1st Trip with our 1 year old- Are We Overambitious?

[DizMomAndWife]

Hey fellow DISers! My DH and I are taking our DD to meet "icky" for the first time, and I need your help!

Let me preface with some background information. DH and I are pass holders, we love WDW and have been pretty often in the past year. This is (as mentioned) our first time bringing our DD- Reagan- along for the ride.

A little info on Reagan: She will be 14.5 months old when we go. She LOVES "Ickey" (mickey) and all his friends. She is super social and a very happy/easy going kid. (We're very blessed!) That being said, she is NOT a stroller napper. There's too much going on to sleep!

A little info on our trip: We are checking into POFQ on Monday February 29th, checking out Friday March 4th. We have the quick service meal plan. We're going in with the mindset of this trip being completely about Reagan. We're not doing rider swap or trying to squeeze in any 'grown-up' time on this trip. We're already past the 60 day mark, so all of our FPs are booked.

Okay, now the good stuff. I've got a moderately detailed itinerary mapped out. My question for y'all is- are we overambitious? Can we really do everything I have planned? Here's my plan:

Monday 2/29
Arrive at WDW around 3:30pm
Check in, get settled
Take a leisurely boat ride down the river to DS for shopping and dinner at Earl Of Sandwich
Back to hotel whenever

Tuesday 3/1- Magic Kingdom!
Plan to arrive at MK at 8:45 (9am opening)
- We're in no hurry or need to be at rope drop this day because of our early appt.
9:30- Baby's first haircut at Harmony Barber Shop (Appt booked)
10:15- Use FP to meet Mickey
Ride either Winnie the Pooh or It's a Small World- standby
11:15- Use FP to ride Peter Pan
11:25- Use FP to ride Haunted Mansion
After HM, lunch at Columbia Harbor House, then stop by FP+ kiosk on our way our for the afternoon (goal is to get a FP to meet Ariel later in the afternoon)
We'll go back to the resort to rest/nap (even if she doesn't sleep, quiet time in her pack'n'play can do wonders) and head back to MK around 3
The rest of the afternoon is pretty fluid, depending on when/what FP we're able to score.
Dinner at Pinocchio's Village Haus
If Reagan seems up to it, we would love to stay for Wishes. We'll just see!

Wednesday 3/2- Epcot!
We're okay with missing rope drop this day, as it will have been a late night
Head to Seas w/ Nemo first (Probably around 9:30)
10:00- Use FP for Living with the Land (I know, not FP worthy, but they made me pick 3...)
Explore/shop/rest/etc.
11:00- Use FP for Spaceship earth
Lunch at Sunshine Seasons
Back to resort to nap/rest, then back to Epcot around 3
3:45-Use FP at Character Spot
4:00-6:00- Explore WS
Head back to resort around 6 (fluid time)
Dinner in food court

Thursday 3/3- Hollywood Studios- and DH's Birthday!
Actually aiming for rope drop this day
Head straight to Great Movie Ride
9:30- Use FP for advanced seating at Disney Jr Live on Stage
10:30- Use FP for TSMM
Play in Honey I shrunk the kids until everyone is getting tired/hungry/ready to go
Back to resort for lunch in the food court
Afternoon rest/nap. This is our semi-rest day as we have no other parks planned
Take the boat to DS for 5:30 dinner reservation at Rainforest Cafe (Not usually our first choice, but we thought Reagan might enjoy it)

Friday 3/4- Animal Kingdom and travel day
Arrive around rope drop
Ride Triceratops Spin and play in the boneyard
9:45- Use FP for advanced seating at Festival of the Lion King
10:40- Use FP for Kilimanjaro Safari
11:15- Lunch at... Yak and Yeti? Flame Tree? Another QS? We LOVE Flame Tree, but I'm unsure Reagan would be able to eat from our plates.
12:15- Use FP to say bye to Mickey and Minnie
Hop on the bus to our resort, just to get in our already loaded car and make the 4.5 hour drive home.

So there it is. Are we crazy? Is it doable? Did I plan enough down time? Did I plan enough "toddlers are crazy and unpredictable!" time? Do you have any helpful hints/pointers for me? Thanks in advance!

