What are the "MUST SEE" things at DisneyWorld for a 5 year old?

Question

I'm taking my son to Disneyworld for a week. We've been to Disneyland many times, what different attractions are a must see at DW? I haven't been there in over 10 years, so I know it has more now than it did when I was there last. Keep in mind my son doesn't like superfast (no rollercoasters) or dark (no Haunted Mansion) rides. What does Animal Kingdom offer? Anything at Epcot? Also, does anyone know if they offer any type of service for shipping purchases to your home, rather than having to pack them yourself? Do they have a "Downtown Disney" area like in California? As for shopping: are there any stores there that are a must go to? Thanks!

Answer 1

EVERYTHING is a must see at disney amusement parks..even if they already saw it before! LOL

Answer 2

It is not possible to beat the heat in Orlando in June. It will be hot but it's hot everywhere right? Wrong! There's hot and then there's 98 degrees with 70% humidity. Plan accordingly. Get to where you are going early in the day or late in the evening. Plan on heavy rain every day between 4:00pm and 7:00pm EDT. Take advantage of the scheduling/vip/express services offered at each part to "beat the line". Magic Kingdom: a worthless theme park since the removal of Mr Toad's Wild Ride and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I think they've even dumped Peter Pan's Adventure. Animal Kingdom: nothing but a zoo with some silly song and dance shows. Busch Gardens is a better zoo. If you've been to good zoos before you won't miss anything by skipping this park. EPCOT: Junior can be entertained here in the section that isn't the World Showcase (I forget what it's called). Lot's of indoor, hands on activities. The Park Formerly Known as Disney/MGM Studios: there is some fun stuff here but mostly a yawner. The water parks are cool but I'm not sure if your park hopper tickets work on those parks. Disney Quest is good for kids but pricey. The good news is that the current economic conditions will probably dictate fewer tourists. The crowds may be lighter than usual. You will probably be presently surprised at the efficiency and convenience of the Disney transportation system. You can get from park to park very easily. If you haven't done so already look into the Meal Plan or Dining Plan or whatever they call it. It will save you a bundle of cash. And, like I tell all visitors to the once great state of Florida, spend your money then go home. Enjoy.

Answer 3

For a five year old Magic Kingdom is a must with all characters and everything that goes with it. There is the buzz lightyear ride which is very tame and just a laser gun to shoot the baddies. Also there is fantasy land with all the rides such as peter pan, snow white and it's a small world. There is also of course the fireworks on the night.

Animal kingdom will be great as well because of all the animals, your son will like the safari although there is one moment when the bridge rocks a little. Along with camp minnie and micky he will have a great day and so will you.

MGM studios is more for adults although fantasmic is a brilliant show on a night so you could possibly go for an hour before that to see things suck as the muppets 3D and honey I shrunk the kids play area.

Previously I wouldn't have recommended Epcot but there is a new finding nemo ride especially for about your sons age group and it can be a nice relaxing day. So if you get a hopper ticket that includes epcot I would take a visit there.

Downtown disney will also include many things such as Animal Rainforest restraunt and the disney shop.



Shopping is best done at the florida mall or mall at millenia although if you want cheap clothes go to one of many outlets.



Good luck and have a great holiday!

Dont hesitate to ask me any more

Answer 4

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2007 by Bob Sehlinger has a touring plan called "Dumbo or Die in a Day" for parents that live for their kids. Get the book. Read the comprehensive "fright factor" chart as well as the instructions for swapping out the kid so the adults can take turns on the "good" rides. Animal Kingdom has lots to see with all the animals. There are two walking trails to see tigers, gorillas, fruit bats, birds etc. There is a bird show, too. Epcot is very good for little ones. The aquarium is Nemo themed now and has a nemo ride. All of the countries have shops to explore and the rides are gentle. There is a Downtown Disney in Orlando. It has a great lego store. Jumping fountains are there, so bring a swimsuit and towel or a change of clothes. I hear the cost of shipping stuff home has gotten very expensive.

Answer 5

First, go to the Disney website at www.disney.go.com and there is place where you can put in the year of your last visit and it will tell you whats new since the last time you were there.



See the Magic Kingdom, Splash and Pirates are both different, Mickey's Philharmagic, hall of presidents and toontown is different also. Take him to Tom Sawyers island, I don't believe they have done the pirate upgrade at WDW and it was different to begin with. Do a character dining experience also, there are many.



Animal Kingdom would be good also, lots of animals to see and some good shows.



Epcot has the seas with Nemo and friends, also the Imagination institute and theres some things at world showcase he might enjoy but I feel Epcot is more an adult oriented park.



MGM has some shows he will enjoy, try the Indy show and if he likes cars there is a new stunt show with some fancy driving but no real kiddie rides.



The Disney Website will give you descriptions of everything they have to offer.



And MK still has country bears.

