Hi Gabrielle!
Thanks for your question! I'll try to help you come up with an itinerary that works for your family.
For my family, being flexible works better than having a schedule to follow. But, I do know other families that swear by itineraries! There is just so much to experience, that you won't get to it all in just one trip. Don't let that overwhelm you in your planning or while you're visiting, and just look at it as a reason to plan a second trip.
My good friend & fellow panelist, Allison, suggests making it a family planning project. Have the kids look through the
attractions, making note of their own "must dos". Leave room in your planning for exploring at your leisure. I like
playing in the parks this way because it's easier to enjoy all the
magic Disney has to offer.
Decide which day to choose for visiting which park, based that on your family's interests. I like starting off at Magic Kingdom and would also visit Hollywood Studios and Epcot. In fact, I recommend visiting Magic Kingdom twice, especially for first
timers!
Extra Magic Hours are a matter of preference. There are
good reasons for both using and avoiding them. My family LOVES EMH. We usually get onto our favorite attractions with little wait time. We might decide to use morning hours, or for other days (especially those hot summer ones) we decide to take a break mid day to escape the heat and rest, and then make up for the time "lost" in the parks by going to a park with evening hours.
I was just about to touch on ADRs, but
I've run out of space! If you need more help, please send me follow up questions as I'm happy to help you plan your trip!