Going to Disney: How to Tell the Kids

If you have caught even one Disney commercial in the past month since the "Let the Memories Begin" campaign started you have without a doubt watched a cute kid react to the news:  "You are going to Disney!"  Some react with disbelief and with others scream so loudly,  you can only hope the poor parents had ear plugs handy to prevent permanent hearing damage.

Whether you tell them a year, a month, or an hour in advance...it is so much fun to make the announcement.  Here are some of the fun ways to break the news:

• A Gift for Special Occasion -  Make the news part of a birthday or holiday gift, or to celebrate something special.  You can just announce it, or wrap in up in a nice box or card
• Slide it into a Normal Conversation - As you are discussing day to day things, try sliding that news in with a mundane list of things to do.  You can actually watch their little wheels turn as they try to process such big news in an insignificant conversation.
•  Drop the Bomb - Be loud, be proud!  Of course, this is more fun if you are waking them up in the morning!  A friend of mine picked her child up from school early and had the elementary school principal page the child to the office  "...please come to the office.  You mom is here to take you to Disney World."
• Make it a Game - If you are one of those creative types, think of a puzzle or game that they will need to work out.  The classics are all good - Word Searches, Scrambles, Cross Words - make them "earn" their trip!
• Scavenger Hunt - Again, this is for the creative among us...leave clues around the house that lead to the Disney Treasure.
•  Don't Tell Them - Just wait...they will eventually figure it out!

We are Disney World bound in just a few weeks.  I am in the final countdown and planning phase...and my little princesses still don't know.  I have sufficiently thrown them off the trail.  At this point they are convinced that their trip is still months away.  In fact, this weekend, the seven year old asked me to wrap up the name of our hotel and give it to her for Christmas!  Instead, I will be wrapping up their personalized, pre-ordered Mickey Ears with a note for each of them to be opened the day we leave.  It will also be my Dad's birthday and I will tell them I got them a little something as well.  Big Sister will get her ears first with the news that we will be staying at the Polynesian (her first choice).  The 4 year old, who is most proud of her early reading skills will get the note that says "We are going to Disney today!"  I am DYING to watch their reaction.  My money is on tears of joy from Big Sister and squeals of delight from the tidbit.

No matter how you tell them, be sure to have the video camera rolling.  Who knows, your little darling may end up on a Disney commercial or on the side of Cinderella Castle! 

Let the Memories Begin!!!!

Going To Disney: When to tell the kids

A trip to Disney World is a major trip in the life of any child lucky enough to go.  As a parent, one of the fun things is deciding when to tell your kids about the trip.   There are a few schools of thought on the topic...

Right Away
Many parents prefer the "right away" method.  Some families prepare a year or more in advance.  It is fun to let you kids know way ahead of time so that they can have input into the planning process.  They can interview friends, vote on the resort, check out menus, read up on the attractions, and start the countdown.  While all of that can be fun - especially for an older child - the wait can seem positively endless!  And if you think "how much longer" can drive you crazy in the car, try counting down for months!

Getting Close
Lots of parents prefer the "getting close" method.  Mom and Dad can get the resort and dining booked and then wait until a holiday or special occasion to spill the beans.  Sometimes letting the kids know a month or even a week in advance is perfect.  That gives the kids enough time to get excited and make some plans without having too much time to drive the rest of the famliy crazy.  If you are taking your child out of school for a few days, it also helps if they can get a head start on the work they will miss.

The Surprise
A few parents manage to pull off the "surprise".  I know kids who thought they were off to visit Grandma up until the minute they rolled under the official Disney World welcome sign!  The look of shock and delight is most definately picture worthy and the surprise is always great fun.  Of course that does have a bit of a trade off, as the planning,counting down, and anticipation are all part of the fun.

The Hybrid
My family goes the "hybrid" route.  Our kids know we are going, but they just don't know when.  For our family this works out perfectly.  We are able to openly discuss out trip and make plans for resort, dining, and parks.  We avoid the calendar obsessing that my girls are famous for.  I often joke that in our house we operate on a "Need to know basis, and my children don't need to know!"

For our last trip, we woke the children up and told them to get dressed because we were hopping on a plane and would be at Disney by lunch time.  My daughter was still having trouble with her "R's" and kept asking, "Aww you seaweous?"  After assuring her that, in fact,  we were serious, her little face just lit up.  One of my favorite memories. Ever.  In fact the girls, enjoyed the hybrid approach so much they told me that they want to do it again.  They asked for us to surprise them on the actual day of the trip.

