WDW with a 7 year old girl

[sbkline]

I have a coworker who hopes to take her 7 year old daughter to WDW next year. I don't know if the girl's father will be along or not, so it will either be just the mother and the daughter or all three of them.

Regardless, I am trying to help her plan, give her info, pointers, etc. But when it comes to planning a daily itinerary, I figure I'd better recuse myself. For one, I have no experience taking children down there. And number two, I'm still trying to re-train myself when it comes to touring the parks. I'm used to being a theme park commando who arrives at the park at open and drags my wife around until 10 PM. I'm trying to break that habit and get myself used to taking it at a slower pace, or at least spend partial days at the parks and/or take afternoon breaks at the resort.

So if I help her make her itinerary, I'm likely to make a "theme park commando" itinerary, or just plan it from an adult point of view, since I'm not used to planning an itinerary based on children being along.

So I thought I'd see if you fine people can give some pointers on a 7 day itinerary for a mother and a 7 year old girl who loves princesses. Then maybe I can pass it on to her and let her do with it what she will. Thanks. :wave:

 

[Jessie&Buzz]

There are several Princess character meals they could try. One being at the castle, another in Norway in Epcot, and 1 at the Grand Floridian at 1900 Park Fair (not breakfast). My daughter also had her hair done at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in DTD. They are adding an additional salon in the Castle in Sept. You can check out the menus and info on the boutique at AllEars.

 

[sbkline]

Just a minor correction which may not make any difference, but I just remembered that she is 7 years old right now and will be 8 at the time of the proposed trip.

 

[Jessie&Buzz]

That's how old my daughter was when we went in Dec. She still loved the princess meals and the boutique.

 

[tigsmom]

I'm not much of a solid itinerary person, we kind of just go with the flow. Our major decision is what park to visit each day and where to eat our big meal of the day (and they do not necessarily have to match up).

The Princess meals are fun for a girl that age, as would just about any character meal.

When our kids were younger we always used the Birnbaum's Disney World for Kids, By Kids book. Maybe you can suggest that (or make it a gift to her) and they can go thru and pick out things they would like to see/do and then you can help refine it. That may be easier than you picking out things for a child to do since you have admitted no expertise in that matter.

 

[PotteryGal]

I have a coworker who hopes to take her 7 year old daughter to WDW next year. I don't know if the girl's father will be along or not, so it will either be just the mother and the daughter or all three of them.

Regardless, I am trying to help her plan, give her info, pointers, etc. But when it comes to planning a daily itinerary, I figure I'd better recuse myself. For one, I have no experience taking children down there. And number two, I'm still trying to re-train myself when it comes to touring the parks. I'm used to being a theme park commando who arrives at the park at open and drags my wife around until 10 PM. I'm trying to break that habit and get myself used to taking it at a slower pace, or at least spend partial days at the parks and/or take afternoon breaks at the resort.

So if I help her make her itinerary, I'm likely to make a "theme park commando" itinerary, or just plan it from an adult point of view, since I'm not used to planning an itinerary based on children being along.

So I thought I'd see if you fine people can give some pointers on a 7 day itinerary for a mother and a 7 year old girl who loves princesses. Then maybe I can pass it on to her and let her do with it what she will. Thanks. :wave:

Is this their first trip EVER to WDW? Definitely look into a princess meal - depending on whether the little girl has a favorite princess or likes them all. I can vouch personally for the dinner at 1900 Park Fare. They would meet Cinderella, Prince Charming, the Fairy Godmother, and Suzy and Perla. The food is very good there.
As far as itinerary, the main thing I would suggest would be a mid-day break with a swim at the pool or just resting in the room. The castle show has princesses, so that would be an excellent thing to see, as well as parades at the MK. The Unofficial guide has several different types of itineraries that could be used as a guide also. It was tremendously helpful for us. I also recommend going over to allearsnet. They have the menus, as well as helpful tips for going with kiddos.
Seeing the excitement of your kids as they see the castle makes it even better for the parents. I hope they have a great time.

 

[tigsmom]

Just a minor correction which may not make any difference, but I just remembered that she is 7 years old right now and will be 8 at the time of the proposed trip.

That will not make much of a difference, at that age the interests are the same.

 

[wdwmomof3]

For anyone going to Disney I would suggest that they read the Un-Official Guide. I think that it would help her by giving her a great amount of information and tips on touring the parks with children.

I have found out from our last trip & using the dinning plan, even looking over the new changes with out tips & what not, this was a fun thing to do. My children really enjoyed visiting the different places to eat. I would think that this would save her money too, not like it used to, but that's another story. Some of my childrens favorites are: Chef Mickey's, 1900 Park Fare, Whispering Canyon Cafe, The Coral Reef, 50's Prime Time Cafe and Sci -Fi. They are all fun places to eat.

