If you’re a long-time Walt Disney World guest who’s visited the parks many times without children, you may think you’re wonderfully equipped to take your own kids on the journey you’ve experienced as an adult. What may surprise you is how vastly different your vacation will be with younger ones in tow. We’re not talking about diapers and naps and kid-friendly meals, but rather about the magical little ways the parks will look different when you can see it all through the eyes of a child.
1. You’ll see Disney details all the way to the pavement
Look who left footprints around Storybook Circus
Disney’s rich Imagineering details cover every surface in the park, but many elements are easily overlooked by those whose eyesight is well above ground level. Disney never forgets about its smallest guests. Many of the most interesting and enchanting details in the parks are around the eye level of a toddler or small child, while others are directly beneath your feet, where children are more likely to spot them on the ground.
If you notice your children lingering with their eyes glued to the ground, don’t rush them along. Instead, get down at their level to see what they’re looking at. The streets around The Flying Carpets of Aladdin in Magic Kingdom have gems, coins, and broken mosaic tiles embedded in them. Planets and moons are featured in the pavement around Mission Space in Epcot. Head to Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and you’ll spot Gertie’s massive footprint stamped on the ground.
Disney offers something to look at no matter where your eye level falls. With children in tow, you may notice engaging elements that you’ve never knelt down to look at before.
Characters gain new life
Disney’s famous characters take on a whole new life when you have children with you. While it’s fun to attend meet and greets as an adult, everyone is aware of the slight deception. You can have fun talking to Ariel in character, but it’s unlikely that you really believe the aquatic animation has come to life to sit on a rock and greet Orlando’s vacationers.
Your children, however, will absolutely believe that the flesh and blood Ariel is sitting before them waiting to say hello. Disney’s characters are trained in the finer points of speaking with children. Even the largest and most cumbersome characters will do all they can to get down to the child’s eye level and offer a gentle high-five or warm hug.
One of the most magical experiences you can have is watching a child rush to greet their favorite princess, fully believing that they’re in the presence of real royalty. You simply can’t replicate that wonder and belief as an adult.
Magical touches mean a little more
Though you never know quite when they’ll happen, magical touches are one of the hallmarks of the Disney experience. You might get an unexpected FastPass, a free birthday cupcake, or just a warm congratulation for your celebration buttons. These are great as adults but absolutely fascinating for children.
You’ll soon find that those special little touches go beyond freebies. In many modern settings, children are all but ignored. At Disney, however, Cast Members know that these are the most important guests in the park.
They’ll get down at eye level to speak with pint-sized guests. Little girls are addressed as princesses, and any child in a princess or pirate costume will get the full treatment as such. There’s true magic when a little girl in a Cinderella ball gown finds adults bowing to her as she passes or inquiring about her kingdom. Little boys light up when they can duel with pirates or storm troopers at their respective attractions. Disney allows children to experience the game of make believe on a life-size scale with dozens of players in their game. Indulge your child in some of their fantastical whims for the day and see where an unhindered imagination can take them.
You look past the attractions
Many theme park attractions are too wild, frightening, or overwhelming for small children. If you’re used to visiting Disney as an adult for the roller coasters and wilder rides, you’ll find a dramatically different experience waiting for you with kids, especially if they’re young. Fortunately, visiting with small children doesn’t mean that you have to forego the fun. It only means that you’ll see a different side of it.
There are dozens of activities around Walt Disney World that are designed with kids in mind. At Magic Kingdom, you can while away hours at the Casey Jr. Splash N Soak Station, where fountains and mists create a refreshing water play area. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you can sign up to join the Wilderness Explorers and collect stickers at activity stations throughout the park. There’s plenty to keep you busy, even if you never enter the queue for a traditional attraction. With children, you’ll see the possibilities in a new light.
Your vacation becomes a learning experience
Children absorb information wherever they go. You’ll find this evidenced in a big way at Walt Disney World. As you explore Epcot’s World Showcase looking for a bite to eat, your kids will be taking in the rich cultural details associated with different countries around the world. Take them into the gift shops, attractions, and films around these areas and you may surprised at the insightful questions that pop up from grade school and middle school students.
Along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you’ll find well-informed Cast Members equipped with fascinating facts about the wildlife in residence. Rafiki’s Planet Watch is all about teaching guests how to be better stewards of our planet. Your dinnertime conversation will reveal dozens of deep ways Disney carefully included an important lesson in your fun-filled day.
Visiting Disney World with children after your adults-only vacations is an eye-opening experience that can bring the parks to life in ways you never imagined.
