Desparately seeking advice on 1st trip for 7-yr old daughter! :)

[fanofwdw]

To all you Disney junkies...

I'm so happy I've found this site. I can't get enough of Disney. Last time I went was when I was 19. Now I'm 31 with a family of my own, and the sweetest, most precious daughter I could have. She's 7, somewhat afraid of the dark, can get scared, but very much all girl...and it's her first trip to WDW. We're going Sept. 7 through Sept. 14, 2002. I'm so excited, and my wife is thrilled I am making all the arrangements

So many questions...
*I'm staying at the Poly...want to know what people think of the Neverland Club, of the Ladybug Release, of Ohana's cocunut races, of the Luau for her, of the Poly storytelling every night, of viewing the fireworks from the beach, of the pool (and how many days should I allot to just chilling out, of the children's activities there. Is there anything I'm missing?
* If we wanted to do a night out and take advantage of the Neverland Club, is Pleasure Island/downtown Disney good for dancing (my wife and I like to swing and cha-cha)?
* Given the Fall Fling rates (40-50% off), I'm doing Poly concierge. Does the food fill you up? Which parts of the day are best for the food? Is it a good place to chill?
* We plan on arriving Sat. afternoon, relaxing on Sunday, and have a 5-day Park Hopper Pass, departing on Saturday morning. Is this a good strategy. We are also planning on taking the most of one day off (in addition to Sunday), say Wed., to spend most of the day chilling out.
* What about the evening entertainment? Luau, Hoop-Dee-Do, Illuminations, etc. What's worth the money? What will my daughter enjoy the most?
* What rides at MK should I absolutely do? How do you determine if Snow White will be too scary?
* Is AK worth doing? My thought was to for sure cover MK (most), Epcot and MGM...these are parks I've seen. What's the best way to structure 5 days (and do it at a relaxing pace)...
* Where is the best place to do a character meal...she doesn't particularly like breakfast, but gorges at lunch and dinner.
* Will she fit in a stroller? She's 4' tall and about 40-50 pounds. And, has anyone got an HT? Is it worth it? What do you do with the stroller when you go to a ride.
* What will the weather be like in early September?
* What rides/attractions are must-sees in the other parks (MGM, Epcot, AK)?
* I read about a Cinderella tea party service. Is this neat? Is it still going?

Hope I'm not asking too many questions!

I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP.

84 days til we leave! :sohappy:

 

[VillianFan]

Tips from my 7 year old daughter --

Don't miss the Beauty and the Beast show or MuppetVision 3D at MGM, and Fantasmic is Better than Great!

Go to Animal Kingdom but skip the Dinosaur ride - it is too scary!
At AK, definitely go see Festival of the Lion King.

In MK, try riding the TTA to get a feel for the other rides like Buzz Lightyear. You can get a peak inside without having to ride the entire ride.

Try pin trading, my daughters both got into trading with the CMs but if you are going to do this, buy a few pins to start with at home at the Disney Store.

Hope these ideas help!

 

[fanofwdw]

What is pin trading, and how does it work?

Sounds neat...but what is it?

 

[TURKEY]

Illuminations is free. It is a must see. Try and watch by the Outpost (between Future World and World Showcase, across from AA). It has one of the best views. Your daughter will probally enjoy Illuminations and Fantasmic more than anything else and they don't cost any extra.

If you plan on going all day without breaks and such, I would probally skip Hoop de Doo and the Luau. They cost $$$ and it would probally get boring for a 7 year old.

I would go to Boardwalk over PI if everything at Boardwalk is open. It's more of an adult atmosphere (quieter, more romantic) than most of PI. I can't remember if any of the clubs at PI offer cha-cha or lots of swing music.


Go to AK. Festival of the Lion King is great. She would probally enjoy Pocohantas and maybe Tarzan. It's worth going to AK even if only for a couple of hours to see Festival.


DON'T PLAN YOUR DAY TO MUCH FOR YOU. Have an outline of what you definitely want to see and do, but do what your daughter wants too as well. If she needs a nap in the afternoon, go back and rest. Don't force her to do something she doesn't want to do.


Does your daughter have any favorite characters? That would help in selecting a Character Meal. My first thought would be Hollywood and Vine or The Crystal Palace.


The weather will still be plenty warm, but not extremely hot. It should be warm enough for swimming still. Be warned, at night especially in World Showcase or waiting for Fantasmic it can get cool with the breezes off the water. Be sure and take a jacket.

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by fanofwdw
What is pin trading, and how does it work?

