I am so excited to be taking my family to WDW this SUmmer. My DH and I went on our honeymoon, but didn't stay on property.

We will be taking our 3 kids, 5, 4 and 14 months at the time of the trip.

Here are a few of the ?? I have.

We bought the baby his own seat on the airplane to accomodate his car seat. Will I need to being boosters for the older two as well?

Will I need/ can I bring the 3 seats on the Magical Express?

I am able to check a stroller at the gate for no charge since we are travelling with a ticketed infant. Would you bring the single or the double?

Should I pack some snacks for the room, and how much extra is a fridge rental? How/ where would be the best place to pack them (I'm thinking cereal, pop tarts, gold fish crackers, graham crackers, juice boxes, fruit roll ups, twizzlers, pretzles, etc, and paper cups, bowls and plastic ware then buying milk there) (We have the Dining package)

When travelling between resorts/ park with the kids, if we choose to take ataxi to save time, will I need the car seats, or should I just plan on taking the shuttles?

What kind of ID will I need to bring for us and the kids? I haven't flown since well before 9-11. Will our birth certificates then DH And I's Driver's liscences be enough? WHat about the kids? SHould I get Ident A kids, or will they need something else (We live in New York State).

Will we be able to "Child share" just the baby with one daughter riding with each of us while the other parent/ sister watch the baby?

ANything else I need to know? LOL!

I am so excited to be able to take them, we already have all our reservations for the sit down meals, but I am rethinking one day because of the Extra hours. We are currently scheduled for breakfast at one location when another is opening early. Is it REALLY worth is to go to one park early or should we just stick with our schedule as is?

Sorry for so many questions!!! I haven't been to WDW in 7 years!!

Will I need to being boosters for the older two as well?




Most airlines will not allow booster seats. Also, check with your carrier to see what type of restictions they have on cars seats. Delta requires the seat say its safe to install in a car or aircraft or FAA approved.

Yes, our infant seat is FAA approved, as I did check that, but forgot abou thte rest! Thanks!!

Magical Express is a BIG bus (actually, bigger then the plane I fly in on if I fly Delta!) There are no seat belts to hook a seat in with.

What resort are you staying at? If it's a Moderate, the refrigerator is already in the room and there is no extra charge. Don't know what the charge is at a Value (i.e., Pop Century or any of the All Stars)

Young children are not required to have ID, so I wouldn't worry about them -- and I'd personally worry more about misplacing a birth certificate if I traveled with it.

When are you going? The weather/crowds can really impact how you tour with kids -- but plan on taking a mid-day break so everyone can decompress/rest/cool off/etc.

I think it should work fine for the baby swap, as you describe.

I don't know what the rules are on taxis and car seats - so don't know about that one.

If your breakfast is at Cindy's DON'T GIVE IT UP! I wouldn't worry about missing one early entry day, unless it's MK (because for riding Dumbo, it will make a huge difference).

Will I need/ can I bring the 3 seats on the Magical Express?
ME is a bus (although a nice one) I imagine you could use the car seat as well as the booster seats, but it may be a bit of a hassle. my recommendation would be to go ahead and leave the booster seats at home. be advised on one small archaic FAA reg. SHOULD an emergency or precautionary landing come about the attendant may require you to take the baby out of the car seat (yes I know this is extremely stupid). most airlines will only give you this warning now, and not enforce it. either way I would ignore it.

I am able to check a stroller at the gate for no charge since we are travelling with a ticketed infant. Would you bring the single or the double? for me personally I wouldn't even bother. I would just rent one at WDW. you can now rent long term at the parks, and should you park hop you can pick the new one up as you enter the new park. but if you want to bring one I might suggest what is called a "mall walker" it is a stroller that has a spot for an older child to stand behind the seat and ride along. this will mean quick exits for the child standing when they want to get out.

Should I pack some snacks for the room, and how much extra is a fridge rental? How/ where would be the best place to pack them (I'm thinking cereal, pop tarts, gold fish crackers, graham crackers, juice boxes, fruit roll ups, twizzlers, pretzles, etc, and paper cups, bowls and plastic ware then buying milk there) (We have the Dining package) this is a good idea as the extra room you use up will in your suitcase will help for packing the suveneers for the trip home. the fridges are now free and installed in most if not all rooms at the resort. they are small however, but should hold a quart of milk, some water or soda bottles.

