Kid Food Critic Journals

A mom recently asked about what others do when kids don't want to eat specific foods.  Years ago, I created these Food Critic Journals to help my kids track, express likes and dislikes, and have more control over foods they eat.  I'm not a nutritionist or a child psychologist - just a mom who wanted to find a way that helped my kids try new foods and have some say in meal times.  I know there's a new "Choose My Plate" diagram that shows that vegetables should be the "staple" of a plate, but this old school food pyramid still helped my kids understand the food groups.

There are a significant number of tips and tricks on the ChooseMyPlate.gov site, too.

Ask your kids what they want for dinner!  Have them help in the kitchen.  Even little ones can help wash vegetables, measure ingredients, stir, etc.  When they are part of the planning and preparation, they are much more willing to try the foods.

In our home, we had our kids try 3 bites (some people call them "Polite Bites" or "No thank you bites") of a food to be able to critique it in the journal.  It helped me better understand and literally see which foods (or groups or types of foods) each kid liked and disliked.  One had a very clear issue with some food textures, and we didn't make him eat any of the foods that had similar textures since it would make him sick.  He could try those on his own as he got older.

I've found that putting together meals that had at least one item on the plate that everyone liked made meal times easier.  Only introducing one new food at a time during regular family dinners was also more willingly accepted.

Keep things positive!  We don't allow anyone to talk negatively about foods during meals.  You can talk about color, texture, flavors, etc.  Have older kids try to guess what ingredients or spices were used in dishes.  If someone dislikes something, we say, "I don't care for ____," or "_____ isn't my favorite," or "I really prefer ____ over ____."  We get the picture, but we don't diminish the food choices that others may really enjoy.  If the older brother makes gagging noises at the table while eating XYZ, the younger brother is now suddenly less interested in eating his favorite XYZ.  So keep it positive.

 A Little Food Critic's Journal download

Little Food Critic Journal Pages

Little Food Critic Journal Summary Page

Similarly, my oldest only wanted to eat at the same "restaurant" every time.  This became a fun game for us!  He was willing to try all sorts of new places, and he always made me laugh as we waited for our food.  He would take the time to examine and assess the cleanliness, amenities, decor, etc.   

A Little Restaurant Critic's Journal download

I hope these help you and your family!

Peanuts Themed Christmas Hallway

Yes, I've been doing Peanuts Gang inspired bulletin boards for the main entry hallway at our elementary school, but the 4th grade teachers wanted their entire hallway to be transformed.  So this covers from the floor to the top of their bulletin boards. The 3 scenes cover three huge walls.  It's *almost* like you're in the story with the characters.  Again, I used an old school hand-rolling die cut machine for the 1" circle snow, snowflakes, and the larger yellow string light circles.  Everything else was done by hand.  

"Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"

Charlie Brown and Linus in the Tree Farm

Lucy offering advice to Charlie Brown

Ice skating on the pond

 

My CRAZY Family: DIY Doodle Pages

 

I saw a doodle book of family members for kids to draw on while traveling, but I didn't need yet another BOOK for each child in the car.  We have plenty of books and drawing pads, etc. in our travel gear.
After creating the DIY Travel Journals with the reference pages, I pulled several doodle images from a quick Google search to use as inspiration for the kids to doodle on two family pictures.  I printed images on both sides of a sheet of cardstock and then laminated the pages. Voila!  (And they don't take up any extra space, because I can slide them into their existing activity folders.)  Just be sure that you have dry-erase markers in your arsenal of travel activities.

DIY Travel Journal for Kids

We have three kids all at varying levels of reading/writing abilities.  In an effort to make journaling this summer a little less scary, I created a couple of laminated pages for reference and they include "naming words," "action words," "describing words," and "connecting words."  My five year olds have an easier time with those titles than they do nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, etc.  
I downloaded a free printable from Activity Village, and I printed out one for each child for each day they would be traveling.  I will be creating some of my own based on some ideas I've had, but those are still to come!  Then, I added a page of ruled notebook paper and a blank sheet of paper for each day so that they can write or draw about anything that they wish for each day.
I printed labels for the front of each journal, and my 5 year old daughter helped me assemble them all!
After seeing these, my step-mom mentioned that she still has something similar from when she was a child, and she treasures it.  I hope our kids do, too! 
(Because I used images that I found on Google for personal use, I cannot share my printable files with the images, but here they are with the words alone for your reference or use!  As always please don't post these on your own site, but feel free to link to this post!)

