10 Year old girl *First Time at DIsney*

[Later_Mater2009]

Ok Disers... mothers and fathers of 10 year old girls... my niece is coming with us to disney this fall.... it has been my dream to bring her. I have boys, so I dont know what the girls are into really. She doesnt come from a "disney" family. I believe she just saw Snow White for the first time when she came over to spend the night at Christmas. We havent been since 2009 so some things have changed. She loves Little Pet Shop, and animals so AK is a must do, I cannot WAIT to see all that through her eyes. Do yall have any suggestions ? She is so new, I dont want to overwhelm her but at the same time, I feel she has some catching up to do.. LOL

 

[mesaboy2]

Ok Disers... mothers and fathers of 10 year old girls... my niece is coming with us to disney this fall.... it has been my dream to bring her. I have boys, so I dont know what the girls are into really. She doesnt come from a "disney" family. I believe she just saw Snow White for the first time when she came over to spend the night at Christmas. We havent been since 2009 so some things have changed. She loves Little Pet Shop, and animals so AK is a must do, I cannot WAIT to see all that through her eyes. Do yall have any suggestions ? She is so new, I dont want to overwhelm her but at the same time, I feel she has some catching up to do.. LOL

If you're not overwhelming a 10yo at Disney, you're not doing it right.

In my opinion, no special preparation is required. Go and have fun.

 

[prisjoyce]

Hi! I have a 10 year old daughter, so hopefully I can help. The obvious first question is: is she still into Princesses? My daughter isn't, but she may be. That would make character meets & meals important. She may also want to see Tink, Mary Poppins, etc.

At this age, my daughter loves roaming through the shops. She enjoys looking at all the merchandise & occasionally will find a "must have". Last trip it was a pink ball cap. She also LOVED Pick a Pearl at Epcot. This made her feel very big girl & special.

We also spend a lot of time oohing and ahhing. She appreciates all the neat theming & hidden surprises, though some of the more kitschy stuff is boring & produces eye rolls.

I've also found that including her in planning decisions (what to ride next, pool or more park time, etc) makes for a happier day.

My suggestion is to find out some of your nieces must-dos & interests and go from there. Maybe purchase her a lanyard & pins before the trip, and let her have some input.

I hope you have a great time!

 

[Later_Mater2009]

If you're not overwhelming a 10yo at Disney, you're not doing it right. In my opinion, no special preparation is required. Go and have fun.

haha I know I know... but she is so sheltered... I dont want her to get sick or something..

 

[Later_Mater2009]

Hi! I have a 10 year old daughter, so hopefully I can help. The obvious first question is: is she still into Princesses? My daughter isn't, but she may be. That would make character meets & meals important. She may also want to see Tink, Mary Poppins, etc. At this age, my daughter loves roaming through the shops. She enjoys looking at all the merchandise & occasionally will find a "must have". Last trip it was a pink ball cap. She also LOVED Pick a Pearl at Epcot. This made her feel very big girl & special. We also spend a lot of time oohing and ahhing. She appreciates all the neat theming & hidden surprises, though some of the more kitschy stuff is boring & produces eye rolls. I've also found that including her in planning decisions (what to ride next, pool or more park time, etc) makes for a happier day. My suggestion is to find out some of your nieces must-dos & interests and go from there. Maybe purchase her a lanyard & pins before the trip, and let her have some input. I hope you have a great time!

Thank you, she is not into princesses but I dont think she was ever given the chance. She says shes a tomboy.. but I dont know she wears a lot of pink.LOL I know she knows who tinkerbell is... but I dont think she knows who Mary Poppins is. Next time she is over I am going to see if we can watch it together.. Good idea about the shopping.. I thought pick a pearl would be good too and I will have to research that one. OH and one more thing, its a surprise trip... so she can help make some plans when we get there.. LOL
I was wondering if she would like BBB or the Pirate league thing.. which do you think? When she comes over to my house she likes me to paint her nails so I know she likes that kind of thing.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

Ok Disers... mothers and fathers of 10 year old girls... my niece is coming with us to disney this fall.... it has been my dream to bring her. I have boys, so I dont know what the girls are into really. She doesnt come from a "disney" family. I believe she just saw Snow White for the first time when she came over to spend the night at Christmas. We havent been since 2009 so some things have changed. She loves Little Pet Shop, and animals so AK is a must do, I cannot WAIT to see all that through her eyes. Do yall have any suggestions ? She is so new, I dont want to overwhelm her but at the same time, I feel she has some catching up to do.. LOL

Three words, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
The cast members she interacts with, for as long as her hair and makeup are still holding up, will address her as princess. My daughter has done it twice and both times her smiles almost made me tear up. It does take about an hour and a half of your time so plan wisely.

 

[Later_Mater2009]

Three words, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique The cast members she interacts with, for as long as her hair and makeup are still holding up, will address her as princess. My daughter has done it twice and both times her smiles almost made me tear up. It does take about an hour and a half of your time so plan wisely.

Thank you Im looking for that moment for her too !!

