Holy planning nightmare, Batman!

[MrsRoyale]

Good morning everyone!

So, yesterday I moved from "dreaming" to "seriously planning" our Disney trip. And in the name of all that's crazy, I didn't think it was going to be this hard!

I am not a first timer, I personally have been to WDW seven? Eight times? But this is the first time I will be bringing my son, and it isna different game altogether!

See, I have been planning to take my kids to WDW since I was 15 yrs old, in high school, single and childless, and now that it is really time to plan it I am so overwhelmed! My son will turn 5 when we are there and, mind you, the trip is not until 2018, but I obsess over organizing...and I realized that I have no idea what else is out there for kids in WDW!

Obviously I know the parks, but are there events for little kids to go to? Events for adults? Events surrounding the nighttime spectaculars? I don't know!!! *running around the room screaming and waving hands in the air* All these times I have been there I just "showed up", grabbed a map and went on my merry way...but with a kid that level of spontaneity is not advised. Or recommended....

So, for those of you who have been there with little minions, would you mindsharing your favorite kids activities -other than the parks- that he can do? (Think special organized events, or little hidden things that you don't usually see advertised on the website that only seasoned park goers know about)...by the same token, what about the events focused around the nighttime spectaculars? I know that there's some that include dining and preferred seating to the shows....are they worth the money?

Sorry, I know this is a lengthy post, but I seriously need some guidance. Last time I went to WDW the magic bands were not even in the picture! Oh, I should mention, we are going from May 12-28/2018. We will also be staying as DVC members because we are purchasing it next year.

Thank you all so much for your help!

 

[GEM]

One thing my son LOVED at that age was the children's pirate cruise from the Grand Floridian. It was the highlight of all his trips from ages 4 - 10, really. So much fun. The kids go out in a decorated "pirate" boat with really wonderful CMS. They have a treasure hunt and a picnic lunch and explore around the Seven Seas Lagoon. Awesome memories for a little boy.
They have several others (one at Caribbean Beach Resort and one in World Showcase at Epcot, and I think they have one at Port Orleans as well), but the Grand Floridian one was always my son's favorite.

 

[revwooster]

We planned a last minute trip last May. We planned on taking our 4 year old daughter in sept/october to do MNSSHP since she LOVES halloween and trick or treating. However, a surprise pregnancy with an october due date changed those plans. (She discovered the Halloween parade on youtube and we had to watch it every day in october! so someday we have to go)

We went very much with her in mind. Our goal was to have fun as a family and make memories. We kept two things in mind: Our goal was to create fun memories for her, and two, she didn't know what she was missing out on. That allowed us to make plans, but to be in the moment with her. So if we had a fastpass for something, and instead she wanted to stop and look at something, we skipped the fast pass. Mamma and I wanted to see Famtasmic and knew she would like it, but she loved the fireworks and cinderella's castle so much that she asked to go back, so we skipped Famtasmic. We knew there were things that she would enjoy at every park, but we completely skipped Hollywood studios , so that she could more fully enjoy the other parks. She decided at the last minute that she didn't want to ride dumbo, so we didn't.

I get planning (i do enough work when we've gone to disney that I should get a doctorate or something), but you can't plan Disney magic. Our trip was last minute (as in 6 weeks before we left) and our daughter had the greatest time.

We didn't do any of the "extra stuff" and there was still plenty to do. She loved meeting the characters. We stumbled on the Downtown disney dance party and she had an absolute blast. She loved the carousel, finding nemo the musical, the evening fireworks, She loved it all. There was even plenty of little things that she thought were great. We stayed at POFQ and she got the biggest kick out of throwing coins into the wishing well.

So my advice is this: Relax. let your kid lead the way. and just have fun.

 

[MrsRoyale]

Yes, most definitely. I am being very open minded and I know that, no matter how much I plan, things will go his way, and that is ok. I am definitely not going to be concerned if we miss out on something. So, yes, I definitely understand your point and I truly appreciate it. It's easy to get wrapped up in everything that Disney has to offer, isn't it?

With that being said, I think that the Pirate Cruise sounds like a lot of fun!! Is that something that little ones do on their own, or do parents participate as well?

Thank you both for your input!

 

[GEM]

Yes, most definitely. I am being very open minded and I know that, no matter how much I plan, things will go his way, and that is ok. I am definitely not going to be concerned if we miss out on something. So, yes, I definitely understand your point and I truly appreciate it. It's easy to get wrapped up in everything that Disney has to offer, isn't it?

With that being said, I think that the Pirate Cruise sounds like a lot of fun!! Is that something that little ones do on their own, or do parents participate as well?

Thank you both for your input!

The pirate cruises are kids only events. We used the two hours or so for a nice grown-up breakfast or a massage at the spa.

 

[MrsRoyale]

Oh that is fantastic news! Haha!

 

[mindeola]

On of our fave activities with kids ( and without) is the camp fire sing along with Chip and Dale. Followed by the outdoor movie and s'mores of course! It is a free even which makes it even sweeter.

 

[MrsRoyale]

Free. I like the sound of that. That's at Fort Wilderness, right?