With a seven day trip she will have time to see most everything that she want's to. That's a good amount of days to visit. They will have a great time so don't worry about that. You are very sweet to want to help her.

 

[Lucky]

You might suggest they look at the WDW web site list of attractions. There are some that an 8 year old girl would like that rarely get mentioned on this site, e.g. Storytime with Belle at MK and Pocahantas & Forest Friends show at AK. Also of course Voyage of Little Mermaid and Beauty & the Beast at Disney Studios. (By the way I have an 8 year old daughter myself, who has been going to WDW each year since she was 4.)

 

[sbkline]

You are very sweet to want to help her.

Well, you probably know how it is...in those long months (or years as the case may be) of waiting for one's own next trip, it gives a bit of a "fix" to be able to sit there at work and pass the long boring day talking about WDW. :lol:

Even if next year rolls around and they end up not going, at least it will still be a blast for me to help her plan the trip. LOL

And thanks for all the suggestions so far. This will be their first ever trip down there and my coworker has said that they might only be interested in the Magic Kingdom, although I naturally have suggested that they need to at least spend a few hours in the other parks just to see them and say they did it. But as long as they have a good time in whatever they choose to do, that's all that matters, I guess.

I have suggested that she buy the 2008 Birnbaum's book when it comes out. I brought my 2006 edition in and was letting her look at it, although I did fail to mention that there are editions available specifically for travelling with children.

 

[santa's surpriz]

I am taking my daughter to WDW for the first time in Dec, I have been there several times and was a bit nervous about my first trip with my daughter. It will be just the two of us. She will be five. I think it is important to remember not overwhelm the child too much. Park Commando may not be the best of ideas for all days. However, one or two should not hurt much for an 8 yr old. I recommend, visiting the various websites and compiling a list of tips for your co-worker. I have a pretty extensive one I could share.

 

[wcj1968]

My oldest was 8 on our last trip and I would have to say ditto to all of the above suggestions, but add that, by the 2nd day we were also hitting the bigger rides. We had to hit Test Track, Rock'n Rollercoaster, Space Mountain, Splash mountain, Mission Space, Tower of Terror, Etc.. Most of them multiple times and always at her insistance. Obviously it depends on the child but for us 8 was that boundry age that she enjoyed everything we did in all of the parks. From those mentioned above down to meeting the Princesses at Breakfast as well as the milder rides i.e. Pooh, Dumbo, Toontown, Etc.

 

[shoppingnut]

There is also a princess tea at the Grand Floridian http://www.allearsnet.com/din/girlstea.htm and the Wonderland Tea Party http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/grandadven.htm.

 

[OneLuckyMom]

I have been doing Disney with my now 7-year-old daughter since she was 4. (Single mom, usually just the two of us)

My advice is to make a plan for what parks you'd like to hit each day, but absolutely DO NOT make a "commando" plan for touring. Pick two or three "must do" rides/shows/etc for the day, then just use the rest of the time to do whatever catches your attention. This way you will be happy at the end of the day with what you accomplished and the fun you had, and not upset that you didn't get around to x or y or z. And it allows you to move at a more relaxed, child friendly pace which keeps the child from getting as tired and cranky. Let's just say a better time will be had by all this way

Also, on a first trip, they need to realize they will not be able to do everything and shouldn't even try. Tell them to pick the parks most important to them. Plan AT LEAST 2 full days for AK and EPCOT, 3 for MK. While this amount of time may be overkill for some adults, it allows kids time to stop for autographs, do the KidCOT stations, etc. (We are just doing MGM for the first time this year, and I think one day will be enough for that but it's just gut instinct on my part at this point) If you don't have enough time on the trip, drop some parks. Last year on our first WDW trip (others have been to DL), in 8 days we hit just MK, AK and EPCOT. And we didn't have enough time in AK - at 1/2 day, I shorted that one waaaaay too much (my daughter is an huge animal lover). And in 2 days, I took EPCOT at way too fast a pace, and we missed a lot of stuff I know she would have loved.....

As far as character meals, the BBB, etc goes, just ask the child! At 7 or 8, she will have definite opinions on what she will and won't like to do. Some kids are still totally into the princess concept, others (like my daughter) are still into it but are starting to be a bit embarrassed to admit it, others just aren't into it at all.

