 I love characters…but my little guy is AFRAID!!! Soon after I found out I was pregnant, I had beautiful thoughts of my baby’s first trip to WDW! Taking him to my favorite spots, the cute little character photos of him waddling up to Mickey and giving him a big hug…In all those magical thoughts, NEVER did I EVER imagine that he would be AFRAID of the characters! This thought never crossed my mind…until it happened AND it does happen a lot!! Our first couple of encounters were not terrible, but there wasn't the big hug moment either. When he was about 2, he realized he didn't love these guys up close! I quickly learned that you cannot force a kid to LOVE characters but there are a few tricks learned that helped! Waiting in long lines knowing that there is a character at the front only made things worse for us. Character meals have been the best way to ease us into characters – but my son is still not a fan, but he does tolerate them for Mommy’s sake! With character meals, the kids can watch the characters from a distance and see how they interact with other kids. When a character is approaching, I always get up first for a hug and picture so my son can see it’s safe. Then, I let the character or handler know that my son is a little nervous and standing behind him for the picture is fine….no sudden movements, please!! This method is pretty successful since the character never gets in his face. We also make a game out of it…”Let’s see how long it takes you to smile…1,2,3…" or "when you smile, the character will see the camera flash and they will leave!” This usually gets us a pretty quick smile! We had a surprisingly fun experience with Pluto at ‘Ohana! I shared with Pluto that my son was nervous BUT he was his favorite character. Pluto made it his mission to make sure my son loved him even more by the end of breakfast. He sat with him, hugged him, held him, came back to be sure he was eating, brought him a log for fetch. I wasn’t sure how my little guy would react but he handled it well and made my day!! For outside meet and greets, I will stand in line and my husband and son will wait where I will be exiting from - this helps tremendously because there isn't that build up of fear prior to reaching the front of the line. I let the cast members know who they are and we attempt to get them in the picture. On a recent visit, I was taking a picture with Goofy and Pluto at Animal Kingdom and my son didn’t want to join me. She had my husband join me in the picture and asked my son to stand with her. She showed him the camera she was using and the button she would be pressing and asked for his help. He was eager to be her assistant. She needed to move him up closer and over in the center and allowed him to take the picture. She then gave some high fives and thanked him for being such a good helper! She asked if he would do her another favor….Turn to face her, grab her hands and close his eyes. Then, she backed him up for a hug from Mommy. She asked him to smile and open his eyes…he did and he was in our picture! As he gets older it has been a little easier each time and I’m hoping that our next visit gets us even more time with my favorites! I think the worst thing you can do is to pressure your already frightened child to stand alone with a character. Let them take their time and ease into it. Character meals are a great way to start and gauge their reactions. Jen jen@gomdv.com 815.641.2028  Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation in the Fall? If so, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a MUST do!! Each year, Magic Kingdom Park hosts grim grinning ghosts, eerie entertainment and Disney Characters that go bump in the night, so you’ll want to start polishing your pumpkins now! What can be more MAGICAL, that a night filled with Trick-Or-Treating, Villain Dance Parties and HalloWishes (a spooky rendition of Wishes, only available during this special event)? My family and I have been to this Halloween Party 3 times, and always have a blast! Not only do the kids dress up, but my husband and I do as well! Lead by the Headless Horseman himself, Mickey’s” Boo-To-You” Halloween Parade will definitely set a scare-tastic mood. Spooky floats, your favorite Disney Villains, your favorite Disney characters in spooky costumes, music, dancing & more! This past year, the Sanderson Sisters (from the Disney movie Hocus Pocus) took center stage, along with many other Disney Villains. Using their magic, the sisters definitely through most SPELLTACULAR Halloween party! My kids loved dancing the night away with their favorite villains!! After all, who doesn’t love a good DISNEY VILLAIN?!? Jack Skellington and Sally (the Nightmare Before Christmas), The Old Hag (Snow White) and tons of Disney characters decked out in Halloween Costumes, are available throughout the park for Meet & Greets. While we never miss a visit to the Haunted Mansion during out Magic Kingdom visits, we certainly don’t miss it at the Halloween Party. The big reasons for not skipping it are Madame Carlotta and Madame Rinata who sit on the lawn of the Haunted Mansion entertaining guests in line. Also, there is a special PhotoPass opportunity here with the Hitchhiking Ghosts. While Fastpass+ is not available during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, there are a limited number of tickets sold to this event and only those with tickets to this event are allowed in the park from 7pm-Midnight on party nights. We rarely have to wait longer than 20 minutes for even the most popular Magic Kingdom attractions. In addition to the normal Halloween merchandise available, there is special Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party merchandise that can only be purchased during the party. This Extra-Spooktacular event is only available end of August through early November. While Disney has yet to release dates/pricing, it’s a must do ~ keep checking back, for dates & prices! °o° Interested in attending this event or been thinking about your next trip? I’d love to help! Contact me, or your Mickey’s Dream Vacations agent, today! °o° Mary Beth mary@gomdv.com (773)770-2253  The wait is over, it's time to go to Disney! You know you're headed to the "Most Magical Place on Earth", but driving there is the hard part...or is it? A little pixie dust and you will be there before you know it!
