First Time at Walt Disney World with a Six Year Old

Okay, this isn't my first time at Walt Disney World. Nor is it my six year old daughter's first trip to Disney.  It is, however, Danielle's best friends' first trip. The friend and her mom will be spending three days with us on our next visit. It's so exciting to think about taking a child who has never been to Disney with us. While a trip to Disney World is almost always magical, nothing is more magical than the first trip. 

I hope I can help them avoid some of the pitfalls that first timers invariably encounter. For instance, on our first trip I remember standing in the middle of Fantasyland - hot, tired and angry. We'd been in the park, wandering aimlessly for hours and all we'd done was somehow spend more than $20 on ice cream.

I vowed then & there - never again! So I've become a compulsive Disney-o-phile. I know a ridiculous amount about Disney after 4 trips and hundreds of hours reading and researching.

Main Street Electrical Parade at Magic Kingdom

My friend has never wanted to take her daughter to Disney because she has a memory of being lost at Disneyland. Apparently after the closing parade she grabbed a strange man's hand and strolled out of the park with him, thinking it was her father! Happily, the man realized that he didn't have his own daughter's hand and immediately returned her to the Park and her terrified parents.

I don't want her to re-live that scare with her own child. Instead, I want to give her a magical memory to erase that one.

Safety

So, first things first, we're going to make a  safety plan. I always wear a lanyard with my tickets, fast passes, credit card, etc. tucked inside.   This time I've purchased one for each girl - and included an ID to carry at all times.  Each has the girls' name, our names and both of our cell phone numbers in case either gets lost.  I think they will wear them since I wear one everyday. Maybe we'll even give them a dollar or two to keep in it to increase its importance.

If you don't want to purchase a lanyard and pouch, another strategy is to make sure child each has your name and cell number on her somewhere, like written inside her shirt or on a luggage tag. I've seen kids with safety tattoos. I have some from previous trips, but I think the girls are a little old for that. I've even seen people write their cell number on their kids' arms with a Sharpie. (No kidding.)

As an extra precaution, I'm going to take a picture of the girls each morning. If we get separated we can show Disney cast members what they look like and what they are wearing. I'll make it a "good morning," great way to start the day tradition. Hopefully, that will alleviate some of my friend's fears about becoming separated from her daughter.

Strategy

We have never been smart enough to go during the off season. We always seem to end up at Disney World around Spring Break or in early June. Needless to say these are peak times and the parks are crowded. From experience I've learned to estimate an hour or more per event.

That means to walk between rides, wait in lines and ride you need to plan an hour for reach ride. Add an hour for any meal. Add an hour and a half for a parade or a table service meal. So, if you want to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table and watch the 3PM parade in magic Kingdom you will need to subtract 3 hours from your day for these things. If you like to shop you'll need to add an hour for that as well. If you plan to spend 10 hours in the park you'll have time for 5-6 rides during peak season. Clearly, unless you want to stand in the middle of Fantasyland like I did, you need a PLAN.

Most people recommend a character meal, but its not in our budget. In fact, we're not making any advance dining reservations. Instead we're going to do our best to see characters around the parks. It's easier since my daughter is afraid of characters and has spent parts of previous character meals under the table. We're going for the rides and shows so this works well for our group.

Every item on out list will take about an hour. That means we are planning 12 hour days! Our plans were made based on the following profile:

• Love Princesses and Fairies
• Love Science and Nature
• Scared of the Dark
• Dislike Spinning Rides and Big Drops
• Need Free Play Time
• Don't like to Shop

We are not buying the Park Hopper or Water Park add ons - just the basic Magic Your Way tickets.

Time to Make Magic!

Now - how to make a little magic for our friends? I plan to leave the girls Tinkerbell gifts every day. I always pre-buy some souvenirs for my kids. I'll leave each girl a little wrapped gift sprinkled with Pixie Dust at some point during the day. I've gotten Disney coloring books, stickers,  Disney snacks,  Disney socks, jewelry, etc. For my older daughter (who is autistic) I've gotten a new Disney movie, an autograph book and a few other things.  Another idea for older kids would be Disney Dollars &/or a Disney Gift Card.