 

[ThinkTink721]

Some suggestions for a trip to WDW w/ an 8 yr. old girl:
-Princess Tea Party at the Grand Floridian
-Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Downtown Disney or Cinderella Castle (opening in Sept.)
-1900 Park Fare character meal at the Grand Floridian (b'fast, lunch or dinner)
-Princess Storybook character meal in Norway in the World Showcase at Epcot (b'fast, lunch or dinner)
-The Crystal Palace character meal at the Magic Kingdom (b'fast, lunch or dinner)
-Liberty Tree Tavern character meal at the Magic Kingdom (dinner)
-Chef Mickey's character meal at the Contemporary Resort (b'fast, lunch or dinner)
-'Ohana's Best Friends character meal at the Polynesian Resort (b'fast)
-Cape May Cafe' character meal at the Beach Club Resort (b'fast)
-Breakfastosaurus character meal at the Animal Kingdom (b'fast) - changing to the Tusker House in the fall
-Cinderella's Royal Table character meal in the castle at the Magic Kingdom (b'fast, lunch or dinner)
-The Garden Grill character meal at Epcot (dinner)
-Wonderland Tea Party at the Grand Floridian
-Mickey's Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness
-miniature golf at Fantasia Gardens (across from MGM) & near Blizzard Beach
-Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach water park
-shopping at Downtown Disney
-Hoop Dee Doo Revue dinner show at Fort Wilderness
-Electrical Water Pageant

Attractions:
MK
-Splash Mt.
-Big Thunder Mt. Railroad
-Country Bear Jamboree
-Tom Sawyer Island
-Pirates of the Caribbean
-Jungle Cruise
-Magic Carpets of Aladdin
-Swiss Family Treehouse
-Enchanted Tiki Room
-The Haunted Mansion
-It's A Small World
-Peter Pan's Flight
-Mickey's Philharmagic
-Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
-Snow White's Scary Adventures
-Cinderella's Carousel
-Dumbo
-Ariel's Grotto (character greeting)
-Mad Tea Party
-Toontown (character greetings; Barnstormer; Mickey's & Minnie's houses)
-Tomorrowland Speedway
-Space Mt. (?)
-Carousel of Progress
-Transit Authority
-Stitch's Great Escape
-Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
-Monsters, Inc.
-Astro Orbiter
-Wishes
-Spectromagic
-3:00 Parade
Epcot
-Nemo & Friends
-Turtle Talk w/ Crush
-The Living Seas Exhibits
-Soarin'
-Living w/ the Land
-Innoventions
-Character Spot (character greetings)
-Mission: Space (?)
-Test Track (?)
-Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
-Journey Into Imagination w/ Figment
-Universe of Energy
-Spaceship Earth
-World Showcase
-Illuminations
MGM
-Tower of Terror (?)
-Rock N' Roller Coaster (?)
-Voyage of the Little Mermaid
-The Great Movie Ride
-Indiana Jones Stunt Show
-Beauty & the Beast Live
-Backlot Tour
-Extreme Stunt Show
-Muppet Vision 3D
-Star Tours
-Stars & Motor Cars Parade
-Fantasmic
-Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre
AK
-Dinosaur
-Primeval Whirl
-Triceratop Spin
-Finding Nemo the Musical
-Festival of the Lion King
-Character Greetings
-It's Tough To Be A Bug
-Expedition Everest (?)
-Kali River Rapids
-Maharaja Jungle Trek
-Kilamanjaro Safaris
-Pangani Trail
-Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade

Hope this helps!
:wave:

 

[santa's surpriz]

I have been doing Disney with my now 7-year-old daughter since she was 4. (Single mom, usually just the two of us)

My advice is to make a plan for what parks you'd like to hit each day, but absolutely DO NOT make a "commando" plan for touring. Pick two or three "must do" rides/shows/etc for the day, then just use the rest of the time to do whatever catches your attention. This way you will be happy at the end of the day with what you accomplished and the fun you had, and not upset that you didn't get around to x or y or z. And it allows you to move at a more relaxed, child friendly pace which keeps the child from getting as tired and cranky. Let's just say a better time will be had by all this way

Also, on a first trip, they need to realize they will not be able to do everything and shouldn't even try. Tell them to pick the parks most important to them. Plan AT LEAST 2 full days for AK and EPCOT, 3 for MK. While this amount of time may be overkill for some adults, it allows kids time to stop for autographs, do the KidCOT stations, etc. (We are just doing MGM for the first time this year, and I think one day will be enough for that but it's just gut instinct on my part at this point) If you don't have enough time on the trip, drop some parks. Last year on our first WDW trip (others have been to DL), in 8 days we hit just MK, AK and EPCOT. And we didn't have enough time in AK - at 1/2 day, I shorted that one waaaaay too much (my daughter is an huge animal lover). And in 2 days, I took EPCOT at way too fast a pace, and we missed a lot of stuff I know she would have loved.....