When travelling between resorts/ park with the kids, if we choose to take ataxi to save time, will I need the car seats, or should I just plan on taking the shuttles? I would under almost any circumstances say don't do this. Disney transport is free, and almost as fast. we have never taken more then 30 min. and usually far less then this. the cost of a taxi will far outweigh the usefullness. not to mention that at most parks they are kept a distance away

What kind of ID will I need to bring for us and the kids? I haven't flown since well before 9-11. Will our birth certificates then DH And I's Driver's liscences be enough? WHat about the kids? SHould I get Ident A kids, or will they need something else (We live in New York State). this is something that I can answer with complete certanty as I work for the FAA. your state issued picture id is all that is required. traveling minors do not need any ID as they are underage. that being said if any of your tickets are priced by the age of the child you may want to bring proof of age. this usually applies to lap riders, and you bought a ticket.

Will we be able to "Child share" just the baby with one daughter riding with each of us while the other parent/ sister watch the baby? you will be able to child swap in any combination that is necc for all eligable riders to ride. infact even if it is a case where you have an eligable child who is otherwise unwilling to ride you can child swap. the really cool thing is riding children can ride again with the parent who stayed out the first time. doing this our eldest has managed to ride her fav rides over and over again without waiting in line. each ride has a different system, find the friendly CM's at the front of the line and they will tell you the procedure for that ride.

ANything else I need to know? LOL!

I am so excited to be able to take them, we already have all our reservations for the sit down meals, but I am rethinking one day because of the Extra hours. We are currently scheduled for breakfast at one location when another is opening early. Is it REALLY worth is to go to one park early or should we just stick with our schedule as is?

Sorry for so many questions!!! I haven't been to WDW in 7 years!!

actually I usually suggest avoiding parks that have early openings as they WILL be the most crowded. going to a park the day AFTER early opening usually means the park is at it's lowest attendance. I don't know your schedule, but if you wish to post it lots of us will be more then happy to help you refine it. don't be afraid to park hop to take advantage of various things happening in the world. we have been in as much as three parks in a day, and I know many people who have been in all four.

You are planning to tote a lot of equipment, and with only two adults for three kids, navagating the airports will be a nightmare. You will also probably exceed the luggage weight limit, unless you pack a lot of bags. Also, I believe current FAA regulations prohibit packing food in checked luggage, because it can affect the security equipment. Instead of lugging all those groceries, why not arrange a delivery from a shopping service? In July 2005, I used www.wegoshop.com, and the nice lady who runs the local franchise, did a great job, for a small delivery charge. In fact, we needed a second delivery, including some non-food items, and she went to Wall-Mart for us, and had the items delivered right to our room, through bell services, when we were out at the parks. It would probably be the most economical move, and easiest, way to go. Realistically, you will need one of you just to handle the kids, and one to handle the luggage, so plan accordingly. The one advantage to having bought a seat for the baby, is it increases your luggage allowance, but carrying two bags per person, and handling the kids, is too much. Pack light, and do laundry. You can always pack an empty duffle bag, for things you buy there.

I would bring a stroller with you, preferably one that folds easily and light weight. You will need it to get through the airport and around the hotel to the bus stops, etc. You didn't say which hotel you are at, it will make a difference for the fridge as well as the distance to the bus stops, food choices, etc. Adults only need a license, picture ID, and kids don't need anything, so don't bring birth certificates which could get lost or stolen.
Bring plenty of books and toys and snacks on the plane to entertain the kids, including swallowing something or sucking on something during take off and landing. The importance of EMH varies with the time of year and the park, it is most helpful at MK.

Will I need to being boosters for the older two as well?
Will I need/ can I bring the 3 seats on the Magical Express?
You will not be able to use the boosters on the plane or any of the carseats on Magical Express - leave the boosters home, take the carseat for the baby on the plane.

I am able to check a stroller at the gate for no charge since we are travelling with a ticketed infant. Would you bring the single or the double?
I think I'd probably bring both! At least bring the double. Your older kids will want to have a ride around the parks, and I'll bet they'll get worn out and need a napping space once in a while too. Imagine all three sleeping on the way out of the parks each night... strollers are GOOD THINGS!

