Advice needed from parents with young children....

[Erineliza38]

DH and I are taking our "just turned 3 year old" twins to WDW in April for our first family trip. I am SO excited- but also nervous as this is the first big vacation with the kids. I am really wanting some great advice/tips from those who have done this before. So, what essential tips/advice do I need to know about flying, taking the Magical Express, staying at BLT and visiting MK for the first time with the kids??

 

[khmiller]

We took our 2 and 5 year old boys last year. Here are my 2 cents:
Be patient and relax.
Keep them cool.
Don't push them too hard. Don't expect to spend 12 hrs at one park straight.
Let them nap when they get tired and try to anticipate that.
When you travel, have things with you that will keep their interest. Buy a lot of new stuff to keep their interests.
For sit down meals, have things to keep their interest.
Be very savvy on folding your stroller to get on the buses.

 

[kray8800]

Great suggestions! I will use them as well!

 

[DisneySJB]

The best advice anyone ever gave me was to plan for downtime. Plan to go back to your room midday for a nap or even a quick swim in the pool. Also, give yourself a day or two to rest midweek. My family loves "pool days". My DD is 8 now and we still plan for downtime. The parks are awesome and tons of fun, but are exhausting.

 

[DizGirl20]

When my kids were younger, we found that they loved being at the resort as much as they did being in the parks (maybe even more!). They loved just hanging out in the sun by the pool. Because you own DVC, just remember that if you don't get to something, don't sweat it because you'll be back again. If you have a chance, check out the activities over at Fort Wilderness. My daughter loved the pony rides at that age. If they don't like a character for some reason, don't push it. Have fun stuff for them to do while waiting in line(s). Bring snacks/juice boxes. OK now that this is one big long run-on paragraph... my final advice is to just enjoy their first trip to Disney. My kids are now 10 & 13 and love Disney just as much as I do. They still get excited when we go every year, but truthfully there is nothing like their first trip. Take lots of pictures so both Mom, Dad and kids can look back at them some day! Have fun!

 

[Erineliza38]

Thanks for the tips- I hope they keep coming!!
We are only going to MK this trip- and we will be there on Mon. and Wed. with a down day at the resort on Tuesday. I think coming back to the room for a nap is something I need to make sure happens- even if they fight me on it

 

[Fatalbie]

STROLLER!!!!!!!
Priceless.

Jim

 

[mecllap]

Usually I would say use PhotoPass lots, but not sure it's worth it for 2 days in the park. But do get lots of photos with characters -- the CM's will also take photos of all the family with your camera -- they will be priceless to have as the girls grow. With 3 yr old twins, the character breakfasts would be good to do. Don't force them into character interactions or rides, if they are reluctant, tho. I would say go slow and enjoy seeing the park and shows/parades, etc. and getting lots of photos, rather than worrying about doing very many rides.

I agree that a stroller(s) is/are priceless -- but be sure you can efficiently unload them for folding (altho that may not be an issue for you with staying at BLT and only going to MK, since you either walk or take the monorail).

Rope drop and early entry will help you if you can pre-plan and organize for an early start.

 

[jacdolfin]

We took our first trip when my daughter was 3 and my son 5. Definattly take your own stroller. My 3 yr old fell asleep in it . Start your day early if they will let you and avoid the hottest parts of the day. I am not sure when you are going but in the heat of day you can go back to your room or find the air conditioned shows. Hall of presidents is boring for them but the AC is worth it lol. Another tip is to make advance dining reservations so you arae not waiting in line you can just walk in. Last suggestion i can think of is to start your day at DUmbo, Peter Pan, Pooh etc and work from there. Those are the rides mine liked the best at that age. Above all have fun.

 

[Kidanifan08]

We took our son to Disney for the first time at 2.5 years and he loved it! I agree with everyone that having your own stroller is key. We just got back a few weeks ago, and having the stroller at 4.5 years is still key.

