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Pirate Princess
07-30-2006, 11:15 PM
OKay... so what do you do to avoid the 1,000's of "Are we there yets?" on the way to Disneyland.
Three simple rules:
1. No bragging about your five minute walk to the park and the fact that you can see the fireworks every night from your balcony. :p (Jealous) This is a thread for those who have to make the long trip...
2. Post age-appropriateness for games/ideas
3. Give a brief description only if necessary

I’ll start.
1. “I’m thinking of an animal” or “I’m thinking of a Disney character”: Ex. I’m thinking of a large animal that lives in the water. (Other guesses.) or I’m thinking of a Disney character that flys. (Other guesses.) For younger players they can have unlimited guesses. For the older kids you might want to set a guess limit to make it more challenging. If the guesser does not guess correctly or gives up they remain the guesser through another round. You can add your own rules to make it more fun. Ages: 3-12 (???)
2. Highlights Magazine picture finds: http://www.highlightskids.com/GamesandGiggles/HiddenPics/HiddenPicsPrintable/h8hiddenArchive.asp
If you have two or more children you can make it a competition by printing one out for each of them and see who accomplishes them first. You know your kids best so if this would provoke a fight.. don’t do it this way. For older children you may want to have them try to find the items without the second page since using the pictures, rather than the words, makes the task more difficult. (TIP: When printing them out make sure to staple the first and second page so that they don’t become mixed up with other picture finds. They can rip them apart in the car as they work on each one) Ages 3- Adult (I tried one today and still can’t find that darn bell)
3. DVD player: They are worth every penny. Think about how fast time passes when watching a good Disney movie. You can get them very very cheap now. Ages: all.
4. Video Game system: My favorite is Leapster. Fun games, nonviolent, and borderline educational for young kids. About 4 to 10. For older kids Gameboys and such are probably more age appropriate.
5. Books and Mags: my favorites are Disney themes to get more excited. Also, picture finds are again a good choice for children who cannot yet read. For example: Where’s Waldo or I found an Aladdin picture find book at Borders on clearance. Age: depending on the book
6. Coloring: Especially in the scorching heat of summer – pack colored pencils. Crayons melt to the carpet after rolling under your seat. Ages: 2-12
7. Activity books: Mazes, Kids Sudoku, Dot-to-Dot, etc. Age: Varies
8. Audiobooks: Disney makes plenty. We have a great Pixar one that you can follow along with a hardback book. Here’s an example: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1865153044/ref=pd_bxgy_img_b/104-2128193-4817564?ie=UTF8
Of course there are thousands of audiobooks out there for all age groups. Ages: all
9. Music: ‘nough said. Ages: all
10. Travel games: travel Lite Brite, travel Magna Doodle, travel Match Game, travel Etchasketch, etc. Age: Varies

Lastly a tip: When you are all buckled in.. how do you have access to all these fun games??? Buy a back seat organizer that straps to.. you guessed it.. the back of the seat. They only cost a couple bucks and make the drivers life easier (cuts down on the “Can you hand me..” and “Where’s the…” We use certain pockets for trash, drink holders, game storage, pencil holders, wipes, etc.

barely
07-31-2006, 07:43 AM
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you H22kai! This is WONDERFUL information!

Koala Gurl
07-31-2006, 07:47 AM
Our favorite car game growing up:

the alphabet game - getting thru the alphabet using street signs, etc. Make rules tougher (e.g. no license plates, etc.) to "stretch" out the game.

annalisa
07-31-2006, 07:54 AM
How about tips for six hour plane rides? :rolleyes:

Lol, I'm eighteen, and on every trip to DL, I feel like I'm the only one who can't sleep the night before, on the plane, once we get there, etc. My family makes fun of me for it, but wouldn't you want to go to DL first thing rather than a nap?

Andrew
07-31-2006, 08:47 AM
We switch off driving at least once. When I'm driving, she's reading or sleeping; when she's driving, I'm usually on the laptop. We have XM radio in both cars so there's always music or baseball, and sometimes we'll pick up an audiobook.

hg0079
07-31-2006, 08:47 AM
Since I am "auntie" on our trip aka the adult in the back of the van...