Easy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Mummies!

Whether you want to make it all from scratch or use store-bought items, these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Mummy kolaches are sure to be a Halloween favorite.

 

Easy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Mummies

 

Ingredients:

• Crescent roll sheets (I used regular crescent rolls and pressed them together, because our store didn't have any crescent sheets.)
• Pumpkin butter (homemade is my preference, but store-bought works just as well. I use a modified version of this recipe. This could also be substituted with any jelly or other fruit butter.)
• 3 oz. Cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used clear Mexican Vanilla)
•  1 Tablespoon milk (more as desired) 
• Candy eyes (or raisins, dried cherries or blueberries, or other candies)

Directions:

 

1. Whip cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
2. Roll out crescent roll sheets on parchment paper and divide into 4 rectangles.
3. Cut slits on left 1/3 and right 1/3 of each rectangle.
4. Spread cream cheese mixture in center 1/3 of each rectangle.
5. Spread pumpkin butter on top of cream cheese mixture.
6. Pull alternating strips across the center of each rectangle leaving a slight opening near the top for the eyes. 
7. If you are using dried fruit, you can place them in before baking.  If you are using candy for the eyes, place them in after baking.
8. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

To help save some money any time of the year, check out Raise.com! You can buy a gift card to get great deals when shopping for ingredients or sell gift cards for cash. This great new site lets users purchase gift cards for less than their value, helping to save you some extra money-- be sure to check out this site when planning to make your Halloween treats!

Bento: Gone fishing

Bento: Pirates and Hello Kitty

Back at it after the long weekend!
Pirates and Hello Kitty themed lunches today.

PIRATES:

Fruit leather pirate ships (cut free hand - portholes are with a small round cutter)

Strawberries & blueberries with pirate hat rings.

Carrots & 2 kinds of tomatoes with pirate rings

HELLO KITTY:

Wilton Food writer drawn Hello Kitty on sandwich

Hello Kitty picks in fruit

Bento: Camping themed lunch box

With the long weekend ahead of us, camping inspired lunches seemed appropriate.  These are the Arctic Zone containers with the small Laptop Lunch containers for dipping sauce.

Sandwiches are decorated with apple fruit leather "tents", broccoli "trees", Colby Jack "fire", and pretzel "logs."  Carrot & celery sticks fill the bottom left container, and if you're camping, fishing is included, right?  So Goldfish fill the remaining container.

Happy Labor Day weekend!

School Lunch Ideas: Star Wars, Hello Kitty, & Back to School

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I LOVE the Laptop Lunch systems.  You'll notice that we have a ton of different bento containers, and although we use them for different purposes, I feel like the Laptop Lunch system is the best fit for our needs.

 

This week's lunches use a combination of Laptop Lunch and Arctic Zone Ultra containers.

Most of the picks, baran, and other décor items come from allthingsforsale.com.  The silicone cups are from grocery stores and World Market.

 

When packing lunches, it's important that you consider your "wet" and "dry" components and the containers you select for each so that your kids don't find soggy pretzels or crumb-filled applesauce.

 

These lunches are mostly the same, but the kids have slightly different preferences and allergies, so you may notice some inconsistencies.  It's on purpose.  They are all nut-free.

 

Lunch 1 - Star Wars & Hello Kitty

Top left: Dried and yogurt covered fruit with a light saber or Hello Kitty pick

Left: pretzels

Top Right: Tortillas with Wowbutter, honey, sliced bananas, and chopped apples (halved so they fit) with a Darth Vader ring or Hello Kitty

Fresh pear

Bottom Right: diced pineapple with a drone ring or Hello Kitty pick.

Bottom: String Cheese

 

Lunch 2 Apple / Back to School Theme

(Looking at the first lunch on the left)

Aussie apple (check here for instructions)
Top left orange silicone: Picante plantains with a chalkboard pick
Top right green silicone: animal crackers
Bottom left green silicone: grape tomatoes
Bottom right orange silicone: dried bananas with alphabet pick
Apple pick in the center of the container.
Gogurt, String cheese, granola bar.

