WDW With a 5 year old

[Spikerdink]

I am contemplating taking my cousin's son to WDW next summer. He will be almost 5 when we go.

He is a great little guy who has had a rough start to his life, but is well mannered, polite and respectful. His grandmother currently has custody, but he should be returning back to his mother in the next few months (long story....) and his father is MIA and most likely evading arrest somewhere in the USA.

Since I have no children of my own, and go to WDW and basically do whatever I want to do, I know that the trip with Evan would be very different. I started thinking yesterday what rides we could do at the different parks and what things he would like to do away from the parks.

For those with children or who have traveled with a 5 year old - what are the rides we can't do in MK and HS? Not sure if there is much he would like in Epcot - we would ride the few rides in WS and if he wanted to see the movies in Canada, China....

I would book us a room at AKL so he could watch the animals from the balcony, and I know the pool is great there for downtime when we are not in the parks.

What advice would you give me? What are some things a 5 year old would like to do in each of the parks that I might not be thinking about as an adult?

Thanks in advance for any insight and help.

 

[Master Yoda]

The best piece of advice I an give you when traveling with a 5 year old (I have been through 3) is you are on their schedule, not yours. If you go when they are ready to go, rest when they are ready to rest and eat when they are ready to eat, things will go fairly smooth.

What you don't want to do is try go full tilt bozo commando mode from open to close like you do when you are on your own. If you do that. most kids will eventually snap and take you with them.

As far as ride go, if he meets the height requirement you are good to go. Past that, it will be up to the likes and dislikes of the kid. If he does not like going fast, the dark and drops, Space Mountain would obviously be a bad choice.

Each child will be different in that respect. We had to ease our 2 older kids into the more thrilling rides, but number 3 was ready for RNRC pretty much at birth.

AKL is a great resort for kids. The only down side is they might not want to leave the room.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Our first WDW visit (20+ years ago) was with our daughters, the eldest being almost 5. In those 20+ years WDW has changed an awful lot so I'm not here to offer advice about rides.

My point is this - in our opinion and experience, 5 is about the best time for a first visit. They're old enough to enjoy and make the most of probably 90% of everything Disney has to offer.

As @Master Yoda has said, you'll need to take things at their pace - giving them time to take in every new experience. A touring plan type trip is right out of the question as everything will be a distraction and throw your timings out

Take your time and you'll both enjoy

 

[Ms.Sunshine]

No advice here, just want to give you kudos for doing this for your cousin's son. I think its awesome. Kids in crappy family situations need to be shown a different side of life sometimes, and nowadays boys need good male role models. Hope you guys have a great time!

 

[SugarMagnolia]

We just went 2 months ago with a 5 year old. We rented him a stroller from (Orlando Stroller Rentals). He swore he wasn't going to ride in a stroller, but he did ride in it a lot. I know this is a bad subject to bring up on here, but I wanted to add it since you might not have thought about it. Also, we had fastpasses for a bunch of rides, one being Dinosaur. Well it happened that I was sick in the room on AK day and didn't go. My hubby took him on (I wasn't going to, I just got him a fastpass since the whole group had one). The pictures of him on that ride -- he looks terrified. So kids can ride anything that they are tall enough for, but be sure to do your research and see which ones might scare him.

 

[Spikerdink]

Thanks for all the advice. I know that the days won't be the same as when I tour with friends, etc - go slow, do what he wants to do, keep to his regular schedule... and lots of pool and nap time.... What I never pay attention to is what rides can a 5 year old ride. I know we can do the basics in Fantasyland, Pirates, etc. But could he do Splash, Big Thunder?

The other hard part for me will be to recognize when its time to call a time out before the big melt down happens. I have seen too many parents push their kids beyond what their bodies and minds can tolerate and then no one is happy. I dont want to have an exhausted 5 year old crying and screaming he wants to go on a ride when I know what he really needs is to chill and maybe take a well deserved nap. I have no problems with doing whatever he wants to do - this would be my second of three trips planned for 2016 so I know there will be a next time for me.

I've always wanted to take a child to Disney and revisit the magic of the first visit. I had brought my niece and nephew 20 years ago, and now it is time to do it again!

 

[Master Yoda]

Thanks for all the advice. I know that the days won't be the same as when I tour with friends, etc - go slow, do what he wants to do, keep to his regular schedule... and lots of pool and nap time.... What I never pay attention to is what rides can a 5 year old ride. I know we can do the basics in Fantasyland, Pirates, etc. But could he do Splash, Big Thunder?

The other hard part for me will be to recognize when its time to call a time out before the big melt down happens. I have seen too many parents push their kids beyond what their bodies and minds can tolerate and then no one is happy. I dont want to have an exhausted 5 year old crying and screaming he wants to go on a ride when I know what he really needs is to chill and maybe take a well deserved nap. I have no problems with doing whatever he wants to do - this would be my second of three trips planned for 2016 so I know there will be a next time for me.

I've always wanted to take a child to Disney and revisit the magic of the first visit. I had brought my niece and nephew 20 years ago, and now it is time to do it again!

