Must dos with 2 1/2 year old

[TTFNTigger]

What are your must dos in each park with a 2 1/2 year old princess?

This little princess doesn't really know the princesses, is an only child, and is kept on a very tight schedule. She does like Mickey and gang and some of the Dis Jr characters so we will be sure to try to see some of them.

Her mother has never been to WDW and was very hesitant on coming along on this whole family trip, but she has come around and thinks it will be fun if she doesn't have to try to keep up with the rest of us the whole time. I want to make sure I make a good plan for them so that they won't regret coming. I of course have told them they can plan for their family, but they want me to make the plans thus far. Its been awhile since we went with a child this young.

So what should I make sure they get to do? What tips can you give me for planning a good trip with a 2 1/2 year old?

 

[JPKnapp]

We have been with 2.5 yr olds twice now. And both times traveling with additional families.

1. Be really flexible. If they haven't been in a while, they won't know the value of a missed fast pass.
2. Expect character freak-outs. Out of 25+ character photos, only 1 has my son w/o tears or death stare (even w/ us holding him nowhere near character). They are funny pics now.
3. Get a good stroller. Can't stress that enough. Park strollers are awful. This will allow for nap time which will be critical.
4. Rides/ to-do= pooh, teacups, jungle cruise, dumbo, & people mover. Plus parades are fun.

The kid won't remember the trip, so it's not worth the family stress of a tantrum- because the parents will remember. So go with the flow and plan things for them that are well spread out.

 

[ayz75]

If she's over 32", do the tomorrowland speedway!!! My daughter did it when she was 2 and LOVED it.

Be careful with characters, I thought my daughter liked Micky but she cried of terror when she saw them up close (I wasted one FP on character meet and greet) Dumbo and Aladdin (?) were also big hits with her. I would leave Peter Pan for a bit later because it's dark so don't do it right away.

 

[caliope]

In addition to what's been mentioned already, I would suggest it's a small world (nice and slow, never a long wait, cute dolls to look at), the carousel (again, never a long wait), and maybe Winnie the Pooh (though we didn't love this, many people do). These were mostly big hits with my son at that age along with Speedway, tea cups, jungle cruise, Dumbo, and people mover. He also really liked the Buzz Lightyear ride at MK, but 1. He loves Toy Story, 2. He loves interactive games/rides, and 3. It's currently closed for refurbishment (not sure when it's reopening). So, that may be taste specific and perhaps not ideal for your little princess.

We also had the same experience as others with the characters. From afar, my son was fascinated, but would then refuse to get close for pictures unless we were holding him. He says he wants to see them every time we ask, but the reality of them can be a little intimidating at that age.

Other ideas for a 2.5 year old would be Country Bear jamboree, riding the train, the parades (my son LOVED Move It, Shake It), and, if you're there at rope drop, the opening show.

 

[Fizban]

What are your must dos in each park with a 2 1/2 year old princess?

This little princess doesn't really know the princesses, is an only child, and is kept on a very tight schedule. She does like Mickey and gang and some of the Dis Jr characters so we will be sure to try to see some of them.

Her mother has never been to WDW and was very hesitant on coming along on this whole family trip, but she has come around and thinks it will be fun if she doesn't have to try to keep up with the rest of us the whole time. I want to make sure I make a good plan for them so that they won't regret coming. I of course have told them they can plan for their family, but they want me to make the plans thus far. Its been awhile since we went with a child this young.

So what should I make sure they get to do? What tips can you give me for planning a good trip with a 2 1/2 year old?

Whatever makes you happy and doesn't make her sad. She honestly isn't going to have any memory of the visit when she is older.

 

[ayz75]

Oh, I would avoid the Carousel of Progress... omg, longest ride of my life. My daughter was terrified of the fake people singing, and plus there was some technical difficulty so half way through the "second" part, we had to start from beginning. She buried her face in our arms the entire time and couldn't wait to get out.

p.s. to the above PP, I get two year olds won't remember anything, but for us.. whatever made her happy really made us happy and made the trip!

 

[vakamalua]

The BEST thing in Orlando for that age group is the Dr Seuss Land at Universal's Island of Adventure. A colorful, fun wonderland for little kids; so much better than the few scattered Disney attractions for toddlers. Every Seuss ride and experience is appropriate for that age group and keyed to the books kids love.