 

[CT Dad]

Buzz kill:

Your kid is 14.5 months old. Wait till Reagan is atleast 3 or 4. It's a waste of time and money at this age. If you are honest with yourself, you will probably realize that you are doing this trip for you, not for Reagan.

 

[DizMomAndWife]

Buzz kill:

Your kid is 14.5 months old. Wait till Reagan is atleast 3 or 4. It's a waste of time and money at this age. If you are honest with yourself, you will probably realize that you are doing this trip for you, not for Reagan.

We're definitely doing it for us- we know she won't remember. But she's free. And we would go anyway.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

I think you have it just right. We have been going since our son was about 18 months old. His sister is 4 years younger but since we go about every two years or so she was also there when she was just about 13 months old (that trip not so much about her). I think you have definitely have left the time for Reagan to decompress, so to speak , during the afternoon and seems like your not going to try and stretch the evenings longer than you think she can endure. But first and foremost you have made it more than clear that she comes first and if need be you'll bolt if she needs to leave. I think you have made a wonderful itinerary and it should work well. Have a wonderful time and may you encounter lots and lots of pixie dust.

 

[Random Ninja]

Tuesday: if you ride HM at 11:25, you'll likely be getting lunch around noon. That puts you at getting out of the park around 1:00pm so, if you head back at 3:00pm, you'll have less than 2 hours of down-time. Is that going to be enough to make it to Wishes without a grumpy kid?

Wednesday: Swap your FP+s for Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land if you want to eat at Sunshine Seasons. Why go all the way over to Spaceship Earth just to turn around and go back to the Land Pavilion.

Thursday: Keep in mind that the Great Movie Ride does have some loud/scary parts that could frighten a young child. How does your DD handle loud noises? Rainforest Cafe can be very loud and chaotic, especially when the thunderstorm goes off. My niece was terrified of that and T-Rex until she was 6 because of the noise. If she's into Disney Jr, there are some character meet & greets, plus Hollywood and Vine has a character meal with Disney Jr.

Friday: It can be really hard to drag kids out of the boneyard. You might want to start in Africa for the Safari and Lion King show, then hop on the train to the Conversation Station for the petting zoo area, grab lunch when you get back before heading over to Dinoland for some playtime. Saying bye bye to Mickey and Minnie might be an easier way to get her out of the play area. (We had to drag the niece AND grandpa out last time.) Plus it should wear her out a bit for the ride home.

 

[cgh]

I'd say perhaps. A few things to note- you don't know how she will react to rides. My kids SCREAMED on dark rides. HATED them. would not go on other rides. For us, doing out in the open rides first and working the way up to the dark rides worked best. Winnie the pooh can be loud and very stimulating, which can be overwhelming. What time is nap too? When my kids were 18 months, 2.5 (and once at 5 months) they both LOVED dumbo. It's a small world, the train, carrousel. Peter pan-SCREAMS.

I think being flexible is absolutely key with kids that little. She might just want to run around and feel the cobblestones, or look at windows, or play with bubbles. As long as you have small goals it will be enjoyable.

 

[DizMomAndWife]

Tuesday: if you ride HM at 11:25, you'll likely be getting lunch around noon. That puts you at getting out of the park around 1:00pm so, if you head back at 3:00pm, you'll have less than 2 hours of down-time. Is that going to be enough to make it to Wishes without a grumpy kid?

Wednesday: Swap your FP+s for Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land if you want to eat at Sunshine Seasons. Why go all the way over to Spaceship Earth just to turn around and go back to the Land Pavilion.

Thursday: Keep in mind that the Great Movie Ride does have some loud/scary parts that could frighten a young child. How does your DD handle loud noises? Rainforest Cafe can be very loud and chaotic, especially when the thunderstorm goes off. My niece was terrified of that and T-Rex until she was 6 because of the noise. If she's into Disney Jr, there are some character meet & greets, plus Hollywood and Vine has a character meal with Disney Jr.

Friday: It can be really hard to drag kids out of the boneyard. You might want to start in Africa for the Safari and Lion King show, then hop on the train to the Conversation Station for the petting zoo area, grab lunch when you get back before heading over to Dinoland for some playtime. Saying bye bye to Mickey and Minnie might be an easier way to get her out of the play area. (We had to drag the niece AND grandpa out last time.) Plus it should wear her out a bit for the ride home.

