Experience of WDW with 4yo

[2005michelle83]

Hello all and a happy new year

 

[EagleScout]

I am sure you will have a great time - here are a few general pointers (based on taking our "spirited" son at 2, 3 -along with his 3 yr old cousin, and again at 3.5), obviously others may have more info or I am happy to bore u with more details if you want by pm or if you provide more info/details. Before even giving tips, you are ahead of many b/c u are going at offpeak time- other than immediate vicinity of thanksgiving, nov pretty slow - so even if u are pretty poor planners, you will likely see more than all but top planners who come at peak times. Now, the specifics. First, remember, everything there will be new and fun, so judge your trip like olympic figure skating - you get points for what you do, you do not get demerits for anything you "skip," due to timing, tiredness, needing a break, whatever. Second, related to that, for a guy that age, many of the "fun" and new things for him will not necessarily need a line/fastpass/etc - for example, our guy loves swimming and we live up north, so it was a huge treat for him just to spend several hours on multiple days just playing at pool - most disney resorts have very nice pools, with certain being particularly noteworthy at each price level - and also nice for us too (by four, you might also consider blizzard beach, which has a big toddler play area). Also, our guy and his cousin loved the monorail and the mk train and the tomorrowland people mover - all which basically have no lines, and they both really liked the mickey stage show at mk -no lines, and the batb stage show at dhs - basically no lines. Third, do not be afraid of a bit of bribery/"tricks" that you might not do elsewhere, just to assure yourself and your kid and those around you of calm/fun, particularly during meals (others may disagree). We always carried spare batteries for our smartphone to ensure that our son and our nephew could watch shows during dinner if needed something. Finally, know your child and less is more - some rides/attractions- evdn ones geared for little ones - are loud, etc (like philharmagic), so know how he would react, and if approaching meal/nap/sleep time, go back to rule one, no demerits for "missing" a ride, but you will likely regret dramatic changes to schedules/meal times/etc if means a meltdown, etc.

 

[dprincessmom]

We are completely different from the PP. Schedule went out the window and we did everything we possibly could that first trip.

Know that there will be rides he will not be able to ride on. It could because you feel he is not ready or he is not tall enough. Make certain to not talk to him about rides and get him excited only to crush him with the safety restrictions later. The one meltdown we had on the first trip, was the older travelers in our party were tall enough for Primevil Whirl and she was too short. Heartbroken. That is now one of her favorite rides at AK. Space Mountain I was not ready for her to ride because of the seating (in a line, as opposed to side by side) so we didn't discuss with her.

Make sure that you always have snacks and drinks available. There are all kinds of foods available at WDW and sometimes that can be overwhelming for a less adventurous eater. Goldfish, crackers and granola bars are a staple in our park bag because it is familiar, will hold them over until the next meal and is always on hand.

Finally, NAPS. We don't typically nap at home unless we are sick but at WDW they are a must. Now mind you they are a must because we throw bed time out the window. If we take a nap in the afternoon, we head back to the park and shut it down (love EMH evening hours). We don't refer to these as NAPS though. We go back to the hotel for rest - quiet time, reading, etc which turns into a good 2 hour nap.

We are going again in May with our now 10 year old and this will still be the plan. Small snack in her bag and Naps

 

[EagleScout]

We are completely different from the PP. Schedule went out the window and we did everything we possibly could that first trip.

Know that there will be rides he will not be able to ride on. It could because you feel he is not ready or he is not tall enough. Make certain to not talk to him about rides and get him excited only to crush him with the safety restrictions later. The one meltdown we had on the first trip, was the older travelers in our party were tall enough for Primevil Whirl and she was too short. Heartbroken. That is now one of her favorite rides at AK. Space Mountain I was not ready for her to ride because of the seating (in a line, as opposed to side by side) so we didn't discuss with her.

Make sure that you always have snacks and drinks available. There are all kinds of foods available at WDW and sometimes that can be overwhelming for a less adventurous eater. Goldfish, crackers and granola bars are a staple in our park bag because it is familiar, will hold them over until the next meal and is always on hand.

Finally, NAPS. We don't typically nap at home unless we are sick but at WDW they are a must. Now mind you they are a must because we throw bed time out the window. If we take a nap in the afternoon, we head back to the park and shut it down (love EMH evening hours). We don't refer to these as NAPS though. We go back to the hotel for rest - quiet time, reading, etc which turns into a good 2 hour nap.