Day One: EPCOT

 

Both little girls love science so we're going to start with a day at EPCOT.  EPCOT is the perfect place to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy at the Character Stop. In Future World you can also meet Chip & Dale, Donald & Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Duffy the Bear. Other characters you can meet at EPCOT World Showcase include:

• Mulan - China,
• Jasmine, Aladdin, Jafar - Morocco,
• Snow White & Rapunzel- Germany
• Belle & Aurora - France
• Mary Poppins, Alice (in Wonderland), Winnie the Pooh & Friends - Great Britain
• Donald Duck - Mexico

Neither girl likes the dark and both are still nervous about fast rides and roller coasters (nice for the parents!) Our plan is:

1. Character Stop to meet Mickey - Danielle will go to Innoventions
2. Living With the Land boat ride
3. Nemo & Friends ride
4. Seabase Aquarium
5. Lunch at Sunshine Seasons
6. Circle of Life Movie
7. Journey Into Imagination ride
8. Free play in the Fountains
9. Mexico - Gran Fiesta Cruise ride
10. Wander around the countries watch performers, visit Kidcot Stops for stamps
11. Dinner at a counter service restaurant or kiosk
12. Watch Illuminations

 

Germany pavilion

Italy pavilion

 

Day Two: Magic Kingdom

We'll give the girls a magical makeover on the day we go to the Magic Kingdom. I've picked up a few little things to give them the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique experience - at home.

It's A Small World

When we arrive at the Magic Kingdom I'm going to give each girl some Pixie Dust --left by Tinkerbell, of course! I'll just use construction paper dots and a little glitter. I'm going to have them stand at the end of Main Street, face the castle & blow the Pixie Dust towards the castle while making a wish for a magical day.

My friend and her daughter may go to the parade (assuming it doesn't stir up any old memories) but I know that we won't. Parades are a great time to see a lot of characters - even if it is from a distance and through a crowd. If our friends go to a parade we can squeeze in 2 more rides.

Our Extremely Ambitious Plan:

Aladdin Ride

1. Get fast passes to meet the Princesses at Town Square Theater
2. Little Mermaid ride OR Enchanted Tales with Belle interactive show
3. Dumbo ride
4. Casey Jr. Splash Station free play
5. Lunch or Snack: kiosk
6. Prince Charming's Carousel (usually short wait)  
7. Winnie the Pooh ride OR Peter Pan's Flight ride
8. Mickey's Philharmagic show OR Its A Small World ride
9. Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin ride (optional)
10. Dinner: counter service
11. Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride
12. Tinkerbell Nook to meet Fairies
13. Wishes Fireworks

Dumbo - there are now 2 of these

Day Three: Animal Kingdom

NOTE: this park has shorter hours - no nights! No fireworks.

Animal Kingdom - is there even an animal in this shot?

I'm not thrilled about a day here to be honest. We typically avoid Animal Kingdom. We're going to try it again this time because both little girls love animals.  We can get the girls a Safari Journal similar to the EPCOT Passport and let them collect stamps at various activity spots. However, there are no rides that meet our profile (not dark, fast or spinning).

It's also very hot. Lots of people go to the shows to get out of the heat - so that's what we'll do with my older daughter while the young ones play outside. The Boneyard is difficult to maneuver with a wheelchair so one of us gets to hang out in air conditioned comfort with Amanda. I wish Animal Kingdom had a water play area. We've never stayed more than 2-3 hours because of the heat.

There are also no princesses here - unless you count Pocohantas. We may go for a second visit with Mickey & Friends because Amanda & our little friend both love characters. During a performance of Festival of the Lion King lines are shorter and they can spend more time with characters. Who knows what the other of us will do with Danielle during this time - go to the show?

This plan may fail...in which case we'll return to the rental house and spend the afternoon swimming.