Should I pack some snacks for the room, and how much extra is a fridge rental? How/ where would be the best place to pack them (I'm thinking cereal, pop tarts, gold fish crackers, graham crackers, juice boxes, fruit roll ups, twizzlers, pretzles, etc, and paper cups, bowls and plastic ware then buying milk there) (We have the Dining package) If you're on the dining plan, I really wouldn't take many snacks. You will probably get more from your snack credits than you will ever need. I know we had to grab at least 7 snacks at the end of our trip just to take back with us. I might bring some gold fish and maybe juice boxes if your kids really drink a lot of juice... otherwise give them water and use the dining plan to your advantage.

When travelling between resorts/ park with the kids, if we choose to take a taxi to save time, will I need the car seats, or should I just plan on taking the shuttles? If you take a taxi, you'll want carseats... but why would you want a taxi??? Just use the WDW transportation, lugging 3 carseats to TWO cabs (because they're not gonna fit in one) and installing all of them is not going to save you any time, and it will cost ya... I seriously wouldn't bother at all.

What kind of ID will I need to bring for us and the kids? It's possible that you will need ID for the baby to prove that he/she is under 2 years old, but that's about it for the kids. You'll just need your driver's license for ID.

Will we be able to "Child share" just the baby with one daughter riding with each of us while the other parent/ sister watch the baby?
Yep, you can maximize your time by using Fastpass too... grab just two fastpasses - use them to enter the ride and ask the CM for a rider switch pass for the other two people in your party. The beauty of this is that you can have two other FPs for another ride at the same time.

ANything else I need to know? LOL! You will be moving a lot slower with kids than you would w/o them... but you already know that! Make sure that you take the kids to the bathroom BEFORE getting into long rides - and TELL them that they have to go, don't ask. My son really needed time to run around and play in the kiddie play areas in each park, he would play hard and then take a good nap in the stroller (a good time to use your switch passes!) Make sure to pack sunscreen and hats for everyone, pack some medicine for the kiddos just in case, gate check your stroller so you can use it all the way to the plane, we take earplugs too... a lot of attractions are very loud and my son is really sensitive to loud sudden noises (good for fireworks too). Have a truly MAGICAL time!!!

This is our tentitive plan...

Arrive SUnday (Aug 20) near noon, use magical express to get to All Star Movies. CHeck in and head to MGM and/ or pool area (DH has to work Saturday night until 4 AM and our flight leaves at 6 AM so I may have the 3 kids alone so he can nap if he can't get a good nap on the plane).

Head to Magic Kingdon sometime around dinenr time for a consession meal and to catch one of the parades and fireworks (MK open late).

Monday Catch Crystal Palace Breakfast (ANimal Kingdom Open early) then possibly all 3 kids get hair cuts. THen onto the park. Back to hotel for down time, pool time around lunch/ for a bit after. then to EPCOT for dinner/ Illuminations. (MGM open Late)

Tuesday (EPCOT open early) Animal Kingdom in the morning, Lunch at Flame Tree. no solid plans until DInner at Chef Mickey's. No solid plans after

Wednesday No real morning plans. Plan on going to DownTown DIsney in the afternoon for soem shopping, DInner at Wolfgang Puck Cafe and SUndae's at the ice cream shop. AK open late so we may or may not head back there.

Thursday MK open early, no solid plans. Dinner at 1900 Park Fare.

Friday Breakfast at Cape May. No solid plans, Flight leaves MCO at 6:50 PM.

I am already thinking of maximizing my dining by only getting 2 adult meals at each of the conessions and sharing them so we can have 2 good meals instead of one good one, wasting most of the food. If we need more food, I think it will be cheaper to get extra fries, or whatever than to "waste" a meal and have to buy a full meal later for all of us.

The reason I am leaning towards taking a stroller is for the ease of not having to carry 3 kids to and from the transportation/ park/ room. THe baby is a given, but the older 2 no longer nap, but may revert to it in the heat/ all the walking. I will be packing the sling, too, so that I Can carry the baby hands free if needed. I am now thinking of getting a double umbrella stroller and if the price is cheap enough, may leave it there to bless on another famliy OR get a golf bag cover to transport it. SInce the rentals are not allowed out of each park, it does seem like a good deal, but I think that is when I would most need it!

