First Family Trip!

GreatScotts5

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 20, 2018
Hi everyone! So I am in need of some MAJOR advice from all you DisMoms! I have been to WDW as a kid, teenager, and adult (without kids) but May 2019 is my FIRST trip as a Mom! My husband and I are taking my two Step daughters (age 6 and 8 at time of travel) and our son (almost 2 at time of travel) to WDW with my parents, my sister, and my brother-in-law. The kids and my husband are the only ones who have never been before so they are super excited but now I’m panicking! We are driving (a 13 hour drive for us) and to be honest I’m not sure how to pack, what to pack, or how to approach Disney in my new role...anyone have any advice?!
 
The best advice I can give it to do the trip at your children's pace. Don't push them past their limits. Everyone will have an enjoyable time if the kids are happy.

You won't see and do everything you want, and that's ok. Don't over-schedule meals/days. Allow for some down time (a half day at the pool, for example). My kids are now 11 and 15, and we still benefit from an afternoon or day relaxing poolside.
 
Take a deep breath (first). Remember it's huge and will take time. Have EVERYONE make a list of the couple things they MUST do on the trip or it's not a trip to Disney.

For example, in 17 days it's our kiddo's first trip (and my in-laws are coming down to)

My 3 things:

Have the munchkin meet Minnie Mouse (she's obsessed, even though she clearly is being raised in a Donald Duck house)
Ride Dumbo
See the tiki birds

I literally don't care what else happens beyond that.
 
Another bit of advice character meal can be one of your best friends. You eat, sit in an air conditioned environment and let the characters come to you. A meal can save you several hours in lines and the little ones can rest (and their parental units as well LOL).
 
I am planning our children’s first Disney trip for this September, and my husband was somewhat resistant to it and doesn’t love crowds so I am trying to overplan /simplify everything to make it as easy as possible.
1. The best advice is to limit your goals and focus on just a few major highlights and then everything else is icing on the cake (instead of trying to cram too much in and being disappointed when you can’t do it all).
I bought the $15 subscription from Touring Plans, it really has lots of good info and I like creating a plan to give ideas of how long it’ll take to walk between rides, wait in line, etc.
2. Definitely factor in rest time or pool day. I’ve always been amazed when I travel with my nieces/nephews, they LOVE the pool as much as anything else even though they all have pools at home ‍♀️
3. Find a Disney blog you enjoy reading: I like Disney tourist blog and WDW prep school. Tom bricker on Disney Tourist Blog has a great packing list and also advice on how to pre-order or ship groceries/supplies so you can have food, diapers, etc available as soon as you arrive.
4. Have you done long car trips before? I pickup cheap toys, water pen books, travel games, etc whenever I see them on sale and then stash them away. Dollar store or target has Disney items often for cheap. It really helps my kids to have a new item every half hour or so to distract them. And lots of snacks! The older girls probably do well with electronics so that’s helpful. Maybe create a map for them that they can put stickers for each big city as you get closer??

Planning can be fun(and anxiety ridden), but May is still a year out so you are in a good place and I’m sure your trip will be amazing.
 
I can totally understand you being anxious, but try and relax.

Like you, I had been to disney as a child, etc. before getting married and having our dd; however, my dh had never been. Our dd was 3 when we decided to plan our first family trip together (September 2012) and it was a first for the both of them. I planned our days out well knowing that some plans would likely change while touring the parks with a toddler/preschooler. We built in down time and approached each day with realistc expectations that we would probably not get to do everything that we had planned for. I was thankful we took that approach because dd ended up with some sort of stomach bug mid trip that lasted about 12 hours; however, we didn’t sweat it. We rested in the room, moved our Epcot day that we missed to our check-out day and ended up in Downtown Disney late evening for a good dinner once dd felt better. We even took a late night swim after being “laid up” in the room for a good part of the day.

We’ve gone to Disney several times since and that first trip remains one of the best to date. This November will be our first trip with our ds as he will be 2 at the time of travel and I am so excited to experience Disney with a little again.