Sounds neat...but what is it?

First, Pin Trading is ADDICTIVE. It can add up to lots of money real quick.

You buy Disney pins. They have pins for rides, resorts, characters, etc. They are basically metal lapel pins.

If you have pins, you can trade them with cast members. Cast members will have a lanyard with pins to trade with guests around their necks. Most pin traders will wear a lanyard with pins to trade too. You can pick out one you like from the cast member and give one of your's back to the CM.

If you are interested in doing this, I would see if there is a Disney outlet store near you. I would think there might be since you are in Columbus. They have cheap pins there for 2 or 3 bucks instead of $6.50+ they run for at WDW.

 

[Erika]

* We plan on arriving Sat. afternoon, relaxing on Sunday, and have a 5-day Park Hopper Pass, departing on Saturday morning. Is this a good strategy. We are also planning on taking the most of one day off (in addition to Sunday), say Wed., to spend most of the day chilling out.


We love having an extra day there. It's a good time to hit Downtown Disney and even a water park if you feel like it. If you go shopping be sure to take advantage of the package delivery.


* What about the evening entertainment? Luau, Hoop-Dee-Do, Illuminations, etc. What's worth the money? What will my daughter enjoy the most?

Don't you dare miss Fantasmic!!! (MGM) Get there very early- it fills up quickly.


* Is AK worth doing? My thought was to for sure cover MK (most), Epcot and MGM...these are parks I've seen. What's the best way to structure 5 days (and do it at a relaxing pace)...


If you haven't been in 11 years, you will find that a lot has changed! Every park will be more or less new to you. And yes, I think you should deffinitely do Animal Kingdom.


* What will the weather be like in early September?


I have been twice in September. It was in the 90s both times. It's a good time to go though because the crowds are small.


Have a great time! 7 is SUCH a good age for WDW! So is 31 for that matter

 

[Pioneer Hall]

OK I'm going to give you all the advice I can (from what I know and from what others have told me).

*First of All the Polynesian (please don't use POLY it is considered offensive in the Polynesian Islands) is a great resort. The adults and kids will both love it.

NOW ON TO YOUR QUESTIONS...

*I have heard terrific things about the Neverland Club. Kids love it. The place is themed to Peter Pan, and they have a dinner buffet for the kids.

*The Ladybug release is held around 9:30 in the morning and really isn't anything special. All you do is release the ladybugs so they can eat the plant eating bugs. If you want check this out once, but it definately isn't a must see.

*If you have to decide between the Luau and Ohana, I would DEFINATELY recommend Ohana. A 7 year old will not enjoy the Luau as much as an older person would. At Ohana they serve the same type of food, but for 20 dollars less per person. There is also a lot more activities for the kids.

*I have heard the the Storytelling is a nice extra they have everynight for the kids. She will probably enjoy this very much.

*The beach is a great place to Watch the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom. The Polynesian beach is also a great place to watch the Electrical Water Pageant.

*There are two pools at the Polynesian. There is the new Nanea Volcano Pool, and the East (Quiet) pool. Both pools have slides, but the one at the Nanea Pool is much larger.

*There are a bunch of childrens activities that a seven year old should enjoy. I know that in the Great Ceremonial House, they have necklace and bracelet making. The also have Lei making sessions.

*YES...Pleasure Island is a great place for you to spend the night dancing. Also, take in the other sites in Downtown Disney, there are a lot of other things.

*The food in the concierge will not be enough for a full meal. Sure it will be a good snack, but it will not fill you up.

*I think your day off schedule is fine. Remember though you will be traveling with a child, and you may have to shift the schedule to fit with the childs preferences. This may mean changing the day off to give her a break.

*I recommend that you not go to either the Luau or Hoop Dee Doo review. Your daughter will probably not enjoy these shows too much. The night time shows in the parks though are great and she will probably like all of them.

*Definately take your daughter on most of the MK rides. There is very little there she can't do. If she is a little more daring let her try Thunder Mountain Railroad or Splash Mountain. I don't think Snow White will be scary for a 7 year old. If you want though let her watch the movie, that may be a good test.

*AK is definately worth doing. The 7 year old will probably like the park a lot.

*With a five day hopper I would do the following...
-Saturday: Relax
-Sunday: Get aquainted with the place and see the little things in WDW. Maybe play a game of Mini Golf or go to Downtwon Disney.
-Monday: Magic Kingdom
-Tuesday: Studios
-Wendsday: DAY OFF
-Thursday: Epcot
-Friday: Animal Kingdom/Magic Kingdom

*A Character meal will depend on what characters she wants to see and where you want to have it. If she wants to see Mickey and the gang definately go to Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary. The Garden Grill in Epcot also offers nice character Dining. To meet Pooh and the Friends go to 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian.

