Kid led first day-suggestions on how to guide them?

[monsmith]

We hit DL for the first time Mon (!!!!!). I don't have anything planned except for EM entry, afternoon naps, and early evening return with hopes of seeing PTN. We have 4.5 days with a day off Wed so I think we can afford a somewhat leisurely pace.

I'd like to let the kids (8 & 5) & do what they want & find magic on their own. They both want rides, but I'm hesitant to let them try anything too scary or thrilling for fear they won't want to try anything else. Any suggestions on "gentle guidance" for that first day? What are some fun, easy rides to try first and get them used to the park? What would be wise to avoid until they get their feet wet? Thanks!!

 

[Abbey1]

So exciting! You'll have an amazing time! Maybe head to Fantasyland first and do some of the classic rides - Dumbo, Peter Pan, It's a Small World etc. Good luck!

 

[ADLFAN]

The Nemo subs are gentle, and it is a long ride. Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland is a good one for it's short line, and who doesn't love shooting at targets? There is Gadgets Coaster in Toontown which is a short, super cute kiddie coaster, good to show them that roller coasters aren't scary... Before you take them on Big Thunder!! Tarzans Treehouse and Tom Sawyer island are fun, not intimidating places to run around with good views of Disneyland from both. There is so much not scary stuff that if they never feel daring, you will still have tons to do. And don't forget to see some shows, like Mickey and the Magical Map, which I keep missing! Have fun!!

 

[VandVsmama]

How to guide them? Similarly to how you guide them at home. Given their ages, perhaps give them 2-3 rides to choose from at a time. So if you're in Fantasyland, tell them something like, "Ok, so we just went on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Would you like to go on Alice in Wonderland, the carrousel, or Snow White next?"

And prior to your trip, have each child pick the #1 ride that they REALLY want to go on during your trip. And make sure that you go on that ride on your 1st day.

 

[Angrose]

I think the difficult part is choosing rides that you may be unfamiliar with. Since you said it's your first time to DL then you, and especially the kids, may not even know what rides there are to do! I definitely had to re-educate myself before we took DS7 for his first time a few years ago because it had been 10 years since I had been there. I would first look at the map and start in Fantasyland as others had suggested. Watch some ride-thru videos on YouTube. This will help you get an idea of what the rides are like. I know that when DS was 5 he did not want to go on dark rides at all (fear of the dark rearing it's ugly head), but now he's fine with them. First rides like Dumbo, Casey Jr. Train, Teacups, Storybook Canal Boats and the Carousel are all outside rides and good places to start. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Angrose]

Oh, and I forgot about Autopia in Tomorrowland. Kids LOVE that ride!

 

[RainyDayPixie]

I would suggest providing a little structure. I used to let my kids lead the day, but they would just get paralyzed and we'd have meltdowns trying to choose.

I choose the basic schedule and within each land, they get to pick. And I have a good idea of where and when we might have meals so that we don't end up starving with no idea where to go.

Disneyland can be very overwhelming! If they can pick out some rides they want to try in advance, that helps!

I also have a rule that we don't buy souvenirs until the last day. We buy hats and treats, but if they start looking at toys, that's all they want to do the whole trip! (My boys are 9 & 7 now.)

I realize the above makes me sound a little controlling, but I promise we have fun (or else!).

 

[JinglePoem]

I'm going to second that "YouTube the rides" suggestion. Pour through the list of attractions, in both parks, and YouTube those you aren't familiar with. You can usually find first-person perspectives starting from the queue through to the end of the ride. It will give you a pretty good idea of what you think your kids (particularly your five year old) can handle, prior to getting there.

 

[RainyDayPixie]

And kids can really surprise you! My nephew was there this week (5) and he was absolutely terrified of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Last trip my (then) 6 year old made me take him on Tower of Terror, which my 9 year old wouldn't ride!


You guys are going to have so much fun, whatever you ride!

 

[javeyloveschelsi]

We just came back from our first visit last week (kids are 8, 4, and 11 months) and it was definitely kid led and what happened surprised me lol...I definitely learned that my oldest is no longer a little girl (as I proved after breaking down in tears after learning she rode California Screamin' with our family friend and I did NOT think she was ready and she loved it--although, she did also go on ToT and did well but refused to go back on it lol), but with the kids leading, the result was a few rides twice (HM, Pirates, Buzz, Star Tours, Radiator Springs), and missing several rides since we were there only two days, plus meeting lots of characters, but I wouldn't have had it any other way and it was a blast. We just had them watch some youtube videos before we went (although it was a surprise trip, so the videos were labeled as "wishful planning" to them ). We just went with the flow, they told us what they were interested in, I piped in a couple reminders/suggestions, but let them ultimately decide what we did. I will warn you though, letting them lead did make for visiting Pixie Hollow 3 times in order to meet Silvermist, but the pictures, videos, and memories are priceless and we can always go back for more rides some year!