We also drive to Disney...12 hours. We’ve driven straight through, overnight, and we have split the trip by staying in a hotel about half way for us. My dh and I both drove, naturally, but it is exhausting; however, I believe I prefer it rather than splitting up the drive. My dd was and is an excellent car sleeper, ds not so much; therefore, we will be stopping half way next trip to stay in a hotel. Do what works for you, but pack plenty of snacks, books, toys, etc. to keep the kiddos occupied. Portable dvd players are your friend.

I would advise to plan your days with realistic expectations and down time built in for any mishaps or simply to just rest and give everyone a breather. As far as packing, I’ve seen several good packing lists circulating. You have plenty of time to devise a good plan. Reading trip reports of those Disers who have littles may help along with watching vlogs. Enjoy your upcoming trip!!!

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Here are my suggestions... Do you have a budget? The first big decision is on or off site? On site would need at least 2 but probably 3 rooms in a deluxe or moderate resort. My recommendation as a starting point would be 4 at Pop century (2 sets of 2 connecting rooms). Cost varies, but our TA usually gets them for about $100 per room, per night. Less expensive and more spacious lodging would be offsite, two 2-3 bedroom condos or a 4-6 bedroom house for about $200/night total.

Next, decide the length of stay. I recommend at least 5 park days, one for each park and an extra at MK, but you already know the parks well enough to decide how many days at each. With larger groups, it is best to plan extra days and a slower pace. During the summer, our party of 10-12 prefers 8+ day trips with 3 MK days and 1 1/2 days at each of the other parks. We usually plan one big meal together per day, but let everyone split off to do their own thing for the most part. If you are staying on property, consider the deluxe dining plan for only one of the rooms. Credits can be shared with everyone for expensive (character) meals, and pay the rest as you go. The food is not worth the cost at character meals, but they work great for grandparents and kids to spend time enjoying the characters together, and the experience tends to be more enjoyable when you aren't signing a $300 bill at the end!

Definitely don't feel like you have to do it all! Try to get each person to choose a few experiences (rides, meals, fireworks, pool time, etc.) they really want, and plan around those. When in doubt, plan around the 6 and 8 yo, the rest will follow along or go off and do their own thing. If I am scheduling FP for everyone, I usually put them later than we do on smaller trips. This way the FP work for those who want to sleep in and those planning to leave early. Make all meal reservations for the whole party at 180 days, then you can always reduce the party size or show up with fewer people if someone bails (which will happen). Flexibility is the name of the game!
 


Another bit of advice character meal can be one of your best friends. You eat, sit in an air conditioned environment and let the characters come to you. A meal can save you several hours in lines and the little ones can rest (and their parental units as well LOL).

Yes, this!! Having AC and being waited on is fantastic...and it is a great way to meet characters (my kids won't stand in line for that). Take the time to ask the characters questions, they will practically put on a show for your kids. At Garden Grill last week, we asked Chip if he was a good dancer- he obliged by showing us his best moves! Dale came by later and we asked him the same question, he explained that he has two left feet. At Tusker House, we asked Donald if he was just back from a safari and he proceeded to play charades so we could figure out all of the animals he had seen. We also enjoyed Crystal Palace with Pooh and Friends last week (and the boys with us were 11 and 15!).

I will also echo the PPs in that you can't do it all, but it will still be magical...it is ok to set some priorities, but factor in down time, swim time, and the unexpected!
 
I agree with the advice about letting kids go their own pace. WDW is a lot of walking and it is hot. For young kids, it can be exhausting. We make an effort to find a shady or air conditioned spot to sit for a bit if our son says he is tired. We buy ice pops and frozen drinks even though we would say no to those things at home. We also give a choice of not doing rides and attractions if he doesn't want to do them. It doesn't eliminated whining 100%, but it does make things more pleasant for everyone.