This is all good advice! Thanks!
Tuesday- I'll probably heed that advice and plan to get back to the park later in the day.
Wednesday- I tried to get the FPs the ideal way, but was unable to. I figure we'll just have to deal with the walk.
Thursday- Do Disney Jr meet and greets happen outside of the theatre?
Friday- Good tips!

 

[DizMomAndWife]

Thanks for the tips! I am certainly open to riding dumbo over and over if thats what she wants to do

 

[Funfire240]

We're definitely doing it for us- we know she won't remember. But she's free. And we would go anyway.

Our Ds was 16 months our first trip (DD was 3). Some of my favorite memories are with Ds. Waited in line at character spot only to have him fall asleep with 2 people ahead of us. We have wonderful pictures of Mickey by him, Minnie kissing him, Pluto petting him and Goofy doing silly sleeping posed by him. He won't remember that trip but we have wonderful memories for us!
My advice is take it all in stride and don't stress of you get of your planned schedule. Have fun and enjoy all of the moments!

 

[Random Ninja]

This is all good advice! Thanks!
Tuesday- I'll probably heed that advice and plan to get back to the park later in the day.
Wednesday- I tried to get the FPs the ideal way, but was unable to. I figure we'll just have to deal with the walk.
Thursday- Do Disney Jr meet and greets happen outside of the theatre?
Friday- Good tips!

Keep checking on the FPs, people change their minds all the time. Kenny the Pirate has character maps and schedules for each of the parks.

http://www.kennythepirate.com/maps/character-location-maps/hollywood-studios-character-location-map/

 

[cgh]

Yes, riding dumbo over and over again is a real possibility. There's the playground there too. With DS (now 2) at 18 months at DL he wanted to do it over and over again. After taking him on Mr. Toad's (never ever ever do that until all other rides are okay) he would only do rides he could see. He was happy on It's a small world until it went inside, screamed, then loved it. 14 months is about the parents enjoyment/memory but I can definitely say taking kids at 5 months, 18months, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 that every single age the kid enjoyed it. We just let the kids sort of lead and knew to leave when it was time to go. (I actually prefer DL for the littlest ones because of the ease of getting back to the room for nap)

Characters can also go either way. My kids LOVE them. Adore them. WE do lots of character meals as a result. I've seen plenty of kids react differently though.

 

[baler31]

This is all good advice! Thanks!
Tuesday- I'll probably heed that advice and plan to get back to the park later in the day.
Wednesday- I tried to get the FPs the ideal way, but was unable to. I figure we'll just have to deal with the walk.
Thursday- Do Disney Jr meet and greets happen outside of the theatre?
Friday- Good tips!

Keep trying to change the FP's things change minute to minute. I don't see how you will leave and get back to Epcot in time for your 3:45 Character Spot FP.
Personally, on this day I would just try to stay as long as you can.

I had a non stroller napper that gave up naps altogether by 14 months. For us it worked better for her to be tired and ready to sleep when we returned to the resort. It did cut back on late nights as we usually could only squeeze in the MK night activities.

There are Disney Jr. M & G's on both sides of the theatre.

 

[kohlby]

My suggestion is not to plan anything for late afternoon/evening and figure that out as you go. Young kids are very unpredictable and may decide not to nap. When we took an 11 month old, he didn't fall asleep until 6pm the first day! Even when we tried going back to the room for a nap, it didn't work. And he was my best napper of my three kids! We've learned that we can't make kids nap - whether an 8 month old or 2 year old. And NONE of my kids fell asleep like those kids I see in strollers fast asleep in Disney. But we could get our kids to sleep at night.

 

[drp4video]

My daughter would not do Haunted Mansion until she was about 10 lol.

I don't think you are overly ambitious. And even though your daughter will not remember this trip she will have a great time and it will be such a positive experience. We took our daughter everywhere starting at 5 months old, and while no she does not remember many trips we took, it helped to make her who she is today. It is amazing what a positive affect and influence the activities and trips you do have on your child. Have a great trip@

 

[wdw71]

We took our kids at 18months and just turned 4. I will never regret spending the money or feel bad because they don't remember it because I remember it fondly. The memories for my DH and I are priceless. Looking back at those pictures just gets me all gooshy. So take tons of them with as many characters as you can stand to wait for. Your plans seem fine to me. My advice is to just not push the late nights. We only did this one night of our trip and the poor souls on our bus back to POR heard about it ALL THE WAY FROM MK. Our son seemed just fine to keep going so we did and boy did we misread him. We even took a nap break that day. I think he was just over stimulated maybe but anyhoo I suggest early starts and early turn ins, like after dinner.

