Today has been a bit crazy. K had her special birthday snack (brownies with pink frosting and Barbie sprinkles) at preschool. P left school early with a fever causing me to miss a Board meeting. A friend took K & R to their final swimming lesson while P and I made a visit to the pediatrician to discover he has bronchitis. As a result of his diagnosis, we have been administering breathing treatments every four hours. (Preemie lungs always seem more susceptible to this kind of stuff, even all these years later.) I returned home to find my front door standing WIDE OPEN and had to call the police to come walk thru the house with me just-in-case. NOT exactly the day I had planned. Interestingly, I felt strangely light despite all the unexpected hiccups. I couldn't help but thank God that motherhood had taught me to lighten up and be more flexible.
The day ended really well, as we told the children of our plans to go to you-know-where (the place of castles, princesses, large mice, fireworks, long lines and excessive commercialism) in September. We showed them the Disney website and then gave them a huge ceramic pot to use for their savings. They were beside themselves with excitement (over the cool painted pot much moreso than the trip, I think.)
The children scoured the house tonight and found every coin (including emptying their piggy banks and Daddy's pockets). It will be interesting to see if they stick with it.
Now the real fun of planning (and all the anticipation) begins! There is an overwhelming amount of info and tips. We are getting some help from a friend who plans these types of trips professionally, but she wants to know what we want to do. So, for those of you who have been--what should we put on our Must Do list?
24 comments:
Our family just returned from the big D a few weeks ago. Go ahead and get dinner/breakfast with the characters NOW. What we could get, was the highlight of my husband and I and our 5 and 3 year olds time. You may be aware, but a friend of mine will be going again in September and she said they are offering free meal plans with the Disney packages for the month of September. My kids had the time of their lives and asked if we could go again next month! Maybe next year (or two!) Have a ball! C. Miers
Oh ! We went last year and want to go again...NOW!
A few things that worked for us:
Buy the meal plan (took my mind off of how much money we were spending).
Take ziplock baggies with you to bag up uneaten food for snacks later in the day.
Spend at least two days at Magic Kingdom.
Start your route at the back of the parks and get in line for the popular rides during the parades.
Stay for the fireworks show at MK one night. The kids were tired but it truly was magical! Sounds cheezy but it was.
We went to a water park and I wish we would have skipped that - but my dad was planning (and paying for some) so we did what he said.
Bandaids. Take lots of bandaids. Our five kids (we went with my bro and his kids) used a whole box over a 6 day period.
We left first things every morning and stayed very late at night BUT we chose to sleep in one day, take it easy and let the kids swim at the resort. It seemed to give us all a little boost.
Stay on site. We loved not driving and not having to pay for a thing. WE used our room key to pay for anything (we spent very little) and then the total was sent to our "room" and we paid the final day.
I have more but you are probably tired of the ramblings from a total stranger.
Hey Jmom, my boy/girl twins turned 5 last april and it was perfect. I wanted to do something special with each one of them, so the girl had fun at the Bibbity Bobbity Boo salon at downtown disney and became a real life princess. I brought a Minnie Mouse dress she wore for Halloween, and did the small package. It was her favorite! The boy did a lego land building time, and loved that at Downtown Disney. For sure stay on the property, we loved the fact we could hop on the monorail and be right their. I second the character breakfast/dinner. You really get time with the Mickey! Also, about 6 weeks before we left, every Sunday was Disney night. We picked a park(MGM,etc), and talked all about the rides, watched the video, talked about snacks we would bring, and each member got to choose their favorite ride to go first on. We also ate "Disney food" ie. Mickey mouse pancakes, Goofy pasta, I just made things up! When we got there, they were totally ready! have fun! another jmom
Oh how fun! I could talk for hours about Disney. I absolutely love it and so do our kids.
Character meals. Our favorites are Crystal Palace, Chef Mickeys and Cinderella's Castle (the Epcot princess meal is great too, if you can't get into the Castle). Make these now as these book up fast. Great to get autographs and photos without waiting in line. We bought our kids autograph books at the Disney store or right when we got there.
