We are debating how to take our "strong-willed" three-year-old (just turned three on 8/28, so a young three) to Disneyland in about a month. She is going though stereotypical threenager phase, so tantrums over random things, etc. She can go without her nap but that makes the afternoons really difficult; in general, she burns out energy-wise around 1 (we actually had to cut back her preschool after-care because of this).
She's been to the local Great America theme park for 2-3 hours before and held up OK until the end. But we're not sure about how a longer day at Disneyland will go. We are debating between a short visit (2-day pass) and a longer visit (5-day pass). Short visit: there's only so much stimulation she can take, it'll be her first trip away from home, plus she has the impulses of a three-year-old BUT we'll have to cram it all in. Longer visit: we can pace ourselves and not try to do too much each day BUT that's a long time away from her normal routine.
I know some kids her age are very agreeable and go with the flow; they can probably have a relatively easy time. But, as our preschool teacher puts it, our girl is smart for her age but also headstrong because of it. Given the cost of the trip (we're going to stay at the GC hotel, possibly get club service to make it easier), we're trying to be as sensible as possible without putting too many expectations on our little one.
Some of our friends have suggested waiting a year until she's a little better developed with impulse control and staying up longer. Physically, this is also a benefit as my wife has mobility/chronic pain issues, which make a feisty three-year-old harder to deal with in tantrum mode. However, my wife is worried that by age four, a lot of the "I can't believe it's real" magic will be gone.
I know it's a bit hard to advise without actually knowing the child. If we were local, I don't think it'd be a big deal but since it's going to be a long drive and thousands of dollars, we're weighing our options. Any constructive advice is welcome. Thanks!
She's been to the local Great America theme park for 2-3 hours before and held up OK until the end. But we're not sure about how a longer day at Disneyland will go. We are debating between a short visit (2-day pass) and a longer visit (5-day pass). Short visit: there's only so much stimulation she can take, it'll be her first trip away from home, plus she has the impulses of a three-year-old BUT we'll have to cram it all in. Longer visit: we can pace ourselves and not try to do too much each day BUT that's a long time away from her normal routine.
I know some kids her age are very agreeable and go with the flow; they can probably have a relatively easy time. But, as our preschool teacher puts it, our girl is smart for her age but also headstrong because of it. Given the cost of the trip (we're going to stay at the GC hotel, possibly get club service to make it easier), we're trying to be as sensible as possible without putting too many expectations on our little one.
Some of our friends have suggested waiting a year until she's a little better developed with impulse control and staying up longer. Physically, this is also a benefit as my wife has mobility/chronic pain issues, which make a feisty three-year-old harder to deal with in tantrum mode. However, my wife is worried that by age four, a lot of the "I can't believe it's real" magic will be gone.
I know it's a bit hard to advise without actually knowing the child. If we were local, I don't think it'd be a big deal but since it's going to be a long drive and thousands of dollars, we're weighing our options. Any constructive advice is welcome. Thanks!
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