1st trip with kids

[actexan]

I'm planning my first trip with my daughter (she'll be 2.5 when we go). I've never been with children before. Any tips? Is Genie+/LL necessary? Also thinking about driving instead of flying; is that helpful at all in getting around even if we never leave Disney property?

 

[Hubalorian]

I'm planning my first trip with my daughter (she'll be 2.5 when we go). I've never been with children before. Any tips? Is Genie+/LL necessary? Also thinking about driving instead of flying; is that helpful at all in getting around even if we never leave Disney property?

Perfect age to go with a little! If you do Genie+ or LL, your 2 1/2 goes with you for no additional charge since they aren’t old enough to need a park ticket. Also - if you have another adult with you, take advantage of rider swap! Good luck and happy planning!

 

[sponica]

If you're going with another adult and want to do the headliners, Genie+ and ILLs will cut down on the wait time of the non riding adult when you use rider swap.

If you are planning on leaving Disney property, having your own vehicle will be easier as you'll know what car seat is in it. But if you're like me and never leave, I wouldn't necessarily drive unless it's a huge cost saver.

 

[WIDisneyFan]

It has been quite a few years since we did Disney with a toddler but I will say it is amazing just be sure to pack your patience! From our experience I would suggest the following:

- Plan some down time to let your daughter just take it all in - one of my favorite memories is of my sone just before his 4th birthday eating popcorn and dancing in front of the castle
- Whatever you think you need for clothes...... pack more! My wife and I both marveled at how quickly a toddles can get covered with corn dog nugget (or any of 1000 other things)
- Driving is a mixed bag - we have done it many times (coming from Wisconsin so about 22 hours travel time) and at times it was the perfect answer, other times it was well ..... less than magical. The added space of having a car is a plus but depending on the distance everyone gets tired of being in the car eventually
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - kids just like adults get grumpy and don't understand the need

Have a great trip!

 

[Dulcee]

We always drive to Disney, kids come with a lot of extra stuff and the more I can avoid airport stress with a kid the better.

Like others have mentioned pack your patience. We’ve done many trips with our kids at this point, our youngest is 2.5 as well. At that age my kid’s favorite experiences were the monorail, the pool, jumping on the hotel bed and and chasing the bubble wand cast member also at that age they get exhausted. Even if they aren’t bigger nappers at home or are growing out of it plan on midday exhaustion to hit hard after all the stimulation of the parks. A solid, comfortable stroller is your best friend.

 

[sponica]

A solid, comfortable stroller is your best friend.

We learned with our oldest, she would only stroller nap if it was reclined. It was a hard lesson to learn but once we figured that out, we reclined that sucker all the way.

 

[actexan]

Thanks for the replies! I've been a handful of times only having to plan for adults. So I'll take any suggestions for doing Disney with a toddler! If we do drive, I was thinking about going to the Disney outlet stores since my wife and I have never been.

 

[actexan]

Perfect age to go with a little! If you do Genie+ or LL, your 2 1/2 goes with you for no additional charge since they aren’t old enough to need a park ticket. Also - if you have another adult with you, take advantage of rider swap! Good luck and happy planning!

It'll be 4 adults, but two of the aren't big ride people so they may not ride much. I'm planning on my the trip 99% percent about my daughter (character meets, her rides, etc.), but since the last time I've gone Guardians of the Galaxy and Tron have opened so I at least have to ride those two rides.

 

[actexan]

We always drive to Disney, kids come with a lot of extra stuff and the more I can avoid airport stress with a kid the better.

Like others have mentioned pack your patience. We’ve done many trips with our kids at this point, our youngest is 2.5 as well. At that age my kid’s favorite experiences were the monorail, the pool, jumping on the hotel bed and and chasing the bubble wand cast member also at that age they get exhausted. Even if they aren’t bigger nappers at home or are growing out of it plan on midday exhaustion to hit hard after all the stimulation of the parks. A solid, comfortable stroller is your best friend.

I don't mind flying, but last time they lost our stroller lol. Plus it is a lot easier to bring extra when you drive (it's about 13 hours for us).

Oh, I know my daughter is gonna go crazy when she sees those bubble wands . I know every kid is different, she's never been one to nap in public so the stroller may not matter that much. The grandparents may have to take her back to the hotel to nap while Mom and Dad stay and have some fun.

 

[disneygolfer1985]

I think the biggest thing is to take it slow and see what your toddler finds interesting. Our girls loved the aquarium and dancing to music. How your toddler naps will be important. Our girls would not nap in the room but they would pass out in the stroller. So we just let them sleep in there. Also, we found our girls usually only do 5-6 attractions before being exhausted and napping.

 

[sponica]

I don't mind flying, but last time they lost our stroller lol. Plus it is a lot easier to bring extra when you drive (it's about 13 hours for us).

Oh, I know my daughter is gonna go crazy when she sees those bubble wands . I know every kid is different, she's never been one to nap in public so the stroller may not matter that much. The grandparents may have to take her back to the hotel to nap while Mom and Dad stay and have some fun.

Keep in mind the kid you take on vacation isn't necessarily the kid who lives at home with you.

At home, my kids are up with the sun no matter what. There were days I had to peel them out of bed at 8 AM.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

We have been going since our 1st DD was 6 month's old and #1 for us was a good stroller. We used at least 1 stroller up through our last stroller which was a sit-n-stand, it really makes a big difference and we could spend the whole day and stay later because of it. Rarely had any type of melt downs, because they could always relax while mom and dad did the walking. Our DDs rarely slept in the stroller at home but we learned after only 3 days with our 1st DD that midday breaks did not work for us and that at WDW they seem to just pass out in the strollers. LOL We would then either find a place to sit and have a snack or do some shopping etc. during these times. But having grandparents who may also want to head back to the room for a break is a great option to have. The biggest thing we learned is to not have any real "set" plans, ADR's etc. You never know when you will spend an hour in a kids play area or riding the train a "couple' of times around the park and the People Mover is also a big hit. LOL

 

[Dulcee]

Keep in mind the kid you take on vacation isn't necessarily the kid who lives at home with you.

At home, my kids are up with the sun no matter what. There were days I had to peel them out of bed at 8 AM.

I laughed so hard at this. We say this all the time. We have three kids. On a normal day I’m dragging my almost 10 year old out of bed but on vacation that kid will bounce out of bed at 6am.

And my 5 year old does exactly the opposite 5am at home but man does she hate early mornings on vacation.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

It'll be 4 adults, but two of the aren't big ride people so they may not ride much. I'm planning on my the trip 99% percent about my daughter (character meets, her rides, etc.), but since the last time I've gone Guardians of the Galaxy and Tron have opened so I at least have to ride those two rides.

You have the right perspective

With the extra adults to help, you should be "golden" on hitting those rides. Having G+ may help the ability to make to park day smoother for your daughter, especially avoiding long standby queues.