What rides he can do will depend on his height. The average height of a 5 year old boy is around 40". If he is at 40", the only rides that will be off limits are Space Mountain, M:S. RNRC, EE and Primeval Whirl. The link below will take you to all of the height restrictions in WDW.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...nontheme/experience/preschool/heightChart.pdf

As to when he needs a nap, ask his parents what his normal schedule is and try to stick to it by scheduling "pool time" around the same time. Some kids are good without them.

Having a stroller is good idea as well. Most kids will zonk out on the way to what they want to do when their body wants to nap, but their brain wants to take their 78th trip on Pirates.

Lastly, most parks have what could be called a "nap ride" that will usually make a kid go into dream land. Hall of Presidents, Universe of Energy, and The Great Movie Ride are all pretty good for this.

 

[Schneewittchen]

I took my DS to WDW at 1.5, 4, 5 and he'll be 6 for the next trip.
First things first, he loves MK. He can tolerate EC. We don't go to AK or HS cuz short people.
Also I have a DD who went at 2, 3 and she will be 4 for the next trip.

Things my son likes at MK: Barnstormer, Buzz Lightyear, Country Bears, Dumbo, Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Jungle Cruise, Riverboat, Tea Party, Magic Carpets, Pooh, PhilharMagic, Peter Pan, Pirates, Carrousel, Treehouse, Speedway, Little Mermaid and the Train.
When it's time to rest/flake out a bit, we go to Carousel of Progress or the PeopleMover.
He does not like Stitch at all.
He's never been on Astro Orbiter, Big Thunder Mountain, Seven Dwarfs, Space Mountain or Splash Mountain. He should be big enough for those this year.
If you want to splurge, dinner with Winnie the Pooh at the Crystal Palace is our thing. Once the kids have hugged Pooh, I'm the best mother on earth in their eyes for at least 30 minutes.
Get the boy a dole whip.

Things DS likes at EC: Arriving by monorail, Spaceship Earth, Nemo, Figment, Gran Fiesta Tour and this random overheated rubberized playground that appears on the imagination walkway during the flower festival.
He's never been on Living with the Land, Ellen's Energy Adventure because mom and dad keep bouncing back and fourth between Germany and France getting Schofferhofer Grapefruits and Kronenbourg 1664's.
To relax, we go look at the aquariums in the Seas especially the manatees, Impressions of France and Wonders of China.
He really like Maestrom and Captain EO, so those will be missed.
Another splurge, my son (and daughter) loved having dinner with the princesses at Akershus. Someone was putting the moves on Ariel and it wasn't DH.
It's not a dole whip, but we've gotten pineapple software from promenade carts as well.

For more splurging, my kids love Mickey's Backyard BBQ and the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue. And if you go shopping at Disney Springs, my kids love to splash in the water fountains and then get an ice cream from Ghirardelli. There is a frozen treat theme here with my family.

We always stay at Fort Wilderness, so for more goofing around especially on the day we arrive, we'll go on rides on the monorail or the boats to the Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian (more dole whips!!!), the Contemporary or Grand Floridian.

Outside the parks, we always stop at Orange World on the way in and will have usually spent a day or two at the beaches in St. Petersburg.

 

[Spikerdink]

Lastly, most parks have what could be called a "nap ride" that will usually make a kid go into dream land. Hall of Presidents, Universe of Energy, and The Great Movie Ride are all pretty good for this.

Those are my favorites to take a quick nap in - along with Carousel of Progress! I will have to start telling him how great these shows are now!

 

[Weather_Lady]

With a child that age (my children were 4 and 6 on their first visit), I'd definitely suggest a daily nap. It may seem like you're "missing out" by leaving after lunch for 3-4 hours -- the time it takes to get back to the resort, relax in the air-conditioning, grab a nap and maybe a swim, get ready, head out again and get to a park), but it is so worth it to come back to the park feeling all refreshed and recharged, and ready for a pleasant evening.

I know others suggested strollers, and if you're skipping naps, then that may become necessary. Personally, we never used a stroller and never needed one. We were very active -- especially in the morning, with pre-rope drop arrivals -- and we did a lot of walking, but I tried to structure our touring to save steps where I could, and relied on Disney transportation as much as possible (e.g., taking the WDW Railroad from Frontierland to Fantasyland instead of crossing the park on foot, or the Epcot Friendship boats across the lake to get to our World Showcase ADRs from Future World). Also, my children are both healthy, energetic (bordering on hyperactive), in great shape, and tall for their age, so they were especially capable of getting themselves around on their own two feet.

As far as attractions, first consult the height requirements and rule out what can't be done. (E.g., less than 48" can't do Rock 'n Rollercoaster, Sum of All Thrills, and Primeval Whirl. For less than 44", add Expedition Everest, Space Mountain and Mission:Space). Then once you're on property, I suggest a progressive experience to see what your nephew can or can't do. If he loves kiddie coasters like Barnstormer and 7DMT, proceed to try Big Thunder. If he doesn't find dark rides like Little Mermaid or Peter Pan intimidating, try Haunted Mansion, etc. If he's terrified of heights, avoid Soarin' and Splash Mountain.