We usually take disposable rain ponchos for us and the stroller -- they are cheap in the camping section at Walmart or Target. You will want to stay for Wishes, and the kids will love it! We usually take glow sticks for the evening -- which are also cheap at Walmart or Target.

If you have the chance to use morning EMH - do it. You can get alot of stuff done in those first 2 hours with toddlers, especially in Fantasyland. Do a character dinner at Chef Mickey at CR if you can get a reservation. Have a great time!

 

[Doug7856]

I'm tagging a long for the tips! Our oldest son is 9. In December we adopted a two 2 year old who will turn 3 just before our trip and it will be his first trip.

I love the tips so far! Our DS 9 was 2.5 for his first trip. I remember he loved the characters and wanted to ride a bus over and over. He also loved the dinosaur dig and playground at DAK and the water spray area at EPCOT. The "Honey I Shrunk..." playground at DHS was also a favorite. My favorite memory was waiting in line to see Goofy. He kept saying "See 'em Goofy, see 'em Goofy". When we got up to Good, he said, "Nooooooooooo see 'em Goofy!"

Have fun planning!

 

[Arthur27]

Look into the baby care center in the parks. They can be a big help if needed. We used to use the rooms they offer as a little break for our little ones. Especially for our oldest which sometimes large crowds and noises could be a bit too much at times. They also sell supplies you may need.

 

[bumbershoot]

Keep everyone fed and watered.

When DS was 3 we took two trips to Disneyland. With such a short trip, we tended to do more than we would with a longer trip, and so the short trips made him absolutely crazy. So definitely consider longer trips in the future.

Start with the outdoor, bright and shiny, rides first. Don't start with something spookier or indoors.

 

[CrazyDuck]

You can use Benadryl to knock them out for the long flight ... J/K... Don't do that!

 

[disneymath]

What PPs have said is all good advice, here's what I can add (my most recent trip to the world included my just over three year-old nephew and his 16 mo twin brothers).

1. Take it slow and easy. There is so much for them to take in ... you will be amazed at what grabs their interest - just go with it! And keep the camera handy.

2. Stroller is a must. Not sure what model you have, but my sister has the the double one available from Orlando Stroller rentals and it is fantastic. (Compact for a double, nice comfy-shaded seats, etc.) We thought the 3yo would be ok without his own stroller, but after day 1, we ended up renting one for him each park day. The heat and excitement was too much. That said, it's nice to have the stroller outisde the parks too.

3. The walk from BLT to the MK entrance is about 10 mins tops (at a leisurely pace) - this can be faster than the monorail and will likely be much quieter if the little ones have fallen asleep in the stroller.

4. Take the time to introduce the kids to the characters before you go - especially if you plan to do character meets or meals. (In small doses, Playhouse Disney - oops, I guess it's now Disney Jr - is a great way to do that.) When we were planning our last trip, the not quite 3 yo loved looking at the DisneyWorld magazine we got from the travel agency. It was a great way to explain some of what we would see and do. We also looked up some rides on youtube with the 3yo. (Turns out that he really really really wanted to try Soarin' .... he just made the height cutoff and LOVED it)

5. Expose your twins to restaurants near home - it will help you figure out how to plan your meals on vacation. We regularly eat out with my sisters family, so the boys are used to restaurants. This was great b/c we were able to do the Dining Plan and used the TS meals as "not so obvious" downtime. That said, the boys aren't morning people, so we ordered from gardengrocer.com and ate breakfast in our BLT villa most mornings. (We did do one breakfast buffet a Chef Mickey's.)

6. If the kids have never flown before, maybe get them a story about airports and planes (I DON'T recommend Robert Munsch's Angela's Airplanes for this purpose). We got a neat book at Chapters that had flaps etc. that takes you step by step from checking in to going through security, to stowing your bags to landing - the twins really liked it and so did the 3 yo. You might also want to take the kids out to an airport beforehand if possible - just so they can get a feel for it.

