First Time Trip to WDW with DD (5 yo!)

[Keyneky]

As the title says, we're planning a first time trip with our DD for her 5th birthday. This is my first post on the forum (I only just found it this morning!)

I haven't been to WDW since 1996ish, so 20 or so years. My husband hasn't been since 2008. Neither of us has ever been with a young child. This is her birthday trip and we will only be there for a weekend on April 16th and April 17th. What are the top things to catch while there?

I would love to book an ADR at BOG or CRT as my DD seems to be most excited about meeting the characters. Any tips or tricks on getting one of those?

Any tips on things to bring with us? We'll definitely be bringing a stroller and a lot of sunblock. We'll pack lots of water and snacks as well. Am I forgetting anything super important?

Thanks in advance!

 

[smd8z]

You can't meet the characters at BOG (at least when we went that didn't happen; lunch and dinner). CRT you just need to book as far in advance as possible! Another one that our daughter loved was Askershus in Epcot. All the princess were there at lunch including Belle. (Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella). It was a fantastic way to meet them all and the food was good.

 

[smd8z]

And don't forget wipes! We used them very often in the parks to clean up the kids. Also hand sanitizer was a lifesaver. Autograph book and large pen if she wants autographs (large pens or markers are easier to hold for Mickey).

 

[2Gma]

Welcome! What a great way to celebrate your DD's birthday. Make sure to stop and get her a free Disney birthday button to wear around the parks so people can wish her a happy birthday all weekend long! We've always gotten ours at guest services at one of the parks/ or resort check in.

Character meals are magical experiences for girls that age. CRT and Akershsus and Epcot both have them in the parks. Hopefully you can snag one yet as they tend to book way out. Definitely check the Disney Dining Res website to see if something opens up. They are always cancellations. If you can't get one you can still meet them in the parks at their various meet and greet locations. The lines are usually around 30-45 minutes. A lot of kids like to get autographs and you can buy a book (any shop there) or bring your own from home.

What parks do you plan on visiting? what types of rides might be of interest to your DD? If you haven't be sure to book your Fastpasses online.

My best advice is know your child's normal routine for eating and sleeping and try to make sure you don't get too off track having fun that they have a meltdown! The sights, sounds and smells at Disney can get exhausting!

 

[Keyneky]

You can't meet the characters at BOG (at least when we went that didn't happen; lunch and dinner). CRT you just need to book as far in advance as possible! Another one that our daughter loved was Askershus in Epcot. All the princess were there at lunch including Belle. (Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella). It was a fantastic way to meet them all and the food was good.

Thank you for the info! I'll have to keep that in mind about Askershus. I think we are going to stick to MK for the first visit. I'll probably be doing an Epcot trip later in the summer. I realized after I posted this that BOG only has the Beast appear for dinner. I was still able to snag a breakfast at BOG on Saturday morning right after our FP+ to Enchanted Tales with Belle. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things work out time wise because I feel this would be the perfect way to start off our weekend.

Good call on the wipes and hand sanitizer. I've added both to the packing list!

 

[Keyneky]

Welcome! What a great way to celebrate your DD's birthday. Make sure to stop and get her a free Disney birthday button to wear around the parks so people can wish her a happy birthday all weekend long! We've always gotten ours at guest services at one of the parks/ or resort check in.

Character meals are magical experiences for girls that age. CRT and Akershsus and Epcot both have them in the parks. Hopefully you can snag one yet as they tend to book way out. Definitely check the Disney Dining Res website to see if something opens up. They are always cancellations. If you can't get one you can still meet them in the parks at their various meet and greet locations. The lines are usually around 30-45 minutes. A lot of kids like to get autographs and you can buy a book (any shop there) or bring your own from home.

What parks do you plan on visiting? what types of rides might be of interest to your DD? If you haven't be sure to book your Fastpasses online.

My best advice is know your child's normal routine for eating and sleeping and try to make sure you don't get too off track having fun that they have a meltdown! The sights, sounds and smells at Disney can get exhausting!

Thank you for the kind welcome! I'll be sure to get her a button when we get to the park. We'll be sticking to MK for this visit so that we can be leisurely about the visit. I don't want to be stressed out trying to cram everything in.

I'll keep checking the dining website for any openings at CRT. Here's to hoping! I've managed to snag a few FP+ to the Princess meet and greets so I think we'll be able to meet most if not all the ones that are at MK. I'll be sure to get her an autograph book. I had one at my first visit in 1989 and I remember clutching on to it through out our park visit.

Ride wise, she'll probably love all of them but she's still only about 41in tall and won't be able to do them all. I've made some notes on the ones I think she'll really enjoy.

I'll be sure to bring tons of snacks for her. She doesn't really nap anymore but she gets hungry often and I would hate for her to get cranky because of it.

Thanks again for the tips!