FWIW, these were my 4-year-old's favorites in each park (she was under 44" on her first visit, so all the 44"-and-taller attractions were not on offer - otherwise she did every "ride" she could, except for Tower of Terror and AstroOrbiter):
MK - Pirates, Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, Dumbo, Barnstormer, Mad Tea Party, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, the Peoplemover, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Epcot - Turtle Talk with Crush, Soarin', the Mission:Space mission control play area (while we waited for her tall-enough big brother to ride)
HS - Toy Story Midway Mania, Star Tours
AK - Kilimanjaro Safaris, Triceratop Spin, the Finding Nemo show, Kali River Rapids

 

[Courtney6682]

But could he do Splash, Big Thunder?

Yes he def can...I was tired of not being able to go on any ''good'' rides when my daughter was 3.5 so I took her on all of them lol. She did Space mtn...Splash mtn...Big thunder and Test track...and LOVED THEM!!! Maybe you could take him on TT first since that may be the tamest of all the rides I mentioned.

 

[jaklgreen]

I would let him watch the rides (the ones you can see anyway), so he can see what they are like before he goes on them. Or if he knows ahead of time to watch them on you tube. My kids love BTMRR at that age, but mostly the rides in Fantasyland were the best. Kids get very excited when they are WDW and do not want to stop to eat or go to the bathroom. So we would go on a couple of rides and then have them sit down and have a snack and a potty break. We did this all day so they would have a physical and mental break from all of the excitement and they never had meltdowns. You can head off 99% of meltdowns if you just watch and pay attention to your kids moods and actions and plan enough breaks throughout the day. Always have some water and keep handing it to him throughout the day. And have them go potty even if they say they don't have to go.

 

[mimitchi33]

Little boys in that age demographic love Toy Story, so take him to the Toy Story rides. Also, Fantasyland is a big one with little kids too.

 

[Gaprofitt]

I am contemplating taking my cousin's son to WDW next summer. He will be almost 5 when we go.

He is a great little guy who has had a rough start to his life, but is well mannered, polite and respectful. His grandmother currently has custody, but he should be returning back to his mother in the next few months (long story....) and his father is MIA and most likely evading arrest somewhere in the USA.

Since I have no children of my own, and go to WDW and basically do whatever I want to do, I know that the trip with Evan would be very different. I started thinking yesterday what rides we could do at the different parks and what things he would like to do away from the parks.

For those with children or who have traveled with a 5 year old - what are the rides we can't do in MK and HS? Not sure if there is much he would like in Epcot - we would ride the few rides in WS and if he wanted to see the movies in Canada, China....

I would book us a room at AKL so he could watch the animals from the balcony, and I know the pool is great there for downtime when we are not in the parks.

What advice would you give me? What are some things a 5 year old would like to do in each of the parks that I might not be thinking about as an adult?

Thanks in advance for any insight and help.

My son and I went for his 4th Birthday in September. We mainly went to Magic Kingdom.. He pretty much loved everything except
Space Mountain. His favorite by far was Splash Mountain.. We probably rode that about 10-15 times. I was surprised he even liked Thunder Mountain Roadroad and Seven Dwarfs mining train.

Couple of tips I would suggest..

Use the WDW Lines phone app for planning where you're going in the park. This cuts down a ton on walking and will also suggest fast passes.

Bring a stroller for sure.

The water in the park is gross, either bring a Brita type filtering bottle or bring bottled water.

I recommend Chef Mickeys as the best themed dining unless they love Winnie the Pooh and friends.

 

[Weather_Lady]

My daughter was 4 on her first WDW trip. She was 43" tall and was able to do everything in MK except for Space Mountain, and everything in HS except for Rock 'n' Rollercoaster. (We didn't do Tower of Terror, either, and at Epcot, she just missed the height minimum for Mission:Space.) She had an absolute ball! We also went strollerless and she had no problems, although we never toured for more than 4-5 hours at a time (rope-drop to lunch in the morning, and then about 4pm-9pm in the evening, after a long nap). Also, she has always been tall for her age, athletically built and full of energy, so she probably held up better than most kids her age might.

Have a wonderful time -- I think you're going to love experiencing Disney "through the eyes of a child" again!

 

[Spikerdink]

I recommend Chef Mickeys as the best themed dining unless they love Winnie the Pooh and friends.

As you can see by my photo, it will be a Crystal Palace meal at least once!!

 

[John C. Shepherd]

I have gone 2 different times with a 5 year old, my first time my daughters were 5 and 4, we went at thier pace which helped alot. There are tons of rides for them to go on so that isnt a worry. I didnt force them on a ride they didnt want to even if i thought they would like it. They slept well each night, also enjoyed the whole time there at Disney.

The second time was when my youngest was 5, her sisters were 10 and 9. It was different cause the older two hod more energy but she hung in there with them. We let he pick times when eating, rides were easy she rode with her sisters and I. Got mad a couple times when she couldnt ride and her sisters could but very little she wouldnt go on, even rode haunted mansion when her oldest sister wouldnt.

I give you tons of credit doing this, just pace yourself for the days. I also suggest to limit purchasing of things till end of day. Good luck and enjoy yourself he will appriociate what you are doing for him.