Disney with a Preschooler: Disney with Little Ones Series

This post is part of my Disney with Little Ones series.  We recently went with our family to Disney World and took our 4 year old, 23 month old, and 5 month old with us, and I survived with my sanity in tact...I think.  We've already talked about babies at Disney, toddlers at Disney, naptime, stroller rentals, packing tips, and a fun alternative to the autograph book, dining at Disney with food allergies, as well as a great way to keep up with those fun Disney memories.

While it was fun and manageable to have our youngest two kids with us at Disney, taking a 4 year old is what it's all about.  Isabelle was at the perfect age for it.

The Outfits

I'd been told ahead of time that all the little girls like to dress up while at the Disney Parks, so we came prepared with costumes from home.  I packed Isabelle's Cinderella dress for the day we would spend primarily at the Magic Kingdom, her Minnie Mouse dress for the day she would get to meet Minnie Mouse at a character breakfast, and my sister planned to buy a nice Belle Dress for her to wear on our third day.   I packed sundresses for my daughter to wear underneath the costumes in case she got hot or uncomfortable.   

Isabelle, dressed up as Minnie Mouse while meeting her.

I'd hoped to do the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique with her in Downtown Disney so that we wouldn't have to spend valuable park time at the shop, but when I called to make reservations, they were all booked up.  Next time, we will definitely call before our vacation starts.  Fortunately, I didn't tell my four year old about it, and she never noticed other girls with their hair plastered in buns as we walked around the park.  Isabelle was pretty happy because she had her costumes on every day and she felt like she was in all of her favorite movies.  But that brings me to an important piece of advice a friend gave me before we left:  Never make any promises about things beforehand.  You never know when a ride will be shut down or something will fall through.  Just enjoy everything as it comes, but don't make promises.

The Highlights

Isabelle named everything around her, including the name of the boat that we took to Magic Kingdom.  She called it "Secret."

Winnie the Pooh was her favorite ride (I asked her).  Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo, & It's a Small World were also favorite rides.

The character meal was a highlight for her because she had plenty of time with the characters.  She loved every minute spent with any of the characters, but especially Mickey, Minnie, and the Disney Princesses. According to Isabelle, the prettiest princess she met was Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), but the sweetest was Cinderella.

Parades were an amazing chance to see every single character she adored, all at the same time.  She loved the day parade, the Electric Parade, as well as the fireworks and light show at Cinderella's Castle.

Isabelle, sitting on Daddy's shoulders watching a day parade.

Scary Moments

My 4 year old found the dark rides to be a little on the scary side.  Under the Sea, one of the newest rides in the park, caused a little bit of worry for her, but when we got to Ursula, Isabelle was terrified.  Similarly, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin was pretty scary for her too, even though my toddler son absolutely loved it.  A stunt show at Hollywood Studios was also scary because of the loud noises from the car engines, the smoke, and even explosions.  The only thing that made it bearable for her was seeing Lightning McQueen drive out at the very end.  

Surprise Snippets of Fun

As we toured Disney World, there were so many things that our preschooler adored that weren't the main attractions.  After getting off her favorite Winnie the Pooh ride, we discovered Winnie the Pooh's house "under the name Sanders," and Isabelle loved just walking around and inside his house.

When we walked into Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom, we walked right into a big dance party.  Pluto, Goofy, and Chip and Dale were all there in space suits, dancing to music provided by a DJ.  I was ready to check more rides off our list or take the kids to meet Buzz Lightyear, but my daughter wanted to stay and dance.  Watching her dance with Goofy, she was completely free and having the time of her life.  It was a moment I can never recreate, and I really wanted to stay in it forever. 

Discovering the huge Sorcerer Mickey Hat at Hollywood Studios was pure delight for her.  Isabelle loves to dance while watching and listening to parts of Fantasia, so seeing Mickey's hat in such a huge form was exciting.

At Magic Kingdom, the thought the Kilimanjaro Safari was fun, but it couldn't compare to the fun she would have eating a massive chocolate ice cream cone or playing drums at an African exhibit.

I worked really hard to put aside my desire to get as much done as possible while we were in the parks.  Those spontaneous moments of fun were so valuable as memories for all of us.  I'd also read that it's important sometimes to just put down the camera and enjoy the fun with your kids, so I did that quite a bit and just let the Photopass photographers take the pictures instead.   

Your turn:  If you've been to Disney, what were some of your preschooler's favorite moments at the parks?