First time to Disney with our children

[cmic]

Hi! We are first time Disney World visitors with children ages 5,7, and 9. Yesterday I booked a storybook luncheon with the princess and Chef Mickey. I also booked a children's only cruise with the jester. What suggestions do you have for us. We are staying at Port Orleans and my children are 2 girls with a boy sandwiched in between!

Thanks!
cmic

 

[Fionasmommy]

Hi! We're planning our first trip too!

What about the Alice in Wonderland Tea Party? I booked that for my DD (she's turning 5 at WDW) and she's so excited about it!

Here's the info from allearsnet.com:

"Wonderland Tea Party - A tea party (lasting one hour) for children, hosted by characters from Alice in Wonderland. Children will make and eat cupcakes, enjoy a story, eat lunch, and have tea with the characters, and make flower bouquets. Children who are potty trained and ages 4-10 may attend.


Monday through Friday from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Available to all guests, Cost is $28.17 plus tax
Reservations 90 days in advance 407-WDW-DINE

"First let me start with the staff at the Grand Floridian is very helpful and friendly. The Tea Party started with all the parents signing in their kids and receiving pagers.(fair trade i thought...laugh) we escorted our kids in and the flashes went mad the table was decorated with plushes from the Alice Movie Tea Cups, Pots, Etc. The host then said "all kids waive to your parents...because we are kicking them out!" When time was up the kids came out with a picture of themselves with Alice and the Mad Hatter. My daughter informed me that they ate dessert first because they didn't want to be too full from lunch (they serve them a small lunch). The Mad Hatter declared he needed a grape which was followed by a barage of grapes being thrown at him by the kids. Overall my kids loved it. Parents...take your kids to the tea party its worth it!" Sam Knight

"My 5 year old daughter attended the Wonderland Tea Party. We dropped her off at 1:00 at 1900 Park Fare and were told to return to pick her up at 2:30. She had a wonderful time! They decorated cupcakes, had tea, and I think some sandwiches (she's stingy with the details). Alice and the Mad Hatter were both there. She had her picture taken with both of them and received a really nice certificate. The characters played "hide and seek" and "Hatter Says" (instead of Simon Says). We took the opportunity to go around to the Grand Floridian Cafe and enjoy a quiet, child free meal. There were only about 20 children and all were safely in the restaurant with the doors closed and when we went to pick her up we had to show our credit card receipt. . One last tip... send a camera! She took some great shots and some of the Cast Members took pictures for her as well." Suzanne Payne"

 

[byoung]

Welcome to the DIS !! Have a great vacation.

 

[Samantha/NC]

Welcome,
we are going on our first trip as a family in July, we have booked a Princess lunch, but we are just going to enjoy the magic. We are doing plently of research and giving ourselves plently of time. We know it will be HOT and Crowded!! You will get tons of info on the boards, they are great

 

[mommystieg]

If you haven't already, you may want to purchase one or two guidebooks -- The Unofficial Guide and the PassPorter are our favorites. Use these to help you and your family decide what is most important to see and do. You didn't mention when you are visiting or how long you are staying as that can be a big factor in planning your days. No words can truly describe how HUGE WDW is and how much there is to do there. If you are going during a busier time that can significantly affect how to plan your days. Try to make plans to catch the parade in each park as well as Wishes in the Magic Kingdom, Illuminations at Epcot and Fantasmic at Disney-MGM. If you are planning on using Disney transportation to get around be aware that it can sometimes take up to an hour or more to travel from place to place. Check all the different discussion boards in the trip planning forum -- you will find that lots of people have the same questions as you. I didn't discover this site until after our first visit but all the information I have found out since has been invaluable in planning our subsequent visits to WDW. Come back often and ask LOTS of questions -- everybody here loves to talk about Disney. Have a wonderful trip

 

[lgp1]

Welcome to the Dis!
I hope you have a really great trip

 

[cmic]

Thanks everyone. We are actually going over Easter! We are so excited.

 

[phyllis1966]

Welcome!

Since you are going at a busy time of year, it's even more important that you get a good guide book - Ultimate Guide is our favorite (it's touring plans and suggestions help you to avoid crowds and long wait times).

Have a great trip!

 

[poohraedopey]

WELCOME! You will have a blast! We are taking our children for the first time this year as well and I just can't wait!

I used this site and Birnbaums '02 to plan a great trip for just DH and I. We went comando style that trip and plan to slow it down a LOT this visit with the kiddos. I am waiting for Amazon to ship my guides! I orderd 3 including Birnbaums for kids '06.

 

[kam24]

We are going on our first trip with our kids too. I can't wait

 

[Violets by da Marina]

Ok, let me jump on this also... Me too, me too... We're going in june, where do I get this guide book? It's just so much info and so many places to go and do. Where???
Please let me know...
10 & 5 And they don't know yet!!! Hee, hee, hee!!!

 

[mom 2 3]

Ok, let me jump on this also... Me too, me too... We're going in june, where do I get this guide book? It's just so much info and so many places to go and do. Where???
Please let me know...
10 & 5 And they don't know yet!!! Hee, hee, hee!!!

We are going in June also!! I purchased our guide books on Amazon, but when we went in 2004 we just used mousesavers. Have a great trip!

 

[fancythemouse]

We are going in June also!! I purchased our guide books on Amazon, but when we went in 2004 we just used mousesavers. Have a great trip!

I am going in June too! It will be my & my family's first trip. We are SO excited!

 

[mom23boyz]

We just went for the first time last year and had a ball. For my two oldest kids (then aged 10 and 8) I bought the books Walt Disney World for Kids and Walt Disney World for Teens. Both of them poured through those books, and after reading his, my 8 year old asked if we could do the Hoop de Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness. That was a great experience and one I wouldn't have thought to do until his suggestion.

We also had a great experience dining at O'hana at the Poly. Make a reservation about a 1/2 hour before Wishes is set to start and you'll get to view it from your table. They even dim the lights and pipe in the music. If you request a window table on your reservation and then also show up a little early to request it again, you'll have the most luck getting one.

Those are two things we really enjoyed. Have a great time!

 

[islandbeachnut]

You're going to have so much fun!!! Enjoy it!!!