Advice for taking an (almost) 3 year old

[LadyFaire88]

Hi everyone! I'm planning a trip for December 2015. My son turns three at the end of the month so I thought I would try to squeeze in a trip while he's still free to get in. It would be 3 adults (me, my husband and my aunt) and 1 child (my son). We would be going for a week.

I'm mostly just looking for tips for taking a young child to the parks. Must do's or don't. Things to skip, etc. Things you wouldn't think about on an adult only trip.

I'm also looking for hotel recommendations. Preferably a suite within walking distance. Definitely planning on breaks/nap during the day.

Thanks in advance!

Marisa Younker

 

[figment_jii]

So things that come to mind...
...the Baby Centers (one in each park) have toddler potties; the seats are lower and they don't auto-flush.
...take things slow so that the child doesn't get worn out and so you don't get worn out! There is so much to see and do, it's easy to forget the time.
...for naps, the lower floor back area of Hungry Bear is often on the quieter side. The toddler I was with took a nap in her stroller back there one afternoon instead of going back to the hotel.
...ear muffs or plugs if your child is sensitive to loud noises, specially if you want to watch fireworks.
...take it slow with the characters and see how the child does. Some kids love them, others are scared of them. The characters are great at trying to help kids feel comfortable, but for some kids it's just too much. In other words, I wouldn't plan a character meal until you know if your child likes the characters or not.
...Aladdin stage show is fun to see, but it's long (~45 minutes) and there are some scary bits (e.g., Jafar as a snake).
...Mickey and Magical Map is fun if your little one likes music and dancing. Not a lot of cohesion in the plot, but fun for kids to see.
...Get a "First Visit" button for your son. A cute (and free) keepsake! You can get it at Guest Services or (sometimes) random stores will also have them.

 

[crystal1313]

Agree with Figment!

Baby centers are SO nice! Along with the training toilets, they are padded changing tables (if DS is not potty trained yet). They are SO nice!

Make sure you keep an eye on the Christmas Super Thread by Sherry E. Tons of wonderful info for Xmas at the parks! If your little guy can stay up, it snows after the fireworks and that is pretty magical!

Ok, so here are some of my tips. My boys are 4 and 6 and we've been going since they were infants.

Pack a lot of snacks!

Take a lot of breaks. Don't expect to get done what you used to as a couple. As a general rule, we would take a snack break after a potty/diaper change break. So about every 2 hours or so.

Bring or rent a comfortable stroller. The ones for rent at DL are only for the parks, so you can't push back sleeping DS to hotel at night.

Take tons of photos! My boys love looking at them!

Bring a change of clothes for DS just in case.

You are allowed to bring in soft sided coolers for drinks and snacks. This really saves money. You can refill water bottles at the baby center too for free! Cold filtered water.

My boys, much to my surprise do not like character interactions....so that was something to get used to. It's ok, but not what I expected. So don't worry if DS is not into the characters. (Like Figment said)

Bring warm clothes and a blanket for night time.

Go at your sons pace. It makes a more enjoyable day for everyone.

Measure DS ahead of time to know what rides he can go on

As far as attractions, my kids like everything in Fantasyland. They like toontown, autopia and buzz lightyear. Tiki room and jungle cruise are big hits. DL Railroad too. My youngest is hit or miss with Pirates and HM. Overall, I think starting him out on the tamer rides will be a good judge to see how he reacts and what you think he is ready for. My oldest is a dare devil and rode TOT at 3 and Matterhorn at 2 (with the old height requirement) and my youngest just finally rode Matterhorn at 4. So every kid is different.

At DCA, the boys like Monsters Inc, Bugs Land, Cars Land, Ferris wheel and Little Mermaid. They also are just discovering the Muppets and loved that too. They have sat through Aladdin and liked that too.

Have a great time!!

 

[figment_jii]

They have sat through Aladdin and liked that too.

The almost three-year old I went with "sat" through Aladdin...she started in her own seat and ended in her mother's seat. She loved the singing and musical numbers, but was freaked out by the snake! Sigh...it was going so well up to that point!

Other things...