*She will proabably fit in to one of the Double Strollers better than the regular one person strollers. When you go on a ride there are stroller areas where you park the stroller until you get off.

*In Early September the weather will be hot and humid. Remember to keep hydrated and you should buy one of those spray fans. Also, take afternoon breaks to rest up from the heat.

*Well when you say Must Ride...do you mean for her or yourself. For her she will want to (In Epcot) Journey in to Imagination, Food Rocks, Cranium Command, and El Rio del Tiempo. In the Studios she will want to see Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Playhouse Disney live, Muppetvision 3-D, Beauty and the bEast Live on Stage, and Hunchback of Notre Damb Live. In AK she will like to see Primeval Whirl, Pochahontas and her forest friends, Festival of the Lion King, Kali River Rapids, and Kilimanjaro Safaris.

*The tea party is not cinderella, it is Alice in Wonderland. It is held in the Grand Floridian and is one hour long. The kids will be with characters from Alice in Wonderland. They will make and eat cupcakes, eat lunch, have tea with the characters, and make flower bouquets. It available only on Weekdays and is 22.95. Grown ups are not allowed to attend. I think that she may like this, but don't go out of your way to do this. Truthfully the 22.95 can be spent on better things In WDW.

I hope this helps! If you haev any other questions feel free to IM me at Yanksfn114 (AIM). My email is Yanksfn114@aol.com. And if you don't want to do any of that send me a PM on the site. I will help answer any other questions you have.

 

[Testtrack321]

Hey!

Here are some sugestions that I have for all kids when partys ask me this.

Get there early, take a break from 12-2, then go back to the parks till closing. Sure, souds tough, but that break will keep you alive.

Your kids will love two things, and I am positive about that.

Tapestry of Dreams in Epcot, a nightly parade. Make sure you stop by the Kid Cot Fun Stops to get your Dream Token.

Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin, when people ride this 6-7 times in a row, it must be good! It's one of my favorites!

Also, if you have boys, stop by Innoventions to see all the cool technology, and the Segway!!!

Yes, all WDW food is big in portions, and will fill you up.

 

[all_good_chic]

nobody really talked to much about the neverland club so i am gonna tell you what i think. First off i have been there when i was 8( a long time ago) but nothing has changed. I was kinda mature for my age then and thought it was kinda boring and cheesy. If your child is shy she may not have a very good time because the only way to have fun is to meet friends. DInner buffet was alright( but i am going from memory and my memory isn't that peachy) and i really didn't play video games that much so i ended up sitting around bored...but i was an odd kid and i think your child will like it plus it gives the adult a dinner by themselves

 

[Tramp]

...I mentioned this in another thread and so often it's overlooked...make sure you arrange for a wake-up call and see to it that your daughter answers the phone...tell her the night before that you arranged for Mickey to call her to wake her up....Mickey will call with a cool message that will really jumpstart her day....this is such a free and simple thing but getting a special phone call from Mickey is a fantasy she may long remember.

 

[Maria]

Originally posted by fanofwdw

* If we wanted to do a night out and take advantage of the Neverland Club, is Pleasure Island/downtown Disney good for dancing (my wife and I like to swing and cha-cha)?

* Is AK worth doing? My thought was to for sure cover MK (most), Epcot and MGM...these are parks I've seen. What's the best way to structure 5 days (and do it at a relaxing pace)...

* What will the weather be like in early September?

I would suggest you to go to The Boardwalk to check Atlantic Dance with your wife. They used to give free swing lessons on wednesday nights in 99 before they actually opened the disco for dancing, but I´m not sure if they are still doing it. Then cross the street and go to JellyRolls. Check when the dueling pianos are playing too.

AK is probably the park more worth doing along with MK, for a 7 year old. Do not miss The Lion King Show, Tarzan Rocks, Pocahontas (a cute show). Take her into the Tree of Life, but I´m not sure if I would take her to Dinosaur, it might be scary for her. The whole park is amazing! Try to get there early because it also gets real hot.

The weather in early september will be most likely rainy, so be ready for some afternoon showers.

Hope this helps a little. :animwink:

 

[mej]

I would advise you to hire a stroller! You can park it somewhere until you need it. My 7 year old daughter is not too proud to be pushed when it is 9pm and she has been walking all day (and is probably hideously jet lagged as well!). For your sake as well as hers - DO IT!