I did the college program a number of years back, and one thing that made an impression was the number of parents dragging clearly exhausted kids around because they were determined to get their money's worth. (I once heard a dad -- apparently seriously -- that his kids couldn't stop for a bathroom break because "they could pee for free at home.") To me, turning WDW into a forced march takes the fun out. That said, there are plenty of kids (not mine) who like a go-go-go pace, so I'm not trying to say there's anything inherently wrong with that touring mentality. Just that it seems to be overwhelming for some kids.

In the letting kids go their own pace vein, I also show my son youtube videos to show him what activities and attractions are available and let him have input into our schedule. We make sure his top few items are part of our plans. Even though he is only 5, he likes feeling that his input is valued. This trip, he selected T-Rex for dinner one night and the Star Wars fireworks as his stay-up-late night. (We generally stick to his regular bedtime of 8pm because he refuses to sleep in, so he doesn't get to see all of the night shows in all of the parks).
 
Be prepared, the 6 year old may want a stroller sometimes as well. Since you’re driving, I’d bring an extra umbrella stroller along just to be safe. Akershus is a great way to let the girls meet some princesses without having to wait in long lines and is more affordable than Cinderella’s Royal Table.

Don’t panic, you’ve got enough adults along that you should be able to accommodate the needs of the older girls and your son. The drive will be long, but so worth it once you’re there. I suggest Disney movies and a bunch of little toys from the dollar store (that for some reason even at 8 they still find interesting). I suggest disposable ponchos. Then you can keep them in your bag and throw them out when the rain is over.

If you’re already on here researching and asking questions you’re off to a great start! Some people like to wing it while they are there and not make dining reservations/fastpasses until the day before, but with such a large group you will have to make your reservations as soon as your window opens up. It seems daunting at first, but you can do it!
 
Thanks so much for all the advice!

We already decided on the Polynesian since that’s where my family and I always stayed growing up and it’s on the monorail and next to the TTC sonit makes for an easier way to get back to the hotel from the parks for naps! We’re also doing the Disney Deluxe Dining plan and the girls one meal they requested is breakfast in Cinderella castle so that’s checked off too! I’ve started collecting little toys to keep them busy in the car (but any advice on what to get a 2 year old boy would be amazing because all I’ve got are color wonder books and cars!) they are each getting a DVD player for Christmas and we have TONE of Disney DVDs!
We watch Disney videos on YouTube all the time our going to be 6 year old is insisting she’s riding every single ride (tower of terror included) while out going to be 8 year old says she’s nuts lol.
 
We just returned from our first trip with our own kids (14 month twins!) and also had a large group - seven adults (my parents, myself, husband, my sister, her husband, and my brother) with three kids (our 2 and my two year old nephew).

A lot of this advice worked well for us!

Character meals were WONDERFUL! The kids were totally into it, which helped, but the pacing was perfect. So many options at buffets, no delay in getting food, and that meant happy kids who had full bellies. Family style dining also worked really well for us. (They loved: Chef Mickey, Crystal Palace, Biergarten, The Garden Grill... Our waiter at Rose & Crown saved the meal for us by being awesome, the animals were great at Sanaa... I'd recommend avoiding places like Coral Reef - it would be a wonderful place for a romantic meal but the pacing was too slow for toddlers.)

We also went at their pace which meant we lost out on some pool time if the kiddos fell asleep in the stroller... Stroller naps were awesome though and bought us a lot more time with well rested and happy kiddos.

We live in Maine and drove with the twins the 21 hours. Driving overnight was AMAZING. They fell asleep around 7pm and woke up at 7am, meaning the bulk of the drive was done. We were all a touch more tired, but we were in Disney so that didn't really matter. The drive home we did stop overnight and that was a bit harder only because we lost that window when they were naturally sleeping. Thankfully our kids apparently take after me and love car naps, so still was ok, just not as smooth.

When my kiddos met Minnie and Mickey (and Donald, Pooh, Goofy...) they were over the moon. Honestly, those interactions were worth the trip for me.
 
Oh! In traffic on the way our saving grace was the old 90's Disneyland Sing-A-Long songs on You Tube! I maybe played it twenty times between both trips BUT it worked like a charm!
 

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