I am creating suprise envelopes for each daytime hour for instance
one might contain their new sunglasses
the second a fun fact about disneyland
the third a stick of gum
the four a fun new kids comedy cd I picked up for them (and us)
the fifth another fun fact
the sixth postcards for them to start writing to grandma on
the seventh another fun fact

etc etc etc

mowsluver
07-31-2006, 08:57 AM
We too have a long drive when we go...about 16 hours.
We have found that driving at night is a Godsend!!!!! We usually eat dinner, the kids get comfy jammies on, and we have plenty of daylight left for them to play some games and look at the scenerey, but just about the time they get bores with all of that, it gets dark. They each have a travel pillow and a sheet to cover with.
I have slept most of the day so the drive is not a problem. Cooler. Less traffic. And about 3 a.m. I pull into a travel stop and park for an hour of 'put my head back and rest' time.
When it gets light out and the kids start to wake up, we stop for breakfast and to stretch our legs a bit and then we know we are only a short couple of hours fom the hotel.
They can start over with looking out the windows, playing games etc and then we are there!
Usually (but not always because I am as excited as the kids!) I will nap in the room while they watch some tv, or we will go to the pool (kids) and hot tub (me!) and get ready for an early bedtime to be up and out first thing in the morning. We have done this for the past 15 years and I can drive to DL in the dark with my eys closed now!! Well, I mean I know the way and the landscape by heart!

hg0079
07-31-2006, 09:13 AM
we totally do the night driving too..and have 16 hrs

this time we will depart at midnight

Doofy
07-31-2006, 09:40 AM
Growing up my mom would have a small present for us every 100 miles. We had to behave or else she would not give us the present. It was little things like some candy or a coloring book but it made us look forward to the next 100 miles passing by.

LindaM
07-31-2006, 10:04 AM
When my kids were younger and we did road trips, I would start buying them little things for the car without them knowing. I would then put them all in a new backpack, and within 1 hour of the trip I would give them each their backpack. The excitment and all the new things that they received would keep them busy for the remainder of the trip.....always include a new travel game that the kids would love. Another game my brother came up with when we went on a road trip with him, is hide and seek.....we would pick someone's house(usually grandma's), and everyone had to pretend to "hide", and give clues to the person who was guessing on where they were hiding....we made up the rules as we went.

tonytone
07-31-2006, 12:00 PM
#3 for us; our SUV came w/ the factory overhead DVD player/screen but I soon found out that one wasn't enough--not w/ three small kids old enough to know that they each have their own ideas as to exactly what they want to watch...so I wound up buying a pair of headrest monitors w/ built-in DVD player in each headrest.

And before all you moms and dads start telling me how I shouldn't give in and cater to each child's needs in such a manner--well you try going on a 6+ hour road trip and see how well you can tune out the whining of three kids for that long a duration. ;)

MrsPooh
07-31-2006, 12:19 PM
We love to start out really early in the morning. Piglet wears comfortable clothes to sleep in, and we wake him only long enough to get settled in the car. Then he sleeps the first 2-3 hours of the trip.

Portable DVD players are a Godsend.

Piglet has trouble reading while he rides (as does his aunt) so he normally won't do that. He is of the age where he wants his own CD player and tune out with his own music (he is 11.)

I have found, for me, I do better with my needlework. I love to do embroidery, and it allows me to talk as we go, instead of tuning out with a book.

TLMt once suggested old radio shows on tape, I might do that for our next trip, let Piglet hear some of those old shows.

MrsPooh
07-31-2006, 12:19 PM
And before all you moms and dads start telling me how I shouldn't give in and cater to each child's needs in such a manner--well you try going on a 6+ hour road trip and see how well you can tune out the whining of three kids for that long a duration. ;)

Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do! :D

tink1234
07-31-2006, 12:46 PM
Our top ten:

1. Books on tape-with each child having their own tape player. ($5 at Wal-mart)
2. Various Dollar Store finds. (Hair-Do Harriet, etc.)
3. Aluminum Foil (Okay, don't laugh too hard...just let them sculpt and mold with foil then toss. Makes great princess crowns and rings)
4. Chenille Sticks aka pipe cleaners
5. Take some travel downloads and laminate or put into page protectors and use dry erase markers.
6. Use a cheap cookie sheet as a tray. You can laminate a picture of a road. Use sticky tack or magnets to attach to the tray and let them play cars with a couple of matchbox sized vehicles.
7. Clay ...No, I am not crazy. Take cheap clay, not playdough, and let them scupt on a cookie sheet. It is easy clean up, just store in a plastic baggie.
8. Tangrams. These are those shapes that are mental mind puzzles. You can either download them, laminate and stick onto a template with sticky tack or purchase them. They are pretty inexpensive. We make our own as I don't want to risk losing little pieces all over the car.
9. List of games. Just do an internet search of games. When boredom sets in suggest a game.
10. Mad Libs!

