Traveling with a 6 year old to WDW in August...

[Jenn51421]

Traveling with a 6 year old to WDW in August...

Hello fellow Disney lovers,

My Fiancé and I will be taking his 6 year old son to Disney World in August and I have a few questions. I myself have been to Disney World many times but never with a child and never in August. We will be doing all 4 parks and traveling on an airplane. So what I need from my fellow Disney lovers is any and all information on what to pack for the 6 year old, as well as any and all ideas and suggestions on what to have on hand with me at the park or on the plane.

Thanks in advance for all your ideas and suggestions...

Jenn

 

[stace1214]

Of course it's hotter than the surface of the sun, but in all honestly, my favorite time of year to go. We always rope drop, take a long break in the afternoon to cool down, rest, swim and go back for dinner and the rest of the evening when it's slightly cooler. Definitely use cooling towels and or personal fans. Depending on the activity level of your fiance's son, he may want a stroller especially as you get further into the the trip and he is tired out. Go at his pace, and take your cues from him. Get in an air-conditioned show when he gets hot and cranky for your sake and sanity and his. My kids aren't picky eaters, but they are not used to eating out for every meal and due to the heat really aren't that hungry at a lot of meals. I always order a few favorites from instacartto keep in the room- yogurt, stuff to make PBJ to bring to the park, fruit etc... having familiar things to eat from home sometimes goes over better than park food.

 

[sponica]

So as crazy as it sounds, if the 6 year old will fit in a stroller, rent one. As my 6.5 year old said "STOP WALKING SO FAST I HAVE LITTLE LEGS"

My older one hates everything with a height restriction except for Alien Sliding Saucers and Test Track...so you never know what a kiddo will like.

 

[loves to dive]

As far as what to pack, shorts and T-shirts, plan on at least 4 extras of both. A couple of pair of his most comfortable shoes. Doesn't matter if they are ratty and ugly as long as they are comfortable. It's going to rain every day in August so one pair of those shoes is going to be wet at all times. Speaking of rain, some sort of rain jacket/poncho for him.

As far as a stroller. It really depends on the child. My son would not have been caught dead in a stroller at age 6. He had been going to Disney every other year since he was just shy of 3 by age six and frankly, didn't even use one except maybe twice during the late afternoon even when he was 3. We always went in August back then too. Just make sure you watch his cues, he will let you know if he is too hot or too tired and you need to take a break and go back to the resort. The way he lets you know might not always be the most pleasant.

 

[AnnaLadner]

I agree with the stroller! It will be a LIFE SAVER. My 6 yo would NEVER have agreed to get in a stroller but as soon as around 10:00 hit every morning he jumped right in happily! They have little neck fans and clip on fans for the stroller as well and I think that was what was most helpful (along with those little cooling towels.) Take a break during the middle of the day to swim and be plan for some meltdowns no matter how prepared you are!

 

[Anna131517]

What to pack - hat, t-shirt, gym shorts, white socks, GOOD sneakers, crocks (for when it rains), rain jacket, sunblock (the stick kind and spray kind are easy to apply but make sure it’s a brand he’s used before so he’s not allergic). And pack snacks and a refillable water bottle for the parks or you will buy a lot.

I agree with the stroller. If you don’t have one rent one in the parks. If he’s over 50 lbs rent a double in the parks. It’s also just a nice place to keep drinks and leave your backpack when you go on rides.

Follow his lead. Some kids like thrill rides and some are terrified of them. Hit the parks early, take a break, then come back at night to avoid the heat. He might like one of those spray bottle fans and a chilly pad to keep cool. Also let him play in splash pads and misters in the parks. Make sure he drinks and that he eats regularly or you’ll have a cranky kid. Oh - and give him a gift card with a set amount so he knows how much he can spend on souvenirs. It seriously cuts down on whining. Have fun!

Edit - for the airplane and parks always have an extra setting clothes. You just never know if they might have an accident at that age. Not super common but more likely with plane travel and lines. For the plane bring a kindle fire or iPad with saved movies (so he can watch offline) or a switch and headphones. For transportation bring a booster seat. We use bubblebum inflatable boosters when traveling.

 

[DLgal]

No stroller if he doesn't use one regularly. Just slow down and go at his pace. No one is going to have fun running full speed through 4 theme parks in August. Just take it in, let him lead the way, and have fun.

Don't overpack. Get the kid a nylon cinch backpack and throw in a hat, sunglasses, reusable water bottle, and poncho. Let him bring along a small toy or trinket to fiddle with in lines. This way he is carrying his own things and you don't end up being a pack mule. 6 is a first grader. Let him be responsible for his own stuff.

