1st Trip w/kids 2&6 Ideas Needed

[K4MAN]

We have only been once and that was before children. Planning on taking them in a few weeks. Ideas for there age must see suggestions........... DO they both need to be in costume like one day for the whole day do you take them a change of clothes? My dd 6 loves Snow White any special places or things to do to see her/
TIA
Kim
So confused..............

 

[Alex2kMommy]

So much depends on the gender, interests and personalities of your kids!

We went last fall for the first time, with DS6 and DS2. DS6 was nervous about meeting characters until I told him they were just people in costumes. (I did warn him not to mention this to anyone else, since we didn't want to ruin it for others, especially DS2.) Thought he was OK then, but when we got to the park and met our first few characters, he refused to meet them and get photo/autographs. He knew I was going to make him his very own scrapbook, so I said casually, "Gee, I don't know what I'm going to put in your book. But DS2 is going to have LOTS of pictures and autographs in his." (Yes, it did work, and he also seemed to forget our little secret when he was 'in the moment'. )

DS2, on the other hand, vaulted himself into Goofy's arms when we saw him right after check-in at the DLH. He was the one we thought might be afraid, but it was quite the opposite.

Thought the kids might be worried about dark rides, even the tame ones, but no problems there. In fact, DS6's first ride was Splash Mountain, against my better judgment, but this turned out to be his favorite ride. DS2's favorite was Winnie the Pooh.

I realized, one hot afternoon as we were standing in a long line to meet Ariel, that we seemed to be the only ones with little boys in line to meet princesses. I felt slightly guilty, but my boys didn't even seem to notice, and in fact the princesses seemed to give them extra attention (perhaps because they are a rarity.) They loved meeting, talking with and hugging the pretty princesses!

I understand the menu for children has changed a bit since our trip (to offer healthier sides and desserts.) We did let our boys choose their own meals, so each of them had mac & cheese once a day. I figured, "It's vacation, and DS6 is picky anyway, so let them have what they want." We were hard-pressed to find any fruits or veggies for them, so often brought it in as a snack or purchased a fruit plate as well.

We did not go to the princess meal in DCA, but that might be an option for you with DD6. Also, the Princess Fantasy Faire is a way to see lots of princesses at once, though I've heard mixed reviews that the lines are very long. Club Libby Lu (DTD) might be worth checking out if your DD would like having hair and make-up done like a princess.

Mid-day break at the hotel is probably a good idea to plan on. We didn't do this every day (sometimes DS2 fell asleep in the stroller, and then we just walked around or went someplace shady & quiet, like Court des Anges.) If we went to the hotel, DH and DS2 napped while DS6 and I hit the pool or did some other activity. One day DS2 didn't nap, and we went to Tom Sawyer Island to let them run around. (This will be closed for your trip, but you could go to the Redwood Creek Trail in DCA and do the same.)

I also wish we'd been able to see the Aladdin Musical. We heard such raves about it, and were so disappointed that it was closed during our trip. Do see this Broadway-quality production if you get the chance! Also the parades and fireworks are phenomenal!

Oh, and one more tip: My kids got a serious case of the 'gimmees' when they saw all the souvenirs and toys to buy. Before the trip I'd given each child some Disney Dollars to use as they wished, but I warned that once it was gone, no more. (What I really intended was to buy them something if WE felt like it.) It worked pretty well, except that DS6 found a really annoying toy that drives me nuts to this day! I tried to get DS to wait at least a day or two into the trip before blowing his money, but he just couldn't stand it, so we let him get it the next day. Be smarter than I was! Reserve the right of refusal, and check the toy out beforehand so you know if it's really obnoxious!

The park is so absolutely amazing, so I know you will have a fantastic time. Enjoy!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

DO they both need to be in costume like one day for the whole day do you take them a change of clothes? My dd 6 loves Snow White any special places or things to do to see her.

Sorry, forgot about costumes!

I would recommend buying a costume before the trip. The ones in the park are very expensive! Of course you can find them in the Disney Store or online Disney. There was a website I found that had more comfortable costumes at a more reasonable price. I believe it's dressupclothesforkids.com. There are probably others as well.

If it were me, I don't think I'd have my child running around the park all day in a costume. I wouldn't want to ruin the costume, or hamper my child's play. Definitely wear it to a character meal or something special, but bring a change of clothes for when she gets tired of it. Also, I've seen girls with lots of pretty shoes - Again, fine for a particular event, but not practical for all day. I've also seen little girls with the princes dress and tennies; cute, and far more practical IMO.

I so loved seeing all the little princesses around the park, they're so adorable! I didn't see too many boys dressed up, but I've read of people dressing up boys to be Peter Pan or Capt. Jack. If I could come up with a lightweight, comfortable costume for one/both my boys, and of course if they were willing, I'd do it! The kids love the attention they get, from both other guests and from the characters themselves.