Lunch on far right also contains a sandwich (using the inverted container to trim the crust) with a letter pick and hand-drawn apple using Wilton Food Writers.

Teacher Questionnaire - FREE Printable

As homeroom mom for a few years now, I mentioned to our PTO President at the end of last year that a standard "get to know you" info sheet from each teacher would be incredible - not just about them, their kids and pets, and their favorite color, but what about the best teacher gift they've ever received?

Here's the FREE printable download I've created for my kids this year.  I searched and looked at many of the printables that are out there, and this combines what I loved about each as well as few pieces of my own. 

Game Gear Organization!

Kids + Sports = Fun
Kids + Laundry = No Fun
Kids + Sports + Laundry = Recipe for Disaster

 

How many times have you asked your kids the night before a game if they have all of their sports gear together? How many times are they missing a pair of shorts or one specially colored sock?

 

I have finally found a solution that works for our family. Each game uniform/performance outfit has its own zippered mesh laundry bag. When the child comes home from the game or performance, they put the entire uniform in the mesh bag and into the laundry.  When I am finished washing the uniform, I hang the uniform and the matching mesh bag in our mud room area on a regular hanger (jersey/top) and a skirt hanger (bottoms, socks, tutus).  We keep the corresponding shoes in a wooden bench with open cubby holes beneath the racks.  (Helmets and balls are in separate storage as they are so bulky.) I haven't had any missing uniform pieces all season!

Healthier lunchable

My oldest, to my dismay, loves lunchables. Here is my homemade version for his lunch today; it includes an Asian pear and a cutie. Leaf picks make it a little more "fall."

Bento: Turkey Face

Truly a Turkey sandwich.

Bento: Halloween

Disney with Kids: Checklist & Packing List for Parks - Part 5

Today's post is super short so that it's an easy at-a-glance reference.  

Emergency Kit for EVERY Day:
Keep these items together so you know you have them.

1. Sunscreen
2. Anti-bacterial Soap
3. Baby wipes (even if you don't have babies, these can be a life saver with spilled drinks, dripping ice cream, etc.)
4. Tide-2-Go pen
5. Band-Aids
6. Miniature sewing kit (yes, really)

Daily needs:
Each day, you will need to pack and check for these items.

1. Park Passes!
2. PhotoPass or PhotoPass+ card(s)
3. Sunglasses/hats
4. Insulated drawstring backpack for snacks, drinks, and lunches (lays flat when empty)
5. Water bottles / Sippy cups as appropriate
6. Snacks
7. Lunches
8. Goody or treat for the kids (activity, special snack, pin/button, etc.)
9. External battery charger for phone
10. Extra batteries and memory sticks for your camera - before you pack your camera for the day, take a picture of your children so you have an image of what they are wearing, etc. in case they wander off.
11. Identifying phone number on/for your children (ID bracelet, wrist band, sharpie on upper arm, business card in their pocket, etc..)
12. Discuss a location as soon as you arrive at the park to discuss meeting locations in case you get separated.

As needed:

1. Emergency Ponchos (cheap in WalMart or Target in camping departments)
2. Extra clothes for little ones for accidents OR for after water rides
3. Extra bag for wet/soiled clothes

Need to book?
If you haven't booked your Disney vacation yet, I would LOVE to help you!  I am an Authorized Disney Vacation planner (in addition to being a mom of 3 munchkins.)  You can check out my website or Facebook page to contact me.  

Other Disney trip topics:
Travel
Where to Stay
Preparation & Packing
Tickets, Schedule, & Parks
DIY Autograph Books

All Disney posts.

Disney with Kids: Tickets, Schedule, & Parks - Part 4

There truly is so much to share and to learn to make the most of your trip, so I'm going to dive right back and and get to the nitty-gritty.