 

[jimmymouse69]

My daughter LOVED pin trading the years she was 10 and 12 and had so much fun looking for pins and talking with the cast members. Sounds like you are in for a lot of fun!!!

 

[Alesia]

Three words, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
The cast members she interacts with, for as long as her hair and makeup are still holding up, will address her as princess. My daughter has done it twice and both times her smiles almost made me tear up. It does take about an hour and a half of your time so plan wisely.

Not necessarily.

I tried to talk my (then) 9 year old daughter into doing BBB, but she wasn't particularly interested. The first time she saw one of the girls who had done it, she turned to me and said, "Thank you for not making me do that."

Make sure that you're choosing things that she will like, not things that you want her to like.

 

[prisjoyce]

Thank you, she is not into princesses but I dont think she was ever given the chance. She says shes a tomboy.. but I dont know she wears a lot of pink.LOL I know she knows who tinkerbell is... but I dont think she knows who Mary Poppins is. Next time she is over I am going to see if we can watch it together.. Good idea about the shopping.. I thought pick a pearl would be good too and I will have to research that one. OH and one more thing, its a surprise trip... so she can help make some plans when we get there.. LOL I was wondering if she would like BBB or the Pirate league thing.. which do you think? When she comes over to my house she likes me to paint her nails so I know she likes that kind of thing.

My daughter is between a tomboy & a girly girl, in that she likes to do a little of both. Sounds like your niece may be the same. I would recommend BBB...maybe one of the less involved packages.

Last trip (Oct) my daughter wasn't into the character meals but enjoyed our meal at California Grill. She enjoyed the atmosphere & felt fancy. ;-)

Since it's a surprise, you could buy her a lanyard & get some fun pins...my daughter likes the character cupcakes, the nerds & some of her fave characters. I would suggest leaving a little free time that she can help you plan...Tweens love to feel important. Ha!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My oldest daughter was 11 on her first trip. While she enjoyed MK and some things at DHS, AK was her favorite followed closely by both water parks and then Epcot.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

Not necessarily.

I tried to talk my (then) 9 year old daughter into doing BBB, but she wasn't particularly interested. The first time she saw one of the girls who had done it, she turned to me and said, "Thank you for not making me do that."

Make sure that you're choosing things that she will like, not things that you want her to like.

Think before you respond! First of all I would never FORCE my children to do something they don't want to do, besides go to school and do their homework. When you read my post did you read the part about her SMILES! I know my daughter and knew she would love it. I'm sure the OP knows whehter her niece is a girly girl or a tomboy. Not to mention if the little girl got to BBB and did not want to do it I am absolutely sure the OP, having read her post and knowing she wants to create the best experience she can for her niece, would have said "OK we don't have to do this we can find something else to do. Don't assume, ever!

 

[Alesia]

Think before you respond! First of all I would never FORCE my children to do something they don't want to do, besides go to school and do their homework. When you read my post did you read the part about her SMILES! I know my daughter and knew she would love it. I'm sure the OP knows whehter her niece is a girly girl or a tomboy. Not to mention if the little girl got to BBB and did not want to do it I am absolutely sure the OP, having read her post and knowing she wants to create the best experience she can for her niece, would have said "OK we don't have to do this we can find something else to do. Don't assume, ever!

Good lord! I wasn't saying that your daughter didn't enjoy it; I was saying that not every girl does. That is why I said, "Not necessarily" instead of, "No child has ever enjoyed this."

I didn't miss the part about the smiles, and I have no doubt that your daughter (as well as countless other girls) loved this experience. I also know that my daughter (as well as many other girls) wouldn't have. I was simply providing a counter point.

 

[williamscm3]

I have a 10 year old tomboyish but also likes pink niece too lol and if I were choosing for her it would be pirates league. It's a lot of fun in there with all the pirate talk and banter between the CM's and I saw lots of little girls inside when we went. They have a cute mermaid package with some glittery face paint and a little side braid that I think most girls that age would enjoy. They also have an "empress" makeover but I'm not 100% sure what that entails. My niece would laugh at me if I took her to BBB(but that's just her!) Either way I'm sure you guys will have a great time!

Oh...and you can even do pirates league with her!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

The problem with children not raised in a "Disney" home is that they simply aren't connected to the characters. The Disney cartoon characters are one thing - who can see Pooh or Mickey and not smile? But the princesses? Children not raised in a Disney home would not be able to tell one from another. They would all look the same - like people dressed up in fancy clothes with lots of makeup.

We have taken several nieces and nephews (and friends of our children) over the years. We have found it helpful to try and immerse them in Disney before the trip. Indoctrinate them, if you will, with the Disney spirit by having them watch Disney movies that they have not seen. Movies like Lion King, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella - you get the idea.

A day or two watching that stuff followed closely by a trip to WDW and you will have a convert on your hands.

 

[Nancyg56]

If you're not overwhelming a 10yo at Disney, you're not doing it right.

In my opinion, no special preparation is required. Go and have fun.

LOL!

