First Trip - August 09

[scrapbookmom5174]

I am so very excited!!!! This will be our first trip ever to WDW. I have twin 10 year olds and a 7 year old. We are going the second week of August and staying off-site.

We will be there for 10 days and plan to spend 6 of those days at the parks. We are going to have one character breakfast (Chef Mickey) and will have dinner at Ohanas.

10 year old DS is into science/animals - any suggestions of "special" things, restaurants, sights, etc... for him?

For my two daughters we will be going to BBB and my oldest daughter is already planning all of the characters she wants to meet. Any suggestions?

Any dinners, shows, tips, etc. would be really appreciated. I have wanted to come to WDW my entire life, and I can hardly believe I am going to make it. (I have the "unofficial" guide on order as well).

Clea

[PrettyMinnie]

Hi Clea!

So for your son, the obvious is Animal Kingdom. The safari is great. They have over 1,000 animals and very authentic. You could try Donald's safari breakfast, which is tasty and you could spend time with the characters.
For your daughters, you might want to try a character breakfast with the princesses. If you don't want to do CRT , 1900 Park Fare is fun and good food. Crystal Palace in MK has the Pooh characters if your interested. Don't forget to check out the Judges Tent in MK!! You will be able to find some of your favorite characters there. Good luck!

[Disnutty]

I assume since you said you are staying off site that you will have a car. You also did not tell us if you have regular park passes or park Hopper passes. I would suggest that park hopper may give you a little more flexibility but it is also a little more expensive as you will have to have 5 park tickets for the family. There is nothing like having the ability to leave a crowded park and go to another one and the hopper gives you that ability. You can never tell what the crowds will be like in August except you can count on the Parks being very busy. Going to one park in the morning then back to the hotel to swim or just chill and then back to either Epcot for Illuminations or MK for the fireworks is worth the extra dollars for a Hopper pass. It will add additional magic to your trip. I think the two DD's will enjoy going to Cinderella’s Royal Table at the MK Cinderella’s castle for lunch. It is a great way to break up the day and they would probably get Cinderella’s autograph too!

[scrapbookmom5174]

We are going to get a car. We are going to start off with single park passes and then possibly upgrade later in the week to park hopper. Do you think that is a good idea?

[DisneyWhirled]

OOOHHH a first visit, how fun!!! And, it sounds like your planning, so you will be able to make a memory that will last a lifetime!

With regards to the park hoppers, I believe that the cost is the same if you had the park hopping option to your tix at the beginning of your trip or later (you pay for PH for the length of the tix). So, if that is the case, I would spend the extra upfront and maximize its use.

My DS is also 10 and is an animal freak. He loves AK!!

[Brer_Daddy]

You and your family will have a wonderful time! Just be warned that he is addictive!! My daughter is a science fan and the one thing we tried that she loved was the "Behind the Seeds" tour at the Land Pavillion in Epcot. You take a tour and see all sorts of interesting things that deal with growing plants and fish. Sounds boring, but very interesting. Have a ball!

[LandFan]

I, too, recommend the Behind the Seeds tour in the Land (sign up at the desk next to the entrance to Soarin'). It is only about $12 per person and is an hour to an hour and a half long or so. It is amazing! I have done it several times (I keep bringing newbies) and it is always great! I think it is one of the best bargains at WDW.

Have fun planning

[faline]

You should plan a visit to Rafiki's Planet Watch at Animal Kingdom. Do try to go during business hours on a weekday - it's more likely that you'll be able to see an animal being examined during that type of time frame.

A visit to the new T-Rex restaurant (dinosaur themed) at Downtown Disney might also be a hit with your son.

[King Triton]

Wow, have a great time! I'll be there in part of August myself, also staying offsite.

Since you're staying offsite, I do recommend renting a car. Also, if you run into a rainy day, you might want to consider an offsite visit to the Orlando Science Center. I'm sure you can google it and get a lot more info. They are affiliated with many of the science museums across the country, so if you're a member at one of them, you can possibly get in for free or at a big discount. Also, while on science, NASA's Kennedy Space Center is just over an hour from the Disney area. Kids always like looking at the rockets, etc. You can definitely make a full day of that.

[scrapbookmom5174]

We are definitely going to NASA and I think we are going to do a Swamp ride as well because the kiddos really want to see an alligator in the wild.

Thanks for the great suggestions.
Clea