What not to miss for a 4 year old?

[mobz]

We are going to Disney in October. It is both my husband's and my first time, and of course my 4 year old daughters first time! Any advise on shows/rides/ect not to miss would be appreciated! We are staying at POR-Riverside do any tips advise about that resort would be appreciated too! Sorry if this isn't the right forum yo ask this question, I wasn't sure where up out it!!

 

[njmom76]

We were there with my 3.5 year old DD last August and it was all about the Princesses! She absolutely loved going to BBB and getting a princess makeover (the look on her face at the reveal was priceless). She then went to a few of the princess meet and greets all done up as Cinderella. We were even lucky enough to run into the Fairy Godmother right outside the castle after leaving the makeover and she treated my DD as if she were Cinderella. It was truly magical. BBB can be expensive, but it helps if you bring the costume/wand from home (we did). Otherwise I would say it depends on her personality. My DD surprised us by asking to go on Spaceship Earth in Epcot a few times - she loved learning about the earth and things. If she is into fish, spend some time at the Living Seas in Epcot. If there are certain characters she cannot miss, make it a point to find the meet and greet for them.

Don't forget to enjoy the magic yourself though as it is your first trip! Last year wasn't my first, but I hadn't been in almost 13 years so it was great (so great, we are going back this year and next!).

Don't know much about the resort, but staying anywhere onsite is a huge plus.

Have fun!!!!! That is what it is all about.

 

[lc1965]

Don't miss sleep! I cannot stress this enough to folks travelling w/ little ones. They are pulled out of bed early, dragged around & overstimulated all day & then kept out late. Meltdowns, exhaustion & missing everything seen after 3:00 p.m. through half-closed eyes are common.

POR Riverside is a perfect hotel because it is so quiet. Take advantage of it - stroll along the river, feed the ducks, have breakfast or lunch by the water wheel, swim in the quiet areas, take the boat to Downtown Disney to look around. But, do take the time for slowness, naps & non-character time.

Have a great time!

 

[mobz]

Yes I have it planned to take a break mid day and swim or nap! I am just worried we will miss the one thing we shouldn't miss!

 

[disboysmom]

Just make sure that you do not miss any of the daytime parades. They are a real treat for children of that age! I love them too!

 

[lc1965]

Yes I have it planned to take a break mid day and swim or nap! I am just worried we will miss the one thing we shouldn't miss!

LOL _ I think you miss my point, which is ... if you are intent on running around & missing that ONE thing, you will miss so much more. WDW is not about The One Big Thing, really, it is about the million little magical things that happen all day long, things you can't plan and which you entirely miss during meltdowns & sulky moments of exhaustion.

Just go & have a blast. If you put all your hopes into one happening, I can pretty much guarantee disappointment. Your little one may not even find wonder in the things you do. She may see her favorite princess wave at her from a parade & that makes her lifetime - you never know! Have a wonderful time!!

 

[mobz]

I get ya! I tend to be very detailed so I do need a reminder to "stop and smell the roses"! Thanks!!

 

[xipotec]

If they are still doing Pixie Hollow... Thats a real great interactive one on one time with Tinkerbell and friends

 

[TwistGrl101]

If she is tall enough....Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror were my DD4s favorite rides last trip.
Definitely BBB and some character meals. At that age, they will enjoy the small things: getting her face painted, going down the pool slide, etc.

 

[Bonniec]

There isn't one big thing to miss. With her age, I would recommend plan less and go with the flow more. I think it's easier to relax and enjoy your day with young children as opposed to trying to plan everything out. It's impossible to see and do everything in one visit, so just take your time and really take in the parts you do see. Make sure you rest a lot and give her naps. Things good for that age....


BBB and let her be dressed up as a princess. If you can't afford it (it's pricey), then dress her up yourself and take her to the barber shop on Main Street at MK to ger colored gel and pixie dust put on ($7.50 not including tip).