Stay on site if possible.
I am not sure how long you will stay, but plan 2 days at Magic Kingdom. There are great attractions at all the other parks for your age kids as well, but you will want your main time at Magic Kingdom.
Enjoy the hotel pool!
You are going at a pretty slow time so won't need a real plan as you may during busy times, but you may want to list your must dos. I suggest heading to FantasyLand bring and early when doing the Magic Kingdom.
There is so much more I could say, but I will stop for now!
Have fun planning.
We've been to Disney 17 times in the last 26 years - I'd say that makes us veterans. In fact, we are Vacation Club Members and go every 12-18 months.
First of all, get Birnbaums guides for Disney World - the one for adults and the one especially for traveling with children. They are invaluable! Second, if you can afford it, stay at a resort on property. We especially like the Beach Club Villas because you can literally WALK from there into Epcot World Showcase (near France). But any of the 1 or 2 bedroom villa resorts are great (Beach Club, Boardwalk, Saratoga Springs, Animal Kingdom ( Animal Kingdom may be in progress and not available yet) - you can get a two bedroom with kitchen (nice to have breakfast in jammies), washer and dryer (great under any circumstances but especially with three children), a nice comfy room for you and hubby, a living room for playing and relaxing and another bedroom and bath for the three children. Getting around is much easier on property - either driving or taking the bus system - it's just quicker.
We just came back from a trip in January with all three of our married children, 2 three year olds and 3 babies aged 7, 8 and 9 months. We stayed at the Saratoga Springs resort and while hectic with all the children, it all worked out very well!
I'd encourage going back to the hotel after lunch for a nap, perhaps a swim and relax. Then head back to the parks for supper and fireworks. You'll not burn your candle at both ends then. :) You'll probably find the Magic Kingdom the place you'll spend most of the time with the age of yours. Animal Kingdom would be fantastic as well. Epcot has the Living Seas with Nemo but a lot of the rest of it is really "too old" for them. Disney Studios is also for older ones.
Obviously, WDW gears everything towards kids and families. You'll be astounded at the cleanliness of the parks, the quality of food, etc. It's first rate all the way! Wish I could sit down with you and give you tips - we've been with babies and teens and young adults and each age has it's own focus and interests. Just be sure to bring hats and sunscreen - you'll need them!
You may want to rent strollers as it's a lot of walking. Even at almost 4 (or will they be 4 then?) they will grow tired after all the walking. They have the large ones that might even handle all three.
Birbaums will give you recommendations for character meals, where to meet the characters, etc. Call and make your dining reservations NOW and, if you can get babysitting, you and hubby should go to the California Grill on the top floor of the Contemporary Resort. Very nice - you can take the children of course without any problems. And if you go near the time of Wishes fireworks in the MK, you'll get a fabulous view from there with the soundtrack playing as well.
And don't forget to look into the FastPass system! Birnbaums has a section on it that explains it better than the Disney Website in my opinion.
Also, be sure to get a PhotoPass when you enter the parks. All it is is credit card sized pass that you give to the photographers throughout the parks to have photos made and put on a server - you register with the PhotoPass online, add your card numbers (we were always forgetting ours and you can just get a new one - then add them onto your online acct each night) and can even upload your own photos to the site. Then you can buy a CD with all the photos on it within 30 days for about $125. We got a lot of the photos done by park photographers and they can do fun things like superimpose Tinkerbell on your palms! You don't have to buy anything if you don't want to.
If I can help you anymore about anything, you can go to my blog and ask me questions - I'll certainly get back with you! As true blue Disney-a-holics, we have a lot of experience there! You'll have a blast!
I'm glad I kept reading..."Big D" in these parts means "Dallas"...I thought you were coming to Texas for a moment...that I could help you with...Disney not so much.
I have heard to definitely do FastPass though...apparently it is free and eliminates all the lines for rides.
Have a great time!
