Things to make sure you have when heading to the world with a toddler!!!

[uscgmouse]

I am making my list of things to make sure not to forget when heading to the World with my 2 year old this fall.

With that said what were some things you absolutely were thankful you had with you or things you wish you would have remembered?

Things already on my list:

- drink straps and snack cups straps that attach to the stroller so I am not constantly bending down to pick of sippy cups or snack cups.
- smock/large bib to cover up clothes at meals
- 1st aid kit
- wrist bands with parent and child info on them

Thanks a ton!

 

[TheRatPack]

Wrist bands around the ankle worked for us at that age, that way they can't get them off over their shoes LOL

-Tide pen for spills and stains that get past the bib
-Definitely a lot of wipes
-Small first aid kit (you can make one out of a travel soap container, it'll hold some bandaids of different sizes and a tube of neosporin). A small fall and scrape to the knee doesn't really require a trip to the first aid in the park but it's nice to be able to clean it and put a bandaid on it
-Travel toilet seat covers or some clorox wipes for the bathrooms. Some people have even mentioned taking the small 1/2 size post its to put over the automatic flusher if your toddler is scared of toilets flushing while they are still on them LOL
-sun hat, sunscreen and a few pair of cheap toddler sunglasses (so you don't fret if you lose them). Disney usually has some toddler size sunglasses for $2.00 a pair....you could stock up
-Something to keep their attention while you're standing in line. I've heard of people taking bubbles but that might irritate the person in line next to you. Maybe a couple of dollar toys from the dollar store or something.
-a travel step stool for your hotel room bathroom sink. They sell fold up ones at Bed Bath and Beyond, Marshalls and a few other places. It really comes in handy when your toddler needs to brush teeth, wash hands or their face...etc. That way you're not having to pick them up every time they need to use the hotel sink
-stroller cover, stroller fan
-shoes that dry out fast, or Crocs that won't get stinky if they get wet.
-ziploc bags for extra snacks you have, or leftover cookies and rice krispie treats that you get at CS meals. We had a lot of desserts left, but I knew they'd want something just hours later so I would put them in a ziplock. Sometimes the cookies weren't even touched at the meal...or the Mickey rice krispie treat would only have an ear bit off LOL.

 

[Krabby Patty]

Going with a 16 month old in January...

1) disposable placemats
2) hand sanitzer
3) diaper clutch with diapers/wipes/disposable changing pad
4) sunscreen stick
5) water bottle top that makes it like a sippy

That's all I can think of right now...

 

[LazyDaisy]

A towel or three. Useful for all sorts of things, from drink spills to rain on stroller seats to general cleaning of messes, when paper napkins/wipes just aren't doing the trick.

 

[OldGrizzly57]

PATIENCE!

Seriously... the patience as an adult to understand that a 2 yo doesn't really care about riding every ride and seeing every attraction. As a parent the most important thing you need to be able to do is STOP and watch the ducks for 15 minutes. Ducks is an example of course... there are LOTS of things a 2 yo will think are a hoot and you will be standing around shaking your head wondering why you had to come to Disney to see. When the little one gets those 15 minute interludes they will then be ready for the next queue.

Good Luck!

Griz

 

[Jake06]

We just spent 11 days in WDW with a special needs 5 year old. An ipod in the Fisher Price case was a lifesaver! He watched movies while we were waiting to be served at TS, while waiting for parades, in lines and when he finished eating before us. I used a drink strap to attach it so he could not throw it. The best thing I threw in at the last minute. The original intent was for the plane ride.

 

[uscgmouse]

We just spent 11 days in WDW with a special needs 5 year old. An ipod in the Fisher Price case was a lifesaver! He watched movies while we were waiting to be served at TS, while waiting for parades, in lines and when he finished eating before us. I used a drink strap to attach it so he could not throw it. The best thing I threw in at the last minute. The original intent was for the plane ride.

Good call... I have one of those holders. I am going to go put it up in the Disney bin right now.

 

[TxDisFanatic]

Color wonder coloring books and markers. We pull them out at meals, lines, waiting for parades. They work great! I have a little one that cant ride some of the rides big brother, and sister can and she loves to sit and color while waiting.

 

[CrunchyMamatoKandH]

I am making my list of things to make sure not to forget when heading to the World with my 2 year old this fall.

With that said what were some things you absolutely were thankful you had with you or things you wish you would have remembered?

Things already on my list:

- drink straps and snack cups straps that attach to the stroller so I am not constantly bending down to pick of sippy cups or snack cups.
- smock/large bib to cover up clothes at meals
- 1st aid kit
- wrist bands with parent and child info on them

Thanks a ton!

Where do you get the wrist bands with parent and child info? That's a great idea!

I seriously LOVE this forum!! I'm getting so many useful tips I never would've thought of on my own

 

[PosadaGirl519]

Going with a 16 month old in January...

1) disposable placemats
2) hand sanitzer
3) diaper clutch with diapers/wipes/disposable changing pad
4) sunscreen stick
5) water bottle top that makes it like a sippy

That's all I can think of right now...

There are a lot of other great things I throw in the bag but these are my essentials:

For dining:
Those disposable place mats are great! I found new ones at Walmart that came with stickers which keeps DD21m entertained for at least 30 minutes. Throw in a coloring book and pray for a good mood and I may actually get to eat a hot meal.
Toddler utensils.
A pack of disposable sippy cups.

