Do You Include Kids In Planning

[traciedee]

I love reading these boards and taking in every ones opinions and experience. I have looked at the guideplans and books and know for certain my family would never be able to follow a serious schedule. So I took the 7 days we have and made a basic plan of where I thought we should go on what days. I based this on avoidance of EH days and my 1 reservation for dinner and fantasmic and your basic advice on good times to go.

I read something on another post where basically the poster talked about getting wrapped in details and forgetting it is 'their vacation' too. I sat down with 2 of my girls who are both teens and asked them what their thoughts were. I thought they were interesting.

Skip the parades-if we are there we are there. Based on experience in Disneyland they don't want to have to fight for a spot to watch and waster time waiting fot the parades.

Skip fireworks-if we're there we're there. Don't want to search for the perfect spot and also our 17 yo isn't really crazy about fireworks.

They want down time to spend hanging at the hotel and the pool. For them that's half the fun.

They want time in the water parks. We fit in a couple of mornings and an afternoon or two.

They want to do a park a day our first 4 days. They really think Epcott and MK are going to be the coolest, so on the 5th day we go to a water park in the am and either epcott or Mk in the afternoon/evening.

Don't make any reservations-we will eat where ever we happen to be.

Day 6 is the airboat ride at Boggy Creek (this is something I want to do) and then hang at the hotel and downtown Disney/Disney Quest.

Day 7 we go back and do whatever we thought was fun or that we missed.

They don't like the idea of following a plan at the parks, but they were interested in the fastpass and good ride info.

Also my kids are thrill ride junkies, but they really think we will have plenty to do at WDW and don't really have much interest in Busch or IOA. Maybe once we get there they will change their minds, but that kind of surprised me.

I'm happy I got their input and I would be interested in hearing about what your kids thoughts are and what they think is important.

 

[jiminyfan]

but I know many people who plan the trip with out caring what their children want.

We usually play it by ear, but then again we go a lot, so we have the chance to see things teh next trip/

 

[Tinkerbellmom33]

I always ask my kids what they want to do and include it in our plans. That way they feel like they are involved too. Makes for a better trip!
The fireworks are nice to see, maybe they'll change their minds. If you do it during the week, it's not so hard to get a spot.
MK and Epcot are our favotites too! Looks like you have a good plan.
Enjoy!!

 

[MomofKatie]

We definitely include our DD in the planning process! It's her vacation, too- so she should have a say in the scheduling.

We usually ask her which park she'd like to go to first, and what rides/shows she is really interested in doing. She also lets us know if there are any special activities she wants to try (last trip, it was the Pirate Cruise and the Kids' Club so Mom and Dad could have dinner out alone). We also usually give her one dinner choice- whatever restaurant in the World she wants to go to- and then I make sure to get an ADR for it. We also like to do character meals, so she lets us know who she really wants to meet (it varies trip to trip), and I'll plan accordingly. Last, she gets to have some say in our resort choice (within reason- if she really wants to stay at a resort we can't afford, we compromise by eating dinner there or going over to soak in the atmosphere).

All of your plans sound great- except the one about not making any ADRs for your meals. If you are going at even a somewhat busy time, you will have a hard time getting in to any of the park TS restaurants. I'd make at least a few ADRs- you can always cancel if you change your minds, but you will have them as a backup if you run into problems getting seated (which I suspect you might). Spontenaety is great, but walking around searching for a place to eat when you are hungry, tired and cranky is no fun at all.

 

[Pixiedust34]

We ask the kids for their "must dos" in each part, and we make those attractions a priority. Everyone gets to have a say in what to hit and what is OK to miss.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

Right now we just ask if they want to go to Disney World. They say yes and that is the extent of their help with planning. However we do know what they like enough to include what they would want to do anyway.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

All our theme park days our governed by our son's needs.

If he is happy then so are we, and we try to get him on all the rides he likes, several of them he goes on more than once.

If we get on anything (apart from the rides we go on with him) then that's a bonus.

We are from the UK and visit every year, do not plan each day in advance - just see how we feel as we go along.

 

[catbertdave99]

When I know we can afford a trip, I ask my sons (almost 15 and 12 now):
-- if they want to go (of course they always do)
-- where they want to stay
-- what they want to do
They are the same on parades (if we're there, we're there), but Illuminations at Epcot is always a request. We start out with a plan of what park we'll go to each morning/evening, but it's flexible depending on what they want to do. They don't want any sit-down reservations, so we don't have them. Lord willing, I'll get the opportunity to do that kind of stuff after they're grown, but for now, I'm just making it all about them. I'm just happy to get away and watch them laugh and have fun -- that's worth more to me than any particular wants I might have for a trip.

 

[The Sweetness]

yes, my 14y old is included in planning our trip what she wants to do etc... Our resort, was not her choice and the only food req shes made were pizza planet and CMS, both easy to do.

