Did you take your 2 year old to WDW and regret it?

[IUHoosiers]

I have read plenty of posts from those that have taken small children to WDW with great success. I've read all of the wonderful tips about traveling with young children (afternoon breaks, utilizing the baby care stations, parent swap, etc). But now, I would like to hear from anyone who tried it but wouldn't recommend it. I am in desperate need of a reality check!

We will be taking DD6 on her 4th Disney trip in January, 2011. DS will have just turned two, and we are planning on leaving him at home with family. DD's first trip was just a few months before her 4th birthday, and that seemed like the perfect age (no naps, no diapers, no highchairs). It was a great trip, very easy and fun! She could ride most things, loved the characters, etc. DH and I previously decided to take DS for his 3rd birtdhay, but not before.

But the closer we get to our January trip, I find myself having a change of heart. I know he would enjoy some things - but then I try to imagine the 7-8hr drive down, long days in the parks, fireworks, shows/rides we might have to skip....I just can't decide.

So, lay it on me! Did you take your 2 year old to Disney and wish you hadn't???? What specific challenges come with taking a 2 year old and 6 year old??? Please help me! TIA!!!

 

[WeemanMom]

My daughter's first trip was when she was 23 months old. I didn't take more than onesmall child... but I did have with me my daughter (age 14 yrs) and my son (age 11). My son is autistic, high functioning, but still autistic. He has a lot of difficulty with crowds, but we managed wonderfully.

 

[staceyhzoo]

We took dd at 23 months and 3 yrs. Ds took his first trip at 18 months. We are going in Oct. and dd is 4.5 and ds is 2.5. Not judging anyone's decisions but I would never leave one of them at home. Each trip is new and exciting to them and we are watching them see it differently each time. My dd is spd and has severe anxiety issues and Disney is her happy place. She remembers her 2nd trip very well and can't wait to go back. I think she remembers her first trip and combines them when she talks about them. Ds talks about his baby trip and can't wait to go back. Technically I was 5months preggo at dd's 1st trip so he's been 2times tooHe wakes up every morning asking if today is the day. I think we told them too early
Each family does/experiances Disney differently, but for my family Disney is our family place. Dh and I took quite a few trips to Disney prior to having kiddos and now we get to experiance it with them. We've done DDP and we are doing QSDP this time to try something new and CBR was booked. It was great to watch dd and ds at CRT and Ohana. This time they get to try Chef Mickey's. They've been to CG and watched the fireworks while they ate. Ds kissed the princesses and dd got bit by Donald Duck (real duck at AK, but she said Donald did it but still loves him) They love to watch the planning dvd too!
In 20 yrs they might forget going, but I won't And as long as we can take them we will.

 

[mdrob214]

My DD was 2 on our first trip--never regretted a moment! My DS was 1 on his first trip--never regretted a moment! Nope--neither one remembers those trips. BUT we have photos and video. We look at them and I tell them stories about what they did on those trips--how they reacted to characters, what rides they did, etc. They're 16 and 13 now. We've had 7 trips and never regretted a single one. Only wished we had more and longer trips!

ETA--we did use the baby care centers. We missed riding some of the big rides, and that was ok. There was so much else to do and see that we didn't feel as if we missed out.

 

[nytimez]

Sorry, can't help. My daughter loved it so much at 18 months that I regretted booking such a short (4-day) trip thinking it might overwhelm her, or that it would not be enjoyable.

So... she went twice when she was two! Both trips were terrific.

 

[LilRonGal]

When my son was two, he went and LOVED it. Absolutely loved it. He had a few cranky times, but most of it was alleviated with some food or rest or a fun distraction. Just be flexible, use strollers, and carry extra clothing into the parks with you! Aidan got sick after eating at Electric Umbrella and I had to go all over to find clothes that fit him. Incidentally, the smallest pair of shorts I could find? He can still fit comfortably in them five and a half years later.

So relax and have fun. So many people go to WDW with small children with success. Good luck and well, I guess I'm NOT sorry I couldn't be of more help!