Hope this helps. I travelled a lot growing up, as do my dc. I think 1/2 the trip is the way out there!!

Here is our general itenerary:
5 AM leave
8 AM wake children, eat at McDonald's so they can stretch their legs and change.
12 PM Stop for picnic lunch, stretch legs in touristy area. 7 hours out the way so far!!
5ish Stop for the night at hotel. Sight see or enjoy the pool. Get to bed early!

7 AM leave after continental breakfast
Mid morning snacks in the car. Potty while refilling the tank.
1 PM Lunch in the car
5 ish stop for dinner. We all need to get out of the car and "run the dogs":D .
8 or 9 Arrive. Late night snack. Rest after a long trip. We like to have some kind of surprise activity for the kids this night so they can relax easier. Like coloring books, etc.

potterphreak
07-31-2006, 01:30 PM
Our top 8

1. We bought a DVD player for the car that has 2 screens and they attach to the front seats of the mini van. AWESOME!!!
2. Books-is a nice break for the 6 year old and even the 3 year old likes to "read"
3. "I Spy" which is funny cos this is how my 3 yr. old plays-"I spy with my little eye something that is a bear on that sign over there"
4. CD of their music
5. My Little Ponies-they loooooove them!
6. Polly Pocket (tip-take away all the shoes cos my car eats Polly shoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner)
7. Since we take so many trips, we like the "What comes next" game. Example, we have just passed the very first DOS ACCIDENTES 222-2222 billboard, what comes next? (Last trip tho, they had all been replaced. Very sad. LOL!)
8. I like to knit, read and nap on the drive. I really think the drive from Modesto to Anaheim is super boring (nothing to look at! look, more weeds on the side of the road!) so I usually conk out if DH is driving.

Sub Maniak
07-31-2006, 01:37 PM
1. We bought some disney character cards and someone picks one every hour. We call it Character of the Hour!:p

2. Sightsee!

my2lalas
07-31-2006, 01:46 PM
You all have such great ideas! It's about 6 hours for us, and we usually leave about 5am. Our two girls are early risers (2 and 4) so they are awake almost the whole way. We try to get them to take a nap, threatening if they don't we'll nap at the hotel instead of riding the rides (like I'd actually let that happen ;) )
I like the Highligts link, I'll try that. The color pencil tip will come in handy, never thought of using those when it's so hot. We watch two Disney movies and stop for breakfast at McD's. The rest of the time it's reading Disney books, Leappad, and I Spy. One of our favorite things is to listen to the 50th Disneyland double cd with all the songs from the rides. Our daughters see who can guess what song it is first. They usually get them within a couple of notes. That's when I know I've completely brainwashed my girls---but, it's Disney---it's all good!:D
I agree, the trip is part of the excitement, I'm all about the buildup. :)

rosie
07-31-2006, 03:26 PM
Our family always plays " I went on a picnic...."
First person will start with an item beginning with the letter "a", second person will then have to say that thing plus their thing that begins with a letter "b" all the way till "Z" or someone flubs the items. My daughters are now 20 and 22 and we still play this game as a family.. the things brought to the picnic have gotten increasingly interesting.;)

ghoofie
07-31-2006, 03:47 PM
I made my own little DVD player setup, for when we rent a minivan. I cut a plastic sheeting small square about 4x4 in. Drilled a hole in the middle and attached it to a camera tripod. Put velcro on the top of it and velcro on the bottom of a portable dvd player. The tripod stands easily on floor in middle of second row seats. The tripod is adjusted just high enough so that the back row can see it also. So has not to distract the driver (usually me, drats), I plug in a headphone splitter into the headphone jack. Then in one of those headphone jacks I plug in another splitter, and I usually have 3 or 4 headphones available. You can buy headphones with their own individual volume control at radio shack for under $15.

Well that worked great for ONE trip... by the next trip...any of the kids that went each had their own ipods, PSP's, and own DVD players. So we didn't need it.

It's a 7 hour drive for us.

annieb727
07-31-2006, 04:16 PM
ok...have to break in here and tell you guys this...we bought a portable DVD player JUST for the DL trip...we drove from WA (seattle area)...

We drove four hours to Eugene had a break then started the LONG JOURNEY...

