Considering taking 4year old granddaughter.

[popriv]

Little Sienna is currently 3.5 years old. Very mature for age, easy going, never wines, easy going like me...
We think it would be great to take her to magic kingdom. Was hoping to get some thoughts on these subjects.

Grandson Sawyer is currently 7 months old. We can't take both and can't wait until he is so old he will realize we are taking just Sienna. I figure we should go by the fall of this year, next spring at the latest.

DD would plan a family trip themselves for when the kids are 4 and 7 or 5 and 8. Health willing we would go then also.

I don't want to put off a trip as you knever know what tomorrow brings. DW and I are not in the greatest of health.

DW and I have made 6 Or so trips on our own so we know WDW and this trip would be just for Sienna.
We would probably do a value site for the theming. We also rent DVC points put I don't think the boardwalk would impress a 4 year old... What would be best for her?

How many days is a big question. We usually go Sunday to friday which seems short for us alone but I'm thinking 3 night would be all we could handle with a 4 year old. Most we have had her sleep over now Is two nights.
1 day to travel from Providence and settle in to the resort. Maybe a short night trip to one of the other parks.
2nd day, rope drop to magic kingdom, return to resort for nap time. Go back at night to MK. Don't know if she could make the fireworks unless timing worked out perfect.
3rd day open for whatever Sienna wants to do. Return to MK or check out another park. another chance to hit the fireworks ? I'm thinking MK would be her main interest.
4th day, here we usually head home around a noon ish flight, we don't try to sneak inany more park time. In this case we could try to squeeze in some more time and come home later. BUT worried about hitting a park then not having a room for sienna, if even needed?, then the whole airport, travel, flight, this will make for a long day for her.

So what am I not thinking off when visiting with a 4 year old.
We would not push her and try anything commando,
( I'm usually the commando, my wife is a stroller, she now refuses to hurry to catch the next bus. A running joke with us. )

What about special activities for a little girl? Don't want to over do the schedule for her. I've never done much research on the dress up thing for little princesses.
We have never done any meet and greets, but she will want to meet Mickey and Minnie For sure, what's the best way to do that ? Probably involves lots of waiting?
Would probably do the breakfast meet and greet at MK, did that once before.

Any comments of suggestions on this plan would be great help.

Thanks
Bunky. ( this is the name Sienna gave me, we don't know where she got it but I am the Bunk! )

 

[Thing 1]

How fun this will be! We went with DS when he was that age and it was a really good trip. I would think pre-trip first. I assume parents are on board with the plan. By, 'not the best of health,' what do you mean? Can you safely care for a four year old alone? As far as a resort, ALL of them are kid friendly. I would look at your budget and choose the one that would be easiest for you guys. The values are fine, but require more walking, sometimes a lot more. If you think you will spend more time at MK, look at a monorail resort if its in the budget, or at WL. Sadly, now you really need to decide which parks each day in order to set up FP in enough time to get what you want. Trip length wise, I would make sure you have had your DGD alone for the amount of time equal to the length of the trip. Beyond that, I am a big fan of longer, but slower trips and Sunday through Friday might be just right. My guys loved all the parks at the preschool age and a park hopper was a huge plus for us. We could spend the bulk of the day in one park and after a rest, return to another park for a few hours after dinner. Tons of special little girl stuff everywhere. A special princess character meal, BBB etc. fun fun fun. I do suggest that you, health allowing, plan to take each grandchild as they hit that age. Even though DGS does not know now, at some point he will.

 

[popriv]

Healthwise we are both overweight, I've had asthma flair ups the last few WDW trips. didn't have the meds I needed with me, learned that lesson. need to do more walking to prepare.. last few trips all the walking really wore us out. Gout bothered me one trip. Late 50's, we can handle her no problem for now.. but don't want to put a trip off as you never know....
Sienna is Very easy to manage, never cries or wines.. great personality.
we took her to Frozen on ice in boston and the look of excitement on her face when Mickey and Minnie came out was priceless.
My DD is onboard for us taking her.
thanks for the input

Steve

 

[Hezzy04]

We have never done any meet and greets, but she will want to meet Mickey and Minnie For sure, what's the best way to do that ? Probably involves lots of waiting?
Would probably do the breakfast meet and greet at MK, did that once before

I definitely recommend character dining to meet the characters she likes best! That way there is way less standing and waiting involved!

 

[popriv]

My DGD

 

[100AcreWood]

We took my parents when my first dd was 3. They enjoyed it and still talk about it 10 years later. It was a trip of a lifetime as my dad says. Just two short years later his years of smoking caught up with him and the the trip would have never been a possibility at that point. He can't walk 2 feet without getting winded now and he sailed through a day at Disney much easier then with short breaks here and there.