Animal kingdom and Magic Kingdom are must do's and you'll need a hopper pass as well. Some of the 3-D shows were too much for our little ones but all the other shows they loved. Especially the Lion King show at Animal Kingdom. The character meals do book up fast. We didn't get one. September is a low month I think. my in-laws go there often and it is one of the months that have fewer lines than others. Enjoy!
J,
Make sure you book K an appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. There is one at the Castle and one at Downtown Disney. They treat the girls just like princesses. CC had the most beautiful pictures taken, and everyone commented on the beautiful princess for the rest of the day. Also, I have some of the same tips as everyone else. Make sure you book your character meals as soon as you can. My kids love Crystal Palace with Pooh and Friends. Also, the kids will probably like the Magic Kingdom best, so it's a good idea to plan extra time there. I know ya'll will have a blast. CC and Brooks keep asking to go back.
Love,
Maria
Get your character meals NOW, like, right NOW, today!!! The other stuff will fall in around that. I think the lunch at Crystal Palace is a blessing because it is the Winnie the Pooh characters, it's air-conditioned, a buffet, and a good meal. It is at Magic Kingdom. I would also book the appointment for K at The boutique at the castle NOW!! Then R could take the boys to do something while the two of you are at that. Magic Kingdom will be your hot spot, although MGM has some great "kiddie" shows. I was not that impressed with the princess meals, and I know a great spot to meet princesses if you had rather not put the entire family through a meal to "see" them, there are other ways to find the princesses. Definitely try to go ahead and get a room on the monorail line, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, or Contemporary, NOW.
I would not reccommend Epcot unless you guys did that half of a day, then MGM or something another half. Animal Kingdom is great, but you could also fit that into a 3/4 day or something like that if you just hit the must see items there.
Look into www.tourguidemike.com. I would love to help you too. We have taken as many as 14, and managed to do a lot for all age groups. So. . . just let me know.
Wendy
I would definitely recommend the character meals, there is much more one on one time with the characters. At the same time though, don't be surprised it they are so overwhelmed that they don't eat much.
Really talk and show the kids the options. See what each child would consider the thing they cannot miss. We made sure to do those things first which for my kids was not rides, but shows and jungle gym things.
Have each child take a special little autograph book, this could be a fun project ahead of time, and a LARGE pen. The characters have big puffy hands so big pens are easier for them.
We had a place with a kitchen so we did our own light breakfast each day. We also packed snacks, yogurt, and water. That helped immensely in cutting down on the cost and all the fried greasy foods.
Downtown Disney is very fun as well and there is a Rainforest Cafe.
If you have time just a short drive from Orlando is Dino World. VERY cool life like dinosaurs set in the woods. Our son was 4 when we went there and absolutely loved it! It was very inexpensive.
Have fun! Planning is half the fun!
We went when our kids were 5
and eight, which was (sob, sniff) almost nine years ago. We took my husband's parents which worked out beautifully. Since our kids were at such different stages, they wanted to see different things. So when we split up, we basically did the boys and the girls. That way we parents didn't spend our time without another adult while we were seperated.
Anyway, I also bought a book on Disney World. I read it and highlighted parts; and even put the kids' initials by the things I thought each one would want to do. We planned each day very carefully and told the kids our plan each morning, including rest time every afternoon back at the hotel.
Character breakfasts are a must. The meals at most of the restaurants were very large, so we often split dinners.
Another very small thing, but I still remember it - I bought rain ponchos that came folded in a little plastic pouch. They turned out to be a huge help, because when it rained, nearly the entire crowd was in the yellow disney ponchos. I felt much safer with my kids in purple and green, knowing I could spot them more easily. I always tell parents about the rain ponchos.
I know you are an organizer, so you'll plan this very well.
I haven't been since then so I can't offer any tips on what to see.
Oh, so very much to say. We have annual passes (live in Central Florida) and we go to one of the parks at least once a week.
