1st time with grandkids 5, 2 and 2. HELP!

[spoiledraf]

I've always told everyone who asks, don't take kids until they are 6 or 7 and can enjoy the parks and endure the heat. Well whe Nana said lets take the kids and grandkids to Disney World, Papa wasn't passing up the opportunity. So.....

First week of June is the target date. Gotta wait for DD to finish teaching. I'm open to any and all suggestions as we haven't gone with little ones for 25 years or more. Beach Club Villas will be home base. Lots of food options near by and what I think is the best pool for kids.

Papas a fisherman and my oldest grand daughter went a couple times with her dad and seemed to like it so thats a must do. She'll love the boat if nothing else.

Your ideas for what will entertain them. They love Mickeys Club House on TV. Is there something like that at MK or DS?

[BigRedDad]

At DHS, they have Mickey Mouse Club House live on stage. It has Little Einsteins and I think Jojo and Goliath. Don't push the 2yo's to the characters. My DD2 was afraid of them by herself the first two days. On day 3, she was running up to them screaming with excitement. With the heat and humidity in June, afternoon breaks/naps at the resort may be a must for you.

[minnie-mouse]

Yes, definitely take them to Disney Studios -the Playhouse Live on stage show, they will love. Also, if you have any princess fans - The Little Mermaid show and Beauty and the Beast are a hit with that age. Definitely spend some time at Magic Kingdom. Little ones love Fantasyland -Small World, Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, Carousel, Winnie Pooh, Coutnry Bears, etc. are all a lot of fun at that age. Go to Toontown Hall of Fame to meet the characters is a lot of fun. Although my DD was sometimes scared of the characters at that age when they came too close, but every child is different. Anything you will do, they will have a blast at that age. You are never too young to go to WDW!:mickey:

[2lilboys]

We just returned from our first trip to WDW with 2 y/o twin boys. Here is what worked for us.

We got an early start each day and were in the parks when they opened. At MK, Fantasyland was empty early in the morning and we were able to walk onto many of the rides. My kids really liked the Winnie the Pooh ride and "It's a Small World".

We did not push the characters, but they LOVED them and were not scared at all. Fortunately, we had a few character meals booked beforehand and those were the highlight of the trip.

We also made sure we went back to the hotel each day for nap and swimming after lunch. After our rest, we would return to the parks until bedtime.

We had free dining so we had table service meals booked every day. I found that it was too much for the twins to sit down in a restaurant every day. And since some of our dinner ADR's were early, we sometimes had to wake them up from their naps to get to the restaurant in time. They would be miserable for the rest of the night. If possible, try to be flexible with your dining plans.

There are lots of shows that they may enjoy....like Playhouse Disney at DHS and Nemo at AK. My kids also liked the ride in Mexico with Donald Duck and they LOVED the Nemo ride at the Living Seas in Epcot. There are also playgrounds in each park, which were fun and helped get rid of their excess energy.

My parents joined us for this trip, and they loved going to WDW with their grandchildren.
Have fun!

[spoiledraf]

Excellent! Exactly the help I was hoping for. My Son hasn't been to Disney since he was 17 and didn't care for it. Took him away from his freinds during grad party season. His wife was only there once for a day and isn't sure what to think. The DD loves it and has been a few times since so I'm hoping to change some attitudes. Please, tell me how you dealt with everything with the young ones of your own. I really want to make it funfor them. Gotta get the bug to bite em.

[casey@bat]

We love Chef Mickey's character meal at the Contemporary! It is really fun!

We are going to try the character breakfast at Hollywood and Vine in DS. It has JoJo and Little Einsteins I think.

I agree, get to the parks before they open! The little ones are probably use to getting up early anyway. And yes, be flexible. We never have ADRs. We eat lunch around 11:00 before it gets crowded and then dinner back at the campground/resort.

Do not do It's a Bugs Life at AK. Snow White's Scary Adventure at MK may scare them. MIckey's Philharmagic is great but scared my cousins. My 5 yr. old rode ToT and liked it but it's scary too. Your 5 yr. old will LOVE the Nemo show at AK if she loves fishing.

