How to involve the kids in the planning?

[jjohns]

We've been to WDW several times now, and it has always been me planning out the week's activities - which park/which day, which restaurants, etc, etc, etc. No complaints - I'm a bit of a planning fanatic.

We have also, so far, always surprised the kids with news of the trip just a few weeks before we go (or less - one time we got in the car and didn't tell them where we were going until just before the airport!). Mainly we did this to control their excitement, and limit the number of days when we and their teachers had to deal with the 'when are we going' questions!

However, I think the kids are getting old enough (and know what to expect at WDW) now that they could get involved in the planning fun (DS is 8, DD is 6).

We're going in October, so there will be lots of options - weather is plenty nice for a water park day (or two?), MNSSHP is an option. The kids are now old enough that they might be able to stand being in a park for a whole day or later (we have historically left mid-day for a break, pool time and then dinner - only doing a late night for Fantasmic and Illuminations).

My question is, what do you do to get the kids involved in the planning?

For example, do you do the broad planning, and then let the kids get involved in the details? Do you basically plan it out but leave 'options' like a choice of restaurants or character meals on a particular day?

- What do you do about which parks/which days?
- Choosing restaurants? The kids just don't know all of the options available, and they probably don't even remember everywhere they've already been...
- Choosing 'special events', like water park days or MNSSHP or Pirate Cruise/Grand Adventures in Cooking or Character Meals?
- To what level of detail do you let the kids take it? For example, all the way to choosing rides?

TIA, Jeff (a closet control freak trying to relax)

 

[vicb]

For our upcoming trip I am trying to let the kids (11 and almost 8) pick and choose many of the plans. We let them pick which resort (we had Deluxe in our budget, last trip (stayed BWI) we took them to tour BC/YC, did GF Pirate Cruise and they have stayed Poly... still they picked BWI again, fine with me ).

Since DH wanted to do Richard Petty driving, we told them they could each pick one "special" activity... DD wants surfing class at TL and DS wants to rent water mice at CR (getting off easy there).

I will pick which parks, which days depending on ee schedule (thinking we will avoid most ee's this trip and sleep in a bit more) but did find out that they want to hit MK or Studios on first day. All of us have picked attractions that are "must dos". All agreed to skip AK this trip, not our favorite, been there twice.

As far as dining, we are telling them about some of the choices and letting them express their preferences. They want to do Chef Mickey's (haven't before) and Teppanyaki. They don't want to do Chef's in France with us and would rather go to kids club (yeah! ).

And their number one request has been "MORE POOL TIME" ! Skipping AK will give us that luxury of a resort day.

Good luck with your planning.

 

[BounceyOne]

OK Jeff, if you are a control freak I would say, you make most of the plans and give the children choices for their part of the planning. Like on the day we go to MK would you rather eat at this place or that place. That gives them some control without giving up yours.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

My DS 4 loved Birnbaum's Kid's Guide. We've been home a month, but he still chooses it occasionally for his bedtime story! He is 40 inches so he read all the descriptions of the rides with that height requirement and decided if he wanted to go on it or not. When he and his dad went on Splash Mountain, he was quoting the book! Anyway, I thought it was a great way to get him involved in the planning. Although, if you have been a lot, they may not need all the descriptions.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

My DS 10 loves to help plan. I give him (and DH too) choices with in my planning. For example they could choose beween all star movie and all star sports or Wilderness Lodge and AK. I gave DS the choice of a water park or DQ. I also asked him which one CM he wanted to do and them described some new resturants and let him and his dad help make the choices. I always decide which parks which day and when we will eat where. I let DS decided where to start in a park; such as will we start in Tomorrow land with SM or in Fronteer land with MTM. The rule is that then we tour the parks in some sort of organized fashion. We also play somthings by ear such as which park to go back to at night or perhaps try a new resturant we had not planned on. These also give him lost of choices. My sister's family does surprise their kids, but for my child that would take away half his fun.


Jordan's mom

 

[jjohns]

I think I'll be getting a Disney For Kids guide book right away. That only makes sense - before my first trip I dove right into the Unofficial Guide and loved it.

We have usually given the kids some freedom *once we are there* - e.g. we usually reserve the last day of the trip as 'Choice Day' where the kids get to decide what they want to do... could be pool, park, whatever (last trip was the death of me: DS Early Entry and Star Tours 3 times, over to MK to ride Buzz 3 times, then off to Epcot for one last look at Tapestry of Dreams... not once did I get on Space Mountain or Rock 'N Roller! LOL).

This is the first time for pre-trip planning... I don't want them to get too carried away (not like ME, anyway ), but I think they will enjoy being part of it.

Giving them some choices for various meals sounds like a great idea - and gives me a chance to sneak some new restaurants into the mix!

Now I just have to figure out how to keep the peace (and balance!) between DS-8 and DD-6 as they make their choices...

Thanks all, so far...!

 

[MLbooks]

We also have the Birnbaum's guide for kids - so my DSs 5 and 7 have been looking at that a bunch. I also saved the park maps from our last trip so they are starting to look at those, too.

Mary

 

[jjohns]

I thought I'd give people an update on how our little 'let the kids join in with the planning' experiment has been going...

Overall Experience: Wonderful!

The kids (DS-8, DD-6) seem to really enjoy the whole process. I think it sweeps past DD a bit - the concept of time just doesn't seem to get firmly engrained until *during/after* I find (and something happening 4 months from now just doesn't compute!), but she is a girl that knows what she wants!

DW and I planned the basic which park/which day schedule.

We started first by talking up the trip a bit, watching old Disney vacation sales videos, talking about old favourite rides, then talking about new rides they would like to go on.

Our basic approach was to outline a number of options, then let the kids pick a limited set within that.

Two examples so far...

1) Late nights. DW and I are allowing for 3 'late' nights. We gave them 4 choices: Spectro (& possibly FITS, tho I doubt it), Illuminations, MNSSHP, FW Campfire. Spectro and the Campfire were new to the kids, Illuminations and MNSSHP had been done before. Kids chose to dropp Illuminations (since that was *my* favourite, looks like I'll be heading out on my own some night )

2) Character meals. We let each child pick one. They've been to them before, so they get the concept. We started by talking about characters they would like to eat with, then DW and I gave them each a list of 3 meals that had some/all of those characters. Then the kids each picked one. On this, DD was a huge surprise - Aurora is her favourite with Minnie a ridiculously close second. We told her about CRT (done before), Storybook (done before) Gala Feast (new) and LTT (new). She ended up choosing the Gala Feast, despite no Aurora. Turns out she very much wants to meet Prince Charming, and has never had his autograph before - so she certainly had good reasons. (Although, this tells me I will have to triple-lock her door and windows as she approaches those teen years ).


All-in-all, this has been real fun. The kids are very much into it. We've tried to pace the discussions a bit - talk about different things over several days - so they don't get overwhelmed.

Jeff

 

[Snow Shoe]

On our return visits, we've always involved the kids...2 sons and 1 daugther. Both boys are married and gone now, and the DD is 14, but everybody still gets involved with the planning. My wife and I decide what parks on what days, and we always go to at least one of everybodys favorate restaurant, ride, show, night show and many other things to do at Disney. On our last visit, DD took a friend with her, and we let them go off on their own in the park that everybody was at, with certain check-in times. It worked well for us. Everybody gets to do something they like at every park, and as a result, evrybody is usually happy all vacation long.