Tickets:
The first time we went to Disney, we bought the Park Hopper option with our tickets.  There is so much to do in every single park that there's no need to leave, make your way to a new park, go through the admission process to the 2nd park, etc.  It's an extra $59 per ticket, and with a family of 5, that's a nice little chunk of change.  However, if you are staying on property, it's a GREAT way to make use of extra magic hours and then hit a different park with smaller crowds.

Schedule:
Just for perspective, you need to understand that Disney World is over 40 square miles big.  That's twice the size of Manhattan!  This isn't something you do in a day.  There are over 70 miles of road within Disney World.
The day you arrive, it is likely that you don't have time to make it into one of the Parks.  After you settle in, do grocery shopping, or whatever is required, maybe head to Downtown Disney for dinner and ice cream.  There is plenty of excitement without the cost of an additional day's ticket and the hassle of admission and security checks.

Sharing ice cream at Ghirardelli Ice Cream Shop in Downtown Disney

Phineas & Ferb challenge at Downtown Disney

When lining out your schedule, determine which parks you KNOW you want to see, and then possibly plan on an extra day to go back to your favorite park to either repeat your favorites or explore the things you didn't have the opportunity to on the first day.  

Disney transportation always takes a little longer than what you might expect; remember, the park is HUGE!

We have done Disney every day for 5 or 6 days straight, but we have found that taking a day off here and there can allow you to really enjoy your Disney time more.  On our days off, we may go through Downtown Disney (no entry fee), spend time in the Lego store, enjoy some ice cream, search for our Christmas ornaments (we get one from every trip,) or even head out to swim with the dolphins.  

Doing two or three full days of Disney is exhausting for everyone.  Some down time can really make the last few days more fun.  Our last trip was perfect for us.  

Day 1 - Arrival, groceries, settle in, dinner at the house
Day 2 - Epcot
Day 3 - Magic Kingdom
Day 4 - Hollywood Studios
Day 5 - Day "off" - Downtown Disney
Day 6 - Animal Kingdom/Pandora
Day 7 - Day "off" - Thanksgiving dinner, laundry, packing, Disney movies for kids and football for my husband (We came home with CLEAN clothes instead of piles of laundry to boot!)
Day 8 - Fly home

More on the individual parks in a bit.

Most importantly (even if it's overwhelming), you really do need a PLAN/schedule.  Yes, you'll still need the willingness to be flexible based on the needs of your family, but if you don't plan ahead with what you need to take to Disney, what you need each day in the parks, how much you are willing to spend (and what is realistic), what things are most important for you to accomplish in the park, then you will be frustrated.  

Along those lines, if you see another Disney guest do something nice for you and your family, report it to the nearest Disney staff.  Disney is great about recognizing good deeds.  This is part of the Disney magic.  Also, if you give each of your kids the challenge to do something nice for someone else each day in the parks, the focus no longer becomes "Me! Me! Me!" but those around you.  Lead by example and extend that kindness to others; you may be surprised at the way it makes your trip even more magical.

The best day to go to a park is the day AFTER it has a late Magic Hour.  Many of the other guests plan to attend those parks when they are open longer.

When you navigate the park, consider starting toward your left.  We are programmed to "stay right" on roads, etc., but if you go left and work your way "backwards" around the park, you will be going opposite the traffic flow (and crowds.)  Of course, FastPasses will dictate when you need to be in certain parts of the Parks as well.

Morning - Park Arrival & Naps:
I recommend getting to the Disney Parks as early in the morning as you can.  (When they open is ideal.)  However, you know your kids - we do NOT wake ours up in order to start our Disney days.  If they are sleeping late and I wake them early, I'm setting myself up for a day of meltdowns and frustration.
Upon arrival to your first, pick up your FastPasses for the day (more below), and then redeem your voucher for your PhotoPass+ or pick up your PhotoPass(es) for the trip.  They had said that we couldn't combine PhotoPasses and PhotoPass+ cards, but at the end of the trip, they did. So even when my husband and I were split up with the kids, we were still able to use a free PhotoPass for "regular" pictures and the PhotoPass+ for rides and other pictures.  I'm not promising that they'll do it, but it worked out for us.  
If your kids can nap in a stroller, then by all means make that happen at the time that works best for your family.  (After lunch was our nap time.)  The adults would either push the stroller around for continued motion or sit down and put their feet up for a moment.  Alternatively, one of us would stay with sleeping children while the other took our oldest to do "big kid" rides.  Another option is to find out about "slow" and "dark" rides, because they can be just soothing enough to lull little ones to sleep.  We have a favorite for this at Epcot, Spaceship Earth, and we save it specifically for nap time. 

