"Shock" factor for me = boring for kids?

[bsmcneil]

So, late on a Saturday night might not be the best time to get lots of input on this. But whenever I try to point out things I find cool about WDW (via video clips to get prepared for a trip), my kids (5 and 8-9) aren't very surprised because it's not very technologically advanced. I love the projections on the castle (I recognize many folks don't). I went during the 25th and saw the Cake-Castle; I've seen the icicle lights. The projections feel like a whole other level to me (even as I'm on the older edge of being a millennial). If you've faced this, did the in-person visit change things? Anything in particular help the kids feel shocked/wowed?

 

[Lilsia]

So this is what you do. You say to them that since they don't seem to like WDW, that they can stay with Grandma and you will go without them. You will see how fast they are impressed with WDW. LOL

 

[bsmcneil]

So this is what you do. You say to them that since they don't seem to like WDW, that they can stay with Grandma and you will go without them. You will see how fast they are impressed with WDW. LOL

Ha! To be fair, they're not the jaded version of teenage me fake ooh'ing and aah'ing over fireworks (even though I secretly loved them) during my town's quaint July 4th festival ... yet. I also recognize that I'm often moved by pomp and circumstance (even the Fantasia 2000 version of it ) and my kids will just experience things differently than me. I mean - I write this on a great computer (or on my phone if I wanted) whereas today I was explaining that I had some version of this growing up...

 

[Lilsia]

Yeah, kids today have grown up with this technology and so it is normal and boring for them. Us old folks, who grew up without computers, think all of this is amazing. Even something like a digital picture frame was something that we saw in sci-fi movies and thought was amazing. I would just stop trying to show them Disney stuff and they can just experience it when they get there.

 

[DisneyAuntie12]

This might not apply to your situation, but I noticed that when my nephew turned 9 he got into this Too Cool phase. Like you could show him literally anything and he would say “Oh yeah, I know all about that, I’ve done that before.”

You said your kids are “8-9” - if you meant “8 almost 9” you may be headed into this phase. It’s like the beginning of the Tween years - outwardly admitting to being blown away is seen as “uncool” or something, but that doesn’t mean they’re not blown away on the inside!

Edited to add - and of course the 5 year old thinks his older siblings are the coolest so she or he will go with whatever they say!

 

[bsmcneil]

This might not apply to your situation, but I noticed that when my nephew turned 9 he got into this Too Cool phase. Like you could show him literally anything and he would say “Oh yeah, I know all about that, I’ve done that before.”

You said your kids are “8-9” - if you meant “8 almost 9” you may be headed into this phase. It’s like the beginning of the Tween years - outwardly admitting to being blown away is seen as “uncool” or something, but that doesn’t mean they’re not blown away on the inside!

Edited to add - and of course the 5 year old thinks his older siblings are the coolest so she or he will go with whatever they say!

This makes 100% sense. Yeah, the 8 year old turns 9 the day after our trip is over - but so far we're (fingers crossed) in the genuine stage (I think there's still an element of "dad likes this" whereas I could see that working against things before too long, lol)

 

[DisneyAuntie12]

This makes 100% sense. Yeah, the 8 year old turns 9 the day after our trip is over - but so far we're (fingers crossed) in the genuine stage (I think there's still an element of "dad likes this" whereas I could see that working against things before too long, lol)

Lol! I think another thing to remember is that some of kid's favorite stuff doesn't necessarily have a 'wow' factor - for kids it may be more about routine and ritual and familiarity. When I was a kid I looked forward to Disney in much the same way I looked forward to Christmas. We had these Disney placemats with a map of the park and if there was a trip coming up my siblings and I would go over all the places we'd been, reminiscing and anticipating the next go round. It was like putting the same ornaments on the tree every year or doing the same ritual of waiting for Santa to come - it was special because it was so familiar.

 

[Rory607]

I think being there in person definitely makes a difference, so I wouldn’t worry. Personally, I have no interest in watching videos of fireworks. Even Disney fireworks. Boring. I really enjoy them in person, though. It’s a much more fun and impressive experience!

Yesterday I was showing my 11 year old some ride videos and stuff from Universal as we have our first trip coming up. The kids are incredibly excited for the trip and can’t stop talking about it. But she was not into those videos. She wasn’t being rude, just not all that interested. She kept asking to see the pictures of our local library that is being renovated and almost completed instead

 

[ktlm]

I would bet there is plenty of stuff they will find interesting and amazing once they are there. You may wind up surprised at what it is that impresses them, it may not be what you expect.

As far as the castle projections, I will say that my DD who is now a teen was always amazed by and loved the icicle lights, but she is lukewarm at best on the projection shows. The very first time, they did one on the castle, she thought it was kind of cool, but after seeing that once, she was over any of the projection shows on the castle, and has zero interest in watching them. I wonder if these kids have so much screen time, that it is just another screen to them.

 

[apdismom]

My kids couldn't care less about Disney when we are not there...when we go though it is so different in person. My 8 year old is the worst with this because they are very nonchalant and just don't emote over these things until they see them in person.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

I feel like your 8 year old might be heading for the "too cool" thing, and the 5 year old could just be copying what they see their older sibling do. Either that, or maybe it just seems far off to them and so it could be hard to get excited about something that seems unreal/so far away. My 38 year old HUSBAND loves loves Disney, but when we book at year out and I get excited by hopping on planning boards and watching millions of Disney vlogs, he's like because it just seems too far away to him to really get excited yet. They might surprise you and pull out the excitement when you get closer. I find it hard to believe that a 5 and an 8 year old would TRULY be unimpressed by Disney once they're in the parks.

 

[LuvMyEAR]

I would bet there is plenty of stuff they will find interesting and amazing once they are there. You may wind up surprised at what it is that impresses them, it may not be what you expect.

As far as the castle projections, I will say that my DD who is now a teen was always amazed by and loved the icicle lights, but she is lukewarm at best on the projection shows. The very first time, they did one on the castle, she thought it was kind of cool, but after seeing that once, she was over any of the projection shows on the castle, and has zero interest in watching them. I wonder if these kids have so much screen time, that it is just another screen to them.

I am a senior and quite agree with your daughter. Videos on a castle. Meh…I enjoyed the fireworks being the focus of the nighttime show, and that you could view them from many places around the park without FOMO on a big part of the show. now the lights are a different matter. I loved those more than anything. They added an element of sparkle that could be seen from quite a distance. Would love to see their return someday.

 

[Marrila]

Maybe just let them enjoy the experience when you get there. It's very different in person. They will probably love some things, like others, and dislike a few. That's ok.

 

[Atlantix2000]

One reason you find the castle projections cool/shocking/wow is that they are different and/or an improvement from what you experienced growing up. However, your kids don't have those memories. When you show them a video of castle projections, they just accept what they see as normal. Also, especially if this is their first trip, they may not appreciate that this is a real place yet. Between all the screens (computer, tv, phone) kids interact with today, they are already used to seeing the magical/exotic/unrealistic/cartoon places that "exist" in the shows they watch. Actually visiting Disney is a very different experience than watching a video from there.