First trip with kids advice. Cancelled. Never mind.

[bethwc101]

This trip has been cancelled due to the kids's mother not wanting them to go.

Thanks for all the wonderful advice. We will try again this summer when he has full visitation so she can't block it.

 

[gelatoni fan]

I highly doubt regular character meet and greets will be back by April. It's possible hugging characters won't even be a thing in April 2023 so I would not try to plan around that. Fantasmic and WOC are definite possibilities by April of this year as they are supposed to return in the "spring" but you'll want to pay attention to news and push your dates back if needed.

I don't think Genie+ is worth it with such young kids because you likely won't do all the thrill rides. The exception is if you anticipate doing a lot of photopass such as waiting for photos in front of the castle. In that case, maybe one person can get Genie+ just to cover photos.

After Fantasyland, you'd probably want to go to Tomorrowland. The line for Autopia can get long later in the day and if Nemo is open, you'd want to do that before it gets long. Toontown is expected to close for like a year starting in March.

I don't recommend doing the park days like that. I recommend taking a rest day after you two days in the Disney parks. You can go to the beach if you want but that day, you should also consider switching from your Disneyland area hotel to your Legoland area hotel. It's over an hour drive each way although the operating hours are short enough that it is doable. If you do the hotel swap, the in between day could also be used for San Diego area attractions such as the zoo. Sea Life Aquarium attached to Legoland is also a great place for kids and they sell tickets that let you visit both Legoland and the Aquarium for cheaper than both separately.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I have 2,6,7 and it’s not our first trip. But I’ll show you my itinerary. They all have special needs and we’ll be using DAS. We could spend 5 hours per day in the parks when they were 3&4. Hoping for longer this time.
Tentative Disneyland Itinerary
DL Monday DL 9-8; DCA 10-8

Dumbo
Casey Jr.
Carousel
Peter Pan DAS1
Mr. Toad

Break - Red Rose?

Mad Tea Party
Alice in Wonderland
IASW
DAS2 Storybook Boats
DAS2 Matterhorn

Jolly Holiday

Baby nap Tom Sawyer island?


DCA Wednesday DL 8-11; DCA 10-10

RSR
Mater
Cozy cone
Ghiradelli
Web Slingers
Guardians
Monsters Inc
Award wieners
Mickeys philharmagic
Animation Academy
Turtle talk with crush


DL Friday DL 8-12; DCA 10-10

Rise of the Resistance
Millennium Falcon
Docking Bay 7

Autopia
Space
Star Tours
Buzz

Galactic Grill








DCA Sunday DL & DCA 10-8

Little Mermaid
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta
Silly Symphony Swings
Jumping Jellyfish
Goofy’s Sky School

Inside Out Whirlwind
Incredicoaster
Toy Story Midway Mania

Lamplight Lounge
Adorable Snowman

Grizzly River Run
Soarin’
Redwood creek Challenge Trail




DL Tuesday DL 9-9; DCA 10-8:30

Big Thunder
Jungle Cruise
Indiana Jones
Bengal BBQ

Pirates
French Market
Hungry Bear
Pooh
Splash

 

[Epicnemesis]

Are they adventurous kids or do they get scared of new things?

It’s hard for me to get a sense of what a kid who has never been on a ride before will handle things since my daughter has grown up with Disneyland and I’m the youngest of 4 so I was always chomping at the bit to go on the rides the big kids went on.

I would suggest that you put them on some tester rides like Pirates and Star tours to see how they handle the drops and jerks. Then I would normally say go on gadgets go coaster as a intro to rollercoasters but I think it will be closed by then so they are going to have to jump to thunder mountain. The good thing is that there are so many non thrill rides that your day will be filled regardless. Also if the 4 year old isn’t as adventurous as the 6 year old you can ask for rider swaps height allows you and your husband to each take the 6 year old. He gets to ride twice and you both get to experience the ride without waiting in the full line twice.

One thing worth mentioning is you will probably need a stroller with a riding board on it or a double stroller. 3 days of theme park walking will make the kids miserable (and miserable to be around.) we have an almost 6 year old who is a theme park pro, and even she gets a little fatigued after 4 or so hours in the park if we don’t have the stroller with us.