Build in DAILY pool time. 6 year olds LOVE hotel pools and he will constant be asking to swim, given the heat.

Don't plan too many sit down meals. They take a LONG time and kids that age get bored. Plan no more than 1 per day (personally, we do one every other day).

Do ONE character breakfast. Find the one that has the kids favorite character. It gets that out of the way and you get a meal. 2 birds, one stone. The character meet and greet lines get SO long in the parks.

Bring at least 2 pairs of shoes and 2 swimsuits per person. Surprise downpours happen a lot and your shoes may end up soaked. Have a second pair to use while the first pair dries. Swimsuits also take a long time to dry, given the humidity. No one likes putting on a damp swimsuit.

If the kid has them, dress him in "quick dry" style clothing for the parks. Like, Under Armour tech gear style shirts and athletic shorts. These will dry quickly if he wants to do some water play or if it rains, and it will keep him cooler than stuff like cotton tees and heavier shorts. Look for "quick dry" or "moisture wicking" labels. It's all we wear when we do WDW in summer months.

 

[goodeats]

We took a 6 year old in August once without a stroller - I would do it again. She's an athletic kid but we always rope dropped, took a nap/pool break and then went back to the parks for dinner and generally stayed late. There was one evening she and DH stayed at the hotel and I only took our older kid back to the parks so the 6 year old could rest but otherwise she kept up fine. DH probably needed the break as much as the 6 yo did!

As far as heat - hydration is important and so is sun protection obviously. For meals - buffets were a big hit because they went faster, she didn't have to wait for her food and she enjoyed picking out her favorite foods.

 

[RoseGold]

I'd consider bringing the stroller, esp if you are already checking bags or are gate checking a booster for the Uber. You just gate check it, it's not a huge deal.

The stroller helps if you want to bring a small cooler bag of some drinks and snacks. You can't park a backpack, but you can park a stroller with a backpack. And if you reach a scenario with a passed out kid you are dragging home at fireworks, or a passed out kid at the airport, you will be glad you have the stroller. You can also clip the booster to it, if you want to Uber back to the hotel or to another park.

My favorite character meal at this age would be Hollywood and Vine lunch. It's the photo you want (Mickey and Minnie) and the buffet is huge and surprisingly good. Better priced than some other character meals, and the food is actually good. It's also not that hard to book, especially with a tracker app.

 

[Kae]

I disagree about the stroller. Just slow down and have a rest day & maybe grab a stroller at the park if needed. AK park is the hottest I swear with all the foliage the breeze cannot get thru. Don't over back for the parks. Take a small to medium backpack- with disposable rain ponchos, insulated water bottles filed with ice and 2 bottles of water each-you can get more water free at counter service places, small extra sunscreen, lip balm & phone chargers. Lunches are great breaks in the parks when its hot.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Take breaks!!!! Plan a pool day. Take it easy and just enjoy. If he wants to play at the playgrounds (EPCOT, AK), let him!

 

[CeCe0906]

We did an epic trip to DL with a 5, 7 and 9 yr old grandkids, Everyone wanted in the stroller! Our deal was that we used the stroller to get to a"land" parked then did everything in the area and then used it to travel again. Made it easier if we were hurrying to an AdR or show to move faster, and saved some energy also.

I've been to WDW in August, I have a small handheld USB rechargeable fan - that was a big hit, especially waiting in lines or parades in the afternoons. Take a water bottle

Put lots of snacks in your backpack. Amazon sells disposable rain ponchos, fold s down small, much cheaper than anying at Disney. Bathroom breaks before getting in line, even just to try. If one person goes, everyone does. Wear quick dry clothing, both bc of heat and afternoon showers. Soggy cotton tees are miserable. I wear my keen hiking sandals. But if you want tennis shoes bring some extra socks in you park bag. Pack an extra pair of shoes for next day, so the 1st ones dry out, bc there will be afternoon showers in Aug, most days.

Start out with the slower, tamer rides before trying some of more thrilling stuff.
Our 5 yr old was tall enough for most stuff, even enjoyed Thunder Mountain Railway, but work up to it, or they will start saying no to everything. Can't always avoid it, but limit criss crossing the park;

We don't usually go back to hotel in the afternoons, but a lot do. We generally plan, an in park rest - that's when we do an air-conditioned sit down meal, hit a show, maybe an low key ride or shop - like (MK would do meal - Tiki Room or Carosel of Progress- ride the Railroad, people mover or small world etc. AK meal at Tusker House, watch Lion King, take the train to Riakfi and do animation class, relax in a shaded area around Tree of Life or cool off at Kali River. HS meal, then Frozen show, Muppets, maybe Star Tours) You can hopefully stack some Genie Rides, for the late afternoon.

