How to Prepare Your Child for a Disney World Vacation

As a kid, having lived in Florida for four years, I was well versed in the ways of Disney. I grew up going to Disney World several times a year, watching all the Disney movies, and all the great shows they had on ABC's Wonderful World of Disney. As an adult I still feel that childlike rush of excitement every time we visit Disney World. But a Disney family vacation can be very difficult for children. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your little one's first trip to the Magic Kingdom.

If your child is so young that they really don't understand who Mickey Mouse or any other Disney character is then you may want to familiarize them with these characters. Rather than just simply buying the standard Disney movies such as Cinderella or the Little Mermaid buy your child some of the Disney Sing-A-Long videos. These videos retail for around $9.99 and feature real life children interacting with all of the Disney Characters in various Disney theme Parks. With these videos your child will earn to relate singing and laughter with each character which may stave off a serious tantrum upon meeting Winnie the Pooh in real life. A note must be added that these videos, while ensuing screams of delight in a two year old may make a 32 year old feel like sticking a hot poker in their ears. These videos are monotonous and sugar sweet, all the things a young toddler loves!

If you can't put up with the Disney Sing-A-Long video series then you can always request a vacation guide DVD from Disney.com. This video is geared towards older children and adults. These videos usually follow four extremely perky individuals as the tour the different Disney theme parks as they experience the rides and gift shops.

You can also requests maps of each park. My children always have fun perusing these maps. We plan our trip out and talk about which rides we like the best. My daughter even goes so far as to draw up her own Disney's Magic Kingdom map before we go.

You would be surprised how many people don't realize how much walking one does while visiting the Disney theme parks. I was told (by whom I don't remember) that on average a person walks between 5 and 7 miles a day in the Magic Kingdom.

If you are out of shape then I would suggest starting a walking program a month or two before your scheduled family vacation is set to begin. Just walking an extra mile or two a day will help you prepare for the physical exhaustion that you are unavoidably going to experience. I also suggest taking your children on a walk with you. Even though you can rent strollers at the Disney theme parks (at $12 a pop) if your child is anything like mine they like to be out on their feet exploring the world around them. A few weeks of preparing your toddler will make a world of difference.

Last but not least you must explain to your children that they will be standing in lines, lots and lots of lines throughout the entire day. It never fails that every time we visit Disney World there are always a large number of people complaining about the lines. I always find this funny because it should really not be a surprise that there are lines to be stood in at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM, or Animal Kingdom. We always bring something for our children to play with, for my son it's his favorite action figures and for my nine year old daughter it's her Gameboy. Some people balk at the idea of letting my child play video games while on vacation but it keeps her entertained and she has never once in over ten visits complained about standing in line.

I hope that these tips help make your family vacation at Disney World go a little smoother.