1st time with kids

[DizneeManiac]

My husband and I are bringing our neice and nephew. We have no children,is there anything as adults we may not think of taking with kids.

 

[melk]

You didn't post their ages, that would help to know if you're going with preschoolers, grade-school, or young teens. But no matter what age, definitely pack a stain stick! Those Mickey ice cream bars absolutely destroy clothing!!! I would just rub in on their stained clothes at night, and throw it back in the suitcase, and then it didn't get washed until we got home. (This tip was learned after I forgot my stain stick on a previous trip!) Have fun!!!

 

[dcedwards]

Let us know their ages. We have done the exact same thing with our neice and nephew prior to having one of our own. On one trip our 16yr old neice ended up spending a day in bed in the hotel room because she was so exhausted. She kept saying...do you do this every trip? When do you sleep? Now, our 6 year old neice was ready to go without a problem. So alot depends on the age. Also, where are you staying and for how long?

 

[DizneeManiac]

sorry, the ages are 10 yo boy and 7yo girl.

 

[Teri Zolman]

I just returned from Disney with a 10yrd boy and 12 yrd girl. My sons favorite thing to do at Disney is the pressed pennies. So bring along a film canister full of quarters and one full of shinny pennies.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I have 10 year old and he loves everything.At 10&12 they will want to do all the thrill rides, but will still want o do the kids stuff. You might find they like many kids want to do things multipal times. The characters are a toss up, girl more than the boy
I would guess but both will enjoy a character meal. They would also enjoy DQ and any other chance to spend time in an arcade.Our 10 year old wanted more time at the resort pool. His favorite things were Epcot, HDDR, Breakfastsarus, Cora Reef and Fantasmic.Great ages. Have a blast!


Jordan's mom

 

[dcedwards]

You will have lots of fun at that age. What we did was schedule character meals quite often during the trip. That way kids were able to get autographs, we could take pictures with the characters and get a good solid, sit down meal. Now, when we go we try to do a character meal every other day. That lets us see most of the characters and get all the autographs. Be sure to buy an autograph book prior to the meal, though. I'm not sure if they will still be into this, at that age, but secretly I think our 16 year old neice really loved the photos and stuff...even though she shunned it. They are now in her room hanging in a prominent place.

Every time we've brought kids they have always wanted to do the rides multiple times. So, you might want to think about the best way to use fast pass.

The other thing to keep in mind is that, at that age, they may enjoy the water crafts that you can rent as well as the scurry bikes. It is something a little different that they won't be able to do back home.

As far as things to take. Before I had kids and took our neices, what surprised me the most was how many different sets of clothes they used during the week. Either they got wet from the rain and dirty from the food or playground. So, either plan to wash or bring a few more sets of clothes than you would normally anticipate. Also, try to have them bring two swimsuits and a pair of thongs for the pool. It is so much nicer when you can put on a dry suit instead of a wet one.

Also, if going in the summer, you will need lots of suntan lotion and make sure each one has a hat. Another summer thing is one of those electric fans. We each had one when we went in June and July and it was wonderful for standing in line. If they are snack eaters, it is cheaper to bring them with you or at least make a grocery stop. The little things really add up at Disney World.

Finally, make sure they have written down someplace your name, cell phone number, where you are staying and the room number. Make them carry it with them at all times. If a child gets lost then can become flustered very easily and it never hurts to have that handy for them to pull out. When you go into the park, be sure to point out to them who a CM is (by the tags) and tell them if they get lost or run into any problems they need to look for someone with a tag like this and get their help. At each park, you might also want to set up a "meeting place" where everyone would go, if someone was separated.

And, as far as souveniors go..both my neice's wanted to buy everything the first day. What we did was make the first three days or so mandatory "look" days. If they found something they really liked I would write it down on a piece of paper and then on the fourth day we would start buying. Often we found that they would have spent all their money at the start on things they ended up not really liking. Just an idea.

You will have an absolute blast. Enjoy yourself. This is a fun age.

 

[DizneeManiac]

Thanks for all the great info, I didn't even think of bringing extra outfits. I figured we are going for 13 days, bring 13 outits.

 

[dcedwards]

One more thing you might want to consider bringing is wipes. I have used these to quickly clean a table that had stuff on it before we ate...especially at the counter service places in DW. Also, they work great for getting a quick start on that "stain" that might occur on the clothes. Wipe it off quickly and often you can't even see it.

And, if you are going when it is really hot...WalMart and Target has either little hand held fans or larger fans with bottles of water attached. These work great when you are standing in long lines for attractions. Keeps you cool.