A word of advice, from what Ive read here, unless your fam wont mind eating counter service for 3 meals a day, make the ADRs. If you dont mind the consequence of CS, then play it by ear

 

[sue1013]

We don't plan which park which day. If we were going at a busy time I would make ADR's but at a slower time I don't make them except for weekends. We usually decide in the morning what we want to do that day. Our daily lives are so scheduled that we enjoy no schedules. Also we know we'll be back so if we happen to miss something we'll do it next time.

 

[fan of the TTA]

i think those are good plans.

the parades are something though. i just love watching them.

i guess the waterparks are good, not that you could do a whole day at 1!

saying that.....i havon't tried blizard beach yet.

the parks.....yes. every time we go (because we are blind) we get 3 passes to all the parks. so when we go it's up to us

 

[mom22boys]

DS 5 wouldn't let me keep him out of the planning! He likes looking at the parks maps and resort pictures on the internet as much as I do!! He knows "what is where" at WDW better than DH! Just last night DH said, "Where was the Barnstormer again?" DS rolling his eyes in the cutest way says, "In Toontown, Dad." DH then said with an inquisitive look, "Where is Toontown?" DS giggles and says, "You know dad at MK right next to Fantasyland." It cracks me up that DS 5 knows WDW better than DH!

 

[mommykds]

Yes, our 3 kids are involved in the planning.

I let each one pick a favorite restaurant they want to eat (all 3 picked CM again! ) Also they love the $10 store at DTD so we have to do that.

Also which ride they must do. They all like EPCOT the most so we spend a lot of time there..I like MK better!

 

[traciedee]

Thanks for your thoughts. I asked my girls about reservations and they don't want to be tied down to having to be somewhere at a certain time. My kids don't mind counter service.

One thing I may reconsider is Illuminations. Maybe we'll just have to be there at the right time!

 

[Tegra89]

I ask the kids what they want to do, because it is "our" vacation. Although they are pretty easy going. They are 10 and 5 yr. I'm sure when they get older that they'll have more of an opinion.

 

[Soprano]

Mine 2 are only 3 and 4, so I call the shots! But I don't really plan as such. I note which days have EMH, avoid them. Then check which parks are busy that day according to tour guides. I just plan the first hour or so, to make sure they get on Peter Pan, Dumbo etc first then wing it for the rest of the time. For example: Hit Soarin' at EPCOT, then Test Track. After that who knows!

 

[NMAmy]

I have always included dd in the planning--of course, she's much more involved now at 15 than she was at 5 when we first went to DL.

She does have some say in what we do--if she gets tired or cranky, we head back to the room to rest. Luckily, she's realized that this won't be the only trip, if we miss something, we'll catch it next time.

I do insist on one ADR per day, though. She and DH used to make fun of me until we went at Christmas one year. Then when everyone else was being turned away and the counter services were mobbed, we waltzed right in and had one nice meal per day. I tend toward lunches. We pick a park per day, go early, have lunch, and then do whatever we like for the rest of the day. Continue at the same park, hop to another one, go to DTD, or just hang out at the hotel for awhile.

We leave again in 9 days and this time, she was right there picking out the restaurants for the ADRs. She's much more involved in the planning for this trip than she's ever been before--it's made her more excited about going.

 

[vicb]

First trip: I planned everything. DH didn't even want to go, kids were 3 and 6. Once we got there, all the kids wanted to do was: swim in the resort pool, ride the monorail and do MK. DH of course loved it!

Second trip: DH helped plan meals and parks, kids were 6 and 9. They wanted to go to all the parks but didn't voice much else.

Third trip: Kids were 8 and 11. We asked them which deluxe they wanted to stay at (had done Poly and BWI). They asked to return to BWI which surprised me but I liked it too. They picked a few restaurants and activities they wanted to do (BB and Putt-putt).

Upcoming trip this month: Again we let them pick the resort, they went with BC for the pool! They have said NO character meals at all, but requested a return to Le Cellier, ESPN, Teppanyaki and want to try Marakkesh and Prime Time. They have said No AKor DTD Marketplace which is ok with DH and I too.

As the kids grow they have more opinions!

 

[fanofdisney]

My son was 4 when we went last year, and he got to help! We got on Disney's website a lot, along with allears, and looked at pictures. We decided to stay at a value resort, so we let him pick which one after looking at the pictures. (Pop! It was a good choice.) I also show him all the ride clips, and he selected a few he was interested in riding. It was fun!

 

[phisigprincess]

When I was in the 6th grade (our first trip) I was the ONLY one who planned - my parents just paid the bill. I poured over every book I could and came up with our itinerary - rides, restaraunts, the whole nine. Ever since then I have just always been the trip planner. I started young I suppose!!!!