Seize the day! Great memories last a lifetime.

 

[MandiC]

Sounds like a fun, special trip Honestly I think most resorts have something that appeals to kids (I believe the only one I have heard really doesn't is Coronado Springs). Port Orleans Riverside has 'Royal Rooms' that I am sure any little princess would love. Art of Animation has Little Mermaid rooms. The deluxe resorts are very close to the parks. All the resorts do outdoor movies, some of the resorts do campfires with smores. If you are only going to do Magic Kingdom and are not opposed to renting DVC I think that picking a Magic Kingdom resort on the monorail would be very convenient for you. All the deluxe resorts have nice pools and I'm sure lots of fun things for kids.

Special things for a little girl, breakfast in Cinderella's castle. You can get there before the park opens and see the castle without the crowds, get a picture! Seems a lot of little girls love doing BBB where they get all fancied up by the fairy godmothers. There is also a Princess tea party I believe at the Grand Floridian where the girls even get a doll to take home. Character meals are great for seeing characters without waiting in lines. I am sure she will love it no matter what you decide to do.

 

[popriv]

I've rented from DVC members but I think I will need insurance for this trip in case something comes up... I think that would require a regular
booking through Disney.?.. have to start doing my homework... And yes I have no doubt that DGD would be happy anywhere we stay...
Monorail resort would be great but probably to much $$$$$$$.

Trying to explain to Family that 6 months or so is not a long time out to start planning... they don't get whats involved..... I'm the planner, they usually just tag along and think everything just seems to work out...lol

 

[limpy]

I would also be prepared that your very easy to manage granddaughter might have a melt down or two on a Disney trip. There is a lot going on and it is easy for the little ones to get over stimulated, tired, and emotionally. Not that it is a certainty, but it's good to be mentally prepared and decided in advance how you will handle it.

 

[BellsFam]

I would be prepared that your GD may miss mom and dad a lot more than you think...(esp upon seeing the many families and mommys and daddy's). My mom took her first GD when she was this age (not my DD) and while they were so close this trip was awful for the GD! She missed her parents terribly and cried and cried most of the entire vacation...

Also, I hate to ask but did you ask your DD or DIL how she felled about this? I would be heartbroken if DDs first trip to WDW hadn't included me...

 

[Thing 1]

Sounds like a fun, special trip Honestly I think most resorts have something that appeals to kids (I believe the only one I have heard really doesn't is Coronado Springs). Port Orleans Riverside has 'Royal Rooms' that I am sure any little princess would love. Art of Animation has Little Mermaid rooms. The deluxe resorts are very close to the parks. All the resorts do outdoor movies, some of the resorts do campfires with smores. If you are only going to do Magic Kingdom and are not opposed to renting DVC I think that picking a Magic Kingdom resort on the monorail would be very convenient for you. All the deluxe resorts have nice pools and I'm sure lots of fun things for kids.

Special things for a little girl, breakfast in Cinderella's castle. You can get there before the park opens and see the castle without the crowds, get a picture! Seems a lot of little girls love doing BBB where they get all fancied up by the fairy godmothers. There is also a Princess tea party I believe at the Grand Floridian where the girls even get a doll to take home. Character meals are great for seeing characters without waiting in lines. I am sure she will love it no matter what you decide to do.

Actually, my guys as preschoolers loved CSR. The pool and slide is way way cool and the playground is much better themed than most resorts and is filled with sand! There is a game room beside of the playground and always someone in there to help you. Its such a pretty resort and lots of room just to let kids run off some stream. My DS, when about 4 or 5 loved the hammocks. The staff is always super nice to the kids and the food court, while much smaller than some places, has lots of good kid friendly choices. Its a favorite of our whole family.

 

[ktlm]

She is beautiful! She needs a WDW trip! She is the perfect age. We have taken DD (9) every year since she was 2. The preschool trips were my favorite. Are her parents okay with it? I'm another one that couldn't stand the thought of DD's first trip being without me- I had tears in my eyes watching her more than once her 2 year old first trip.

ANY of the resorts should be wonderful for her. My DD has never met a Disney hotel, she didn't absolutely love. Go with whatever resort you like- she will love it too. I wouldn't stick to a value for the theming- if it is a matter of cost- then do value, but not for theming. If cost is not an issue, then proximity is great when you have a pre-schooler. You mentioned Boardwalk. That would be great if you are going to EPCOT or DHS because it is within walking distance of each. Anything in the MK area is terrific if you are going to be spending a lot of time there. We did WL when DD was 2 and 3 and she loved it there. It was so nice to have the short boat ride to MK, and DD loved the boat.

