Traveling with 18m old, questions galore...

[Lampoon2012]

We will be staying 8night/9 days at POR with our 12y DS, 9yDD, 18m DS, myself and DH. We are staying in a royal guest room.

18m DS does really well sleeping and napping in his stroller, so we are not too worried about him being out and on the go. I am worried about meal times. We tried to reserve all buffets thinking they will be easiest and quickest to get us in and out. Does anyone have an experience with this?

We are planning on ordering diapers from amazon, will the resort hold the package until we get there? I really do not want to have to pack enough diapers for our total 3 week vacation!

Will POR hold our carseat at guest services for the duration of our trip? We will not be renting a car and it will take up precious space in our room if we have to keep it there. Obviously we can figure something out if we have to, but really hoping we can check it.

How does parent/rider swap work with fp+? Do we all need to have a FP+ with each ride or can we split up and do the swap that way?

I will take any and all suggestions/tips from BTDT families. This is our first trip with a young'n. Thanks!

 

[Lampoon2012]

 

[kcpinwdw]

I thought buffets were great with our under two year olds. Im pretty sure you can mail things to the resort but it doesnt hurt to check. THere are grocery delivery services too if you want to have some food/snacks/extras for the room to pack each day. not sure about the car seat, can i ask why bring it if you are not renting a car? if you do need it I bet they'll hold it, or the closet will have space! HAve a great time!

 

[Lampoon2012]

We are not renting a car until the end of our trip when we drive from Orlando to the Gulf Coast. Plus we need the carseat to and from our house to the airport and we also believe in using carseats on the plane.

Thanks for you help with the other questions I was starting to think I was all by myself here.

 

[kmb584]

They'll hold your package for you. When you're addressing it on Amazon, be sure to include "c/o Your Name & Check-in Date". I preferred buffets when my daughter was that age as she enjoyed the characters and there was a good selection of food for me choose from for her. Bell services will more than likely hold your carseat for you if there's room to do so. If not, be prepared to tuck it away in your room somewhere.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I've mailed boxes to the resort before with no issue, if you go to the resorts forum there is a sticky at the top with all of the shipping info. I like to pack a box with diapers, swim diapers, wipes, baby wash, sunblock, a few toys, pool float, bibs, tylenol, etc.. I think that may be a long time for them to hold an item but there is room on the shelf at the top of the closet for the car seat.

You don't all need a FP to do the riderswap.

I also like buffets with toddlers, lots of options and it's fun with the characters.

 

[travelgirl06]

Sounds likes your planning is well underway!

For our family, buffets don't work that well with little ones. We did a cruise when ODD was 16-Months and the only meal I remember being super stressful was when we went to the buffet - trying to juggle drinks, food, etc. for her and us was just overwhelming! Granted, we haven't done any Disney buffets, so maybe those are better equipt for parents and toddlers (I imagine they are used to it there . At that age I am sure to pack fun things for the kids to do during meals (coloring, little dollar store toys, etc.) and snacks for while we're waiting for the meal. At a table service restaurant I also put their order in immediately and/or will get a shareable appetizer.

For park days I keep a change of clothes, extra wipes, changing table covers, a sippy cup, water bottle and lots of snacks in my backpack.

We also picked up a jug of milk to keep in our fridge and had oatmeal, etc. In the room so DD could eat when she got up and not have to wait for us all to be ready.

 

[Bluegrrl]

Took my man at 6/8/12/1yr/2yr/and now 3yr. I have done table, quick serve and buffet dinning, some with just me and little man, and some with my husband and family.
Dining thoughts for you:

Quick Service: If you are by yourself, it's really tough, but the Disney CM's are very helpful. Juggling stroller, kid, and tray - ugh. But with family, it's not too bad. One person will get a spot to sit while the others get the food and the high chair. We usually don't bother getting a kids meal because baby will pick off out plates and qs meals are big!

Table service: Be prepared to wait a bit, depending on waiter. We've had some really quick good servers and some super slow ones. Bring entertainment - don't depend on the crayons that places give you. My son couldn't give two cents about crayons till he was two. We find Netflix app and the Nabi Jr. to be good. Also, we also would request to sit in areas that were far from others so that we wouldn't bother folks with baby screaming (not that he was that bad).

