Sorry...this is "BIG" question but I need help!!

[colbybug]

My husband and I are going to Disneyland for three days with a 3 1/2 yr old in one week!!! We haven't been there for probably 12 years or so. Can anyone give me their suggestions as to what to do i.e. the MUST SEE/DO'S. We are clueless and we are really going mostly for our little guy! Fortunately, he is 41 inches tall so he'll make the height restrictions and he is a pretty fearless but I'm not sure if he'll like the rides and if so, which ones. We don't want to traumatize him on his first trip there! I'd appreciate ANY tips.

Thanks,
Bug's Mom

 

[HydroGuy]

Here is one person's opinion of must do's with a 41 inch 3 1/2 year old on a three day trip.

DL Rides:

1. Pirates of the Carribean (might scare younger ones - depends on the child)
2. Haunted Mansion (might scare younger ones - depends on the child)
3. Splash Mtn
4. Big Thunder Mtn RR (a fun roller coaster - depends on the child)
5. Matterhorn (a fun roller coaster - depends on the child)
6. Small World
7. Peter Pan (do this first thing in the morning - the line gets long)
8. Alice in Wonderland
9. Dumbo (do this first thing in the morning - the line gets long)
10. StoryBook Land Canal (we try to do this in the evening, before it gets dark)
11. Mr Toad's Wild Ride
12. Tiki Room (do this in the afternoon when it is hot outside)
13. Jungle Cruise
14. Buzz Lightyear AstroBlasters
15. Winnie the Pooh
16. Honey I Shrunk the Audience
17. Star Tours
18. Mad Tea Party
19. Space Mtn (updated since your last visit, very fun, not too scary, depends on child)
20. Mickey's house (as soon as ToonTown opens - the lines are long thereafter)

DL Shows:

1. Fantasmic - this is an outstanding show performed in the evening, but you need to get there early (maybe an hour early) to see it. If the your child can make it, the 10:30 show is less crowded.

2. Remember Dreams Come True fireworks - Excellent show, try to see it in the hub. Need to get there early.

3. Parade of Dreams - if you like parades, this is a good one


DCA Rides:

1. Soarin Over California (absolutely do not miss this, you and your husband will love it, as will your child)
2. Animation Studio (especially Turtle Talk with Crush - plan for at least 90 minutes there)
3. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (only if your child is brave)

DCA Shows:

1. Aladdin (Broadway quality show, 40 minutes long)


Tips:

1. If you can find a way to get to the DL gate 30 minutes before the park opens and get in line, you will get so much more done. In the first hour or two the lines in the park are short and you can really do a lot of rides.

2. Pay attention to which days are Early Entry (EE). If you have a three day bonus ticket, you have one day of EE. Use that on your first day if possible because your child will have the most energy. EE days are Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat. Avoid Fantasyland on these days (unless you yourself have EE) because the lines are already long by the time you get into the park. Go to FantasyLand in the morning on non-EE days, and go to ToonTown (which opens one hour after regular opening) on non-EE days right when it it opens. In August we saved TT for a non-EE day (we went on Wed) and got there at 9:05AM (it opened at 9AM). There was one family in front of us for Mickey' house. and we walked onto Gadget's Go Coaster. We finished all of TT in an hour with almost no lines. Later in the day TT can get really crowded.

 

[almostGoofy]

I'd like to add to the list at DL Tom Sawyer's Island. When my kids were 2 1/2 and 5, they loved running around the island, over the bridges and through Injun Joe's cave. Although it's not a must see, it makes for a nice break from standing in line for rides, especially if you think your child needs to let some energy off by running around.

 

[denyd]

As the DD of a fairly fearless 3.5yo DS, I'll add my 2 cents to this list.

If it's a hot day as is very possible this time of year, Princess Dot's Puddle Pond is a great mid-afternoon spot for the little one to cool off, make sure you have a change of clothes & a towel as he'll get very wet. Also the Playhouse Disney, Small World & Muppet's 3D shows are great spots on a hot afternoon.

My three most important pieces of advice:

1. If the child says the ride is scary, then skip it or do the parental hand-off. There's no need to frighten him for no reason. My DS doesn't like most dark rides (Peter Pan, Alice, Pooh), so we skip those.

2. Block out some free play time. Places like Goofy's Bounce House, Redwood Creek Trail or one of the tugboats are a great place for him to play while mommy & daddy take a break.

3. Have fun. This is not a contest to see how many rides & shows can be crammed into a single visit.

 

[Disney Donna]

Hi... If you go when Disneyland first opens, you can start off with Fantasyland and try out the rides there first and then build up to the bigger rides for your son. If he's into pirates, "Pirates of the Carribean" will be a good ride, however, it is dark inside, so you might want to work your way up to that and discuss with him that it's okay... If he's into space "stuff", start him out with maybe "Buss Lightyear" and work your way up to the "Rockets", and then maybe "Star Tours" and "Space Mountain"...

There are many, many things that he will enjoy... not only the rides, but the shows, parades, fireworks (if you are there when they are having them), the colors, music, feeding the ducks and just being in Disneyland...

Also, if he like dinasaurs, take him on the train ride... it goes around the park and he can see dinasaurs in the dinorama between Tomarrowland and Main Street USA Station.

Oh, and one more suggestion that I think is pretty neat... if you are standing in a line, remember, he is standing around alot of adults and with him being shorter, it can get hot and uncomfortable as he can't see as well around people... you might want to hold him every now and again...

Have a great time, and don't let the crowds get to you... that's part of being at Disneyland... just take your time and relax and enjoy...

Have FUN!

