations are all but gone and quick service doesn't look very doable in our case, it will be work to pack most food daily. Also 30 days ahead FP may not be as good as 60 days prior (even though it's January). I am dreading the wait times without FP. The period when I would have to select the FP one day at a time, we are traveling, visiting family so it would be problematic though not impossible to keep checking and picking FP rides etc.

According to me, we should pay the 5% restocking fee for the tickets and get all else refunded and think of another time. I don't think we would do DW more than once. Per DH, we must go as we may not have another time during a low period, due to his work and health too is iffy in future and that we should take a chance since the 4 yr has already been told (though he is amazingly understanding and I don't think will mind the postponement to an indefinite date).DH of course has done zero reading and as I just started, I am realizing this needs more planning than even a 15 day trip to Europe! i would hate for this once in a lifetime trip to be below average or poor. What would you do?

We are not interested in any non-kiddie rides. 4 yr old is not yet 44" and does not nap so we would likely be done by 5ish.

Thank you for reading and comments from DW veterans really appreciated.

We have flight (booked with points), off site hotel reservation, car rental and 6 day park tickets purchased for trip late January for a family of 3 to DW. Our oldest, 14 yr old will not be traveling with us. We went 10 yrs ago and I don't remember doing any planning then.

The 4 yr old who is going, doesn't watch tv and doesn't really know any characters except maybe Elsa (lego set gift), Moana and has read some Mickey & friend and super hero & pet friends books. Of course he is a very inquisitive kid who loves new experiences. Due to an eye surgery I haven't been able to do any planning or reservations and my husband's surgery (minor) last summer as well had made things tough. We are staying offsite due to one of us being GF and lactose free and the other being currently on a very low fat diet so thought (wrongly perhaps, I see now) that a small pantry with microwave etc would help.

Since dining reservations are all but gone and quick service doesn't look very doable in our case, it will be work to pack most food daily. Also 30 days ahead FP may not be as good as 60 days prior (even though it's January). I am dreading the wait times without FP. The period when I would have to select the FP one day at a time, we are traveling, visiting family so it would be problematic though not impossible to keep checking and picking FP rides etc.

According to me, we should pay the 5% restocking fee for the tickets and get all else refunded and think of another time. I don't think we would do DW more than once. Per DH, we must go as we may not have another time during a low period, due to his work and health too is iffy in future and that we should take a chance since the 4 yr has already been told (though he is amazingly understanding and I don't think will mind the postponement to an indefinite date).DH of course has done zero reading and as I just started, I am realizing this needs more planning than even a 15 day trip to Europe! i would hate for this once in a lifetime trip to be below average or poor. What would you do?

We are not interested in any non-kiddie rides. 4 yr old is not yet 44" and does not nap so we would likely be done by 5ish.

Thank you for reading and comments from DW veterans really appreciated.

 

[Lsrollins24]

I think you should go and enjoy yourself. I've been going to WDW for almost 40 years and love it every time, planned or not. Your 4 year old will enjoy whatever you do there. At that age they don't know what they might be missing out on so you can't go wrong.

As for fast passes and rides you're going at a very slow time of the year so you've got that going for you. Keep checking back on fast passes. People cancel and change things around all the time even the day of so just keep checking. Also During the weekdays you won't have long wait times this time of year for most of the rides. The more popular rides with really long lines tend to be the ones geared towards an older crowd. Get fast passes for what you can and don't worry about the rest. Just ride the rides with shorter lines. You will have a fantastic time no matter what rides/shows you do. In fact you might just try something great you would have otherwise passed up if you had planned this to death.

There are also a couple of good apps that have wait times for rides which can be very helpful. Since you're staying 6 days I would suggest doing one park a day rather than park hopping. Switching parks eats up a ton of time.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[srwarden1928]

I love to plan. Many would say my planning is excessive. The only thing I don't bother with is the spreadsheet. Of course I spend so much time with touring plans that my printouts from that are much more detailed than most of the spreadsheets.

I would assume that at 30 days out you WILL NOT get fastpasses for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Frozen Ever After, Flight of Passage. The standby lines for these rides are often INSANE. You may be willing to wait in them. I am not sure whether I would or not. I have never placed myself in the position of having to decide.

All that being said ANY time in WDW is better than NO time in WDW. While I would not want to be in the situation you are currently in, that is the way things are. I would much rather go to WDW even if I missed those attractions than not go.

I always spend my first four days doing one park per day thoroughly. I believe you will find that to be efficient for you. I hope you have a wonderful trip.