Whether your children are tottering 4 and 5 year olds who will enjoy shaking the hand – or paw – of their favorite Disney characters and riding in spinning tea cups, growing 11 to 12 year old tweens who are totally into the water parks, but are a little too nervous to ride the big coasters or the on-the-move older kids who want to ride every coaster into the ground and shop ‘til they drop, there’s something for kids of all ages to enjoy.
“Kids of all ages” also encompasses you and your spouse. No matter what stage of your life you are in, from roller coasters, to spas, to romantic dinners and fireworks, there really is something for all ages to enjoy. A Walt Disney World Resort vacation requires quite a bit of planning ahead, so get started to book your family the vacation of a lifetime.
Where to Start
Magic Your Way Vacation Packages are the only way to go when planning your family’s dream vacation. A Magic Your Way Base Ticket covers one theme park ticket per person for each day of your stay at Walt Disney World Resort. The price of the base ticket goes down the more days it covers.
You can also customize you vacation package to encompass all tickets & passes you want to include. You can bundle a personalized dining plan and your family’s stay at a Disney resort hotel in with your Magic Your Way ticket package to save even more money – and add the convenience of pre-paying for your food. Including all of your vacation needs in your Magic Your Way ticket also makes planning, and executing said planning when the time comes, a breeze.
Start Small
If you have small children whose vacationing wants need to be met by your vacation package, a visit to Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom Theme Park is a must. The Magic Kingdom is home to the iconic Cinderella’s Castle, the Country Bear Jamboree and loads of kid friendly rides, among them: the famous “it’s a small world (yes, it is written in all lower case letter),” “Mad Tea Party” spinning tea cup ride, and the enchanting Prince Charming Regal Carousel.
The Magic Kingdom is also filled with chances to encounter talented performers playing your child’s favorite characters. From classic favorites like Pluto, Minnie, and Mickey to new faces like Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from Disney’s animated feature film, “Tangled”. In addition, there are parades and live stage shows that are fun for all ages that take place intermittently throughout the day. They’ll put a smile on everyone’s face, no matter what your ages are.
In Be”tweens”
For the kids in your family who aren’t quite old enough for all that Disney’s selection has to offer, but who are a bit past the novelty of Mickey Mouse hats and singing animatronics, Disney theme parks, attractions, and events still have so much to offer. For kids in that in between stage, adding the “Water Park Fun & More” option to your Magic Your Way Ticket Package is a must.
The Water Park Fun & More option allows access to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, and Disney’s Oak Trail 9-Hole Golf Course. This access is based on the length of your stay and is bundled in with the price of your family’s Magic Your Way vacation package.
The DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park is a great way to give your kids some alone time, and get some yourself. It is a 5-story indoor arcade and amusement park. There are enough games, virtual reality rides, and activities to keep your kids busy for a few hours. There is even a floor dedicated to creative, art related activities – everyone can take an easy, fun lesson on how to draw their favorite Disney character. The best part is, it’s all in one building, so you don’t have to worry about your kids getting lost in one of the major theme parks, and it’s open after regular park hours. It’s also a great option if the weather is too hot or too rainy.
Teens and Up
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a really fabulous place to visit if you have teens, college students, or 20-somethings who still come along on family vacations. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is packed full of interactive attractions, live shows, fusion dining, and even a Jedi Training Academy.
Your kids can explore an 11,000 square foot “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” movie set, wander through the American Film Institute Showcase of movie memorabilia, and take in two different stunt shows: one featuring stunt drivers in amazing cars and the other depicting popular scenes from India Jones.
And when your kids are worn out and need to eat, Disney’s Hollywood Studios also has the finest in fusion dining. There’s the Starring Rolls Café, which is a sushi/coffee bar. There’s also signature dining in the Hollywood Brown Derby, and a Golden Age of Hollywood themed restaurant, and casual dining. The shopping, featuring costume and prop shops, movie memorabilia, and of course, the best in Disney Hollywood-themed souvenir merchandise, is sure to tickle your teen, college kid, or 20-something’s fancy.
The Young at Heart
Once everyone else is happy, you finally have to worry about yourself. Just because your parents aren’t paying for this family vacation – maybe they’re helping – doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to have fun too! Lucky for you, Disney has something for everyone. Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a 500-acre park featuring 1700 animals from 250 different species is like getting to take a world-wide safari.
In addition to enjoying the more “tourist-y” aspects of Disney, their fine dining, live shows, and fireworks make for the perfect dinner date in the place where fairytales are made (and where dreams do really come true). Imagine a 6-course wine tasting dinner at the Flying Fish Café, followed by Cirque Du Soleil’s La Nouba live show, finished with the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party, all for you and your spouse. Could there be anything more romantic?
Leave Your Worries at the Door
Keep an eye out for special offers that will make your family’s vacation even more affordable. For example, there is a ticket discount for Florida residents. Also, being the holder of a Theme Park Annual Pass can reduce your cost. Certain dates and select Disney resort hotels have special reduced prices. Try to get all of your worrying, planning, and penny pinching out of your system and taken care of before you arrive at Walt Disney World Resort for your family’s vacation. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll be too busy enjoying yourself and making memories with your family to worry any more about it!