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

[Crystal824]

I think your plan looks great. As others have said, just go with the mindset that you may have to go with the flow. We took both of our girls at 10 months for their first trips. They both loved it. We have another trip planned in March. Our girls will be 5 and 21 months. This will be our oldest 5th trip and our youngest 2nd trip so we have done this a few times. Every trip is different and so worth it.

I know you said your daughter isn't a stroller napper. What kind of stroller do you have? My oldest wasn't either except she would nap in that rented CityMini at WDW. I'm not sure if it was because she was exhausted or she just liked that stroller. We had planned to go back to the resort for naps and we did on a few days; however, we let her sleep and shopped and did babyswap on some other days. One afternoon we must have ridden Expedition Everest 6 or 7 times each using the Single Rider line while she napped. We finally got moved on and got a snack, but she was still asleep.

I also wanted to remind you of babyswap. I'm sure you want to do as many rides with your little one as you can, but you may want to try and fit in some of the attractions with height requirements. You can make FP+ reservations for those. If you make one FP+ reservation for you for say Space Mountain, you can get your hubby one for say Big Thunder Mt. RR and then use baby swap so you can both ride. That still leaves two open FPs for attractions you can do with your little one.

I wanted to mention (and every kid is different) that she might be afraid of characters or fireworks. My oldest was very afraid of both on her first trip. Here we are in the middle of a crowd waiting for Wishes and it starts and she starts screaming bloody murder. I am running for MainStreet. Thankfully, she was over both fears by her second trip at 21 months. My youngest was never afraid of either. I think it helps that she follows big sister's lead on most everything. Neither of my kids were ever afraid of dark rides but I know other kids who are. As most people said, she be willing to alter the course if need be.

Both my girls loved Dumbo, Small World, the Disney Jr. show, and Toy Story Midway Mania at that age.

 

[EdmondD]

I think it's a great age to take your child. That said, the trip with our 15-month old was my least favorite of all our many trips. Your itinerary reminds me of the Eisenhower quote: In preparing for battle (or Disney with a 1yo) I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

 

[DizMomAndWife]

I think your plan looks great. As others have said, just go with the mindset that you may have to go with the flow. We took both of our girls at 10 months for their first trips. They both loved it. We have another trip planned in March. Our girls will be 5 and 21 months. This will be our oldest 5th trip and our youngest 2nd trip so we have done this a few times. Every trip is different and so worth it.

I know you said your daughter isn't a stroller napper. What kind of stroller do you have? My oldest wasn't either except she would nap in that rented CityMini at WDW. I'm not sure if it was because she was exhausted or she just liked that stroller. We had planned to go back to the resort for naps and we did on a few days; however, we let her sleep and shopped and did babyswap on some other days. One afternoon we must have ridden Expedition Everest 6 or 7 times each using the Single Rider line while she napped. We finally got moved on and got a snack, but she was still asleep.

I also wanted to remind you of babyswap. I'm sure you want to do as many rides with your little one as you can, but you may want to try and fit in some of the attractions with height requirements. You can make FP+ reservations for those. If you make one FP+ reservation for you for say Space Mountain, you can get your hubby one for say Big Thunder Mt. RR and then use baby swap so you can both ride. That still leaves two open FPs for attractions you can do with your little one.

I wanted to mention (and every kid is different) that she might be afraid of characters or fireworks. My oldest was very afraid of both on her first trip. Here we are in the middle of a crowd waiting for Wishes and it starts and she starts screaming bloody murder. I am running for MainStreet. Thankfully, she was over both fears by her second trip at 21 months. My youngest was never afraid of either. I think it helps that she follows big sister's lead on most everything. Neither of my kids were ever afraid of dark rides but I know other kids who are. As most people said, she be willing to alter the course if need be.

Both my girls loved Dumbo, Small World, the Disney Jr. show, and Toy Story Midway Mania at that age.

Thanks for the tips! She has an awesome reclining graco stroller, so if she would ever lay back long enough to sleep, she definitely could. She's the same way at home . If she knows something fun is happening in the living room, you can hang up bedtime- she wants to be right in the middle of it! (Hotel stays are really fun due to this). We know about rider swap, just the idea of riding alone doesn't appeal to either of us. If we were bringing a 3rd adult (or kid up to height restrictions) we would definitely be taking advantage. I feel I've planned as best I can, not knowing how she'll react and how worn out she'll be on any given day.

Thanks so much to everyone who has given advice and tips!

