Traveling With Kids - Child Psych 101

My Philosophy

As of now, Barbara and I have but one child...and our son is only a toddler. Therefore, I am still an expert in the area of child theme park psychology. In fact, my expertise will continue until such time as my son gets beyond the pre-school hierarchy of needs.  Dr. Spock I am not - and I'm proud of that fact, since I don't agree with most of the venerable doctor's philosophy of child-rearing.  Keep that in mind as you consider for yourself what pieces of my advice you want to apply or not.

Reasonable Behavior

I'm probably an optimist, but I think that in general kids behave reasonably...if you are reasonable in return.  A child is not likely to scream bloody murder about riding Dumbo, if he is assured that he will be able to ride Dumbo later -- but only if his previous experience confirms that he will indeed ride Dumbo later. If history tells him that the only way to ride Dumbo is to pitch a huge fit so you'll let him ride now, then you're in for a long trip.

Timing Considerations with Kids

Comedian Steven Wright says that "you can walk anywhere if you have the time." That philosophy can be restated "you can do everything at WDW if you have the time." However, when traveling with children it will take longer to get things done. Expect it. Even a fast food meal can become a marathon if the kids are playing with their fries, having mini-food fights, spending too much time watching other guests walk by, and dawdling in general. The obvious having been said, plan your time loosely, schedule daily breaks from the hubbub of the parks (see the next section), and don't allow your schedule to drive you. Take your time...