Go over to Fort Wilderness one day. Pet the goats, ride the ponies, rent a boat and fish. Go look at the humongous horses in the stables! Eat at the Trailsend Buffet. Then stay for the campfire, sing along with Chip and Dale and a movie!

Good luck! Get lots of photos!

[disneygeek84]

Just remember that going with small children is alot different than going with older ones. Even the difference between the 5 and 2 year old's will be big.

If they're into animals (which 2 year old's usually are) don't miss Animal Kingdom! There's not a ton of rides there, but there's a few shows and a lot of walking trails around the islands (My DH and I found one on our last trip that went all the way up to the Tree Of Life and there was no one on the trail, it was awesome). Rafiki's Planet Watch has a petting zoo if that would be something your grandkids would enjoy, too.

Also, going in June, it's going to get hot. Get the spray/mister fans before you go at Walmart or Target. These will be lifesavers, and much cheaper to get before you go. The last time I checked, the ones they sell in the parks were $17.95 (that was 2 years ago though, so it may have gone up), and you may want one for each child, plus one for yourself, so getting them before you go could save a ton of money that could be used on other souvenirs :mickey2:

[spoiledraf]

Thank you. I remember the heat and crowds, forgot gay days and Star Wars weekend. We never got the misters before but we never had little ones and this will definately be centered on their wants and needs.

Chef Mickeys sounds like a must do as Mickey is, of course, what they relate to for Disney World.

I think AK will be a hit as well. my only problem may be getting everyone up early. While my sons kids get up around 7:30, Due to my daughters schedule, her little one is up later, nine-ish. So thats something we may have to work out.

How about dining at one of the Signature dining restaurants. This is an Anniversary trip and we would like to have one family dinner at a nice restaurant. The Yachtsman Steakhouse is the closest but seemingly not kid freindly. I've seen quite a few kids at Narcoossees and it tends to be a little noisier. Don't know about Cali Grille being kid freindly but it would be neat to see the fireworks from on top. But I doubt they would appreciate it. Suggestions??? Experiences???

[teambricker04]

Sounds like a fun trip to me!!!

My DH and I had gotten a Kids Nite Out sitter last May and went to the Yachtman's Steakhouse. There was a decent amount of children in the resturant, and I was a little surprised by that. I think you would be okay brining the kids there. We LOVED LOVED LOVED the Cape May character breakfast at BC. We ate there 3 times over our 2 week stay!!! Don't forget that there is Beaches'n'Cream and an eatry at the pool at BC. Both are pretty good.

Since you are staying at BC, be sure to pack some fun stuff for at the pool. I brought a bubble gun and bubbles as well as a beach ball. If you eat by the pool, the kids meals come in a bucket with a shovel.

I have two DSs (3.5 and 1.5) and the best thing for them is a nap in the day. It is really nice staying at the BC because if the little one fell asleep on the way back we never had to take him out of the stroller! Also, BC has movies on the beach at night.

IMHO, just take it slow. If the little ones don't want or can't ride a ride, generally there is enough to entertain them or another ride to go on. Be sure to use baby swap! You will save time doing this.

Our must hits are: Playhouse Disney at DHS, Figment at EPCOT, and the Speedway, Pooh, Peter Pan, and IASW at MK.

[spoiledraf]

Thanks,

I didn't know they had movies at BC at night. And I was wondering what you could bring for the pool. The 5 yr old has been taking swimming lessons for a while so she should be good. As I recall, they have a pretty nice sized kiddie pool as well.

Whats ISAW? I'm a litle weak on the codes.

Baby swap! I remember reading something about that a while back. Have to check the details.

I'm a little off my game in planning. DW just dropped the bomb that she wanted to go. 35th wedding anniversary coming up and she decided this is what she wanted. I'm already driving her crazy with questions and suggestions. She keeps telling me it's for the kids this year. I gotta hold back from over planning!

