3 1/2 year old boy

[babygirlamg]

Bringing my son for the first time in November. My girls first time was at 5 years old. Any tips and fav rides for a toddler that I should know? This trip I know will be alot different bringing him at a younger age.

 

[ariel326]

we went in January with our 3 1/2 year old. We had a blast.
He did every ride that he was tall enough for (40 inches).

Some things that helped were-
snacks- I brought a bunch into the park. A water bottle with a built in filter.

A good stroller- we brought our chicco umbrella stroller- it was nice because it reclined. I had him nap in it every day. We would recline it, put a blanket over the front and find a place where we could just walk in a big circle (areound the hub at MK, around the imagination pavilion at epcot, and the streets of America at DHS). I don't know what we would have done if he hadn't napped. We got there early, had him nap and stayed late. it worked well.

Lots of character M&G's. They were all a hit! Even the princesses. Ariel and Belle were his favorites. He was amazed when Ariel gave him a kiss on his cheek and still talks about it today.

Read his signs. IF he needs a break, take one, and give him a snack. Or put him in the stroller and let him sit while you walk. I am so thankful we had the stroller.

For the lines- I found a bubble gun thing on the first day we were there . It was awesome. The refill bottles were like .99 cents and it kept him entertained for all the lines. It even entertained the kids around him too. He had a blast blowing all the bubbles and then the kids were all popping them. I also found this light up buzz light year thing that you push the button and it spins around. THat kept him very entertained during long lines as well.

For Fp's we were there the weekend where things were turning over form legacy to FP+ for offsite guests. So we used FP+ at MK and legacy at DHS and Epcot. We used them for - ETWB, BTMRR, and Peter Pan. Soarin and Malestrom (pre- tiering), and Star Tours, Toy Story and Voyage of the LIttle mermaid at DHS.

Hope that helps!

 

[ekatiel]

My boys have always loved the Boneyard at AK. It opens at 10am. When they were preschoolers we could have stayed there for hours. Their favorite part is the digging area at the top where you can uncover dinosaur "fossils".

 

[gtpoohbear]

Just went last month with my 3.5 yo DS. Definitely plan plenty of time at the playgrounds, that was his favorite part! And be prepared to do the same ride 5 times in a row if he finds something he likes, lol!

Don't know if you are considering a water park, but he had a blast at Typhoon Lagoon, it ended up being his favorite park.

And naps/rest are a must. We've done both the break-in-room and stroller-on-the-go naps. Just figure out what works for you, and don't be afraid to try a different routine if something doesn't feel right.

 

[Woodmnky]

The biggest thing that I had heard, but didn't fully understand until taking my son was that everything is real at this age. The show that takes place in front of the castle several times during the day has Malificient and she is not being nice. This was very upsetting to my 3 yo. He didn't want to stick around to see that everything was fine and even after he did he was worried that the bad lady would come back.

Things on rides that I would not have anticipated caused him some anxiety. Each kid is different, but I do recommend checking out which rides are commonly upsetting to little kids (It's Tough to Be a Bug & Stitch's Great Escape come to mind). If your child is completely fearless all the better, but if you are unsure at all of how he will react start small and work your way up.

I did not think that my son would care about meeting characters since he had not been that excited to meet them on a Disney Cruise, but that was the highlight of his day and we had to work in M&Gs to keep him a happy camper.

Each families touring style is different, but our whole family needed quiet time outside of the park each day. Most days we left after lunch and came back in the evenings.