PhotoFlashback! Fall is in the Air... and Fireworks!

 Fall is in the air.  The nights are getting cooler and Halloween costumes are being bought for our next trip to Walt Disney World.  This year the entire Growing Up Disney family will be attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.  Ridge and I attend MNSSHP last year.

Magic Kingdom lamp post in it's Mickey Pumpkin best

Happy Hallowishes Fireworks and Castle show are fantastic

Fireworks and Cinderella Castle with lighting

Firework and Cinderella Castle in the dark

Tink and Minnie (my granddaughters) don't know about the trip and going to MNSSHP yet.  Amy is packing their Halloween costumes for a little Trick or Treat Magic Kingdom style.

--DisneyDad

Let us know if you are going to MNSSHP this year.

Photo Flashback! Really Good? -- no Great!

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival 

is always a good time to visit Walt Disney World.

EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival 2014

It's always good when you can get one good picture 

of the fireworks at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

 or two,

.

Or you capture a good photo after watching a show

for at least the 10th time

Or you get a photo made with Mickey

Or you have a great view from your room

to start your day

But know what is REALLY GREAT?

Spending time at Walt Disney World

with family.

Mom and Ridge

Mom and DisneyDad

These photos were taken during our October 2014 visit to

Walt Disney World.  Amy and her family

were not able to come on this trip, but 

Ridge was able to come along with us.

--DisneyDad

Thanks for stopping by Growing Up Disney

Minnie Moms: What Does a Typical WDW Day Look Like for Your Family?

I just returned from a Walt Disney World vacation with my parents and my two daughters, ages 4 and almost 2.  This was the 4th trip within the last year but every time we go we seem to have a different group of adults and of course, the girls are changing quickly at these young ages.  As I was thinking through how to structure our days, I asked the Minnie Moms for tips on how they do things.  Thanks to the ladies for sharing their ideas!  I'll share what did and did not work for us soon.  ~Amy

Natalie:  Typical Vacation Days with the Henley Family

Touring with the Henley Family is really not for the faint of heart.  We head to the parks and attach the attractions, taking in as much as we possibly can in the time allotted.  We walk fast, moving from one thing to the other.  Here are the details for the travels with my huband, my son (age 7) and myself:

·         Before we leave for vacation, I have found which theme park we will tour each day.  This may be driven by dining reservations or by events my family hopes to attend on a particular day.

·         We wake at some point and head to the theme parks.  We are armed with everything we will need in order to make it though the entire day.  If we believe it will rain that day, we carry all gear to prepare for that.  If we are heading to an event (such as the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party), we take our costumes with us as well. 

·         Breakfast is typically had in the room or as we make our way to the theme parks.  As you may know, I wrote the book Strategies for Paying for Disney where I detail a variety of ways to save money so you can afford Disney at all or more often.  I found in past vacations that eating breakfast in the quick service restaurants was often so crowded, expensive and time consuming that my family decided that the actually preferred eating in the room instead.

·         Lunch is often times purchased from the quick service restaurants.  Some days, if traveling just my son and I, I also pack my lunch and bring it in the parks.  My son and I love having a picnic in the parks and again, it is really a great time and money saver!

·         By dinner time, my family wants to sit down and have a hearty meal at a table service restaurant.  We love the time sitting and cooling off out of the hustle and bustle of the day.

·         My family (when not traveling with my husband) typically sees the parade and/or fireworks show.  If traveling with my husband, we forgo the shows and see more attractions during this time.

·         My family does NOT spend much down time at the parks.  We are going from one attraction to the next.  We typically stay at one theme park per day but sometimes hit up more than one.  One of our favorite tricks is to hit up EPCOT for the full day, leaving right after Illuminations.  Next, we head over to the Magic Kingdom quickly to see the presentation of Wishes.  You have to be quick or you will miss the beginning of Wishes. 

·         The family nearly always stays at any park that is open until around midnight.   Sometime after midnight, my family becomes pretty tired and ready to head back to the room.  We find that the hours after the fireworks are the very best for seeing attractions.  The parks are typically the most empty and are not hot!  Great for touring!

My entire family loves this way of touring.  Even my son loves to stay late and sleep in the next day.  Just discussing the fun makes me want to pack and head south now!

Danielle:  Hi Amy, how great that you've been able to visit the World so often this year!! 

My children are also currently 4 and 2,  so I can tell you what has worked best for us.

We are a rope drop family. We like to try and stick to the kids' regular routine as much as possible on vacation so the kids are usually up early. We order groceries for breakfasts and snacks from Garden Grocer ahead of time, and so we eat breakfast in our DVC villa.

