How do you get your kids excited about Disney World

[cwasil]

OK. Kind of odd and not necessarily, totally budget related but here's my issue...I've got a 2 and 4 year old that have never been to Disney World and, honestly, don't believe they know much if anything about Mickey Mouse except that annoying "HotDog" song I see on TV so much. When I was a kid some 30 years ago I loved the Goofy cartoons that I no longer see on TV (who can forget the baseball episode) so Disney was always a part of my life. Whether my kids choose to feel the same was as I did is up to them (hmmm...maybe not necessarily true) but not sure what new parents do to get kids interested in the huge cartoon market we're in now. When I was a kid (crap I'm now an old guy) there was Bugs Bunny and crew, Mickey Mouse and crew, Superman and crew, and some offshoots like the Smurfs...well now there's about 40 different groups from Dora, Diego, Yo Gabba Gabba, etc.

What items have you bought your kids to get them excited about seeing Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. I'm planning on going in the next 2 years but I'd like to see the kids light up when we talk about going. Were there particular toys or videos or games or etc. that seemed to be near and dear to them?

Sounds odd to say this but I'd like to see them be at least 1/2 as excited about this as I am to take them. Hmmm, I'm sure there is some twisted psychological factor in all of this that some of you will point out but, nevertheless, I'd love for them to feel half as good as I did when I first walked down Main Street some 30 years ago. Thanks for you input.

 

[CarolinaMomOf3boys]

Check out the bottom links in my signature..... they were STOKED!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Totally free...

We love to watch the free Disney Planning Video!

I show DD some of the rides on YouTube.

There are Disney classic cartoons on video, I have seen them at the library and sometimes Best Buy will run a promo like 6/$30.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

Maybe I'm not understanding, but why not do as you did as a kid, let them watch the tv shows. My boys love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and all of the new stuff (and I love the hot dog song ) We don't buy all the toys, they're just told now and they've been good about it... we save anything like that for holidays and birthdays. Or just show them the old movies you saw. They were both thrilled to meet the characters at 2 and 4 years old. My friend went with us last year and her 2 yo hadn't seen any of it, but he still LOVED meeting the characters, all smiles...

 

[jana616]

I have 2 boys, one who just turned 2 a few weeks ago, and one who will be 5 in November. We leave in 33 days (woo hoo!) for their first trip. We watch Playhouse Disney every morning for an hour or so (Little Einsteins, MM Clubhouse, and Oso), and my ODS has seen many Disney movies. But other than that, I'm not "prepping" them too much to make them like WDW. I have shown my ODS pictures and youtube videos, and he's super excited to eat an ice cream cookie sandwich as "big as his head!" Even my YDS says Mickey Mouse and Oso and gets excited. I don't think he has a clue, but he knows the rest of us are excited so he is too, lol!

One thing lots of people on here seem to do is have Disney Family Nights, where they watch a Disney movie, eat food themed to it, and do an activity to go along with it. You could do those once a month over the next couple of years and they'll have fun while seeing the classics, and getting to know the characters.

Honestly, I hope my kids have awe-struck reactions when we go. I want their eyes to pop out of their heads with excitement. But if they just have fun and we have some nice family time for a week, I'll consider the trip a great success!

Oh, one game my ODS loves is Disney DVD Bingo. I got it on Amazon.

 

[HunnyPots]

Do they not watch Disney movies? My kids knew all the Disney movie characters before they could walk or talk! They are just as much a part of the parks as Mickey and the gang. Also, the old disney cartoons are available on DVD - no reason why they can't see them just like we did back in the day.
Is House of Mouse still on the Disney Channel? It was a great show that featured just about every cartoon character Disney ever created. I use to watch it myself while working on my Disney scrapbooks!
There's no reason at all for any kid to miss out on knowing the Disney characters - you just may have to look a little harder to find them.

 

[keltic]

I have a 2 yr old son. We have bought several of those "classic" dvds through the Disney Movie Club. They have them steeply discounted frequently. He LOVES watching the old cartoons.

I show him pictures of when I have been before & talk about Mickey, Donald and others as my friends. I show him little videos from youtube of characters meeting with kids and some of the rides. We talk about our trip to "the big castle" every day. He asks who is coming with us and then asks those people "You coming to the Big Castle with me?"

I have also put together an activity book for the kids to have in the backseat for our drive down. I also have a 10 year old daughter, who has been before and helps getting her brother excited.

I can't imagine a child not finding something they love at Disney. There is just so much there.

If only I could get my husband as excited. *sigh

 

[edandcolleen1995]

They are too young to be honest.

Each their own, I understand. We waited till the kids were 6 before going.