Buffets: They can be wonderful because they allow for "tag-teaming" with kids, as well as no waiting for food. Also, there are the character buffets which are so much fun for kids, but be careful with those. My little man got a little spooked by his first look at Winnie the Pooh as well as Jake. Do consider the adult buffets, like Cape May and Boma. You may not think that food is "kid friendly" but Boma has some yummy cornbread pudding, hummus and sweet potato stuff.

Other type meals:
Family style: Those are ok, but you have a couple of issues here. You get the characters, but you also have to wait on your server and are stuck with one type of food verses a buffet of different stuff. I'm not a huge fan. Except for Whispering Canyon. I love that place (but I LOVE BBQ)

Dinner shows: I LOVE LOVE LOVE Hoop Dee Do show. While it is a set menu like a family style, it also has a great show that takes your mind and your kids minds off the wait portion. The cornbread is very good too. Others may complain about the salad, but I like it, and I like the chicken too.

So, it total, traveling with an 18mon is probably the best you will ever have - trust me. You can expose them to different foods and have lots of fun. Enjoy! Oh, and if you are still breast feeding, I've done it dining places before. Breastfed at Blue Bayou! Just request a booth in a darker park to the place, or bring a nursing sheet if you feel uncomfortable. I may have mortified my brother, but kid got fed!

 

[Happyinwonerland]

With an 18 month a old, I would be prepared to feed them separately from everyone else if needed. Bring something they can eat in their stroller. I Know DD was really distracted at 23 months b u all the other goings-on, and wouldn't eat until after we left the restaurants, so we brought sun butter sandwiches and finger foods for her.

 

[Lampoon2012]

Thank you everyone. I placed an order with a grocery delivery and plan to bring lots of snack-type meals. And I have my amazon order ready to ship, with a few fun new toys for the restaurants The only thing I really don't understand is the rider swap, but I'm sure we'll figure it out easy enough in person. Thanks for all your help.

 

[DopeyDame]

Fortunately, rider swap is the only thing I can help answer! (We've never done shipping on WDW trips)

FP+ and rider swap work great together, and is perfect for your situation when you have older kids.
Only the first group through the ride will need FP+. The second group (up to 3 people) can use the rider swap pass to get into the FP lane.

So here's an example as to how you can really maximize rides with FP+/rider swap for your group.

Dad and 12yo get FP+ for Space Mountain
Mom and 9 yo get FP+ for Thunder Mountain (for a different time period)
Everyone has two more FP+s available for other rides (Which, give we're on a *family* vacation, is usually a ride without height limits, but you could certainly do more swapping with, for example 7DMT and Splash, or whatever)

When Space Mountain FP+ time arrives:
All of you approach Space Mountain entrance and show the baby and get a rider swap pass
Dad and 12yo ride Space Mountain while Mom and the other two get ice cream or something

When Thunder Mountain FP+ time arrives:
All of you approach Thunder Mountain entrance and show the baby and get a rider swap pass
Mom and 9yo ride Space Mountain while Dad and the other two get ice cream

Later on (any time - even a few days later): Mom and the two big kids ride Space Mountain using the rider swap pass and Dad and the two kids ride Thunder Mountain using the rider swap pass.

NOTE: At the entrance to a ride, sometimes they'll give the non-riding adult the rider swap pass right then and there. Other times, they'll give the pass to the riding adult. Still other times, they'll give the riding adult a plastic card to give to the attendant at the actual ride, who will have the rider swap passes. It seems to change all the time. But it doesn't really matter. Just approach the entrance and they'll tell you what to do at that ride.

Hope this helps!

