Making trip special for child's first trip

[disneybaby05]

I just had DS last December and I am already starting to plan his first trip to the World! We won't be going until December 2010. I know it's a little early to start planning (I know things will change a lot in 4+ years!) We are going with my parents, my brother, and also are taking my grandmother for her first trip to Disney. We are planning to stay at the Wilderness Lodge.

Does anyone have any stories on how they made their child's first trip extra special? Did you do anything special for the days/weeks/etc. leading up to the trip and how old was your child when they first went?

I'm mostly posting this just so I can hear some happy stories about WDW, since I won't be able to go back for quite a while!

 

[ChristusG]

You could order a gift basket filled with Disney goodies....such as a plush Mickey, Disney candy, pins with a lanyard, an autograph book and pen, maybe a shirt or something.....and have it delivered to your room right when you check in. You can put on the tag "From Mickey" or something like that.

A character meal would be a great idea for a first Disney trip.

And you gotta get him a funny hat to wear throughout all the parks! Maybe let him choose one from a gift shop at Downtown Disney on the first day there.

 

[ilovemickeymost]

Took DD on Mommy & me trip. I'd gone to the Disney store & others & picked up misc Disney items. I gave them to her through out our vacation. To start things off, the 1st night we ate at GF Cindy's Gala Feast. She'd met all the characters & had them sign her book. When she left for the little princess' room, I placed a mini snow globe of a glass slipper on the page cindy had signed. When she came back, I told her Cindy had been by & asked me to give it to her. She knew it was a special trip for DD (hubby & I were going through a divorce) & she wanted to make it extra special. Of course she asked if it was from me & I denied it. cindy came back by & DD ranup & thanked her for the snow globe, Cindy just nodded & smiled. Prince Charming came by & asked her about it & DD told him the whole story. he told her how special it was & then told her all about having a new one made to replace the one that was broken, so she could wear them at their wedding. I was in tear & DD was a believer in the magic. Dream of the day your little on walks on to Main Street for the first time, eyes wide, mouth open & says wow.

 

[lauritagoddess]

I just took DS two months ago, he was 3.5. I got a big Disney storybook and in the weeks leading up to our trip we read a story each night. I also got the Disney sing-a-long tape set at Disneyland. It was close enough that you really couldn't tell it was set there and not at Magic Kingdom. We also watched House of Mouse. It was really good preparation because he has very little patience to sit through a movie and didn't really know alot of the characters that well before our trip, but then was so into the characters that meeting them there was the highlight of each day for him. At Disney I booked character meals for us, including Chef Mickeys for dinner our first night.