Not necessarily.

.

I agree. My DGD, at ten, would have preferred to chew glass and die before dressing in any Princess getup and getting her hair done. I know that she is unique, but before scheduling this activity, I would show the child a video. 10 YO girls are pretty self-conscious, so I would think about that aspect.

My DGD has been a pin trader for years, and she loves this, but I would also look at Epcot, the "impossible" missions. I forget the name they go by now, but Kady did them when they were Kim P and that last one, ( what the heck is it called???) and the whole family had a ball!

I would schedule a few character meals, beginning with Chef Mickey on arrival day. No matter how a kid feels about character meet and greets, this is a really fun way to kick start the trip. We would use the monorail as am "introduction" to our trip, so maybe an overview, including the Epcot loop, and a visit to CM would be a nice way to see how she is going to feel about WDW.

I think that the meal at 1900 PF with Cinderella and the Steps is fun too. You do not have to be a Disney Geek to enjoy the sisters and Lady Tremaine.

DHS is a fun place for tweens as well. There are attractions that while Disney related, are not all characters all the time. The Muppet show, and the Great Movie ride, Tower of Terror and Fantasmic all made my DGD laugh. She had seen the Beauty and the Beast show many times by that age, so we skipped it the last few trips, but I bet a 10 YO would love it for the first time, and there is no need to be familiar with the movie It is a play, and pretty well done.

One of the biggest misconceptions about WDW is that you need to know all about Disney in order to enjoy the experience. I do not agree. If you can, watch the movies, and see how she feels, but no matter what, she will have a great time.

 

[Later_Mater2009]

My daughter LOVED pin trading the years she was 10 and 12 and had so much fun looking for pins and talking with the cast members. Sounds like you are in for a lot of fun!!!

we ordered a bunch off ebay a while back and we gave her all the minnie and tinkerbell ones... she LOVES them, she keeps the on her bag and carries around like her purse... I think this will be a hit!! Thank you SO much I am so thankful for the input.

 

[Later_Mater2009]

Not necessarily.

I tried to talk my (then) 9 year old daughter into doing BBB, but she wasn't particularly interested. The first time she saw one of the girls who had done it, she turned to me and said, "Thank you for not making me do that."

Make sure that you're choosing things that she will like, not things that you want her to like.

I believe they have an option like to just do hair and nails and makeup? I know she would like that, but the dressing up and all I think/feel she is outgrown.. THEN there is always the pirate thing... how can i drop subtle hints without her knowing..and find out which she would like. She doesnt have makeup..but loves me to paint her nails.. ??

 

[Later_Mater2009]

Think before you respond! First of all I would never FORCE my children to do something they don't want to do, besides go to school and do their homework. When you read my post did you read the part about her SMILES! I know my daughter and knew she would love it. I'm sure the OP knows whehter her niece is a girly girl or a tomboy. Not to mention if the little girl got to BBB and did not want to do it I am absolutely sure the OP, having read her post and knowing she wants to create the best experience she can for her niece, would have said "OK we don't have to do this we can find something else to do. Don't assume, ever!

Dont worry, its ok, I know what you meant AND anyone who has a girl in their life learns to be flexible... one day she may and one days she may not.. like the wind... LOL No worries deep breath, and I dont think they meant anything against you or your child and wanting to do BBB...

 

[Later_Mater2009]

LOL!


I agree. My DGD, at ten, would have preferred to chew glass and die before dressing in any Princess getup and getting her hair done. I know that she is unique, but before scheduling this activity, I would show the child a video. 10 YO girls are pretty self-conscious, so I would think about that aspect.

My DGD has been a pin trader for years, and she loves this, but I would also look at Epcot, the "impossible" missions. I forget the name they go by now, but Kady did them when they were Kim P and that last one, ( what the heck is it called???) and the whole family had a ball!

I would schedule a few character meals, beginning with Chef Mickey on arrival day. No matter how a kid feels about character meet and greets, this is a really fun way to kick start the trip. We would use the monorail as am "introduction" to our trip, so maybe an overview, including the Epcot loop, and a visit to CM would be a nice way to see how she is going to feel about WDW.

I think that the meal at 1900 PF with Cinderella and the Steps is fun too. You do not have to be a Disney Geek to enjoy the sisters and Lady Tremaine.

DHS is a fun place for tweens as well. There are attractions that while Disney related, are not all characters all the time. The Muppet show, and the Great Movie ride, Tower of Terror and Fantasmic all made my DGD laugh. She had seen the Beauty and the Beast show many times by that age, so we skipped it the last few trips, but I bet a 10 YO would love it for the first time, and there is no need to be familiar with the movie It is a play, and pretty well done.

One of the biggest misconceptions about WDW is that you need to know all about Disney in order to enjoy the experience. I do not agree. If you can, watch the movies, and see how she feels, but no matter what, she will have a great time.

THANK YOU very much!! and how did you know we were doing Chef mickeys on our arrival day?? LOL She loves animals so I want her to see the Safari and stuff, I think she will love that..