Hi Nicole,
Thank you so much for visiting planDisney with your question. There is a lot to consider when beginning to plan a Walt Disney World trip. I am happy to help you get started!
I believe that Walt Disney World can be wonderful for families with children of any age. We first took my daughter to Walt Disney World when she was 9 months old, and we have not stopped going since! Preschool and early elementary years are wonderful ages to take children to Walt Disney World. They still believe in the magic, but are old enough to experience so much! Let me offer you a few tips about planning this magical vacation.
First, check out this website on planning a
Walt Disney World vacation with little ones. This has suggestions and recommendations for the younger ones at each theme park. I truly believe that there is something for the littlest children at each theme park. You specifically mentioned
Disney's Animal Kingdom, which is fabulous for young children, especially if they are interested in animals. When my daughter was a toddler, we would take the
Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki's Planet Watch, where she would spend hours brushing and petting goats and other small animals at
Affection Section. She loved this experience and would ask to go again and again!
In terms of which theme parks to visit, I would take a look at all four
Walt Disney World theme parks and decide which ones are the most interesting to your family. I recommend that you do not try to "do it all!" Walt Disney World is vast and has so many experiences. With children at the age of yours, they will be happy with the things that they do get to experience. Then you can plan future trips for different experiences!
In terms of how long of a stay to consider, this will depend very much on your family and your circumstances. You could head to Walt Disney World for a few days and only choose a couple of theme parks to visit. Alternately, you could decide that a longer trip is better for you and that you would like to visit all four theme parks. In the situation that you come for a longer visit, I would suggest being sure to build in some down time. Young children really do need their rest, even at Walt Disney World! If your youngest one is still napping, I would take her back to your hotel to nap each day. Even your older child might benefit from some midday down time relaxing at the hotel!
Speaking of hotels, for a first trip, I recommend staying at a
Walt Disney World Resort Hotel. Not only are these super fun and include amazing, immersive themes, they are so convenient. You will have complimentary transportation from your Disney Resort Hotel to the theme parks as well as other locations on Walt Disney World property - no need to worry about driving!
I know that this is a lot of information, Nicole. Hopefully these thoughts will help you get started with planning this magical vacation. Please do come back to planDisney as you progress through planning and more questions arise - we love helping guests to plan magical vacations!
~ Mona Leigh