Before we left for Orlando, I thought it would be fun to have one day of our Disney World trip totally planned by my seven-year-old daughter. I had done all the other to-dos, the scheduling, the reservation-making. We had a jam-packed week, but I didn’t want to run my family’s spirit into the ground with too much.
So, I asked my daughter to tell me exactly what she wanted to do for one day at Disney World. To my surprise, she already had a list ready.
Pin trading. Character autographs. Galaxy’s Edge. A churro. Popcorn. In that order, approximately. Her list was pretty manageable. We could do this!
What I did not have on my bingo card was that my seven-year-old would completely surprise me with her dream Disney day.
To begin, we pin traded and met some of the kindest and most interesting people! There is actually a whole portion of EPCOT where people post up with their binders of pins, ready to trade with guests. She had a blast seeing all the different pins while carefully selecting which of hers to swap.
She tracked down characters for autographs with the focus and determination of a little lady who had a job to do. Then, we park-hopped to Hollywood Studios and made it to Galaxy’s Edge. She’s on a huge Star Wars kick right now, so it felt even more special since she knew every planet, every character, every droid. In Galaxy’s Edge, we absolutely annihilated some churros and bought a refillable popcorn bucket. ($2.99 refills!)
And then my daughter spotted a nice-looking bench right outside the Millennium Falcon.
“Can we just sit here for a minute?” she asked.
My feet were throbbing, so I wasn’t going to argue. So we sat down. And she just... watched. People in matching family shirts. A dad pushing a stroller with true purpose. A little kid losing her mind over a balloon. My daughter took it all in like she was watching her favorite show, completely content, asking for nothing. And I wasn’t about to interrupt her zen.
What she wanted was the bench, and the bench she would have.
Disney World is one of those rare places that works as a full sensory experience even when you’re completely still.
The music is themed, layered, intentional, and different in every land. It’s one of those things about the parks that you don’t notice until you stop moving for a bit. The smells change as you walk: popcorn near the entrance, something warm and sugary near the bakery, that distinctly humid air that hits you when you walk past the Pirates exit. The people, smiling (or kids crying), are just fully immersed in the Disney magic.
If you let it, Disney will just wash over you.
How To Let Your Kid Plan Your Disney Day
- Set a fair budget. This can literally be any amount you want!
- Make sure there are guidelines. Maybe you want to say, “Okay, you get one snack, one ride, one show, etc.” to make the day seem a little more doable. Also, your kid won’t get super overwhelmed with too many options.
- Once they pick what they want, YOU HAVE TO AGREE. Remember, this is their time!
- This works best for kids a little older. I’d say ages 7 and up is the sweet spot.
- Have a plan B for when things go sideways (because they will!). If a ride is closed, the character they wanted has a two-hour wait, or they melt down over the snack choices. Stay calm and offer up some alternatives; you have to keep rolling along and keep expectations realistic!
source https://www.scarymommy.com/parenting/i-let-my-7-year-old-plan-our-disney-trip
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