Orlando Week 52 with the Grands....would it be worth it?

[The Colorado Kid]

Considering a week 52 trip 2020 to Orlando with our grandkids ages 3 and 5 so the prime attraction of course would be Disney.

Looking for feedback from those who have been to Disney World in this timeperiod on typical weather, crowds, what airport to use....what else I don't know I need to know....etc

Also any recent experiences with Disney World in the COVID.

Thanks much in advance for sharing your expertise!

 

[montygz]

Traditionally, this is the most expensive, most crowded time of the year to visit. With COVID, it may be a bit less crowded, but I strongly suggest you do a good deal of planning ahead of time if you attempt this.

If you have never visited, the easiest solution would be to fly to MCO, the Orlando airport, book via Disney and stay in a Disney resort. All transportation, including from the airport, is covered. However, Disney resorts will likely be expensive with availability limited if you book this late.

A big change with COVID is you now need a theme park reservation ahead of time. You can't just show up and get it. Some of the parks are already booked up for that period, although people do cancel and more spots open up.

As for the weather, it could be warm and nice or cold and wet. It is unpredictable during that time of year in Florida.

There is a wealth of free info on disboards.com and easywdw.com.

Good luck with your research. You don't need to plan every second of the day, but Disney World is a massive place and having some knowledge ahead of time will make it far less stressfull.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

Traditionally, this is the most expensive, most crowded time of the year to visit. With COVID, it may be a bit less crowded, but I strongly suggest you do a good deal of planning ahead of time if you attempt this.

If you have never visited, the easiest solution would be to fly to MCO, the Orlando airport, book via Disney and stay in a Disney resort. All transportation, including from the airport, is covered. However, Disney resorts will likely be expensive with availability limited if you book this late.

A big change with COVID is you now need a theme park reservation ahead of time. You can't just show up and get it. Some of the parks are already booked up for that period, although people do cancel and more spots open up.

As for the weather, it could be warm and nice or cold and wet. It is unpredictable during that time of year in Florida.

There is a wealth of free info on disboards.com and easywdw.com.

Good luck with your research. You don't need to plan every second of the day, but Disney World is a massive place and having some knowledge ahead of time will make it far less stressfull.

Thanks so much @montygz ! Great tips - trying to burn our 2020 options out so we would be staying at SVV's - did WDW too many years ago to be helpful this trip. Really appreciate your expertise!

 

[TheHolleys87]

Thanks so much @montygz ! Great tips - trying to burn our 2020 options out so we would be staying at SVV's - did WDW too many years ago to be helpful this trip. Really appreciate your expertise!

We’ve stayed at SVV for WDW trips before, and it’s a convenient drive to WDW. As above, it’s a popular time to go, but no one knows how it will be this year.

Here’s the link to the Park Pass Reservations calendar, where you can see whether the parks you want to visit are available to book. Staying offsite, assuming you’re using regular tickets, you’d be in the Theme Park Tickets Guests group. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/availability-calendar/?segments=tickets,resort,passholder. You have to click each individual day and look at the list below to see which parks are full that day, and be aware that availability changes as people cancel or change plans and also as Disney (maybe) releases more spots or reallocated between groups. So if you decide to go, buy your tickets, link them to MDE and book park passes ASAP.

I also endorse www.DISboards.com and www.easyWDW.com.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

We’ve stayed at SVV for WDW trips before, and it’s a convenient drive to WDW. As above, it’s a popular time to go, but no one knows how it will be this year.

Here’s the link to the Park Pass Reservations calendar, where you can see whether the parks you want to visit are available to book. Staying offsite, assuming you’re using regular tickets, you’d be in the Theme Park Tickets Guests group. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/availability-calendar/?segments=tickets,resort,passholder. You have to click each individual day and look at the list below to see which parks are full that day, and be aware that availability changes as people cancel or change plans and also as Disney (maybe) releases more spots or reallocated between groups. So if you decide to go, buy your tickets, link them to MDE and book park passes ASAP.

I also endorse www.DISboards.com and www.easyWDW.com.

Thanks so much @TheHolleys87 this is very helpful!