 

[TJA]

You are going to have a fabulous time with a baby in Disney!! We took our twins to Disney when they were 7 months old, 13 months old, 18 months old, and the list continues through today at 12 years old!

I think you have great plans in mind. My advice is to keep an open mind to changes because your baby may dictate otherwise . Bring a comfortable stroller that reclines and has a canopy because you never know and being in Disney is totally different than being at home and we found our babies napped easily in the stroller in Disney while they NEVER did at home. When that happened, DH and I would find a sit-down restaurant with availability and roll the stroller right to our table and have a nice meal .

Oh and the baby care centers are really nice in the parks. Definitely use them for diaper changes rather than restrooms. And we brought a bjorn carrier for going on rides and ease of carrying the baby when not in the stroller. Our babies used to actually fall asleep in the carriers sometimes and then we'd transfer them to the stroller.

This trip will be about making beautiful memories with your baby -- I still have some pictures framed from those trips and just looking at the pictures reminds me of how quickly time passes. We found that even if we didn't go on a lot of rides, we still had a lot of fun just strolling around and seeing the parks through our babies' eyes. This is only the beginning for you -- enjoy every minute!

 

[asbyrneva]

Looks like you have good expectation on pacing. As others have said HM, Great movie Ride and space ship earth may be too dark loud scary for a toddler. Dont forget the carousel at MK. And sometimes the bone yard and Honey I shrunk the kids are too much for littlest ones, lots of loud bigger kids running. Try exploring some of the oasis or let her go check out the gardens and fountains. This is my plug for extra shoes and clothes. Little kids love the fountains at epcot and casey at storybook circus. But nothing worse then cranky toddler with wet shoes. Ive seen parents let their kids play only to realize later they have blisters from wet shoes and they can't tell anybody.

DS was never a napper in stroller either and frankly I wouldn't want him to be (he's why we are at wdw if he's tired it's time to go). IMO you may want to play wishes by ear. Late night after an over stimulating day and then loud booms can make for a terrible time.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[smiths02]

I haven't read all the advice, but we went with twin toddlers in June. Will Reagan be a once a day napper or a twice a day napper at that point?
I have to say that our problem is that we and our toddlers (2 almost 3) wanted to actually keep going, so we would plan to leave the park around 1 and would really leave closer to 2. It was hot, so we did bathtime and nap...well then we weren't getting back to the park anywhere near 3 or 4 pm
So you are doing well with only one TS.

Since you can boat to DS, you might be okay with 5:30 at Rainforest, but that might be too early for us. I would make the reservation directly with Rainforest instead of Disney ADR system because I think they don't charge a cancellation? Or it might be even better for DH to become a Landry's member, it cost $25, you get a $25 credit PLUS a $25 credit for your birthday month. You also get priority seating, so you may be able to just not have a reservation and wing it (or call that day). The problem with 5:30 is it could be too early if your little one sleeps and too late if she doesn't sleep!!

I also think getting back to Epcot at 3 is ambitious, but I am guessing that your FP lasts 3:45-4:45, so that is probably okay

 

[msmama]

Well, I kind of think any plan at all with a toddler is ambitious, lol.

As long as you know that any of those things may not happen, I think you'll be fine. She will probably be just as happy playing at random places as she will be on rides, so don't discount riding grown up rides if you want. Seriously I never would have guessed the amount of time we'd spend watching ducks at WDW over the years.

I was a baby wearer so my son was used to falling asleep on me. He wasn't a stroller napper but often fell asleep while I held him after lunch, and took TONS of cat naps on dark rides. It was enough to get us through the day. If we were planning on a late night (I think we did 1, maybe 2 when he was a baby) I'd put him in his jammes and wear him and he'd fall asleep, then we could just transfer him to bed when we got back to the resort (we coslept too so strange beds were never an issue as long as Mom was there).

 

[epcotty]

I wonder how popular the character would be if his name was icky