 

[Teeks]

We went last summer when ds was 2 and dd was 5. While we had a few minor bumps in the road due to pushing them to be on an adult schedule too much, they did very well. But you know your child best, so ultimately you have to decide if you think he could handle it all.

I didn't regret experiencing WDW with my 2-year old, but I did regret some of our choices while there. We didn't take breaks, we stayed off-site and it was too much trouble to drive back and forth. We did back-to-back park days and went at a fast pace most of the time. So if you do decide to bring him along, be sure you're prepared for scheduled rest times/down times.

Happy planning

 

[Connorsmom0]

DS's first trip was when he turned 3. The next time we went DS was 6 and DD was 2. I don't know who loved it more. But do keep in mind that we still went back to the hotel for naps EVERY afternoon. I don't know if we do naps for me or the kids because I think I look forward to them just as much! It is nice to have that break and then head back to the park when it isn't the dead of heat in the afternoon.

 

[ancestry]

I think this really depends on the child and how the parents feel about the whole situation. For us, there is no way I would have ever taken my children when they were that young. That would not have been a vacation to me. I would have been miserable trying to handle a toddler in such an overstimulated environment for days.

With the exception of one child (my oldest son) on one day, none of of my four child went until they were 6 years old. That worked well for us, for me, and for our fellow Disney guests.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

DD had recently turned 2 when she had her first trip. I thought it would be a "waste" but I wouldn't hesitate to do it again - in fact DS had his first trip at 6 months. We paced our trip a lot slower when they were smaller, but everyone still had a great time.

 

[n2mm]

No regrets. By the time my grand daughter was 2, she had already gone 3 times before that. As for my second grand daughter, she started going at 3 months and that, we decided, was too young. It was August and just not a good decision. My first grand daughter was 6 months on her first trip and that one went lots better than #2 grand daughter (who was also latose intolerant -- so lots of problems on that trip).

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

You might regret leaving the little one. We took our girls 2, and just turned 4 and it was great! Was it a relaxing vacation? NO! Did we expect it to be, no! But it was great! They both both enjoyed the experience. Did we spend 10 hours at the parks non stop? No! We went back to the resort to swim and have some down time in the room. Our drive is over 14 hours and they ended up doing fine. We're going back in Decemeber and they will be 5.5 and almost 4. I think 3 is a worse age than 2 because a 2 year old will not mind being in the stroller alot and will end up taking naps at the park. My 3 year old will not want to stay in lines but she will be too old to be content in a stroller! Good luck to us but it will still be fine! Just be flexible. It is your FAMILY. You decide what will be best. Having the whole family together and maybe have a few more challenges? Or not taking your little one? Good luck with your decision. There is no right answer to apply to everyone, but there will be a right answer for you and you will figure it out.

 

[PearlySwan]

Our children went to WDW for the first time when they were 3.5 yr. and 8.5 yr. old. Even then we took mid-day breaks from the parks so DS could take a nap. We stayed on-site which made it easier to get back and forth. We've never been to WDW with children as young as 2 yr. However, we did go on a Disney cruise when the youngest was only 3.5 months old and the oldest was 5.5 yrs. old. The cruise is a vastly different experience than the parks so going on the Disney cruise with a young infant was very doable for us. I guess it all depends on your children and your family's touring style. Regardless of what you decide to do, have a great time at WDW!

 

[jillymom8]

I would never leave my kids even with family so I could go on vacation. That just isn't fair if most of the family went on a family vacation but one.

There is plenty for a little one and with even planning an thought there should be no problem.

 

[Kay1]

We took a one-year-old and a two-year-ol and they both loved it. We stayed at the MK all day and the last thing my two-year-old said was, "More rides." Your son love will love it.!

 

[DVCajun]

I think it totally depends on the child. I took my DS1 to WDW three times in his first year and loved every moment of it. Some of my most precious memories of his first year were at WDW -- even though he was an infant for some of them.