I was thinking of the extra snacks "just in case" my picky eaters grow tired of popcorn, or feel snacky at a time when there isn't anything available immediately (In the room) and for the extra space on the way home. Yes, we do get 2 extra bags, and the stroller doesn't count as one of those. ANd since we are using hte magical express, I was under the impression that we will not have to handle our bags, just our carry ons (ANd each of the girls will have their own - it has always been our rule that if they want it, they have to carry it, with in reason). I would have each of our swim suits and a change of socks in my bag so we can head strait to the pool if we choose without having to wait for our bags.

I already have all the meals mentioned above reserved, and I am trying to not overplan the days, so I only did one "meal" per day.

I would like to check out each of the park's parades and night time activites, but also know that we will not get to do and see everything this trip. I have started to buy some things to take with us to give the girls each day so they don't get the gimmes or Iwants while at each of the parks, and decided to have their story books serve as autograph books instead of buying those seperate. I can add their photos with the characters later to make them even more special.

My Husband will be bringing the laptop so that we can photograph the kids each morning when we leave the hotel, shoot to our hearts content, then dump the memory sticks each night or each time we return to the room. I doubt we will buy internet time, but the lap time will also serve as entertainment if we need it.

I still can't help bu t think I am missing something! LOL!

THanks for all the help and suggestions so far! THis has been a great help!!

Just to pieces of advise - use your own stroller for at least the 14 month old, the hard strollers at Disney are not the place to be spending alot of time. Also, please don't go commando, take rest/nap times. Even if just one parent and the 14 month old go back the room for a nap and let the older ones play, it will greatly help. Our family (2 and now 5) take naps everyday to keep everyone from being overly tired and moods good. Very rarely do we have meltdowns by doing it this way. Do we miss two or so hours in the parks, yes, but it is more than worth my sanity to do that.

Using the sling for the baby is a great idea. For most rides/attractions you must leave the strollers outside.

I'd bring both strollers on the plane, if older kids walk you can use them to hold all your carry-ons.


Sounds like a great trip, have fun!

This is our tentitive plan...


Over all I would say this is an excellant plan. I'm thinking that if DH needs to sleep on arrival day it might be better to spend time in the pool area rather then go to MGM. if he feels ready to go then I say go for it.

if you have length of stay hoppers, or if you are buying your tickets seperatly I suggest you use your tickets in the morning of the day you plan to go to DTD. you may find Wolfgangs's less then the best choice with small children, although opinions vary. along food lines you may want to consider finding a way to add on either the Sci Fi dine in or 50's prime time cafe. the kids will love both these locations, and I think so will you.

looking at your dates I see you have a total of 4 full days and two partial days. usually I recommend the following at a minimum. 2 full days epcot, 1 full day MGM 1/2-3/4 day for AK (morning not afternoon) and 1 1/2 days MK. this doesn't have to be consecutive, but in the case of Epcot I would say do at least one full uninterupted day there. so the only schedule change I could recommend would be to see if you can change you monday and thursday dinner plans. this would allow you to on monday leave the MK to head to your dinner at 1900 which is very close to the MK, then on Thursday spend the day at Epcot and do dinner/iluminations that night.

as far as the little ones go... yes I know a lot of peoples kids have needed naps while at WDW. mine did also. but we found the kids would fall asleep on the bus/boat back to our room only to be wide awake when we got back to the hotel. I would experiment around a bit the first few days. you may find the older ones don't want to nap (and crash really hard at night) and they younger one may just sleep in the stroller when the feel like it. one thing for sure. it is HOT and HUMID. plan on taking plenty of water with you, this may be the most important part of having a fun trip, and make sure everybody drinks lots and lots of water. take two or three bottles everyday. what we do is we freeze one bottle completly, and we poor half another bottle into a seperate container, freeze the remains, then poor the water back into the bottle before we head out. this way gives you cool water most of the day.

if you have length of stay hoppers, or if you are buying your tickets seperatly I suggest you use your tickets in the morning of the day you plan to go to DTD. you may find Wolfgangs's less then the best choice with small children, although opinions vary. along food lines you may want to consider finding a way to add on either the Sci Fi dine in or 50's prime time cafe. the kids will love both these locations, and I think so will you.