 

[newdeal]

There is a lot for a 2.5 year old to love at Disney, mostly magic kingdom though.

At Hollywood studios, not much left for a 2.5 year old with all the closures, many rides have a height restriction and will be off limits. The great movie ride has some scary parts, I might avoid it if she is extremely sensitive. If not then give it a try. Indiana Jones my daughters both found boring at this age. The few good things for this age group would be Beauty and the Beast musical, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Toy Story Midway Mania, Disney Junior Live on Stage.

Animal Kingdom is a great place for stroller naps. You can explore the Jungle Trek and Pangani Forest with the stroller if she falls asleep. If she likes animals she may enjoy these. There is a train ride to Rafikis planet watch, not too much there, I would skip it or leave the stroller behind because strollers don't fit on the train very well. My kids liked the Safari, the Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo the Musical, playing in the Bone Yard playground. Its tough to be a bug will be too scary for her. There are a few things she will be too small for. If Flights of Wonder is open when you go its a nice bird show if she likes birds. Thats about it there.

Epcot is a bit of a dud for kids this age. Spaceship earth may be interesting for her. Ellens energy Adventure is too long and has dinosaurs, it could be scary and you can't get off the ride for 45 minutes so if she has bathroom emergencies you are in trouble on that one. Living with the land is a slow boat ride, its a good way to kill some time but not extremely fun. The nemo ride in the Seas Pavillion would be good for this age, the entire Seas pavillion is worth checking out for her. Journey Into Imagination my kids never liked but its worth a try once to see if she likes it. World showcase has a boat ride in the Mexico pavillion which is kid friendly, but not much else. Most other things she will be too small to ride. They do have some colouring that you can do at most of the pavillions in world showcase which is a nice little time killer if she likes to colour.

Magic Kingdom is really where the money is at this age. Everything that doesn't have a height restriction, which is most of the park, is great for a 2.5 year old. Plan to spend multiple days at the Magic Kingdom.

At this age, my girls hated the costumed characters but loved the princesses and other face characters.

 

[Meriweather]

The BEST thing in Orlando for that age group is the Dr Seuss Land at Universal's Island of Adventure. A colorful, fun wonderland for little kids; so much better than the few scattered Disney attractions for toddlers. Every Seuss ride and experience is appropriate for that age group and keyed to the books kids love.

Or not......depending on height. DGD could not do the Cat in the Hat (36") ride or the trolley train (40"). She rode the carousel and played around a bit.
She didn't like Dumbo so wouldn't even try One Fish Two Fish.
I wondered when we arrived why there wasn't a sea of strollers like at Disney....now I know.

At the Disney parks she loved the characters....except Darth Vader and Santa....at 17 months and at 28 months.
At 28 months she hated all the dark rides. Liked I mentioned about she hated Dumbo and the rides like that.
Loved any train like rides. And fireworks.
And carousels.....she can ride the horsies (anywhere) for the entire day.

 

[TTFNTigger]

Thanks all! I agree that she won't remember this trip, but the rest of the family will. This trip is mainly for the grandparents. They have been wanting to go with the family for years and for one reason or another we haven't been able to go. I also understand that children differ greatly and what one child loved another is terrified of. Just want to make sure I don't overlook an option for this young age since my own children prefer the more adventurous things (Everest, Tower of Terror, Rockin Roller Coaster, etc)

 

[disnut8]

One thing for a 2-1/2 year old (or any age) is Flights of Wonder at Animal Kingdom. I wouldn't suggest the seats on the floor because they are all at the same level but if you go up on the bleachers (over to the right and four from the top *cough*, won't say why), you can have a great show and there will be birds and lots of movement to keep her busy. The show is closed for refurbishment now so check back for show times (wdwent.com) once it opens back up so you can schedule something since she's on a timeframe thing.

Also, many have said a 2-1/2 year old won't remember anything about this trip. That depends on the child. I remember things that happened when I was two and my sister four. She was astounded I knew things she didn't think I remembered.

