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Tips for families traveling with toddlers and/or infants

We are renting a 4 br house off of premises this time... My brother in law and his family are staying with us and a large group of friends will be staying at the Coronado Springs. Can't wait!!
 
another tip for preparing the kids for how big the characters are...Disney makes some sing along videos that are made with the characters in the parks. There is one called "Disneyland Fun" that my 3½ year old LOVES. It has kids singing and dancing with the characters so they see the size difference. We also have one that is with Goofy and friends at one of the water parks. My boys love watching those! We had Disneyland Fun in our basement in a box of videos someone had given us but I found it and the others at Toys R Us. I couldn't find them in DVD format, only on video. They were the cheap videos too. I think the Goofy's Beach Party one was only $7 or so.

I also let him sit with me at the computer and we looked at other people's photo galleries the have linked in their sigs and stuff. He loved doing that and it gave him an idea of what to expect.

We talked about the characters a lot too. "Did you know Pooh Bear is a big as Daddy!" My 3 year old still didn't believe us though, mainly b/c he watches one of the Pooh shows on Playhouse Disney and sees the animated characters w/ Christopher Robin and they are all smaller than him. Now he thinks that Christopher Robin is "way way bigger than Daddy!" :p

We created a monster bringing our 3½ year old to WDW over Christmas. Every night before bed he says "Mom, I need to talk to you about Splash Mountain (or BTMR or Spaceship Earth...)." His preschool teacher says he talks about Disney constantly. He will look through the Birnbaums guide book and tell us "that's Space Ship Earth. It's in Epcot. Epcot has Figment too but not Cinderella's castle cause that's in the Magic Kingdom. You can get to the MK on the monorail if you want to, Mom."


One thing we did with regards to a character breakfast is to go against the norm with when to book them. We did the last time for the breakfast at the Crystal Palace. We had almost the entire section we were seated in to ourselves. Because everyone else had cleared out from breakfast already there were maybe 4 or 5 other groups in the whole place (and we were there between Christmas and New Years so it was THE busiest week of the year). We had lots of time with the characters and even got a family pic with all 4 of the available characters at one time. With having the extra time with them, the kids had a chance to warm up to them first (my 22 month old needed no warm up time...he literally RAN into Pooh's arms chanting "my pooh! my Pooh!" :) ). Tigger literally rolled around on the floor with my 3 year old once they started playing. They were great with the kids and spent quite a bit of time with us. We weren't rushed or crowded at all either. Since our seating was at 10:30, it was basically just brunch or early lunch for us. We had a heavier snack later in the day and an early dinner and did great. :) I'd highly recommend an off time for character dining!
 
Great tips all! Just wanted to add that I've been once with a 12 month old and once with a 8 month and almost 3 year old. As was mentioned in another thread, we loved having our sling both times. It was great to carry the little one around some instead of constantly being stuck in the stroller. It was also great for nursing discreetly, going on rides where the baby might have been a little concerned, or when he/she was sleeping. It was an absolute lifesaver for us.
The sling was also great for the plane. It let me nurse with the baby held close to me (in case of small turbulence) while we took off (for their little ears) and then I could transfer them to their seats. It was also great for use as an impromptu blanket, sunshield, etc.

I would also echo staying at a place where you can do laundry. We stayed at the Vistana the second time and it was such a relief to not worry about what was getting on their clothes. This time my kids are a bit older (almost 3 and 5) and we're only going to be there for 6 days so we're just staying at ASMo. But a washer/dryer was great when they were smaller.

We leave in 2 days and I can't wait to incorporate some of these new ideas!

Have a great time!

pirate: princess: ::MinnieMo ::MickeyMo
 
You posted some great tips! I've been to Magic Kingdom twice and Epcot twice (I think - it's been over 10 years ago though!). We are planning a first trip with our kids (2 girls ages 7 and 2 1/2) from Mar 29th to Apr 2nd. Actually my oldest dd will be turning 7 on the 4th of April. We were planning the Chef Mickey's character breakfast on our last morning there before heading out of town. I have read you can't make reservations until 60 days out...is that true? If not, can I get that number from you as well? Actually, next week is the 60 day mark for us. You can pm me, I would surely appreciate it! We're staying on site at Port Orleans Riverside. I wish we could do the villas, they sound awesome. But, I honestly don't want to have to cook while we're on vacation...a meal every now and then wouldn't be bad, but I'm not sure that would pay off!

Thanks for your help!
 
Wow!!! Fantastic tips - I'm so happy I checked this out. We are DVC members taking our 2 little guys (2 and 6 months) in May - it will be there first trip and we are staying at a 1 bedroom at VWL. Can't wait - I will definitely print up your suggestions and save them. Thanks again!!!

Jenny

1977 - offsite
1995 - CBR
1997 - Boardwalk
1998 - Contemporary
1999 - Port Orleans
2000 - Dixie Landings
2001 - OKW
2002 - BCV and VWL
2004 - VWL - May - here we come!!
 
Baby Blanket sunscreen wipes - it is essentially sunscreen incorporated into a wipe. Essential for putting sunscreen on a child that hates to have stuff rubbed and smudged on them. It is easy to apply and covers much better than creams or sprays.
 
