Going Home...HELP!

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

It has been 4 years since we have been to WDW. DS was 2 at the time and it was the best. He will be 7 for our next trip. AND SHHHHH! He doesn't even know!

What are some ways either things you bring from home, special things you book there, or random stuff that you came up with that just works...I'm open to all ideas to add a little magic.

DH and I are super excited and can't wait to see DS7 at this age in the parks!

 

[Marshmelo]

My DS was 7 on his first visit a few years ago. He really enjoyed the Pirates League. He got the full skull face paint. We then went to the Capt Jack’s Pirate tutorial and he was chosen to not only participate by Jack himself but was the one who got to fight capt Jack. I’m not sure if it was because of the full makeup or because we were the first ones waiting at the stage for it to start, but probably both. It was definitely a magical experience for him. If he’s into Star Wars, they have the build your own light saber which my DS really loved at that age. Also the Jedi Training Academy at HS. It was closed for refurb when we went but I know he would have loved it. My DS was/is really into Legos so I think we visited the LEGO store at DS a few times at his request. They have activities outside where you can build. He also just liked looking through the store. It was definitely a great age to go! Enjoy!

ETA: There is a new Parks app that you can download for keeping busy while in line. You collect badges for different places you visit in the parks.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

We went this past spring for my daughter's 7th birthday. Her favorite place was Animal Kingdom--she loved collecting the Wilderness Explorer badges and both my kids fell in love with Pandora even though my daughter had never seen the movie! And I really wish I had rented a stroller for my daughter. I thought 7 was too old for a stroller but her little legs kept getting tired and we didn't do nearly as much as we could have had we rented a stroller.

As far as extra magic, I recommend glow sticks, they are versatile and fun and you can find a bunch of ideas for games and such that use them if you need to keep kids occupied while waiting for parades and fire works, or just to have fun in your hotel room--plus make it a little easier to keep an eye on your kid if he is wearing them, and bubble solution as he will probably want one of the light up Mickey Head bubble blowers that they are hawking at the entrance of every park.

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

These are awesome! Thank you!

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

ETA: There is a new Parks app that you can download for keeping busy while in line. You collect badges for different places you visit in the parks.

Can you tell me more about this app and that games, please?

 

[brertoad]

You can check out some ideas on Pinterest. Look up Disney Vacation ideas or things to buy.

An autograph book would be good as it is something you would keep.

 

[partigus]

be careful with the secret- they may not want to go- very difficult breakfast at ihop an hour outside the park!

 

[Zaptrem2]

I would say it’s definitely a good idea to tell him a few days before if he might not remember much about your last trip, our 7 year old loved being part of the planning (even though we’d done most of it already)! Get him excited about the parks and characters, maybe watch some Disney movies he might not have seen in a while that are very present in the parks (like Toy Story for example). One thing we loved is getting a haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street, the CMs are super nice, its a cool experience, and not crazy over priced like some other special experiences (I believe it costs $18 for a child’s haircut). If you do the haircut, make sure to book far enough in advance. Good luck!

 

[MudQueen22]

Our daughter was 7 on our last trip, and it was her second trip. She knew we were going. (It was our son's first trip; he was 23 months old.)
Something our kids really enjoyed was being surprised with Disney-themed items that we had previously purchased near home and packed. When they were in the bathtub, dh set out new Disney pajamas a few nights (we had purchased two new pairs of Disney pajamas).

Another time, we set out Disney toys and said that Mickey Mouse came by the room while they were in the bathroom and left them the Disney toys. That one sort of backfired since DD was disappointed that she didn't get to see Mickey Mouse in the hotel room.