doing disney with a 3 year old!!!! (first time)

[tinkerddeedee]

We took our older girls when they were 5 and 8. Now they are 14 and 11 and we have added a 3 year old! My older girls love all rides and aren't scared any more. But I'm a little worried with my 3 year old! She I'm so afraid she is going to be startled by loud noises, scared by the big characters, and just overwhelmed. How do I help her prepare for all the new experiences she will have. And I guess, help ME to help her! And, what should I NOT avoid, what things should I make sure she does NOT miss?
Thanks!
:magic:

[JoF]

We first took my neice to WDW when she was three and didn't have any problems. Obviously when kids are that young they tend to get tired more easily etc but if you allow for that and don't force them into doing anything they don't want to then you will be fine.
We found with the characters that once we had met the first one there was no going back - as long as we avoided Captain Hook at all costs!
Another thing my neice enjoyed was doing all the kidcot stops around Epcot - decorating a mask and getting her "passport" stamped.
I think the highlight for me was the Jungle Jammin Parade - my neice was in her grass skirt outfit dancing away to the music and got hi-fived by all the characters going past :mickey:
Hope this helps - enjoy your trip

[TiggerD]

We took our grandson when he was only 2 and a half and thought for sure he would be scared to meet the characters, not so. He loved it and we took him back again when he was 3 and 4 along with his baby brother who was only 5 months old. The entire family loved watching the reactions these two little ones had. I was seeing it again all over like watching my son again. Just go with the flow and if there is something she does not want to see, try something else. I am sure she will be fine because she will also have her older siblings around to ease it also. Have a magical trip, 160 days till we go again...:mickey:

[BigRedDad]

We took our almost 3yo daughter there for her second trip. Her first trip was 8 months prior. My first bit of advice is that you will need to make time for the 14 and 11 yos. The reason is your pace will be so much slower with a 3yo. Maybe mom or dad can go off with the older ones for a bit or the two of them can go off on their own for a bit. For the 3yo, she is going to be so excited just seeing the different colors, sights, and sounds. Characters may be scary for her. My DD had to be held the first 3 days. After that, she would run up to them jumping and screaming (sometimes well out of turn). Utilize the different play areas so she can romp around a bit: @MK Pooh's play area, the play area at Splash Mtn, and the play area in ToonTown. If she is comfortable napping in the stroller, that is helpful.

One other thing I did was show my DD different ride videos from YouTube so she had an idea of what to expect. It does not take away any magic because it is all new anyway.

[Belle--86]

I have to agree with other post-- make time for the kids according to their age and things they like. We been taking our youngest DD since she was 1 1/2-- she is going to be 7 next week. are other DD,s will be 16 and 18 in Oct. We have been going everyear since and we do things as a family but alow time for age approprite and what they like.. Also she has been riding Haunted Masion since the begginig never been afraid of anything- we always engourage them to try new thing and now she is a Rollercoaster Princess:coaster:

[cmsizzlin]

I am taking my niece and her son in August and he will be 1-week shy of his 2nd b-day. She has been preparing him w/alot of disney shows, cartoons and such. He likes the vacation planning DVD that she got and he loves Pooh and friends. I am not sure about loud noises but I am also taking my 7 & 8 yr old nieces who have been there w/me the last 2 yrs and he loves being with them so hoping that he will just follow their lead and not be too overwhelmed by it all

[g8rgirl29]

We took our DD when she was 3 for the first time and it was great!! My belief was that if I am anxious or afraid of something my child can pick up on this and will be afraid also. That, and knowledge is Power, so the more she knows in advance the better. We took a lot of time talking about the characters before we went, about how they aren't small like on tv, they are bigger than Daddy. We also would go up to the characters with her, we would approach them first the first few times just in case. She was fine and was hugging all of them before we knew it. At 3 her 5 favorite things at MK were the Carousel, Philharmagic, Peter Pan, Snow White's Adventure and Goofy's Barnstormer. Take time out for her to play at Pooh's playful spot and Ariel's grotto. She really loved wandering the World Showcase at EPCOT in the afternoon meeting Characters in the countries, and Nemo and Turtle Talk with Crush. At DHS she loved Beauty and the Beast Live, the Honey I shrunk the kids play area and The Little Mermaid. She loved the kiddie areas at BB and TL too. We also took a small penlight that she could light up if she got frightened. We didn't plan too strictly either, planned table service meal each day, which park we were going to, and a flexible rest period each day was the extent of our planning. Don't forget plenty of little snack packs and a travel magna doodle can help prevent a breakdown in line!! I hope you have a Great Disney Vacation!!

