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

[wrighter]

My DH, DS3 and DD1 will embark on our first family trip to WDW in February. We have flown with the kids countless times, and are fully aware of everything that goes with traveling with little ones.

That said, I am so looking forward to this trip, I cannot even tell you. (Well, I guess I can!) My DH often travels for work, and works long hours - we really only see him on the weekends. (But we make it work!) The thought of a whole week of the four of us having fun makes me giddy. But like I said, I know how these things can go with children so young.

I guess my concern is this: What if it isn't all it's cracked up to be? I am doing my best to make sure I am totally knowledgeable on all things WDW - I know which rides my oldest can go on and which ones we can all go on. I know which character meals would be worth it for us. Etc, Etc, Etc. I'm getting the Passport and will be so prepared for anything! But our goal is also to just let the kids be our guides. If they want to go on the same ride over and over again, well we're just going to let them! If they want to spend multiple days at the same park, so be it. We're planning on being at the parks when they open, stay through lunch, then head back to the room for naps/quiet time, etc, and then just see what the evenings bring. We want to enjoy ourselves, without running ourselves ragged or trying to do too much. But I'm still afraid we're going to crack!

Help! How do we ensure "good times?!" Or can we? I'd really love some thoughts on this - don't want to dwell on it, but it's been on my mind. Thank you guys so much - for your wisdom, bits of advice, and guidance on this board!

 

[Love the Mouse]

Aw...you will have a blast. We have a DVC (Disney Vacation Club - Timeshare through Disney) and we go at least 2 - 3 times a year. Each time I am excited to go and something in me says, "We were just here 4 months ago, how good can it be?" But EVERY time I walk into the Magic Kingdom and see that castle at the end of Main Street, the excitement begins to well up in you all over again.

Disney never fails! I get lost and caught up in the Magic each and every time. Let me tell you too...the excitement that my DD(2) showed this time around was absolutely priceless! She was just so thrilled to see Mickey and Minnie, Chip and Dale. That was the first time that we were really able to see Disney through her eyes. The excitement she had during the parades...everything, was just thrilling.

Just remember that you will stand in line, especially in the children's area. But, most of the time it goes so quickly. Disney does such a wonderful job of filling your time while standing in line, that before you know it you are on the ride.

Go, enjoy and let the MAGIC take you away!

Michaela

 

[crzyred]

you said it, "let the kids be our guides". you certainly are stressing way too much on this and from that you are going to be disappointed. many people do that. they think they are going to have the "perfect" vacation because they've done the research. just relax. watch your children take in a world that is all theirs. watch their faces as they see their favorite characters. when you walk through those gates something magial happens, you will become the same age as your kids. just don't worry about having the perfect vacation. worry about making memories with your family. you said you don't get to see your husband a lot, so i'd say that so far this is starting out to be a pretty great vacation with all of you being together. things will happen, things will go wrong. but laugh it off. smile and laugh as much as you can and you will have a wonderful trip!!!

 

[madmaxmom]

Hi There:

I read your post and I had to reply. I am a HUGE Disney buff and all I could not WAIT to take my dd3 and ds1 to Disney. I had dreamed about this all my life. I wanted to wait until they were both a little older so they knew what to expect and would not be "afraid" of the mouse - that would just horrify me.

Well, last year when my dd was 2 my husband had an unexpected trip to California and his hotel was 1 block from Disneyland. He invited me and my dd to go and I said YES. The moment we got there I was a bit nervous. What would she think, what if she didn't like it, what if she wanted NOTHING to do with Mickey. All of these fears laid to rest the second we stepped foot in the park. She was in AWE!! I let her pick the first ride and for here it was the Merry Go Round - very familar to her. I then decided not to let her see all the characters at once and fight the crowds. I didn't want to fright her. I took her to the more controlled area of Toon Town. That was PERFECT. We waited in a small line to meet Mickey. It was the most perfect thing I could have done. She waited her turn and then went right up to him, gave him a BIG HUG and took her picture with him. I had tears in my eyes because she was not scared and she loved it. From that point on, she was ready to meet all the other characters.

The rest of the trip we took our time and I never pushed rides on her. Some things, like Playhouse Disney and Turtle Talk I sat close to the doors incase it was too much for her. We had a blast. I have the best pictures of her with all her favorite characters and some memories I will never forget.

My suggestion to you is to take your time, let them rest and don't push anything on them. They will have a BLAST, I promise. To this day - our almost 4 year old dd still talks about her trip to Disney. We are making our big trip in February as well with her and her baby brother and CAN'T WAIT. This is her birthday gift to her and as soon as we finalize all the details we will let her know.

Trust me, there is nothing like seeing Disney thru the eyes of a child - it is magical and memoriable all at the same time. Have fun and good luck.