Answer 6

at magic kingdom, the buzz lightyear ride is a must! my son also liked the monsters,inc show.

epcot i wouldn't recommend unless you want to just walk through the world showcase. there's not a whole lot for small children there.

disney/mgm has the kids shows (bear in the big blue house, beaut and the beast, etc), but they might be boring for a 5 yr old.they do have a pretty cool lights, camera, action stunt show my son loved.

animal kingdom has kilimanjaro safari which is a MUST if you go. there's a children's area with a "boneyard" where the kiddos can dig around. a few kid rides there as well. the park also has a water raft ride.

they do have a downtown disney marketplace. awesome lego store there!

disney also has 2 water parks and 2 mini-golf courses.

i'm not sure about shipping to your home but i do know if you're staying inside of disney, they will ship your purchases back to your hotel so you don't have to carry them around with you.

allearsnet.com is a good site if you want some general info (menus, ride closings, etc)

hope this helps..have fun :)

Answer 7

There are TONS of must sees!



At Magic Kingdom park, try to do a character breakfast (Crystal Palace, for Pooh characters) to get into the park early. Main Street won't be crowded and you can get nice pictures with the castle in the background. You'll definitely want to ride the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland; your car has two "laser guns" and you shoot targets as you ride along to score big points. There's also a raceway there where you can copilot the cars with your little one. Meet and greet characters in the Judging Tent in Mickey's Toontown Fair. If he likes trains, there's one that runs around the outside of the park, stopping at Toontown Fair, the front gate, and Frontierland. He'll probably also like the Jungle cruise in Adventureland. Unfortunately, some of the kids' rides are sort of dark (Peter Pan, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh), but we've been able to soothe our kids through it. They may surprise you. Also, get Liberty Tree Tavern dinner priority seatings and come out to catch the Spectromagic parade.



At Epcot, there's not as much for the kids, but he will probably enjoy the Sea pavillion with its Nemo themes. We go more for the food and character greetings. There are usually fun things for the kids at Innoventions.



At MGM Studios, there are a lot of shows. We love the Muppet Movie 3D as well as the princess shows (Beauty & the Beast, Under the Sea/Little Mermaid). If he's more boyish, he'll like the stunt shows and back lot tour. There's a Star Wars ride (40 inch minimum) and a big Honey, I Shrunk The Kids playground. The Playhouse Disney breakfast at Hollywood & Vine is a lot of fun.



Animal Kingdom is all about the animals. Get there early and you'll see more of them out and about. Be sure to ride the safari. The Lion King show is spectacular as well.



There is a large Downtown Disney Marketplace, which is accessible by Disney busses from the resorts (but not the parks). It has many restaurants, a Lego store, World of Disney, Tower Records, Ghiardelli chocolate/sundaes, and many other attractions. You can ship items from any of the Disney retailers (parks or marketplace) to your home, but it's kind of pricey. If you're staying on a Disney property, they will also ship them back to your room for you.

Answer 8

MGM has Bear in the Big Blue House, and many other character attractions for young children. All the character meals or cool, and yes there is Downtown Disney.

Animal Kingdom has Its a Bugs Life, the chairs are animated: you feel bugs on your back etc, but if you cover the back of the chair with your arm it makes it much easier for the little ones. If you purchase enough that shipping is more than the tax you do not have to pay for tax. We purchase so much each time we go I have it shipped so that it does not interfere with the luggage on the plane. Epcot has Honey We Shrunk the Audience, young children love this also.

Answer 9

i just returned with my 6 yr old twins and my 5 yr old--no animal kingdom--he was not tall enough for most of the rides--magic kingdom he LOVED did it twice. Downtown disney is fun. he played in the sprinklers--bring bathing suit change of clothes. Epcot was too 'old" for them. We did a lot of "pool" days to relax. One day we just rode the monorail--we were at the Polynesian--so we did this at night to see the fireworks and hotels lit up. We didn't make it to MGM but they had some great things for them too--I checked it online. Have fun~~~~~

Answer 10

If your son loves animals I think Animal Kingdom would be great, lots of fun attractions and shows…do not miss



Kilimanjaro Safaris



Finding Nemo Show



Festival of the Lion King Show



Bugs Life movie



Camp Minnie Mickey character greetings



If you go to the Magic Kingdom anything in Fantasyland will work!!

Answer 11

All kids i think will enjoy the animal kingdom. All different sorts of animals there. I loved the safari ride. Its not scary. I however did not like Epcot at all. But you guys might enjoy it. However it was fun riding up in the epcot ball. There is a downtown disney. Pack ponchos with ya it was always raining off and on. And i would also pack some bottles water to take in a bag.. prices are high.

Answer 12

Okay...here goes...



MK...all of the 'kiddie rides in the center of the park behind the castle...the train...ask if you can have your son call out 'all aboard' as the train goes from station to station...pics with mickey at toon town...the parade at night, preferably seen from the deck of the Liberty Tree tavern right after dinner...



MGM - Little Einstein's show and Muppet's show...mom and dad need to do the Tower of Terror...