Being there for rope drop allows us to get through most of the rides we are interested in by noon. At that point, we either choose to eat a quick-service meal at the Park or return back to the resort to eat there. After lunch, we may head for some swimming at the resort's pool, and then nap time is a must for my 2 year old, but the 4 year old often falls asleep during her "quiet time" as well.

The kids are usually up by around 5pm, and then we usually head back into a Park for a table - service dinner. Don't get me wrong, sometimes we prefer just to eat at the quick-service location at the resort for a more relaxed evening. On those evenings, we'll partake in the resort's activities, such as a movie under the stars. If we're in a Park for the evening, though, we usually head back to the resort before any fireworks or parades start. We've seen them so many times that it's just not worth the wait for transportation at Park closing once everyone leaves the park at the same time. We'll usually do one evening parade or fireworks show per trip.

We don't head into the Parks every day, either. For about half the week, we have "pool days" where we simply enjoy the resort's amenities and head into the Parks at dinner time.

Because we visit the World so often, we seldom have "busy" trips anymore. We enjoy picking and choosing our favourite rides and restaurants and allowing ample time to enjoy the resort.

Have fun! 



Janine: We have a very simple way of dealing with a 3 year old - we follow her schedule.  We eat when she wants, we rest when she wants and she goes to bed at her usual time.  I know a lot of people wouldn't think that was much of a holiday but it worked for us.  The few times we tried to take her out to a table service place and a) we had to wait for food and b) it was later than she normally eats, we had such a meltdown that we ended up leaving and taking the food to-go back to the hotel.  

I would also advocate if your child is up early anyway, make the most of it!  Since Tink is an early riser and doesn't care for much for breakfast, it worked out for us to have some cereal in the room and then to the parks for rope drop.

As for staying late for fireworks, she was fast asleep by 7pm in her bed in the hotel, every night.  We are however hoping that there will be a slightly earlier showing of Wishes this year.  Last November there were a few at 8pm, I'm hopeful she will be old enough this year (3 instead of 2) to make it til then.

It can be difficult travelling with others with your children.  We are in the same situation in November, my in-laws will not want to eat at 430pm and be in bed at 7!!! But this is our entire reasoning for staying on-site this year, I can take Tink back to Port Orleans Riverside and feel perfectly safe in my room when my husband and the in-laws go out in the evening.  Everybody is happy then!!!

Many thanks to Janine, Natalie, and Danielle for sharing their touring tips this month!   Please check out our Minnie Moms page for past articles and more information about this terrific team. 

Photo Flashback! Celebrate the Magic!

For today's blog hop with Focused on the Magic, Deb suggested the topic of "February Calendar Shot." Personally, I'd be happy with a calendar full of images of Cinderella Castle.  So here's the castle with a little smooch for Valentine's Day.  This was taken during the premier of "Celebrate the Magic!" on November 13, 2012.

I was shooting stills and Chris was getting video.  If you haven't seen the full castle projection show, check it out below.

Photo Flashback! January Calendar Shot: Castle and More...

Today we are linking up with the blog hop at Focused on the Magic and the topic is "January Calendar Shot."  

Fireworks behind Cinderella Castle always make for a spectacular image.  These two are courtesy of Ridge and were actually taken in November, but I say they are timeless.

My family visited Disney Vacation Club's Hilton Head Island Resort last January.  It was definitely the off season but we enjoyed having the place to ourselves.  Isn't it beautiful and relaxing?

And this was a January many moons ago.  While I'd love to repeat the shot with these dear friends, I'm very glad the cake-stle is no more.  (I'm visiting WDW in a few weeks with one of them and my two girls.  We are all looking forward to a girls only trip.)

Thank you for joining us today!  I hope your new year is off to a fantastic start! ~Amy

Ignore the Mom Bloggers and Buy the Light-Up Toy

Planning blogs, including this one, will tell you to look for light-up toys, glow sticks, etc at home where you can often stock up for very little cash.  The idea is to save money buy passing on the expensive toys that appear all around Walt Disney World as soon as the sun begins to dip.  

Well, I did that and had glow bracelets in my backpack and a stash of other glowing treats at home.  My husband, however, just knew that Tink wanted a Minnie Mouse with a skirt that spins and lights up and he bought it on the first night of our recent vacation.  I laughed and told him he was fired but I couldn't be too upset when our oldest daughter was running around Epcot with such joy. 

This turned out to be Tink's main souvenir from this vacation and Minnie went everywhere with us during the week.  She (the doll) met Mickey and princesses, went on attractions, and visited restaurants.    It's even safe for our Baby Minnie (17 months) and she has enjoyed playing with the toy as well.

So as with all rules, sometimes you just have to break them and occasionally you win big.