Unless you are one of those rare families that think there is no point in going to any park other than the MK with a stroller kid, I'm going to argue that staying in the vicinity of the BW is more convenient than staying at WL. (The monorail resorts are in another category, but they were not part of the original recommendation.)

From any of the BW resorts, including S/D, you can easily walk to/from 2 parks without disturbing a sleeping child. The Friendship launches have room for open strollers when they are not especially crowded. The launches from WL to the MK are a different type of boat, they are smaller and they require that you fold the stroller at all times. If for some reason the boats at WL are not running or are too crowded to wait for, you have to take a bus to the TTC and transfer to the monorail or ferry to get to the MK, from the BW area the MK busses are direct to the MK gate.

In several years of WDW visits w/ a stroller, I haven't had occasion to go through Epcot's front exit for any reason, certainly not to get to MK while staying at a BW resort. We take one of the busses from our resort to the MK, and it works fine. (When staying at WL we found it best to drive to Epcot/MGM; we just went ahead and paid for BW parking so that we could walk from there. It's easier to get out the back way after Illuminations.) Strollers are only a hassle on busses when you have the sort of stroller that's designed to only be hauled by car (or these days, by van/SUV, b/c so many of the new ones can't even fit in the trunk of the avg. car.) People who regularly take public transport with babies tend to buy a stroller that is well-suited for it, which is why Maclarens are so popular in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. If you have an umbrella-fold stroller you will be perfectly fine on busses, and there are umbrella-fold doubles on the market, for those who need doubles.

Another important way to make sure that your stroller does not take control of your vacation is never to use the stroller basket if you can avoid it, except perhaps to hold a lunch-box sized cooler with bottles/snacks in it. Put all of your "stuff" in a backpack or tote, and hang that on the back of the stroller. This makes it easy to take all of your valuables with you when you park the stroller outside a ride or restaurant. Just be strict w/ yourself, and avoid the temptation to drag the kitchen sink into the parks. I can fit 3 changes of kid clothes, ponchos, diapers, wipes and a changing pad, a towel, snacks, a camera, and sunscreen in an ordinary school backpack with no effort at tall, and it weighs no more than 2 lbs.

My best baby tip? Take a couple of flat cloth diapers, they have a million and one uses and take up very little space in your bag. (Among other things, in summer they are a great replacement for a baby blanket.) Ziplocs in your bag are a given.
 


Thanks, everyone, for the great tips and ideas! I'm really glad the last postings brought this thread up to the top! We're going in May '04, and these postings got me to get my notebook out to take notes!

I just have one question for Lori (Lorix2):

Originally posted by Lorix2
Pepperidge - great tips!

I just wanted to let you know that since you mentioned your son being afraid of the noise from the fireworks, to bring those lightweight hearing protectors for him.

Lori

Where do you get the hearing protectors? Is there a brand name? Thanks!!

Judy :wave2:
 
That's what I am coming to post about... hearing protectors. Please do tell, where do you get them? My 3 y.o. is EXTREMELY sensitive to sound and I would love to pick these up for the shows as well as the fireworks. That is my overwhelming memory of our last trip was taking my 7 month old (now 6) and being sooo concerned about his hearing. In all my previous trips I never realized how loud the attractions were, but being there with my first baby... well, I was not happy. I remember sitting in all the attractions sheilding his ears. Hearing protectors would make me relax a little more and make my 3 y.o. very happy. Thanks for any info. Chris
 
Hi there!

You know, I have no idea how we acquired the 2 pairs we have. My husband works construction, so maybe that's why...anyway..they are extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear. My DS, who was 3 at the time, wore them all summer long for any fireworks we attended and fell asleep wearing them everytime! LOL! They look like headphones with soft rubber padding that cover the entire ear. Toddlers look absolutely adorable with these on, you can adjust them to fit.

I will ask my hubby where he thinks he got them and post back as soon as I can.

One pair I'm looking at says "Silenta Universal" on the ear muff.
 
FOUND THEM :D

online at www.omarksafety.com click "hearing protectors" then "ear muffs".

There are different styles to choose from. Now I remember I think hubby got them for the shooting range, but nonetheless, you know they keep the sound out.
 
Thanks, Lori!

This is great! Now we can take in Illuminations without worrying about the noise! What a day, first the good ideas, then I figured out the smileys for the postings, now this! I'm psyched! :hyper:

Thanks a bunch again!

Judy
 
Mimi, thank you for the thorough post! Those were great tips.

We just got back from 5 nights in an OKW 1-bedroom with DS (2). I agree about the stroller & bus situation. We only took the bus to the MK, and we drove every place else. We did love all the space in the OKW 1 bedroom, though. DS really had room to roam, and we were able to put his pack n play in the laundry room, so he had his very own bedroom with a closing door. Now I just need to figure out how to get him to sleep in there when he's out of a crib next year, LOL!

I'm having a hard time visualizing where you put the crib, though. Will it fit next to the Jacuzzi bathtub?
 