• parade watching can be fun. The little one loved watching the characters go by. We got there early enough that she could stay in her stroller while watching the parade. This had a two fold benefit - she could rest her tired little legs/feet while waiting/watching the show and she couldn't dart out onto the parade route when her beloved princesses went by (thank goodness for stroller straps).
• I second Crystal1313's comment about bringing extra clothes. You never know when they're going to spill something on themselves or sit on something wet. Now, they do sell a lot of clothing items inside the parks, but it can get pricey.
• Small glow toys can be useful at night. The little one had a mini glow stick toy to carry around with her and it made her feel more comfortable when the parks got dark. I'm not suggesting riding things with it (especially dark rides like HM), but it's not bad while waiting for parades or walking around.
• Jungle Cruise is a lot of fun in the daytime; it might be a bit scary in the dark. It's not brightly lit and things seem more "menacing" in the dark. This was another ride where she started on her own and ended up in her Dad's lap.
• Astro Orbiter is not Dumbo, no matter what anyone says! The little's one Grandfather was fine on Dumbo, but Astro Orbiter was faster/higher and set off his motion sickness. So something to keep in mind.
• Check height requirements before you go. If your little one is just barely tall enough to ride at the entrance check point, best to prepare yourself because there is a chance that they still might not be able to ride. The loader CM has another height stick and they have the final say. I didn't have it happen, but I've read about children making it past the first CM, but being turned away by the loader CM.
• Have fun!

 

[VandVsmama]

When taking a 3 yr old to DL, I would definitely consider the following:

• plan your day at the parks around your child's normal schedule
• expect a couple of melt downs. It's normal for a child that age. And DL can be a bit of sensory overload sometimes for little ones.
• definitely bring an extra change of clothes for your child.
• stay at a hotel/motel within walking distance. Closest ones are the Grand Californian Hotel or Best Western Park Place Inn.
• that way, if your little one is the sort of child who only sleeps in a quiet room (instead of in a stroller), one of you can take the kid back to the hotel for a nap.
• get to the parks prior to opening so you can take advantage of smaller crowds early in the day

 

[crystal1313]

Ah thanks for reminding me Figment, my boys love the parades too! Even though they are into character meet n greets, they love waving to them in the parade! The Pixar parade at DCA is also great!

If he's a Jake and the Neverland Pirates fan theres a Disney Junior show at DCA too. And if he likes Peter Pan/Captain Hook there's an awesome part in Fantasmic! with them...if he can stay up that late. And be warned, there are some pretty scary parts in Fantasmic too (Dragon!) but my timid DS4 likes it.

Also, be aware that some of the attractions exit you right into a shop filled with toys! (toy story midway mania, Buzz lightyear) We used to have issues with our boys wanting everything they saw. So we made up a rule that they only get one item and that they can pick the item later in the trip, not the first day. Everything they say they like we make a mental note of and then when they are ready to make a purchase we go over everything they liked. We set a limit as to how much they can spend, etc. It's really nice. No more whining and asking you for stuff a million times. LOL. Occasionally we will surprise them and get them something on our own to go with what they picked out, but very rarely. We also bring cheap glow sticks, necklaces form the dollar store that they LOVE and then they don't ask for the super overpriced stuff at the parks as soon as it gets dark out.

You might want to watch some videos of attractions on youtube with DS to see what he thinks of things too. It could help him feel more comfortable on attractions if he has an idea of whats going to happen.

 

[NiceOneSimba]

We took our DD at that age, and for the same reason!

*Walking distance hotel is a must. We loved the BWPPI, but we've also stayed at the Tropicana and DI&S. All were fine, and close.
*A stroller is a must, as much for gear storage as for transportation.
*Grocery delivery from Vons was awesome. We packed a soft-sided cooler and ordered snacks, sodas, and water for the parks.
*My daughter was so freaked out by the Pinocchio and Snow White rides she refused to ride them on our second trip a year later. Don't start with those!
*The Gadget Go Coaster is a good first "fast" ride, and has a low height limit. My DD loved that, so we took her on BTMRR, which she also loved. The Yeti in the Matterhorn spooked her so much she didn't want to ride it on this trip (2.5 years later).
*Your son will probably love Tom Sawyer's Island, especially if he just needs to run around for a while.
*I bought a bunch of little gifts with me, and Mickey left them in our hotel room every night. I took advantage of the plush sales at the Disney Store got a couple of shirts on clearance there, as well. It really kept the souvenir costs down, and she thought it was so cool that Mickey brought her presents.
*I checked out the menus ahead of time, and knew what restaurants had what kids meals. My DD isn't terribly picky at home, but it's good to know where you can get mac and cheese if you need to.
*Consider Ridemax. It's ride optimization software. Little ones often have limited patience for waiting, and it will help you get in all the rides you want with the least amount of waiting. Was totally worth the $15 we spent!