Minnie joined Tink on the bus to Magic Kingdom

Minnie helped Tink be a part of the show at Enchanted Tales with Belle

Ariel loved Tink's treasure from the human world

Of course, Mickey loved this particular toy

Even Princesses loved Minnie

~Amy

Magical Blogorail: My Favorite Time to Visit Walt Disney World

Welcome to those of you joining me from A World View and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the Final stop on our Magical Blogorail.

My favorite time to visit Walt Disney World  

We'll look at this month's topic a couple of ways.

First, time of day.  I just love the parks at night when we have lingered after the fireworks.  I don't often get to stay late like this anymore since the kiddos need to get back to the room for bed but occasionally, thanks to grandparents, I am sprung from mommy duty and can play late in the parks.  Everyone else scurries for the buses but this is a fabulous time of day to capture a few pictures of the castle, pavilions, etc without anyone around.  I love to stroll toward the park exit enjoying the relative calm, listening to the music, taking in the details.  This is also a wonderful time to chat with Cast Members who aren't in a hurry either.  We've had some terrific Cast Member interactions during these late evening hours.

Favorite time of year: Fall  I'm a huge fan of the Food and Wine Festival.  World Showcase is my favorite part of Walt Disney World and it's only made better by the addition of all of the yummy food and beverage choices.  Seriously, how can you beat walking around the gorgeous promenade sampling tasty treats inspired by cultures from around the world?  This year we are catching the very end of the festival in hopes of also taking in the first part of the Christmas decorations.

Fall is also a great time to participate in a Disney race.  Over the years, I've run in a number of 5k or 10k races during this season.  RunDisney is offering two big race weekends this year.  During the first weekend of F&W will be the Tower of Terror 10 miler.  The Wine & Dine Half Marathon is the last weekend of the festival.  I was planning on running the half this year but after our May trip with the girls, I decided a night race was just a bad idea while traveling with small kids.  As much as I want to run that race, I'm not willing to kill my whole trip for it.  Traveling with little ones is tiring and running 13.1 miles in the middle of the night might not be my best plan.  I'm going to find a local goal race for this year and jump back in with RunDisney another year.

I haven't heard yet about what special foods/drinks/cuisines will be featured this year but regardless, I am really looking forward to the trip.  The weather is usually very pleasant in October and November.  But be sure to check the reports before you go.  It was unusually hot during our visit in late October/early November of 2010.  I was expecting Minnie on that trip and had to sit on the floor of "O Canada" to cool off but it's still much better than the height of summer.


When do you like to visit Disney Parks? Are you a night owl or an early bird? Does fall tickle your fancy or do you prefer another season?




Thank you for joining Magical Blogorail Red this month. We will be back in August with an all new theme. Keep checking in with our blogs in between loops to keep up to date with our Disney info, photos and stories. If you are looking for more Disney magic, you can make your way over to The Magical Blogorail website to see all our members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ My Dreams Of Disney

2nd Stop ~ Disney Donna Kay

3rd Stop ~ Colorado Mountain Mom

4th Stop ~ A World View

Final Stop ~ Growing Up Disney

Not Beating the Crowds

I've seen posts from other bloggers about when to sneak out early from various shows/attractions in order to beat the crowds.  I propose an alternative.  Let everyone else run from place to place like their pants are on fire and you just hang back and saunter on out last.  I know, you must use every nano-second of a Disney vacation to its fullest, right?  Nope.  Slow down.  Look around.  Talk to a Cast Member.  Grab a snack you haven't tried before.  Take one more picture.

In my family, we never rush toward the door as soon as an attraction ends.  We don't bolt from the theatre as soon as a live show is over.  And unless we have small children who demand otherwise, we don't rush out of the parks at the end of the night.  Instead of making a mad dash for the buses, we wait inside the parks for the crowd to die down.  If you normally try to be the first on the tram after Wishes, I suggest you hang back sometime and enjoy the park at the end of the night.  There is a lazy comfort in the parks at closing time.  The lights and music play just for you.  The occasional Cast Member with little to do at that time can make Magic.

One night a few years ago, we were at Epcot after IllumiNations and in no hurry to leave.  DisneyDad and I went into MouseGear to buy bibs for the grandchild-on-the-way that they had just learned about.  Mom stayed outside with her scooter, just enjoying the evening breeze.  A Cast Member came over and struck up a conversation with her.  They chatted for a long time and it turns out that he also worked at Old Key West, where we were staying.  He asked for Mom's name and a couple of days later, a bouquet of flowers appeared in our villa.  What a treat!

Another night, Chris and I had watched the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes and then hung around chatting with Jeff the EMT.  By the time we left, he managed to take some great shots of the castle and Main Street.  Chris has also taken his time leaving Epcot and captured impressive images of the World Showcase pavilions.

