Hi Ho, Hi Ho, First time to WDW we go....

[dontknow]

Greetings all.

Not sure where to post this and am not totally sure of my questions yet. I've learned a lot by reading various posts on this Forum!

Though we are making our first trip to WDW we are not total strangers to traveling including but not limited to theme parks, heat, long lines, crowds, advanced planning and going someplace with patience. That being said, we've never ventured this far with our soon to be 6 year old who is jumping out of her shoes with excitement knowing she's going.

Anyways, due to work limitations, we'll be in WDW for 10 nights/11 days in early July. We are aware of the fact that this is one of the hottest and busiest times to be there. Again, our limitations with work dictate this.

Everything is signed, sealed and delivered to this point including dining, Fastpass reservations and a stop at BBB. We'll be staying at the Wilderness Lodge. Doing so since 99% of our daughter's interest reside there. However we are planning to spend a day each in Epcot, Animal Kingdom & Hollywood.

I guess my general question would be does anyone have a similar experience traveling with a 6 year old (or close)?

From prior experience, we also know the full benefits of getting there on the early side, leaving for the resort then returning later.

If there's anything else you could chime in with, that would be great!

Thank you.

 

[mickeysshoes]

You hit the nail on the head when you said get out early, take a break in the afternoon then head back out in the evening. We have been doing this for over 15 year of trips to WDW and our girls still at the age of 22 and 20 like taking a break during the day. In July you will want to drink lots of WATER. Stay way from the other drinks when possible. Any quick service will give you a cup of water for free. We also like to have a nice sit down lunch which gets you out the heat and time to relax and cool down. I would say just pace yourselves and have FUN!!!!

 

[tor29c]

6 is such a magical age! You'll have a marvelous time! You seem much better prepared than many!

 

[lunchbox1175]

First off, welcome to WDWMagic, I have to DD's, they are now 12 and 14, but 6 was a great age to take them both. They have always been individually, never together, and I found with both that the mid afternoon pool time and nap was very important. I also found that you have to make sure they eat, they didn't want to stop to eat and wouldn't tell me when they were hungry either because they were having too much fun. I am guessing that your DD will want to meet Anna & Elsa, so you will probably want to try to get a Fastpass for them the second that your dates become available.....and i mean actually wake up at 4am to try to book it, because they will go insanely fast. As for the rest of the princesses, the Aukersaus Breakfast is a great way to meet a few of them and its also a great breakfast, a little pricey, but worth it on a first visit. My last suggestion would be to make sure you get all souvenirs on your way out of the park at the end of the night, or have them sent back to the resort, that way you don't have to carry them around all day.

 

[mickeysshoes]

. My last suggestion would be to make sure you get all souvenirs on your way out of the park at the end of the night, or have them sent back to the resort, that way you don't have to carry them around all day.

This is a great suggestion. Do all your shopping prior to second to last day so you can have the packages sent back to your resort. Saves from have to carry them all day. All stores will do this and its free. Only have to fill a short form with your name, address and resort info. Never had issue and then the next day drop by the resort gift shop with your receipt and pick up your packages.

 

[dontknow]

Thanks all for the quick responses....

You hit the nail on the head when you said get out early, take a break in the afternoon then head back out in the evening. We have been doing this for over 15 year of trips to WDW and our girls still at the age of 22 and 20 like taking a break during the day. In July you will want to drink lots of WATER. Stay way from the other drinks when possible. Any quick service will give you a cup of water for free. We also like to have a nice sit down lunch which gets you out the heat and time to relax and cool down. I would say just pace yourselves and have FUN!!!!

Though it's going to do all of us some good, I'll need to mid-day reprieve more than they will.

Good to know about the free cup of water! We're "given" the Disney Drinking Cup as part of our package. I'll assume we'll be using those to capacity. Though I read someplace that you can only use those at your "home" resort, which for us is MK. Is this true?

6 is such a magical age! You'll have a marvelous time! You seem much better prepared than many!

I hope so. Some people think we're wasting time / money bringing her at this age. They say she won't remember it. I think she will to some degree. The movie and picture footage we capture will help to make the memories last.

First off, welcome to WDWMagic...........I am guessing that your DD will want to meet Anna & Elsa, so you will probably want to try to get a Fastpass for them the second that your dates become available.....and i mean actually wake up at 4am to try to book it, because they will go insanely fast. As for the rest of the princesses, the Aukersaus Breakfast is a great way to meet a few of them and its also a great breakfast, a little pricey, but worth it on a first visit. My last suggestion would be to make sure you get all souvenirs on your way out of the park at the end of the night, or have them sent back to the resort, that way you don't have to carry them around all day.

This is a great suggestion. Do all your shopping prior to second to last day so you can have the packages sent back to your resort. Saves from have to carry them all day. All stores will do this and its free. Only have to fill a short form with your name, address and resort info. Never had issue and then the next day drop by the resort gift shop with your receipt and pick up your packages.

Anna and Elsa is already booked with the Fastpass. One of the first ones I did. We actually have a few Character Dining meals books (including Aukersaus), so I'm glad to get the re-affirmative.

For the souvenirs sent back to the resort, is the only option to be sent to the resort's Gift Shop or are there other alternatives?

 

[KCheatle]

6 is a great age!! They are big enough to walk a lot on their own, they can understand the lines and being patient (well, better than a 3 yo anyway...) They will enjoy swimming at the pool!! All around, it sounds like you've got it made for this trip! Enjoy!

I'm also going in July, so patience is #1 on my agenda, too!

