Is 6 days too long for a kid who's had no Disney exposure?

[sonnyjane]

Dusting the cobwebs off my DISboards account after a bit of a hiatus... I was a DisneyLAND expert and AP holder prior to COVID, but haven't been to WDW since 1995!

I'm planning to take my niece, who will be 10 at the time, to WDW around Memorial Day next year for her first visit. I normally wouldn't pick a holiday weekend but that's the only time she's able to go. She's not an early riser so I wanted to stay long enough that we don't feel rushed. I'm planning to arrive Sunday around noon and stay until Saturday morning which would end up being about 6 days in parks. I also intend to get hoppers and Genie+.

Do you think that's too long for a "non-Disney" kid? She's had a tough life without a traditional upbringing and I'm not sure she's seen ANY Disney movies (when I saw her last year I put on the Disney Pandora station and she didn't even know "Let It Go" from Frozen)! When I grew up we had every Disney VHS ever released, so going to the parks was magical. I'm afraid she's just going to look at it like going to Six Flags (sorry Six Flags hah) and be bored after 2 or 3 days.

Anyone else ever been in these shoes? Would love to hear your advice on how to maximize the experience for a non-Disney kid!

 

[twincruisers]

I think if you mix it up with days at the resort and at the water park, you can fill 10 days easily without over-doing the parks. You can always turn a few resort days to theme park days by adding days to your ticket as long as reservations aren’t full.

At the end of the day, do what she wants and she’ll remember it as the best day ever.

 

[sonnyjane]

Thanks! Yes she LOVES waterparks so I was planning to take at least one day to do Blizzard Beach for certain. Fortunately for me all it takes to make her happy is junk food (no shortage of that at Disney) so everything else is just a bonus. She's also never been on a roller coaster and is really looking forward to rides.

 

[itf]

If you think she'd enjoy it more if she knew the characters a bit could you get her a Disney+ subscription for Christmas or something or does she not have access to the required tech to watch?

 

[bsmcneil]

I'm sort of trying to figure this out, too. It's not that they're "non-Disney" per se - but more "Disney-adjacent" (especially with legacy stuff). If WDW were a part about current tv options on D+, I'd be sold! They've seen many of the legacy films but I don't know how into it they are.

 

[sonnyjane]

If you think she'd enjoy it more if she knew the characters a bit could you get her a Disney+ subscription for Christmas or something or does she not have access to the required tech to watch?

Thanks! A friend of mine suggested that as well. The house she's in right now doesn't have a TV capable of getting Disney+ but I'm going to see if she has a tablet.

 

[Rory607]

I agree that doing a mix of park days and resort days would probably be a good idea. You could make a reservation or two at some resort restaurants and spend time exploring the hotels, riding the monorail, etc. How wonderful that you are able to give her a Disney experience!

 

[sonnyjane]

I agree that doing a mix of park days and resort days would probably be a good idea. You could make a reservation or two at some resort restaurants and spend time exploring the hotels, riding the monorail, etc. How wonderful that you are able to give her a Disney experience!

Thank you! I’m very much looking forwarding to being the cool aunt that spoils her on this trip.

 

[sponica]

I don't think you need to worry too much.

The best rides at Magic Kingdom aren't tied to IP in the modern day sense. Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Haunted Mansion aren't tied to characters. Animal Kingdom is amazing on its own.

I just got my daughter the kids guide to WDW, so maybe send her that?

 

[piccolopat]

I'd also suggest that you try and fit in a few fun sit down restaurant meals. It sounds like she only knows fast food and may not have had the chance to actually go to a restaurant. I would suggest Skipper Canteen or Liberty Tree Tavern in MK, Biergarten or Japan in Epcot, Rainforest or Yak and Yeti in AK and Mama Melrose or Prime Time in the Studios. How about getting her involved in the planning? She might not be an early riser at home but once she knows what she can do on this trip she might surprise you.

 

[sonnyjane]

I'd also suggest that you try and fit in a few fun sit down restaurant meals. It sounds like she only knows fast food and may not have had the chance to actually go to a restaurant. I would suggest Skipper Canteen or Liberty Tree Tavern in MK, Biergarten or Japan in Epcot, Rainforest or Yak and Yeti in AK and Mama Melrose or Prime Time in the Studios. How about getting her involved in the planning? She might not be an early riser at home but once she knows what she can do on this trip she might surprise you.

Thank you! Love the idea of getting her involved in the planning.