 

[lalasmama]

This was our plan too--kid-led first day--on our first trip when DD was turning 8 yo. However, I did some gentle leading. Since the majority of people go to the right (literally) at Disneyland, I let DD know this, and suggested that maybe we go left when we can. So, instead of doing Tomorrowland or Fantasy Land first, we did Adventure Land. My DD was (is!) a complete thrill-seeker, so there weren't any worries about her being scared of rides (quite the opposite!). We did Jungle Cruise first (no drops, minor splashes when Ellie the Elephant sneezes, and maybe near the [metal, clearly fake] man eating piranhas, and one gun shot, that they warn you of before the do it). After that, we did Tarzan's Treehouse (which goes high, but provides awesome views, and is completely child-powered--no "ride" just a walk-through play area). Then DD started begging for some "scary" rides, so we did Indiana Jones. DD continued holding onto the "go left" idea, so we ended up in NOS, HM, and (gasp) Splash Mountain. I think I about died on Splash, and she laughed the whole time.

The point I'm really slow at making is that a little "helpful guidance" doesn't ruin the fun--in fact, it may enhance it some. DD's first morning in Disneyland had very minor lines, and, I believe, as a result, she never seems to "remember" the long lines that she had to go in, because I went into it a little more educated in touring, and could suggest where to go to avoid the worse lines at certain times (and, we made use of FPs). True, she didn't go on many Fantasy Land rides that first day, but we still managed something like 20 attractions, with minimal lines (!!) and more fun than she could have ever imagined. ... and she's not a dark-ride kinda kid, apparently--she spent the next two years praying to reach 65 lbs--the weight limit I set before saying she could go on California Screamin' (no, no safety reason behind that, just freaked out mama of a tiny 8yo, and 65lbs seemed so far away when she was only 46 lbs at that first trip!)...

Like others have suggested, consider looking at ride videos and seeing what appeals to your kiddos. ... And think about their personalities overall--if you have a child that that likes to be "warned" before something changes, consider watching the ride videos a few times so you can warn them that (in Indy, for example), "After the big rock comes a quick back up and drop--Oh, there's the rock, we count to 3, 1, 2, 3, hold on! Whoosh! No more drops!" I lived in relative fear that I had forgotten a HUGE drop in Pirates--we went over the first drop, and then the second, and the whole rest of the ride, I feared an unknown bigger/badder third drop that never happened, just because I didn't prepare myself (and DD) on what to expect... Neither of us are good at surprises

 

[JinglePoem]

I liked everything about that post, lalasmama. Everything.

 

[TechGuy]

Enjoy your day!

My only suggestion (other than start in ToonTown or FantasyLand) is each time offer them an A or B decision that you are happy with either option. Like "Do you want to ride Gadget's Go Coaster or go see Minnie?"

It allows them the freedom and power of making a decision but it's not an overwhelming number of options and DL has hundreds of options. You decide what the options are based on the kids desires and maybe start the little kids choices first, them big kids and alternate. If you say did you want to see Minnie, visit Goofy, ride the Roger Rabbit ride or the coaster... you offer them too many options to decide, and too many options to fight over.

 

[calilou]

Another suggestion is to book the Discover the Magic Tour or even the Welcome to Disneyland Tour on your first day to give your kids (and you!) as first timers an opportunity to see the lay of the land and get excited about rides you see. Then they can each pick their top two or three favorites to go on that day. You'll get to go on some rides on the tours themselves as well.

 

[LALA8971]

My DS was 7 the first time we took him. I had been several times before that. He was sort of a cautious kid back them (totally reckless now!) and we found that watching the POV videos on YouTube was helpful. He knew kind of what to expect before we got there. He ended up choosing Indy as his first ride and loved it!
Have fun!

 

[MermaidHair]

I want to reiterate having some idea of where and when you want to eat. I think this is key to keeping the day moving, spirits up and not getting overtired. On our next trip, for example, we have a lunch and a dinner idea for both DCA and DL. We do not yet know which park we will be in on which day yet but we know where we will eat on our DCA day and our DL day.

 

[arichau]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet but I think it's also good to let kids know - if you are giving them choices - if something is a one-day thing (like some of the parades) so we do it now or not at all, or if it's something that can easily be done at another time. If my kids get something in their heads (we HAVE to do this ride next) but I see a super short line for something that usually is a long line on the way I try and explain that maybe we should detour.

Of course it totally depends on the ages of the kids (or just their moods!) - sometimes this just isn't worth it. But sometimes it has been really helpful. Have a great trip!

 

[keltiesmom]

Most kids are going to be ok with fantasy land rides, unless they have a fear of the dark. I would start small with the coasters and drops. Gadgets go coaster and Matterhorn are good places to start as well as pirates of the Caribbean. It has a couple small drops that you can gage their reaction with. i would avoid big thunder mountain, space mountain and even splash mountain until you have a decent idea weather your kids are thrill seekers or not.