Taking children for the first time... Any suggestions?

[TeaForTulips]

This is my first time to even linger on the Family part of the DIS. I have no children of my own, but we are planning to take my niece and nephew to Disney! I tear up just thinking about it! I am so excited! My niece will be 2 almost 3 and my nephew will 5. I plan on getting the "with kids" version of all my fave Disney books and plan to do lots of character meals, etc. We always bypass all the kiddie things at Disney though, so I feel so unprepared even with all my Disney trips under my belt.

Does anyone have any must dos or do not miss ideas for children that age? There are so many special things that Disney offers and I am oblivious to the ones for the kids! I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, etc.

 

[ccgirl]

My biggest piece of advice is to go at the children's own pace. We pushed my DD one year and boy did we pay for it. Arriving at the park when it opened, leaving when it closed. She would nap in her stroller but we still paid for it. Now, I let my children sleep in and to to the parks when they are ready. If the youngest still naps, try to schedule in her naps. My kids really enjoyed the character dinner at the Crystal Palace - we loved it too. My DD6has also done the BBB twice and loves it. We get the $50 hair, nail, and makeup package and just bring a princess dress from home. She LOVES it. The Princess Storybook Breakfast at Akershus was another great thing. She got the autographs of so many princesses so we didn't have to wait in the lines for their autographs. Enjoy the children. It is so wonderful seeing Disney though their eyes. Also...become familiar with Child Swap. The youngest may be too short to go on some of the rides the 5 year old wants to go on. If you're not sure what that is, just ask and I would be happy to tell you. I'm sure you will have a great time! What a wonderful thing for you to do.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

There is lots of stuff to do with kids, and I bet, you'll find as I did on our last trip (my 7th, family's first...) that since you will be going at a slower pace, you'll tend to notice more of the "little" details that make Disney so special.

MK - You will probably spend a good amount of time in Fantasyland hitting up all of the attractions, but don't rule out Tom Sawyer's Island (try to find a paintbrush for a special surprise from the CMs), the riverboat (not sure if it's running right now though...), taking the train ALL the way around MK, walking through Cindy's castle, etc. Exposition Hall is another place (indoor) to find an occasional character. There are also classic Disney cartoons that play in there and some full-sized cutouts for some fun photo-ops.

EPCOT has kidcot fun stations where the kids can do little activities and have things to take home from World Showcase. There are also characters tucked away in WS so be on the lookout.

AK - I recommend hitting up Camp Minnie-Mickey for character greets. The lines are shorter and empty out into a common area, so people don't tend to linger outside of the queues. The Gathering Place (also Camp M-M) is an area for storytime, play, and relaxation. Dinoland will also be fairly popular with the age of kids you are going with. Walking through the animal trails is something you can do at your own pace w/o interrupting other people, it may be a good place if you need to really slow down. Keep an eye out for DeVine too.

DHS - I personally don't think there is anything there for the kindergartener/preschooler except Playhouse Disney Live! There are a couple of character greet spots outside the building but that's it. DS didn't like the park much and we only spent a 1/2 day there.

Are you planning on letting the kids do autographs? It's also something fun to do.

 

[Perditamarie]

Here are a few suggestions/ideas:

* have stroller for both kids
* bring a small cooler bag with you to have water/juice and snacks handy..it is very hard to find juice when you need it - great for lines and outdoor shows
* 2 yo may be scared of characters
* most efficient way to meet characters is at character meals - keep in mind if you do dinner that the kids are probably used to eating earlier
* shows are LOUD...watch out for 3d movies..they are loud and ITTBAB and HISTA can be scary.
* if 2 yo in diapers, plan to change more often than you think as she may be drinking a lot in the heat
* totally worth any effort to make it for rope drop, take a pool/nap break then back to the parks!
* we pretty much keep to the kids regular bedtime to prevent morning crabbiness!
* kids often find fireworks loud too!
* keep in mind there are many water features in the parks...have an extra set of clothes for 2 yo and maybe shirt for 5 yo and that shoes are appropriate
* a gazillion rides exit through gift shops...have plan for the "i wannas" and the "gimmees"
* put on a good coat of sunblock in your hotel each am and touch up as needed...don't wait til you get to the park to put it on!
* bring kids to play areas in parks and at your resort so they can run around and get out of the stroller

Epcot -- The Kidcot funstops at every country in World Showcase in Epcot is fun..a great spot to rest in Epcot is Spaceship Earth or the Ellen ride (dinos can be a bit scary, but a cuddle oughtta do it -- I used to carry little dum-dum lollipops or other tiny surprises to hopefully avoid meltdowns).

MK -- plan plenty of time here!

AK -- like to do a half day here, but don't miss shows like FOTLK, and there is also a great play area for lots of running around out of the stroller (water hazard here!). Then relax around the pool or do DTD later.

DHS -- Plenty for kids...we love the shows, Playhouse Disney, TSM, can do Great Movie Ride just don't let them look up during Alien section! The Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area is super (there is a water hazard tho!!)

Have a great trip!

 

[williamson_ja]

My younger ones LOVE the water parks. Try to get to Blizzard Beach at least once! They have great areas for even the littlest ones to play. My dd was almost 3 when we went last year and went down several slides. She also just loved the kiddie play area there. LOTS of fun!

 

[jennyleettu]

We are in the process of planning our first trip to Disney but from what I have read the one thing that has been stressed over and over is don't over estimate the power of nap time/ rest time. We have actually planned to go back to the hotel room during the middle of the day to rest up.

I would love to take my niece and nephew and might plan a trip for all of us with the bounce back offer depending on what it is!! Have a great time!!