Will I be running around like a crazy person??

First time family trip to Disney (Sept.22~29) with 2 kids (6-boy, 5-girl), hubby %26amp; me. I%26#39;ve planned out are days and meals, but I%26#39;m now wondering if I%26#39;ll be running from place to place in order to get to restaurants? Could you please take a look and see what you think...THANKS!

Sat.22 : Arrive @ Orlando 10:30am, check -in @ Wilderness Lodge, get our barrings, head over to Magic Kingdom. Dinner 8:20 @ Wilderness Cafe

Sun.23: 8:30 breakfast @ Chef Mickey%26#39;s, either MGM or Epcot , dinner 5:25 @ Sci-Fi Dine-In, after dinner ?

Mon.24: Animal Kingdom (EMH/ am) when done at AK, back to hotel to swim, dinner 5:55 @ 50%26#39;s Prime Time Cafe, after dinner?

Tues25:Epcot (EMH/am) , dinner 5:50@ Spoodles, check out boardwalk, then?

Wed.26:MGM all day 4:10 Fantasmic Dinner Show package

Thurs.27: Magic Kingdom (EMH/am) stay all day,dinner 5:40@ Liberty Tree Tavern, stay at MK to see fireworks

Fri28: May cancel but as of now,10:00am appt for daughter @ BBB, explore Downtown Disney, go to whatever park, dinner 5:25 @ Ohana, after?

Sat29: whatever kids want to do,, plane doesn%26#39;t leave until 7:30pm

Does this seem OK? Will we have a hard time getting to dinners in time? Am I missing anything. We only want to tackle MK, MGM, Epcot, %26amp; AK this trip. Any and all insight will be much appreciated :)

(I pre-ordered the photo pass cd, we have the park-hopper option all 8 days, and we are on the dining plan)

Will I be running around like a crazy person??

The only ';running'; will be your getting to MGM for early dinners on days that you aren%26#39;t planning to be at MGM for the whole day. SCI-fi and 50%26#39;s prime time are great restaurants but you might want to eat closer to or in the the Park you plan to be at on those days. Just my thoughts at the moment. I assume you have the Park Hopper on your Tickets, is that right ?

Will I be running around like a crazy person??

Sorry, yes you said you have the Hopper.

Are you hiring a car?

Also depends on your kids - how they react to so much excitment and stimulation and running around... I know that some parents just stuff tired/whiney kids into strollers when it all becomes too much. Personally I would look for a bit more down time (pool/naps etc.). But it depends on your kids...

UCC

No rental car. We are staying at the Wilderness Lodge and only going to the Disney parks, so we won%26#39;t need one this time. As far as naps, neither one of my kids have taken one since they were 3. We do plan on renting a stroller, but have no intentions of ';pushing'; them to do any more than they can. My main concern is being able to navigate the parks and dinner reservations. How long should I expect it it take to get from Mk to MGM for dinner (etc.)?

Slow down!!! Why do you need to have a strict timetable - go and enjoy yourselves and see what happens. Do things spontanesouly some of the time.

Just enjoy. You don%26#39;t know what the weather is going to be like every day so you might want to change plans accordingly.

Bus time travel from Magic Kingdom to MGM: If you%26#39;re lucky to find your bus available inmediately it%26#39;s 40 minutes. But it can be easily 80 minutes.

If you have the Dinning Plan I think it%26#39;s a good idea to make your reservations right now!

But, if yod don%26#39;t have car you%26#39;ll need to make some adjustments. Maybe:

Sun 23: Go to MGM. After dinner at Sci-Fi stay at the park for Fantasmic.

Mon 24: Forget about Prime Time Cafe at 5:55. After swimming at your hotel, you won%26#39;t have enough time to make the transfer to MGM. Maybe if your dinner is at 6:30+. Or go to Whispering Cafe or Artist Point at your hotel.

Good luck!

Because you are travelling with young children, I would recommend making everything as simple as possible. Eating at the park you%26#39;re in would be less of a hassle and would save time. If the kids are really enjoying themselves at a particular park, they%26#39;ll probably give you a hard time about leaving.

Another suggestion would to do something more slow paced your first day (rather than jamming in Magic Kingdom). Maybe Downtown Disney that day? Or just hang around the pool, have early dinner/bed to be ready for a full day on Sunday? By the time you leave the airport, get to/check in the hotel, it will already be mid-day. Also, after getting up early that morning (probably need to be at the airport by 6am?), that may not be the best day to have the late (8:20) dinner. The kids may be nodding off by then.

Finally, I would probably alternate Epcot and Magic Kingdom (both long days) with the easier parks (MGM and Animal Kingdom).

I planned an itinary and most days it just went out the window, in the end i just went with the flow and had a fantastic time. But oh how we tried to cram everything in, and are now feeling the effects of such a hectic holiday and with the heat too.

Thanks to all! What I have planned out is not set in stone. I do realize things can happen. I made the dinner reservations months ago. I%26#39;ve tried (to no avail) to change some times(esp. the 8:20) and restaurants (to coordinate with park visits). I%26#39;ll keep trying, but NOTHING I%26#39;m interested in is available. We%26#39;ll have to see what happens...No matter what, it will be an adventure :)

Someone else nailed my ';car'; question on the head - you don%26#39;t NEED a car if you stay on-site, but being dependent on Disney transport can be less convenient, more crowded and a real pain if you need to dash from one park to another...

The ';nap'; comment was not really in relation to you kids age, more the stimulation/activity/tiredness of being Disney. It is unlikely that you kids are used to spending a good part of 10 hours a day on their feet, in which case - if you don%26#39;t take enough breaks - you could well end up with a couple of very over-tired, slightly cranky little people on your hands... 8-(

Many people underestimate the size of the parks and the amount of walking involved (especially if you don%26#39;t have a car - you could even have a sizeable walk between your room and the bus stop!)

Definitely ';play it by ear'; and adjust accordingly. Listen to your kids - if they are getting cranky, chances are that they are either over-tired or dehydrated (that can creep up on you) or both. And remember it is a vacation and not an expidition ;-).

UCC