Apparently, it's the simple things

[g8torphan]

We're going in May so I just asked my son (4) for his top 5:
Bell
Buzz
Pirate Treasure Hunt @ MK (never done it but he really wants to this time)
Soarin
A meal w Characters

(Star Tours would be on the list but we aren't going to HS this time)

 

[dotcomgirl18]

Love these responses! I can probably give you my 16 month old daughter's list (based on the last trip, which she loved): 1. Give Pooh and Piglet a "high five" at the Crystal Palace breakfast. 2. Dumbo ride, multiple times if possible. 3. Clap along to the Small World ride song. 4. A taste of our ice cream bars or Dole Whip! On that note, our daughter has been diagnosed with an egg allergy...anyone know if (i) the Dole Whip or (ii) the Premium Mickey ice cream bars have egg in them? It really is the simple things in life.

My sister has an egg and peanut allergy and loves Disney in terms of the way they handle food allergies. At any restaurant you can ask to see the ingredient binder and you can check any menu item for allergens. Sorry, I can't remember if the Mickey bar or Dole Whip has eggs. However, in terms of the Mickey bar, just ask the CM at the ice cream cart if you can read the ingredients on the bar package before you buy. My sister does this every time.

 

[DisMama5]

It's funny how our kiddos can put things into perspective for us. I'm a over the top planner typically but my 3 yo put things back in magical order for this family!

I had our last trip planned down to a T. But after getting there, on day 1 plans already started changing.. Being a planner it made me a little nervous because I wanted the kids to see everything I had planned that I thought they would love but instead we trashed the plans and just kept our ADRs, I must say it was the most amazing trip ever and I hope every trip in the future is like that one and we a STILL saw everything we wanted too. We just knew where we were eating each day and at what time an other then that we would wake up pick a park to spend our day at and just stroll through the parks enjoying attractions as we came upon them.

When plans changed I asked my 3yo what do you want to do, she told us:

1) Meet as many princesses as she could
2) Give rapunzel a hug
3) Show Merida how she can shoot her bow an arrow
4) play in the hotel arcade
5) go in the castle
6) swim in the pool
7) get a Mickey balloon
8) go on the Ariel ride

It was amazing because even as she kept going on with the list it was all the most simple things, nothing that needed to take crazy planning to do. It really opened my eyes and changed our trip.

I hope having to book all these fast passes on the next trip won't take away from the place we just re-found within our family with being laid back about touring, I much more enjoy it that way and forgot how magical it really is when you just truly go with the follow of Disney!

 

[DizneeMommy]

Love this thread! We've been 3 times with my kids over the years. We do make plans (ADR's, fastpasses) each time, but those plans are always subject to change depending on what the kids want to do! I'm a teacher and DH is a pastor, so our yearly vacation is the one week that our kids have us completely to themselves for an extended period of time. We don't park hop, and usually spend 2 days in each park. That gives us time to really enjoy the ambience and theming of each one. I asked them what their top 5 things they love to do are (in no specific order):

12 year old DD:
1. Eat at Cinderella's Royal Table
2. See characters
3. Soarin'
4. Swim
5. See the animals at AK
(To quote her, "It's just such a happy place! I could go and not ride anything!")

16 year old DS:
1. Rockin' Rollercoaster
2. Sum of All Thrills
3. Buzz Lightyear
4. Wander the paths in AK
5. Eat a turkey leg!

It really is the simple things!

 

[luvthemouse71]

I'm taking my dad next week(Friday) His list..

The balloon ride at DTD
Turkey leg
BTMRR
Ohana
EE
Breakfast at Crystal Palace. The first time I took him there, he looked a little freaked out that it was a character meal. I guess he was worried that they would bug him while he was eating. By the end of the meal, he was trying to call them over so he could get a picture of them with me,lol.

 

[Kristina4109]

For our Disneyland trips, I always ask each member of my family for ONE thing they HAVE to do for each day. We prioritize that - even if it means hitting it's a small world at rope drop - because that's what's important to US. Everything else we get to do is just icing on the cake.

For WDW I got a little more involved - asked everyone to pick the top THREE things they want to do on each day, since we simply don't get to the World as often as we do the Land. But still, if everyone in my family gets those must-do's, I'll be a happy person.

My daughter's list:

Wishes
Soarin'
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Meet Anna and Elsa (thank goodness I got a FP+)
Fantasmic!
Journey into Imagination
Finding Nemo - the Musical
Eat at Be Our Guest for lunch
Learn the hula

My husband's:

Drink a Lapu Lapu
Drink beer (sense a theme here?)
BOMA!
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Toy Story Midway Mania
IllumiNations
It's Tough to be a Bug
'Ohana breakfast
Luau

My list:

Go to Walt Disney World.

Seriously, though, as long as we get to see the Main Street Electrical Parade, I'll be thrilled.

 

[GoMegGo]

My almost 3 year old was just shy of 2 when we went to WDW. The things he still talks about are as follows:

1. The train
2. The train
3. The monorail
4. "Mickey bubbles" in the carpet at AoA (he loved hunting for them)
5. Blue castle
6. The train

 

[Kristina4109]

It reminds me of my daughter's first trip to WDW. She was 4 and spent about 30 minutes chasing bubbles that a CM was blowing in Adventureland. We have bubble stuff at home, by the way.