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

We took our daughter last November when she was exactly 14.5 months! For her, highlights were meeting the characters. She LOVED the character meals. Can you do any of those? We did Crystal Palace and Tusker House, both of which had a great selection of characters and delicious food. In Magic Kingdom she loved the Winnie the Pooh Ride, so don't miss it. You didn't mention these, but you could also do Dumbo, Jungle Cruise, Aladdin's Carpets, Little Mermaid ride, and the Carousel. I think you can get more done than you planned (depending on lines). At Animal Kingdom, our daughter loved the Lion King Show. I'd actually advise against advanced seating. It's probably better to sit there for less time so she doesn't get bored. We came in toward the end of seating, and there were rows of seats left.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

If it makes you feel better my son went at 13 months and at 15 months, both trips were a week long and we had a blast. The one and only ride my son did not like was the Haunted Mansion. In Epcot he could spend all day long just looking at the fish tanks after Nemo. There are a ton of rides in the MK a toddler can go on. IASW, Buzz, Jungle Cruise, Flying Carpets, People Mover, etc., were all popular. Parades and characters were also fun for him. It was a little easier because he's always been a stellar stroller napper but if you take some rest time at the resort and are prepared to skip the evening if need be all will be well. Pool time is also fun for them.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

OK I just took my then 15 month old in May, so my advice is coming from my experience:

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)

This day looks terrible! I would absolutely not start with Great Movie Ride. The bad guy taking over the car is terrifying for young children and the Alien is creepy as can be. This is going to start you off on a really bad foot. Also, my daughter was an early early walker and still not ready for Disney playgrounds (other than Dumbo's under 3 area) at 15 months. I HIGHLY doubt you will have a 14.5 month old who would enjoy that play ground or the boneyard. TSMM is alright, but the baby has to sit in someone's lap. Be ready for that. Basically, I think the only thing the baby would enjoy that day is Disney Jr. and that's based on how well she knows the characters. If the baby enjoys shows, then Frozen can be nice b/c it's 80% music and beauty and the beast is another tot friendly show.

The other days look fine, but I do want to say that if your baby likes to be involved, they might not enjoy the World Showcase. It's not really fun for kids at all, which is why they made up the passport games that Reagan would be too small for. Make sure you meet Pooh Bear at Christopher Robin's room.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We are here now with our 12 month old. Seeing her face light up when she sees the characters is something I will treasure forever. She was frantically screaming "Mickey!!" when she met him.

Our DD LOVED Festival of Fantasy. Swinging her arms around and dancing to the music. We did not expect this, and had not planned on seeing the parade, but it was that much more fun. Doing it again today.

On day 1, we took her to rope drop at MK and stayed til 7. She is a stroller napper though so she was in good spirits the whole time.

Day 2 we went to Animal Kingdom around 9:30, stayed until after lunch, took a break and went to EPCOT. In terms of things she can actually ride and do in each park, this worked nicely for us.

We have one more full MK day, an undecided morning (gasp!) and an afternoon through evening at HS left. We're leaving that undecided morning until we see how long she lasts at MK the night before.

I really cannot stress enough how much she has loved this experience so far. All smiles. She may not remember it, but she will treasure looking back at the photos and videos of us here. My parents brought me and my sister as babies and we love to do the same thing.

 

[Dug720]

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

My only question here is: Does the Mickey FP+ window START at 10:15? Because what happens if they are running behind in the barber shop or it takes longer than expected? If 10:15 is the start of the FP+ window you should be ok, but if that's further into the window, it could add stress if there is a haircut delay.

 

[buzznina]

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.

Have you ever heard of pictures and videos??

For the OP; we learned to go with the flow and that our 1st DD HATED HM because of the dark and the occasional spooky scream and then did not want to go on any other dark ride after that and were talking years. So hopefully you will not have any issues, all kids are different We found out that afternoon breaks did not work for us and that if we did a resort day (usually every 3rd day) that it worked great for keeping them from getting over tired or stimulated. We are lucky that both our DDs did fall asleep in the stroller which helps A LOT If I remember right you do not have any ADRs and for us that also worked the best.

 

[BeerMe]

A few years ago we took our then 20 month old granddaughter to Disney. Fast forward to December 2015 and we took her 21 month old sister. The response from each of them was totally different. The first child loved meeting all the characters and would run up to each of them to greet them. The last trip was totally different. This time the second granddaughter was not overly enthusiastic. You just never know what the reaction will be.

 

[elmom]

We have only been once before. My kids were just 2 and 3 years old. My older remembers a few random things (like seeing the T-Rex restaurant and me promising we will go next time). The younger doesn't remember anything. But we still had fun and have the pictures to prove it.

My daughter was normally ok with hanging out in the stroller, even in crowds (we lived in a big city so we weren't a stranger to them). But in WDW, no way. I am not sure why but she was very fussy in her stroller. So I carried her, pretty much non-stop the entire trip. That was a surprise.

Still, it was fun and I don't regret it at all.

 

[galaxygirl76]

Our daughter was almost 3 when we took her. We knew she most likely won't remember, we also knew she'd be back. I will never forget how her face lit up the first time she saw Mickey, the castle, or the princesses, which made it all worth it for us.

Your plans look great, however be prepared to adjust on the fly. What we learned in a hurry is that she was in charge. She's not a stroller napper either, but definitely needed 'downtime'. So for us the midday break was very important and she would let us know exactly when that had to happen haha. She loved all the rides we took her on.