I would do a Princess meal (or other character meal) if possible. Other than that, I wouldn't worry too much about special activities, especially with a very short trip. WDW is wonderful on its own without having to do all the extras. If you are just doing 2 full days, I would probably just focus on Magic Kingdom. One thing about going with a preschooler is it really slows you down. You will be surprised at how much longer everything seems to take. They like to move slow and look at everything and stop to smell the roses. My DD's other favorite has always been EPCOT- that is another one that was, and still is, a 2 day park for us.


The main thing with a pre-schooler is flexibility. Just because someone on here tells you what worked great for their child, doesn't mean it will work for your GD. Be prepared to change things up based on how she reacts and on what works for her when you get there. Also, don't underestimate the potential commandoness of a preschooler. We discovered it might be a genetic trait that runs in the family. DH and I were commandos, and were convinced that DD would need a break in the afternoon after reading these boards because some people swear by it. DD felt otherwise. It did not go well. All we got was a child that was very angry she was forced to leave MK who refused to nap and sulked behind the window curtain in the room for over 2 hours because she was too mad at us to look at us. We tried it one day and after that it was parks open to close and stroller naps in the park for us. That is what worked great for her. Also, just because she may not have used a stroller for years at home, don't think she won't need one at WDW. It is a lot of walking for a pre-schooler. It is also handy to carry the stuff that typically comes along with a pre-schooler and for impromptu naps at any time. If she is a picky eater, you might think about stocking the resort fridge with some things you know she likes. You are driving, so it would be pretty easy to bring some things with you, or stop and pick a few things up. Also, if she is not an early bird- don't expect a pre-park opening breakfast to work well- we made that mistake- once. Also, it is good to have some snacks handy with you- we used to give DD little boxes of raisins to keep her occupied in long lines. We also bring hand sanitizer because they touch everything. You never know what you are going to get with them at WDW. DD was better behaved there than at home. We all also use a product called Body Glide for our feet to avoid blisters. It works great. I put it all over DD's feet in the morning at WDW before she puts her shoes on and she has never had a blister there. You definitely don't want little feet to get blistered. I use it too. I used to get blisters every Disney trip, and since using it I have never had another blister.

As for meeting Mickey and Minnie, at MK Minnie only meets in a pink Circus dog trainer costume. Her line usually is not that long. Mickey has FP+ if you want to spend one on that (I wouldn't), but his line typically isn't horrible- it has gotten a little longer since he talks now. We were not big fans of the talking- we thought it was a little creepy- you can look at youtube videos to see what you think At EPCOT at the character connection, you can meet Minnie in her traditional red dress, and it is only one line to meet her, Mickey in his traditional clothes and Goofy. You can use FP+ for that meet, but in our experience the line is nothing like it used to be and if you are in a lower crowd time you can find a time when it is 10 or 20 minutes.

 

[popriv]

Wow thanks for all the responses. Yes we are prepared for a meltdown if it happens. DD is on board for the trip but I know it will kill her to not be there. She doesn't want to deprive Sienna of the opportunity. Hadn't thought of GS missing her mom & dad. Phone calls would be in order every night.

We would take our cues from GD as to how to,proceed when we are there. This trip would be just for her enjoyment.
DW and I have seen enough there. This would be to watch her experience everything.

Hadn't thought of her not wanting to go back for a nap. Good one! Another area where we would be prepared to go either way. A nap in the stroller would be fine.

A slow pace would work for us as the last few trips we really noticed how out of shape we were. We are working on that. Lol.


GD and I have a special relationship, she's my sunshine and she tells that to everyone. I'm her Bunky.
Don't know how she gave me that name? I've taken her to amusement parks and water parks with just the two of us and we had great times. I took her Ice skating a few weeks ago and she liked it so much she just started taking lessons. Stand up, fall down, repeat, repeat... Lol

I just want to give her the best experiences while she is so young and innocent. Before she grows up and sees how the world really is.

I remember my DD telling me once how she realized there is no prince charming.

Although, she did find him and they're very happy with a DD and a DS.


