Strategies for a happy family?

I always like to remind myself that the park isn't going anywhere....I'm picking a couple things in each park that are must dos. Since this will be her first trip in May, I'm going more of the character route than anything else.

If I don't get to x ride for whatever reason, it's not the end of the world.
 
I always like to remind myself that the park isn't going anywhere....I'm picking a couple things in each park that are must dos. Since this will be her first trip in May, I'm going more of the character route than anything else.

If I don't get to x ride for whatever reason, it's not the end of the world.

Best advice I can give. I always tell people who are going (work, friends, family) that you can't do everything so if you have that in your head, that's a great start. Pick a few things and go with it.

Other thing I tell everyone is everyday one person is going to have a meltdown. As long as the others don't join in and you can weather it, you'll be fine. And it sounds like you have the right idea for weather a meltdown (food and/or beer).

I like your mindset in expectations too. I always thought of it this way - treat it like your wedding day (sounds nuts but hear me out). Best advice I got for my wedding is "1 thing will go wrong / not according to plan. Let it slide". So if something each day doesn't go according to plan (tough for all us planners), tell yourself to let it slide and you'll have a much better time. Enjoy it!
 
Every family has their own way of touring. We have always stressed to our girls that a midday break is a must. My oldest knows that she tends to fall asleep and miss the fireworks if she doesn't have a rest time in the afternoon. We don't think about it, we just do it. My husband has a demanding job too so it's also the time he can catch up on emails while we rest.

Our typical park day looks like this:
Arrive for Rope Drop (esp for MK and AK). Tour as much as we can before we start using our FP's that typically begin late morning. After we've used those, we sit down for a lunch (QS or TS). After lunch we may hit one more ride before we head out for a rest. Depending on the timing, we're usually back in a park or Disney Springs by 4-4:30.

My girls haven't seen FOF YET. My DD1 who will be 5 at our time of travel will get to do so this year while her younger sisters nap at the resort. My DH is looking forward to that!

Regardless of what you choose, you know your family best and what their needs are. WDW is a very stimulating environment so we break it up. We actually enjoy our 7+ day trips this way.
 
Just want to say-these tips work when touring with teens as well-sleep late, feed before hangry, midday rest/pool breaks and go with the flow!
Actually find it worth more to stay onsite with older kids (we are generally offsite fans) as they can go back and chill or sleep late as they need/want. Helps to prevent cranky husband as well...:rolleyes1
 
Best advice I can give. I always tell people who are going (work, friends, family) that you can't do everything so if you have that in your head, that's a great start. Pick a few things and go with it.

Other thing I tell everyone is everyday one person is going to have a meltdown. As long as the others don't join in and you can weather it, you'll be fine. And it sounds like you have the right idea for weather a meltdown (food and/or beer).

I like your mindset in expectations too. I always thought of it this way - treat it like your wedding day (sounds nuts but hear me out). Best advice I got for my wedding is "1 thing will go wrong / not according to plan. Let it slide". So if something each day doesn't go according to plan (tough for all us planners), tell yourself to let it slide and you'll have a much better time. Enjoy it!

I totally have a couple Disney trips where something didn't go according to plan...parties accidentally separated (seriously I don't worry about teenagers or anyone young getting lost, I worry about grandparents), food poisoning (thankfully not me), and not knowing they completely changed the FP system from the old paper ones (I was busy planning a wedding in 2014 and didn't stay on top of my Disney game)
 
One thing we always did was respect the kids bedtimes. Even though we were there and could stay out late because there's so much to see & do, it was better for all of us to have rested kids.
 
I'm lucky... my kids are actually better behaved at Disney than they are at home. :thumbsup2 But of course, things don't always go as planned, and everyone gets cranky and frustrated sometimes. The one thing I do is allow everyone to have their "moments". I don't expect my kids (or DH) to keep their feelings to themselves - if they're unhappy about something (even if it's not reasonable) they are allowed to say so (without being disrespectful or making a scene). With a family of 5, it's impossible to make everyone happy all the time. As long as one of us is in a good mood, we can usually use humour to diffuse the situation and move on.

Things will happen that you can't control. On our last trip, we had horrible luck with rides being down. Some of them we went back to later. Some, we never got a chance to do, and that was disappointing. But you just have to have backup plans and focus on the positive... more often than not, your kids will follow your lead. Try to let them know before your trip that these things can happen, so at least they won't be surprised.

Also, let your kids decide what they want to do sometimes. It's easy to get caught in the trap of wanting to hit all the rides because you know your kids will love them. You want them to experience everything. But on our first trip, my DS8 spent what seemed like way too much time playing Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom. But he absolutely loved it, and didn't feel like he was missing out on anything at all. And all three of my kids loved their pool time at the resort possibly more than their time in the parks.

Last tip... watch your kids' faces. Pay attention to the pure joy when they experience things for the first time. Hang on to that when they start whining or refusing to cooperate. It all balances out in the end.
 


Snacks, pack lots of snacks. Drinks, pack drinks. Bring a stroller for the little one. Build down time into your plan, the kids are going to want to go swimming instead of being at the parks, I have had to learn to accept that. Go in with a plan and then be completely willing to abandon it at the gate.
 
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We always carry snacks in our bag even though our kids are now 11 and 12. This includes a small bottle of water, box of juice, or something. When we are waiting in line or it seems to be "that time" I pull those out. I try to make sure the snacks are items that they really like. I also tend to take a few items to keep them occupied. We take cards, small games, etc. and will occasionally sit down whenever it seems like we need a break and play or just people watch. We don't do a mid day break away from the park because the travel time and on off the bus always made for more meltdowns. We find someplace out of the way and play or watch. I also try to be prepared with fans (small hand held ones in the summer) or other items that might be needed to stop a meltdown. Go slow, let them set the pace. For too many years we went so fast. Now we basically meander and the kids seem to enjoy those moments best. These suggestions are also for the husband... I took snacks he liked, sat down when it seemed he was getting ready to snap, and would take the kids for a little while and let him sit somewhere and chill.
 
We are going for 7 days (minus two travel days) and have 4 park days planned, one "rest" (DS, resort) day planned. I guess it's good it's our first trip because the kids don't have any major demands- this will all be new to them. I like the idea about separating if we need to.

We are in the exact same boat! LOL. First trip coming up, 4 days planned and yes - worried about the not so magical emotions that come with the stress of it all. I think all of your points are great!
 
Snacks, pack lots of snacks. Drinks, pack drinks. Bring a stroller for the little one.

Yes! This too! We are actually doing strollers for both my kiddos (6 and 7) I know it's a hot topic (although I don't know why) but we are bringing lunch every day and I am bringing my heavy DSLR camera, plus two park bags. It's too much crap to carry and even just HAULING everything will make us grumpy, I know. A spot for the kids to sit when they get tired and a place to store all my crap and get it off our shoulders literally is super important. Have you planned for a stroller at all?
 
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