 

[SmallWorld71]

As the title says, we're planning a first time trip with our DD for her 5th birthday. This is my first post on the forum (I only just found it this morning!)

I haven't been to WDW since 1996ish, so 20 or so years. My husband hasn't been since 2008. Neither of us has ever been with a young child. This is her birthday trip and we will only be there for a weekend on April 16th and April 17th. What are the top things to catch while there?

I would love to book an ADR at BOG or CRT as my DD seems to be most excited about meeting the characters. Any tips or tricks on getting one of those?

Any tips on things to bring with us? We'll definitely be bringing a stroller and a lot of sunblock. We'll pack lots of water and snacks as well. Am I forgetting anything super important?

Thanks in advance!

Question: Are you staying at an on-site or off-site resort?
With limited time, my biggest tip is to get there before the park opens. I would suggest 45 min. ahead of opening. You will want to get a jump on the crowds to maximize your limited time and avoid as much time waiting in line as possible.

At this late date, BOG and CRT would not be readily available. You can keep stalking the Disney website and hope for a cancellation which does sometimes happen. The Beast is often at BOG for dinner, but no other characters there.

If you are interested in characters, I highly recommend you check out Kennythepirate.com. He has the most up to date character info. available. He has an inexpensive app that you can get for your phone which was invaluable to us on our last trip. The app often listed characters that weren't on the Disney Times Guides. I HIGHLY recommend. Even without CRT, there are plenty of princesses that you can meet.

Another great help for your planning is easywdw.com. If you scroll down and look on the right of the page, you will find the 'cheat sheets.' They can help you prioritize your attractions to get the most out of your time.

 

[Keyneky]

Question: Are you staying at an on-site or off-site resort?
With limited time, my biggest tip is to get there before the park opens. I would suggest 45 min. ahead of opening. You will want to get a jump on the crowds to maximize your limited time and avoid as much time waiting in line as possible.

At this late date, BOG and CRT would not be readily available. You can keep stalking the Disney website and hope for a cancellation which does sometimes happen. The Beast is often at BOG for dinner, but no other characters there.

If you are interested in characters, I highly recommend you check out Kennythepirate.com. He has the most up to date character info. available. He has an inexpensive app that you can get for your phone which was invaluable to us on our last trip. The app often listed characters that weren't on the Disney Times Guides. I HIGHLY recommend. Even without CRT, there are plenty of princesses that you can meet.

Another great help for your planning is easywdw.com. If you scroll down and look on the right of the page, you will find the 'cheat sheets.' They can help you prioritize your attractions to get the most out of your time.

Thank you so much for the response and for the links! I'll be checking them out first thing tomorrow!

We will be staying at an offsite hotel. We are limiting ourselves to MK foe this visit so that we can, hopefully, get to everything we want to do.

I was able to snag a BOG breakfast on 4/16. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a CRT to open up although it would appear that it would be rather unlikely.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Thank you so much for the response and for the links! I'll be checking them out first thing tomorrow!

We will be staying at an offsite hotel. We are limiting ourselves to MK foe this visit so that we can, hopefully, get to everything we want to do.

I was able to snag a BOG breakfast on 4/16. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a CRT to open up although it would appear that it would be rather unlikely.

Glad you got your BOG. I have only been for dinner. The restaurant is gorgeous. As a huge Beauty and the Beast fan, I really enjoyed the details.

Just be aware that MK has an early magic hour from 8-9 on the 16th for their resort guests. So, Saturday will already have people in the park before regular park opening. Keep in mind that only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open for early entry. You would be on equal footing for Frontierland and Adventureland. Sunday should be a bit better as far as crowds go. (Though there are always a lot of people in MK these days)

Have you made your FP+ yet? That should help you get a few long lines crossed off your list. There is a great thread on here by mesaboy that prioritizes FP+ attractions. Josh at easywdw also has a great list of what is good to use FP+ for.

5 is one of my favorite ages to bring to WDW, but also one of the most challenging (IMO). They are old enough to want to do everything and have an opinion (see characters, ride the tamer rides, ride the 'thrill' rides, see the shows, enjoy the fireworks etc...) but don't generally have the stamina for all of it. It can be quite a balancing act! If you find everyone is getting cranky, take a break to refuel. Tom Sawyer Island is a good in the park place to burn some energy. You can also take a monorail ride or a boat ride and visit one of the deluxe resorts for a break. The quick service food at the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian will all be better than what you can find in the park. A boat ride to Fort Wilderness will take a bit longer, but it's so tranquil and great if you need some peace and quiet. You could also go back to your hotel and then return to the MK for the evening.

ETA: we've met all the princesses at one point or another. They are all great, but our best interactions have been Merida and Rapunzel. They were a lot of fun.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Keyneky]

Glad you got your BOG. I have only been for dinner. The restaurant is gorgeous. As a huge Beauty and the Beast fan, I really enjoyed the details.

