How to Dad: Prepping Kids for Disneyland

How to Dad: Prepping Kids for Disneyland

This month, I get to live something that has only seemed like a dream. I get to take my children – ages two-years-old and 10-months-old – to Disneyland.

I was beyond excited when we started planning this trip. However, my oldest son didn’t really believe that we were going to Disneyland and didn’t really know what “The Happiest Place on Earth” had to offer him. So I spent some extra time helping my son get just as excited as me for our trip!

YouTube Videos

One of the most amazing things about being a parent in this day and age is the information that is readily available at any given time. Did you know that every ride at Disneyland has days worth of videos on YouTube? If you didn’t, it’s worth going down the rabbit hole (Alice in Wonderland pun intended). Watch your kids stare in awe as they witness how amazing Disneyland truly can be. It was in these videos that my son learned that Buzz Lightyear, Lightning McQueen, Peter Pan and Iron Man – all of his favorites – have rides and attractions dedicated to them! Watching his face light up with each video was a treat in itself.

Books from the Library

I have always been the type of parent that doesn’t want to have their children dependent on electronics. Sure, the videos were a great way to the lay the groundwork for him, but there are other ways that he could learn about this magical place. Off to the library we went (his favorite place). We found books galore about all things Disney. His favorite was the 2017 Disney Almanac. In it, he was able to see pictures of rides and maps of the park. Every night, he thumbs through the book and asks me when it is time to go to the park.

Countdown Chain

As expected, his newfound knowledge of Disneyland has been making him antsy to get to the park. He wants to meet Thor, Maui, Nemo, Darth Vader and many more. How could he possibly wait? This is where my wife’s genius mind and crafty skills came into play. She made a paper chain that went in succession of black, red and yellow circles. The black circles even had little ears to signify the great Mickey Mouse. For the past month, my son has been tearing away one circle, and it’s almost gone. He knows we are getting close and he packs and re-packs his suitcase everyday.

We have had this trip planned for the last six months and have been just as excited as he is to go. His excitement is overflowing! It has made planning and prepping for this trip so much better. Just a little bit longer, and we'll be there!

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