 

[moonstone]

I worked with a woman who took her kids to Disney World for their first ever visit between Christmas and New Years a few years back. A few of us tried to warn her before she booked that it was the busiest time of year to go. She said the trip was the kids' Christmas present, so she ordered 3 day passes for each of them and off they went. They arrived at opening Dec.27th and had fast passes to the popular rides in Magic Kingdom. Even using the passes they were only able to get on 5 rides the first day. There were huge lines for places to eat as well. The second day they arrived a little late and waited a long time to get parked, then to get in. They were able to get on 4 rides that day and the kids were not happy. They didn't use their passes for the 3rd day did other activities instead!

Meanwhile we took our adult DS & his family to Disney World the following October. We arrived at opening, had no line ups anywhere, and had been on every single ride in Magic Kingdom at least once by 5pm. The kids and grandkids went to Universal the following day and had pretty much the same experience. Our DGS rode the Hulk 3 times in a row. There were so few people waiting in line the attendants let those who wanted to, stay on to fill the seats. We have been back on 2 subsequent October trips with the same experiences.

If at all possible you should reconsider visiting any of the parks that week.


~Diane

 

[silentg]

Take them to this instead. We are planning to go.

Give Kids The World opens Kissimmee resort for massive holiday light display

The fantastical 89-acre vacation village of Kissimmee’s Give Kids The World — normally off-limits to the public — is opening its gates for seven weeks this holiday season for what…

www.orlandosentinel.com

 

[chapjim]

Bless you for considering doing it but the thought of shepherding a 3-year old and a 5-year old around Disney parks during one of the busiest weeks gives me the wet dog shakes. Even my own grandchildren.

Seriously, will a 3-year old appreciate or remember it? I'd wait three or four years.

 

[SandyPGravel]

You could go to the resort, visit Disney springs (or whatever the name for Downtown Disney is) The kids will love the resort, pools etc. The kids are kinda young like someone mentioned and I bet they would have fun at the resort. Disney springs has(had) a rainforest cafe, they would probably get a kick out of that. There is a lego store with all kinds of legos to play with. There is a Ghiradelli chocolate store with the BEST hot chocolate ever! I would agree with the above comments to avoid Disney (or almost any) theme park that time of year. We drove to Tampa and went to Busch Gardens during week 52 a few years ago. It has the advantage of being a zoo, so even if you couldn't get on rides they could see the animals. You would be able to use up your TS options and the kids would have fun.

 

[Janann]

There is a lego store with all kinds of legos to play with.

Customers are currently not allowed to touch any of the products due to COVID.

 

[Jan M.]

If you're set on coming to Orlando that week with a 3 and 5 year old we highly recommend Legoland vs doing Disney.

 

[Jan M.]

Sign up on the Legoland Florida website so you get their emails. They usually have a sale on annual passes sometime over Thanksgiving or in December. Even if you only go a couple of days you'll save money because the mid level Awesomer pass includes parking. The Awesomer level pass also includes admission to the Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. They're both in the same complex on International Drive. Madame T's has some interactive exhibits for kids.

 

[KProuty]

@silentg thank you so much for posting that article. Definitely going to do this! I just agree with everyone else here.

Go to Florida, there is a LOT that you can do. If you do grab a day at Disney, go EARLY. I have used touringplans.com to actually schedule things in the past. You might want to check it out before you even decide what to do. While there is a subscription, it would be worth it to get actual numbers of wait times (approximate, of course) of what you could actually accomplish.

Other people, I can't remember who, have also said that Bok Gardens is a great place to go with kids and have them just play on their fantastical playground. We haven't visited yet, but, thanks to this group, it is on our agenda for Thanksgiving week so we can avoid crowds at the parks.

(My kids are grown now, and it is going to be just my husband and I visiting this time, but we remember going with them! My daughter, who was older when we started going (about 7), remembers more. My son, who was younger, remembers nothing.)

 

[The Colorado Kid]

@silentg thank you so much for posting that article. Definitely going to do this! I just agree with everyone else here.