 

[Disneynutcase]

We just did all four parks a few months ago with a seven year old girl (granted a west coast Disney veteran) as well as two first-timers, ages four and two.

First piece of advice--don't use words like "scary" at all when describing any attraction except for the truly inappropriate ones. Your daughter won't like Alien Encounter or Rock 'n' Roller Coaster--both are just too intense. More kids freak out because of what their well-meaning parents say. You might be surprised by how much your kid will like something like Haunted Mansion if you don't freak her out about it first.

Both the 7 year old and the 4 year old went on just about anything they could fit their little butts into. Don't shy away from things like Splash Mountain or Test Track--both truly great rides that don't get too intense. Every kid I've ever taken to Disney parks also really dig Star Tours, so don't overlook that (might help if you see the original movie beforehand, though). The 4 year old loved Haunted Mansion. My 7 year old actually got brave enough to try Tower of Terror and liked it!

3-D's can get a little intense. The 4 year old liked "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" when the 7 year old didn't really like it. Muppets 3-D is not frightening, so definately see it.

B.T.W.--the 2 year old skipped all of the above--too small to ride most of it.

We rented a double stroller and it was plenty big and roomy for the 7 year old. You might get by with a single stroller--give it a look to see if your kid will fit and be comfortable.

We did 3 character meals--Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace (which will be closed for rennovation when you are there), and the breakfast at Cinderella's Castle. All three were fantastic, highly recommended if your daughter likes the character interaction, especially if she wants autographs and photos. Just be sure to get your PS reservations as soon as you possibly can (60 days in advance of MK visits, 120 days anywhere else).

We also really enjoyed the restaurants at Epcot and Disney Studios--a lot of theming, some have great shows.

Don't go too crazy on the shows at AK and Disney Studios--there are at least 4 different ones in both parks. Lion King and Little Mermaid were great, well worth seeing. Playhouse Disney was a huge hit, but all the kids in my party live for Disney Channel. If your kid doesn't know the Playhouse Disney shows, it might be worth skipping. We found Tarzan Rocks to be a mixed bag--some of the stunts were great, but the music parts were a bit grating.

I'd highly recommend seeing as many of the different parades as possible. They are all great and unique--AK's and Disney Studios both were surprisingly good, so try not to miss them.

We also structured our days to take breaks after lunch time. It helped quite a bit. Don't worry about your child's energy. I have yet to meet kids who can't somehow be inspired to find energy for these parks--just make deals, like "Daddy needs to go back for a litle rest, but we'll come back after a few hours and stay until after it's dark." Always did the trick for us.

Snow White's Adventures is the weirdest ride Disney has ever built. It's not exactly kid friendly, actually scares the crap out of some kids, and for others it's just not eventful enough. In all honestly, this one's worth skipping in favor of Buzz, Pooh, and Peter Pan which are much better conceived attractions.

Oh...almost forgot! At Epcot, when you tour World Showcase, whether you start in Canada or Mexico, ask a CM where that country's KidCot Station is located. In each country's pavillion, they have a KidCot area where they give out a free souvinier mask and then a special trinket added to it from country to country. My kids had fun getting theirs decorated.

Also, if you're kid is running around with an autograph book (which my kids had a blast with), just about any CM in World Showcase will gladly autograph it and add a special message in their native language--kind of neat to get messages in Chinese or Arabic as well as French and German. The CM usually tells the parent and kid what they wrote down, so it doesn't remain a mystery.

And last, I say...do AK, do AK, do AK! Aside from the Lion King Show, see Dinorama rides, let her play in the Boneyard playground which is great (actually so is the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground at DS). And you've gotta do the Safari and Kali River Rapids. All the animal paths are really cool as well. Doesn't look like much to do all together when you read the guide books or check out the WDW website, but you'll end up surprised by all the little details you can check out, touch, and learn about.

Last comment: why are you spending your first full day (Sunday) relaxing? Not that it's not cool to unwind a little, but...you might really want to save relaxation for after a day or two of park touring. If it was me, I'd do parks on Sunday and Monday, then take Tuesday off, do a full day on Wednesday, then take Thursday off (and maybe hit a water park in the AM or afternoon), then do whatever we had energy for (full day or one with mid-day break) for Friday. You'll find that getting off your feet after being on them for so long really helps you recharge for the next touring day.

Good luck. Have fun. And just kick back and let your daughter try just about everything. I think you'll be surprised by how much of it she likes.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Originally posted by fanofwdw
To all you Disney junkies...