At your kids ages they are just too young to "get it" and be excited about a vacation I think. Not that they won't have magic moments for you to remember when there.

 

[ThanksForNoticingMe]

The HotDog Dance is the Best!!!!

 

[Perditamarie]

The Disney sing-a-long series is great too....kids singing w/the characters. Our favorite is the Disneyland Sing-a-Long Fun, but we love 'em all. They are short too, so not as long as a full length movie, but they love the singing. An introduction to Disney films is a must too... the Pixar ones are very watchable! There are also plenty of books...story books, sticker books, coloring books for them to get to know the characters.

And, keep in mind, that while the parks are fantastic, the resort pool will hold as much appeal!!!!! Prepare yourself for that!!

 

[HunnyPots]

They are too young to be honest.

Each their own, I understand. We waited till the kids were 6 before going.

At your kids ages they are just too young to "get it" and be excited about a vacation I think. Not that they won't have magic moments for you to remember when there.

Not true at all. When my daughter was 3 we took a vacation that included a trip to Sea World, and she understood that she was going to see Shamu and was totally excited about it. She watched the commercials on TV and looked at the brochure pics every day before our trip. She is almost 22 and still has some memories of it.

Kids that age spend months waiting for Santa and getting excited about Christmas. They can just as easily get excited about a vacation if it's someplace that interests them.

 

[jana616]

They are too young to be honest.

Each their own, I understand. We waited till the kids were 6 before going.

At your kids ages they are just too young to "get it" and be excited about a vacation I think. Not that they won't have magic moments for you to remember when there.

I would have to respectfully disagree with this statement. As I mentioned above, my boys are 4 1/2 and 2, and we leave next month. My 2 year old doesn't understand time well enough to wait patiently and get excited about something months in advance, no. But he does know that we are going to Mickey's house and to see the Little Einsteins, and he is VERY excited about it. I don't expect him to remember this trip, but I will remember his reaction to it.

My older son has been excited for months, helps me pull a link off of our countdown chain each night, and totally gets the concept of vacation. He's psyched about everything from flying on the plane to eating dinner with Mickey. He can't wait. He also remembers tons of details from the vacation to the Outer Banks we took last September when he was almost 4, so I have no doubts that he will remember much of this trip. Preschoolers have fabulous memories (sometimes TOO good, ).

 

[pixiedustaholic]

They are too young to be honest.

Each their own, I understand. We waited till the kids were 6 before going.

At your kids ages they are just too young to "get it" and be excited about a vacation I think. Not that they won't have magic moments for you to remember when there.

Wow! This certainly wasn't the case for my kiddos. We took DD for the 1st time when she was only two and she LOVED it. Then a few years later, we took my son on his 1st WDW trip at 9 months old and he had a ball. No question that my kids "got it!" They had so much fun and we made some absolutely priceless memories!!

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

No way are they too young! They are the PERFECT age because it is all completely real to them. I saw th most MAGIc before they were six. My kids have gone 1-2 times a year since 18 months. The old show House of Mouse was actually great to introduce characters. YOu may be able to rent it or buy it cheap. I Disneyfied my kids before we went, less Dora, Diego etc and more Disney. If you do Netflix rent the Disney classics of Minnie Mickey and Goofy, Donald Duck etc. We did Disney movie rentals for a few months before and even did Netflix of Mickey and Minnie for the car ride down. They won't know all characters but that is o.k. They are at the best age ever to go. They get a good bit of disney at our house just by our books toys etc. ROss, TJ Maxx etc. sell huge books of Disney classic chort stories that are fun to read and catch alot of the more obscure characters that you may bot have seen the movie, Hercules etc. and all the classics Pinocchio etc. Library also has many Disney books(think budget) When my daughter was 2 1/2 she dressed as Snow WHite and we were on our way into Cinderella's Castle for breakfast. The park was closed and as soon as she was the Castle she just started sprinting to the Castle. SHe knew every princess there and was amazed by them. Seeing her sprint to the Castle with such joy in her heart was enough to hook my husband and I for life for Disney characters. Don't be surprised if your two year old is shy around some of the non-face characters? My daughter was fine at 18 months and then scared till about 3, but she loved the people characters, princesses; Alladin etc. I don't like my kids to have alot of TV time but I made sure the time they did watch before first disney trips were Disney characters. We read Disney stories every night and we watched the DVD(then Video) planning. Which is great. We also went on the Disney site to see the rides at each park they would like and our hotel. We also unwind at night and each do our top 5 disney list for each family member at bedtime, top five attractions, top five snacks( can we say dole whip and mickey bar!) ( This is especially calming during a nightime thunder storm) While your kids have not been they can see the website and the planning video and tell you what they are looking forward too and what five characters they would most like to meet. YOu can share with them what your top 5 are and how you can't wait to share it with them. Getting excited is easy. DOn't overlook Epcot it is our families favorite park. They LOVE kidcot, Nemo etc. We all LOVE spaceship Earth even from a super young age. Your kids are a PERFECT age easy to keep up with , completely into the moment etc. They WILL LOVE PARADES also don;t miss a few of those. Have a great time.