looking at your dates I see you have a total of 4 full days and two partial days. usually I recommend the following at a minimum. 2 full days epcot, 1 full day MGM 1/2-3/4 day for AK (morning not afternoon) and 1 1/2 days MK. this doesn't have to be consecutive, but in the case of Epcot I would say do at least one full uninterupted day there. so the only schedule change I could recommend would be to see if you can change you monday and thursday dinner plans. this would allow you to on monday leave the MK to head to your dinner at 1900 which is very close to the MK, then on Thursday spend the day at Epcot and do dinner/iluminations that night.

plan on taking plenty of water with you, this may be the most important part of having a fun trip, and make sure everybody drinks lots and lots of water. take two or three bottles everyday.

We do have 6day hoppers.

THe only reason we are eatinga t Puck's is tht we enjoyed eating here on our honeymoon, and want do at least one thing just for us, even if the kids will be there, too. We opted for this since Tony's doesn't have breakfast anymore! THat was one thing we were looking forward to ... mmmmm, Strawberries and cream! THose 2 meals were the only 2 we really remember from our honeymoon 7 years ago.

The concern we have with EPCOT is there not being enough things to do for the preschoolers. THey will only want to "see" so much, and they really won't cafe if it looks like we are in another country or not. Maybe I am just under estimating this place!

We are planning on splitting the parks and spending down time each day, but the more I read, the more I see there are things that may qualify as down time within the parks (Shows, etc), so we may get to eliminate the trip back to the room, but if a circle trip on the bus or monorail will let the kids rest in comfort, so be it.

I am also going to look into getting a case of water or two delivered to our room. We already are a water drinking family (We are the family known for having a case of botteled water in the back of our truck at all times) and I don't know if we could keep up finacailly with the amount we drink (I got through roughly 75 oz a day here in the cold winters!)

Thanks for the sugestions! Keep them coming!!

We'll be down at the same time (8/20-8/26) for us, and it looks like we'll be in some of the same parks on the same days (MK Sunday night, MK/EP on Monday, possible AK EMH on Wednesday). And we're also coming from NY. (Albany area for us, how about you?)

Great idea to plan breaks in the middle of the day, especially with three little kids. Our party will have a 10YO, 7YO and 5YO, and we're planning mid-day breaks every day.

If you want a real adults' night out, you can set up in-room babysitting (if it works in your budget) and go out by yourselves. I think that Disney's preferred service is Kids' Night Out. I'd have to look it up to be sure, and I'm on the road and don't have have my reference material with me.

efoxx's water advice is important to heed, though it sounds like you've got that under control already. I think that all of your other questions have been answered well here, so I'm not going to dive in there.

I can't wait for August, how about you? :D

ETA: I just remember the other thing that I wanted to say. There's a lot of great live entertainment at Epcot that your kids might like. I know that my son loves a number of the acts there. (Of course, many of his favorites revolve around drums, like the Jammitors, Matsuriza and Orisi Risi, but he also loves the Voices of Liberty and the Chinese acrobats.) Grab an entertainment schedule when you hit Epcot and give it a shot.

We'll be down at the same time (8/20-8/26) for us, and it looks like we'll be in some of the same parks on the same days (MK Sunday night, MK/EP on Monday, possible AK EMH on Wednesday). And we're also coming from NY. (Albany area for us, how about you?)

If you want a real adults' night out, you can set up in-room babysitting (if it works in your budget) and go out by yourselves. I think that Disney's preferred service is Kids' Night Out. I'd have to look it up to be sure, and I'm on the road and don't have have my reference material with me.
I can't wait for August, how about you? :D

Thanks! We will be coming from Buffalo. I have looked into the inroom service (SInce the baby is too young for any of the "camps") and it would be around $100 for us to go out for 4 hours. Not sure if it will be in the budget, but I think it may be worth it LOL!

I haven't looked into the Fairy Godmothers yet. I'm thinking if its a differnece in a night out, we may not get the fridge in our room (At just over $11 a day, that is $55 for breakfast not including the milk delivery and cereal. LOL!)

