Waiting in lines w/ kids

[wendy1974]

This will be my first time traveling to Disney World with children, HELP I am looking for suggestions of activities that would be easy to carry in a backpack for a 5 and 7 year old to do while waiting in line for rides.

 

[HollyJoy]

How about having them bring a journal along on the trip and carry it in the backpack. While they are waiting in line, they can write a little bit about what they've done. This would make for some great memories for them! You could even make up a few games before hand.. like a Disney Bingo of sorts. Have them look around for certain items.. i.e. Hidden Mickeys, certain characters on clothing, etc... I read someone else mention bringing bubbles along. At first I thought it was a great idea, but then thought that others might get annoyed if they tend to blow in their direction.

I'll be interested in what others have to say, for my girls will also be 5 and 7!

Holly

 

[wendy1974]

BUMP

 

[TXTink]

We played the Hidden Mickey game, talked about all the detail in the cueing area, and planned our next move. I also had individually wrapped hard candies for times when they got a bit fussy or we were stuck in a line right before meal time. (It keeps their mouths busy...)

 

[FluffNStuff]

I have not been to WDW since I was very little. I live close to Six Flags Great America in norther Illinois and we go often. In all the rides lines they have tv's that play looney tunes cartoons. Do they do anything like that in WDW??

 

[dougsmom98]

Someone from these boards suggested pocket size Etch A Sketches for long lines. We brought them on our last trip when our kids were 2 and 4 years old. This time they will be 3 and 5 and I don't think we will bring anything for them in line. The Etch A Sketch was good, but they weren't begging to have something to do in line so I may skip it. We gave them each a park map and they had fun looking at those. They also just looked at the scenery or the other children in line. We had snacks with us and that would keep them busy. We also just kept them engaged in conversation talking about what we had been on, what we might see next, what has been their favorite thing... There is so much stimulation at the parks that sometimes it was just nice to sit/stand and be quiet too. If I weren't so nervous about losing or breaking it, I would bring my kids' Game Boy Advance game systems. They will play with those for hours. If you buy small souveniers for your kids, that will keep them busy in line. We bought small plastic Disney characters at Animal Kingdom and they played with those for a good half hour while waiting for the parade.
-Amy

 

[Judgekw]

I've been to Disney World every year with my children since they were one and they are now 11 and 12. We never bring anything for them to do in line, as it is not necessary. If you do your home work and use your fast passes, you will not really be standing in line. Also if you do end up standing in some lines Disney does an excellent job of including themes all along the lines that really keep the kids interested. In fact, there have been many times that I have to tell my kids to hurry up and walk because they want to go slow and look at all the stuff in line.

Finally, I have found the lighter you travel the better. By the time you whip out the etch-a-sketch or game boy or whatever then the line is over, or the kids that do have stuff are so involved that they forget to walk or trip. I really do not think your kids will have any problem.

When ever we incounter a short wait, we always just play word games like 50 questions, or talk about our favorite rides or what not. The only exception is the wait for parades or fantasmic. Sometimes you have to steak out a spot rather early for those events and it is nice to have a little book or something. Sometimes I save the spot and I let my husband goof around with the kids untill show time or vice versa.

Have a great time. Your kids will be so engaged.

 

[loriandmatt]

stuff i have taken with us to the parks to kill time while in line:

the cards from our Disney Trival Pursuit game for some fun quizzing while in line

travel size (or even better yet - key chain size) games. we have tic-tak-toe, etch-a-sketch and a few others

gameboys

dinsey's magical moments handheld game (or what ever it is called) this is cool - you can purchase it at pretty much any Disney shop on property. You can "collect" games when you pass certain attractions or you can activate them all when you get the game. (instructions to do this is on the inside of the battery compartment.) this was a bit pricy, but we have taken it on several trips and the games work at home too. DS still plays with it on occasion.

- lori

 

[wendy1974]

Wow! Thanks for the great responses they are really making me re-evaluate how we can handle lines should we encounter them

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

We, too, also do not bring anything to keep the kids occupied. We have never had a problem. They are just so excited to be there!!! We always talk about what we are waiting for, what we are going to do next, the charactors, etc.....

 

[danny1649]

Is a great little pal to have in a que with you he will make the time pass quickly.He will tell you jokes,give you park updates and play interactive trivia games with you.We take ours and it it works for us and grandchildren.

 

[picantel]

DW went to the dollar store and bought some magna doodle look-a-likes. DSs like to scribble so it was perfect. But after a while, they didn't care. What they liked best was playing with the personal mini fans.

Or... we usually just wrestle and tickle them

 

[daystar]

Hi,
We brought a travel size connet four game with us it seems to keep them busy for a while .....Then again my youngest ds 5 was checking out everything that was going on around him and also he was making friends in line with other children.....My oldest one ds 12 just complained the whole time, maybe it's the age i don't know....We bought our travel size game at Walmart, i think they had other games as well....

 

[momshark]

with "I Spy..." game (you know, "I spy something lime green..."), or a small pad to play tic/tac/toe with. Most 5 year olds can't write in a journal, but mine can play TTT like no tomorrow.





Hoping to see lots of green in....

 

[kweaver]

I have DS3, DS6 and DD9. We've never really needed things to do except when waiting in a long line for a show (Bear in the Big Blue House comes to mind). However, I put a few things in the backpack for this trip just in case.

Mini Playdough (CVS 2 for 99 Cents)
Pipe Cleaners (got this idea from the boards here)
Matchbox cars (two boys, you can never have enough)

We also always have snacks with us (DS6 eats more than DH and I combined some days!) - gummies, honey roasted peanuts, granola bars.

We usually talk a lot about our plans for the rest of the day/trip. We play I Spy (the kids love that...lots of great things to spy at WDW).

 

[HollyJoy]

How about a Disney Pez dispenser!!

 

[Jen D]

I agree with everyone else-- the number one thing is that you plan your day around avoiding the real long lines-- that said, when you do encounter lines, they probably won't be a big deal. I wouldn't have believed it either, but I have been taking my dd since she was a pre-schooler- taking her on planes and cars has always been a struggle, keeping her distracted- but lines at WDW are not a big deal. They are excited about the ride, and they seem to get it, and they see that everyone else is in the line, too. It's just part of the drill. Kids understand.

Sometimes we play games like I-Spy.

 

[Serenity]

LoriandMatt:
"dinsey's magical moments handheld game (or what ever it is called) this is cool - you can purchase it at pretty much any Disney shop on property. You can "collect" games when you pass certain attractions or you can activate them all when you get the game. (instructions to do this is on the inside of the battery compartment.) this was a bit pricy, but we have taken it on several trips and the games work at home too. DS still plays with it on occasion."

I have never seen these. What are they, where did you get it and how much were they? We generally go off season and rarely have a problem with lines so I am not interested in it as a distraction. But it sounds like something that my DS (7) would just love. He is really into handheld games of any type and this would be a great gift to get for him.

Anyone who is familiar with these, please let me know what you think.

 

[jtjarvis]

Our boys, ages almost-5 and almost-7, entertain themselves pretty well and are OK about lines but last trip we did get a Magical Moments handheld game—alas, at the end of the trip, without examining it enough to realize it's activated in the parks! BUT they play with it a lot at home, the games are good, and I know they would have loved to have gotten their hands on these at WDW. They would have helped pass time BIG TIME!

 

[LKS]

We don't take toys, but I always had a stash of granola bars and Mickey gummie fruit for the kids. It was usually enough of a diversion when the natives got restless.... I was a fastpass maniac too - we really didn't wait in any terribly long lines.