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

Also don't under estimate what they will remember. On my daughter's second trip she kept asking if we sould see the pirate's stinky foot when we getting ready to go on Pirates. I had no idea what she was talking about, her last trip had been when she was two. She was now almost four. She kept talking about a bridge and a stinky foot. Low and behold on the ride we went under a bridge with a pirate and a very dirty foot above, she started yelling mommy there's the stinky foot. I guess we must have made jokes about it the last time she rode it.

 

[DVCBELLE]

Never too young for Disney!!! My DD went on her first trip at 6 months and my son's was at 14 months and they LOVED it - they lit up around the characters and loved all the stimulation!!

They are 6 & 8 now and we go yearly - truthfully - I can't understand the concept of a kid not being excited about seeing Mickey and Minnie. But I know we are not exactly Disney normal

You didn't say if they were girls or boys but movie suggestions are:

Cinderella, Cars, Monsters Inc., Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid and both Toy Story movies. These characters are in the parks alot and so they will be excited to see them.

For TV - I would watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the other Playhouse Disney shows. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse would get them excited about the Fab 5!

Also - consider looking for the classics on DVD. My 6 year old loves going to Disney b/c that is the only place he can see the "real" Mickey shows. He is referring to the BW classics that they show on resort TV. He LOVES Steamboat Mickey and the classic cartoons.

 

[princessbride6205]

DD's first trip was at 15 months. A few weeks before the trip, my mom was teasing me that DD wouldn't recognize any of the characters (DD didn't watch any TV or movies at that point). So we picked Little Einsteins to be her first Disney entertainment. She became obsessed with them and was so excited to meet all the Einsteins - she liked to touch their faces and rubbed noses with Leo. Even though she didn't know Minnie and Mickey, she unprompted gave them a kiss when we met them!
Now she's a Disney junkie - loves Handy Manny & Einsteins. Her fave movies are Nemo and Cars. She knows the Mickey & Friends characters from coloring books. And it's not like we watch TV all the time to get her excited about Disney - we probably only watch a few shows a week.

 

[StephMK]

Also don't under estimate what they will remember. On my daughter's second trip she kept asking if we sould see the pirate's stinky foot when we getting ready to go on Pirates. I had no idea what she was talking about, her last trip had been when she was two. She was now almost four. She kept talking about a bridge and a stinky foot. Low and behold on the ride we went under a bridge with a pirate and a very dirty foot above, she started yelling mommy there's the stinky foot. I guess we must have made jokes about it the last time she rode it.

ITA, DS was 3.5 when we went last & he still talks about the camel that squirted him in the face on Aladdin! He is the youngest and most excited about going back there asap, not sure when yet.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

They are too young to be honest.

Each their own, I understand. We waited till the kids were 6 before going.

At your kids ages they are just too young to "get it" and be excited about a vacation I think. Not that they won't have magic moments for you to remember when there.

Each kid is different. My DD has been flying since she was 2 months old so she has been understanding the 'vacation thing' since she was 2 year old. At 26 months she got her first hair cut on Main Street at the Harmony Barber shop. For a year I heard "can we go back to Disney so I can get my hair cut", or "I am getting my hair cut, does that mean we going back to Disney?" At 2 she also remebered all the characters and the Tiki Bird Room long after the trip.

EDIT- even look at my sig... DD has seen Lion King twice. One day I was toally losing it! DD looks at me and says "mommy, hakuna matata.... no worries!" She was about 3 1/4 years old! Totally changed my mood at that moment! I think I went from Joan Crawford to Mary Poppins in about 2 seconds!

She knows we are going this winter and is already excited. She is currently 39" tall, she loves getting measured every week at her grandparents house so we can celebrate 40", she understands she can then go on many of the big kid rides and can't wait.

BTW... Loved the 'stinky foot' reply. The things they remember are unreal!

 

[rileysmommy]

Honestly, to get my kids excited about Disney all I have to do is just tell them we are going to Disney. But this is our 4th trip!!

But seriously, all of the other posters have offered you some great suggestions. We are a Noggin watching family here but have turned on Playhouse Disney more often so ds (3) can get used to Handy Manny and such.

Have a great trip!!