Night Time Spectacular Shows - How long to stay at the park? Have a plan in place and know the times for the Night time spectacular shows at the park.  For example, Hollywood Studios does Fantasmic twice at night.  We knew that we needed to make the early show, or our kids wouldn't last.  Also, know that Fantasmic is a little scary; no one told us that.  It can be terrifying for a toddler.  The Electric Parade at Magic Kingdom is great, but you need to arrive early if you want a good viewing spot.  These people are SERIOUS.  Epcot's IllumiNations is probably the easiest to see, and you have mobility while you watch it which is helpful when your littles are tired.  The Magic Kingdom's Wishes Nighttime Spectacular is a must, and you can see it from the ferry if you choose to leave immediately after the Electric Parade.  However, you can only see Tinkerbell's flight if you stand somewhere in the Cinderella Castle forecourt or on the surrounding bridges. 

FastPass
Know what rides you want to do in each park and the height requirements for each.  As soon as you enter the park, have one person take the admission tickets for the number of people that will want to ride that ride to a FastPass kiosk if applicable.  If you have little ones that won't be able to ride the rides, you can also get FastPass tickets with their admission tickets and then others can ride twice in a row.  (Our oldest thought this was awesome!)  
Another thing to know is that Disney offers "Child Swap" or "Rider Switch" or "Parent Swap." No, you don't get to trade your kid or spouse in for a new one, but it does mean that you can ride a ride while your spouse stays with your kids.  Then when you finish the ride you hand the "Child Swap / Rider Switch Pass" (similar to a FastPass) to your spouse, your spouse can ride while you stay with your kids.  If you have a child that does want to ride and one that doesn't, the "riding" child can actually ride with both parents and ride twice.  

The Parks:

Random tidbit - they do not sell gum in any of the parks.  This is an effort to keep the parks clean.  Considering how many people come through the parks daily, they keep the parks immaculate!

Right when you enter the parks, there is an area with FREE special occasion buttons: First Time at Disney, Birthday, Anniversary, Family Reunion, etc. If anyone in your group hasn't been before, pick up a First Time Visitor button, and all week the Disney employees will congratulate you/her/him and ask how she/he is enjoying her/his first trip to Disney. Kids love the attention. Birthday buttons will get acknowledged with well wishes and sometimes with song. It is a lot of fun to watch!

If you made your own character Autograph Books and took my advice on noting where to find each character, then you've got a head start on making sure you meet your children's favorite characters.  When you enter the park, grab a little sheet that has all of the meet and greet times for the day.  The times CHANGE, so it's not something you can do too far in advance.  Make note of the "must meet characters" and work them into the schedule you've already made.  Don't worry about Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, or Goofy, because you will meet them either in Epcot or around each of the other parks.  Also, if you've scheduled a Character Meal, don't worry too much about those characters either, because they will come by your table to interact with the kids and sign books.

You'll definitely want maps of the parks, and this is a great way to customize the maps based on what's most important to your family or specific to certain trips.

Turk - before we realized the importance of PhotoPass so we could ENJOY the moments as they happened

Our sweet little man had picked up acorns to give to Chip & Dale on his
very first visit and carried them around with him until he met them.

Animal Kingdom is great for the little ones, but part of it is a really big zoo.  You can see a ton of animals in the exhibits and on the trails.  The Tree of Life is awesome and worth seeing.  For the big kids, Expedition Everest is a must.  For the little kids (unless they are easily scared), take them to see the 3D show It's Tough to be a Bug!  Pandora makes this park completely relevant again to EVERYONE, and my kids LOVE the Explorer program to go to stations throughout the park to learn (like from Up!)
The Boneyard seemed like a great idea to let our (then) almost 4 year old run and play (mind you this was only ONE child.)  We had 2 adults there to watch him as he entered on one end and then "catch" him to follow him on the other.  He disappeared.  It.was.terrifying.  I approached a Disney cast member, and she wasn't much help.  We frantically called for our son and finally found him happily playing, but I will *not* take my 3 kids in there by myself.  Call me "chicken."
There are a ton of educational opportunities within this park, and for that I did like it.  Our experience in Rafiki's Planet Watch was great, and it is definitely worth the Wildlife Express Train ride to get over there.  Just be sure to do it earlier in the day, because that section of the park closes early.
Recommended Nap Time Ride: Wildlife Express Train (~10 minutes) or *possibly* Kilimanjaro Safaris (~20 minutes)

