Hey there Tania and welcome to planDisney!
We love our first-timers here at planDisney and I'm truly honored to be helping you plan your visit. My number one tip when planning a
Walt Disney World Resort vacation is to consider the young people you're traveling with. Are they more thrill or more chill? Are they more character-driven or experience-motivated? Are they adventurous eaters or chicken nuggets only types? Not to worry I'll break things down for you.
Nobody in the entire industry understands the art of theming like Disney.
The Disney Resorts Collection hotels fully immerse you in a story from the moment you drive up, and the best part is, you're the main character! Choose your hotel based on the not-so kids' interests. My goddaughter is an animal lover so
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, where giraffes and zebras roam free on the savannas outside, is on her bucket list.
Disney's Beach Club Resort is an oasis in the Florida sun, literally! It boasts the best pool on property with a sand bottom, a lazy river, and a slide that's so long you basically have to cross the street to get to the entrance. Whatever you choose as long as your tweens' interests are at the forefront, they're sure to love it. Plus each hotel offers fun activities like Movies Under the Stars and so much more to add a little extra to your trip.
Now as for which Disney Parks to attend, here's my take. Every park has something for every age. Whether they have goals to hit every mountain in
Magic Kingdom Park(Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, 7 Dwarves Mine Train) or to soar on
Avatar Flight of Passage in Pandora - The World of Avatar at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, they're sure to have a blast! I would strongly suggest purchasing the Park Hopper Option so they can try more than one of the parks in a day.That way if one isn't really matching their vibe, y'all can easily switch to another after 2 p.m.
Since your arrival date is in April, be sure to check out the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. This festival has some great eats for you and your junior foodies in training, some awesome photo/video spots for all their friends to be jealous of on Instasnaptok, and even a few drinks for you when those preteen attitudes kick off.
Tania, no matter which hotel you choose and which parks you choose you're sure to have a marvelous time. And between you and me, this is the age when they start thinking they're too cool for everything. Watch how fast that all goes out the window when they see Mickey Mouse!
Happy planning!
Taylor