It’s never too early. How many times have we heard that old chestnut? Well, in the case of developing an appreciation for Disney, it rings true! So today I present a list that every expecting and self-respecting Disney Fan should read.
And if you’ve already received your bundle of joy, then it’s even more important that you read and apply these suggestions. Their little minds could be swayed by Dreamworks characters before you know it, or worse yet, they might see a Universal Studios commercial!
So to make sure that doesn’t happen, I give you 20 Ways to get your child ready for Disney from birth:
1. Hang a Mobile over her crib that plays ‘It’s a Small World After All’ in 27 languages.
2. As you plan your Disney trips, ask yourself: “Will I be able to ride Space Mountain with her strapped in one of those baby carriers?”
3. Make sure to book an appointment at the Main Street Barbershop for that ever-important first haircut!
4. Be sure to track the baby’s height measurement every single day. You must be ready for when she’s tall enough to ride your favorite attraction.
5. Visit the Parks early and often and stay late. You’ll need to build your stamina to endure Disney Parks with a child!
6. Teach her to lift her hands in the air while in the baby swing so she will learn how to assume the position.
7. Prepare your little one for the Disney dining experience by dressing up as different characters during meal times.
8. Search your home area for a local Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique stylist (or kidnap one) so your little Princess always has The Look! If you have the look, you have the feeling.
9. Take your baby to the Flower and Garden Festival every year, to help build up her immunity to Florida allergens.
10. Sing the most infectious Disney songs to her as lullabies every night, so that she’ll never forget them. Seriously. She’ll never be able to forget them!
11. Buy her an iPod Touch and fill it with every Disney App imaginable. It’s never too early to become a Disney Geek!
12. Get her an Alice costume, Mad Hatter and March Hare stuffies, and a tea set, so she can have her own Mad Tea Parties.
13. Slowly start integrating Dole Whip floats and turkey legs into the child’s diet.
14. It’s good to teach kids a second language as early as possible. Why not start with: “Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas.”
15. Instead of trying to get your baby to say “mama” or “dada” as her first word, instead, try to teach her “Mickey” or “Minnie.”
16. Make sure to buy baby’s first Mouse Ears! Never too soon to be a Mouseketeer!
17. Make sure your baby is used to riding around in a stroller… she’ll be doing lots of that at Disney Parks!
18. To get her ready for Parades, cover her in flashing lights and play SpectroMagic Parade Music while you have her walk up and down the driveway.
19. Buy a Tinkerbell nightlight so baby doesn’t ever have to be afraid of the dark or pirates.
20. Play old Disney 45’s while she sleeps. Merlin Jones’ Sleep-learning system doesn’t just work on chimpanzees and Football players!
So there you have it. 20 of the best ways to ensure that your little bundle of joy grows up to love Disney. Try not to think of it as brain washing, but more like very strong suggestions forced upon a young, impressionable mind. No, wait…
Bonus: Tell her bad puns while giving her a bath to prepare her for the Jungle Cruise.
This list was compiled by me with the help of many different writers from across the Blogosphere and originally appeared on the Chip and Company website. It has been edited and updated for publishing here.
What a great post! So much fun.
Thanks Heidi!