When he turned 1 however, it began to become apparent that he was extremely ADHD. On the trip when he turned 1 we could barely enjoy ourselves because unless he was strapped into something he was trying to get into something else. I remember barely being able to get him to sit in my lap at the Bear in the Big Blue House show, even though he loved Bear and used to watch it all the time. He was arching his back and trying to crawl away the whole time.

Anyway -- as I read this over I realize that I'm not really able to get across how difficult that trip was. Suffice to say that we didn't return to WDW for the next four years, even though it had been our habit to go about twice a year prior to that. It just wasn't enjoyable.

 

[Tyme4wdw]

I took all of my children as well as my grandson when they were little and never had a problem. We have a 16 hour drive and I load up the van with different things to entertain them on the drive. I bring along a soccer ball so when we hit gas stations for gas and bathroom breaks the kids can release some energy by kicking the soccer ball.

The little one's do just fine in the parks, but I do suggest bringing your own stroller...one that will lay back so the little one can take naps while in the parks. My grandson is now 3 years old and has been to Disney 6 times already...he was 6 months on his first trip. We never went back to the room for naps or breaks. He napped in his stroller and never had any type of meltdown.

 

[shalom]

but then I try to imagine the 7-8hr drive down, long days in the parks, fireworks, shows/rides we might have to skip....I just can't decide.

I can't speak to the parks per se, because never took any of my little ones, but one of my sons went NUTS at that age about five or six hours into a car ride. So with a 7-8hr drive, we'd be looking at two or three hours straight of him fussing, squirming, yelling, and generally letting the world know that he Was Not Putting Up With This ANY MORE. He was a great traveler right up to the fifth or sixth hour, but after that it was a nightmare (and, yes, we'd take breaks - didn't seem to make a difference). He could take just so much confinement per day, and that was it. So my concern would be the ride down and back - have you taken a long car ride with your little one, and does he cope well with it?

Also agreeing with those that say you'd need to take a break in the middle of the day most of the time, which it doesn't sound like you want to do. Some other questions to consider: Does he enjoy staying with family, and do they enjoy having him? Is he used to staying there? Are there any concerns about him missing mommy? When my niece was two, she would be perfectly happy staying with the grandparents for a week, and they'd be delighted to have her. When my kids were two, they'd never spent much time without me right there and would not have coped with it well.

I've heard horror stories of taking little ones to Disney - with some people, the experience is so bad they've sworn off Disney. Meaning they're not going to be replying to this thread.

It's an individual thing. You know your family best, so only you can figure out what's best for your family. It does sound like it'll take some serious adjusting of your expectations to make it work out for your son, though.

Hope you have the best of good times, whichever you decide on.

 

[maxiesmom]

I would never leave my kids even with family so I could go on vacation. That just isn't fair if most of the family went on a family vacation but one.

There is plenty for a little one and with even planning an thought there should be no problem.

That is what I think too. It is truly not a family vacation if you leave part of your family behind.

My youngest niece went to WDW for the first time at 3 months, and then again a year later. That would have made my sister's 3 kids ages 3 months, 5, and 9yrs. Granted, on both trips I was there too to help out, and the first time my parents were along too. But still we just did things at an easier pace, and if the kids had enough, we took a break.

To be fair, my very first trip to WDW was at age 22, and I went with my sis, her husband, and their then 4 yr old son. And we left her 6 month old daughter behind. But now almost 22 years later, it would never even cross my mind to leave someone behind just to make the trip easier.

OP--I really think you should take everyone with you on vacation. There is tons to do, even with a little one along. And for you, seeing the look of awe on their little face, will be well worth any compromises you have to make in how you tour the parks.

 

[Magic3forme]

We took our girls when they were 2 & 4..we had a great time...we just had to change our planning... it was soo hot, so we just took longer breaks/ naps.

We started taking our son at 8 mos old. so we had 5,3, 8 months. and my inlaws..I think we helped them more than they helped us!