All about the kids

[goofyandmickey]

My two boys and I will be making our first trip just the 3 of us to Disney Sept. 25- Oct. 2. We have ADR's for the meals they want to do and then a few more. This trip is all about them and making it special for them. I was wondering if you all have anything that was the thing that you and your family did that was special for you and them?

 

[tinkerlisa]

We loved character meals. The one at liberty tree was good, but we loved the one at Garden Grill in EPCOT! My son still talks about the "moving" restaurant!

 

[Hoopfamily]

I would say just let them pick their favorite ride, and do it over and over until they've had their fill. We did this with our daughter, She rides the carousel with my wife and the tea cups with me as many times as she wants.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Being your first trip, anything you do will be special. Some of my families favorites include, going to Beaches and Cream for an ice cream lunch of the Kitchen Sink (it will be hard for 3 of you to finish, but still would be fun to try!) Any character meals, our favorite is Chef Mickey's. Eating something small at every country, or buying a food item from each contry to bring home to enjoy when you get home. Going to Goofy's Candy Shop to make a chocolaty creation. Take a day off here and there to enjoy the pool and rest up for the next day. So, those are a few tips, most of all, just enjoy the moment. Many people go to Disney and feel like they need to see it all, and you just can't. We go, knowing we won't see it all, but with a plan of just enjoying what we can. I'd rather enjoy half of it fully, then all of it miserably!
Oh, and take lots of photos!!!!!!

 

[thegrimdwarf]

This will be the first trip for my boys, so their "thing" is yet to be discovered. I was a Disney Kid, so my "thing" is the 8:05 seating at The Crystal Palace Character Breakfast. I'm really hoping my boys enjoy it, because for me, it's not a Disney trip without it.

 

[ChristusG]

Their choice of restaurants is a great way to start!

Let them "lead the way" around the parks. See what they want to see and do what they want to do. Let them feel like they are in charge of what rides to ride, etc.

Do "Mickey" gifts. Some people call them Tinkerbell gifts, but we call them "Mickey" gifts. They wake up to something special each morning. Or, if we forget in the morning.....we set it out right before we leave the room (obviously the kids are already outside of the room) and have it waiting for them when we return to the room. Mickey snuck in and left the gift for them.

Do a special dessert time. Let the kids pick whatever they want off of the dessert menu. Beaches N Cream is a great place for this. Or the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor.

Get them their own cameras and let them take photos and make their own photo albums of the trip.

Of course, give them some souviner money LOL!

Decorate your hotel room. The kids really love to help with this! Make signs/banners before you leave to hang in the window. We're brining some Halloween decorations/crafts to set up in the room since we'll be there Oct 29th-Nov 5th.

Try to get the front seat on the monorail with the driver. Even if this means waiting through 2 or 3 monorails. It's pretty neat!

Do some simple, fun non-park things too. My kids love the parks, but they also love the simple things. Playing in the fountains at Downtown Disney. Swimming in the pools. Getting a temporary tattoo at the kiosk beside the pool. Playing in the arcade at the hotel. Renting a surrey bike and pedaling around the Boardwalk or Coronado Springs. Taking in the campfire and movie at Ft Wilderness. These are all very kid friendly things. I think adults get so wrapped up in going to the parks that they forget that kids really really really enjoy a lot of the "little" things.....sometimes even more than the parks. Seriously, my kids would run through the fountains at DTD forever LOL!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

The cameras are great. I forgot, we always give them a disposable camera for every day we are down there. My older 2 have cameras of their own now, but I already have one a day for my youngest. I lucked out, we went to a baseball game and the giveaway that day was disposable cameras, so I got 5 for free!!! It is fun to see what they fell was important to take photos of. I don't know how old your kids are, but we started tis at around age 3, the photos were silly, but special to them all the same. As they have gotten older, the photos are better, but still just as special as the early years were. Yes, my kids love the fountians too---I forgot about them.

 

[5forDiz]

Agree with pps & ChristusG on taking time to relax, enjoy your resort & doing some of non-park things because often these are the things that really become most favorite memories !

I'd also suggest Main Street Barbershop for a " magical 'do "; they don't make appointments so it would be good idea to go directly there at MK opening ( or sometimes during parade is a good time ).

Renting a boat on Seven Seas Lagoon/Bay Lake or at one of the other resorts that rent boats is a really fun, relaxing way to spend some time. If you don't want to handle a boat on your own no worries ! ride a boat that's part of Disney's transportation.

Cane pole fishing at Port Orleans Riverside resort or Fort Wilderness Resort; you can rent individual poles or there is a family rate as well. Campfire-sing along-movie with Chip & Dale in the evening at Fort Wilderness is fun & something we think everyone who goes to WDW should experience at least once and best of all it is FREE ! If you want to make s'mores they sell kits for a few dollars too.

And don't miss Lego shop at Downtown Disney - great photo ops & fun lego building stations for kids of all ages !

Have a fun-tastic trip