The Ultimate Disney Trip - Kid Addition

[HoneyBee1991]

My daughter is still a newborn and originally we had thought we would do her 1st trip around 2/3 years old and then go on short trips every 2 years or so. Now it is looking like we will have to wait longer 5/6 years old to start and go maybe every 6 years on longer trips.

Since the trips will be less frequent, I want the first one especially to be epic from a kids point of view.

The one thing I know I want to do is stay at Animal kingdom lodge again. We don't have the type of money to stay at a deluxe the whole time (we are more moderate/value resort people) but I can swing 2 nights there. We won't go to the parks when we are there, instead spend the time really soaking in all the resort has to offer.

Does anyone have something that would make the trip extra special for a young girl? Things that would put the trip over the top special?

Thank you for your tips and ideas!

 

[belledream]

Off the top of my head, a few ideas...
- Buy her her favorite Disney princess dress if that's her thing
- Take it up another notch a make a reservation at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
- Research ahead of time Meet & Greets/Character Buffets for her favorite characters
- Buy her first pair of Mickey Ears in the park and watch them embroider it in person
- Something you could do to save money and prepare for fun before you go... buy an autograph book/stuffed animal/outfits ahead of time on sale so you don't have to buy it in the parks. Then you have extra money for balloons, Mickey Ice Cream Bars... all the essential Disney starter pack items.

But mainly, a solid Plan A and Plan B for things to go smoothly and when they go little awry would probably be sufficient. I would think the first time a child goes to WDW would be so special for them in itself! (And I love your idea of spending a couple resort days at AKL. Rest will be very welcome!)

 

[HoneyBee1991]

Off the top of my head, a few ideas...
- Buy her her favorite Disney princess dress if that's her thing
- Take it up another notch a make a reservation at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
- Research ahead of time Meet & Greets/Character Buffets for her favorite characters
- Buy her first pair of Mickey Ears in the park and watch them embroider it in person
- Something you could do to save money and prepare for fun before you go... buy an autograph book/stuffed animal/outfits ahead of time on sale so you don't have to buy it in the parks. Then you have extra money for balloons, Mickey Ice Cream Bars... all the essential Disney starter pack items.

But mainly, a solid Plan A and Plan B for things to go smoothly and when they go little awry would probably be sufficient. I would think the first time a child goes to WDW would be so special for them in itself! (And I love your idea of spending a couple resort days at AKL. Rest will be very welcome!)

Thank you! Those are great suggestions, I wouldn't have thought of the embroidered Mickey ears but that is such a cute idea.

 

[kimberlymautz]

I definitely agree with the princess dress and BBB if she's into it! We took my daughter for her 7th birthday and now she's begging to go again when we go back for my son's birthday (hopefully - scheduled for September!)

My daughter also loved getting dressed I everyday to go to the parks. She had a Minnie dress (from Walmart!) one day, cute Disney themed shirts other days, etc. We used the peeling nail polish so she could match her nails to her outfit each day.

Honestly, just going to Disney in general is amazing. Sure you can do a million add-ons, but then you'll miss some of the other amazing things they offer.

I'd definitely order some kind of "my 1st trip" shirt for her, but you really don't need to go super overboard. Make sure you have a plan to see the characters she's a fan of and check the times they'll be available ahead of time (learned the hard way that some characters leave earlier then others).

You have plenty of time to plan, but I'd definitely do AKL for a night or two at the end of your trip as a way to wind things down after what will be a hectic week. I personally always choose value resorts because we can use the money we save on the resort toward fun souvenirs or extras in the parks.