Magic Kingdom - Get there by 8:45. Lots of characters ride the train to the front entrance and wave to you as you walk in - magical for the little ones. Head straight to Fantasyland. Do not stop to look at Main Street - you can do that later. Our family has a fast pass system that keeps us from waiting in any lines throughout the entire day at Magic Kingdom. I would be happy to share the details with you so email me if you want more info. It's a pretty scheduled thing so the part of you that loves control would adore it, but it's not all that flexible. It gets it all done though with barely any lines. Also, line up for parade by 2:30 to get a good spot in front. Don't skip it - it is FANTASTIC! If your kids are into the characters I could also give you advice on where to meet them.
Epcot has a few good rides and it's a nice slow day if you feel like you need to slow down a bit. It's a wonderful place to meet characters and most people don't know that.
Animal Kingdom - again, get there super early and get a fast pass for the safari. If the ride isn't too long then wait in line to ride it and then use your fast passes to ride it again. There is so much to see -my kids love to ride it twice in a row. There are a few shows there, but to me, it is only a half day park. And, believe it or not, the most crowded - which is why I can only take half a day. And, totally skip the parade. Festival of the Lion King is the best show there. Nemo is just ok and I'd only spend the time if your kids love nemo.
Hollywood Studios - we LOVE it! Lots of shows - Playhouse Disney, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid - don't know if your kids have seen these yet but it's a "don't miss" if they have.
Like I said, we go all the time and I used to work there when I was in college (as a character - Tigger, Goofy, etc). I would be MORE THAN HAPPY to give you tons of details if you are interested but I'll stop here for now since this comment is getting rather long. Please feel free to email me or contact me on my blog (which has lots of Disney posts) and I can share all of our valuable experience with you. My husband keeps saying I should write a book on the best way to see Disney!
Your family will love it - it really is a magical place to be!
Jmom,
Probably too much to write here, so I'd love to catch up with you in person, perhaps after BS on Tues. and tell you some tips.
First of all, I don't know how long you plan to be there, but Magic Kingdom (I would allow 2 days to this park at least)is THE place to be with the little ones. To me, Hollywood Studios can be done in a half of a day. There isn't that much there (The best things are the Muppet 3D movie and Playhouse Disney, Little Mermaid) Everything else there is probably just a little too old for them. Epcot is the same for your little ones...perhaps maybe a little too old for them. You COULD do the other half of that day in Epcot, doing LAND, SEA (Defintely do the Interactive Show with the turtle from Nemo..cant remember his name), IMAGINATION. I wouldn't bother doing the World Showcase there(boring for kids your age) at Epcot or the fireworks at Epcot(nothing is better than Wishes Fireworks at MK...everynight!). Animal Kingdom is pretty good, although we didn't do that this time.
RENT a stroller! Do it the first day and pay for the whole time your there, that way you can leave one park, drop it off, and pick up another at another park rather quickly.
We did the dining plan and we loved it...you need to understand it well though before hand (I can tell you more about that later). I think its easier having that already paid for in advance so you don't leave after paying for every meal saying, "Gosh, we just spent $40 on hot dogs ..." They say you save 30 percent that way too. We got 1 quick service meal (basically lunch), 1 snack (this ranges from popsicles, popcorn, bottled water, drinks, etc.), and 1 table service meals each person each night of our stay there. You can even use your table service meals for character meals. Chef Mickey is GREAT at the Contemporary ..your kids would love it! Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald..all the gang and they each come up to your table so you can get autographs and pictures. Fun!
I just recently deleted 2 websites from my computer, but there is the WaltDisneyWorld.com that you can find a calendar that is useful and tells you times, events, etc for each park. In addition, I found a website that was a moms panel for Disney and it's great. You can send in questions, they answer them plus you can view everybody elses questions. It was very helpful. Perhaps you can google moms panel disney world and see if you can get it.
Whew! Sorry. Still fresh. Still haven't come down from our trip obviously.
Remember that the anticipation is part of the fun. Man, it will be here before you know it. We did the same thing with our girls telling them about it in January and looking at the website...it was April before we blinked and now our trip is almost 3 weeks behind us. Time flies they say!
Sorry I took up your morning just reading my comment!!!