 

[colbybug]

I really appreciate all of you who have taken the time to give me your input. Really, it is invaluable. I think these boards are GREAT! One more question, we will be there on a Mon, Tues and then back on Fri so we can see some "weekend stuff" would my three year old enjoy Fantasmic more or the fireworks? I know that he likes fireworks but he is a bundle of energy and rarely sits still for anything so I don't know how he'll do sitting and waiting for anything to start i.e. Fantasmic (or fireworks for that matter!)

Thanks again,
Bug's Mom

 

[LucyKate]

Great advice above (as always)

My two cents worth:
- Pirates of the Carribean only sounds scary - my youngest is easily scared but found this very enjoyable.
- Haunted Mansion - ditto -
- Splash Mtn - my kids did it once but found it too scary
- Big Thunder Mtn RR - probably too much for a 3YO.
- Matterhorn - I thought it tame, my kids didn't like it.
- Small World - brilliant for all ages
- Peter Pan - brilliant for all ages. The most underrated ride in the park, but word is getting round and queues can be long. Do it early.
- Alice in Wonderland - not bad, but could be scary to some.
- Dumbo - boring, we thought, but little kids love it. However, after splash et al your boy may find it dull. But do early as queues are big.
- StoryBook Land Canal - sorry, we thought this dullest ride in the park.
- Mr Toad's Wild Ride - good fun, not scary.
- Jungle Cruise - great fun for all
- Winnie the Pooh - brilliant and not scary. Great fun for all
- Honey I Shrunk the Audience - great fun, but a little to intense for some kids as it is VERY realistic. Almost too scary for my 5YO, she just hung on.
- Star Tours. Great fun, not scary.
- Mad Tea Party - ditto

DCA Rides:
- Soarin Over California - everything Hydroguy said. Sensational.
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I loved it, but kids would have to be VERY brave to try this. I wouldn't recommend it (but make sure you do it yourself!)
- Grizzly River Run - a much tamer alternative to Splash and a lot more fun. My kids loved it.
- Bug's Life 3d - VERY scary, very realistic. Lots of fun if you can handle bugs appearing to crawl over you and spiders dropping from ceilings etc. If your boy is fine with this go, if he he has a hug phobia do not go - kids run screaming from this every session (again, my 5YO just made it, but only by shutting her eyes for the last 5 minutes).

 

[HydroGuy]

- Pirates of the Carribean only sounds scary - my youngest is easily scared but found this very enjoyable.
- Haunted Mansion - ditto -

Like I said, depends on the child. When my now 9-year old was 4, there was no way he would go on either one, even with older brothers trying to shame him. And he would not go on Indy when he was 7, either. He did Indy for the first time this summer. In general, he is pretty brave, but has a vivid imagination which trumped his desire to ride.

Also, Splash Mtn never gave him a problem when he was 4. He loved it.

- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I loved it, but kids would have to be VERY brave to try this. I wouldn't recommend it (but make sure you do it yourself!)

I agree. It would be too much for most 3-year olds. And 4 and 5-year olds for that matter. If your child is fearless, or nearly so, the height limit is 40 inches and he can ride it.

- Grizzly River Run - a much tamer alternative to Splash and a lot more fun. My kids loved it.

Height limit is 42 inches, so ColbyBug's child will have to skip this.

 

[HydroGuy]

I really appreciate all of you who have taken the time to give me your input. Really, it is invaluable. I think these boards are GREAT! One more question, we will be there on a Mon, Tues and then back on Fri so we can see some "weekend stuff" would my three year old enjoy Fantasmic more or the fireworks? I know that he likes fireworks but he is a bundle of energy and rarely sits still for anything so I don't know how he'll do sitting and waiting for anything to start i.e. Fantasmic (or fireworks for that matter!)

Both are great. If I had to choose, I would choose Fantasmic in your case because I think a 3-year old would get more out of it. The 9PM show is tough, because people get there early for a seat. You would need to have you or hubby hold seats for the three of you starting at 8PM or maybe earlier. If you did this, forget about getting a good spot for the fireworks.

If you are staying at a nearby hotel and your child can get a nap, then you can catch the 10:30 Fantasmic where you can get pretty good seats at 10PM and maybe even 10:15. And you can see the fireworks beforehand. Best place for fireworks is the hub because of the projections on the castle.

 

[abby]

I took my almost 5 year old to DL in April, my advice, go early, go early,go early. We were able to do lots of kid rides in the first hour with no lines, same thing at CA. Be getting to the parks before they open and waiting 1/2 then, you can do a lot.

Take a break in the afternoon, go back to where ever you are stay and rest, take a nap, or swim, just take a few hours off, it will save a lot of melt downs.

Plan for food, as soon as the little one is hungry so is everyone else, plan ahead.

We rented a stroller (even tho we don't own one anymore and she hasn't used one in over a year.) If you rent one, take a cheap scarf and tie it on the handle so you can find it in a sea of stollers.

Mostly, remember to enjoy the time, and not get too caught up in "what you had planned" little ones like to take their time and not be rushed.

have a great time.

 

[tinafromidaho]

I speed read all the replies but I read somewhere else that you should start out on calm things and work your way up that way he is building his courage up as well and the rides won't bother him as much.

 

[brenda1966]

Great advice above. I just want to second the advice to keep the little kids out of the 3-D movies (Honey I shrunk the Kids and It's tough to be a bug). My friend took her 4 year old into the bug movie and then she was scared to ride on almost everything and scared to watch any kind of show. This is a kid who's been to the parks many, many times.

I took my 2.5 year old on Pirates -- we had sung the Pirate song a lot so she was looking f orward to it. I also took her in the Haunted Mansion which I described as a halloween ride -- she was fine on that too. I'll be interested to see how she does now that's she's a year older and more prone to be "scared".