How do you become Family of the day?

[think-like-tink]

 

[TimPaulaDisney08]

There's no magic formula. It's mostly Mickey magic! Be there early (no ADR or you won't be picked), talk to the cast members, be nice. We were picked at MK in 9/08. Dh chatted to a CM for a whole AM while waiting well over an hour prior to park opening. We planned to come back the next day & the CM asked if we could be there really early for a surprise. We came back the next day & we got to open the park. It was an amazing experience!

You do have to be there very early--at least 1-2 hrs before park opening. I think we were there 1 1/2 hrs early.

 

[ChernabogGA]

There's no magic formula. It's mostly Mickey magic! Be there early (no ADR or you won't be picked), talk to the cast members, be nice. We were picked at MK in 9/08. Dh chatted to a CM for a whole AM while waiting well over an hour prior to park opening. We planned to come back the next day & the CM asked if we could be there really early for a surprise. We came back the next day & we got to open the park. It was an amazing experience!

You do have to be there very early--at least 1-2 hrs before park opening. I think we were there 1 1/2 hrs early.

What do you get to do as the Family of the Day?

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I can give information regarding the Magic Kingdom, only.

You have to show up before opening. In MK, they seem to pick the Family of the Day from the first few families hanging around the turnstiles on the left side of the opening gates. Of course, you must be cheerful and in a good mood. Talk with the CMs around the turnstiles, etc.

If you are picked, you get free autograph books and pens for the kids in the family. You then take the old-style fire engine from Main Street to the ToonTown station (before opening). You meet all of the characters that will be getting on the train with you, and get to have a picture taken with all of the characters.

This was us in 2006. It was our last day of vacation. Note that the characters will be different every day, but usually includes Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy.

Then you ride in on the train behind Mickey and get to throw confetti off the balcony as the CMs declare the park open.

Finally you get some more pictures taken with the Mayor of Main Street, USA and with Mickey, Minnie, and Donald. You get a certificate for a free 5x7 which you can use on one of the photos that was taken. And you get a certificate saying you were Family of the Day.

 

[think-like-tink]

Nice. Thanks for the info!!!!

 

[claryche]

I can give information regarding the Magic Kingdom, only.

You have to show up before opening. In MK, they seem to pick the Family of the Day from the first few families hanging around the turnstiles on the left side of the opening gates. Of course, you must be cheerful and in a good mood. Talk with the CMs around the turnstiles, etc.

If you are picked, you get free autograph books and pens for the kids in the family. You then take the old-style fire engine from Main Street to the ToonTown station (before opening). You meet all of the characters that will be getting on the train with you, and get to have a picture taken with all of the characters.

This was us in 2006. It was our last day of vacation. Note that the characters will be different every day, but usually includes Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy.

Then you ride in on the train behind Mickey and get to throw confetti off the balcony as the CMs declare the park open.

Finally you get some more pictures taken with the Mayor of Main Street, USA and with Mickey, Minnie, and Donald. You get a certificate for a free 5x7 which you can use on one of the photos that was taken. And you get a certificate saying you were Family of the Day.

Thanks for sharing. That is so cool, I didn't know you got to do all those things. Okay, it's now my mission. We were the first family at AK this last trip, but we had an ADR, so I guess that is part of the reason why we weren't family of the day there.

 

[Kitikat]

My advice is be there EARLY. Our family has been to WDW twice last yr and in both trips opened Epcot twice, AK once & MK once. I agree with PP about being early & talking to CM. We all wore matching shirts and anything Disney.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Wow that is really cool, and I love all the pictures. This past December my family got to be Family of the Day at Cape May Cafe....not as elaborate as one of the parks, but it was still fun. The way we got picked was that we were the first family to be seated in the restaurant. When they called our name, the CMs were yelling and congratulating us and then told our DDs to ring the bell to let everyone else know that the restaurant was opening. We then got a certificate saying we were the Family of the Day....we still talk about it to this day

 

[WDmommyof4]

M two oldest boys and I were family of the day at the MK on our last day of our trip last year. It happened completely by chance actually. We had a breakfast ADR at Ohana, but by the time we got to the MK to go to the monorail, we were already 10 minutes late. So, I asked the boys if they wanted to wait or try to still get into breakfast, they chose to wait and we were dancing and goofing around and ended up being approached by a wonderful CM. I do know the one requirement is that you absolutely have to be there super early, other than that it is all chance.

 

[disneylovin24]

The family is just picked randomly as soon as the MK opens. So if you want a chance you have to be there at rope drop. I also read somewhere they like to pick families in matching shirts, but they don't always.