There is nothing like being confined in a car for hours with kids trying to contain the excitement that they are going to Disney, but here are a few ideas to help survive your drive. Movies! Each child picks their favorite Disney movie to watch on the ride down. This not only entertains the kids and gives the adults some quiet time, but it gets them excited to meet the characters they just saw in their movie. Movies can get boring after awhile, so in between each movie play a game. One of our all time favorites is the ABC game. Starting with A, name a Disney attraction all the way to Z or name a Disney character from A to Z. For the older kids, the license plate game. Get out a pen and paper and see who can get the most states, whoever sees it 1st gets to write it down...winner gets a prize. Map out one or two cool places on your route (a mountain, a river, a cool restaurant) to stop and see so everyone can get out, stretch their legs and regroup. Most importantly, pack your favorite blanket, pillow and snacks and enjoy your family. Know that the kids may get fussy or tired of riding, but once you see the Welcome to Disney sign, it will be all worth it! As the Genie says, today's special moments are tomorrow's memories. Let me help make your vacation memories that will last a lifetime! Lesley 229-809-0725 lesley@mickeysdreamvacations.com  I ran the Princess Half Marathon in Disney on February 21, 2016. Being my first half marathon ever, I didn't know what to expect. It was a BLAST! The race began in Epcot at the crack of dawn. Runners were sorted in carousels. I was anxious to get the race started.  The race course takes you from Epcot to Magic and Kingdom and back. It was so weird to be running on the roads I have taken for so many years to get me to the Magic Kingdom! Running in front of and then through the castle was AWESOME! A few characters from Frozen were hanging out to cheer us on!  There were Disney characters all along the race course you could stop and visit. (I didn't stop because I wanted to finish the race!) It was on my bucket list to complete the Princess Half Marathon before I turned 40 - and I did! A few tears were shed as I crossed the finish line, my medal is hung proudly in my house and I would participate in another RunDisney Event in the future! ~Lisa lisa@gomdv.com  One of the fun activities that goes on during the Disney Cruise is the Castaway Cay 5K. I have done this 2 times and really enjoyed myself each time. The run is free but you must register for it at the Port Adventures desk. If you are looking for a fun way to see the island before your relaxing day on the beach I would highly recommend this Fun Run. You can walk or run this and the course is pretty simple. It takes you through the bike path including the loop by the water tower, up the road toward Serenty Bay and back. This will be an earlier morning. Order room service or get to Cabanas early. Make sure you meet at the assigned place noted on your registered ticket 10 minutes before the report time. They load off the ship prior to all the other guests. Pack an extra bag with your swimming suits, flipflops and sun screen so you don't have to walk back to the boat. There are bathrooms to change into swim clothes after the run. Also, if both adults want to run, Scuttles Cove (Kids Club on Castaway Cay for kids 3-12) is open for kids to join right before the race. Once you complete the race you're given a medal. Don't forget to stop by thestore right by the finish line. It is the only store with all theCastaway 5K merchandise. ~Jenny jenny@gomdv.com |
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