Just be aware that MK has an early magic hour from 8-9 on the 16th for their resort guests. So, Saturday will already have people in the park before regular park opening. Keep in mind that only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open for early entry. You would be on equal footing for Frontierland and Adventureland. Sunday should be a bit better as far as crowds go. (Though there are always a lot of people in MK these days)

Have you made your FP+ yet? That should help you get a few long lines crossed off your list. There is a great thread on here by mesaboy that prioritizes FP+ attractions. Josh at easywdw also has a great list of what is good to use FP+ for.

5 is one of my favorite ages to bring to WDW, but also one of the most challenging (IMO). They are old enough to want to do everything and have an opinion (see characters, ride the tamer rides, ride the 'thrill' rides, see the shows, enjoy the fireworks etc...) but don't generally have the stamina for all of it. It can be quite a balancing act! If you find everyone is getting cranky, take a break to refuel. Tom Sawyer Island is a good in the park place to burn some energy. You can also take a monorail ride or a boat ride and visit one of the deluxe resorts for a break. The quick service food at the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian will all be better than what you can find in the park. A boat ride to Fort Wilderness will take a bit longer, but it's so tranquil and great if you need some peace and quiet. You could also go back to your hotel and then return to the MK for the evening.

ETA: we've met all the princesses at one point or another. They are all great, but our best interactions have been Merida and Rapunzel. They were a lot of fun.

Have a wonderful trip!

I just saw that update about the MK early magic hour. I was able to get a FP+ to Enchanted Tales with Belle but not until 9:20am and I think it'll be way too close to our 9:35am BOG ressie. I really don't want to be super stressed out running from one place to the other. I was hoping if we got there early we could be at Enchanted Tales and be in the first group to go through, giving us 35min to get through the attraction and to BOG. Alas, early magic hour has ruined that plan. If anything, I may try to get the family out of BOG by 10ish to still make our FP+ to Enchanted Tales.

I also managed to get FP+ to Cinderella and Rapunzel at 10:20am and Ariel at 11:20am. Hopefully we can squeeze Merida and Anna/Elsa in between those FP+s. After that, I don't really care what we do. My DH is already getting stressed out about all the scheduling but I told him that the afternoon and all Sunday will be super leisurely.

Thank you for the tips on good places to take a break. I know we'll need at least a couple of hours in the afternoon to just relax and unwind from all the excitement. We've done a few theme parks (Busch Gardens Tampa and Legoland) with DD before and she's been a real trooper.

 

[SmallWorld71]

It's so annoying when they change schedules so late in the game!
Enchanted Tales with Belle is one of the attractions with a quirky line that ebbs and flows throughout the day. If you can't get to it in the morning, check on it periodically throughout the day/ evening. It's a really cute show. Encourage your DD to participate if she's not too shy. My DD was kind enough to volunteer on our last trip to make me happy. She was Mrs. Potts. They will take everyone who wants to volunteer; they just keep adding parts.
If you don't already have them, I would keep trying for FP+ for Seven Dwarves Mine Train.

The nice thing about 2 days, is that you can skip something the first day if it has a long line and then make it a priority for day two.

Edit to add: this link will show you the wait times for the attractions on a busy spring break day. It will give you an idea of what rides build lines really quickly and which ones are more forgiving.
http://www.easywdw.com/reports13/mk_316.jpg

 

[Keyneky]

It's so annoying when they change schedules so late in the game!
Enchanted Tales with Belle is one of the attractions with a quirky line that ebbs and flows throughout the day. If you can't get to it in the morning, check on it periodically throughout the day/ evening. It's a really cute show. Encourage your DD to participate if she's not too shy. My DD was kind enough to volunteer on our last trip to make me happy. She was Mrs. Potts. They will take everyone who wants to volunteer; they just keep adding parts.
If you don't already have them, I would keep trying for FP+ for Seven Dwarves Mine Train.

The nice thing about 2 days, is that you can skip something the first day if it has a long line and then make it a priority for day two.

Edit to add: this link will show you the wait times for the attractions on a busy spring break day. It will give you an idea of what rides build lines really quickly and which ones are more forgiving.
http://www.easywdw.com/reports13/mk_316.jpg

Thank you for all your help! The link is very informative!

I am kicking myself because I had the Seven Dwarves Mine Train FP+ and switched it to Enchanted Tales with Belle when I scored the breakfast at BOG. Now there are no more available for Seven Dwarves. I'll be keeping an eye out for that one. I'll have to FP+ Peter Pan as soon as I get an extra FP+ on Saturday.

I think DD would love to be part of the Belle attraction if one of us also goes up with her. LOL I might have to prep her for it the night before. She's not overly shy but she does have moments when it is a totally new, and super exciting!, environment.