 

[Tosie]

As someone who took 3 trips to Disney this year, AND bought DVC on our last trip, I assure you it WILL be everything you hope for and more!

Expect to have fun, and expect to make wonderful memories. Don't expect any more than that and you won't be disappointed. You NEVER know when pixie dust will be coming your way!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Don't forget that your children are just little kids and that they need breaks. They probably aren't used to commando theme park mode, so watch them and use them for your guide - just like you said.

On our first trip, our son was 4 and he though the Polynesian swimming pool was the best part of the trip. So we spent a good deal of time at the pool.

And we took afternoon naps each day, at least he and I did. My husband and our two nieces would swim or play in the sand.

Try to get to the park early so you can avoid some of the lines. And when the lines get too long, look for things without lines. Do Dumbo, Pooh and Peter Pan early in the day before the lines get too long. Usually Small World doesn't have much of a line, so save that for later.

You can't take enough naps or breaks.

 

[wrldpossibility]

Just wanted to say to the OP that I'm right here with ya! I'm the planner for our first trip (leaving in 1 ½ months!) and I have young children. I've planned the heck out of this vacation...with the hope not of going commando, but of being prepared and knowledgable. I think that's important. Once there, my DH will help me remember to let the kids guide us. I'm too much a control freak! So I have high hopes too, and understand where you're coming from!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Forgot to add: Learn how to take deep breaths. And relax. Don't get upset if Little Susie didn't really like the Bibbetty Bobbetty Boo hairdo. So you just spend a bunch of bucks and learned she doesn't like hairspray. (Actually, I haven't a clue about what goes on at BBB place, but I'm just guessing here.)

It's only money. You'll make more and have more vacations. You only have one chance at being a loving Mom or Dad.

 

[ndgqmiller]

Hi,
I read your post and want you to know I had the same feelings you are having. I felt like we saved, planned, dwelled the what ifs. My husband is a firefighter he works 24hr shifts, and runs a contracting business on the side. Between 3 kids and lots of extracuricular activities we don't spend a lot of one on one time either. So 9 full days together seem like a lot. But really we step out of real life and into a magical world when we went to Disney. No laundry, work, homework, PHONE CALLS, etc. It was awesome. Don't worry about anything.
Also I am going to way in on going back to the hotel in the afternoon. This is probably going to be an unpopular statement but here I go. We have a ds9, dd6, dd2 we did not go back to the hotel every afternoon. We found it to hard, to much time on buses and walking in and out and bag checks, ticket check in. We found it much easier to start our day a little later and staying for fireworks or starting early and going back to the room earlier. We did go back to the room one afternoon and tried to fit in a swim and nap. None of us fell asleep at the same time when it was time to get up we were all grouchy and out of it. This is just my opinion and I just wanted to let you know what worked for my family. Good luck!

 

[WaltD4Me]

I really know where you are coming from, but don't worry! It may not be PERFECT, or you never know, it might be, but either way, you WILL have a wonderful time! I planned a trip for my whole family (12 of us) and as excited as I was, I was worried too...what if we didn't have a good time? What if my nieces and nephew didn't love it, what if my brother and SIL got bored (they are not really Disney fans) but it turned out everyone loved it and all want to go back.

My biggest advice to you, is........don't sweat the small stuff and don't worry if all your plans don't go as planned. Plans are just guides and while they are very helpful, they don't always work out, just go with it and you guys will be fine!

 

[schlepsnort]

We went on our first Disney trip at the end of Sept. We took this trip mainly to show our 4 yr old Disney as we thought he'd get the most out of it. He loves rides, he loves Disney. What could go wrong?
Now we also took our 2 yr old and 7 month old.
The flight was no problem, the resort was no problem. Our first night was wonderful and the kids were all excited and had a great time at the Halloween party!
**Though I must STRONGLY suggest bringing ear plugs for any firework shows...normally our 7 month old takes them all in stride but c'mon, local community shows hold not even a birthday candle to wishes...the ear plugs REALLY helped!!**
Anyway the next day was our first full day at MK and my 4 yr old glared, grumped, whined, and misbehaved the ENTIRE DAY. We took many breaks, drank lots of water, ate very well and he was absolutely HORRIBLE. I wanted to cry and how little he was enjoying the parks and the beauty of Disney.
BUT the 2 yr old and 7 month old, LOVED IT!! They had the BEST TIME!! So I held onto that! I have THOSE memories and pictures!
That night I had a very strict talk with my 4 yr old. I explained that I did not understand why he was behaving that way but tomorrow morning he was to wake up in a better mood and enjoy himself because no matter what, we were going to continue on with our vacation despite him. (yes, it sounds mean, evil and all) BUT the next morning he woke up, happy and excited to go! We decided to go back to the MK instead of MGM as planned so we could 'retry' the park and we ALL had a WONDERFUL day! He was happy, excited and his 'old self' again.
So roll with the punches, take what you can get but also stand firm with the expectations that you have with their behavior even while in the parks.
My oldest went to swat someone on the backside (why the HECK he wanted to do this since he's never done it at home I do not know) but he was punished immediately for that act. I think this played a part in him realizing that he couldn't just do whatever he wanted just because we were on vacation.