Our oldest made silly faces in almost every single family picture during the trip.
It was chilly enough at night in November to put jackets on all of the kids.

Magic Kingdom is a must if you've never been to Disney because of Cinderella's Castle alone.  With the newer additions to the park, this one remains relevant.  
Fairytale Hall is the only place I saw with FastPasses for character meetings (Cinderella and princesses), and I wish I had realized it BEFORE we stood in line for an hour.
Shopping on Main Street is still a must!  It's a small town feel and great fun - candy shop and all. 
Similarly, who can resist the giant Prince Charming's Regal Carousel?  
Country Bear Jamboree is one of the very last attractions that Walt Disney personally helped develop, so although certainly not my favorite (or that of my children), it was interesting to see once.
Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D show is one that my kids all love.  Seeing them reach out to "touch" the show is always awesome, because the magic is so real. 
Under the Sea had an early reveal that we were able to see, and they did a great job with the "wait" portion for the ride.  There were so many cool things to see during your time in line that you didn't mind waiting for the ride.  People were actually stopping to watch elements along the "line" even when there weren't people in front of them.
Space Mountain is a must for the thrill seekers!  This is one that with your PhotoPass+ you can get your pictures for free.
Pirates of the Caribbean is a little scary, so be warned.
If you don't have girls, this park may be your least favorite, but it's still worth seeing once.  
(They do sell alcohol in The Magic Kingdom now, too.  For years it was the only one that did not.)

Silly faces continue...

EPCOT
There is SO much to see and do in EPCOT that you could easily spend 2 days in this park alone.
Be sure to stop at the Character Spot to ensure that you get autographs and pictures with all of the major Disney characters.
If you have kids that are 5 years old or older, then Agent P's World Showcase Adventure can make the World Showcase much more fun and educational for them.  (There's not truly an age limit, but it's certainly targeted at 7-13 year olds.)  Your child will get a small cell phone and a secret agent name at one of the designated locations.  They will receive directions and clues, and at each successful step in the mission, the world around them will interact with them when they aim their spy phone at the "find."  It makes the details around them truly come to life and seem a bit more magical for the "too cool for school" age kids.
Kidcot Fun Stops can make the World Showcase more fun for even the little ones.
Journey into Imagination with Figment is a great little exploration ride and then interactive experience for little kids.  I didn't know who Figment was the first time we went, but I made sure to take the twins (by myself) last time while my husband and older son did Mission: Space. 
Mission: Space is definitely a thrill ride.  I love rollercoasters.  This is not a rollercoaster.  I've ridden it once.  I'm.good.thank.you.very.much.  My husband and son LOVE it.
Soarin' is a great "ride," and although it isn't a 'coaster, it's still one of my personal favorites.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends is good for the little ones and Turtle Talk with Crush can be pretty funny, too.  While doing that, grab a picture inside the shark, watch the diver in the tank, and look at the aquariums.
Beyond what you SEE at Epcot, there are so many other things to DO.  Are you interested in cheese?  Take a cheese class!  What about wine pairings or mixology?  They do that, too!
Each country has at least one restaurant that is themed with their native cuisine, and many of them require reservations (French and Canadian always seem to be booked.)  The French restaurant, Chefs de France, is fabulous, and Ratatouille makes appearances as well.  We have had a black & tan on the patio of the Rose & Crown Pub in England and had wood-fired pizza in Italy at Via Napoli. We've had a margarita in Mexico, too.
Slow down and enjoy it!  There is entertainment around every corner, so even if you have an idea of what you want to do next, don't miss out on magical moments and discovery.
If you can stay for IllumiNations, it's worth it!
Recommended Nap Time Ride: Spaceship Earth or Living With The Land