The next time you are at Walt Disney World, I challenge you to dawdle, piddle, or lolligag.  Look for one more Hidden Mickey.   Ask one more Cast Member about their hometown.  Pull up a bench and watch the park of your choice wind down for the night.

Glowing Toys for Nights at Disney Parks

Throughout the year, keep an eye out for glow in the dark or light up toys while you are shopping. I've found glow wands for $1 each in the past. This week I ran across the collection below at Target in the kids party section. While you can find cheaper toys from time to time, they have a fun selection of products which are convenient and still far less expensive than the items sold in the parks.  These are party packs and include 4-10 of each item.

When choosing toys, keep in mind that you don't want anything too bright.  A standard flashlight would be distracting for other guests.  Glow sticks, bracelets, etc and toys with a dim light are best.

Minnie Moms: Disney Dream Date

All of the Minnie Moms are married and in most cases, we ladies are the Disney fanatics in the household. Our husbands patiently listen to us talk about the latest updates to the dining cancelation policy and hear about what's new in Fantasyland.  Of course the men enjoy their Walt Disney World vacations that we have so meticulously planned for them.  Wouldn't it be nice to plan a date night to give us both a chance to really relax?  You know, a rare dinner where we don't have to worry about what anyone else is eating, wearing, throwing, etc.

Amy:  I think Andy and I have only had one dinner alone at Walt Disney World.  I really don't know why we waited so long other than it just didn't work in the schedule and before we had children, date nights were common so one just didn't rank too high on the vacation priority list.  In April of 2010, we took Tink to WDW for the first time.  We had a terrific week but traveling with a toddler is work.  Thankfully we had willing babysitters (aka grandparents) who let us go out to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary.  (Holy cow time flies!)  Andy and I had a lovely dinner at Jiko.  We sat on one side of the booth and had fun being foodie nerds as we critiqued the experience.  After flatbread, ostrich, steak with mac and cheese, a lovely fish, and a complementary anniversary pistachio creme brulee, we headed over to the Studios with the intention of getting dessert.  Well, for once we didn't really read the schedules and it was toward the end of Extra Magic Hours and none of the food locations were open.  Oh well, we had a nice walk around the quiet parts of the part and headed back to Old Key West where the little one was sleeping like a baby.

But that's reality.  When I posed the question about a dream Disney date night to the Minnie Moms, I gave them the option to discuss a real date or to shoot for the moon.  Hmm, what would I do if time and money weren't a concern?  I had been kicking around a few ideas in my head and then asked my husband.  We came up with essentially the same plan.  Maybe we'll get around to doing portions of this someday.

For our fantasy dream date, we'd have dinner at the chef's table at Victoria and Albert's.  I experienced this with my father before my wedding but my husband would like a chance to go.  (Don't throw me in that briar patch!)   And in our fantasy world the timing works out for us to have our dessert on the Grand 1 Yacht just before the Magic Kingdom fireworks.  After returning to the Grand Floridian, we'd spend the night in the honeymoon suite we had for our wedding.  We'd meet our girls and the rest of the family the next morning for a character breakfast, just not too early.

Back to reality, sometime when the girls are older, I'd like to do something like this while at Walt Disney World.  Since we don't have family nearby, Andy and I rarely get date nights and a weekend away is almost out of the question.  However, we could go out to dinner and then stay one night at another resort.  As the mother of an infant and a preschooler, the thought of sleeping late is heavenly.  As nice as the Grand 1 is, at this point, I'd trade it for a solid night's sleep.

Janine:  I am very excited to write this month's article.

Dream date night, let's make it a super dream!

It would have to be set in December. Winter is my favourite time of the year and I absolutely adore Christmas. We have never been to the parks out of summer so seeing WDW decorated for the holidays would almost be enough for my dream date.

But since I'm allowed to go all out, then that is just the start.

So, to set the scene, it is my favourite day of the whole year, Christmas Eve. For me, December 24th is actually even more exciting than Christmas Day itself. I think it is all about the build up, the anticipation. 99% of the time we spend this day at our house. But in this scenario we are in the Happiest Place on Earth. And where better to spend the date but at my favourite park, the Magic Kingdom. Now for me, although this is date night, I'm going to include our daughter, Tink, in the scenario. I just can't imagine a perfect day, especially at Disney, without her.

So after the usual day of rides and attractions at the park (with next to no queue times of course), we will begin date 'night' with dinner, at Cinderella's Royal Table (to make it extra special, Tink will have been to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique during the day and is now dressed as Cinders herself). We will begin with Soup of the Day, followed by Vegetarian Cassoulet for moi, Roasted Beef Tenderloin for Dear Husband and both ending with the Chefs Dessert Trio, yum yum. Tink would probably have chicken nuggets ;). She would also have lots of special attention in her BBB get up, and DH would have secretly arranged a special anniversary (Dec 13)/birthday (Dec 28) cupcake to be hand delivered by my favourite Princess, Belle.