 

[loves to dive]

All the resorts have night time movies and some (maybe all moderates and deluxes I'm not sure it's been years since mine was that young) have some sort of campfire, sing along. At Epcot they have kidcot stations in each country, a person from that country sits with the kids and helps them with a little crafty project. Animal Kingdom has the train ride to Rafiti (sp?) Planet where they have a petting zoo and also a little activity thing where if the kids complete it they get a certificate. Hollywood Studios (who know what it's name will be by then) currently has the frozen sing a long but it is such a flux it's no telling what will be there then. MK is just a kids heaven from the moment you walk in until the moment you walk out without anything extra having to be added on. All of the above is free. When my son was that age they didn't offer anything other than maybe the Keys to Kingdom Tour extra to pay for but trust me, at 5 there is just so much to see and do that is free unless you just want to do the extra stuff it's not necessary.

 

[MrsRoyale]

Thanks! Yeah, it's just a completely different world when you go with kids...I didn't know about many of the things that you mentioned

 

[im4pacers1]

I would buy a book. Like the unofficial guide to WDW or The Easy Guide to your first WDW Visit. I found the former super helpful for our first trip. (and Def skip sections that don't pertain to you i.e. If you know you're staying onsite, then don't bother with the offsite hotel info) Once you read a book, then just jump right into here and read, read, read. I spend more time reading than asking questions, just because there is usually a thread somewhere with my same questions. Planning (at least for me) is part of the fun.

 

[pa. dad]

There may be several things that you walk right past as an adult that kids will love.
Playgrounds including Tom sawyer island are big as are many of the shows. Character meet and greets are another area.
And a 5 YO may not be tall enough for or have interest in thrill rides yet. My guys liked the epcot kid spots when they were that age and getting the Mickey stamps for each country. They'd get their stamp and say okay we can go to the next country now.

 

[Paigevon]

There is a pirate's league place that does dress-up/face paint with a pirate theme that would be cute before the aforementioned pirate adventure cruise!

There is also a Pirates & Pals fireworks cruise that includes the whole family and three character interaction opportunities -- didn't say right away in case you'd rather be surprised!

Hot air balloon ride, Lego story, Disney store in Disney Springs area.

Mickey's backyard bbq or the Hoop de doo revue at Ft Wilderness in addition to the free Chip n Dale campfire, horseback riding.

If I think of anymore I will add! Hope you have a magical trip! I'm bringing my daughter for the first trip/5th birthday in two weeks! !

 

[Neotericisis]

You sound like me. However, I just found out we are going this JULY!! I am a super planner with DS(6) and DD (8) so this is wayyyyy short notice for me. My husband just sprung this surprise on me and while I am excited, I am overwhelmed too. We are going with his family so there will be 10 of us. I'm not a big fan of group trips because you have to compromise on the things you want to do, but I know we will all have a good time at the end of the day. There are so many things to think about, and things to do! I'm trying to pace everything out and think about the logistics. For instance, I don't want to carry huge backpacks (everyone wants you to carry their stuff when you have a backpack), but with the kids its looking like a necessity since they require so many items. Also, what if they get too tired? They are too big for strollers (my son is big at 4' 4", but he still has the stamina of a 6 year old), and I heard people walk 9 mi/day on average! We are staying off site at my MIL's timeshare so there would be no option to take a nap at the resort, plus, going with a group we'll all be driving together. As "mommy" we are left to figure out the logistics of everything and there are so many details that many others wouldn't even consider (for instance- what are the best walking sandals for kids?).

Good luck on your planning!!!! I'll pull it together somehow!

 

[Mom2SamandJames]

You sound like me. However, I just found out we are going this JULY!! I am a super planner with DS(6) and DD (8) so this is wayyyyy short notice for me. My husband just sprung this surprise on me and while I am excited, I am overwhelmed too. We are going with his family so there will be 10 of us. I'm not a big fan of group trips because you have to compromise on the things you want to do, but I know we will all have a good time at the end of the day. There are so many things to think about, and things to do! I'm trying to pace everything out and think about the logistics. For instance, I don't want to carry huge backpacks (everyone wants you to carry their stuff when you have a backpack), but with the kids its looking like a necessity since they require so many items. Also, what if they get too tired? They are too big for strollers (my son is big at 4' 4", but he still has the stamina of a 6 year old), and I heard people walk 9 mi/day on average! We are staying off site at my MIL's timeshare so there would be no option to take a nap at the resort, plus, going with a group we'll all be driving together. As "mommy" we are left to figure out the logistics of everything and there are so many details that many others wouldn't even consider (for instance- what are the best walking sandals for kids?).

Good luck on your planning!!!! I'll pull it together somehow!

My son is very tall also and outgrew a stroller before he developed the stamina needed. We would just take in a show at times when we knew he would be getting tired. He slept through some and just recharged his batteries through others. Also, never EVER let your kids get hungry. Keep the blood sugar levels steady. While we plan out everything, we found when our kids were younger that it was best to let them indicate if we followed all the plans or not. Just relax and enjoy. If you have a party of 10, your kids will have plenty of people willing to help.