Snow White made the entire trip magical because of this one interaction.
We had missed her the day before, and she wasn't even in a character spot, but when she
saw me telling our daughter, "There she is!" Snow White didn't miss a beat.  She said, "Hello, Princess,"
took her hand and led her to a quiet spot to talk to her, take pictures, sign her autograph book, and she even kissed
her cheek.  Our daughter didn't want to wash her face.  She pressed her cheek to the autograph page to "save" it, and then decided she could also share it with her brothers by pressing her cheek to theirs.  *heart melted*

Hollywood Studios:
I think this park is often overlooked.  It is smaller than the others, but it has some really great attractions.  If you book far enough in advance, you can even have dinner with an Imagineer.
Studio Backlot Tour is definitely worth seeing.  It's a behind the scenes look at special effects, and it takes you through waterfalls, fire, etc.  
If you like the special effects, you may also want to see the extreme stunt show, Lights, Motors, Action!, that even our 3 year old enjoyed. 
If you have little ones (Disney Jr. age), then you'll want to go to Disney Jr. Live On Stage.  The last time we went, the lines were incredibly long, and twice they cut the line short before we got up there, so if the line is short, jump in it!
Rock'n'Roller Coaster is a must for the thrill seekers.
Toy Story Midway Mania is a favorite for ALL ages.  If you ask everyone to agree on one ride, this one is it.  Be sure to get a FastPass for the 4-D moving target experience.
If your kids love the 3D shows where they reach out to "touch" the characters on screen, then head over to MuppetVision.

Need to book?
If you haven't booked your Disney vacation yet, I would LOVE to help you!  I am an Authorized Disney Vacation planner (in addition to being a mom of 3 munchkins.)  You can check out my website or Facebook page to contact me.  

Other Disney trip topics:
Travel
Where to Stay
Preparation & Packing
DIY Autograph Books

All Disney posts.

Disney with Kids: Preparation and Packing - Post 3

There is no getting around the fact that a Disney trip is expensive.  We feel like it has been worth every penny in regards to the experience and the magic as we watch our kids.  That doesn't mean we can't be smart about making every detail special.

I talked about the actual travel activities and goodies, but what about while at Disney?   There are SO many items that your kids will want, and they add up!  Even though you may splurge on items while there, it's nice to have a few "treats in your back pocket" that make the budget go a little further.

In the months leading up to our trip, I scoured stores and the internet and watched for sales on pajamas, shirts, glitter hairspray, face jewels, princess costumes and shoes, tiaras, Disney pins, glow sticks, stickers, and plush Disney characters.  Sound excessive?  It wasn't.

Before we left for Disney, we got Mickey and Minnie plush characters for the kids.  To bring as little attention to our son's need for sensory input, I chose to fill Mickey with weighted pellets instead of bringing a weighted lap pad.  I carefully took out about 2 inches of stitching in his bottom, and I pulled the stuffing from his body, legs and feet.  I used a funnel to fill him with weighted poly pellets, and I sewed him back up.  Because he weighed so much, we had to carry him on the plane instead of checking him, but it was good to have him for the flight, too.

The twins in their sock monkey pajamas with Minnie and weighted Mickey Mouse before leaving our home for Orlando.

Knowing that the day we arrived in Orlando, we wouldn't actually "do" Disney but rather get groceries, settle in to the house, and try to get a good night's rest, we gave the kids new Disney pajamas.  The excitement was almost too much to contain.

Folding and then rolling shirts up with the design facing out and tying it up with a ribbon makes for pack-able gifts. We ordered customized Mickey shirts (and matching pants for our daughter) from StealingKisses  for the entire family: we had Perry the Platypus, Mickey and Minnie Mouse shirts.

Shirts (and Zebra pants) from Stealing Kisses.  Notice the red and black Mickey shirt has Mickey Mouse's autograph on the shoulder after our character meal with Mickey.