EW
We live about an hour away from Disney so we have lots of experience! :) Have you decided where you will stay? Renting a house at a resort made it easiest for us. We were five minutes away from Disney and in a wonderful neighborhood and home. I will include the site to where we stayed but know there are MANY, MANY others. :)
http://www.tinkerbellslantern.com/
Downtown Disney is fun. Lots of shops, places to eat, shows, etc... There you will find Lego World and Bippity Boppity Boutique if you are interested in that for K. If so...tell them to go light on the makeup. :)
Orlando is just FULL of fun. Sea World, Ripleys, Islands of Adventure, etc... Just depends on how much time you all have. :) ENJOY!
Wow, what great information you got! I've never had any desire to go to Disney until I read all of these comments.
Thanks for all the information.
We might need to start planning...
Dena
First off, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE reading your blog. It's my morning cup of coffe.
We just came back from D in January with our two year old. I think I know where you guys live...I went to one of the local collges (BC) and recognized it in a pic. Anywho...if you are driving you might consider taking a jogging stroller(s). You can rent them there but they are not ideal for napping. It is convenient sure, but you must leave them at the park gate so if you need to walk far for transportation or to your room the kiddos may get really tired. Our bus stop was quite a way from our room and my sweet little one was always wiped out by the end of the night. Getting stollers on the busses is a bit of a headache but totally worth it to have my buddy comfortable the whole day. Lots more I could say about that and you can shoot me a message on my blog if you'd like more details.
Here is my best tip-go to a dollar store and stock up on toys and treats. They have glow sticks 3 for $1. Such a steal and sure beat the D-world prices. I surprised my buddy with one every night. They were also great for the evening car ride to Orlando and back. They also have bubbles 3 for $1. Take them into the park and blow bubbles while you wait in line. It was a HIT!!!! I bought several packs and would toss or give them away as we were leaving the parks. I didn't want to worry about them spilling in my bag. Our store also had a TON of Disney treats...crayons, coloring books, puzzles, figurines,etc. Great way to offer treats in the park without paying a lot, and again if these got lost no big deal. You can get inflatable bath pillows for $1 and blow them up if you are going to be sitting on the sidewalk for a long time. You can also get ponchos 2 for $1. Again, just take and toss if need be. I also bought a five pack of camping caribeaners (sp?) to hook sippy cups, bags, hats etc. to the stroller.
One last tip, go to WalMart and buy a set of foam earplugs for the kids if you think loud shows or fireworks may upset them.
Oh I ramble. Let me know if you would like to chat. I am tip gal. No need to re-invent the wheel.
Blessings,
Whitney
The best thing we did and will do again when we return there in December is to rent strollers for the week.
Then we only had two children with us and so we only needed 1 double stroller.
It just made things much simpler and we didn't have to worry with getting our stroller on and off the buses.
And my oldest was 4 then, and she needed to ride a lot. There is jut so much walking to do that little legs get tired quickly.
Hope you all have a fabulous time!
Even though my husband & I went there on our honeymoon, I did watch many parents experience joy and breakdowns...
I would DEFINITELY allow two days for Magic Kingdom. The is absolutely the most child friendly park there is. Be sure to check a parade while you are at MK...your kids are SURE to see all of the characters.
The nice things about the passes is that you can use them from day to day. We saw so many parents fussing at their children, and frankly I think it was b/c the children were exhausted. Allow for nap time!
You will do a fabulous job and have a fabulous time =)!
Please come back with pointers for the rest of us!
You will have so much fun!!! I have no tips because I've only been once and I was in college and went with my family. So I wouldn't have a lot of tips for going with three children. ha!
I just thought it was funny because I saw the title and thought ya'll were going to Dallas. ha!
