What if it isn't as wonderful as I hope it will be?

[vamom]

You will LOVE it!! Sounds like you have done the planning, which is the key. Relax & enjoy

 

[Deb & Bill]

I... (I'm fully aware that I have a short trip to OCD Land; dad and two brothers were all math majors, spreadsheets are in my blood.)...

Ooooh, my kind of people.

 

[pixidust princess]

My whole family(myself, dh, ds6, ds3, db, dsil, and dm) decided in January 06 to go to disney in July 06 after the dealth of my father. I am a planner down to the wire. This helped tremendousely, but you still have to be flexible, which it sounds like you are. My ds3 is a real handfull most of the time, but was relatively well behaved at disney (i guess we wore him out)! I wanted this trip to be perfect for my whole family, and once we got there, i realized it would have been even if I had not planned at all. When you stand on main street and are looking at the castle with your children it will seem unreal. It is something I will always remember. I am hooked now and am planning our May 2008 trip. Both ds ask everyday when can we go back. It is truly magical!

 

[SanDiegoDayTripper]

Ooooh, my kind of people.

Deb & Bill -- you should have been my dad's and brother's faces when I showed them my completely filled-out passporter, my by-person by-day clothing spreadsheet, my packing lists for the boxes I'm shipping early, the ultimate packing list...

Yeah, it's a sickness.

 

[HeatherC]

You will have such a great time that you will be planning the next trip before the first is over!!!! We took our 3 kids for the first time when they were 5,3 and 1. They are now 10, 8 and 5 and we've been more times than I can count. The first trip was exhausting and exhilirating. Here's a couple things we found to work for us:

If you can afford a rental car...even a compact, consider getting one. When kids this little have had enough and you need to leave, you can. You will not want to have to wait for Disney transportation with one or 2 kids in melt-down mode. I've heard from many many people that waiting for buses was just so hard with little ones. Carrying a kicking, screaming kid while lugging a stroller is not fun.

I would also suggest going left. Seriously, everyone follows the crowd and then the next thing you know you are waiting in a midst of people.

If you rent a Disney stroller, pay the first day for all the days you need and show your pass the next time. This way you can just pick it up at each park when you get there without waiting in line.

Bring snacks and drinks into the park and keep feeding the kids...even when they don't seem hungry. I really believe this helps keep their moods more stable for a little while longer.

Eat your meals offtime. In other words, have lunch at 11am before the crowds...same with dinner...5pm is very early for most people. If you are at the parks at opening, you may find everyone is ready to eat around 11 or so.

I would also suggest Crystal Palace as a character meal. The food is really good and the characters are adorable. (I always grab a banana or cookie before we leave for the kids for later in the day if they don't seem to eat much.)

If you decide not to go back to your hotel in the afternoon, doing a sit-down lunch or character meal is really a great way to recharge everyone. It's a mini-break and then you can actually last the rest of the afternoon. We never wound up going back to our rooms in the afternoon. Our kids seemed to last better during the day so we would just stay until 4 or 5. Going back later in the evening was just something we didn't tend to do. That's also because our kids were used to a 7-7:30pm bedtime. To keep them up late one night would wreck the next couple of days. I think this just depends on peoples own schedules.

We actually prefer sit down meals with little ones because that way they can pick what they want...someone brings it to you and you can relax. If one kids wants a burger and another peanut butter and jelly, you could wind up standing in a couple of lines at different counter restaurants.

Taking the boat from MK to Fort Wilderness is also fun and nice with little ones. It is so peaceful and pretty and gets you out of the chaos for a little while. The Trails End restaurant is supposed to be the best deal too.

Use fastpass as much as possible. If you're going to eat, get a fastpass first. That way you can hop right on a ride and the kids don't have to wait for their favorite ride forever.

Another thing that we used to do and still will on occasion is when the kids are tired or start getting cranky, we just get them on a ride...any ride that does not have a line. Even if it's not on our list. At the MK the Tomorrowland Transit Authority is great for this. Small world is another. At Epcot it is the little boat ride in Mexico. It automatically distracts and quiets them.

Hope some of these ideas work for you.

So much fun to look forward to. I hope you have a wonderful trip! Maybe we'll see you there in February.

Happy planning!
HeatherC