Skip-hop. I can leave the diaper bag with DH and just carry everything I need to change a baby/toddler.

I got my info bracelets from Mabels Labels. http://www.mabelslabels.com/ It has "Mommy phone (###)###-####" and "Daddy phone (###)###-####" on it.

 

[uscgmouse]

Where do you get the wrist bands with parent and child info? That's a great idea!

I seriously LOVE this forum!! I'm getting so many useful tips I never would've thought of on my own

http://www.amazon.com/Kenson-Kids-KPS-ID6000-Travel-Bands/dp/B004TADO3W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1345945060&sr=8-2&keywords=kid+id+bracelets

I got these. You can write the info in. One bracelet will last a few days.

 

[BMMAA]

Hi! I just bought tattoos from http://www.safetytat.com/. They came out super cute and I will apply them to the underside of my toddler's arm (so it doesn't show up in pictures, but will be easy to spot if need be). I thought she might try to take the bracelets off.

Thanks to all for the wonderful tips!

 

[shelbyf31]

We took our 4 year old and 1 year old in January. Disposable sippy cups were great. At the end of the day I just tossed them out. Then I didn't have to do dishes. Snacks. One morning we got stuck on a bus, because of the marathon, and missed our breakfast reservation. Luckily I had a quart size bag of cheerios. Prevented any meltdowns.

 

[ABtwinmommy]

I took my 2yo twins in March. Kinda silly, but battery powered glow sticks by energizer were seriously a lifesaver every night while leaving the parks and travelling back to the hotel when my kids were on the verge of meltdown. I will certainly be digging them out and bringing them again this year.

Also, stainless steel thermos-type sippy cups~ kept their drinks from boiling in the heat, in harmful chemical-laden plastic.

 

[heather13]

PATIENCE!

Seriously... the patience as an adult to understand that a 2 yo doesn't really care about riding every ride and seeing every attraction. As a parent the most important thing you need to be able to do is STOP and watch the ducks for 15 minutes. Ducks is an example of course... there are LOTS of things a 2 yo will think are a hoot and you will be standing around shaking your head wondering why you had to come to Disney to see. When the little one gets those 15 minute interludes they will then be ready for the next queue.

Good Luck!

Griz

Yeah, that! We spent the first hour at Disney in the play area of Toontown. At first I didn't mind, then I was griping that we could have saved several thousand dollars and done this at home, then DH reminded me how much fun the kids were having - that's the most important thing.

 

[kt_mom]

There are a lot of other great things I throw in the bag but these are my essentials:

For dining:
Those disposable place mats are great! I found new ones at Walmart that came with stickers which keeps DD21m entertained for at least 30 minutes. Throw in a coloring book and pray for a good mood and I may actually get to eat a hot meal.
Toddler utensils.
A pack of disposable sippy cups.

Skip-hop. I can leave the diaper bag with DH and just carry everything I need to change a baby/toddler.

I got my info bracelets from Mabels Labels. http://www.mabelslabels.com/ It has "Mommy phone (###)###-####" and "Daddy phone (###)###-####" on it.

Mealtime is one of my biggest worries for our upcoming december trip. DS just does not do well in restaurants. Its rare to get through a meal without him melting down. I'll have to look for the placemats with stickers or at least get some stickers to take with us. We don't usually do crayons because he eats them.

I read a tip on here about pipe cleaners to play with while waiting in line and I plan to get some of those also.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

Not something necessarily to pack, but when you go to the parks, make sure you bring several changes of clothes. No matter which park you go to, there is always some way for your kid to get wet, and believe me they will find it.

Also, i agree with patience. My 2 year old spent over an hour coloring at Animal Kingdom when there were super cute animals only two feet away. You never know what they will think is awesome, but be prepared for it to be the most boring thing ever.

 

[jennykay]

Yeah, that! We spent the first hour at Disney in the play area of Toontown. At first I didn't mind, then I was griping that we could have saved several thousand dollars and done this at home, then DH reminded me how much fun the kids were having - that's the most important thing.

Yep, patience and a sense of humor.

 

[Caseheidi]

We took an 18 month old two years ago, and needed the following:

1)Changes of clothes in zip lock bags were a must with my toddler. We went through three changes at Epcot and had to buy a shirt one day!
2)Found it important to have two blankets to cover both sides of our stroller when she napped. 3)Baby leash for crowded areas. Especially while waiting in line.
4)Depending on your little ones skills, there is a great book out there about activities while standing in line, based on the attraction. It is called "What To Do In Line" and is currently only for Disneyland (maybe could work at Magic Kingdom) and there is a phone app as well
5) The arm Tatoo's were awesome
6) Extra socks. I read that it is important to check your little ones feet during the day as they will rarely tell you if they are sore. Be prepared with mole skin for any little blisters that may appear. We also lost a shoe in the bus and couldn't find any to fit her little feet.

I think the rest of our musts have already been well covered! Have fun!

 

[uscgmouse]

Today I was thinking about a few things I think would be good to bring with us on this trip. We are staying in a condo for a week.

1) outlet plugs
2) door knob cover - so no one can escape
3) door stop to keep kids door open