Have a great trip!

 

[BirdsSingWords]

My younger niece was two and a half on her first trip, and we could not get her off Heimlich's Chew Chew Train in Bug's Land in DCA. She was afraid of MANY things on that trip, but oh how she loved that (lame for adults!) little train!

Luckily, this was pre-Cars Land and we hit Bug's Land in the morning when it was deserted. She (we) rode that thing at least 6 or 7 times. The things we do for love...

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

Watching this thread! Taking our kiddos in oct for a trip,before my daughter turns three!!!

She's been 2 other times, once when she was 12 weeks and once when she was 15 mos. the last trip I learned valuable things. Lol.

Portion snacks out so they are easy to grab. Nothing but disaster can come from giving your child an entire bag of crackers. So I would make up snacks each day to take.

Def but small souvies ahead.

Extra change of clothes. Even if your babe is solid potty trained.

Never hurts to have a pack of baby wipes for multiple uses.

We drove last time so we brought lots of toddler friendly food for her meals. Plus cheaper and healthier.

 

[mikana876]

I took my son when he was 3 and he loved it!

My advice is to watch and take cues from your child to see what he/she will and won't like. Many people told me to stay away from "scary" rides but his favorites ended up being the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Carribean, Snow White, Pinocchio etc. the only rides he was scared of were Its a Small World and the Jungle Cruise (which he flat our refused to get on). Maybe it was the boat in the water aspect. He also hated the shows and much preferred the rides. Your child could be the exact opposite but just watch and react appropriately.

Stroller is a must! My son fell asleep a couple times in the stroller.

 

[LadyFaire88]

You all are amazing! Thank you for the tips.

As far as strollers go, I was thinking about renting one from City Stroller Rentals. That way I would have it for the whole trip and not have to worry about mine getting damaged on the plane. Any thoughts or experiences with this?

Marisa Younker

 

[mikana876]

We used an umbrella stroller. I liked that it was small and portable. We had one that had a sunshade on the top and a net compartment on the bottom. For us it was perfect, not big and bulky, easy to maneuver through crowds etc.

 

[taffy]

So we are going back in a few weeks time with our 3.5 year old. This will be his second visit. He loves Autopia, toontown and the rides in Cars Land.

As for hotels, I like Camelot or Tropicana for closeness to the entrance. This time we are staying in the Castle Inn and Suites as he loves castles and dragons at the moment.

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

I've heard great things about city stroller rentals!

Since we've driven the last few trips I've been able to take my large stroller ( a britax b ready). As long as my kids are very young I'll make it a priority to bring a comfy stroller for them. My daughter napped comfortably in it every day. I also brought Aden and anais breathable blankets and was able to cover her up without getting too hot. I also had a stroller fan (even in mild April) to keep her from getting too hot.

Having a larger stroller is so handy when bringing kiddos. I could bring extras and not have to worry about carrying them. I used a buggy guard stroller lock (to lock its wheels not to a fixed point like a fence or rail) and that gave me great peace of mind. I'm a nerd a practiced ahead of time putting the lock on so I was able to do it pretty fast. Lol.

 

[Caseheidi]

After reading the responses the only new thing I can think to add is bring gallon sized ziplock bags. When packing my DD clothes, I used one bag for each complete outfit ( including under clothing and socks). When leaving for the park, I would always grab two. The Ziplock bags were easy and confident, and perfect for the soiled clothes. One day we even went through both outfits and had to buy new clothes in the park. Of course it was really hot when we went, and DD found ever water play area available.

 

[VandVsmama]

You all are amazing! Thank you for the tips.

As far as strollers go, I was thinking about renting one from City Stroller Rentals. That way I would have it for the whole trip and not have to worry about mine getting damaged on the plane. Any thoughts or experiences with this?

Marisa Younker

We have used City Strollers before and had great success with them. Last time, we stayed at the DLH and it was invaluable to be able to use the stroller outside of the parks. I was able to steer it one-handed. It was great.