I am HOPING our friend will be visiting family around the same time and will come sit for us for a few hours. If she can get away for the entire day, DH and I still have a couple days left on our PH passes from our honeymoon, and we will off them to her and her husband. I've also been talking up the free dining plan in the hopes that another family we know with kids will go the same time we do so we can kid swap so we BOTH get time off from them! LOL!

What resort will you be staying at?
~E

BTW THank you for walking for the march of dimes! my 2 oldest are former preemies, a 34.5 weeker and a 29 weeker!! My boy was a full term VBAC.

What resort will you be staying at?
Old Key West. Three families in a 3-bedroom Grand Villa. :D

BTW THank you for walking for the march of dimes! my 2 oldest are former preemies, a 34.5 weeker and a 29 weeker!! My boy was a full term VBAC.
Glad to hear that your kids are doing well. As the stories on my fundraising page (http://www.walkamerica.org/disneydad) indicate, it's a cause that's very near and dear to my heart. The more money we raise, the more parents hopefully can take their kids home from the hospital instead of to the cemetery.

ohh la la! I'd love to be able to afford something "nicer" in the future, but I'll take what I can get, and this go round, we went for length over a nicer place to spend mostly sleeping LOL!

Thanks for everyone's advice!!

I am still comtemplating adding a few more sit down meals, then just paying for them ourselves. Does anyone know if there is any extra fees for plate sharing?

I am still comtemplating adding a few more sit down meals, then just paying for them ourselves. Does anyone know if there is any extra fees for plate sharing?
I don't believe there is.

I was going to suggest some creative sharing to 'save' meal credits - but then I saw that most of you table-service are buffets, so that doesn't work well. (Are you sure you want to do buffet with 3 small kids? - Just throwing that out there - Mom and Dad need to eat, too!)

BUT, (included for completeness only) if you're not doing Buffets, a table service credit gets you an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Your whole group is pooled together, but if you use a credit for a kid, they have to order off the kids menu. You could use Mom and Dad's credits as wanted at a TS - and share appetizer and dessert with the kids, and then just order the kids an entree and pay for that out of pocket. And that way you could double-up the number of table service restaurants, and just be paying for the kids' entree and drink 'out of pocket'. However, no 'sharing' creatively at buffets...

for our trip in may with my 9 mo old nephew and ~3 year old neice and nephew (twins) my sister (the mother to all three) is taking the little one's stroller and then just going to rent at the park for the twins. I think this will work best since the twins can walk to and from the parks by themselves, but do tend to get tired and want to ride some also.

Thanks!!

I think we are leaning towards booking at least one more sit down meal and bringing the double stroller since 1 - it has lots of under seat storage and 2, we have a proper rain cover for it! With that and my sling, we will be able to transport 3 sleepy kids no problem!!

Our girls tend to be on the small side, so I am not worried about the weight limit of the stroller (my almost 6 YO is just 40 pounds and my not quite 4 YO just broke 30!) The boy on the other hand is nearly 25 pounds LOL!

Ok now to figure out where else we want to eat! LOL!

Thanks!!

I think we are leaning towards booking at least one more sit down meal and bringing the double stroller since 1 - it has lots of under seat storage and 2, we have a proper rain cover for it! With that and my sling, we will be able to transport 3 sleepy kids no problem!!

Our girls tend to be on the small side, so I am not worried about the weight limit of the stroller (my almost 6 YO is just 40 pounds and my not quite 4 YO just broke 30!) The boy on the other hand is nearly 25 pounds LOL!

Ok now to figure out where else we want to eat! LOL!

Piece of advice - imagine yourself trying to get a 4 year old, 6 year old, infant and double stroller on a bus. It is a bit hard to do. We had a nice double stroller bought mainly for Disney and used it for 1 trip. After that we ended up bringing two smaller strollers because it was easier to manage along with everything else. Also, think about everything you put under the stroller you will have to take out of the stroller and hold on to on the bus with the kids. One bag was the most I would take because of that. Also, if you are at the back of the line when the bus gets there, I would seriously think about waiting for the next bus and get at the front of the line. People tend to get on the bus and take up the first few seats and not think about what might be behind them. Some of the buses the strollers will not fit through the aisles and you have to lift them up and over people's heads to get them towards the back. (Can you tell I have lots of experience with this).