As far as character meals, the BBB, etc goes, just ask the child! At 7 or 8, she will have definite opinions on what she will and won't like to do. Some kids are still totally into the princess concept, others (like my daughter) are still into it but are starting to be a bit embarrassed to admit it, others just aren't into it at all.

I am wondering if you have any advice..I am single mom and taking my DD (5 yrs) to WDW for Xmas. It will be just the two of us. I have to admit, there I days I wonder how I will survive. I have been there several times, but this will be Cassidy's first trip. I have tried to plan a magical trip w/o overwhelming her too much. My plans are made, but curious if you had second thoughts about specific events or "i wish I would haves" when taking your daughter to WDW?

 

[OneLuckyMom]

I am wondering if you have any advice..I am single mom and taking my DD (5 yrs) to WDW for Xmas. It will be just the two of us. I have to admit, there I days I wonder how I will survive. I have been there several times, but this will be Cassidy's first trip. I have tried to plan a magical trip w/o overwhelming her too much. My plans are made, but curious if you had second thoughts about specific events or "i wish I would haves" when taking your daughter to WDW?

I took my daughter on her first trip to Disneyland around Christmas when she was 4. We spent 4 days just walking around the MK, looking at the decorations, listening to carolers and standing in line to see Princesses. I refer to that first trip as the "Princess Pilgramage". :ROFLOL: In our whole 4 days we only went on 1 ride and saw 2 shows. We hardly left Fantasyland.

My memories of that first trip are wonderful, as are hers (what little she remembers now). Thankfully, I was totally naive and didn't plan a darn thing! We just showed up at DL and let the magic lead us. I will never, ever forget the look on her face as we walked down Main Street the first time towards the castle.

My suggestions for that first trip with a young child is:
- Just go very, very slow, and let their interests lead you. You'd be surprised at the amount of magic you'll turn up! Study enough to know the attractions that you think would be a particularly big hit with your child, but don't make a huge list. And just realize you'll get to only about 25% of what you plan...
- Spend a lot of time at MK. If you exhaust MK then go ahead and venture out to other parks, but I doubt you'd exhaust MK in even a week. Kids that age don't care if you hit all the parks - they don't even know the other parks exist!!
- The parades are a must do. Plan to hit as many as you can - and they don't have to be different. We saw the evening Christmas parade at DL 3 times, and my daughter loved it each and every time! The fireworks are also a must do for our family, but that can depend on how good your child is with fireworks in general. Some kids just get so freaked out by them that it could easily ruin your whole memory of the day....
- Plan to take a break every afternoon for a rest, even if your daughter doesn't nap now. It give you both a chance to recharge your batteries a bit.
- Make reservations for either a sit down dinner or breakfast if you can - it gives you another chance to decompress and slow down a bit. Character meals are also a must at that age. Even though she was shy, at that age my daughter believed with every fiber of her body that those characters were REAL and she came alive the moment she saw one. She couldn't manage the courage to talk to most of them, but she sure could hug
- Start working out well before your trip. :lol: My daughter gave up her stroller by age 3. She walked a lot of the time, but it never failed that in lines and watching the fireworks I ended up carrying her to let us have a close moment, avoid meltdowns, etc.
- Take something to entertain your child while you are standing in lines. Mini bottles of bubbles, small snacks, little toys, etc.
- And my big safety tip: get an id bracelet or something similiar with your name and cell phone number on it, and teach your child to show it to a CM in costume, or another Mom with kids, if you get separated. I know my daughter's shyness would have prevented her from remembering and telling someone that information, but she knew all she had to manage to do was show them her bracelet and everything would be better immedately

 

[santa's surpriz]

I took my daughter on her first trip to Disneyland around Christmas when she was 4. We spent 4 days just walking around the MK, looking at the decorations, listening to carolers and standing in line to see Princesses. I refer to that first trip as the "Princess Pilgramage". :ROFLOL: In our whole 4 days we only went on 1 ride and saw 2 shows. We hardly left Fantasyland.

My memories of that first trip are wonderful, as are hers (what little she remembers now). Thankfully, I was totally naive and didn't plan a darn thing! We just showed up at DL and let the magic lead us. I will never, ever forget the look on her face as we walked down Main Street the first time towards the castle.