Good luck, take a deep breath and I'm sure you will all have a lot of fun!!

 

[whogirl'smom]

You will have a wonderful time! We just got back from our first trip and I planned the heck out of it for about 4-5 months. I realize I need to do this to feel less anxious, but by the last couple of weeks, I was so anxious I couldn't feel excited! So, don't stress, you are planned, just take a few deep breaths. The looks on your kids faces will be enough, even if things go differently than you planned.

We went commando for 2 days with DD5 (who did fine, it was her parents who didn't do well on day 3), but since your kids are a little younger, you have the luxury of slowing down and doing what you said, let them be your guide. I would get up early the day of MK and be there at opening, because Fantasyland is easy and manageable the first hour of opening and they won't have to have lines for Dumbo, Pooh, carousel etc. Beware of the difference between Pooh on the planning video if your DS3 has seen it; it is different in the ride and my DD was a little disappointed. The ride is about a blustery thunderstorm and not as sweetness and light as she expected. The other parks you can do at a slower pace. I liked that we didn't have to worry about lines for rollercoasters and big headliners since DD won't ride them yet.
I agree with the previous poster about earplugs, DD wanted them on lots of things we didn't suspect (like Living with the Land). Everything is loud at WDW it seems.

It is the most wonderful place and it made us want to go back next year and every year thereafter! Enjoy the time together and take lots of pictures and eat lots of yummy things and just savor it all. The magic will hit when you get there and the anxiety will begin to melt. Have a wonderful time!

 

[wrighter]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice so far. It sounds like I'm on the right track: Be as knowledgeable as possible about as much as possible, and then just roll with the punches and enjoy. I'm certainly not looking for the "perfect" vacation - which rarely exists. And I refuse to overplan - which is why I don't want to use the ADRs. (But we're in a DVC suite, so we'll have a kitchen to cook.) I just don't want many things on the "schedule," do you know what I mean? Because if there's a "schedule," I'm likely to want to stick to it. We'll do two character meals the whole week we're there, but that's it. I'm just looking for a wonderful time with as little logistical melodrama as possible. Which, with kids so young, can be tricky, as many of you know.

Keep the advice coming! I need to hear it! Thanks so much.

 

[mama4]

Hi. I think you are on the right track. I've been three times w/ my little ones. 1st time I had ds 3 and ds 1 (and ds 14) , 2nd and third time they were 2, 4 and 15 and the third time I also had dd 3 mths. I had a gameplan down to what parks to go to, what cs restaurants to eat at, what rides to do and we did have a few ADR's. This gave us a guide to go by if we felt "lost" but we always remained flexible. Sometimes we rode the same thing over and over, sometimes we stayed at the park instead of returning for a nap, one day we skipped the parks bc the kids were having such a good time in the POP pool. One thing I find very important is to get to the park (especially MK) as early as possible- sometimes you can really ride tons of rides before the parks fill up by mid morning. Also, as you've already figured out, don't make too many ADR's unless you really don't like CS. I just hate HAVING to be somewhere-especially when we are running around in the parks. Last trip, we had to be at CP for my nephews birthday dinner. We had been in Tomorrowland and we left w/ ten minutes to get to CP. We ran right into the Mainstreet Electrical Parade ( tip I'll remember- compare parade times to ADR's) and were almost late AND my Aunt got lost in the crowds that filled up the street after the parade ended. All ended well and we had a wonderful dinner but too many ADR's leave me feeling overly scheduled. I think next long trip we might just do ADR's for Epcot and maybe a couple of character meals outside the parks (for nonpark days)-although it will be hard to give up CP. Anyway, don't stress and you'll have a WONDERFUL time!!

 

[susykt4]

Our first family trip the kids were 4 and 2. Our biggest mistake was having too big of a first day at the Magic Kingdom. We went from opening to about 1pm, back to the resort for a rest and then returned from about 4 to 9 and left right as fireworks were starting. The kids were totally wiped out and didn't enjoy day #2 at MGM at all!!! We also spent an entire day from open to 8pm at Epcot and had to just take the following day off from the parks because we were sooooo exhausted. We were just so excited about everything we couldn't help overdoing it.

Our second family trip (kids now 5 and 3) we took it much easier. We got to the parks at opening every day and stayed until about 4pm. (It was January and the temps and crowds were low.) We then returned to the resort to eat, rest and swim if the temps were high enough. The kids were ALWAYS in bed and usually sleeping by 8pm. We never did fireworks or nighttime shows but it was soooo worth skipping that stuff for happy, rested kids. They made it through 7 1/2 park days with no major meltdowns!