If I think of more things I’ll keep updating the thread.

We’ve often thought about doing a YouTube channel to help visiting parents with tips and tricks to Disneyland with kids. There are so many Disney bloggers out there but they don’t really offer much info for the parents who want to bring their kids.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Are they adventurous kids or do they get scared of new things?

It’s hard for me to get a sense of what a kid who has never been on a ride before will handle things since my daughter has grown up with Disneyland and I’m the youngest of 4 so I was always chomping at the bit to go on the rides the big kids went on.

I would suggest that you put them on some tester rides like Pirates and Star tours to see how they handle the drops and jerks. Then I would normally say go on gadgets go coaster as a intro to rollercoasters but I think it will be closed by then so they are going to have to jump to thunder mountain. The good thing is that there are so many non thrill rides that your day will be filled regardless. Also if the 4 year old isn’t as adventurous as the 6 year old you can ask for rider swaps height allows you and your husband to each take the 6 year old. He gets to ride twice and you both get to experience the ride without waiting in the full line twice.

One thing worth mentioning is you will probably need a stroller with a riding board on it or a double stroller. 3 days of theme park walking will make the kids miserable (and miserable to be around.) we have an almost 6 year old who is a theme park pro, and even she gets a little fatigued after 4 or so hours in the park if we don’t have the stroller with us.

If I think of more things I’ll keep updating the thread.

We’ve often thought about doing a YouTube channel to help visiting parents with tips and tricks to Disneyland with kids. There are so many Disney bloggers out there but they don’t really offer much info for the parents who want to bring their kids.

Well, goodness, I would not consider Star Tours or even Pirates “tester rides” for that age, especially not for a first visit. I have 3 and 7 year old boys who have been going to the parks a long time (the
younger since 1 month old). The problem being the Covid shutdown, which caused them to “forget.”

I would suggest things like Dumbo, Teacups, Jungle Cruise, It’s a Small World and if they are good with that maybe try some of the dark rides in Fantasyland and then maybe Pirates.

OP, I absolutely agree that a double stroller or sit and stand is a must! And three theme park days in a row plus a long drive to San Diego is probably going to be rough with kids that age.

 

[UnpokemonMom]

• Since you don't know how the kids will react, I recommend outdoor rides to start; when you decide to try indoor rides, start with short rides (Winnie the Pooh is good)
• Buy Disney themed toys before you get there, then bring them out periodically (maybe as distractions while waiting in a long line, at sit down meals, or when you sense a melt-down coming)
• Buy Disney themed clothing ahead of time; I bought the exact same tshirts for our 2 boys (2 years difference); it was easier to spot them in a crowd (plus it looked cute) and a fun way to start the day when they got dressed
• Bring snacks
• Expect to break into separate groups occasionally; just be very clear on when and where to meet (even with the future in-laws - I've taken both my mom and MIL on trips and this is solid advice!)
• If your hotel is close by, go to the parks when they open, take a break after lunch to go back to room to either nap or swim, then back to the parks
• With more adults than kids, it's good for you to take a break; tell fiance and his parents to go on a ride that you know won't scare the kids, and enjoy a few solo minutes on a bench
• Make reservations for at least one sit-down meal per day; after spending hours taking care of the kids, it is SO NICE to sit down and have someone take care of you, even if it's just bringing you food!
• Don't set your expectations too high (i.e. this will be the "perfect" vacation).
• For future trips, ask the kids each day what's the one "must do" ride - then everything else is a bonus!
• And have fun!

 

[CeCe0906]

Kids always wake up early take advantage of that and do as much as you can in the morning. Plan for a midmorning snack and I would try for a sit down reservation bet 1 and 2 or if staying close by instead go back to hotel for maybe a quick pool dip and lunch and quiet time (don't call it a nap!, but I bet they drop off) Then go back to the park for the evening. I took my 8 year old granddaughter to WDW last summer for a first trip. She's pretty nervous about new things, so we watched you tube videos of the rides before we left. Made her more confident to go on. So maybe start with some fun ones that you know they will like then show them some of pirates etc, and see what they think. Depending on heights and general thrill level desires, have a plan for when the 4 year old can't or doesn't want to ride. You need to prepare the 4 year old if you know her sibling will ride something she can't to avoid a meltdown.

