First time with kids (5 and 6) helpful hints?

[bridget8822]

Well I have finally convinced my boyfriend to go to DisneyWorld and we are taking his 2 daughters, ages 5 and 6, for a week June 26th - July 2nd. We haven't told them yet but the little one was in the car with Grandma and said "I want my daddy to take me to Disney!". So cute they are going to be so excited. His parents are coming to and we are all staying at a 3 bdrm villa in Orange Lake.....from what I hear its right next to AK.

Anyway - I don't have kids of my own (altho I consider these two to be a huge part of my heart ) and as such I have never planned Disney with kids before!! If anyone has any helpful hints or something you think would help us in planning I would really appreciate it!

Thanks everyone!! 51 days!!

 

[Goofy442]

If your resort has a pool bring water toys. We went to the Dollar Store and got Disney stuff and glow in the dark necklaces there. Lots of bottled water, juice boxes, and snacks for in line. Good luck and have a great time.

 

[Maize&Blue]

Just remember that you may not see everything. Youngs ones get tired and cranky, so be prepared to take mid day breaks. you may also want to consider a stroller, i know they may seem to old but it is alot of walking and with them riding you may get more done and not have the tired meltdowns.

 

[wishing4PA]

Just a few thoughts, in no particular order. We went when DD was almost 5, and are going again in a couple of months. It is so much fun going with a kid around that age!

- take princess costumes, and let them wear them wherever they like, especially if you are doing a princess meal (but they can get hot and itchy, so you probably want to have a change of clothes handy.)

- DD got a Kidizoom camera for Christmas before our Feb. trip. She enjoyed taking photos around our resort (ASMo), and I let her take it to the parks some of the time. This camera also does short videos, and I was surprised, when editing her pics later, to find a short movie taken in the car on I-95 heading toward Disney. Her dad & I were oblivious in the front seats, I guess. She said something like this: "We're going to Disney World. I don't know if I will like it. I think it will be fun, but I don't know if it will be fun." etc. That movie became the intro to the DVD I made later of our trip photos.

-go to Turtle Talk with Crush (Epcot)

- if you can, let the kids decide where to spend the last day. Mine surprised me by picking Epcot!

- enjoy! I didn't get to go on some of my favorite rides, even though we were there a week, but I did get to enjoy Small World multiple times. And it was all fun!

- one more thought! My poor DD was deluged with Disney movies for months before our trip. We checked Mary Poppins, Jungle Book, and any other movie I knew we'd see referenced, out of the library, though we skipped over most of the scary parts. So when we arrived at the World, DD was familiar with more characters than just the preschool Disney Channel bunch. I think that made the experience more magical for her. She absolutely loved meeting Mary Poppins, who was just incredible with her (Mary tried and tried to teach DD the magic finger snap!) She even had a vague idea what the Swiss Family Robinson was all about, so the treehouse was more interesting than it might have been.

- as the PP said, many parents use strollers for children these ages -- we didn't, and were fine because DD has far more energy than DH

 

[bridget8822]

Oh my goodness thank you guys for the great ideas! I can't wait to see their faces. Its also good we have "grandma and grandpa" coming too so when they get tuckered out and night we can still have 1 or 2 grown up nights. Our resort has a water park so maybe we'll have a day of leisure and not try to cram every park in like I usually do.

Thanks!!

 

[3mickeymom]

If the kids have a favorite character that they just have to meet, find out ahead of time where you can meet them. That way you will ahve that MUST HAVE photo. There are places online that can tell you. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

My kids are boys, but they are 1 year apart. I also remember what it was like when I was a little girl 5 years old. (of course then there was only MK.)

Don't miss Tom Sawyer Island. It is a great break from the crowds, and the kids love to explore the island. My kids could spend hours at the fort alone if we let them. They love the escape tunnel.

When my boys were 5 and 6 we rented 1 single stroller, and we thought they could take turns riding when tired. Big mistake! They both walked a lot, but if one wanted to ride the other instantly wanted to ride too! Then it was a fight over whose turn it was. So either bring no stroller, or a double, or 2 singles.

We are always really careful the kids get enough sleep, even if it means leaving the park early or not getting there at rope drop. They are not fun if they are sleep deprived, and it really isn't fair to them. We want them to be refreshed to enjoy each day. I usually choose to leave early so we can be there for rope drop in the morning.

Have them do the kidcot fun stops at epcot, and maybe a kim possible mission. It makes the countries more fun for kids. The missions are fun, but they take a good amount of time. So we only did 2 when we were there. My kids still have their kidcot masks from 3 different vacations!

There are fountains all over, and they are sure to get wet. You will probably want to bring a change of clothes, and light weight clothing that dries out fast. I never stop my kids from getting wet because they love it!

Take lots of pictures, and if you can let them take pictures too. It is so fun to look at pictures when you get home. You can't have too many!

 

[Tinkmom75]

Don't be surprised if they don't like certain things or are scared. I though my DS would love everything, but he was scared by some things. He loved the play areas where he could just run around and do what he wanted. The day we got there are roap drop and stayed for fireworks was too long! My DS says the favorite part of his trip was the playground at the condos we stayed at.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Well I have finally convinced my boyfriend to go to DisneyWorld and we are taking his 2 daughters, ages 5 and 6, for a week June 26th - July 2nd. We haven't told them yet but the little one was in the car with Grandma and said "I want my daddy to take me to Disney!". So cute they are going to be so excited. His parents are coming to and we are all staying at a 3 bdrm villa in Orange Lake.....from what I hear its right next to AK.

Anyway - I don't have kids of my own (altho I consider these two to be a huge part of my heart ) and as such I have never planned Disney with kids before!! If anyone has any helpful hints or something you think would help us in planning I would really appreciate it!

Thanks everyone!! 51 days!!

This is a very busy and hot time to visit. I strongly suggest that you forego sleeping in and get to the parks when they open to avoid the big lines. Utilize Fast Pass, too. Then tour for a few hours and take a break. Go back to your villa to either swim or take a nap. Then come back to the park for some evening entertainment. When we go in the summer, we often forego the day time parades and enjoy the evening entertainment instead.
DHS and AK can be hard to tour in the summer, because they are so hot. Make sure you keep everyone hydrated. Ice water is free at CS places. Just bring along little packets of Kool-Aid, Crystal Lite or something to add some flavor if you wish.
Since you are not staying on site, I would definitely avoid the parks with EMH that day. Why go where it will be more crowded?

Once the kids know they are going, be sure to ask them what they want to do. I am sometimes surprised by my kids answers. It may be in their head that they are going to meet a certain character or ride a certain ride or whatever and you will want to work that into the plans.

Take it slow at first in terms of the intensity of the rides. I find that kids that age can start off nervous and then their bravery builds up during the day/ week. If you get FP's for a ride that they are unsure of, you can save it until later in the day when they may be ready to ride.

Have fun!