After this, we would head back to do some more rides, including my favourite, The Haunted Mansion.

We would pop into a few of the shops and DH would treat me to a Dooney & Bourke tote.

Then it would be time for Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Parade.

We would have been specifically chosen to ride in the float with Santa himself, and Tink would be sat in his lap. After the amazing parade we would continue to meet and greet all the characters and would have great interaction with all of them, especially Mickey and Minnie and the Princesses. We would have a ton of hot chocolate and cookies and enjoy Holiday Wishes from a special VIP viewing area.

I would have to have a cinnamon roll from the Main Street Bakery on the way out, and as we head towards the monorail, DH would surprise me by saying that we were booked into the Grand Floridian for the night, he had expertly hidden an over night bag in the bottom of Tink's buggy.

So we would head off to the GF and see the gingerbread house and amazing decorations, and fall asleep knowing that we would wake up on Christmas Day in fantastic surroundings. And of course we had been given an upgrade so we were in the most expensive suite in the whole resort, with a stocking full of presents from Mickey and Santa waiting for each of us in the morning.

Perfect!

Natalie:  Disney World offers so many wonderful, romantic accommodations for couples hoping to enjoy a dream date with their spouse. To find just the right date experience for my husband and I, I began by researching the various tours, spas and restaurants that would most suit us. Here is what I would plan:

Image from Disney.com

My husband and I would begin the day with Wilderness Back Trail Adventure. This adventure is a tour by way of segway through Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. We have always wanted to take a segway tour and have heard that this particular tour is great fun. The tour costs $90 per person and lasts approximately 2 hours. Next, we would head over by boat to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Here we would arrive just in time for the spa treatment we had carefully selected and booked.

Feeling rejuvenated, yet hungry, we would then head to our reservation at Victoria and Albert's. This restaurant is also located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. The restaurant is one of Disney's premier dining experiences offering personalized menus, decadent food in an adult, elegant atmosphere. The cost of the dinner at Victoria and Albert's run $185 per person with wine pairing or $125 without (before taxes and gratuity).

Following our meal, we would travel by monorail to the Magic Kingdom for a viewing of the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular. Of course, if the park is open after the viewing of the fireworks, we will head to some of our favorite attractions for a few hours of extra fun!


Thanks to our regular contributor, Janine, and Natalie from Meet the Magic for joining me in imagining a Disney dream date.  Please visit the Minnie Moms page for past articles and more information about these fabulous ladies. 
~~Amy

Minnie Moms: Advance Planning Tips, Heather

Our Minnie Moms mini-series continues.  Today Heather shares her family's approach to Walt Disney World vacation planning.
---------------------------------------------


Yay for considering a WDW trip! I dare say that if you are a first time visitor the amount of resources and websites can be daunting. Starting at a year out is optimal but our first time we managed a great trip in a 5 month planning window. With 4 theme parks and 2 water parks even the most seasoned traveler benefits from preplanning a WDW trip. I personally found the following sites helpful in pretrip planning.

• Allears.net- Their information about hotels is an excellent way to evaluate the pro/cons of the different on-site hotels)
• Touring Plans- From printable plans to real time apps for lines, this is a don’t miss resource.
• Consider a Magic your Way plan and/or a Disney Dining Plan to save on your trip total.

12 months out-Discuss time of year, crowd levels, possible holidays themed events, impact on school schedule, begin to research on vs. off property lodging, discount programs, airfare.

9 months out- Settle on time to visit, lodging, book tickets and any other prepaid plans. Consider travel insurance. Investigate restaurants, character meals, and plan your top restaurants to book reservations.

6 months out- If you haven’t booked lodging and airfare already DO. You are now 180 days from your trip allowing you to make all dining reservations for WDW restaurants. These can be changed at any time without penalty. DO NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED THE POPULARITY OF CERTAIN DINING LOCATIONS. Many sell out within minutes on the first available day. Have a backup plan for character meals and premium restaurants. TAKE advantage of your preplanning to schedule optimal times around park closing, parades and fireworks. **One of the best meals we had was a late dinner at Ohana while we watched the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom.**

3 months out- Finalize travel. Consider renting a vehicle or alternate modes like Amtrak if airfare is expensive. Orlando is serviced by the Amtrak Silver Star line on the east coast. Begin to develop a plan for which days you want to tour each park. Note Magic hours and special events. Check the WDW Moms Panel and the Minnie Moms past topics for great ideas about doing WDW.