7. Make sure to pack some small favourite toys/stuffed animals for the kids to play with during downtime in the resort. The 3yo's stuffed koala came almost everywhere with us on our last trip (we ended up calling him the fourth kid, but that's another story.) Also pack some new, inexpensive toys for the airplane. You might want to pack earplugs and (sugarless) suckers as well.

Ok, I'm gonna stop now .... sorry for the long post!

 

[dopeygirl76]

I agree with all the wonderful suggestions so far. Our oldest was 2.5 for her 1st trip and I was 6 months pregnant. Our youngest was only 7 months old for her first trip and they have been 2 times a year since. Our upcoming trip in April they will be just turned 4 & 7. Other thoughts:

1. light meals in the rooms - it is tough for kids who aren't used to eating out everyday to do that. We plan our down time between lunch and dinner and have one of those meals in the room.

2. drinks and snacks....I invested in a backpack cooler for our first trip and it has been t he greatest thing ever. We freeze bottled water so we always have a cool drink and always take raisins, goldfish crackers, pretzels and yogurt....my youngest is VERY picky and at least she has something to eat.

3. most of all - enjoy every second...it is a truly magical experience watching them!!!

 

[maburke]

My advice is to go to bed early (not just them, you too) because they will probably be up early and excited in the mornings. Take advantage of that. Get to the parks early, and don't wait until they're crying to take your break. (We've left as early as 10:30, but if you get there at 8 for EMH, you feel like you've done a lot.) I disagree with the character breakfast idea, it wastes your best park time. Do an early dinner at Chef Mickey's, after they are refreshed from break and nap.

Have fun!

 

[Ramsfan28]

My best advice is to prepare for the unexpected, especially for the plane flight. Bring extra clothes, lots of things to drink, and eat AND don't forget a few things to keep the small ones enteratined. I bought a mini-DVD player for our Diseny trips and it is one of the best investiments I ever made.

Good idea staying so close to the MK - that close walk may come in handy when the kids are exhausted. Make full use of the Disney transporation!

Take lots of breaks, WDW is a lot for anyone, but espeically for small children.

I found it to be a good idea to keep children on their nap/bedtime schedule as much as possible.

Keep the children (and you) well hydrated and dress in layers so nobody gets too hot or too cold, though in April you will need to protect against the heat.

Bring lots and lots of sunblock and have it with you at all times.

Know where the baby centers are, great places to cool off and use the bathroom with small children.

Mostly, relax and have fun!!

 

[hakepb]

My advice is to go to bed early (not just them, you too) because they will probably be up early and excited in the mornings. Take advantage of that. Get to the parks early, and don't wait until they're crying to take your break. (We've left as early as 10:30, but if you get there at 8 for EMH, you feel like you've done a lot.) I disagree with the character breakfast idea, it wastes your best park time. Do an early dinner at Chef Mickey's, after they are refreshed from break and nap.

Have fun!

Early doesn't sound like fun for the parents
I try to stay on CST so early is really bad. But if you see the fireworks at night, the kids sleep in some and they can watch the Disney channel as you leisurely get up. If you like to get up earlier than go for it!
I love starting a MK day with a Chef Mickeys then take the monorail to MK. It would be wonderful going to CM from BLT.
Kids at that age love the monorail. I think it would be cruel to walk an awake kid past all the cool transportation just to save a few minutes.

 

[SFD998]

My oldest was 19 months and my youngest was 15 months when they first went. Like other posters have said I would bring your own stroller. We went to Walmart and bought a cheap umbrella stroller just for our Disney trips. This way if something happened to it we were only out $20. Plus they are easier to break down in times of transportation. When they were younger we were very careful to stick to their usual bed time. This accomplished two things: 1st we didn't push them beyond their breaking point and 2nd we didn't mess up their bedtime routine just for a vacation. Trust me I didn't always want to go to bed as early as they did, but it was for the best. We were then able to get an early start. We didn't always go back to the room for a break, because they would usually fall asleep in the strollers. We used this time to just sit and relax or go on things they couldn't using the parent swap.

Staying at BLT definitely makes transportation and mid-day naps easier. Have fun and take lots of pics.