Please help me plan our trip!

[DesertBell]

I am trying to plan our DL trip (March 4-10) and I am feeling a little overwhelmed. This will be the third trip for myself and my DH, but our first taking our kids. Also, my mom, stepfather, and my neice (my mom adopted her. Makes for an interesting loop in our family tree ) will be joining us, and I think it's the first DL trip for any of them.

We're staying offsite, at the Park View Inn (Already made reservations!) and we know that we want to do the Princess lunch, but other than that I'm at sea. I just REALLY want to have a plan for every day, so that we don't get stressed, we don't miss anything, and we don't fight.

What attractions are good for the kids? DS will be 20 months old, but he's already 30 inches, so by then I am assuming he'll be closer to 33 inches, if not more. DD will be very nearly four, and she's 40 inches now. DN will be five, and she's a good bit taller than my DD, although I don't know exactly how much. We are already planning to split nights out with my parents- they stay in with the kids one night while we go out, we stay in the next... So we should get a chance to do "grown up" stuff, too.

So, what should I plan for? What should I make PS for (Besides the Princess meal ) Is there any experience that would make this trip even more magical for the kids, and shouldn't be missed? Please, any tips and tricks from seasoned DL vets would be VERY appreciated.

Thank you so much!

 

[kuusimo]

I would go to the library and check of the Unofficial guide to Disneyland and the Official one. That really helped me to get a good idea of Disneyland when traveling with young children. We took our two boys when they were 13 months and 22 months. Your younger son can ride most of the rides that would interest him. I would try a tame dark ride like Buzz lightyear or Winnie the Pooh to see how they do with the noise level and the lighting. Some children like them better than others.

At DCA, bug's land is a hit with my boys as well as Monster's Inc.

I had to learn that going for the children meant just that. It sounds like you should be able to get in some rides for you older ones having more adults with you. Take advantage of fast passes and get multiple ones with your children's tickets. I also had to learn to read my children. Sometimes they just need to take a nap.

Keep reading the posts, and checkout www.mouseplanet.com and www.mousesavers.com Mouseplanet also has some boards that are helpful. They also have a parenting in the parks section that you may find helpful.

 

[Captjackson]

Since this is your 1st time to DL with kids, I'll offer this caution: Don't try to do to much. Or to put it another way, don't get to upset if the kids aren't excited about something you think they should be excited about.
You will probably not cover as much ground as you and your DH used to by yourselves. Don't worry about seeing "everything". When the kids start looking , take a break. It'll help keep the adults from
Good idea on each couple having a "kid free" evening. Another thing you might try is splitting the group up for an hour or so. Our DS loves Buzz Lightyear but not the Dumbo ride. DD is just the opposite.

Good luck.

 

[abby]

I too am a planner, and wanted to plan everything, I learned with my dd that although it is good to have a general plan, kids move on their own time and find interesting things that I didn't anticipate. Make sure you leave room in your plans for the kids to get distracted and that it doesn't drive you nuts. My best advice with little kids is to arrive before the park opens, rush in and do all the kid rides first, you can do them without lines and get done in an hour what would take three hours of line standing later in the day. Also, strollers are a must. my dd who was 5 last time loved having a stroller to ride in. take a break mid day to nap/rest it will prove worth it......

 

[disneyochem]

Ditto on what everyone else has said about going with the flow! We started taking our kids to DL when they were each 6 months old! You just need to go with the flow and not overplan and realize that it is a completely different experience with little ones. Check to see how they handle dark rides--a bad experience can ruin the rest of the rides! Take lots of unstructured breaks throughout the day at the water area in Bug's Land, Redwood Creek Challenge, your hotel pool, Tom Sawyer Island, etc. I never tried to push my kids to do anything that they were a little hesitant about. I know some people like to push their kids a bit (especially when you know that the kids would love the ride) but I never did. I waited until my kids told me they wanted to ride or visit a character.

I do suggest getting PS at Ariel's for Princess. Also check to see if any of the kids are afraid of characters--that would rule out Goofy's Kitchen.

One of my favorite afternoons spent at DL was with my little one when she was five years old. She decided she wanted to collect treasures instead of going on rides. So we spent about three hours wandering around collected feathers, interesting leaves, and pretty rocks! We discovered the kitty cats, the crayfish and other things that you normally just rush by! I still have a number of those treasures mounted in a scrapbook!