Tips for bringing a 16 month old to WDW.

[buffmouse61]

We are heading out for our annual WDW trip in 2 weeks. We have taken our twin girls before 2 times but they were 3.5 the first time and 4.5 the second. We are now traveling with our 3 children our youngest being 16 months old and our daughters are 6. Any tips on visiting WDW with a young child would be greatly appreciated. Luckily we are staying at the Bay Lake Tower for easy access to the Magic Kingdom. Thanks so much!!

 

[wdw4rfam]

All of my kids are 5 years apart, and we have gone every year since 02, so we always had babies with us. They went at 6-7 months again at 17-18months. Never had an issue. They went on the rides with us (the ones that they could) or we did the rider swap. I dont think I have any single advise other than just be a little more flexible and dont over-schedule. Enjoy the fact that the youngest doesn't have demands yet (try making a schedule with 3 kids ages 5,10 and 15 who all want to go in a different direction).

 

[tnd]

Plan on going back in the middle of the day for naps! Luckily you are very close in BLT (we stayed there in 2011 and loved it!). We have a 2 year old and an almost 8 year old. Sometimes we all go back in the middle of the day for a rest and one parent will take the older kid for a swim, while one stays with the little one for a nap. We always go in August so leaving for a few hours in the hottest part of the day is a nice break for us.

 

[mom25kiddos]

We just did it and I am not going to lie, our 18 month old was tough. But it is personality dependent, he wanted to walk and got annoyed with the stroller. Our fix was one of those back pack harness (dare I say leash). He loved that thing, gave him mobility and freedom but kept him safe. Never thought I would use one, but it was a huge help

 

[kmb584]

Go with the flow and figure out what works best as you go along. DD's first trip was at 15 months and while I had it all planned out in my head that plan never came full circle.

For instance, I had planned on a daily afternoon nap at our resort. I took her back at the pre-scheduled time on our first day and the little bugger wouldn't nap for anything. She stood in her pack 'n play saying "Ma! Go!" and pointing at the door. That night was a nightmare because she was overtired. The next day I thought I'd try it again but lost track of time and much to my surprise, she was sound asleep in her stroller at her usual nap time and slept for 2 hours. The rest of her naps that trip followed the same course.

I actually found that trip to be the easiest out of all of them. She was at an age where everything was brand spanking new and left her amazed. She was as happy on IASW as she was playing in the dirt at POFQ. Now that she's 4 and knows her way around WDW better than most adults, she knows what she wants to do and not doing it is cause for tantrum central.

 

[Colleen27]

We just did it and I am not going to lie, our 18 month old was tough. But it is personality dependent, he wanted to walk and got annoyed with the stroller. Our fix was one of those back pack harness (dare I say leash). He loved that thing, gave him mobility and freedom but kept him safe. Never thought I would use one, but it was a huge help

It really is. My youngest was 16mo on her first trip and she was a breeze! There was so much to interest her that she was constantly distracted, the crowds made her just nervous enough to prefer the stroller over walking 98% of the time, and she just adored all the sights and sounds. She's more difficult now, at 4, because she's got all these opinions about everything - at 16mo she was content just to take it all in.

Some general tips - a good stroller is a must, and by that I mean something that folds easily, preferably to a relatively small size, and has a decent recline and generous sunshade. We travel with a Peg Perego P3 that I just adore - folds down like an umbrella stroller but reclines like a full-featured model, and has a sunshade wide enough that with the seat upright the shade comes all the way down to the lap tray.

Get an hourglass shaped sippy or straw-cup that closes, and make or buy a "leash" for it to attach it to the stroller. WDW is hot and you'll want something your little one can sip on often during the day without having to stop and dig it out of a bag every time. And if your toddler is self-feeding with utensils, take-and-toss silverware is indispensable - that familiar child-size and managability at a price where it doesn't matter if a few pieces get lost. I paid $3 or so for a 12 pack that was half forks, half spoons. And to go with those things, grab some pre-soaped sponges or make them yourself (wet sponge, work soap in, allow to dry completely, cut into quarters, pack in ziplock baggie) to have for evening clean up.

Also, if you haven't already discovered this with your older kids, triangle crayons are the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, Disney will give you crayons with a kids menu but how many times will you be on the floor under the table retrieving them? Crayola makes them, but check the dollar store first - I've never had to pay Crayola prices for ours.

We had a blast taking DD on her first trip when she was so young. I have the sweetest picture of her watching the castle show with such a look of wonder on her face. It really is one of my very favorite mommy-memories.