Ambitious Plan:

1. Fastpass for Kilimanjaro Safari ride
2. Wildlife Express Train ride to
3. Affection Section petting zoo
4. Explore animal viewing trails (Africa)
5. Lunch: Flametree Barbeque or other counter service
6. Explore animal viewing trails ( Asia)
7. Free Play in Boneyard
8. Meet Characters at Camp Minnie Mickey OR go to Lion King or Finding Nemo show
9. Evening: Counter Service at Polynesian or Contemporary Resort - watch Electric water parade and Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach

Electric Water Parade from Polynesian Beach

 

Inexpensive Lunch & DInner Ideas for EPCOT World Showcase

Some people argue that you should eat your largest Disney meal at lunch. You get large portions of similar items for much less than the dinner prices. However, table service restaurants still average about $17-20 an entree if you are paying out of pocket. While most kids meals include a drink, adult meals require that you order a beverage at an additional cost.  Not to mention the time spent at a sit down meal.

I try to pay $40 or less for my family of 4 to eat lunch. We only have one child under the age of 9 and most table service restaurants won't sell my teen aged daughter a kids meal.  Eating lunch  in an air conditioned restaurant is a nice escape from the heat, but it can easily cost us $80-100.

If you aren't on a Dining Plan the classic Disney World advice is always to eat at a counter service or quick service location to save both time and money.  EPCOT is no different. However some counter service locations are more expensive than others.

For instance I love Mexican food, but I think the prices at La Cantina de San Angel are high at $11 or $12 for tacos and $8 for a kids meal. It would cost us about $55 to eat lunch there.

Fish & chips are $8.99 at the Yorkshire in England. There is no kids meal. With drinks, lunch would cost us about $50.

If you want typical American fare try the Liberty Inn in the America Pavilion. They sell burgers, salads and hot dogs for $8-10 a meal. Kids can get macaroni and cheese or a cheeseburger for about $5.49.

You can get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich kid's meal for $5.49 at Kringla Bakeri og Cafe in the Norway Pavilion. Adults can get a roast beef or club sandwich for about $8.

If your family is more adventurous, but still on a budget try our favorite choices. Boulangerie Patisserie in the France Pavilion sells a ham and cheese croissant for $4.75, ham and cheese quiche for $5.20 or pissaladiere (flatbread with tomatoes, olives and gruyere cheese) for $4.50.

We also like Chinese food.  Lotus Blossom Cafe (China) has two egg rolls for $4 or pot stickers for $5. Compare to Nine Dragons where egg rolls are $8 and pot stickers are $7. Saving $2-4 per person adds up to $8-16 per meal, per day. Over five days you could save $120 -240 just on appetizers! 

If your kids aren't adventurous eaters why not walk through the International Gate between France and the United Kingdom? You can walk back into the Park when you're done.

A family sized pizza at Via Nappoli costs $28-$41. Instead walk out the International Gateway to the BoardWalk Pizza window, where a slice of cheese pizza is $3.99 and a slice of pepperoni or veggie pizza is $4.49. It's about 15 minutes from the Gateway.

Or pick up something a little closer by stopping at the Beach Club Marketplace. It's a "grab and go" location so take your food out to the beach to eat. Kid's lunch & dinner choices are a turkey sandwich ($5.49) or a margherita pizza ($5.99) with drinks and a side. Adults can get a sandwich or a flatbread with sides for under $10.

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If you are in Future World during lunch or dinner your best bet will be Sunshine Seasons.  It is in the lower level and often very crowded and loud. You can typically find a table if you send one person to wait while another stands in line to order. Another problem is that separate stations  serve different menu items. So if you want food from more than one station, you’ll need to wait in multiple lines.  The food is fresh and fairly well priced with kids meals starting at $5.49 and adult entree around $8. Kids craving standard food can get macaroni and cheese here, pizza or an Uncrustable meal. The sandwiches cost $8-10 and are almost as large as those at Starring Rolls in Hollywood Studios.

 

Princess Breakfast at Walt Disney World EPCOT - Akershus in Norway

We have been to the Princess Breakfast at the Norway Pavilion three times. Obviously, we like it. This is the first year we don't plan to go. Sadly, I think the girls are past their Princess stage.

You will need to pay for park entrance to eat at the Norway Pavilion. If your reservation is before the official park opening, you will be met (as a group with others eating at the same seating) by a guide who will lead you back to Akershus.

