tips for taking an almost 5 YO?

[dznynut]

Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom on taking a 5 year old to WDW? My DH, DS (12) and myself have made many WDW trips. We are planning on taking my then almost 5YO niece with us next June. It seems like it was sooo long ago that my son was 5 and in WDW, although I do remember being thankful that we rented a stroller!

 

[adrien32]

She's been to Disney World multiple times and loves it. We always rent a stroller. We also try to take a break in the afternoon for a little nap at the hotel. She loves all 4 parks, but likes MK the best, of course.

One mistake we made once is to let her go on Splash Mountain even though she was tall enough. She just wasn't ready for that ride even through she met the height requirement.

You will have a blast!

 

[ToTLaugher]

Our almost 5 yo DD insists that she will ride Splash Mnt (and ToT). She's seen the video, and thinks they look fun (she also likes jumping off of everything). Still, she may not feel the same when she actually sees them. Was it just the big drop on Splash, or something else that was too much?

 

[aprincessmom]

Get the stroller...it's worth it! Especially on those later nights as you leave the parks and head to busses. You do NOT want to carry a 5 year old whose legs are giving out at that point.

My DD had just turned 5 when we went earlier this year. Here's some of the things we found.

-- Let them decide what rides they want to go on. Make sure you describe IN DETAIL what will happen and let them know there is always a way out before the ride starts and there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes kids don't want to seem babyish at this age and will do something only to be upset by it. Case in point -- she loves a great thrill ride so went on all including TOT (which she LOVED -- including the ghost stuff). Decided she wanted to try the Haunted Mansion and HATED it because of the ghost stuff. It was a little too intense.

-- Allow for just being 5. She had just as much fun on the resort playground and in the pool as she did in the parks. She also was happy doing things that she normally didn't do at home like ride in the stroller.

-- Schedule downtime into your day. You can gauge whether your niece will need a park break. If she doesn't, make sure there are parts of your day where you "rest" -- go early to the parade to scope out a seat and people watch. It's relaxing and refreshing. Schedule a character meal post-lunch rush or pre-dinner rush to enjoy increased interaction with the characters and a relaxed meal.

-- My DD absolutely LOVED the Little Mermaid show at Disney Studios. Crafts at EPCOT were also intriguing to her. ANd have her send her family an email from EPCOT with her picture in it. My DD had a blast sending these to her school and her grandparents.

-- See if there is room in the Alice in Wonderland Tea Party at the Grand Floridian. It's great fun and kids only.

-- Get glow necklaces and bracelets for dark rides. My DD isn't afraid of the dark at home but in a new place it's a little daunting. She wore those glow bracelets in the park and it gave off enough light on dark rides so that she could see I was still there but didn't bother the other riders.

 

[Sandi]

With respect to Splash Mountain, when my DD was 5 she didn't go on the ride because of the big splash at the end. Last time, at 6, she gave it a shot. The splash at the end was nothing, it was the darn story of Brer Rabbit that made her sad and scared. I had always enjoyed the story, but looking at it from her point of view made me re-evaluate it.

 

[dznynut]

Thanks for all the tips! I'm going to talk to my sister next week about taking my niece with us in June. Another sister of mine (my niece's godmother) just told me this week she wants to help with the financial part of the trip (we were planning on picking up the whole tab). I don't know when we should tell my niece.

 

[bobcat]

You can also buy small squeeze lights for the dark rides. My DS has his own fanny pack and we just attach one to the zipper pull. He doesn't use it often but it makes him feel better to have it and know he can make things lighter if rides are too dark.

Even at that age give your niece a disposable camera. She will see things that interest her and it is a great reminder of the trip.

Take time for the little things that grab her attention. My DS loved Donalds boat and he was able to run off some energy here. The fountains in Epcot are the same.