 

[splashmountainjaxson]

We just did it and I am not going to lie, our 18 month old was tough. But it is personality dependent, he wanted to walk and got annoyed with the stroller. Our fix was one of those back pack harness (dare I say leash). He loved that thing, gave him mobility and freedom but kept him safe. Never thought I would use one, but it was a huge help

We took our son at five months, fourteen months, and seventeen months. The first two trips were breezy, the latter was the most challenging. Only because he wanted to be out of his stroller, and he is a big boy, too much after a while to carry. So we did a lot of walking and strolling, but we did not mind. We only have our one son though. But when he did nap, we had our McCalaren, and it is first amazingly easy to fold and he naps in the recline position. Even though we spent most time in Epcot , stayed at Boardwalk, and went back for naps, there was one meltdown that was pretty epic, lol. You have to take it in stride

My advice really mirrors others:
Recline stroller
Easy fold stroller
Paci strip holders
Sippy cup holder that attaches to cup, then you attach to stroller
Plenty of wAter
Snacks , and snack holder with lid that won't spill treats but give your toddler easy entry to snack holder
Safety pins to tie favorite lovey to stroller ( lesson learned after I lost one)
Sense of humor!!

Enjoy!!

 

[raven69david]

DD was there at 9 months and DS was there at 2 months. We pack lots of diapers in our luggage and when we arrive we get them the things they need such as juice, snacks and anything else needed to keep them comfortable. Having a good stroller is a must. If you don't want to lug one around at the airport, you can rent one from a local place. There are tons of places to rent strollers. Those things give me the creeps so I always bring my own. I have a Britax Agile and it's the best thing to use as it's light and easy to store.

 

[LglBlonde]

Totally agree that it's personality dependant!

My older son has been at 16 mon, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5. 16 mon was by far the most challenging for reasons stated by others, but also b/c he was a 2 naps a day kid until 2!! And he did not nap "well" in a stroller, leading to an overtired kid.

Honestly, we just did the best we could w/ what we had. that trip he LOVED characters! It was December and he was afraid of Santa! but he knew Pooh, Mickey, etc., so we made that a focus of our trip.

 

[Goldilocks07]

We are heading out for our annual WDW trip in 2 weeks. We have taken our twin girls before 2 times but they were 3.5 the first time and 4.5 the second. We are now traveling with our 3 children our youngest being 16 months old and our daughters are 6. Any tips on visiting WDW with a young child would be greatly appreciated. Luckily we are staying at the Bay Lake Tower for easy access to the Magic Kingdom. Thanks so much!!

My biggest tip, is to ziplock your diapers. I tell EVERYONE this. Place 4-5 wipes in a ziplock bag. Put that in another ziplock bag with a diaper in it. Make at least 4 of these. This way, you can take the 16 month old and just grab a diaper packet without having to fumble with all the other stuff. It's the BEST thing ever, especially on a plane, restaurant, or any other busy public place.

 

[ammag]

Our son was 15 months, going to resort ot nap didn't work and he napped wonderfully in the stroller. We rented from kingdom strollers and it was fantastic. Make sure there is enough time to just be free...the playground like areas, just walking in stores,etc. standing in lines is tough for them, they need ot be free! I think it helped a lot. Amal kingdom has a fantastic area in dinoalnd, the digging part amused him for 45 min, we all had a fun break..much cooler there too. Is little pebbles, smooth, slip right out of shoes. We had a Double stroller, so the back of each kids seat had an individual net..we kept all our easy access items for each kid in their net. I had one of those little cloth pouches for diapers..called diapers and wipees. I have a wipes container with a snapped lop on the end, I rigged it up to be an easy to access diaper and wipe kit. Like the ziplock bag idea. Then we just grabbed it and went, no hassle. The stroller came with a parent tray, that was great too. I did see a great idea at the parks when we were there....they make those cup holders for strollers and cars eats, I think the brand is. Brica. Saw a stroller with two of those on the handlebar...great for patent cups, kid snacks etc. I've only used it on the cars eat but it was probably very useful if you have nothing else. Keeps that iced coffee safe. Held 4 cups or snack containers. Definitely bring little snacks they like too, munching can help keep the patient.

We had a fantastic trip, I wish he would remember it and that he had gotten within 2 feet of a character, but he is a baby and that's how it is. OH another tip for the hotel..bring a few balloons form home, blow them up and let the kids chase them, throw in hotel room. Takes no space, ours had a blast. Sometimes it's the super simple things!!!

 

[Freesia123]

I took heavy duty sticky Velcro and stuck it in one of the cup holders. They other side I stuck on her snack cup. This way I could take it off to wipe it out but she isn't strong enough to pull it off herself and spill her goldfish or fruit everywhere.

 

[Selket]

Ok - been a loooong time for me with a toddler but I know I bought a rain cover for our stroller (that actually fit the stroller) and that thing was a lifesaver! Kept the stroller dry when parked and kept him dry (there was some way to use it with the kid in the stroller - not like he was sealed up in there!).

In a pinch you can drape a poncho over the stroller but those fitted things don't blow away.

My kids would NEVER nap when we went back to the room for the afternoon - however if it is summer and super hot out - it is still good to go back and relax if nothing else. My kids napped in the stroller just fine.

Most of all - don't expect to do even half of what you might do without a little one - take time to let them explore the best toddler areas and whatever you don't see this trip plan for future trips!