We are going again in May with our now 10 year old and this will still be the plan. Small snack in her bag and Naps

We definitely agree on the snacks - and regarding bedtimes, I also agree a bit of flexibility is good, and if your kids are clearly not sleeping anyway, might as well enjoy something. In any event, I think other poster is correct that the key is trying to be relaxed generally, which was sort of our theme -

 

[EricBowser]

The 4-year old will love it, just as you will.

Definitely try to keep to a schedule, doesn't have to be insane like I do but it helps to have an idea how you want to have fun for everyone, especially the little one.

First trip with our kids, they were 3 (daughter) and 6 (son).

Keys for us, ride the attractions they want to do early, take breaks and make sure there's a ride or something to do in the afternoon and evening that will keep them interested in order to take advantage of the whole day.

We've been lucky as both of our kids love riding anything. The first trip, we didn't tell them what Tower of Terror was and I have to tell you, it was the greatest surprise and hilarity ensued as my 3-yr old daughter was laughing "woohoo" while the 6-yr old boy was less than impressed, yelling.... "the horror" as we dropped a few stories.

Daughter wanted to ride it again, son.... well, not so much.

Making sure while you are taking those breaks, you stay hydrated. Definitely, if you can do it, bring a stroller and bag to store water bottles, snacks, and maybe a light jacket if the weather isn't boiling.

That first trip, we had mother-in-law with us and she had to use one of those electronic wheelchairs to get around, so having that helped with storage. Of course, not everyone gets to visit with grandma or pa.

 

[GoldieLocks5]

our twins were a month under 4yo last year when we went (also had a 6yo with us - all boys).

they loved it! The twins were still afraid of a lot of rides - but my older son was not at 5yo... it all depends on the kid. My older son went on Everest! while my younger sons were nervous on Dumbo, lol.

this summer they were more brave when we went to sesame place, so I'm thinking on our next trip they will want to do more rides.

stroller for sure!! All 3 of mine wanted to sit in the stroller a LOT - they get exhausted (I would sit in one if I could!).

 

[mslhb]

We took our DD at 4 and it was an awesome trip. We took our Maclaren stroller and are glad we did. It was nice having a place to store stuff. Also was nice to be able to maneuver through the crowds. At 4 my DD normally didn't nap at home but she did take a couple of quick naps in her stroller at Disney. One night she napped at Epcot and was nice just to stroll around the World Showcase and get a couple of drinks with DH! There is tons of stroller parking everywhere and bringing one turned out to be much less of a PITA then I expected. MK was definitely our favorite park and tons of stuff that DD loved. Epcot was a close second. I know some say there isn't much for little ones at this park but I thought there was tons of stuff that DD loved. AK and HS were our least favorite parks and we only spent half a day a teach. We aren't big show people though. Again I thought age 4 was a perfect time to go and hope you have a magical trip!

 

[JAMIESMITH]

My daughter was four on our first trip. It was a great age for her introduction to Disney World! She remembers a lot from the trip. She enjoyed meeting characters. We probably won't do character meals next time because the food is just not as good, but we had great character experiences at Akershus and Crystal Palace.

She met the height restrictions to ride everything except Expedition Everest, Primevil Whirl, Space Mountain, Rockin Roller Coaster, and Mission Space. I did not let her ride Tower of Terror despite her being tall enough. We also skipped It's Tough to be a Bug. I didn't think she would do well. She loved everything she rode except Dinosaur. She didn't cry, but I could tell she didn't like it!

We only used a stroller on our last day, but probably should have used one every day.

We did end up taking afternoon breaks. We stayed at the Poly so it was convenient to do so. When I was planning I thought this was silly, but once you're there with a preschooler a break starts to seem like a good idea!

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[wiigirl]

We definitely agree on the snacks - and regarding bedtimes, I also agree a bit of flexibility is good, and if your kids are clearly not sleeping anyway, might as well enjoy something. In any event, I think other poster is correct that the key is trying to be relaxed generally, which was sort of our theme -

 

[rillsung]

Schedule goes out the window for us as well. We were just there over Christmas with our 3 girls, almost 7, 4.5 and turned 2 on our trip. They might nap some in the stroller, but we typically do not take the time to go back to the resort to nap. We leave the room around noon or 1pm and stay till closing (or 10-11pm) We LOVED the new Fastpass+ because it actually allowed us to ride things we normally can't because we get there long after the legacy fast passes are gone (like the Safari and Toy Story Mania). We usually carry small snacks (but this year we ended up buying snacks all the time instead). I think this year was harder because the almost 7yr old got tired (and sick...) but really was too big for the stroller.