 

[bjsmom]

The character meals gives your kids a chance to meet the charcters without a line of kids behind them. My DS6 was nervous at first, but at our first Character meal he enjoyed the "private time". The Dark rides were not his favorite. We will be skipping them in June. I went to the dollar tree and picked up some disney items for Tinkerbelle to deliver. (I got this from another thread) I also bought those extra small waters called aqua pod, they were easy to carry. Bring your kids extra shoes in case theirs get wet.

 

[leslie_537]

We went last year when DD was 3 1/2 and DS 8 months. DD is tall (at 3 1/2 42.5 inches) and could ride everything but Indiana Jones and California Screamin. Let me tell you she is a total junkie for the rides. Even the tower of terror. She was disappointed last year I did not let her dress up. I told her this year she could. We have 2 Halloween Costumes that still fit her. Tinkerbelle and Sleeping Beauty. She is so excited but she will have to wear tennis shoes for sure. I have already explained this and she can't wear the crown, I think it would be a headache of keeping it on and stuff. But I told her one of the days we would go to Club Libby in DTD in the morning to get her all dolled up. She is so excited for that too.

 

[TeamTnC]

You ask some great questions and will get some great ideas from this board. We had similar age chidlren the first time we went, DS 6 and DD 3 so I can relate to your questions. For us, a break mid-day was a must. DD still napped and like someone else said, DS and I would go to the pool while she napped. THe second day, we all took a nap and this really made a difference. We never dealt with tired and screaming kids at all.

The other piece of advice I could offer, would be ride the rides early in the day, EE everyday you can, and then in the afternoons, go see the shows and watch the parades and fireworks. We avoided riding rides in the afternoon due to the length of the lines. My kids hate waiting, so we did all the shows and stuff in the afternoon. This also gave them time to relax and not have to push so hard running from ride to ride.

Some of the dark rides, Mr. Toad, scared my older one. Then he was afraid to ride anything for a while. Read as muich as you can befroe hand on here and learn what happens on certain rides so you can prepare them if they are afraid. This year, DS now 7, is looking forward to Mr. Toad and even said he will go on Haunted Mansion and Pirates, but we'll see. I still think he is all talk.

Last but not least, Have fun! Just take things as they come, they will have a time of their life and be on . You will always remember the smile on their faces and that is all that matters.

Have a great trip and just follow the tips and tricks you'll read on here.

 

[NotSoLittleMermaid]

My niece was just there w/her DD5 and DS1. DD loved the Bug's Land area in DCA. The rides there are really nice for little ones and I don't hear people talk about it much. She also liked the Brother Bear totem ceremony and the redwood trail play area. In DL she loved Winnie The Pooh, Toontown, the DL railroad, IASW, the teacups and Dumbo. But she also liked some of the fast rides like the Matterhorn and Space Mt., so she's not a shriking violet! Interestingly, she didn't like the fireworks so much (too loud) except, of course, for Tinker Bell. The only dark ride they took her on was Peter Pan--felt the others would be too scary. She didn't dress up (I doubt she was given the option), but did get her face painted at the PFF, which she loved. The line for the princesses was 1.5 hours, so they didn't attempt that and she never knew what she was missing. They felt that the Plaza Inn character breakfast was a good deal in that she saw many characters without having to wait in line.

Hope this helps!

 

[ShawnaF]

We started taking our daughter at 1 year for her birthday and took her again for 2nd birthday in October and then again in Feb. and April of this year. My daughter is NOT shy, not one little bit. We also took 4 other kids this past February aged 11 mos., 3 years, 5 years, and 7 years. We have never put any of the kids in costume (I agree with the other poster about hampering the play and the heat in a few weeks might be too much as well) for the day but we did do it for the Halloween party of course. The 3 year old in February did dress up for the Princess lunch at Ariel's, but we did take her costume off shortly after the lunch. My 2 year old wouldn't wear hers.

I highly recommend character meals and several. While my child isn't shy, my niece and nephews are VERY shy. At the first character meal we couldn't get any pics of them with the characters, but by the 2nd and 3rd when the kids knew what to expect, things were great! The 3 year old girl LOVED the Princess lunch the best. I would recommend that for your daughter at the very least.

If you want to post about your kid's preferences and interests, we all might have better suggestions for you! Is your 2 year old shy at all? Had any other experience with characters anywhere?

We also got the Disneyland Sing Along Songs, It's a Small World DVD before our first trip and watched it a lot before Morgan's 1st birthday trip. She got to see some DL things and saw the characters. I do credit that video with the ease of our first trip.