ideas and advice

[slp37]

Hi
I am going to Disney in Feb with my 9 yr old DD. First time taking a trip as a single parent. Any advice or ideas to make the most out of the trip? I am staying at Coronado Springs. Thanks.

Sandy

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Try to book the princess breakfast, if she likes princesses.

Maybe go on a backstage tour if you have time. 9 is a good age for some of them, because the kids that age love to learn.

Try to learn a new phrase in another language at each WS pavillion.

Have fun!

 

[KSgirl]

Do the masks at the Kidcot stations in Epcot. My 7 and 10 year old really enjoyed making them (though my 8 year old did not...go figure), and I had fun spending time with them as they did it.

 

[kaylajr]

i'll second the mask at epcot idea
my kids LOVED it and can't wait to make another this year and
my oldest dd is 11
it was also something i had fun doing with them

 

[Talking Hands]

I don't think there are any backstage tours that allow 9 yo. Maybe something like the Pirate Cruise.

 

[disneysteve]

Sandy - My DD is 8. On our last trip (her 10th), I tried to find some stuff to make the trip unique, which gets hard when you go every year. One of her favorite things was the day she and I rented a Water Mouse speed boat at the Polynesian. We zipped around for 30 minutes and she loved it. If you decide to do that, rent at either Poly or Contemp or GF. Don't rent at Downtown Disney. The boats are faster and you have more space from the hotels.

Another thing we did was an Illuminations Cruise. They are hard to get but definitely worth doing. You can check the dedicated thread to learn all about them. The best part was that once we were in open water, the Captain let my DD drive the boat. The expression on her face when she took the controls of a boat loaded with adults was priceless.

I haven't done these things, but there is storytelling around the fire at AKL. Also something at Fort Wilderness. Do they still show movies outside at Fort Wilderness?

Loads of little things like that can really make a trip special at that age.

Steve

 

[Baloo]

My boys,Erich and Jonathan, who are both 10, love to look for Hidden Mickey's on our trips.Here's a couple sites that list them:
http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/
http://www.netcot.com/info/hiddenmickeys/

Or you can get the book.We had it on our last trip and had a great time with it.It's small and light weight,easy to stick in a backpack.You can actually find the book at Amazon for less.
http://www.theotherorlando.com/hidden-mickeys.html:

You could get a Pal Mickey...he's alot of fun! My step son,Jon, didn't get to go with us on our last trip and PM really kept Erich happy when his Pal Jonathan couldn't be there!
http://allearsnet.com/tp/pal.htm

Definitely do the mask at Epcot.Kids LOVE that! Here's a link to the Family board here at the DIS.I have a list of "How to say hello in Epcot" on there. Your DD might have fun with that before your trip.http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=358010

Have a magical time!