My oldest is a pretty smart cookie and likes to think that she doesn't miss a trick, so I have been playing into her cute little hands.  Our trip is in December, but at least once a week I will "slip" and say something about "When we go to Disney in Feb---I mean whenever we go to Disney..."  Now she is convinced that she is one step ahead of me because I have accidentally let it slip that our trip is in February!  Mwaaa-haaaa-haaa! (or insert your other favorite evil laugh here.)

What works for your family?  Have you tried multiple approaches?  Let me know in the comments section!

Got kids? Get Glow Sticks!

A great money saving tip when you are headed off to Disney World is to stock up on glow sticks! 

Glow sticks are great for evenings in the parks.  I always tuck several into my park bag each day before we take off.  As we are waiting for the evening parade or fireworks shows I pull them out as a nice distraction.  I am not sure what it is about those little plastic tubes that enchants my children, but I am happy to take advantage of it! 

The glow sticks are super easy to use, just bend the plastic until you hear a snap and give it a shake.  The gel inside gives off a nice glow that lasts several hours. 

Besides being fun, the glow sticks provide many useful purposes!

• Have your child sport a glow stick necklace or bracelet through the evening, which helps you keep an eye on them in the dark.
• Attach one to your stroller to help in stand out in the herd.
• Attach one to your spouse or their park bag.  It make it easy to follow the leader during the post fireworks / parade surge.
• It may save you money.   A few glow items from home keep my kids occupied and less likely to beg for the light up toys all around.
• Depending on how long your glow stick lasts, you may even have a nice little night light when you get back to your hotel.

There are several cool glow products out there, so check out your local dollar store or party store.  Unlike the old fashioned 4 inch tube glow stick that I used to BEG for at Halloween as a child, there are so many different items out there.  While of course you can find the old fashioned tube, there are now bracelets and  necklaces with connectors to help you make your own design.  There are also some cool masks and balls.  My little princesses are most excited by the glow stick fairy wands topped with stars and butterflies!

And while you are stocking up for your trip, buy a few extra if it is in the budget.  We like to share with whatever kids are sitting around us.  (We always ask Mom and Dad first!) It isgreat fun to watch a child's face light up when given an unexpected and inexpensive treat!

Operation Hide: How to share a room with a child in a pack-n-play!

When my youngest daughter was almost two years old she still needed a nice afternoon nap.  It was about that time that she realized she may be missing something big if she took one.  Unfortunately for us, those two facts collided right about the time we scheduled our trip to Disney Word.

I almost panicked at the last minute and left the toddler behind.  I knew if she did not get a nap, and get to bed at a reasonable hour that our vacation would spin into an uncontrollable death spiral from which we could not recover.  Let's face it...if a toddler is not happy, no one in the near vicinity will be happy. 

I knew that she would never go to sleep in a hotel room with the rest of us visible to her in the room.  Plain and simple.  Two rooms were not an option budget wise.  I thought about hiding everyone in the bathroom until she fell asleep, but that did not seem fair to anyone - especially her older sister who really needed an afternoon rest as well.  We were staying in a moderate hotel without a balcony or patio - so sitting outside with a door cracked was not an option either. 

I finally decided the best option was to hide her.  I positioned her pack-n-play in the corner of the room near the bathroom (I only had to do some minor re-arranging.)   I gathered my supplies: a large pair of 3m brand Command Hooks, a large pair of Office Binder Clips, and the darkest sheet I had from home.  Read the directions carefully on the hooks to make sure you install and remove them properly.  This will insure you do not damage the walls in any way.  Install the hooks on each wall just outside of the pack-n-play.  Be sure to hang the hooks over the head of the tallest person in the room.

A reproduced close up of our rig

Next unfold your sheet and attach the binder clips along one edge of the sheet.  Fold the clip back on itself
so that the sheet hangs from the bottom and the loop of the clip can be hung over the hook.  Now just stretch the sheet from hook to hook and hang and you have hidden your pack-n-play, essentially giving your toddler his or her own private room!  This would also be great to create a separate changing area for older kids would appreciate a little privacy.

When our daughter was not sleeping, I just let the sheet hang from one hook.  I could easily hang  the other side when needed.  When it was time to leave I stuffed the sheet back in my bag, carefully removed the hooks according to package directions, and moved the furniture back to the proper spot.  No evidence of our privacy screen remained! 

I hope this trick comes in handy for someone else. A few dollars on supplies saved us a fortune on another room and made sure our little one got the sleep she needed...which made us all happier in the long run! I guess necessity really is the mother of all invention!

Yes...she really is back there!  (Pardon our mess!)

This post is part of the Disney Blog Carnival. Head over there to see more great Disney-related posts and articles.