1 month out- Confirm all reservations, check travel insurance policy, finalize a daily plan including restaurants, parks with Must see/Hope to See/Ok to Miss by park area. Break in shoes and pack a medical bag to avoid premium prices on site. Get your kids involved with a 30 day countdown to Disney Chart. Buy an extra battery and memory card for your camera. Begin to set aside travel snacks, games, and advanced packing so you can enjoy a stress free final week.

1 week out- Reconfirm reservations, pack, get extra sleep if possible and anticipate a wonderful, memory filled trip.

Once there… play things by ear. Even the best laid plans sometimes benefit from extra time at the pool, skipping a ride, sleeping in after staying out late, letting the kids pick.  Enjoy the time together as a family regardless if your plans take a detour.

You can always go back. We did.


Contributed by Minnie Mom Heather V. of Raleigh, NC. Wife to Bill, proud mom to Ben and Ian, and creator of Freeze Ahead Frenzy. 

Minnie Moms: Surprisingly Scary Attractions Part 1

Have you ever boarded an attraction vehicle only to find out too late that this ride you thought was simple was frightening to your child?  The Minnie Moms discuss their experiences and ideas on Walt Disney World attractions that are surprisingly scary.




Beth: My son has a bit of anxiety and in Disney, out of his regular routine, things that are not necessarily scary to most kids will terrify him. I had vowed before our 2008 trip, we would not go into any of the 4D movies. They are loud, things are coming at you (or it appears they are) and that left a lot of room for Joey’s anxiety to come into play. As we walked around Fantasyland, Joey spotted Mickey’s Philharmagic. I was very honest with him about how it is 3D and loud, and that maybe we would save it for another trip. He kept pulling my hand in the direction of the attraction. I explained to him again what it was and he wanted to try it. So against my better judgment, we entered Mickey’s Philharmagic.

I tried to prepare myself for a quick escape, by being first in the row so I could make it all the way to the seats at the end. No such luck, but we were close – only 5 seats away. I had all the kids keep their glasses off and we waited for it to begin. Within the first two notes of music, Joey started crying because it was so loud. I hopped up, grabbed his hand and we made our way to the end of the row – he was screaming and I was mortified interrupting everyone else’s opportunity to see the show. Someone behind us let out a big “SHHHHH.” I was already upset, but that just pushed me over the edge. I filled up with tears because here was my little guy terrified and then so angry that someone would do that.

A cast member met me at the end of the aisle with a flashlight and escorted us to the door. He could tell I was upset and without me even saying anything, he said, “Don’t worry it happens all the time” and gave me a big smile. It probably didn’t mean much to him, but that smile helped me calm down and get Joey calmed down. It was not my proudest mom moment, I knew better, but the good thing is, Hayley and Emily loved it and watched the entire show with my husband and parents. So even though Mickey’s Philharmagic is a fun attraction, it is one of the loudest I have experienced and was very scary for my son.


Corby: As we all know Disney World is an amazing theme park with many rides and attractions perfect for kids off all ages. We’ve been taking our son since he was barely 3 years old and while he’s ridden and seen just about everything, some things quite frankly terrified him which I didn’t expect when he was younger. Because of this, I now make it a point to inform my clients of a few things that may be scary for younger children that they might not have considered. Obviously, each child is different, some are more sensitive and fearful than others so I always advise using your best judgment based off your child’s personality. No one knows them better than you and go with your gut instinct. If you are not sure how your child will react, to certain things, test it out yourself (use the parent swap option if need be). There are also videos on www.youtube.com if you’d like to view them ahead of time from home.

I can vividly remember as a child being terrified of the train on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride that used to be in Fantasyland. I’m sure my parents didn’t think twice before putting me on the ride as a child but I was truly scared of the “train” coming at me when I was younger. Of course as I became older, it was quite laughable but it just goes to show that young children may perceive things differently and more realistically.

Here are a few rides/attractions I would say to use caution with when dealing with young children that my surprise you:

Fantasmic! (Hollywood Studios): The first thing that comes to my mind that I always give warning is Hollywood Studios’ Fantasmic! We took our son when he was younger. We were quite the newbies and didn’t know much about Hollywood Studios. Several cast members asked us if we were going to see Fantasmic!, as it was showing the night we were there. So, of course we thought we had to go. While it is a fantastic show that I do recommend viewing, little did we know, it scared the daylights out of our son at his young age. The show is about Mickey’s nightmares and all the movie clips featuring Disney villains was simply too much for my young child.

Snow White’s Scary Adventures: Even though it’s in Fantasyland and it is Snow White, the witch can be pretty creepy to young ones.

Fireworks: Disney offers some truly amazing fireworks at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Some children can become frightened by the noise. And while IllumiNations at Epcot is my absolute favorite, due to the fireworks being shot low off the water, it may be scarier to children as they do look like they are coming right at you.

