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Books that'll get you ready for Disneyland

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I heard a grandfather say that Disney is like crack for 4-year-olds. If that's true, I guess I need to attend DA - Disney Anonymous!

If Disneyland in California or Walt Disney World in Florida is in your family's vacation plans, you may want to get a book to prepare everyone for the trip and give them something to do until the big day. Here are a few books to enjoy with your children.

For young children, “Disney Bedtime Favorites” has stories with characters from the classic Mickey Mouse and Dumbo to the more recent “Monsters, Inc.” and “Finding Nemo.” Children will identify with the simple problems solved in these stories, such as wanting to fit in and wanting to be happy.

If your child has a favorite in this book, you can have fun celebrating their affection for this character. Have a birthday party for the character complete with hats and noisemakers and streamers left over from someone else's birthday. Watch a movie with the character in it and then read a story about the character.

“The Trouble with Tink” is a chapter book written by Kiki Thorpe and illustrated by Judith Holmes Clark and the Disney Storybook artists. In this story, Tinker Bell resolves an old resentment with Peter Pan when she loses her hammer and along with it her talent for fixing things in the fairy world.

Your child may enjoy pretending to be a fairy. Make a wand by decorating a cardboard star with glitter or fake fur and gluing it on the end of a paper towel roll. Use a little of the left-over glitter to sprinkle pixie dust on your new fairy.

Have you ever wondered where the villains go when the Magic Kingdom closes for the night? “The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark” answers this question with a wild fantasy adventure story that Harry Potter fans will like. A few special children are chosen to represent the Disney World parks and end up in a dark fantasy, fighting for what is right. The whole story takes place at Disney World in Florida.

Your children can make a map of the story with poster board. Let them copy a map of the Magic Kingdom Park from a guidebook. They can draw pictures of the events from the book on the map where they took place. After reading this book, It's a Small World will never seem the same!

A great way to prepare your children for a Disney World trip is getting them a copy of “Walt Disney World for Kids.” It has information on all the rides and extra activities with reviews written by children. This book includes park maps, what to pack, and things to do while waiting for the trip. This guidebook helps children know what to expect and lets them in on interesting details to watch for. There are pages for character autographs so your child will have a souvenir even before the trip.

When you are enjoying all the high-tech marvels at either Disney destination, don't forget to enjoy the low-tech wonders. Watch the expression on your child's face; it might just be the best entertainment there!

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