Kiddo Control - Or How Not to Loose Your Children in a Theme Park

It is every parents fear. Just the thought of loosing a child in a busy theme park is enough to make any parent's heart pound and palms sweat. Our daughter was a very independent 4 year old on our last visit to Disney World and I was terrified of loosing my grip on her little hand after a parade and being separated as the crowds surged. Fortunately, there are a few common sense steps you can take to help keep your kids safe.

Label them - If you read my previous blog entries, you know I am a fan of my label maker. When it comes to my children I take it a step further. I ordered a dog tag for each child...not military...canine. I put their names on one side and my name and cellphone number on the other. I attached the tag to their little shoes. This insured that my "late talker" would not need to try to communicate any information should she get lost, and my fearful 4 year old would not have to try to remember our contact information when she was already scared. You could also use an id bracelet, or, if your child is a little older a Sharpie and their little forearm will work just fine.

Match them - I am lucky on this front. I have 2 little girls that love to coordinate their outfits. If can find a matching outfit for them to wear to a park, pool, or playground I will definitely have them wear it. If matching outfits are not an option, a shirt in a similar color is a good alternative. It really helps you locate your children in a crowd. Scanning a crowd or an play area is much easier when your eye is looking for only one color. If one child gets separated, you won't be put on the spot trying to remember what they put on that morning...you can show any cast member what your other child is wearing.

Photograph them - What else are you going to to when you are waiting for the bus or for rope drop? Snap a quick picture as you start the day and then you have a current picture of your child in the outfit they are wearing. Hopefully, this will be photograph you will never need.

Teach them - Talk about what they should do if they get lost. Show them what a cast members name tag looks like and let them know that is a good place to start if they need help. If a cast member is not nearby or if they are uncomfortable asking a cast member tell them to ask a mommy. Most mommies will drop everything for a child in need and will not leave them until they are back where the belong. If your child is not especially verbal, be sure you show them where your contact information is located.

Corral them - A stroller is great for keeping a little one (or even a not so little one safe). Encourage your child to use a stroller for as long as you can safely stuff them in one. If your child must walk, have a hand holding rule. If your child is young, or prone to go darting off consider a backpack type tether. I must admit that I hated the thought of a "leash" before I had children. They are children not dogs. Then I realized I put my dog on a leash for the sole purpose of keeping her safe...suddenly the "leash" did not seem like such a bad idea. I promise if you have your child on a leash I will not judge you...unless you are jerking him around like a misbehaving pup...then I will judge you...HARSHLY.

Drill them - A great thing to teach your child is to stay put if they get lost. You can quickly back track your last steps and find them. Practice "losing" a parent. Once you notice Daddy is missing you can back track your steps and find Daddy waiting calmly. When you discover him, he can confirm he was scared, but knew you would be back for him. Have him reiterate that was staying right where he was when he realized he was lost while he was looking for a cast member or a mom to help.

Prepare them - Tell them to answer your calls. This sounds totally ridiculous, but it is absolutely true. I remember a little boy named Michael getting lost on the beach. His mother became frantic. The entire beach moved into action. People formed human chains to "drag" the ocean floor. I can still remember the chilling screams of his mother as she called his name. After about 20 minutes we really began to fear the worst. About a half hour into the ordeal Michael was located. He was sitting in a tidal pool about 20 feet from his mother. He heard her frantic screams and ignored them. Why? He thought he was in trouble. He figured if he just laid low for a little while she would cool off and he would not be in trouble anymore. Tell you kids they will not get in trouble.....just answer your calls!

Should the worst happen and you find your self separated from your child, take a deep breath and don't panic. Hopefully, they will remember the stay put rule and if you back track a few steps you will find them waiting for you - perhaps never even knowing they were lost in the first place. If you cannot find your child within a minute, notify a cast member immediately. Cast members deal with lost children every day and they are pros at handling the situation. Children who have misplaced their parents are taken to the Baby Care Center or Guest Relations. A cast member will show you the way. If you have two adults, send one to the Baby Care Center and have the other stay in the general vicinity. Also, be sure to have you cell phone in hand. Hopefully, whoever locates you child will spot the id tag and call you immediately.

When it comes to keeping track of your children I am a firm believer that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Hopefully, these tips will help keep your kiddos with you, or at least speed up the the reunion should you get separated.

Please "Like" us on Facebook!  Just click on the "Like" icon in the upper right hand corner of this blog, or find us at www.facebook.com/tmctravel.

This post is part of the Disney Blog Carnival. Head over there to see more great Disney-related posts and articles.