 

[unrequited23]

Maybe you could send her a guidebook to get a little more familiar (and excited) with what WDW has to offer, so she can help plan more. I would go with something with pretty pictures (Birnbaums) vs text heavy (Unofficial Guide.)

Definitely plan pool time even if you do a water park. Also, remember to take breaks. There is a lot going on for a kid, especially during their first trip. Sometimes you need to head back to the room and decompress for an hour or two.

 

[sonnyjane]

I ended up ordering the 2022 Birnbaum book for kids. It's already outdated (with Genie+ and all now!) but she won't know that part. I'm going to have her read through it and see what strikes her fancy.

 

[sponica]

I ended up ordering the 2022 Birnbaum book for kids. It's already outdated (with Genie+ and all now!) but she won't know that part. I'm going to have her read through it and see what strikes her fancy.

I got that one for my 5 year old daughter, she absolutely loves looking at it.

 

[loves to dive]

From the sounds of her life right now, I'm thinking just time away with Auntie and being at Disney is going to be great. No 6 days is not too much. I wouldn't try to push it in the parks, it can be overwhelming for even most savvy of kid. I wouldn't worry about her not knowing Disney, heck I'm an adult and enjoy it and haven't seen 3/4 of the movies represented in the parks. Despite all the negative reports you read, Disney is still a magical place and I think she is going to remember this trip for a long time.

You might even rethink buying Genie + and the fancy rides. You can't miss what you have never had, sometimes standing in line can give you opportunities to talk (gasp) or notice the details in the lines. If she gets to do all the things that cost more, she is going to think that is the way it is supposed to be done and will be disappointed if she ever gets to do it again on a budget. It's already a done deal but I'm not sure I would have given her the book, as I said you can't miss something you've never had and if she doesn't know something is a "must do" she wouldn't expect it. My son practically grew up at Disney, we started going when he was just shy of 3, and he will be the first to tell you that as a kid, just being there was amazing to him.

 

[kwdw]

I’ve taken my niece and involving her in the planning some is a great idea, esp because since you have a bit of time. Not sure if she is into internet videos, but since she was 9, my niece has been telling all the Disney stuff she learns on Tim Tracker and other Disney You Tube media folks. I do like kids guide as a Christmas present and a one year subscription to Disney+, too.

At nine, the big thing I noticed with my niece was making sure she got enough sleep. She sleeps well on travel, but even though she’s an active kid, long days make everyone tired and cranky. She also does better when she’s reminded to eat some protein during the day. Neither I nor her parents really care what she eats on vacation, but she doesn’t tend to gravitate towards choosing on her own protein. Basically, she’d eat carbs, fat, and sweets all day. Basically, as you talk about plans and adjust during the day, just keep in mind when is she going to catch up on sleep and did she eat anything that reasonable a balanced diet today. My niece is sweet and flexible, easy to get along with … when not exhausted or hangry.

 

[sonnyjane]

At nine, the big thing I noticed with my niece was making sure she got enough sleep. She sleeps well on travel, but even though she’s an active kid, long days make everyone tired and cranky. She also does better when she’s reminded to eat some protein during the day. Neither I nor her parents really care what she eats on vacation, but she doesn’t tend to gravitate towards choosing on her own protein. Basically, she’d eat carbs, fat, and sweets all day. Basically, as you talk about plans and adjust during the day, just keep in mind when is she going to catch up on sleep and did she eat anything that reasonable a balanced diet today. My niece is sweet and flexible, easy to get along with … when not exhausted or hangry.

Thank you. This is really helpful advice. I don't have kids of my own and while I know what and when I need to eat, I wouldn't necessarily have been thinking about that for her. Will make sure I keep us both hydrated and well-nourished!

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

I think it's actually the opposite. We took our oldest at 2.5, and we did 11 days. I worried at the time that it might be too much for her, but in the end it worked out great. Beyond great. My advice would be the more time the better, *especially* with kids. The longer the trip, the more relaxed of a vibe you're going to get. With our toddler, we took our time. We spent afternoons at the pool, didn't need to rush around constantly, and didn't worry or stress that we wouldn't have time to do it all. We actually felt like the 11 day stay was perfect for us. By the last day, I still was sad to leave, but I felt like we'd had an amazing trip and like it was OKAY to go home. It felt like the perfect balance of theme park craziness and relaxing vacation, and we loved it so much we booked our next stay for the same length. Six days is a GREAT amount of time to spend, and you won't run out of things to do (or feel crazy rushed either).

Also, you sound like an awesome aunt!