Do you bring things to occupy your kids while in line?

[holly7347]

Hi all,

I have 2 DD's ages 9 and 7. They fight like cats and dogs with each other and the 7 year old isn't very patient so waiting in lines is no fun for any of us. They have nintento DS's and I have a nook tablet. I plan on packing them anyway for the plane but I'm wondering if they would be good to take into the park. We won't have a stroller so I don't want to lug to much stuff around but on the other hand I like to be prepared.

So do you take anything into the park to occupy your kids while they are waiting and if so what?

 

[DopeyDame]

I have a feeling that this is going to devolve into a judgmental parenting thread, so what the heck.... I'll jump right in.

At 7 and 9 I think they are more than old enough to wait in line without entertainment. I didn't let my 2 year old play on my phone in line. If he wants to ride the rides, he has to wait in line nicely. (And yes, we did leave a few lines when he started being a 'terrible two')

My bigger concern would be loosing the expensive electronics! I just wouldn't trust myself (and certainly not a pre-teen) to keep track of a DS or a tablet in the park.

 

[ccgirl]

I agree with the PP. At 7 and 9 they should be able to wait in line. If fighting occurs, I would have one parent leave with the instigator and there would be no ride. Sure, you could bring the Nintendo DS's but, for me, that would leave the ability to have them left behind or broken as well.

Something we do with DD9 is to find the Hidden Mickey's.

 

[sandy0904]

The last time i went DS was 3 and I brought little matchbox cars/trucks for him to play and had some snacks/treats in my bag in case he got a little restless. Your children are a little older so i'm not sure what I would do at that age but maybe have a some snacks. Hungry/tired/hot children (and adults for that matter) can get a little tired and cranky in long lines. Not sure i would bring expensive electronics though.

 

[marmalade]

I noticed that the lines move quickly and there seems to be lots of things for the kids to look at in most lines. I never really had an issue with my kids being bored in the lines. My biggest problem is to keep my kids from swinging the darn chains.

 

[diamondpixienc]

I would bring it to keep the peace. Now, Santa did upgrade our kids to ipods this past Christmas which are much more compact i mean they can slip those in their pockets so they will have those for our upcoming trip. But if you have a comfortable bag that can accommadate it by all means bring it. BTW DD(2) will be entertained by our little android tablet as the ipad we usually use for restaurants or long waits during DD(7) practices will be back at the resort. It is about the size of the kindle and will easily fit into my bag. Also, be sure to keep plenty of snacks mine will act "extra" antsy if they are hungry or thirsty.

 

[Mama Who]

Hi all,

I have 2 DD's ages 9 and 7. They fight like cats and dogs with each other and the 7 year old isn't very patient so waiting in lines is no fun for any of us. They have nintento DS's and I have a nook tablet. I plan on packing them anyway for the plane but I'm wondering if they would be good to take into the park. We won't have a stroller so I don't want to lug to much stuff around but on the other hand I like to be prepared.

So do you take anything into the park to occupy your kids while they are waiting and if so what?

We've never needed anything more than Disney and each other for entertainment in line. I hate being loaded down so I'd plan some games (I Spy is always a good standby) that don't require "stuff." Certainly expensive and breakable electronics would not be my choice for a day at Disney.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I agree that at 7 and 9 your children are old enough that you shouldn't need to bring something to keep them entertained in line, but you might consider some games, like looking for hidden Mickey's, that can make the time go faster.

On our last trip, DD (then 6) grabbed at the last minute as we were leaving our house a small Magic 8 ball that she'd gotten in a kids' meal. It operated on a spring and didn't have any liquid in it so it wasn't an issue going through security at the airport. We stuck that in our park bag and pulled it out in some of the longer lines. We had fun asking it questions. We also converse with people around us in line. We've had some super enjoyable conversations with people in line.

 

[cheap traveler]

My kids are (almost) 6 and 8, both girls, and fight like angry cats at times. If they choose to not wait in a line nicely, they will not be riding. The most entertainment they have ever had in a line is my camera to take 2 or 3 pictures, and we often save snacks for longer lines. They have to eat a snack anyway, why not do it in line?

If my kids NEEDED something to keep them busy (like my autistic Niece does sometimes), I would choose small, non-electronic toys, like happy meal toys, matchbox cars, mini-slinkies, or key chain toys attached to my backpack. I couldn't easily replace the expensive toys, so that prompts me to keep them in our hotel room.

 

[ChristusG]

No...never brought things for the kids to play with in line. My girls are currently ages 8, 5, and 6 months. The oldest has probably been to Disney 15 times, the middle 12 times, and the youngest twice already. So they've been at all ages. We just do not wait in line for more than 15 minutes...it's just the way we do Disney and it works for us. Usually, it's not a problem. We go during off times since we homeschool and refuse to wait a long time for something that will last two minutes.

 

[Mirax]

A simple notebook and pencil should do the trick. The girls can journal while standing in the longer lines. Also play paper pencil games like hangman. Keep it simple, if you loose a pencil and a pad of paper you are just out a couple of bucks. Also if your kids are missing school when they get home they can hand their journals into their teacher.