Bunky

 

[connie1042]

I have one GD and 3 GS's. I knew I wanted to do a all girl trip. Our boys have a annual camping trip every year the weekend before Memorial Day. So the girls decided to do a trip for just Harper. We went in May, she turned four on June 3. It was Both Grandma's, her mom and her Aunt. We went to all four parks.We planned this for over a year. She had an outfit for everyday and every meal. Cinderella dress for BBB. Castle dinner, with Birthday cake, glass slipper, balloons, and gifts. This was the year they posted pictures on the castle before the fireworks show. She was on there. We ate with Winnie the Pooh and gang, CRT and the princesses, Disney playhouse characters, and Mickey Mouse and Gang. She went from morning til night! I made her an autograph book, where we had the autograph on one side and her picture with the character on the other. This was before FP+, so we did get a lot of fast passes during the day. I think her favorite ride was the car in tomorrow land. She never had a melt down in the parks. Here is how we kept her happy. We rented a nice stroller from Kingdom Strollers. If she was not in it, it held our stuff. We rented a locker for her costume, and didn't put it on her until her BBB appointment. We had light sticks and bubbles to share with other kids while waiting for the parades. Had lots of healthy snacks and drinks, mainly water. We had a light blanket for the stroller, so she could snuggle. We stayed at CBR. One Grandma had a scooter, so we waited for a more empty bus. On our MK day, she made it from 6am to 11:30. She crashed during the fireworks.It was the best trip we ever took. I sent stuff down and decorated the room when we got there. I had a little gift each morning for her from a different character laying on her bed when she woke up. She is now 6, and we went back with everyone this past Sept. I thought she might be disappointed, because of her first trip, but she loved them both. Do it. I will never forget that trip.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I agree with the thoughts of expecting a child not to miss their parents, and parents letting a grandparent take their child. Especially a just four year old. My grandson loves me, but without his parents it's a recipe for disaster. It's not a day outing, the little one could be an emotional mess. Either take the entire family or wait until they invite you.

 

[popriv]

I agree with the thoughts of expecting a child not to miss their parents, and parents letting a grandparent take their child. Especially a just four year old. My grandson loves me, but without his parents it's a recipe for disaster. It's not a day outing, the little one could be an emotional mess. Either take the entire family or wait until they invite you.

Valid point but every child & relationship is different. in this case I don't think it will be a problem for Sienna or us…

 

[kbvancouver]

My husband and I took our granddaughter to DL for a 4 night trip when she was 4 1/2. It was an amazing trip for all 3 of us. You're right, every relationship is different. We had no problems with her missing mom and dad. We did call home each night when we got back to the hotel but honestly, that was more for her mom. If you're comfortable with taking her, go and you'll have a great time!!! I made a scrapbook of the trip for her and 3 years later, she still loves looking at it.

Her younger sister and brother are now old enough to go to DW too. We've reserved a two bedroom suite at the Beach Club Villas. We're taking her mom (our daughter), dad (son-in-law), sister and brother in December. Although we are going as a family, my husband and I plan on taking each of the kids by themselves for a couple hours. We love the one on one time with them. There's no fighting and they get to pick what they want to do.

 

[MandiC]

If you see her often I wouldn't imagine it will be an issue. Last year when we brought our older two to Disney the grandparents had our younger two, who were two and just turned 4, and they did wonderfully with grandma and grandpa who we see several times a month. They said sometimes they would need a little extra cuddle but that they did really well overall.

 

[Julylady]

We also successfully took my niece without her parents at age four. Her parents were in China picking up her new baby sister while we were vacationing! We prepared by having her stay overnight several times before the trip. We also took photos along of Mom and Dad and spoke to them often. She did great and had a wonderful time! And now we travel with both girls. Their parents have been to WDW with us, but amusement parks are not their thing. The girls are true Disney fanatics, though!

Edited to add: I would recommend staying at a resort that makes the trip the easiest for you and your wife physically. If you are struggling, your granddaughter will pick up on that. I would not stay at a value for the theming as she will already be on sensory overload. I would recommend a DVC studio as it may allow you to fix some simple meals in the villa. In my experience restaurants are difficult for small kids. They don't like to sit and wait. Even at ages 13 and 10, we only eat one restaurant meal at WDW each day.

I hope you have a great trip!!!

 

[popriv]

Trying to convince DD to come with us this trip. Her DH would stay home with the then 1year old DS.
I don't know which would be worse for DD? Us taking our 4 yr old GD with us to WDW or coming with us and leaving her 1yr old DS at home......

She is torn between taking this trip or just kaap saving for a whole family trip for them...
BUT, if another baby comes along, that could be a log time.

Am I correct that the room price is the same for 3 or 4 guests?
If so I,ve got the room $ covered, and I was going to pay for GD anyway so it shouldn't cost her to much...
Unfortunately I can't foot the whole bil. ( again )

I have no problem taking just our GD but would love to have her mommy around...

Steve