[tys_mommy]

Small kids will feed off of your emotions. Talk about Disney with your daughter before you go and make her really excited. Last year for our 2 year old there were 2 rides or attractions that we singled out and really played up before we went, he was sooo excited about those things that he knew about beforehand. I like to limit TV time but make sure your daughter has seen a couple of the Disney movies so that she will know who the characters are – I mean some of the costumes are overwhelming for kids but if they relate to them as friends it doesn’t bother them as much.

A lot of rides are family rides that you can do together but for the ones that are for the older girls research something special for you and your little one to do and split up. I mean if she loves Dumbo then ride it as a family and when the older girls want to do space mountain then a treat for the little one could be another spin with just you. We didn't take advantage of this a lot last year b/c we had 2 little ones under the age of 2 so just sitting off in an out of the way area eatting a snack was a special enough treat for them.

[Woozle]

I am taking my DD in June for the first time and she will be 2 1/2 then. We aren't too worried about her, but she has been to DLR in CA 8 times and rides Matterhorn with no problems. Each child is different and it will really depend on them. I would start out with the more kiddie rides and work them up.

[mudpuppysmom]

The first time we went as a family was when DS#1 was 3. DH had just returned from a deployment and DS really was clingy with him. Aside from that he was a maniac! He loved everything except Woody....he was the first character we encountered on our first day there and he just was like superglue on me -- he would not budge at all!! From that point on it was fun fun fun and laughs all day long thankfully!

DS also never napped, so that was something else we contended with, we kept going all day long and he never conked out. I don't know about your crew, but you know them, so you can adjust to that -- I'd either make a trip back to the hotel or let her sleep in a stroller -- whichever you are more comfortable with as a family.

As you know already -- you are going to have TONS OF FUN!!!!

[GoofyforFun]

We knew before we went that our DS3 was scared of big headed costumed type characters from some of the events we were at home ( parades, the Chik-fil-A Cow ect) So our first night there we went to CM for dinner.. All he did was hold on for dear life and not look at them. But while waiting I talked to him and started to tell him that they are OK..By the time we were done eating he started to look at them.. we did not want it to be along trip or me suffocating the whole time. So getting him use to the characters before going in to the parks and have him screaming was worth it. Our daughters did not have that problem???
Not sure if DD has favorite movie character or princesses? Norway has the princess BF and you can get early into the park before the others. :thumbsup:

[thejens]

One thing I learned is that a 3 year old is just as interested in puddles, the ice in his drink, sparkles in the Epcot sidewalk etc. as he is in parades, rides etc. I had to slow my pace and just let it be if he missed big exciting stuff (to me) and let him be excited about the little stuff that thrilled him. My son was okay with characters from a distance and then gradually warmed up to them. He was not interested in posing for pictures, so I just snapped fast and hoped for the best. I brought my own stroller that folded down so he could nap when he felt like it-worked great! Also, he often snuggled up to me and slept on the slow dark rides. I always bought a banana in the morning and gave it to him when he seemed hungry. The kids meals are not the most nutritious things and his hunger wasn't always on our schedule. Lollipops were also great for whiny times in lines! I just had to keep reminding myself that he was experiencing and enjoying things in his own way. To a three year old, just spending time with family is exciting even without the magic of Disney. Your three year old will love it because of your happiness!

[tinkerddeedee]

WOW! This place is just great! You guys have given me such great advise! I'm for sure getting a bag of dum dum lolly pops!!!
I am ok with sending my DH and older DD's off on their own so I can go at a slower pace with DD3! My DH is just as bad as a kid, he gets mad when he can't ride his big rides-baby!!!
Thank you to the poster who reminded me that 3's enjoy puddles and ice, etc. That will help me with the rest of the family when they get annoyed with her. We can't forget that she IS still only 3!
There is a carousel at our local mall and she was scared the first time she rode it at Christmas. But we just went last weekend and she loved it!!! Now she keeps talking about riding it at disney! Can't wait!!!! And I think I will show her the videos on was it you tube? What do I look for?