Everyone kid is different, but mine were raring to go early, so take advantage early entry.

Have fun. We will also be at WDW this August. This time with my 10 yr old gd, and 13 yr old niece, a short park trip before our 1st Disney cruise.

 

[keziah23]

So as crazy as it sounds, if the 6 year old will fit in a stroller, rent one. As my 6.5 year old said "STOP WALKING SO FAST I HAVE LITTLE LEGS"

My older one hates everything with a height restriction except for Alien Sliding Saucers and Test Track...so you never know what a kiddo will like.

1000% this! and by fit we mean "fit"! You can judge me all you want but I still stuff my large 7 year old in a stroller for Disney because its a LOOOOT of walking for little legs

 

[Anna131517]

There are a lot of comments about wet shoes. This is how you dry shoes overnight. Stuff them with paper towels a couple times to absorb the water. Let them sit a couple minutes each time. Then place them with the toe pointing up and the heel pointing down, preferably near an air source, overnight. They’ll be dry by morning. I learned this in the Army and now use it with my kids.

 

[tom1944]

Of course it's hotter than the surface of the sun, but in all honestly, my favorite time of year to go. We always rope drop, take a long break in the afternoon to cool down, rest, swim and go back for dinner and the rest of the evening when it's slightly cooler. Definitely use cooling towels and or personal fans. Depending on the activity level of your fiance's son, he may want a stroller especially as you get further into the the trip and he is tired out. Go at his pace, and take your cues from him. Get in an air-conditioned show when he gets hot and cranky for your sake and sanity and his. My kids aren't picky eaters, but they are not used to eating out for every meal and due to the heat really aren't that hungry at a lot of meals. I always order a few favorites from instacartto keep in the room- yogurt, stuff to make PBJ to bring to the park, fruit etc... having familiar things to eat from home sometimes goes over better than park food.

Can people list the air conditioned shows at each park

Thanks

 

[jtopp]

Sounds like an awesome trip. Lots of good advice already, especially the stroller issue. If you have the ability, get some of his favorite snacks and drinks for him readily available at all times. Let him set the tempo for the day, including rest stops or pool time. If he is comfortable, your trip will be smooth and drama free. Enjoy!!

 

[flowergleam1211]

So what I need from my fellow Disney lovers is any and all information on what to pack for the 6 year old, as well as any and all ideas and suggestions on what to have on hand with me at the park or on the plane

What to pack: quick dry or moisture wicking clothing, water sandals, ponchos and easy toys/activities for the hotel room. My kids were so happy to receive new notebooks and I let them choose which crayons to bring. Chewable children's medicines such as ibuprofen and tylenol (much easier than liquid medicine).

At the park: Snacks galore (I got a grocery delivery), stroller (I rented), portable fan, and water bottles

On the plane: All we needed was a tablet, headphones, and a water bottle. I always bring a change of clothes just in case.

 

[Jenn51421]

Thank you all for your amazing tips and tricks for traveling to WDW with a 6 year old. Our plans shifted a little bit for financial reasons but we are still going! We changed our resort from Boardwalk Villas to AllStar Sports, but everything else will stay the same. The only issue I am wrestling with is my fiancé wants to have an in room welcome celebration basket that's worth about $300 and I just can't seem to justify that price....Has anyone used this service that Disney offers? Is it worth it or am I being too much of a penny pincher???

 

[Fitzwoman27]

Thank you all for your amazing tips and tricks for traveling to WDW with a 6 year old. Our plans shifted a little bit for financial reasons but we are still going! We changed our resort from Boardwalk Villas to AllStar Sports, but everything else will stay the same. The only issue I am wrestling with is my fiancé wants to have an in room welcome celebration basket that's worth about $300 and I just can't seem to justify that price....Has anyone used this service that Disney offers? Is it worth it or am I being too much of a penny pincher???

We took my niece for her birthday. Every restaurant sang happy birthday to her; make sure he wears his button. She loved them singing for the week.Having a character meal will probably be worth more.

 

[maxiesmom]

Keep in mind it will rain every day in the afternoon. Pack extra clothes, and maybe plan on doing some wash while also having some pool time. Get to the parks early, take a break in the afternoon, and go back later. Drink enhanced water along with plain water, your body will thank you.