4yo NOT excited

[ontario2orlando]

This might sound crazy and I'm wondering if our 4yo is the only 4yo in the world not excited about going to Disney. We watched the plaaning DvD, watched some videos of rides online, and positively encourage in case it is just a nervous reaction. Still, he's not excited about pirates or cars or mickey. He says he'll stay home with a sitter! We're way more excited than he is. Could it be that he just doesn't get the idea of the experience? Thanks.

 

[daisyduck123]

He just totally doesn't get the idea.
Don't worry...he'll be THRILLED when he gets there.

I know you want him to revel in the pre-trip excitement...but you'll just have to "revel" without him. He'll "get it" when he gets there.

**I bet if he were to hear some other kids rambling on about how wonderful it all is, THEN he would get excited.

 

[christa112]

A word of advise for you. We went for the first time almost 3 yrs ago with 3 children (1.5 yrs, 6, yrs & 4 yrs). We made the mistake of not going to MK until the 3rd day. Though my kids my kids like Animal Kingdom & Epcot, they were not really impressed until we went to MK. My kids love rides and Epcot)and Animal Kingdom have a few rides, but no where near what MK has for your sons age. Keep that in mind when planning on where you are going.

 

[ontario2orlando]

We are guessing and hoping that the little guy will be ramped up once we get there. Of course, we just might get what we ask for and he'll be too ramped up and then we'll be wishing he'd calm down.

Mk our very first day is just a must. We couldn't imagine going anywhere else.

 

[Perditamarie]

Don't forget to tell him about the pool and swimming!!!! I am sure he will be over the moon once you get there!

 

[tmarquez]

Has he stayed in a hotel before? Did he like it? If so...you might want to talk about that. We are going on vacation to Disney and they have a cooool hotel that has...blah blah blah. My DD loves staying at any hotel and I think it's easier for them to get excited about something they have already experienced than something they know nothing about.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

My 3 year old has never been to WDW. He's never been on any vacation really. We're leaving on Friday, and he's more excited than the rest of us.

He talks about it every day. He talks about riding Dumbo and the teacups. I have one of those Behind the Scenes shows about WDW recorded, and he loves to watch it every morning.

But I think the difference is his big brother. My other son (8) went a few years ago, and he'll still haul out pictures and souvenirs from our trip back then. And he hears us and his brother talking about how much fun it is.

I don't think you'll have a problem with him not being excited once you get there, though.

 

[danx2plus3more]

my son was 3 when we went almost 4...he was excited..we played in the parks the first day and when we got back to the resort ready for bed he wanted to go home...the next 6 days all he said is he wanted to go home...not all the time but we heard it at least once a day..he was having a good time he just wanted to go home...so day 7 we check out of the resort..on our way to universal then and guess what ...he wanted to go to disney world..he will be 5 this year and we are going back in sept..he doesnt know it yet..but he says he wants to go now all the time

 

[minkydog]

I'm guessing you have a perfectly normal little 4yo homebody Lots of kids this age don't like change. The ride videos may be a bit overwhelming to him, too. I would suggest that you try out some of the Sing Along DVDs so he can get used to the music and cartoons. Be advised, he may not like the characters at this age. Mine didn't. Too big, too scary, to much "not like home.

Take a few of his favorite books and toys to keep in your hotel room so when you have a little down time he has familiar things. Take a little pillow from home too--if you have a small travel pillow, have him start sleeping with it now so it will smell like home.

Kids love WDW, but they also love to play in the pool and run around on a playground and dig in sand. See if you can fit some of that in while you're there. Even just sitting around eating a popsicle will be fun at Disney World.

Think of this trip not as your Dream Trip, but as your First of Many Trips. Whatever you don't get to this time, you'll pick up next time. Enjoy your trip and try not to over-plan.

 

[autumnbaby9]

My dd wasn't too thrilled with WDW when we went while she was 4. She didn't like the characters or any of the rides (she threw a fit over IASW ). The only thing she wanted to do was buy suvi's in the shops and eat ice cream mickey heads.

Because of this, when I went to DL in 2006 I didn't take her. I didn't feel like spending the money on her flight and park ticket and end up with another situation like before. Man did this piss her off .

After that trip she started begging to go back.

 

[hoosiergirl7]

Each child is different. Our son has been flying on airplanes since he was a month old, thanks to being stationed with the military in CA and having family in the midwest. We are no longer in CA but we still fly a lot to see family.

Our son asks on a fairly regular basis if we're going to the airport to get on an airplane. He loves to fly.

This being said too, my son has stayed in a lot of hotels as well and is OK with being a homebody but also is happy to go wherever you are willing to take him.

He was just shy of 3 the first time we went to WDW. Surprisingly he still remembers bits and pieces of the trip. It also helps that he has pictures that remind him too. But I am amazed at how much he does remember. We are going in April and he is excited, but that's because he's been before and remembers it. The first time we went, he didn't have a clue and just wasn't excited the way we were. Now, I think he's as excited if not more excited than we are. I'm probably as equally excited as he is because I always get excited when we go to see the Mouse.

You might want to watch the planning DVD a few times as you wait to depart on your trip. He just might get excited. And like several other people said, some kids just don't get it until they are there.

Good luck!

 

[TheDizMom]

I would suggest doing some things at home like a count down chart, Disney movie nights, buying some new toys just for the trip down and back that will kind of get him into the spirit of things before you go down. Try a copy of Birnbaum's WDW for kids book. It will show him lots of pictures, have fun facts, things about each ride and some ideas of things kids can do before their trip. It might help get him more excited.

I would also agree with the OP that you should definitely do MK first. Start with some easy rides like the Carousel and Small World to get him into it slowly. I would be shocked if he didn't get into it once he gets there.

 

[annie1995]

The first trip we made my youngest son at the time was 5, he so wasn't into the idea of going. He just didn't get it. He loves it now. It's crazy how much we talk about it as a family now LOL

 

[jenseib]

We took our DD last year. She was 2 then. She never got into the planning video. She did love Mickey mouse clubhouse though. She had never been anywhere, and hate pools at that point. But I knew she would have a good time. She had a fabulous time. She loved the characters, which we though for sure she wouldn't. She swam and now loves to go in a pool. She totally changed over that vacation. She now watches the planning dvd all the time and asks her dad to go back all the time as well.

 

[tadamom]

I am almost positive that once he gets there, the excitement will hit and not leave!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ontario2orlando]

We think ya'll are right. We'll just ease into rides and the ones we don't get to, then we'll be forced to go back again in the future. This will be hard to remember once we are there. We plan to use TPs as a guideline and just soak up the atmostphere as best we can.

 

[Grand Canyon]

Our children have all gone to WDW from the age of three months on. We missed it one year when we went to Costa Rica. Our sons were adamant they wanted to go to Disney when we got back from that trip.
My 2yo DD loves Mickey and the Disney characters. She will have nothing to do with the princesses, though. We can only figure it's the competition.
She talks about going to Mickey Mouse's house, the Princess house, etc. She loves watching her characters on TV.
We also make a paper chain and take one ring off daily.
Also, our vacation pictures are our screen saver for our computer. So we see the pictures and talk about our last vacation almost daily.
I wouldn't worry about it. As someone said, it's easier to be excited about something they've already experienced. It'll come.