We used TGM both trips for best days and touring plans. We used the basics of the touring plans but if the kids wanted to repeat rides we'd certainly do that. I think we went on the Goofy roller coaster 5 times in a row. Our only "rule" was rides before characters at the Magic Kingdom. Oh, and Teacups only once per day- blech!!!

 

[golden1]

I feel the same way! My kids will be 4 and 2 and this will be the first family trip pretty much anywhere. I am anxious about everything, the plane, sleeping in the hotel, and how the kids will deal with the parks. I keep second guessing the ADRs I have made - 3 character meals, the HDDR, and FDP at Mama Melrose. Is it too much? I am trying to be mentally flexible and I figure if the kids have a meltdown or don't enjoy something, I won't let it ruin my trip.

 

[schlepsnort]

I feel the same way! My kids will be 4 and 2 and this will be the first family trip pretty much anywhere. I am anxious about everything, the plane, sleeping in the hotel, and how the kids will deal with the parks. I keep second guessing the ADRs I have made - 3 character meals, the HDDR, and FDP at Mama Melrose. Is it too much? I am trying to be mentally flexible and I figure if the kids have a meltdown or don't enjoy something, I won't let it ruin my trip.

Your kids are the exact same age ours are! Let me just warn you of this with the character meals:

They may not eat.

We expected our 2 year old who would eat us out of house and home to eat well at the character meals because they were buffet.
Nope. He barely ate anything. My 4 year old also did not eat because he was so busy watching where the characters were going and what they were doing.

So maybe a little snack before or have something with you for right after, they may not eat at all!

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Princess Roo]

I agree with what a lot of the others have said. If you expect 'perfection' you will most likely be disappointed...After all, it's a week with 2 toddlers who (unless your children are a lot different than mine!) will occasionally have their moods even if nothing really goes wrong. But, if you are cued in to their needs, and don't let the occasional bump in the road ruin your day, then I think it's safe to expect a *wonderful* time.
When we took DS1 this summer, one day was a PERFECT day with short lines and he was just enchanted by everything. (I still tear up thinking about it!) But then another day it was just too darn hot and crowded and we could tell he wasn't having a good time (us either, honestly) so we scrapped our plans for that day, headed back to the hotel and had a great time at the pool and doing other things there. After all, a so-so day at Disney is better than a good day at home, right?
BTW, we did get to the parks each day when they opened (not hard since DS is an EARLY riser), left at lunch for a quick sleep-inducing dip in the pool followed by a nap, and came back in the evening, putting DS to bed about an hour after his usual bedtime. I *strongly* recommend that the day you want to do Fantasyland you get there right when it opens. We were there over 4th of July weekend, but got through all of the rides there (most twice) in about 2 hours. By noon, that was the length of the line just for one shot at Dumbo.

 

[mimif1]

We just got back with our girls. The youngest is 2 and a terrible one at that! I had to remember that those tantrums she's been having at home don't magically go away just because she's in the Happiest Place on Earth! Sometimes the smallest things can set her off and you can never tell what that might be! She is my little dynamo. When she's happy, total joy, but when she's not, watch out! We just had to flow with the punches and sometimes just wait out her moods, but we still had a blast. For us, that's just part of living with our sweetie. Her first time to Disney, she was terrified of the characters, but this time she loved them. But even with the tantrums, there is something so special seeing her hug one of the princesses with total joy. Just remember to relax and have fun.

 

[SanDiegoDayTripper]

Just wanted to say to the OP that I'm right here with ya! I'm the planner for our first trip (leaving in 1 ½ months!) and I have young children. I've planned the heck out of this vacation...with the hope not of going commando, but of being prepared and knowledgable. I think that's important. Once there, my DH will help me remember to let the kids guide us. I'm too much a control freak! So I have high hopes too, and understand where you're coming from!

I think you're my long lost twin -- everything you have said is exactly what I am thinking. I, too, have three young children, and we are going to be in WDW in early December.

My whole rationale for doing this much planning is that I want to have a store of knowledge so that if plans have to change, or someone really wants a certain type of food or activity, I know how to satisfy that whim. I also have daily touring plans, but only so we don't leave every attraction just to look at a map and all say, "I don't know, what do you want to do." But I am completely willing to abandon/modify the plan if one of my kids want to ride Peter Pan nine times.

My DH also will keep me from "railroading" everyone on a commando plan. I know him well (15 years) and I know if I'm veering off into OCD Land, he'll reel me back with just a look. (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.)

It's comforting to know there are others out there that are slightly fearful of hoping for too much. I'm not alone!