 

[tlev]

My daughter has visited every year since she was 2. She is will be 8 this month. She LOVES Disney World. Don't let people influence your decision to take her at age 6. She will absolutely remember it! I remember the first time I went in 1982 and I was 6!

As others have said, arrive early, drink lots of water and remember your sunscreen. Leave the parks in the heat of the day and return after it has somewhat cooled down. Be flexible with your schedule as you may want to alter your plans after you experience each park. One would think my six year daughter would prefer Magic Kingdom, but Animal Kingdom and Epcot are actually her favorite parks so we always devote more than a day to each of those parks.

Regarding the mugs, you can only use them at your home resort which is Wilderness Lodge. You are welcome to take them with you to the parks and fill them with water, but you will only be able to fill them with soft drinks and such at the resort (hotel) where you are staying.

Have a magical trip!

 

[lunchbox1175]

For the souvenirs sent back to the resort, is the only option to be sent to the resort's Gift Shop or are there other alternatives?[/QUOTE]

You can have them shipped to your home, but it will cost. If you do that, I would suggest purchasing all of your souvenirs at the same location and time, and then shipping them together, that way you only have one shipping fee. World of Disney at DTD would probably be your best option for getting everything you want.

 

[hanwill]

You might need to spend 2 days in Epcot and the Magic Kingdom... Have fun! Make your fast pass reservations... you will need them. Drink more than you think you need.

 

[DisneyFreak23]

We have 5 kids of all ages and are about to go back for our 4th trip. We stayed at the WLV last time and loved it!
10 days is plenty of time to enjoy everything WDW has to offer. Your 6yo will love it and, no, she's not too young!
Definitely hit the water parks, especially BB. Take the boat ride to MK and maybe the Contemporary to hit the monorail system. Breakfast at Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace is great for her age. Epcott is a lot of walking and you probably only need to hit that once as the rides and activities are more geared for older kids. NEMO and Turtle Talk with Crush is good. HS and AK you may hit once or twice but MK is where your little princess will live so consider some partial days with Park Hopper Plus in case you start your day at one park and maybe conclude at MK for fireworks or some rides. Have fun! Use Fast Passes wisely and stay cool!

 

[JillC LI]

Our kids were 5 and 7 on their first trip, and it was truly magical because they BELIEVED everything. We waited until that time so that they would remember it (which they do) and so that we wouldn't have to deal with strollers. A little planning goes a long way at WDW. Touring plans can be very helpful in ensuring that you get to do as many of the highlights as you want - just be willing to go with the flow once you get there. And early arrival at the parks, as you stated, is key to getting a lot done before crowds and before the heat of the day. You're going to have a marvelous time!

 

[Tuvalu]

Regarding the mugs, you can only use them at your home resort which is Wilderness Lodge. You are welcome to take them with you to the parks and fill them with water, but you will only be able to fill them with soft drinks and such at the resort (hotel) where you are staying.

Under the new RapidFill program, you can use your mugs at ANY resort hotel, (not just where you are staying.) Just not in the parks.

 

[Tom 55]

Greetings all.

Not sure where to post this and am not totally sure of my questions yet. I've learned a lot by reading various posts on this Forum!

Though we are making our first trip to WDW we are not total strangers to traveling including but not limited to theme parks, heat, long lines, crowds, advanced planning and going someplace with patience. That being said, we've never ventured this far with our soon to be 6 year old who is jumping out of her shoes with excitement knowing she's going.

Anyways, due to work limitations, we'll be in WDW for 10 nights/11 days in early July. We are aware of the fact that this is one of the hottest and busiest times to be there. Again, our limitations with work dictate this.

Everything is signed, sealed and delivered to this point including dining, Fastpass reservations and a stop at BBB. We'll be staying at the Wilderness Lodge. Doing so since 99% of our daughter's interest reside there. However we are planning to spend a day each in Epcot, Animal Kingdom & Hollywood.

I guess my general question would be does anyone have a similar experience traveling with a 6 year old (or close)?

From prior experience, we also know the full benefits of getting there on the early side, leaving for the resort then returning later.

If there's anything else you could chime in with, that would be great!

Thank you.

I have traveled a few times with my grand kids when they were that age. Here are some of the things I learned. At the parks rent a stroller. It helps the kids save energy for the activities and is a place to store things while on rides. Even if you leave the parks you can get another stroller when you get back with no charge. Just save your receipt. On one of our trips another guest gave us a glow stick at one of the night time events. It made his day. So after that we would bring light stick so he could hand out to other kids. If you have not been in a while you have to go to "Story Time with Bell". They loved that. Be aware of BBB and getting wet on the rides.

 

[dontknow]

Thanks all for the input and clarifications on my questions.

We are actually bringing a light stroller that we can use for toting stuff or our daughter should she need a break. Fortunately she's still under the weight limit and can go in it. We figure if it breaks while we are there - hopefully more towards the end of the trip if it does - we've saved some money on rentals and can simply toss it out.

Character Dining is booked as well for various meals. Additionally, the Hollywood Vine/Fantasmic dinner package at HS is booked. For sure, a main attraction for her is getting to connect with as many characters (especially princesses) as possible. So, reservations for Chef Mickey's, Cinderella's Royal Table, Akershus and a couple others are reserved.

To avoid some headaches a few meet/greets are booked with FP - Ariels Grotto, Anna/Elsa, and I think one other. 1 FP has also been used for Epcot's Talk with Crush.

Getting a package of those glow sticks sounds like a good idea. I'm sure getting them before we leave will be less expensive than what they'll charge for them in the parks.

Thanks again.

 

[DisneyFreak23]

Looks great! Hope you have a wonderful (magical, excuse me) time!

 

[dontknow]

Thank you. We are very excited.