 

[Paigesmom2013]

DHS also has Toy Story Mania, a Woody and Buzz meet and greet and a Disney jr. Characters meet and greet. I know a lot of 2 year olds who like Toy Story.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

Is she a Disney Jr. fan? If so she would love the Disney Jr. Live show at Hollywood Studios as well as the opportunity to meet the Disney Jr. characters at the meet and greet area outside the show. There is also the Hollywood & Vine Disney Jr. character breakfast or lunch there too. At Magic Kingdom there is the Crystal Palace character meal with Winnie the Pooh and Friends, the Dumbo ride and Dumbo play area, It's a Small World, the Casey Jr. splash area, the carousel, and the Magic Kingdom train. At Animal Kingdom there is the Kilimanjaro Safari, the Lion King show, the train ride to the Conservation Station where there is a cute little petting zoo, and in the Dinoland area there is the Triceratop Spin ride and the Boneyard Play area. At Epcot I bet she would love the aquariums in the Living Seas as well as the Nemo ride, Turtle Talk with Crush, the Character Spot, Living with the Land, the Donald Duck boat ride in the Mexico pavillion, and the Imagination pavillion. So much fun for little ones at Disney, I probably haven't even scratched the surface of it all!

 

[Baptist]

If your 2 year old is "on a tight schedule", I assume that means naps and bedtimes. In these cases, it's priceless to stay on a Monorail property. Not only are you only a short distance from that afternoon nap, but you don't have to fold up your stroller. Just roll it right on the Monorail. Or if you are staying at Bay Lake/Contemporary, it's a short walk. You can get into pajamas and watch the fireworks from your resort.

I know it's easy to spend your money, but I think it's priceless.

 

[KaptainK]

My little ones like the rides and character meets mentioned, but they LOVE the small playgrounds in each park. I think after riding around, waiting in lines, etc, they need a chance to run around and play. In Epcot they love the hedge maze in UK. DHS has the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground, but it's closing soon, not sure if there's another play area there. Animal Kingdom has the Boneyard (it will be closed for a refurb on our visit this month), and MK has the one inside Dumbo and one under the train near BTMR, plus Tom Sawyer Island. Often, I'll take the kids to run around at one of these play areas while DH rides a thrill ride (because I'm a great wife!).

 

[Soccer Fan]

I don't consider it a "must do" but just a suggestion for something that your 2.5 year old might enjoy - Tom Sawyer's Island. I will be taking my almost three year old son there to allow him to run around and explore while the rest of my party enjoys BTMR and Splash Mountain. My older daughter is now able to enjoy these rides so we want to let her ride but do not want my son to sit around and wait.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

The BEST thing in Orlando for that age group is the Dr Seuss Land at Universal's Island of Adventure. A colorful, fun wonderland for little kids; so much better than the few scattered Disney attractions for toddlers. Every Seuss ride and experience is appropriate for that age group and keyed to the books kids love.

Everything at Suessland is not better since my 2 year old isn't tall enough for half the rides. It might be great for preschoolers, but not necessarily toddlers....

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

My daughter was almost 2 on this most recent trip. Her favorite things: Dumbo and every ride like that, Peter Pan, Tea cups, Small world, Fireworks, Dance parties, characters (especially Disney Jr and Princesses)

She used to LOVE LOVE LOVE MSEP, but this time didn't seem as excited. We also skipped FOF this time around.

Our daughter is not strict with bedtime or nap time and she also stroller naps so I'm not sure for advice there. Mostly to stick to the schedule and if she's shy, watch out for being sensitive to bad guys and perhaps even characters in general.

I do NOT recommend Pirates of the Caribbean or great movie ride for a 2.5 year old. We stayed away from those, because my daughter was very affected by Capt Hook on the Peter Pan ride. Also I remember being 5 and not realizing it was an actor who took over the great movie ride, so that scared me for a while and I knew our daughter would be very freaked out over a gun fight.

ETA: The little princess may be more physical, but we have one who handles her own well at playgrounds, but we avoid them because they are larger and tend to be more suited to 4-8 year olds, IMO.

 

[caroline1851]

My daughter was 2 (almost 3) when we took her the first time. She enjoyed:
Mk: peter pan, pooh, it's a small world, Aladdin, jungle cruise, pirates of car, crystal palace lunch, parade
EPc: nemo, turtle talk, kid cot stations, having passport stamped
HS: little mermaid, great movie ride, tsm, muppets, meeting characters, Indiana jones
AK: safari, it's tough to be a bug, boneyard, getting face painted,