Going in 7 months! How to keep the kids excited?

[Mickeycrazy]

Hello all!!,
We're going to WDW the first of february 2003. We have 2 boys (9,6) who are going and have never been before. How do we keep the excitement for 7 months? We are planning on watching a different Disney movie together every sunday (tonight is "Aristocats"), and every other week we're going to TDS to get Disney dollars. Is there any other ways to keep the excitement?
Todd

 

[tmfranlk]

Your ideas a great!

You could have trip planning meetings once a month or so. Each meeting could tackle a different park or theme (i.e. dining, shows, rides, etc). Buy the boys a copy of Birnbaum's WDW for Kids by Kids. They can go through and find the rides they are most interested in and at your planning meeting you could complie a list of everybody's "must dos" and "would like to dos."

Maybe you could surprise them with little things for the trip at random times - water bottles, fans, pins, hat, the guide book, fanny pack, etc.

I'm sure they'll have plenty of excitement to keep them going.

 

[disneychic]

Check out lots of guide books from your local library!! You should be able to find a bunch of them, Fodors, the Unofficial guide, etc. Look through the books with your kids and read attraction descriptions, restaurant reviews, etc. and decide what you really want to do while you're there. Also, watch your WDW vacation planning video, if you don't already have one call 407-w-disney and get one! If you can, purchase the Disney Passporter, it's a great trip planning book with folders/pockets for you to put plannig stuff into, also it has good checklists, and it's really a planning experience more than a book.

 

[jldriscoll]

check out this thread and print off activities for your boys to do. Before the trip and on the way!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=226819

Also, there was a great make your own autograph book idea...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=216216

Your kids could work on that, collecting stickers and assembling thier own books.

When it gets a little closer you could do a disney advent calendar, giving each kids a special "thing" to count down the days to the trip. (I would make the items things you were going to give them for the trip anyway, activity books, crayons, water bottle, snacks, books, etc....)

Watch the Disneyland Sing-along video! I know your 9 year old might think he's too old for sing along, but lots of the DL rides are similar to WDW and it's fun to see the characters and rides.

Order the vacation planner video from disney.com. Again to see the rides. Tape some of the WDW specials on the Travel Channel for repeat viewings!

I second (or is it third) the idea to get the WDW for kids book. GREAT PICTURES!!!!

 

[milmore104]

Hello there I kept my daughter excited about going by letting make a calander wiht the count down days on each day. Then when a day would pass she would put a sticker over the day and see she was that much closer to our vacation. I also bought her her own Disney guide book so she could look at it all on her own.
Hope this helps!?!?

Nicki, Mike, & Alex
85' FW
86' FW
95' OKW
96'OKW
97'OKW
98'OKW
99'OKW
01'***

 

[Mickeycrazy]

You guys are great!! I love the idea of a monthly meeting, and the "gifts" at intervals. We have 2 guides but the one for kids by kids sounds like a must!! We made a poster board calender that one of the boys crosses off the day as it passes (each gets a turn) with goals on it. I also like the autograph book idea.

Todd

 

[karebear1]

Here's another twist on the advent calander idea.... I have a friend that has 2 boys a little older then yours. One night they sat down and listed the rides they wanted to go on. They put them in numerical order- from the "I absolutely can't miss this one" to the "I want to go on this one" ones. She made a paper chain. On each link was the name of a ride in the order chosen. Each night before they went to bed, they'd take a link off and read out of the book for kids about that ride. They really loved that. Another good idea would be to have a big change jar that has disney stickers etc. on it. Everyday everyone puts their change in- that becomes souvenier and snack money for the kids to use- don't forget to count the money at your meetings!!! Maybe you could let them guess at the amounty in the jar. The closet one gets to share a disney surprise with his brother. Get each boy their own fanny pack and give them each a certain amount of $$$ each day for them to spend on whatever they want- you'll be surprised at how much money they come home with!

 

[ZPT1022]

I have read that other people have tried this, maybe it will work for you- give your kids Disney dollars in exchange for extra chores or good deeds. Then they will have their own money, and it's true- they will be SO much more hesitant to spend it then if it were your money!

 

[Mickeycrazy]

I have read that other people have tried this, maybe it will work for you- give your kids Disney dollars in exchange for extra chores or good deeds.

That's one we've already started, and boy does it work. They're very excited to get them (the tooth fairy even managed to give one), and have been extra helpful around the house.

 

[jennymouse]

I'm loving these ideas. I'm taking my DD(28) & DGD(7) in October. They don't live with me, but I pick up DGD from school/YMCA 2 days a week when I get off work. Right now, we're working on a Disney box to put stuff in that needs to be packed. (I gave DD a list!LOL)

After that we're going to make a countdown chain......after that we're going to make luggage tags...I can laminate them at work. I'll probably pick up some more ideas from you guys too!

 

[Kim in TN]

I always liked this idea, for special occasion countdowns like the monthly countdown, make mickey icon pancakes, or cookies. You can use or imagination, to create a Mickey meal naming each course. Have fun with your countdown!