Right Time for Disney World Trip with 4 Kids?

[beachbum89]

We have four kids (daughter will be 7 in the fall, son will be 5 in the fall, and twin boys will turn 3 this summer), and we are trying to decide whether to take the kids to Disney World for spring break in 2026 or to wait a year or two to do it. We live close to Disneyland, so we have passes and the kids love going to the parks. I'd like to do one trip to Disney World with all of the kids at one point--stay for at least a week, do all four parks, do a waterpark, etc. Initially, we were set on taking the kids for spring break next year. However, next year our kids' spring break starts the day after Easter, so I'm concerned we're going to be going at the most crowded time. The twins will likely be too short to do quite a few of the rides next year. If we wait a year, the kids will be 8.5, 6.5, and almost 5, so they'll be able to do more and doing several days at the parks will just be easier at those ages. Spring break in 2027 for our kids will be a full week after Easter, so (it's usually the first full week of April), so I would hope timing from a crowd perspective is better in 2027 than 2026. The downside of waiting is that the kids are a little older, and I don't know how much longer the older two are going to be so enthralled by all things Disney. Anyway, I'd appreciate any thoughts or insights from folks that have been with their families. In all likelihood, this will likely be the one trip to Disney World we take as a family.

 

[AprilsZoo]

As the mother of four boys (in a 7 year spread), I can only say this: take them sooner rather than later.

Think about how busy things usually are with the various school functions and activities, and don’t forget other things, like recitals, or sports competitions, etc. Then add in any times *you* aren’t allowed to take vacation.

Do you think your calendar will get less busy in coming years? Probably not.

We kept chasing “the best time” to take our boys, but there was always something: summer school, band camp, scout camp, or church activities. Pair that with DH’s travel for work, and limited times that he could take off, and the fact that summer break here is also very short because we have year-round school. and basically, the older the boys got, the more impossible it became to schedule something.

In 2014, I thought I had everything planned out where we were going to do a Disney Youth Institute program (pretty sure that’s what it was called) that the kids would have one or two days to learn about one of many topics like animatronics, animation, imagineering, music, and IT in the parks, to name a few. And along with that, we got heavily discounted tickets for up to 7 days— the tickets started at about $30-ish and each additional day added a few more $$ such that 7 day tickets were under $100.

Well, unfortunately, the dates for Scout camp changed, and DH had to take several trips for work over the dates that were available for the DYI. (The date options for kids not enrolled as part of an organized school group, were more limited.) So in the end, we never got to go, until well after our youngest had graduated from HS. And, sadly, only 3 out of the 4 boys could go. I really wish we would’ve tried harder to go sooner.

If you are worried about crowds, consider adding a day or two to your vacation. It’s the additional days of lodging that are the bulk of the extra expense. To add an eighth and/or ninth day onto your tickets, only costs a fraction of the daily price of the 7 day ticket. For us (<2 years ago, PH —no LL/Genie+) we added an eighth adult day for under $20 each ($16, iirc.) And when our other plans fell thru for day nine— we added that day for ~$10 a piece. We already had our hotel though, because we were originally thinking we might do Sea World or Discovery Cove, and some other things. But in the end, we decided to add the days to Disney tix instead. (Just have to do it before midnight on the last valid day of your ticket).

It’s too bad they did away with the version of the youth program from the 20-teens (2012-2017 at least). Last time I looked, it wasn’t very good for kids not in a large group.

tl;dr : There’s no perfect time to go to Disney when you have multiple kids. Their schedules will only get busier and more conflicted the longer you wait. Just go whenever you can, and if it’s a crowded time, plan an extra day or two.

Hope that helps.

 

[NYCgrrl]

As a Disney parent and grandparent, the average age of my little people was 10 y/o when they first went there. Most were past the character meal phase but it was no problem setting up park meets for the one still wanting the experience.
Last December, took a “true” little (she was 6 y/o) for a 2 week trip and she was a good age to begin the full Disney experience from my perspective: tall enough for most of the rides she had an interest in, able to eat at a TS without sitting on the floor under the table, and for the most part, understanding that the park will still be there the next day when we return.
Nice trip with little drama and I could do it again given sufficient notice, lol.