 

[steelernation]

sorry to jump in the thread...but the whole fp+/rider swap peaked my curiosity. we're headed in october (first family trip!). DH, myself, DS 9, DD 14 months, and my mom. how can i make the best of fp+/swap? it would seem to me that for every ride i want to ride with fp+, DS would have to have a pass as well. then we could swap with DH; thus saving DH a fp+. but wouldn't that use up all of DS' fp+? any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DopeyDame]

sorry to jump in the thread...but the whole fp+/rider swap peaked my curiosity. we're headed in october (first family trip!). DH, myself, DS 9, DD 14 months, and my mom. how can i make the best of fp+/swap? it would seem to me that for every ride i want to ride with fp+, DS would have to have a pass as well. then we could swap with DH; thus saving DH a fp+. but wouldn't that use up all of DS' fp+? any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The first group of people to ride a ride either need to ride standby or need to have FP+. The second group can use the rider swap. (Assuming they have a too-small child.)
Within those guidelines, each family really has to see how it works best for them. When we went last time, we usually did two rides as the FP+/rider swap combo (using one FP+ per person) and two rides as family rides.

Here's an example for your family:
DH and DS get FP+ for Space Mountain
You and mom get FP+ for Thunder Mountain
All four of you still have 2 FP+s left.

DH and DS ride SM with FP+, you get a rider swap pass.
You and mom ride Thunder Mountain with FP+, DH gets a rider swap pass.

Later on...
You, mom, and DS ride SM with the rider swap pass. (DS got to ride SM twice.)
You, DH, and DS ride Thunder Mountain (DS got to ride Thunder Mt once.)

Another potential example for your family (especially depending on how adventurous your mom may or may not be):
DH and DS get FP+ for Space Mountain at the same time you get FP+ for Dumbo
You and mom get FP+ for Thunder Mountain at the same time DH gets FP+ for Small World

DH and DS ride Space Mountain with FP+ and at the same time you, mom, and DD ride Dumbo with FP+
You and DS ride Thunder Mtn at the same time DH and DD ride Small World.

Later on three of you ride Space Mountain and three of you ride Thunder Mountain with rider swap.

Of course, the downside to this is that some of you never get to ride Dumbo or Small World. But the upside is that DD actually gets to do fun stuff too instead of waiting around for big brother all the time.

When we've gone with kids, we usually much prefer time that we're all together riding rides we can all enjoy, but that's totally family preference. And it's usually a lot easier to get a later-in-the-day fastpass for Dumbo or Haunted Mansion than for Space Mountain.

 

[Shiningstar77]

Some resorts charge a $5 per box fee for deliveries but I've done a lot of research and there doesn't seem to be any issue with shipments.

 

[kteeter]

When we order with Amazon we did Pantry Prime for ordering Diapers, wipes, oatmeal for in the morning, snack bars, fruit cups and a 24 pack case of WATER we were so glad that we order the case of water. It only cost us $5.99 to ship it there we order the Sunday before we left and we arrive on Saturday, it arrive at the hotel on Thursday pm so it was held for us and deliver it to our room.

 

[teddygurl28]

so im taking over a semi old thread...ive asked this before but I really want to be sure before starting to book anything. in terms of the fast pass.. we are going myself, DH, DD 15 months (at time of trip) my mom and my dad. so I could get a fast pass for me and hubby for space mountain, go in and check in with all 4 of us, and get a rider swap so that hubby and I ride while my parents wtch the baby and then we switch. but they don't need a fast pass? even though its technically even numbers so we don't need the swap per se? except if the hour window is not enough for all 4 to get back in time for the ride? im just concerned that we will get turned away if all 4 of us don't have fast passes

 

[DopeyDame]

so im taking over a semi old thread...ive asked this before but I really want to be sure before starting to book anything. in terms of the fast pass.. we are going myself, DH, DD 15 months (at time of trip) my mom and my dad. so I could get a fast pass for me and hubby for space mountain, go in and check in with all 4 of us, and get a rider swap so that hubby and I ride while my parents wtch the baby and then we switch. but they don't need a fast pass? even though its technically even numbers so we don't need the swap per se? except if the hour window is not enough for all 4 to get back in time for the ride? im just concerned that we will get turned away if all 4 of us don't have fast passes

Yup, that will work perfectly. I've never heard of someone denying a baby swap because there were "enough" adults to not need it, but if you are at all concerned about that, just have 3 of you go to the line together and have the 4th adult hang out 10 feet away. Then the two adults with FPs get on the ride, and only 1 adult takes care of the baby.