 

[kikismom]

If the trip isn't a surprise, have them watch YouTube videos of the rides.

That has helped so much for my daughter to prep for rides as she has grown enough to go on the bigger ones.

I agree with Pirates. I think it's a great tester ride. We took a 6 year old on it this year for one of her frst ever rides and she loved it. That gave us the confidence to take her on bigger and bigger rides. She ended up riding everything. I showed her videos prior to going though.

 

[lalasmama]

My only piece of advice--

If there's a cautious or sensitive kiddo, you may not want to call them "drops." Our first grandson took "drops" to mean "uncontrolled falling with zero safety" like dropping out of a tree or such. So we started calling them slides. "Pirates has two short slides. We count 1-2-3-4-5 and the first slide will be done! And 1-2-3-4-5 and the second slide will be all done!" Once he understood it was a just a slide with water on top, it was much less scary.

We've since started calling them slides automatically with the following grandkids. Our adventurous, mature-for-7-years-old grandson corrected us ("even the sign says drops, Grandma!"), but we told him to not point that out to his brothers. (He has long understood that his older brother is a bit "younger" than he is, even well before the older's ASD diagnosis, so he gets that there's different limits for different kids. Thank goodness.)

 

[mouschievous]

I was the only one who'd been in a group of first timers - MIL, FIL, 2 SILs and 4 nephews, ages 6-11. We "tested" things by going to a local, small amusement park the summer before, so we had an idea of how each of us tour (H and I are hardcore, go constantly, oldest nephew was the most afraid, etc). That helped us make decisions.

We started with Pirates as our first ride, and I agree that it's a good start. It's dark, but not pitch black, and there's nothing too scary (unless Snow White which YIKES!). The kids all loved it and we rode it multiple times. Then we went to Haunted Mansion and then Big Thunder.

You could definitely start in Fantasyland with some easier rides - tea cups, carousel, Peter Pan, Storybook Land boats, casey Jr, Dumbo- and go from there. In fact, I think with kids that young who've never been on rides, I would start there, and if that goes well I'd go do Pirates.

 

[3monkeys4me]

One thing I always did was take a picture of the kids each morning. That way if we got separated I was able to look and see what they were wearing. It only happened once, at Sea World but my mind was racing and after 6/7 theme park days the outfits sort of blended together. Another idea would be to dress the kids the same or similarly. But my kids hated matching so it was easy just to snap a picture while we were headed out to whatever park.
If they’ve never been on any kid of ride before then I would start with the non dark rides in fantasyland, IASM and jungle cruise. Then pirates and the dark fantasyland rides. My kids were all terrified of Splash Mountain until they were close to 10, even the one that liked most thrill rides. Something about that drip and not having a seatbelt just seemed to scare them.
I also always assured my kiddos that the rides seemed long sometimes but they were really only a couple of minutes and if they didn’t like it they didn’t have to do it again. For the most part they usually wanted to go again though.

 

[mouschievous]

oooh yes, @3monkeys4me reminded me that we dressed the kids in matching, very bright tshirts each day. It made it so much easier to keep track of everyone.

 

[lalasmama]

My kids were all terrified of Splash Mountain until they were close to 10, even the one that liked most thrill rides. Something about that drip and not having a seatbelt just seemed to scare them.
I also always assured my kiddos that the rides seemed long sometimes but they were really only a couple of minutes and if they didn’t like it they didn’t have to do it again. For the most part they usually wanted to go again though.

We are a big believer in "adventure ______ [whatever]." New food? Try an adventure bite. New friend? Let's have an adventure meet-up. Disneyland? Adventure ride! You don't have to like [whatever] but we still need to give it a try, and the sooner you start the try, the sooner it will be over.

We always start small at the first park visit for each grand, and will allow a kid-veto for true fear. But "I don't like that ride" before trying it is "ignored" (again, barring true fear, of course).