I'm so happy I've found this site. I can't get enough of Disney. Last time I went was when I was 19. Now I'm 31 with a family of my own, and the sweetest, most precious daughter I could have. She's 7, somewhat afraid of the dark, can get scared, but very much all girl...and it's her first trip to WDW. We're going Sept. 7 through Sept. 14, 2002. I'm so excited, and my wife is thrilled I am making all the arrangements

So many questions...
*I'm staying at the Poly...want to know what people think of the Neverland Club, of the Ladybug Release, of Ohana's cocunut races, of the Luau for her, of the Poly storytelling every night, of viewing the fireworks from the beach, of the pool (and how many days should I allot to just chilling out, of the children's activities there. Is there anything I'm missing?
* If we wanted to do a night out and take advantage of the Neverland Club, is Pleasure Island/downtown Disney good for dancing (my wife and I like to swing and cha-cha)?
* Given the Fall Fling rates (40-50% off), I'm doing Poly concierge. Does the food fill you up? Which parts of the day are best for the food? Is it a good place to chill?
* We plan on arriving Sat. afternoon, relaxing on Sunday, and have a 5-day Park Hopper Pass, departing on Saturday morning. Is this a good strategy. We are also planning on taking the most of one day off (in addition to Sunday), say Wed., to spend most of the day chilling out.
* What about the evening entertainment? Luau, Hoop-Dee-Do, Illuminations, etc. What's worth the money? What will my daughter enjoy the most?
* What rides at MK should I absolutely do? How do you determine if Snow White will be too scary?
* Is AK worth doing? My thought was to for sure cover MK (most), Epcot and MGM...these are parks I've seen. What's the best way to structure 5 days (and do it at a relaxing pace)...
* Where is the best place to do a character meal...she doesn't particularly like breakfast, but gorges at lunch and dinner.
* Will she fit in a stroller? She's 4' tall and about 40-50 pounds. And, has anyone got an HT? Is it worth it? What do you do with the stroller when you go to a ride.
* What will the weather be like in early September?
* What rides/attractions are must-sees in the other parks (MGM, Epcot, AK)?
* I read about a Cinderella tea party service. Is this neat? Is it still going?

Hope I'm not asking too many questions!

I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP.

84 days til we leave! :sohappy:

BUT A GUIDE BOOK !!!!!!!!!!!!:sohappy:

 

[fanofwdw]

Thank you...

I just wanted to thank everyone for their input. It was very helpful.

By the way...after all of your advice (including my wonderful wife's)...and after talking to two additional people who were just there with kids the same age as my daughter, my schedule now looks like...

Saturday PM (arrival): relax
Sunday: MK
Monday: MK (with Cinderella's Royal Table)/EPCOT Illuminations
Tuesday: MGM
Wednesday: MGM/Fantasmic
Thursday: AK
Friday: chill, possibly Downtown Disney.

Again, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

*for Epcot, don't let her miss the newest version of the Figment ride! i'll bet she'll like it!
*you might wanna take her to Living Seas if she likes looking at animals and/or sea creatures.

*for MK...MAYBE Tom Sawyer's Island...not sure. really just a big play area...but you'd have to stay with her at all times, of course.
*maybe Adventures of Pooh...there's only one part in that they may scare her, though.
*FOR SURE take her to Mickey's Toontown Fair...i'm 17 and i STILL love that area! i think she'd probably love going into Mickey's house, Minnie's house, and Donald's boat. i know i loved Mickey's house when i was about her age!
*of course Dumbo (Fantasyland) and Aladdin's Carpets (Adventureland)
*Hall of Presidents is a MUST SEE for her!! education + fun = Hall of Presidents!!! (just joking!! :animwink: )
*Mad Hatter's Teacups might be enjoyable for her if she has a strong stomach.

*Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playset is definately fun!
*also, i think they have a Bear in the Big Blue House show type thing at MGM...if she likes the show you might want to look into that.
*and of course there's the Who Wants to be a Millionaire Play It! that she might like if she watches the show...plus there's always full audience participation there, so it wouldn't be ALL boring for her, i wouldn't think.

**and for sure don't miss the parades at all 4 parks!!

that's all i can think of for now...and of course what everyone else has already mentioned. hope all this helps! have a GREAT time!!!

btw, as someone else said, you'll find MAJOR changes within the past 11 years...trust me! i've only been going within a 10 year span, and it has changed tremendously within just the 10 years i've been going!!