[hubbyofadisneyholic]

We took our daughter for the first time when she was about 18 months and the main thing that I remember is that she made it quite clear what she was comfortable with and what she wasn't.
Many of the characters roamed around then, not all in lines like they are now so it didn't take long for her to get used to seeing Mickey or Minnie popping up all over.
At first she was a bit overwhelmed but soon the smiles and giggles were coming fast and furious.
Just let your 3 yr old ease into things at her own pace and I'm sure everything will be fine. :mickey:

One of the worst sights you can see at WDW is a frustrated parent dragging an almost hysterical munchkin to see a character because the parent NEEDS to get that picture so they can show everyone back home how much they enjoyed that trip to Disney. :thedolls:

[scootch713]

Fantasmic and Lion King were both scary to my girls till they were 5. They too didn't like loud things. As far as characters, just give her time to warm up. My daughter at 2 1/2 didn't warm up till day 4 then she was hugging all over them.

[syndrome]

We took our son when he was 2 1/2 and he loved it. I agree with some of the earlier posts--keep your emotions positive and they will feed off of that. On that trip it was all about the characters--which he loved--and the kid friendly rides. Now that he is 7 and has been several times it is more about the thrill rides and less and less about the characters. Don't get me wrong, he still loves the characters but he is all about the rides!

[tinkerddeedee]

I'm slowly showing her videos on you tube and I think it's going to help! :rocks:

[Suz36]

As far as the loud factor, we took earplugs for our little ones. Everything is loud at Disney, and these seemed to help. Just talk, talk, talk it up and I'm sure you'll have a great time!

[MrPeetrie]

...I'm a little worried with my 3 year old! She I'm so afraid she is going to be startled by loud noises, scared by the big characters, and just overwhelmed. How do I help her prepare for all the new experiences she will have. And I guess, help ME to help her! And, what should I NOT avoid, what things should I make sure she does NOT miss?
Thanks!
:magic:

tinkerddeedee, we took our daughter at 17 months, and again at 29 months. She handled Disney very well, but loud noises still startle her to this day. We avoided firework shows. Too loud.

Also, if your daughter is a "Disney" child, she will become VERY EXCITED when she sees her Disney Channel pals in front of her. My daughter got So Excited at the Princesses, as well as Mickey and Minnie, that she couldn't eat. She was too excited. It wasn't too long before we were at the nurses station getting "re-hydrated."

Take advantage of the Baby Care Stations for a quick break to cool off and re-coup.

[brownie]

It all depends on the child. Our oldest was a stick in the mud and didn't want to do anything at that age (he's going to be 12 now and still doesn't want to do a lot of the attractions, go figure!) Our youngest would try any of the attractions he could. My best advice is to give a preview of the ride and give your child a choice; try not to force the riding the ride.

[jcvalenti]

My sons are 9 and 3. We first took the 9 year old when he was 5, and he was a little overwhelmed ... but he's a gentle sole and was pretty much freaked out by anything dark or fast. The 3 year old is a firecracker, and we took him last year (when he was 2) and he went on every single ride he could go on and loved it.

We're going back this summer and we're thrilled because the 3 year old is tall enough to go on most rides (he's 41 inches).

To get him ready, we've been showing him a lot of old home movies, as well as the Disney Planning videos, and overloading him with Pixar films and the classics. I figure that should familiarise himself with the characters and rides, so he will recognize what he's doing when he gets there.

The bottom line is you have to take the kids and bow to their pace. If they're exhausted, go home for a nap or swim. If they're running around like maniacs, don't force them into line but do something that lets them run off steam (like playing in the Epcot fountains or the Boneyard at AK).

Have fun !

[Keneva]

I agree that it depends on your child. We took our son when he was three and he was overwhelmed at every turn (except in the pool). Twenty minutes out the door and he was finished. However his sister at age 4 was a park commando. Are your daughters willing to take care of him for a while if you get tired? That will help everyone enjoy.

[kemps@wdw]

I suggest letting her watch any planning DVDs you might have and basically just follow her lead. You can make all the recommendations you want, but ultimately it'll be her decision. She may surprise you! Even if she wants to ride IASW again and again, (and again and again). She'll get braver as she goes along!

[thejens]

Re the loud fireworks. My 4 year old loves to watch Wishes from the beach at the Poly because it is not so loud for him.