EPCOT - the imagineering sides are good, and he'll be safe watching Ellen's Energy adventure in between mommy and daddy...He'll like seeing the ompah band in Germany at lunchtime...Honey I shrunk the Audience might be a bit strong if he isn't ready for the goofball surprises...but stay to the far left in case you need to make a getaway...Most of the world side isokay, but Illuminations should be a safe thing to do...



AK - Bug's life, the Safari (early or late, not at mid day), the petting zoo by the safari (go there during FAST PASS time), and the Lion King Show are great...mommy and daddy must go on expedition everest....The Falls ride will make you wet, but will be funny...



You will need to take a mid day siesta EVERY DAY including lunch, nap and pool time...put it in your schedule...I mean it...



Of course, World of Disney is superior...you will be there for hours...the ESPN store at the boardwalk is good, too (duh, from a guy)...and if you ask, they will workk out shipping home or to relatives, etc...They love to sell their stuff...and don't forget the CHRISTMAS STORE...what a hoot!

Answer 13

Buzz Lightyear Spin Ride

It's in tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom! :)

Answer 14

animal kingdom safari ride is a great way to check out all the animals...epcot soarin' ride is a low key new ride that everyone raves about. Magic Kingdom has a ton of rides for young kids that i'm sure he will love. A great website for disney information is allears.net His information on rides, hours, hotels, dining etc.

Answer 15

Animal Kingdom is a great place to take your son if he isn't afraid of animals. They have a wide variety of shows and rides for younger guests. Dinoland USA has a load of stuff for him to do including Dinorama (carnival games and rides) and The Bone Dig (giant playground). One of my favorite attractions there is the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride in Africa where you get to see tons of live African animals in a natural setting (bring your camera!). There are tons of things to look at throughout the park, tons of shows (Flights of Wonder and Finding Nemo:The Musical being my favorites), and various trails you can take to see animals. Animal Kingdom is the largest park on property, so be ready for a load of walking!



Magic Kingdom is probably best for a child his age, as they have the most family rides. Fantasyland has a lot of rides for younger children, but there are lots of attractions in other areas of the park as well! Too many things to list there :P



MGM Studios seems to not have too many things for younger children, but various areas have some stuff he may like. 2 of the biggest attractions there are thrill rides (not for 5 year-olds of course :P) but there are several other good shows and various things to do there.



Epcot probably isn't the best place either, but some of the stuff there can be enjoyed at all ages. Innoventions is a great place to take him where they have lots of games using the latest technology (so many things to do that it fills up two buildings, Innovations East and West!). A semi-hidden jewel would be Station Cool (by the Fountain View Bakery), where you can sample various sodas from around the world. One of the better things for young children is the recently-remade "Seas with Nemo and Friends". It used to be called the living seas but is now themed around the movie Finding Nemo, and you can go through (on a ride as well) and see various fish and other marine animals. The other side of the park is The World Showcase, featuring 11 pavilions, all themed around different countries. In each country, there is a kidkot station where you can get a mask and visit each station to get various decorations to put onto it (its a great thing to make him look foward to each new pavillion).



There are TONS of things that I havn't mentioned, but I listed some of the things I think he'd like to do :)



There is a Downtown Disney area, which has 3 sections: Downtown Disney West (various non-disney stores), Marketplace (all the disney merchandice you'd ever want), and Pleasure Island (night clubs and hangouts for adults). Downtown Disney West has a Magic Masters store, which is a must-see in my opinion. Whenever people come in they perform various tricks that they sell at the store and its very entertaining. Marketplace has tons of stores, all selling Disney-related merchandice. There are so many stores to visit, with all different themes (its hard to say which ones are best!).



I'm not positive about the shipping things to you home, but I know if you are staying at a Disney resort you can have things you buy taken to your resort for you. I'd call and ask about shipping things to home, I doubt there isn't something like that!



Good luck to you and your son and make sure to have fun :)

Message me if you need more info about various things!

Answer 16

You must go to the lego store in Downtown Disney! Also check out the WDW website and order their custom maps. They make one specifically for this age- we just ordered them for our trip with our young son and he's already marked his path around the kingdom. They make special "bucaneer"versions for young boys. A great keepsake to have.

Answer 17

The top five rides for a five year old in Disney would be:



Winnie the Pooh ride (I even like that one. ha)

Peter Pan

Buzz Lightyear ride

Spaceship Earth

Dumbo

Answer 18

Crush at Epcot is a Must See....make sure you child sits in the front row, he will part of the show! have fun! and goodluck

Answer 19

hey hunnie, ohh my gosh thats really nice to take your son there!

well i just got back from disneyworld.. and as you know from going to disneyland there are lots of kiddie rides, as there were at disneyworld. there is a downtown disney too.

and there shows, parades..etc.

they are having the high school musical parade and thats great for kids too!

have fun, and visit disneyworld dot com for more info!

peaceout.

Answer 20

a toy and a pen.