My suggestions for that first trip with a young child is:
- Just go very, very slow, and let their interests lead you. You'd be surprised at the amount of magic you'll turn up! Study enough to know the attractions that you think would be a particularly big hit with your child, but don't make a huge list. And just realize you'll get to only about 25% of what you plan...
- Spend a lot of time at MK. If you exhaust MK then go ahead and venture out to other parks, but I doubt you'd exhaust MK in even a week. Kids that age don't care if you hit all the parks - they don't even know the other parks exist!!
- The parades are a must do. Plan to hit as many as you can - and they don't have to be different. We saw the evening Christmas parade at DL 3 times, and my daughter loved it each and every time! The fireworks are also a must do for our family, but that can depend on how good your child is with fireworks in general. Some kids just get so freaked out by them that it could easily ruin your whole memory of the day....
- Plan to take a break every afternoon for a rest, even if your daughter doesn't nap now. It give you both a chance to recharge your batteries a bit.
- Make reservations for either a sit down dinner or breakfast if you can - it gives you another chance to decompress and slow down a bit. Character meals are also a must at that age. Even though she was shy, at that age my daughter believed with every fiber of her body that those characters were REAL and she came alive the moment she saw one. She couldn't manage the courage to talk to most of them, but she sure could hug
- Start working out well before your trip. :lol: My daughter gave up her stroller by age 3. She walked a lot of the time, but it never failed that in lines and watching the fireworks I ended up carrying her to let us have a close moment, avoid meltdowns, etc.
- Take something to entertain your child while you are standing in lines. Mini bottles of bubbles, small snacks, little toys, etc.
- And my big safety tip: get an id bracelet or something similiar with your name and cell phone number on it, and teach your child to show it to a CM in costume, or another Mom with kids, if you get separated. I know my daughter's shyness would have prevented her from remembering and telling someone that information, but she knew all she had to manage to do was show them her bracelet and everything would be better immedately

Thank you. Most of my planning is around meals that coordinate with the park we will be at or close to. We are staying at the POFQ. I think she will really like it there.

Santa is leaving her cards to tell what she will be doing. I have tinkered with creating a scavenger hunt, kinda Dora style, to keep us moving and provide rewards. I have planned a few empty days so we can hang out or go back to a park and child activity center to give me a break.

My biggest fear is how I am going to make from the plane to baggage claim to the car rental booth with her in tow. ;P

It's funny you mention getting into shape..I'm trying!

 

[OneLuckyMom]

My biggest fear is how I am going to make from the plane to baggage claim to the car rental booth with her in tow.

Oh - now that one I have totally figured out!! I have a massive rolling duffle bag, that gets both of our clothes, etc. Then I have a rolling backpack for the plane, that gets medicines, the travel DVD player, snacks, etc. (the key here is that it's a rolling backpack - more on that in a sec) My daughter has her own little rolling Tinkerbell suitcase that gets her toys for the plane.

To get to/from the car, I roll the big suitcase and wear the rolling backpack on my back with the backpack straps. My daughter rolls her bag (has managed this since she was 3 ). That leaves us each with 1 hand free, so I can hold her hand to make sure she doesn't get lost. If I end up with another suitcase somehow, it just gets attached to the rolling duffle via those strap thingys, although it makes the whole process more awkward so I really try to keep to the one suitcase if possible. Once the suitcases are checked in, I can take the backpack off my back and roll it through the airport, which is way more comfortable!

 

[santa's surpriz]

Oh - now that one I have totally figured out!! I have a massive rolling duffle bag, that gets both of our clothes, etc. Then I have a rolling backpack for the plane, that gets medicines, the travel DVD player, snacks, etc. (the key here is that it's a rolling backpack - more on that in a sec) My daughter has her own little rolling Tinkerbell suitcase that gets her toys for the plane.

To get to/from the car, I roll the big suitcase and wear the rolling backpack on my back with the backpack straps. My daughter rolls her bag (has managed this since she was 3 ). That leaves us each with 1 hand free, so I can hold her hand to make sure she doesn't get lost. If I end up with another suitcase somehow, it just gets attached to the rolling duffle via those strap thingys, although it makes the whole process more awkward so I really try to keep to the one suitcase if possible. Once the suitcases are checked in, I can take the backpack off my back and roll it through the airport, which is way more comfortable!

Maybe I will invest in new luggage before we go! I have my carry on, she has a backpack and 2 large rolling suitcases. Then there is her rider. I'd leave it behind but I'd probably regret it. She rides in it when her legs get tired, I had to convince her it was not a stroller, it a special rider for girls. (just an umbrella stroller.) It beats lugging around 40 lbs at your waste with a lil' squirm worm. Santa may need to leave a message to be big helper. I wonder how much it cost to ship my luggage to POFQ and then back home?!