Jodi,

I bet you had a wonderful time! I just love staying in the villa's, but I've never gone to Old Key West before... I heard it's very nice and even a little larger than the Board Walk villa. When we stayed there and had the pack n play opened for the baby to sleep in, we placed it in the very large bathroom closet (doesn't that sound horrible?). We naturally left the door opened and it worked out well, b/c we could have her near us and not run into her when we had to use the rest room; we could also close the door a little when we turned the lights on so that we wouldn't wake her.

Also, about priority seating reservations... call 407-wdw-dine before you leave for your vacation. Also, if you plan on eating at Chef Mickey's - it's a really good idea to make your priority seating arrangements MONTHS in advance if you can...
 
We've got our first trip since Hurricane Katrina scheduled!! Well, when we evacuated, we ran to DisneyWorld... That was one of my husband's best decisions he's ever made! When we returned about a week later, our house (Slidell, LA) wasn't too terrible, but my father (Bay St. Louis, MS) lost everything. His clothes, appliances, furniture, his house - everything! It's going on a year anniversary now and my poor dad is still living in a FEMA trailor and he's starting to get a little stir crazy... People may think that b/c it's been almost a year ago now, that things are back to normal - far, far from it... It still looks like a war zone... Better than it looked months ago, but things are moving so slowly and with my father only having $20,000 worth of insurance, he doesn't know what to do. Our big loss was my husband's business - there's no insurance for that type of loss; at first I was worried about losing our home, not due to the winds or water, but to the mortgage company... But things are okay... Not great, but okay :).

Anyway - back to happy thoughts!!! We are going to Universal's Royal Pacific resort while we visit Universal Studios and the Islands of Adventure and then we are renting a 3 story house near Disney while we visit WDW. We've stayed at this same house 2 other times, so we know we'll love it!

Our kids are a bit older since I started this post... They're 6 & 4 now! We now have to pay for 4 admission tickets, yuck!!
 
My dear Mimi! I love your list to end all lists! I am a list maker/checker offer so I like your style! I also bring my old (disney only) strollers because the rentals tip over when packed with the cooler, giftshop purchases-a-plenty, camera equipment, stocked to perfection diaper bag, etc.

I have a couple sure fire utahmama guaranteed tantrum tamers to add to the master list...ready?
1. An Emergency dum dum sucker. Must be dumdum because tootse roll suckers are way more likely to be a chocking hazzard and are too large for a 2 year olds mouth even one that is screaming bloody murder. My kids so rarely get treats that in an extreme meltdown-is-a-coming moment, the treat on a stick works 100% of the time with my little hellions(sweet darlings). My guarantee is voided if your kids eat too much candy. Oh,pick the white dum dums so the syrupy saliva doesnt stain thier new disney clothes. Yikes, one more dum dum tip...hide it in a deep hidden pocket of your diaper bag so the older siblings dont find and eat this treasured secret stash(maybe have a few so the older siblings dont freak out at the un-fairness?)

2. Bubbles. Love them when waiting in a line for a bus or a ride as long as its outside..Suddening all the other overstimulated, sleep deprived, blister-footed kids around you will think you are the coolest mama in the whole magic kingdom and your kids will adore you. Gymboree bubbles dont pop as easy and come with a mess free pipe to blow a bazillion bubbles. If a mass of 3 joined bubbles (one large and 2 smaller ones) happens then say "Look, it's a Mickey
Mouse Bubble!" (this is where my teen ager would roll his eyes!)


Mother Mimi, I have 4 kids ages almost 2,6,8 and 17 and have been a Foster mother and a licensed child care provider for YEARS, and thought I was the queen bee of preparedness but you are the queen (So, I'll down- rank myself to the Princess of preparedness, how's that?)
 
Princess Utah-Mama,

You have made my day!! :goodvibes What a smile you've put on my face and quite the honor you have bestowed to me - "Queen" princess: . You are so sweet!! :thanks:

Just to add something... Some past posts to this thread had mentioned something about buying "earplugs" for the kids during the fireworks show; A few people were having a hard time finding them and ended up going to a web site to place an order for some. In case anyone else is looking for ear plugs, I bought some at either Wal Mart or Target not too long ago - they were in the pharmacy section by the ear drop medicines. The box reads, "Mack's pillow soft earplugs - kids size" & lists that these are waterproof and can be used for swimming, bathing, loud events, flying, discomfort, etc. I would imagine that you could find these at any drug store or pharmacy; If you ask the pharmacist, I'm sure he can direct you to them.
 
Way to be Queenie! I never thought of that. I've just sat my toddling in my lap and covered their ears with my hands...but now I'm thinking my DD who will be barely 2 next trip in Sept. wont like me doing that...she hates restraint of any kind (We dont call her Stinker Bell for Nuthin'!) So my need was met before I even realized it! I printed your list I hope you dont mind because I have a need for lists whilst packing!
Hey, BTW have you seen those stick on place mats for restaurant use? I think they're at Babies r us. Hmmmm...I like the idea if it doesnt cause DD to just mess with it the whole meal. Maybe just some antibacterial wipes to sanitize her area pre-eating.
See Ya!
 
wow great tips, why has this thread been hidden away? I would be great if we could get it going again. Too late for me to post now, so will post in the morning :surfweb:
 

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