 

[Jenna319]

We took our daughter just after she turned 1 for Halloween - I heard so many criticisms from friends and family that she was too young, she won't remember it, bla bla bla. Disney is all about making memories with your family, as is any family vacation wherever you decide to go. We had an amazing time and have the pictures to show her one day. We ended up booking another trip, leaving next week, because we had flight credits to use and scored $45 one way from Chicago. Couldn't pass it up. Our daughter will be almost 15 months old for this trip and is now walking. To me, it is already going to be a completely different trip because she's walking now. Your plan sounds perfect to me. Our daughter is also very easy going, but I didn't think my daughter was a stroller napper either and boom - when she got tired, she was out like a light. So you may end up being surprised! Our daughter wasn't scared of anything, went to many character meals, saw fireworks one night, and went on practically everything that she could get on without a height restriction, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, no fear. May I suggest putting a colored bandanna on your stroller or something to separate it from the other hordes of strollers - this was a lifesaver when trying to find our stroller because the CMs move them often. And definitely take advantage of the baby care centers, they are great! Have an amazing trip!!!

 

[Jing]

We took our 22-month old to see "Mick Mouse" and had similar plans in terms of timing. We ditched at least half of them (which is on par with pre-child). We babywear and he took most of his daily naps on me, with a few in the stroller. Wake and nap times were more erratic, but bedtime was consistent with home.

We were surprised how much he liked characters since he hated them at home. Parades and street performances were huge hits. The only dark ride that terrified him was Peter Pan(?!), though we didn't do HM. He has an expansive palate, and did great with both TS and QS. I think he had every soup in WDW.

And for people who yap about it being for you not the child, damn straight. To be a good parent, sacrifice is a given - creating Disney memories with family is a good kind of selfish.

 

[DizMomAndWife]

OK I just took my then 15 month old in May, so my advice is coming from my experience:

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)

This day looks terrible! I would absolutely not start with Great Movie Ride. The bad guy taking over the car is terrifying for young children and the Alien is creepy as can be. This is going to start you off on a really bad foot. Also, my daughter was an early early walker and still not ready for Disney playgrounds (other than Dumbo's under 3 area) at 15 months. I HIGHLY doubt you will have a 14.5 month old who would enjoy that play ground or the boneyard. TSMM is alright, but the baby has to sit in someone's lap. Be ready for that. Basically, I think the only thing the baby would enjoy that day is Disney Jr. and that's based on how well she knows the characters. If the baby enjoys shows, then Frozen can be nice b/c it's 80% music and beauty and the beast is another tot friendly show.

The other days look fine, but I do want to say that if your baby likes to be involved, they might not enjoy the World Showcase. It's not really fun for kids at all, which is why they made up the passport games that Reagan would be too small for. Make sure you meet Pooh Bear at Christopher Robin's room.

We may have to rethink GMR, based on what you and others have said. I plan on seeing how she does on HM and other "dark" rides, then deciding. The whole HS day is going to be a play by ear day. If we do 1-2 things at the park then spend the rest of the day in the pool, we'll be okay with that! As far as epcot, the world showcase is probably my favorite thing in all of WDW! However, we know she probably wont be too interested. In the original plan we only 'budgeted' around 2 hours to see it. Do you think that's too much?

 

[DizMomAndWife]

My only question here is: Does the Mickey FP+ window START at 10:15? Because what happens if they are running behind in the barber shop or it takes longer than expected? If 10:15 is the start of the FP+ window you should be ok, but if that's further into the window, it could add stress if there is a haircut delay.

Our window actually ends at 10:30....Have you done Harmony barber shop before? I looked on youtube and some trip reports and it seems to only take 15-20 minutes for the 1st haircut, but if you know differently please tell me! Our appt is at 9:30, but we're supposed to get there at 9:15. We figure we would probably be done by 10.

 

[Dug720]

Our window actually ends at 10:30....Have you done Harmony barber shop before? I looked on youtube and some trip reports and it seems to only take 15-20 minutes for the 1st haircut, but if you know differently please tell me! Our appt is at 9:30, but we're supposed to get there at 9:15. We figure we would probably be done by 10.

I have not done it - no kids - but I have read that sometimes they can run behind like anything can. I have just learned in life in general to plan for possible delays to avoid stress.

I do know that both of my sister's god kids did it - don't know about time, but... One was fine, but the other was so freaked out by the whole first haircut thing he is red and splotchy with tears and puffy eyes in the pictures during and right after.

 

[Jing]

Our window actually ends at 10:30....Have you done Harmony barber shop before? I looked on youtube and some trip reports and it seems to only take 15-20 minutes for the 1st haircut, but if you know differently please tell me! Our appt is at 9:30, but we're supposed to get there at 9:15. We figure we would probably be done by 10.

We did his first haircut there - it was an afternoon appointment and we were seen on time. We were in and done within half an hour. Totally do-able.

 

[minniemous]

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.

Never understood this logic....why do anything with your child if they will not remember it? Happiness in the moment has no value? I would think the trip would be fun for all involved and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[yeheyprincex2]

Reading your post made me pull up our sons first rip to WDW. I love the pictures and the memories. We celebrated our his first birthday with a trip to WDW and we had a great time with him there. You have received a lot of good advice. Soak in the memories and enjoy your trip.