 

[scrapquitler]

Hi all,

I have 2 DD's ages 9 and 7. They fight like cats and dogs with each other and the 7 year old isn't very patient so waiting in lines is no fun for any of us. They have nintento DS's and I have a nook tablet. I plan on packing them anyway for the plane but I'm wondering if they would be good to take into the park. We won't have a stroller so I don't want to lug to much stuff around but on the other hand I like to be prepared.

So do you take anything into the park to occupy your kids while they are waiting and if so what?

I would rather stick sewing needles under my finger nails than carry a DS or a Nook Tablet around the park all day long.

 

[evcollins]

We WILL be bringing our Itouches with us just in case. The kids will be carrying their own cinch sacks with their water bottle, snacks and ponchos. Or they will go in my backpack, not a big deal.

I'm thinking we won't need them for MK and AK, and we'll see how it goes the first day whether needed for the rest of the trip or not. However, we will definitely be bringing them to HS. We are there for SWW and I've heard of some horrifying lines for the characters. They will need something to do waiting an hour or so to meet Chewy and Darth Vader!!

To each his own....mine are 10, 8 and 7. We plan to navigate pretty well so there aren't long waits, but like I said, "just in case"!

Enjoy your trip!!
ec

 

[tjmw2727]

My kids are also 2 years apart and IMHO at that age they should be able to wait the line, have a plan and use fast pass to minimize waits though! Whatever you decide the consequenses of bad behavior will be - follow through.

Keys for us are making sure everyone is fed/hydrated, make sure kids drink plenty before they are thristy and incorporate the healthy snacks as well as the fun snacks. There are now fruit carts at all the parks

In line we talk about the attraction, what we liked best, look for hidden mickeys and just try and enjoy each other's company. Games like I spy and I am thinking of a _____, I am going on a picnic etc can be fun as well. Personally we spend so much time using electronics at home that I really try and avoid them as much as we can on vacation. (Except for on the airplane of course !)

At that age I also stopped carrying the bag for the family, if my kids want something they carry it. We used a water bottle strap (sold at all the carts) so they always had water and they sometimes used a fanny pack or a lanyard to carry pins or pressed pennies.

The key IMHO is to do what works best for you - if you think having a couple gameboys will make your vacation happier - by all means!!

 

[kt_mom]

I wouldn't bring anything that you personally don't feel like having to carry around. And I would not want to be stuck carrying any large electronics. We usually have an ipod touch in our bag that DD can play with in line if she wants but that's only if we are stuck in a really long line. We usually go during slower times so we don't get stuck in too many long lines. Its nice to have with us when we have waits at restaurants and stuff too.

I am worried about our December trip and DS who will be 2 1/2 at the time. My mom and my niece went with us last October and we had extra people and hands to keep him busy and sometimes my mom would wait with him while we rode some rides that she didn't want to ride. He did okay but he's so much more active now and he just gets busier and busier every day it seems. I can't imagine trying to stand in even a 15 minute line with him right now. He would be trying to run off and/or climb and touch everything. He does not do well with staying in one place or being held. He wants to be down and getting into stuff all the time.

I think this is going to have to be a different kind of trip for us and I may end up sitting out a lot of stuff with him. Thankfully DD and just went in March and got to do all our favorites multiple times so it won't be too bad if I miss a few things.

 

[Sugardimples]

"If you fight, we will leave the park immediately and the fun will be over."

Then do it.

 

[SMLounsbury]

My kids don't necessarily need something in the lines, but for the time that they have to wait for a sibling to ride a ride that they may not want to get on. We had word searches, small coloring books and pipe cleaners. I also have a two year old, so carrying these things is second nature to me. Small disposable cameras aren't the worst idea either. Fun way to capture Hidden Mickeys. My only rule was that if they wanted it, they carried it. Even the two year old had her own backpack.

It's a vacation, so if it helps you out, I don't see the issue. They are only young once, so if they need a little extra distraction, I see no harm.

 

[kt_mom]

"If you fight, we will leave the park immediately and the fun will be over."

Then do it.

This isn't a trip to a local toy shop or somewhere you can come back to next week. Its an expensive vacation that the whole family has been looking forward to. I would rather find ways to make things go smoother then make threats like that. Because the parents aren't really going to want to leave the park either. And then what are you going to do, everyone go sit in the hotel room? Becuase I don't see the point in punishing the kids by leaving the park only to go back to the resort and go for a swim.

 

[sk!mom]

My kids both went on their first WDW trip at 5 and we've never needed anything to keep them occupied. With prior planning and FP our waits have been short and the parks are so stimulating that we usually just chat, people watch, or snack while we wait. I don't like to carry a lot and really it's never been an issue.

 

[miami305]

What do they do at school? Do their teachers break out the PS3?

You're encouraging the bratty behavior by believing that they can't even behave at an amusement park. They tantrum and get electronic gizmos as a reward. Also, they miss priceless family bonding time. Parking them in front of Nooks is not a remedy for behavioral problems. If they are that terrible, I wouldn't reward them with a trip to Disney. Work on their behavior, then reward them.