 

[Canooknic]

We took our boys for the first time last February when they were 4 and it was magical!! They truly were Disney poster children - not a single meltdown, tantrum or demand the entire trip.

DH and I have been to WDW several times and we agreed that the trip was all about the boys so we went at their pace (including riding Buzz 4 times in a row!!). We mostly kept our home schedule (which worked because of the 2 hour time difference, staying up 'late' was just their normal bedtime!). They didn't nap, but don't at home either but if they had needed a break we would have taken one.

Getting lots of rest and plenty of snacks & drinks are definitely the key to success!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Our four year old son's favorite things about our trip? Playing with his two cousins who we brought along (they were 9 and 11). And swimming in the hotel pool.

 

[librarymom2007]

We first took DD when she was 4.5. It was a blast. She loved it. We didn't take a stroller. She was a champ and barely complained about walking and when she did my DH carried her. She no longer napped then so that wasn't an issue. It was a magical trip, I hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[2005michelle83]

Thank you all for your replies, they have been lovely to read.

I'm definitely going to take it slow and not rush round at our usually pace. When we did DLP in 2012 it was so quiet that we didn't need to rush around then although, DS was only just 2 so still relied on the stroller for naps.

I'm getting very excited!!

I have drawn up a rough plan for the two weeks, but by this I just mean which parks on which days because we are hoping to do SeaWorld and DC plus US. Also, my MIL is only spending the first week with us, so we need a rough plan to make sure she gets to do the bits that she would like to do.

I'm very pleased I upgraded the DDP, I have been looking at all the menus...mmmmm.... there are so many places that I probably never even considered before, because we would have been on a bit of a food budget!

I'm still in two minds about the stroller rental though? Our DS still loves his sleep so, as it stands, I think having one would be a good idea. I just don't like the constant in the stroller, out the stroller....! I think it worked out over $100 for the two weeks through orlando stroller rentals. Do Disney have them onsite to hire? Jus wondering whether I could do it on a daily basis?

 

[disney*mom*82]

We have 4 children and we have been to WDW several times with children of all ages. I dont think we have every been to WDW without a stroller. I always bring my own. At 4, my children mainly rode in the stroller at WDW, between the crowds, the heat, and trying to get somewhere quicker, it was just the best thing for us. Not to mention, it is so much easier to put your bag of snacks, water, camera bag, etc on there. My children also could nap in the stroller if needed. Our now 6 year old has endurance issues and gets worn out super fast, so a stroller is still necessary for her and she still has to nap.

And yes, WDW does have daily stroller rentals in the parks. These do not appear very comfortable and are just hard plastic. I wouldnt use them, but many other ppl do. If you dont think you will need one much, this could be a decent option.

At 4 my children all loved WDW! With having the DDP, make sure you make your reservations early as many prime locations book up quickly. If your child likes characters, look into some character meals, our favorite is Chef Mickeys breakfast.

Im a big planner and knowing what park you will be at each day is important and that will help you make your dining decisions early enough.

Defiantly take snacks, drinks and sunblock and a camera! Have fun!

 

[yanks1417]

We took our DD at 4 and it was an awesome trip. We took our Maclaren stroller and are glad we did. It was nice having a place to store stuff. Also was nice to be able to maneuver through the crowds. At 4 my DD normally didn't nap at home but she did take a couple of quick naps in her stroller at Disney. One night she napped at Epcot and was nice just to stroll around the World Showcase and get a couple of drinks with DH! There is tons of stroller parking everywhere and bringing one turned out to be much less of a PITA then I expected. MK was definitely our favorite park and tons of stuff that DD loved. Epcot was a close second. I know some say there isn't much for little ones at this park but I thought there was tons of stuff that DD loved. AK and HS were our least favorite parks and we only spent half a day a teach. We aren't big show people though. Again I thought age 4 was a perfect time to go and hope you have a magical trip!

Going with my DD who will be 2 and my niece who is 4...definitely bringing the Maclaren!

 

[Mightybee987]

We carried our 4 year old to Disney this past Oct. It was a great age to take him. He was able ride most every thing he wanted to besides Primeval Whirl. He rode rides that his 10 year old brother would not ride. We carried our stroller and he used it most of the time. We were glad to have it to put our backpack of snacks and drinks in the bottom storage. I would definitely take the stroller the next time we go.