 

[aaturner]

I hope you picked Jambo house and not Kidani for the food options! My son didn't like the grab and go wrapped up biscuit sandwich at Kidani gift shop.

Yes we are in Jambo House, I think, reservations for Animal Kingdom Lodge, not Kidani Village. The grab and go wrapped up biscuit sandwich probably would not work my son either. He like cinnamon rolls, waffles or eggs so planning on a large breakfast from the Mara to feed us all, none of us eat much when we get up need to get going before we eat. Last trip to Disney one of the meals that included, eggs, meat, waffles and pastries would feed us, may take 2 this time we have not been since 2005 the boys eat a bit more now......lol

 

[magicbob]

The best advice I got was, your kids won't know what they are missing if you miss something.

This is possibly the biggest difference between traveling with young children and traveling with older kids. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, our next visit will be a lot different from previous ones, because it will not be about OUR experience as much as it's about giving our niece her first (and maybe only) trip to Disney. I'm going in expecting NOT to ride a lot of the things that would normally be my "must-dos" in favor of Dumbo, etc.

And even if we can't get on Peter Pan or whatever, I'm making a commitment to not telegraph any sense of disappointment that we "missed" anything.

 

[BlueGiraffe]

My DD is 4. This will be her second trip (in July) - she was 17 months old last time, so doesn't remember it first hand (only from the photos). Her requests were simply:

1) Dumbo
2) Mickey Mouse waffles

I think I can manage that

 

[ashleymrush]

Love this thread! My DS4 doesn't know we're going in 55 days for his 5th birthday but he knows we are going "one day." Here is his list:

1. Slow train
2. Fast train (BTMRR)
3. Animal Train (at AK)
4. Train in the sky (monorail)
5. Play in Casey Jr. Splash area (also a train)
6. Swim
7. Meet Mickey

I'm sure you can sense a theme here. He doesn't even know about 7DMT yet!

My DS that is almost 2 can't vocalize his excitement yet but if a WDW commercial comes on he will drop EVERYTHING he is doing, run to the TV and point and yell random things that I can't understand yet. I'm pretty sure he'll just be happy to look at everything there!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

Okay, so my son is four and has been to Disney 6 times already, his answered floored me. When asked " What do you want to do next time we go to Disney?" His list was:

1.play with mom
2. Play with Nana
3. Play with Pepere
4. Play with EVERYBODY!

So I asked another question hoping to get a more Disney answer, "And how would you like to play with them at Disney?"

1. With marble tracks
2. With hot wheels tracks

So I asked "do you think they have marble tracks and hot wheels tracks in Disney?" He replied, " We can just bring some of our own!"

So apparently all I have to do for a perfect Disney trip is to bring family members and hot wheels and marbles tracks! Simple really is best!

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I don't have any kids, but I am loving this thread.

This just shows that for all those planning everything down to almost every minute, they're just making themselves crazy for very little "reward". In my family, just taking things as they go were the best trips we ever had.

Don't try to force the magic to happen, just let it happen.

 

[agavegirl1]

No little kids here either but, just for fun, I asked DBF (age 45) what his must-do list was. His reply? "As long as I can ride Mission Space and eat a Napoleon in Epcot, I'm good." I'm pretty sure I can handle that.

 

[magicbob]

No little kids here either but, just for fun, I asked DBF (age 45) what his must-do list was. His reply? "As long as I can ride Mission Space and eat a Napoleon in Epcot, I'm good." I'm pretty sure I can handle that.

Just be sure to do them in that order!

 

[agavegirl1]

Just be sure to do them in that order!

Excellent point!

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Aww...I love this thread. No kiddos of my own but planning a trip with my sis and her fam has my head spinning. Thank you all for easing my mind a little. This will be a once in a lifetime trip for my nephews age 6 and niece age 5. I have been so caught up in trying to figure out how we can do everything. I keep forgetting they don't know what all there is to do! I will be making an ADR for CP (Pooh and friends are their faves) and also one for Ohanas b/c I've heard so many good things about it. I think I need to chill out on the rest of the planning tho. They will be so excited to just be all together plus it'll be their first plane ride and trip to the ocean.

 

[MC0810]

LOVE this thread.

My almost 6 year old son:

-Dumbo
-Toy Story Ride
-Mermaid Ride
-The race track (speedway)
-Eat with Mickey Chef

My 3 year old sons list:

-Meet Elsa (lucky boy! I got FP+)
-Dumbo
-Ride the train
-toy story ride
-Meet Elsa more


Funny how all the kids like Dumbo..lol

 

[vek239]

I remember reading in a guidebook (maybe the Unofficial Guide) years ago that several children were asked after their trips what they liked best about WDW. One of the most common responses was "swimming in the hotel pool"..

I read this before our first trip with the grandkids a few years ago and it helped keep our expectations in check.

It's fun to read what kids call the rides (slow train, fast train, high train, etc Our youngest granddaughter calls IASW the "Baby Doll Ride" so that's what we all call it now.