Advice needed for travel with kids 3 and under

[2under4]

2 questions - and any other tips welcome!

Can you rent strollers on the boat or in ports? Or should I buy a cheap umbrella stroller when I get there (I don't want to lug extra equipment)? I have an 18 month old and won't want to carry him!

Also, how likely am I to get babysitting when I want it? I was hoping to put my 18-month-old into Flounder's Reef for a couple of hours during several afternoons so we don't have to sit in the room while he naps. Plus, he will crash after 8:30PM and I was hoping for a few nights of eating during our scheduled dinner (second seating).

Also, my 3 year old is JUST (barely) potty-trained, but he can make it with big-boy undies for most of the day without accidents. I'm a bit panicked that he'll have an accident, but I want him to be able to participate in the Oceaneer's activities. Anyone with similar experiences?

Am I crazy to take a cruise with an 18-month and a 3 year old? We live in Boston and just need to get away!!!

 

[suesings]

Hi,
We are travelling with our will be 5 year old and will-be 22 month old in late May. I was wondering the same thing about Flounder's Reef, but everything I've read has said that you are guaranteed one reservation in Flounders and then you can request others but no guarantee type thing?

How much time do you have before you leave. My advice is to take a week off work and get your son potty trained. Let him run around naked (no PULL UPS at all, they only promote peeing/pooping in their pants - my older daughter's nursery teacher used to always tell us and complain when parents would confuse the children by acting like they were potty training but then put them in Pull Ups). It will be more fun for you and him if he can go to the club and my understanding is that they MUST be fully potty trained.

I think it will be tough to have 2 kids who can't use the club. Although they do say that non-potty trained 3 year olds can go to Founder's Reef with the babies. But you will have to pay the $6.00 an hour and it probably won't be much fun for him to have to stay with the babies.

Good luck to you.

Sue

 

[2under4]

Thanks - I will let you know how the Flounder's thing works out after the 12th (we are cruising on 2/5). I hadn't heard that we would be guaranteed one spot, so that's great to know - it'll be a Palos dinner!

We have my son in undies all day, but have to put him in a diaper at night b/c he is always wet. Although tonight, I'm trying something new - a diaper OVER the undies - so he will feel the wet without getting it all over the bed. We'll see!

My guess is that he will be okay for Oceaneers during they day, and if we are lucky we will get one 2-hour spot with my 18-month-old in Flounders and 3-year old in Oceaneers. I think, though, I may have to stick him in Flounders for the Palo dinner, because I'd be too worried about a potty accident in Oceaneers over a nice dinner after 9 pm. We'll see how he does - we still have a week of training to go!

Wish us luck!

 

[Disnurse2B]

We did the diaper over the undies thing with DD and it worked like a charm! She was trained in about a week. Good luck.

 

[Disney Fans]

We went on the Wonder last May with a 20 month old at the time and a 4 year old at the time of trip.

Yes do bring a stroller that folds up small. I don't think that the ship rents them out either- but call just to make sure.
The stroller came in handy everywhere from the airport, WDW, cruise and ports.
Flounders is great but I would recommend sign up as soon as it opens after you check in so that you can have a better chance at the times that you want.

 

[aprilgail2]

Yes do bring a stroller that folds up small. I don't think that the ship rents them out either- but call just to make sure.
The stroller came in handy everywhere from the airport, WDW, cruise and ports.
QUOTE]

The ship doesn't RENT them but you can borrow one for free from them. Thjey do require a 100.00 deposit to be put on your KTTW card but when you return the stroller they give you the money back. It wasn't an umbrella stroller, it was a bigger one. I actually got one one evening when my 4 year old fell asleep to just put her in so I could go to the deck party while she slept next to me in the stroller (she can sleep through ANYTHING!).
Flounders I thought you were allowed to pick 3 spots not one...but I could be wrong.

If you want your 3 year old to do some club activities you could actually stay there with them if you wanted. For your 3 year old to go to Flounders he might be very bored. My daughter was 2 1/2 and she hated it, said it was boring with only a bunch of baby toys....but some kids that age do love it.

 

[flexsmom]

When you register for Flounders you do list your top 3 priority time blocks you would like. I've never heard of someone only getting one of those times, but I'm sure it has happened! We got all three of our times, and once they had allocated all of the other blocks to other people's "top 3", we were allowed to list other time blocks we would like. Flounders would call each evening to tell us whether or not we got in, and we did about 80% of the time. We ended up using it for 3 nights (7 night cruise), and 3 mornings (10am - 1pm). Worked great for us!

 

[Rence]

When we went, my three year old niece was "just barely potty-trained". Her mother just stopped in the club every hour or two and made sure that she went to the bathroom. They have no problem with that. So DS should be fine in the club, and if you're concerned, just pop in now and then and make sure he goes potty.

 

[MarkLem]

The ship has strollers. We borrowed one the whole 7 days, took it on shore excursions, etc. Worked out great.

 

[rsjj]

when we went last year, our DSs were 2 & 4 at the time. we signed up our 2 yo for flounders. we were there, right after boarding the ship, behind maybe 5 other families. and got the 2 spots we wanted/requested. palo dinner & brunch. he loved being in flounders' reef. we thought he might not want to go there...but he really enjoyed going. we "talked it up" with him about the fun he'd have there. showed him the wonderful pix from the brochure, etc.

no, i don't think you're crazy to bring your kids with you on the cruise! they would have so much fun! and you too! i still recall seeing our DSs wide grins & smiles. oh, when they saw goofy for the very first time...please let me share this story! first night, after dinner, we were just exploring the ship. noone else was around us. we were just strolling by deck 5, by flounders. and here comes goofy! our boys took pix with him, and was so overcome with glee! and when he left (he was heading into flounders reef, to visit the other kids there, i suppose), my 2 yo ran after him, screaming..."goofy, come back!!" it was so cute!!!

anyways, you will have a wonderful time, with lots of treasured memories! so enjoy!

 

[momof4aj]

I might be wrong but I thought they told us it was okay for little ones to wear a pull-up at night when they went into the Oceaneer's Club, especially if was going to later in the evening after a normal bed time. Does anyone else know if that's the case? I believe they will lay the kids down on nap mats if they're sleepy since they are open so late. I would just ask when I signed him up.