At any rate, regarding Splash Mountain, it's been nearly 4 years since we took our oldest grandson when he was 7. So, he's approaching 11yo now. He *still* tells us we almost killed him by letting him go on Splash.... Every ride thereafter was (1) are there seatbelts? and (2) is there a drop? I'm fairly certain he's going to tell his own children how he nearly died on Splash because Gram and Gramp wouldn't let him use a seatbelt

 

[Malcon10t]

My 6yo grandson would not ride any "ride". In his mind, they went too fast. So no Space (he was tall enough at 3) or Pirates (from age 2-5), but I had called the subs a show, he rode that, Star Tours, and Smugglers! We got him on the swings by calling them swings and not a ride. Then my son and DIL adopted a brother/sister pair, and brother is 2 years older. Brother rides EVERYTHING, and suddenly he rode everything (with some apprehension the first time, once with the "helpers" dad as he just needed a dad, any dad on Guardians.). Now, 9 mos later, he loves all the rides and we can call them rides..... ANd he can't wait to turn 7 so he can go single rider.

("Helpers" are our friend's daughters who would come over to help with my oldest granddaughter when she was 3-7, and now just come to visit. ANd will help when we have all the kids...)

 

[PirateRedhead]

If the trip isn't a surprise, have them watch YouTube videos of the rides.

I second this. My daughter was 3 the last time we were there, and would not go near the Haunted Mansion Holiday because the Burton artwork freaked her out. She'll be 7 this time around, so I thought maybe she'd be open to it now, but a quick YouTube video check had her immediately covering her eyes and asking me to turn it off, so nope!

 

[PirateBrigade]

We have to way to gauge if they like thrill rides or if pirates/mansion will scare them.

Been there, done that! Had to take a hysterically crying kid (3, I think) through the emergency exit of Haunted Mansion after being absolutely terrified in the elevator.

We literally, in that moment, thought we completely ruined Disneyland for this poor kid.

So if it happens...don't worry, you are in good company. Kid loves Disneyland now, and Haunted Mansion.... I think at age 4 was when she started to like it.

 

[LovesTimone]

Been there, done that... with our DD's and now grand kiddos...

So here are the best tips I can give you.

* Make a loose plans, and be prepared them to all fly out the window! Pack double on the patience...

* If you want to do table service meals, Breakfast and lunch worked for us.... Think about do you really want to try to sit down and enjoy a nice meal with over tired kiddos'... We stuck to this plan until about middle school and worked for us...another reason if you start getting into the dinner hour and they are tired, and you have ADR's and don't make them, they are going to charge you a no show fee...

* Double check and recheck the menus, this way you know what is available around you at any given moment, no sense in getting in somewhere and ready to order and there is nothing that the kids will eat.

* Have snacks ( raisins or other dried fruit - yogurt covered raisins or cranberries, Belvita or protein bars, nuts, cookies, crackers, chips) and something to do in line while waiting in line, sitting at a table service... everything from coloring books, to electronic's... head phone are great, this way it cuts all the noise out, and lets them decompress as well it gives the adults a chance to relax... Dollar tree is a great source for items like this... I would take a stash of little stuff, and give it out slowly, something new will keep their attention a bit longer...

* Have something for them to do in the room while everyone is getting ready. Also some easy breakfast item for them to eat right away. packaged muffins, cereal bars, juice boxes, individual milks.... My grandson when he opens his eyes he hungry...
As well something for them to eat when you get back to the room. For us alot of times we would get something in the resort food court, and they would eat like a pack of starving wolves... lol...

* Don't forget their favorite stuffed animal to sleep with... blanket or whatever this help with something familiar for them to sleep with... and whatever you do don't forget to put it in the back pack first when packing up on check out day...

* Taking a break with this age group is a good idea, just stepping out of all the excitement can be a life saver later on. Not sure if you are going when its warm enough to swim, this is a great way for them to burn off some excess energy...

* I agree start with the rides that aren't in the dark, and go forward from there...

* Make sure you have some kids OTC medicine on hand, stomach ache, vomiting, diarrhea, ibuprofen, allergy medicine, neo to go, and bandaids of all sizes, especially the big square ones for a blister that can pop up, I have mid-size makeup bag that I use for all this stuff in the room and a smaller one in the backpack to refill every night for the next day... as well include adult OTC med's in this as well.... I can not tell you how many times this has come in handy, and saved us... DH and I travel, and this is something that we use on every trip...