The Enchanted Tiki Room: The part which may be scary to young ones is when the lights go out and the evil Tiki Goddess appears.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid (Hollywood Studios): Ursala’s presence may be frightening to some.

Dinosaur (Animal Kingdom): Even though there is a warning on this ride, I think some parents think it may be frightening because it has dinosaurs without realizing the intensity of the ride.

Characters: Surprisingly, some children may be scared of characters. If you find your little one is rather uneasy around characters, simply avoid the meet and greets.

If you should find that your child is suddenly afraid and doesn’t want to go on any rides as my son did one vacation, try not to get frustrated. There are plenty of other things to do and see. Sometimes they go through phases and I would be pretty confident in saying when you return for your next trip, they will have grown out of it as my son did.


Thanks to Beth and Corby for sharing these stories.  We'll have more from other Minnie Moms later today.  Please come back for more strategies and lessons learned.  Please check out our Minnie Moms page to find past topics and to learn more about these ladies' other projects.

Minnie Moms: Parades and Fireworks

Janine: This month’s post is another hypothetical one for me as we have yet to take F to WDW and she has not even seen a firework display or parade in England yet. We have an annual celebration on 5/11 called Guy Fawkes Night (fireworks night or bonfire night) which dates back to when Fawkes tried to blow up the English parliament with gunpowder. Therefore there have been fireworks going off in our neighborhood for the last few weeks. But F has yet to really notice them as she’s usually asleep by the time the parties start.

If we were over in the parks at the moment, we would actually miss all the parades and fireworks as F likes to be at least dozing by 7:30pm. And unlike most children, F refuses to sleep in her stroller so we would not even be able to do that. We will have to see what she is like with excitement and loud noises and what her bedtime is when we go over in a few years. If we have to miss out until she is older then we are not too worried, we've seen them all plenty of times and we'll make sure we see the daytime ones.

But I'll still write a little about what we like to do. For MK we've had many different spots for the parade but we actually found a very relaxing one a couple of years ago! We sat on the outside chairs by the Main Street Bakery to the side where you can hear a music lesson in one of the upstairs windows, right by where there is a CM entrance where the balloon sellers come in and out. So we got to sit down with a coffee and cake after a long day and watch the parade go by, and then just move back onto the street for Wishes! And we were only a minute or so from the exit, great stuff! The Noodle Station was another great spot where we could actually sit down and saw Tink fly over really well but was incredibly busy!

For Illuminations we have stood in different places every year. Last year we actually stood on the gateway between FW and WS and that was actually a pretty good spot! When we've been in a party, we all take turns saving the spot whilst the others go off and get snacks and when we've been on our own we just made sure we had a drink and sat down in a decent spot about 30 minutes before it was due to start. To be honest there are so many places to see from I don't think you need to find a spot hours before unless you have a member of your party who has to sit down I guess. We were lucky enough to catch the 4th July fireworks at EPCOT in 2008 and these we the best we've ever seen.

My only tip for Fantasmic at HS would be to get there in good time as it fills pretty fast. We've done both the 9pm and 1030pm shows (both been packed) but the late one meant getting back to the hotel after midnight which may be too late for some little ones.

In regards to handling the wait with the kiddies, maybe if you have more than one then mom can take one for a quick stroll while dad and the other stake out a place and vice versa. Definitely make sure they've been to the restroom and you've got a drink and a snack. This could be a good time to check for any nearby hidden Mickeys or discussion on what to do the next day/reflection on what you've just done. We will be with our in-laws when we next go so if F gets fidgety then we will take it in turns to walk her stroller around until time for the show. I may even try to buy her a little in-expensive treat during the day and then whip it out before the parade/fireworks if she starts to get too fussy.

General points for consideration - bear in mind your child’s reaction to the dark, the crowds and the noise if they have never seen anything like it before. I would plan to be somewhere where you can make a quick exit if your child does not react well to their first viewing of the parade/fireworks without causing too much fuss and bother. If this does happen, just take it in your stride and don't panic too much. Kiddie may just be overtired from the day and if you try a different park's nightly entertainment the following night you may be pleasantly surprised. And if not, hey it's a great excuse to go back next year when they're older!

DH reminded me of another very good issue. Just because a spot looks good to you, make sure your little one can see everything they need to from their much lower vantage point. If you're planning on putting them on your shoulders, take a second to consider those around you. You and your child may be having a ball, but that couple who've waited over an hour for this spot now to have it impeded by the child-sized impediment in front of them may not be so pleased.