Make sure to watch the fireworks one night, if you can, reserve a table at the dessert party. It would let her sit and eat desserts instead of getting fussy.

Make sure you take in a character meal.


Go with the flow on rides. Every child is different and there is no way to know how she'll react until you get there. Some kiddos have no fear and others are afraid of everything. The lines can even be quite scary. So just follow her lead. Small World was my favorite as a child and I still love it today.

If you will be there at Halloween, go for the party if you can afford it. My son had a ball trick or treating last year.

Check out some parades.

Lion King show at Animal Kingdom is great.

 

[jgamblestreet]

My eldest daughter first went to Disney world when she was 4. As posted, it's about the many magical moments. Grab ice cream from a cart and watch the parade. Don't try to be both the early bird and the night owl.
BBB is nice but I'm cheap so I buy dresses on clearance, bring my own glitter hairspray and let my daughters pick out a new tiara while at downtown.

Do at least one character meal. IMO, the food is not that great but the experience is so worth it.

Get at least two autograph books but you may want to bring your own sharpie. I've had horrible luck with the pens from the shops.

Even with young children, I like having a park hopper pass. We went to Epcot one morning for the princess bfast. Afternoon siesta in our room. And then hit MK later and watched the fireworks!

My girls fave two parks are MK & HS. Plan on at least an entire day at HS!

 

[lc1965]

My eldest daughter first went to Disney world when she was 4. As posted, it's about the many magical moments. Grab ice cream from a cart and watch the parade. Don't try to be both the early bird and the night owl.
BBB is nice but I'm cheap so I buy dresses on clearance, bring my own glitter hairspray and let my daughters pick out a new tiara while at downtown.

Do at least one character meal. IMO, the food is not that great but the experience is so worth it.

Get at least two autograph books but you may want to bring your own sharpie. I've had horrible luck with the pens from the shops.

Even with young children, I like having a park hopper pass. We went to Epcot one morning for the princess bfast. Afternoon siesta in our room. And then hit MK later and watched the fireworks!

My girls fave two parks are MK & HS. Plan on at least an entire day at HS!

I like your style! One person posted that she likes to buy little Disney gifts PRE-trip (stickers, tiaras, markers, Ts, etc) & give them every morning to avoid the Gimme War. While I'm all about getting SOMETHING unique to WDW, I do love stocking stuffers.

To give the OP a hint about what we mean when we talk about Disney magic... I was once shopping on Main St, just strolling through a store, enjoying the souvenirs & the crowds & the ambiance. I saw an old-fashioned phone on the wall & heard voices coming from it, so I picked it up to listen. It was the most hilarious recording of two women on a party line having a good gossip session. It was not on any map or in any guide book - I just stumbled on it & it was lovely fun. Alas, it's not there anymore, but there are other things to take its place.

Another example is a tradition my party used to have. While my mom & friend sat on a bench at the EPCOT lagoon awaiting Illumninations, I would dash off to either Norway or France (whichever was closer) to buy their favorite pastries, coffee for my mom & tea for my friend. They always enjoyed the "surprise" & trusted me to pick something they'd love. That is surely not in any guide book, but it was my way of making magic for my party.

Yet another is the time at a character meal at DL when Goofy picked up the pen at my table (we were not even aware it was a character meal so we didn't have cameras & autographs seemed sort of silly to us - we'd just gone in for breakfast!) In full costume w/ those giant gloves on & unbidden, Goofy drew a picture of himself! It was an amazing feat & a lot of fun.

Disney magic is everywhere at the parks.

 

[Bonniec]

Disney magic is everywhere at the parks.

So true. We were in DTD last weekend and a CM at the restaurant store by Earl of Sadnwich gave my 6 year old son a ton of those Mickey stickers for no reason. There must have been over 100. We thought it was so nice. So my son decided to give them away and he started passing them out to all the kids we passed by. It was pretty cool.