Were it me, I’d opt for next year since the schedule seems more in sync with
your needs and it’s not that difficult to inform afterschool activities in advance.

Whatever you do, be sure to have fun.

 

[kwdw]

Is there a reason you are only picking spring break as the time of year to go? I think 4 for the youngest is fine - but you also probably want to keep the oldest at 9 or younger so it's all kid prices for tickets or any character meals or prix fixe meals you might opt for.

 

[pixiedust33]

I often recommend that people don't wait and go early but, honestly, in your case, I would wait a couple years, because you already have done Disneyland and can do that in the meantime and experience the magic. I'd save the big, all in WDW trip until all your kids are past naps and at least 44 inches tall. And, FWIW, I think you're definitely right about taking advantage of a year when your spring break doesn't fall at Easter. We went for spring break last year because it was not aligned with easter and it was perfectly manageable, but we're skipping it in 2025 because it lines up with easter (thinking about doing a Disney cruise instead).

 

[sponica]

I only have 2 in a 4 year spread, and honestly we stopped really going to the parks once I had to pay for a ticket for the youngest. She's still under 44 inches tall and rider swap is just a time suck (we switched to DCL in 2024, and have another booked for end of summer 2025).

If you're going to do a one and done, you want everyone tall enough to ride everything and hopefully by 2027 most of the Animal Kingdom reconstruction is done.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our big trip was when the kids were 4, 4, 6, 9 and 11. It was great, although the younger ones really don’t remember. No diapers, no naps, tall enough, plus still young enough that we could take them out if school for a couple of days backed up to a school break. Once the oldest got to HS, that was out. My biggest regret is not taking them out more when we could.

 

[cruising spud]

There are so many variables when thinking about "when is the right time for a DW trip." That being said-I would wait until 2027. Spring break is after Easter, meaning fewer people, and age 5 is a lot different from age 3 in stamina and understanding what is going on around you.

 

[hardcorestitch]

We have four kids (daughter will be 7 in the fall, son will be 5 in the fall, and twin boys will turn 3 this summer), and we are trying to decide whether to take the kids to Disney World for spring break in 2026 or to wait a year or two to do it. We live close to Disneyland, so we have passes and the kids love going to the parks. I'd like to do one trip to Disney World with all of the kids at one point--stay for at least a week, do all four parks, do a waterpark, etc. Initially, we were set on taking the kids for spring break next year. However, next year our kids' spring break starts the day after Easter, so I'm concerned we're going to be going at the most crowded time. The twins will likely be too short to do quite a few of the rides next year. If we wait a year, the kids will be 8.5, 6.5, and almost 5, so they'll be able to do more and doing several days at the parks will just be easier at those ages. Spring break in 2027 for our kids will be a full week after Easter, so (it's usually the first full week of April), so I would hope timing from a crowd perspective is better in 2027 than 2026. The downside of waiting is that the kids are a little older, and I don't know how much longer the older two are going to be so enthralled by all things Disney. Anyway, I'd appreciate any thoughts or insights from folks that have been with their families. In all likelihood, this will likely be the one trip to Disney World we take as a family.

WDW can wait. You are so lucky to live near Disneyland!

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

The fact that you have Disneyland passes is a game changer in my answer. I would be hard pressed to justify a WDW trip at all in that case with all the added expenses, plus airfare, hotel (also you would obviously have to stay onsite as that is one of the biggest aspects WDW has that DL lacks and you will have to do all the expensive dinning.

The trip will easily cost you $10k+ and the whole time you will be comparing it to Disneyland. Maybe if there was gonna be a year or time you won’t have Disneyland annual passes then that’s when I would go to WDW?

We also had our own scary when one of your older daughter goes “thats mot Minnie that’s a girl in a Minnie costume” we then ran to cast member to quickly put her at ease lol