As awesome as the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is, we weren't going to be doing that daily, so I brought glitter hairspray, face jewels, new princess dresses, glittery ballet flats, and a tiara.  This allowed her to be dressed as a princess almost every day.  It meant that I spent a little extra time getting her ready in the morning, but it was so worth it!  (Book your princess's BBB appointment as soon as you book your trip.  They fill up months ahead of time.)

She was completely starstruck after Snow White kissed her on the cheek.
She wanted to "save" it, so we pressed her cheek to her autograph book page.  She decided then that she could also share it with her brother, so she pressed her cheek to his.

 On her way to meet Cinderella with her autograph book in hand.  Talk about Disney Magic!

Just so you know, we did see "boy" characters as well.  

We bought glittery ballet flats in black, silver, and gold to match all of her clothes for the week.

Do you plan on staying for some of the awesome night time shows at the parks?  Hollywood Studios' and Disneyland's Fantasmic, Magic Kingdom's Electric Parade, Wishes Nighttime Spectacular, Epcot's IllumiNations are all shows in the dark.  You can buy a tube of 10 glow bracelets for $1 at Michaels; pass them out just before all of the vendors break out their glowing flashing items.

Throughout the parks, the kids will be offered character stickers (see the round Mickey sticker on the Mickey Mouse page below.)  The first trip, we tried to coordinate them with the autograph page of each character in the small Disney Autograph Book that we purchased at Disney.  This last trip, the kids put them either in their custom autograph books or on their shirts or where ever else suited them that day.  A sheet of Disney stickers for the kids to adorn their autograph books is an inexpensive "treat" and activity for any time - whether still at the Parks or waiting in the airport for the flight home.

The Autograph Books I made on my computer in Publisher and had bound at an office store.
Read how I made them HERE.

If you're crafty, you can make pins or necklaces for the kids with their favorite characters.  If you aren't (or just don't have the time,) check Etsy!  

Are you taking (or renting) a stroller for Disney?  Although they have a decent system in keeping the hundreds of strollers fairly organized, I would encourage you to take something to easily mark your stroller.  Whether you make signs and laminate them that say "This stroller belongs to LAST NAME family" or if you just bring a brightly colored scarf or bandana, it will make your life easier.  If you choose to make signs, laminate them.  Why make 2?  Because if it does rain, even with lamination, it's possible that it will be ruined.  You can attach them to the stroller with gift wrapping/curling ribbon.  Use brightly colored paper for your sign to stand out even more, and put your cell phone number in a smaller font on the back of the sign for further identification.

If you are telling your kids about the Disney trip before you go, you may consider finding someone to do "Fairy Godmail" for you.  Essentially, you have someone send your kids a postcard from their favorite Disney character saying, "I can't wait to see you!"  or what ever you want.  Then, when you go, you can pay it forward and do the same for someone else.  Please remember to be safe about giving out your children's names and your mailing address.  *Note: It is easier to find postcards in Orlando at the stores than it is at DisneyWorld.  So, be sure to pick them up when you're at WalMart or order some ahead of time.

My husband was in Florida for work a few months before our trip, so he brought back Mickey and Minnie ears, water bottles, etc. and said that Mickey and Minnie had sent them as a gift to let them know that they were excited about the kids coming to visit them.

Last, but certainly not least, plan on a PhotoPass or PhotoPass+ or MemoryMaker.  On our very first trip, I didn't know anything about autograph books or PhotoPass before arriving, and we missed some of those moments because of it.  If you're getting the PhotoPass+, you'll need to order it before you leave (with enough time for it to arrive to your home.) Disney photographers are positioned throughout the Disney Parks (and always at Character spots) to capture the most magical moments of your vacation.  When you buy PhotoPass+, you can have all your photos from the photographers throughout the parks plus some from specific character meals and rides. You are able to enjoy the moments - truly be present in those moments - without having to be the photographer and you can get everyone in the picture in the process.

Need to book?
If you haven't booked your Disney vacation yet, I would LOVE to help you!  I am an Authorized Disney Vacation planner (in addition to being a mom of 3 munchkins.)  You can check out my website or Facebook page to contact me.    

Next up: Tickets, Schedule, and Parks

Other Disney trip topics:
Travel
Where to Stay
Autograph Books

All Disney posts including Elf on the Shelf ideas.