* Oh yeah.... sunscreen... Apply in the room before you head out, that last thing you want to be doing is trying to get the sunscreen on them and they are ready to get their Disney on. As well it give the product time to set... I use the travel size for in the park...

* Restroom breaks - stop often and I mean often... Nothing worse than being in line for 45 minutes and they say I have to go to the bathroom and normally this meaning they can not hold it... as well watch their body language if they start squirming around, they will say no I don't have to go, and no matter still stop... look around or at the maps as you are heading into a different area, in an potty emergency you want to know where you need to go.... bring a full extra outfit for both of them or two... you never know what is going to happen, better to have something on hand and not need it then have a kid with wet bottom and nothing to change them into... make sure to have some wipes... I know that they are older, just trust me on this one... as well if they say, my stomach hurts, or I feel like I am going to throw-up listen to them... just trust me on this one as well... As well how are you going to handle who takes them to the restroom? family restroom? plus what are the rules when in those big public bathrooms? seat covers, not touching anything, and staying together, and hand washing and more hand washing... I know this kinda sounds silly but it's important...

* You have to realize that they are kiddo's and most likely there will be some kinda meltdown... maybe it's them or the grown ups... The best tip I have is to practice eating out especially at fast food where you are juggling a tray with drinks and kids, going into public bathrooms, wearing the mask... as well you might think about showing them POV of the rides on you tube..

* Above all have a wonderful time...

 

[Dug720]

Double check and recheck the menus,

Especially important now as menus are changing more frequently due to shortages and shipping issues.

 

[bethwc101]

Are they adventurous kids or do they get scared of new things?

It’s hard for me to get a sense of what a kid who has never been on a ride before will handle things since my daughter has grown up with Disneyland and I’m the youngest of 4 so I was always chomping at the bit to go on the rides the big kids went on.

I would suggest that you put them on some tester rides like Pirates and Star tours to see how they handle the drops and jerks. Then I would normally say go on gadgets go coaster as a intro to rollercoasters but I think it will be closed by then so they are going to have to jump to thunder mountain. The good thing is that there are so many non thrill rides that your day will be filled regardless. Also if the 4 year old isn’t as adventurous as the 6 year old you can ask for rider swaps height allows you and your husband to each take the 6 year old. He gets to ride twice and you both get to experience the ride without waiting in the full line twice.

One thing worth mentioning is you will probably need a stroller with a riding board on it or a double stroller. 3 days of theme park walking will make the kids miserable (and miserable to be around.) we have an almost 6 year old who is a theme park pro, and even she gets a little fatigued after 4 or so hours in the park if we don’t have the stroller with us.

If I think of more things I’ll keep updating the thread.

We’ve often thought about doing a YouTube channel to help visiting parents with tips and tricks to Disneyland with kids. There are so many Disney bloggers out there but they don’t really offer much info for the parents who want to bring their kids.

In most things, like riding horses or going hiking, the 4 yr old is the adventurous one and the 6 year old will do things if he sees his younger sister try them. So, that's the intersting dynamic. The thing that has me concerned is screaming. Which is what concerns me with Pirates. Where it is SUCH a long ride to be stuck with someone else's kid crying.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

In most things, like riding horses or going hiking, the 4 yr old is the adventurous one and the 6 year old will do things if he sees his younger sister try them. So, that's the intersting dynamic. The thing that has me concerned is screaming. Which is what concerns me with Pirates. Where it is SUCH a long ride to be stuck with someone else's kid crying.

It is Disneyland. You will see/hear lots of kids crying all day everywhere. I would not stress over that honestly. If you are about to ride something and one kid is crying/doesn’t want to go, use the chicken exit and don’t force them. I see parents doing that all the time and I don’t think it’s worth it honestly. Either have one adult take the scared child out or you can all leave. Try something else or try again later. Going on rides is not worth stressing out your kid (in my opinion!).

Edited to add: A few weeks ago I saw a woman forcibly drag her child into Pirates kicking and screaming. It was pretty sad!