Go to Florida, there is a LOT that you can do. If you do grab a day at Disney, go EARLY. I have used touringplans.com to actually schedule things in the past. You might want to check it out before you even decide what to do. While there is a subscription, it would be worth it to get actual numbers of wait times (approximate, of course) of what you could actually accomplish.

Other people, I can't remember who, have also said that Bok Gardens is a great place to go with kids and have them just play on their fantastical playground. We haven't visited yet, but, thanks to this group, it is on our agenda for Thanksgiving week so we can avoid crowds at the parks.

(My kids are grown now, and it is going to be just my husband and I visiting this time, but we remember going with them! My daughter, who was older when we started going (about 7), remembers more. My son, who was younger, remembers nothing.)

Thanks @KProuty ! Two brilliant new pieces of wisdom...we will be experts prior to arriving!

 

[TheHolleys87]

In addition to guidance from Touring Plans re wait times, etc., you could monitor wait times next week (Thanksgiving holidays) via the My Disney Experience app. You will need the app to book park passes, if you decide to visit WDW during your Christmas week (which already shows some parks full on various dates).

 

[sfwilshire]

We took a party of 11 with toddlers ages 4, 4, 2, and 1 last year. We had an amazing time. We were in a 3 br lockoff at Mystic Dunes that slept 12. There were multiple vehicles to account for different schedules and a couple of extra car seats for when the grands got elected to drive the kids around (only 2 of the toddlers were actually related to us). Not everyone stayed the whole time, so there were some trips to and from the airport as some of the group came and went. I would recommend it as great fun in normal times. Pack clothes for every temp possibility that you can layer, including rain gear. I wouldn't recommend a "once in a lifetime" or first ever trip at the holidays, but it really is pretty magical if you have been before and know you'll be back again.

We just returned Wednesday from a COVID visit, and would not recommend it for anyone, but especially toddlers. We knew it would be less than normal, but have annual passes and an owned timeshare week we needed to use. With no parades, fireworks, shows, or characters, rides were all you had. My husband and I ride very little. Our son enjoyed the rides, but we were out of the parks after 3 or 4 hours every day. Not worth the cost of admission if you were buying a day ticket, in my opinion.

Disney was clearly trying their best to provide a safe environment. The socially distanced queues were confusing at times because it was hard to find the right line for a given attraction. The guests were not as good at keeping their distance as they traveled from attraction to attraction. The lines were long for the popular rides and we were impacted by break-downs more than once.

Sheila

 

[sfwilshire]

Bless you for considering doing it but the thought of shepherding a 3-year old and a 5-year old around Disney parks during one of the busiest weeks gives me the wet dog shakes. Even my own grandchildren.

Seriously, will a 3-year old appreciate or remember it? I'd wait three or four years.

Our youngest grand-daughter remembers lots about her visit last year at age 2 and is anxious to return.

Sheila

 

[chapjim]

Our youngest grand-daughter remembers lots about her visit last year at age 2 and is anxious to return.

Sheila

Perhaps, but I would venture that most have no memory of what happened when they were two. Perhaps photo-assisted?

I can barely remember what happened last week!

 

[The Colorado Kid]

Our youngest grand-daughter remembers lots about her visit last year at age 2 and is anxious to return.

Sheila

@sfwilshire That's what grandparents are for right?!

 

[Priscilla]

We have gone to Orlando for Christmas week every year for the last 4 years. We stayed at different last call resorts. Lol. Sometimes it was through last call rentals from tuggers or taking advantage of some of the timeshare tour packages such as the one Bluegreen offers for around $800 with 2 bedroom accommodation at fountains, and 4 free 2 Day Disney passes. We always love going out there, enjoying some warm weather from the MD cold weather. We went to Legoland, all the Disney parks, Universal studios, Seaworld, NASA et al. Sometimes we just relaxed at the resort. The parks were so crowded and just so tiring but the kids had fun all the same. We were really looking forward to the same thing this year until Covid ruined it for all. I’m still tempted to go but honestly it’s getting scarier the way Covid is spreading rampantly. I keep changing my mind on a daily basis (to go or not to go?)

If you decide to go, it will be fun. Maybe Covid might help after all by reducing the crowds and the long lines at the parks. Stay safe. It’s been a hard year for all.