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Mom And Daughter; Magic Kingdom; Cinderella's Castle; AA; Mickey Balloon
  • On Jun 8, 2011
    Elizabeth Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    We will be doing are first family trip to Disney in April 2012. Are children will be 1.5 and 3 years old. Do you have any tips to get them ready to go? So it’s not over whelming for them. I am going to get some great Disney movie classics to watch

    Hi Elizabeth!

    My kids were just 2 (he had his birthday at Animal Kingdom!) & 4 on our last vacation. Like you, I really wanted to prepare them for everything that would be happening. I don't know how great I did considering my 4  year old is STILL scared of the characters, but here's some thoughts:

    1. Youtube & Flickr: Look at pictures & videos of some of the parks, attractions & shows. It is so hard for kids to visualize what Disney World could possibly be--when one of my friends told her 4 year old they were going to Disney World the little girl was terrified because she thought it was an entirely different planet! {Guide books are good, too. My kids keep our Disney World guide books on the shelf with their picture books!}

    2. Explain the characters. Like I said, my daughter was terrified of the characters. When we first got there, we made a beeline for Mickey &  Minnie and threw her into the photo. It was so overwhelming & shocking to her, that I think it ruined her for the rest of the trip! She was fine with the face characters (like the Princesses) but those big costume characters were a NO GO. You might want to explain that Mickey will be big & not little like on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! Also, that the characters will respect them if they don't want to shake hands or hug or whatever.

    3. Countdown Calendar. I put a Mickey Mouse puzzle piece into several different plastic cups, then glued a square of tissue paper on top. Every day one of the kids got to bust through the tissue paper & retrieve the puzzle piece. The day before our trip, the puzzle was complete!

    4. Let the kids in on planning & packing. Let them pick their favorite clothes, toy or blanket to bring. Let them get a special backpack or something to wear/bring on the trip. Talk about which restaurants they'd like to go to & what the hotels will be like.

    Hope that helps!
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Meet the Panelist: Amanda, Georgia

I'm a happy stay-at-home to two preschool kids. I've been visiting Disney World since I was three years old and it has been a part of my life ever since! I'm excited to help you plan your magical vacation---and the magical memories that will go with it! Learn More About Amanda

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