WDW with a 7 year old girl

[Craig & Lisa]

Everyone here has given you great suggestions, but the one you need to hear and take to heart is this, no matter what you do during the day in the parks, always, ALWAYS take a nap during the day. If you do not you will be chewing the woodwork because it takes alot out of you when you go thru them parks. Besides, you get your second wind and are not dragging your knuckles and your child around, all the time possibly yelling at her.

 

[Jessie&Buzz]

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?!

Is there a reason you are renting a car and not using Magical Express? That would be the easiest thing for you to do. All you would have was her "rider" (which you can use at the airport and know where she's at when she's in it. You can check it in at the gate.) and your carry on luggage.

 

[santa's surpriz]

Is there a reason you are renting a car and not using Magical Express? That would be the easiest thing for you to do. All you would have was her "rider" (which you can use at the airport and know where she's at when she's in it. You can check it in at the gate.) and your carry on luggage.

I saved about three hundred dollars on airfare by flying into Tampa. To my knowledge there is not magical service service from TPA to WDW. Am I wrong ? I have a friend that lives in Tampa and that was part of the decision to fly intp TPA. However she will have a newborn plus a 3 year old to tend to at the time of our trip and I would not dare ask for help.

 

[Jessie&Buzz]

I saved about three hundred dollars on airfare by flying into Tampa. To my knowledge there is not magical service service from TPA to WDW. Am I wrong ? I have a friend that lives in Tampa and that was part of the decision to fly intp TPA. However she will have a newborn plus a 3 year old to tend to at the time of our trip and I would not dare ask for help.

I get it. I didn't know you weren't flying into Orlando. No there isn't DME from Tampa. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time no matter what you do. Your dd will love it! Make sure to take lots of pics and don't be afraid to as CM's to take some of the 2 of you. Most are very willing.

I would take her stroller even if it just sits in the room. It's better to have it than get there and have to buy one.

 

[DisneyGigi]

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 agree... my DD at 8 was not into the princesses at all, but she loved the other characters. She really enjoyed the big rides which was kind of a shock to me but she is a little daredevil.:ROFLOL:

 

[Jessie&Buzz]

I agree... my DD at 8 was not into the princesses at all, but she loved the other characters. She really enjoyed the big rides which was kind of a shcok to me but she is a little daredevil.:ROFLOL:

My 8 (almost 9) year old loved both the princesses and the big thrill rides. I have a feeling that was the last time she will be that into the princesses though. She will always love her Pooh Bear and Eeyore though!

 

[santa's surpriz]

I get it. I didn't know you weren't flying into Orlando. No there isn't DME from Tampa. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time no matter what you do. Your dd will love it! Make sure to take lots of pics and don't be afraid to as CM's to take some of the 2 of you. Most are very willing.

I would take her stroller even if it just sits in the room. It's better to have it than get there and have to buy one.

Thanks for the advice..got off the original thread, but I think we may have revealed a few additional tips in the process.

 

[Montyboy]

I want to chime in on how good OneLuckyMom's posts are.
My daughter and I went for the first time when she was five. Of course she didn't know if we missed anything. Just frame your trips to the parks around a few attractions like Soarin' and Test Track, and then wander.
When we went again, she asked to go on the rides that made an impression, and we hit some that we missed the first time.

 

[Phonedave]

The answer is going to be different for every child.

I have two daughters who are currently 6 and 8, and they have been going to WDW since they were 2 and 4. The youngest is a Princess junkie and Thrill seeker. I think her dream day would be to ride Tower of Terror with Cinderella - seriously ToT is her favorite ride. My oldest has no use for princesses or ToT. She likes animals and could spend the entire day on CoP.

So what do we do? We talk about what we want to do each day and make sure each of us has some fun. I look for the "hidden" things (like Storytime with Belle) that I think they may like, and make those suggetions as well.

We have a rough idea of what we are going to do each day, but nothing concrete. While we do not go commando style from rope drop to closing, we do spend the entire day in the parks. We pause if we have to, or maybe start later in the day (around 9:30 AM or so) but we rarely go back to the room to rest. My kids do love pools and swimming so sometimes going back early is in our plans, but for swimming reasons.

All kids are different, some tire faster, some get bored doing things that they don't want to. Some like certain attractions, others dont. The best advice I can tell you is that you friend should talk to her kid during the trip to find out what she would like to do.

-dave

 

[Phonedave]

I have to say, it really depends on the kid.

My daughters are currently 6 and 8 and they have been doing open to close "commando" runs for the last 3 years. My 8 year old gets back to the resort after park close and wants to swim. My 6 year was in tears two years ago because she was too short to get on Everest. She got on every other ride (M:S, TT, BTMRR, SM, ToT, etc) but she was *just* the right height, and the CM at Everest was being extra carefull as it had just opened. Her favorite ride in all the parks is Tower of Terror. Now will every kid be like mine are, of course not. Some don't like thrill rides, some do. Some have the stamina to stay out all day, others don't. My advice is to not give an interary, but instead a list of tame, moderate, and "wild" attractions, and showtimes as well. Then let her pick the "must sees' and based on her kids "style" decide what rides to go on and how long to stay in the parks.

-dave

 

[Phonedave]

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!

I have a rolling duffle as well. If you need to pack another bag, get a non-rolling duffle (one with no supports in it) and make sure it is larger than you need. Then bend it into a U-shape and use a strap to put in on top of your rolling duffle up against the handle part. Works like a charm.

Single father of 6 and 8 year old girls - been there done that

-dave

 

[MouseWorshipper]

The two most important rules for families with kids 7-and-under:

1) TAKE THE RESORT BREAK IN THE HOT PART OF THE DAY!

2) Really watch as many kid-Disney movies as you can with your child before going. They won't understand or appreciate character meet n' greets or movie-based attractions without this background knowledge. It will immensely increase your vacation enjoyment.