Preparing/Planning Questions?

[6Smiles]

We will be traveling with 5,8,12, and 14 year olds. I could use some advice as to what age your kids started carrying their own stuff? What do they carry their stuff in?

When doing the BBB what do your husbands and boys do? Please note I do not actually have a boy, but a 12 year old tomboy!

Thanks for the help

 

[darph nader]

Maybe cargo pants/shorts for the 3 oldest. A small fanny pack for the young one. (so he wont feel left out) Small back-packs for the older 2 ?

 

[teatime]

every kid from 7 up carry's a small back pack for there water and snacks.
we all now carry a small pack, youngest is 7
we also put a bag into the packs for the water rides so they stay dry.

 

[bumbershoot]

My newish 5 year old has yet to carry anything meaningful for any good amount of time...I'm hoping that when he's 6 he'll start. So I wouldn't hold out hope for the 5 yo, but the others are likely old enough to take a backpack full of books to school, therefore, they can be their own pack mules, LOL.

We only have the one kidlet, and he wanted to get the Knight's Package at BBB, and hubby went with us, so we haven't had the experience of needing to find other things to do...but I imagine they could do anything they want! I think maybe the important question is...what are the things you and whatever kid(s) going to BBB do NOT want to do that the others do? Have them do those things while you are off in BBB.

 

[Hound 109]

....When doing the BBB what do your husbands and boys do?

W/O princesses around?

DS 10 & i normally eat corny dogs & sausages....scratch & grunt when we feel like it...wear mismatched clothes...the usual stuff.

& ride rides....lots of them....sometimes repeating them. Then we'll take a two minute "rest" to scarf down cookies & churros & fries & stuff....& then ride more rides.

 

[gcatt]

I'm a big fan of waistpacks for kids. Especially on hot days -- backpacks can be very hot & sweaty! Each of the kids (9 & 11) had a small water bottle which we refilled periodically, snacks & energy bars, and an mp3 player if we needed it for long lines. (We stopped bringing the mp3s on the 3rd day, since they were not needed. Lines last week were very long at times, but not if you had a good plan. Most of our waits were under 10 minutes, and only a couple were more than 10-15 minutes long, such as Pixie Hollow.)

My DH also carried a waist pack with water and snacks for the two of us. I have a bad back, so I only carried a small cloth purse with room for money, IDs, park tickets, and the ever-growing stack of FPs.

We left every afternoon for swimming and rest period before coming back in the evening. A couple of times it was cool enough to tie on a long sleeve shirt or light sweatshirt, but we never broke out the backpacks.

Whatever they bring, it's important that they feel comfortable carrying it. A trial run might help to see. . . .

 

[andee2000]

We will be traveling with 5,8,12, and 14 year olds. I could use some advice as to what age your kids started carrying their own stuff? What do they carry their stuff in?

When doing the BBB what do your husbands and boys do? Please note I do not actually have a boy, but a 12 year old tomboy!

Thanks for the help

My kids last year were 4 & 6 and I carried all their stuff in a tote bag that I carried. We didn't need too much, just a bottle of water and sunscreen. I guess we were all so excited that we just didn't get hungry for snacks that much and when we did we just bought something off a cart. Next year they will be 6 & 8 and I'm thinkin of just having them wear their camel back water backpacks that are small but can hold a few things like a hat and sunscreen. We don't carry around too much stuff for some reason.

When we went to the princess fantasy faire last year my husband took my son to go on rides in toontown.

 

[Brady's Mom]

We've always had a stroller when we go with our kids - so we put water bottles and snacky things in the bottom of it. DH and I were just at DLR a couple of weeks ago and we each carried a water bottle with us and refilled at Rancho and Tomorrowland Terrace or the First Aid station - we didn't try the Baby Care center. We stopped on our way from the airport and bought a couple of the bigger water bottles with the flip top and never worried about losing a lid. It was nice.

When we go again, since DH always carries the camera, we were thinking a waist pack with water bottle holders would be really nice. Then he could stick the bottles in the pack and the camera, too and have free hands.

Where do you get small waist packs for kids? A couple of my kids could/would carry their own stuff. Maybe we could consider not using the stroller, then....

 

[PinkBudgie]

Our boys are teens. Last summer when we all went we brought one backpack. The boys and DH took turns carrying it. It had our waterbottles, snacks, and hand sanitizer. I usually didn't have to carry it but had my purse with the camera and I kept the FPs for everyone.

The boys also had little phone cases attatched to their belts. Inside they had their phones and also their tickets. It had an extra zipper pocket. So when they went off alone they just had that.

When they were younger, we still only had one backpack but they didn't help carry it. DH and I took turns. We just didn't want to have more backpacks to keep track of. It was just easier for us to carry everything.

 

[wvnative]

Well, her first trip she was about 7 and my XSIL had the stroller so there was no need for her to carry anything.

We went again when she was about 14 and she carried her own small backpack. She takes a small one with her on every trip now. We don't need much in the park but I like to have it already when we do need it.

I carry one of those drawstring backpacks. I bought a new pink one for my last trip and I like it a lot better than my old one. It has a separate zippered section that is nice for my camera and wallet. It also has two mesh pockets that work well for water bottles. I found mine at Famous Footwear.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Even when the kids were younger we only carried one backpack and everyone switched off. We did not overload it. We did not want that many things to keep track of and the youngest(7) had no problems with short periods of time.

Jack