The Comprehensive Guide to Walt Disney World Rides and Attractions
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Itineraries for the Rest of the Year Basic December Itinerary
DISNEY WORLD RIDES RANKED FOR LITTLE AND BIGGER KIDS
This chart, updated 3/2011, ranks all rides at Walt Disney World based on two different points of view:
- Vertically from the eyes of pre-school kids: best loved, to be avoided, or neither;
- Horizontally from the eyes of kids in the third grade or older, and their parents: skippable, favorites, or neither.
If you have trouble interpreting it, this should help
- The lower right shows rides and attractions everyone likely will love
- The upper left shows ones everyone likely will find skippable
- The upper right shows ones 3rd graders and older guests will likely love, but that pre-schoolers should avoid
- The lower left shows ones pre-schoolers will love, but that every one else likely will find dull
Supplement this with this page for a more nuanced view of who might wish to skip a ride.
ITINERARY LINKS
- For itinerary design goals and the basic December Itinerary, see this
- For shorter and longer itineraries targeted at the same December week, see this
- For itineraries covering all the other parts of the year, see this
- To design your own itinerary, see this
- For rides that might be skipped, see this
- For a comprehensive guide to rides and attractions, see this
LINKS FOR HOW OLD/TALL YOUR KIDS SHOULD BE
- How Old/Tall Your Children Should Be
- What if They’re Too Short/Young?
- Taking Your Too Short/Young Kids Anyway,&*#$@!!
- The Comprehensive Guide to Rides
- Rides That Might be Skipped
8 comments
I have been to the Disneyland in California, and I was able to get a special pass for my son who has Autism/Anxiety from Guest Services upon arrival. Would I be able to have that same pass for your parks in Orlando, and what paperwork do I need to provide or is their a database in which the information can be pulled up from?
Thanks
Hi Alejandra!
See http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/vacationing-your-way-your-special-needs/239962-disney-autism.html and also consider getting PassPorter’s Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line: Easy Access Vacations for Travelers with Extra Challenges
I’m from Brazil and this site is beeing perfect for planning my first family visit to Disney World. Congratulations! Thanks for all informations.
Thanks Daniela!!
Dave – your site is AWESOME! My parents are using timeshare points to stay in Kissimmee for free for 3 nights, for them, my just-turning-8 year old daughter (this is a surprise b’day first DisneyWorld trip for her!), and myself. We want to visit the parks for 2 days, 2/20 & 2/21. My parents are approaching 70, my mother might need a cane (tho she won’t admit it), and my father will definitely need a wheelchair or scooter (tho, he too, doesn’t want to do that & has no choice due to recent hip replacement surgery).
2 questions I have are:
1) Should we try for the Magic Kingdom for 1 day, and the Animal Kingdom for the 2nd day – or should we just try to stay in the Magic Kingdom for 2 days?
2) I’ve heard from friends, and a few comments on the web, that if one in your party is wheelchair-bound, that you get moved to the front of the line with no waiting. Is this correct, or does this apply only to certain times or certain rides – OR do we have to purchase something special to get to the front without having to wait with them in wheelchair or scooter?
Thank you! I’ve only been once in 1983, so I think I am more excited than my daugther will be. We’re trying to make this super special, since her father ust passed away (young) May 2010, and I promised my parents I wouldn’t stress them in the planning of this – especially since they are using their points and footing the bill for the park tickets for all of us.
Thank you!!
Hi Mardi and thanks!
Your dates–around President’s Day–are among the busiest of the year. You will want to arrive well before the parks open….if you can, bring a scooter/wheelchair with you, as the line to rent them can be long, and there’s a fair amount of walking before you get to the rental site.
Given the crowds, I’d advise just MK, as it’s a two day park even at un-crowded times. If you do AK as well, do it the 21st.
Havoing a wheelchair does not get you moved to the front of the line, except on a few rides where the wheelchair loading area is different than the regular one…
Hello,
We live in Tally and are going to Orlando just for a quick trip we do plan on going back for longer anyway We will drive down Weds Feb 22nd and will have Thurs 23rd and Fri 24th to stay at the parks. We really want to go to MK and AK but I am not sure hwo the crowds are going to be those days seeing how Presidents week is the week before BUT there is also Mardi Gras and the Daytona 500 happening around this time….Are we crazy going at this time??? I WAS REALLY hoping it being mid week and the week AFTER a holiday it would not be as bad or crowded as usual…..*sigh* any advice???
Hi Keli!
Sadly the entire week of President’s Day is VERY crowded, tho the end of the week is a little better than earlier.
If you can go another time, I would–you can have a good morning those days if you arrive well before the parks open, hit the most popular rides first, and use FASTPASSES, but things will be rough by 11a…
MK is currently opening at 8a that week, AK 9a your days, but that may change. For calendars, see this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/07/05/how-to-use-the-online-park-calendars-at-walt-disney-world/
If you do go, I’d suggest AK the 23rd and MK the 24th…
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