We're yet to know whether the dark will be an issue for F, she seems happy enough during night feeds etc but that can all change at any time. And being outdoors at night is a whole different ballgame. One way to make your child more at ease in the dark (although the parks are very well lit, the lights all go down for the fireworks for atmosphere) may be to get a glow stick. They sell all different kinds in the parks or get a much cheaper one before you go.


Amy: Tink has been to Walt Disney World twice this year and she hasn’t seen any of the parades or fireworks. The afternoon parade at Magic Kingdom has either been during a nap, a break at a resort, or simply rained out. I know some would think that makes me a horrible Disney mom, but at this point, a well-rested baby is much higher on my list of priorities than parades. Once she’s a little older and able to understand why we are waiting, we’ll camp out on the curb and get a good spot to wave at all her favorite characters. Regarding nighttime shows, those are just too late for her and at 18 months old, she doesn’t really care if she sees fireworks or not. Again, once she’s older, we’ll get a good spot in Frontierland for the parade and enjoy a Dole Whip while we wait. I did find a pink glow stick fairy wand in the dollar bin at Michael’s with the intent of using it at night. Once it comes down to it, she has just been too tired to stay out late. On my most recent trip, I was able to stand with my cousin’s daughters while they saw their very first Disney parade, Main Street Electrical Parade. (Tink had left the park with Granny and Granddaddy.) We waited at the rope to make sure they had a great view. It was so much fun to see them take it all in. Once the parade was over, we headed toward the center of the park to find a spot for Wishes. We found a good place for the girls and the adults all stood back just a bit so we didn’t crowd those who had been waiting. Since it might be a couple of years before we take Tink back to the World, we’ll attend some local fireworks shows between now and then to see how she reacts to the noise.


Corby: As we all know Disney has some great rides and attractions. They also have some great parades and some of the most spectacular fireworks shows you’ll ever see. I am a big fireworks show fan! It’s usually not my 6 year old son but myself who begs the family to stay and watch them! My husband can’t stand the mass exodus afterwards but every now and then, I win and I get to stay and watch! My favorite show is Epcot’s IllumiNations. Coming in a close second place is Magic Kingdom’s Wishes. For IllumiNations, as long as you’re standing by the lake, you’re going to get a good view. We seem to change our location each time. I think our favorite spot was when we watched it on the bridge. Every time those torches go out and I start hearing the beat of the music, I can barely contain my excitement! For Wishes, I will admit, I get a little teary when I hear “When You Wish upon a Star”. Sad, I know, but it’s true. My family’s favorite viewing spot is on top of the train station. There are some chairs up there and if you get there early, you may be lucky enough to get one. We like going early, grabbing a seat and people watching as the crowds start coming in below. In regard to Hollywood Studios’ Fantasmic!, we’ve only seen it once with our son. He was three and it basically traumatized him so we haven’t been back since. We may just give it a try again now that he’s six but I do think it’s something parents need to be aware of. It is very entertaining but in my opinion, it’s not for every child, especially those that are young or get easily scared.

As far as parades go, we usually only take time to view one as we’re not big parade fans. I know, I can hear the boos and hisses. We see it as the perfect opportunity when everyone else is watching the parade to go get shorter lines at the rides! Our favorite one hands down, is the Spectro Magic night-time parade at Magic Kingdom. As I’ve said in the past, we always plan our dinner at Tony’s Town Square around it and that’s where we view it. I’m looking forward to seeing the Main Street Electrical Parade next week so I can compare the two. (Yes, I said next week…*smile*!) (Amy’s note: Corby is in WDW now! Yay!)

Heather: We recently returned from WDW with our 4 year old and 6 month old sons. While there we enjoyed the Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party, Illuminations, and Wishes. Last year, our then 3 year old was petrified of all fireworks to the point after the first night of crying we punted any other nighttime performances. This trip we planned ahead and after some research bought Peltor 97070 Junior Earmuff, Black for Ben. We let him decorate them with Toy Story stickers and practiced wearing around the hotel before the nighttime parades and fireworks. They worked like a charm. Ben was still a little apprehensive and wanted to watch the fireworks from a far, but he seemed happy that the noise was muffled and didn’t bother him.

As far as parades we tried to make sure we found a location near the start of the parade so that we could hit rides with a limited line wait while others were still watching. This strategy worked especially well on the night of the Halloween party. We timed eating at Pecos Bill Café for dinner before the parade start. We in turn had great seats at the start of the parade and were close to Woody and Jessie’s Dance Party at the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon afterwards for some one on one dance moves with Bullseye.

Ben was genuinely interested and loved the fireworks this trip. A little pre-planning and also another year of maturity made a big difference in his (and also our) enjoyment of the fabulous nighttime shows at WDW.

 
Thanks to our Minnie Moms for sharing such helpful tips! If you have a question for us or a topic you'd like us to cover, please leave a comment or email Amy.