 

[Robin K]

I would suggest getting a guidebook about Disney for kids (they have more photos). Then your family can sit down together and decide what attractions are "can't miss". Since it is the whole family's first time everything can look wonderful and a bit overwhelming.
Like PP have said make sure to slow down. If your daughter wants to ride something 10 times then that should be ok. I have overheard lots of parents complaining about how expensive Disney is and they didn't pay for one ride, or one show, or one whatever. I think that is part of the magic of Disney...doing the fun stuff over and over. I would also suggest bringing some pipe cleaners for your daughter to bend/twist/create while waiting in line. (or something to occupy her time lines can get boring). There is a book we got on Amazon that is like a scavenger hunt while in lines..they have simple things for kids then harder things for adults.
If you are going to all 4 parks I suggest:
AK-Finding Nemo, Festival of the Lion King, the parade, Camp Minnie/Mickey (characters), safari ride and if your daughter like animals the walking trails Care good.
Epcot-Living Seas area, Turtle Talk with Crush, Kidcot stations, Character Connection, other meet and greets, if you are ok with candy picking out candy from each country is always fun.
HS-meet and greets, parade, Beauty and the Beast show,Voyage of Little Mermaid, Toy story Mania,(this personally is our least favorite park sorry not more helpful)
MK- princess meet and greet, parades, fireworks, everything....
I didn't suggest rides because I'm not sure how tall your daughter is or what her fear level is. If you have anymore questions or need something cleared up you can send me a private message. I would be glad to help!
Have a great trip

 

[Valista]

Port Orleans- riverside has it's own discussion group under disney resorts and there is a website called portorleans.org which will tell you lots of things about that resort.

Children are very different and your child's must do's may be very different than another child's. Some children enjoy meeting the characters while others only want to ride rides. My children have never been interested in kidcot while my BFF's children consider it the best part of Epcot. I'd say if you can make one daytime parade, one character meal, one firework show, playhouse disney at HS, and the Lion King show at AK, you'll be doing fine. There's lots more to do of course, but as others have said don't push too hard and try to do everything, it makes everyone cranky.

 

[Valista]

Here is the link to the discussion page on Port Orleans Riverside:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2904701&highlight=port+orleans+riverside

 

[loricdietzel]

At 3 1/2 my dd favorite ride was It's A Small World. We rode it NINE times! The princesses were also a big thing. My dd was also really into getting character autographs. I suggest a meal with the princesses so you can meet them there and avoid having to wait in line to meet those who are at the meal. Princess meet and greet lines are LONG! I highly suggest watching some of the rides on you tube. That really got my daughter excited as well as watching Disney movies so she was more familiar with the characters.

We are going in October and dd will be 4 1/2 (DS 23mo) and staying at POR, too! We are VERY excited (well hubby and I. DD doesn't know!) Ever since our last trip dd has wanted to watch rides and parades on you tube, so we are prepping her without her knowing it! (This year Splash mountain and Big Thunder Mountain will be new for her. Don't know if I can get her on ToT!)

 

[RookieLady]

The most important thing is rest and watching your child's tolerances. Each time I have been to Disney, I have watched a three year old pitch a fit, one even screaming, "I hate this place; why did you bring me here?" This from a child whose ticket was purchased. Don't push it. I brought a two year old and on the last day, I decided to skip the break because it was our last day. Huge mistake, as the meltdown came. Also, some of my kids favorite moments were not rides, but playgrounds. At AK there's the boneyard, at DHS it's the bug playground and at MK it's Tom Sawyer's Island. They could spend hours here and it's a playground, but they love them.

 

[pumba21]

My little girl loves the playgrounds, pool, fantasyland, and disney junior at DHS

 

[KarmaLady]

I'm listening in to all of your great tips. We'taking DD4 and DS6 in late Aug for the first time (staying at Port Orleans Riverside too!). Thanks for the awesome ideas! I've also heard to take along a small bottle of bubbles to blow while waiting in line, for parades, etc. DD loves bubbles and we found a princess necklace holding a pink bubble bottle at the dollar tree!

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