In that 14 hours from Eugene THRU the night drive, our 3 year old BARELY SLEPT -- he was GLUED TO THE DVDS!!! Seriously - he probably only slept 2 hours and we arrived in anaheim at 7:30AM!

Malcon10t
07-31-2006, 05:39 PM
And before all you moms and dads start telling me how I shouldn't give in and cater to each child's needs in such a manner--well you try going on a 6+ hour road trip and see how well you can tune out the whining of three kids for that long a duration. ;)
There are times I wish we had this stuff when my kids were younger. Back in the dark ages, we played the license plate game (list all the states on a piece of paper and cross them off as you see one. Truckers were good for a couple states. Hawaii was the hardest to find. I also made sure the kids could see a clock in the car and let them know what time we expected to arrive. (I always added 30 mins.) They could look and not ask me. I also gave a portion of their money in quarters. Each were allowed 2 "When will we be there"s, then if they asked, I got a quarter. We did a lot of spelling words or multiplication tables. Usually the kids would pretend to go to sleep to escape this. Oh, was there a method to my madness? Any whining occurred, they knew I would pull over, and that meant longer to Disneyland. I was a single mom to 4 driving 6 hours to Disneyland. I will say it was nice having them close in age. This last trip, they drove and I napped in the back!!!! It was funny when they told me "You got to sleep the whole way, while we took turns driving!" Um, excuse me, I dove both directions by myself for the last 10+ years! Welcome to adulthood!

rentayenta
07-31-2006, 06:08 PM
We drive from Utah to Disneyland and it's about a 12 hour drive. Here are my survival tips:

~Stopping in Vegas for the night both to and from. This makes it an 8 hour drive and then 4 hours the next day. Vice versa on the way home. Having Vegas to look forward to makes the 12 hours seem less painful. My kids are actually great in the car. They know what's coming is well worth the drive.

~DVDs. That being said we don't turn it on unless we are going on a road trip. That way they don't come to expect it and really enjoy it when it is on. It's part of the experience for them.

~ I Spy.

~ Lots of snacks.

~Disney music. Once we hit Riverside or so it's Dinsey music the rest of the way. It gets everyone in the mood and really excited to be there again!

We have tried reading but all of my children get an upset tummy when they read in the car. Same goes for coloring for more than a few minutes.

With regard to Leapsters and Gameboys, my kids like and have them but really don't use them all that much. We bring them just in case but usually they don't get taken out of the bag.

DianeM
07-31-2006, 06:35 PM
When I was a kid, I remember playing out of state license plate and other such games. I also recall a game where the first one to spot the needle at Magic Mountain got a prize.

As an adult, I enjoy doing needlework (cross-stitch) and my husband and I listen to books on tape. Audible.com is only about $25/month, and you can download 2 audiobooks for that price - or pay for more. You burn them to your own cd's or use an IPOD. Last trip to Disneyland we had a wonderful time listening to "Around the World in 80 Days", the Nigel Planer version. Other trips, we like Terry Pratchett, who tends to be suitable for the entire family, although I suspect that young children would find him boring. You can also buy Harry Potter books on tape at Costco.


[QUOTE=H22kai]OKay... so what do you do to avoid the 1,000's of "Are we there yets?" on the way to Disneyland.

Welovewoody
07-31-2006, 07:00 PM
Well, I have a few.....

We had a DVD installed in our car....Best money I have ever spent ... because me and my hubby could talk about anything and everything because they have headphones on.... GREAT.... LOVE IT...CAN'T LIVE without IT.... LOL... But if you are going to get a DVD installed in your auto I would tell you to get the one in the headrest.... The one in the roof when you bring it down its in the way of the rear view mirror..... And hard to drive....

But we are going on an airplane and to bad that we cant take the DVD players with us...........but the next best thing is Leaperster L-Max buy LEAP FROG....Great hand held game because they are learning at the same time. So My kids can spend hours on hours playing ... and not know that they are learning.... ITS GREAT... How great you ask, my daughter is not 4 yet but she knows the sounds that every letter makes ... and she knows how to write her letters ... and is on to learning how to make words.... so Leaperster L-Max great great toy

Welovewoody
07-31-2006, 07:12 PM
I really think the drive from Modesto to Anaheim is super boring (nothing to look at! look, more weeds on the side of the road!) so I usually conk out if DH is driving.
The place you are talking about is Bakersfield........ That is where I live...lol....it it real nasty to drive though