It is a long walk! Be prepared for about 1/3-1/2 a mile trek. Wear comfortable shoes. If your little princess is in her gown, complete with tiny plastic high heels consider having her wear sneakers or sandals until you get to the restaurant.

The dining room at Akershus is wheelchair accessible. We've never had a problem getting Amanda seated at a table. They tend to put us in a corner so we don't block traffic, but the princesses never miss us!

There is no waiting area inside the restaurant. Instead you will stand around outside until your group is "announced" by a page. It is fun to hear "The Royal McGrath Family" be called out.

Its usually a hot wait. You can kill a little time in the shop,The Puffin's Roost. There is a Kidstop inside so your kids can color a paper Duffy the bear and get the Norway stamp. There is some nice merchandise in the shop -it's not all trolls! There are beautiful straw Christmas ornaments and nice clothing. Amanda got a great dress last year. (It's the navy polo she's wearing in all of these photos)

The food is good,but not great. There isn't a huge amount, either. Make sure that you fill up on items from the buffet. Your server will bring a platter of bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and potato casserole to your table as well as any beverages you order. Anything else you want can be found on the buffet. There are several types of fruit and pastries as well as a few other items such as cold sliced salmon. One nice note, you can ask your server for to go cups and you can start your day in the park with a "free" drink in hand.

The reason to go to the Princess Breakfast is to see the princesses! When you walk in you will be photographed with one of the princesses (often Belle in her yellow ballgown). Your photo package is included in the price of the meal and will be delivered to your table while you eat.

At the start of the meal there is a "princess processional" when all of the princesses enter and the children are invited to parade around the restaurant with them. Neither of my girls have ever been interested in doing this, but it looks very cute.

 

 

The princesses walk through the restaurant. visiting each table and talking to the guests. Different princesses appear at each meal. During the three times we've eaten there we've met:

• Belle
• Mulan
• Jasmine
• Ariel
• Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)
• Cinderella
• Snow White

Yes! I love the Princesses as much as my girls do.

 P.S. If you don't want to splurge for a Princess meal - or just can't get enough of them! - you can search the WDW site for character meet and greets. Just select Entertainment and click on Princess and the Park you'll be visiting. You'll see where the various Princesses can be found.

Pick A Pearl from EPCOT: My Favorite Disney World Souvenir

You can return from Walt Disney World having spent a small fortune on tchotchkes and small doo-dads. And, on some trips it feels like we have! For instance, I always seem to "have" to buy a $17 misting fan.

However, for the most part, my family exhibits great restraint. We've never bought any ears, for example. Not even a hat. We try to buy as many Disney-realted things in advance as we can (see my earlier blog) but in the end, we always want to leave with something new as well.

My favorite souvenirs are always photographs, but we still want something extra special - something more than photographs. I've found over the many trips to Disney World that our best souvenirs come from EPCOT.

One year Danielle got a lovely, hand painted, personalized ruffled red umbrella at the France pavilion. Amanda once got a very nice dress from the Norway pavilion.

The ladies decorating Danielle's red umbrella.

However, my all time favorite souvenir came from the Japan Pavilion last year. Within the Japan Pavilion is a wonderful department store, Mitsukoshi.  

Inside the store is an amazing display of live oysters.

 

For a small price ($16 - or about the same as a pair of Mickey Mouse ears), you can chose an oyster which will be ceremoniously opened for you.

 

 

Danielle with her unopened oyster.

 

 

The two pearls that Amanda & I selected - open, but not yet measured.

 

 

There is a wonderful drum roll before the size of the pearl is announced.

 

 

 

 

Amanda's 8 mm pearl!

 

 

Danielle proudly  displaying the pearl she selected.

 

 

 

For an additional cost, the pearls can be handset in lovely jewelry right at the Japan Pavilion - the same day. This is the necklace I had made from two of our pearls.

 

 

 

This is the setting Danielle chose for her pearl.

 

In the end the necklaces did cost more than a pair of Mickey Mouse ears, but we have worn them many times since returning home which I doubt most people can say for their ears. Also, this is a souvenir that the girls and I can keep for the rest of our lives and remember our magical vacation together.