Buy Autograph books for all three of your darling munchkins! It is so much fun to run into the characters and have them sign their names to the autograph books. My kiddos are 16 and 19 now and they STILL have their autograph books hanging around their bedrooms. The best one we did (mind you our last family trip was about 8 years ago) was at EPCOT - ALL the characters were there and very accessible! On the other hand, I would say SKIP EPCOT until the threesome are at least 7 or 8 yrs...kind of boring and a lot of work for little ones. Also, if you can fit in a day at MGM - it's a lot of fun, but again, maybe for when the kids are a bit older...although Blizzard Beach was ALWAYS a big hit, no matter what age...I envy you - I am at the point that I will be a grandmother before I go again! And hopefully, that is NOWHERE in my immediate future! LOL...
We went when my daughter was 4. As far as the parks, we should have stayed at Magic Kingdom the whole time, except at night ... Epcot has the most amazing fireworks show. The food was kind of yucky, especially for her. Bring lots of snacks. We stayed at the Beach Club and it was amazing! She never wanted to leave. It has an awesome pool, water slides, beach with sand ... so fun!
A lot of people make a big deal about dining with the characters. Personally, it was fun at first and then I kind of wanted them to leave so we could enjoy our meal.
This is the perfect age to take them ... Oh, but be sure to bring/rent a stroller. Those little 4 yr. old legs get so tired. Have fun!
My mom, as a single mom, took me and my little brother when we were younger. I have been several times since then and have always stuck to *her* schedule.
We get up early in the morning so that we are at the park when the gates open (those staying in the park can get in the gate one hour earlier than everyone else). We would eat breakfast there and enjoy fewer lines and cooler weather. Between 2 and 3pm, we would head back to the room for naps and "pool time." Finally, as the cool, evening weather came in (and the crowds went out) we would head back out for dinner and the cool night shows (Parade of Lights, Fireworks, etc.). Most of the rides are open until 9pm; so there was still plenty to do. This schedule really makes for a relaxing and less stressful trip for all!
I'm so excited for you guys! It will be great!
How exciting! We went last Nov and had a blast!!!Several tips that worked for us---
*stay on site. We stayed at the Polynesian, which was more expensive, but VERY convenient. So worth it with 3 kiddos 4 and under :) It has arge rooms so that the boys had their own bed and we made a "princess bed" with the chair and ottoman for E. She was thrilled. You also have an awesome view of MK fireworks every night on the beach.
*check the web site to figure out which parks are open early/late on which day to schedule your visit to that park. That helps when trying to decide which character meals to do.
*I'd do only 2 charac. meals if I were you. We did 4 and while they were fun/good food---too much sitting down for my bunch. We loved Cinderella's Castle (MK), Norway in Epcot, and my mind goes blank on the wonderful b'fast at Animal Kingdom.
*Bring your own princess dresses and comfortable shoes from home. The one's there are tempting but $$$$.
*Rent TWO DOUBLE strollers for each day you'll be in the park for the whole week. We so regret doing only a single b/c it stirred up lots of trouble/"discussions" and will definately do 2 next time. (I say dbl b/c you'll have room for stuff also.)
*Tie a bandana around the handles of your stroller to make them easier to spot. HUGE HELP!
*Pack each kid an outfit/sock/undies in a ziplock bag for each day of the trip. Made packing/unpacking/getting dressed so much easier. Especially when we had to pack for so many little ones. We did do laundry one night.
*Save Magic Kingdom for one of the later days of your trip. It's so magical that it's fun to work out the kinks/work up to that magic(although my boys loved MGM the most---Star Wars and the playground)
Lots of other ideas that helped with mine---shoot me an email if you need more.
****Oh---don't obsess. I truly think it can be a plot of the enemy to steal the joy from such a magical time. Unfortunately I learned that the hard way during some of the planning.
RENT THE STROLLERS!!! I learned about them from Jon and Kate Plus 8---they raved about them. We took our 7 yr old and 3 yr old in Feb and it was life saver! Both kids could sit easily in the double. They are totally worth every penny. It is cheaper the more days you rent them. Rent them the first day and you keep the receipt and pick up a new one at each park. They look big but they are very light and turn on a dime. If they just folded up I'd have bought one to bring home!!
And take snacks! Lots of snacks!! Love that you can take your own food in. A lifesaver and money saver with kids (or husbands who like to eat a lot!)
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