[pixiesmimi]

We have gone with our DGC in June, with two of them being under 3. They loved the People Mover (or whatever it is called now) just riding around and around. Be sure and take frequent breaks from the heat in the sit down shows, etc. Ours loved all of them but we planned our days around the kids. We tried to do our TS/Character meals for breakfast or brunch before they got tired. They loved the Princess breakfast in Epcot, Chef Mickey's, Lilo and Stitch at O'Hana's at the Poly, and Tigger and Pooh at Crystal Palace. We had a ball with them. But our 1 yr. old DGS got overheated and we didn't realize it until he started throwing up. We cooled him down and tried to keep him out of the sun and heat after that and well hydrated. Don't stand in line for the characters in the sun. Go to Toontown and go inside to see the characters. We always take a day off in the middle of the week to give everyone a rest and let the kids swim, etc. and maybe go to DTD or just stay at the room and be lazy except for meals.

[mulderxcoltrane]

Playhouse Disney at DHS is really fun. The character meals are a blast too. We like Chef Mickeys and Crystal Palace(both for breakfast). Our son was scared of Mickey's Philharmagic b/c it was 3D and kind of loud. Make sure to keep them well hydrated in June. A nap in the middle of the day is a must for little ones. The Nemo show at AK is amazing-it's like a Broadway musical!(for kids and adults!) Our 2 year old loved the Speedway at the Magic Kingdom- he loves cars and was so excited to be able to drive! He also loved meeting Lightning and Mater at DHS. We spent a lot of time riding the TTA at MK-it's a nice break too! The main thing is just to keep your pace slow and do what the kids want- it's so much fun to watch them experience Disney!

[Beast_fanatic]

Whats ISAW? I'm a litle weak on the codes.

IASW = It's a Small World

[spoiledraf]

:secret: Duh!

[Figment78]

I actually have no experience in this area and nothing to add but I will be taking my 2yo son in April 2010 and want to "subscribe" to this thread because everyone's suggestions are SO FANTASTIC! I would not have thought of so many of them.

Keep 'em comin!

[thumperbug]

The 2 best pieces of advice I can give are invest a few $$ in a book about traveling to Disney with children (plus keep checking out this website) and PATIENCE.

WDW can be very overwhelming for folks of all ages.

My DS first trip to WDW was when he was 4. ANd while you can explain it all to them and talk it up...they don't quite understand it and then you get to a park and they are on sensory overload.

My DS is a non stop talker....always....but the first day at MK he didn't say a word.

I think his brain was trying to process everything and he didn't seem to enjoy himself at first. But the 2nd day we brought him to MK he was his old self and asking to do certain things.

So, keep in mind...the experience will be different for each child...the 2 yr old might love every second of it but the 5 yr old might get freaked out by seeing a live giant mouse.

Take your time...and listen to the kids...they will let you know if they are happy, tired, hungry, etc.

As for the misters...get them at Walmart for $4 rather then the $20 ++ at the parks.

Most of all....have fun!!

[wdwfansince75]

Some of the planning depends on who is paying....If you are picking up the tab for the more expensive meals, and the character meals, schedule them, and tell everyone what you are doing for them.....If everyone is picking up their own costs, include them in the planning. No surprises....

On our many trips, we have had kids or grandkids at almost all ages, from 4 months to early 40's.....each trip is different, and all are fun. Plan some things together, but expect the families to also do some things on their own.....

For age 2, MK is the most kid friendly, and much of your time will be in fantasyland.....IASW, Peter Pan, and Pooh are hits, as is Tomorrowland Transit Authority (People Mover)....at that age, breaks are nice....characters can be scary, but once they adapt, they want to spend more time with them....Do Crystal Palace, for any meal....nice break from the day.

DHS....Our kids were Muppets fans....but apparently, people are forgetting who they were....movie was a hit for our grandkids....Beauty and the Beast can be a problem, because of the wait and the crowds...also, for little people, much of the seating has obstructed views....the Mermaid show also can be a viewing problem. Toy Story may also be a problem, as the glasses can be a distraction....

Things our kids loved at 2....
Monorails, boats, playgrounds, pools, and the Magic Kingdom

At 5, the rides....including PoTC, HM, and Splash....and Test Track, Soaring, and Spaceship Earth.....do the Baby Swap....

All can do Nemo, the Ride....If the 2 year olds can do Buzz Lightyear, then try Toy Story....If not, get fast passes for TSMM, and use Baby Swap...