Advice on traveling to WDW with a toddler right now

[TinkB278]

I’m thinking of going in July right before he turns two. I know July is historically a crazy month... hoping maybe it won’t be as bad due to hesitation regarding travel through the year? Probably wishful thinking LOL. If taking a 2 year old during busy season is crazy please let me know.

 

[chaselovesnemo]

I’m thinking of going in July right before he turns two. I know July is historically a crazy month... hoping maybe it won’t be as bad due to hesitation regarding travel through the year? Probably wishful thinking LOL. If taking a 2 year old during busy season is crazy please let me know.

For me personally, I would not go in the heat and during the busy season with a toddler. That’s just two more stressful factors on him and you.

Re your earlier question, if money allows, ideally you would plan a longer trip than usual to allow him some downtime. So if you want to hit 4 parks, maybe you plan a 5 day trip with a break day in the middle of the trip. Or you take a break EACH day and leave the parks midday for a nap or rest and return early evening. That can be pricier but it’s much easier on a toddler.

Something to consider is whether your child will nap in a stroller or not. If yes, it’s less vital to take a mid-day break. Every kid is different. I have kids who would conk out and kids who would be hysterically exhausted and still refuse to sleep because of everything going on.

If you have to travel far I’d do at least 2-3 days. Toddlers won’t care as much about Epcot, AK, so consider which parks you really want to take him to and plan around that. If you are within driving distance even a single day can be fun.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

5 days is about right for us, but with little ones, we only do 2 or 3 days in the parks. 1 day for Disney Springs and resort fun, and another day for character breakfast and riding the monorail/Skyliner/boat transportation.

 

[KrazeeK120]

We took our son at 18 months and almost 3. We drove, so I can’t comment on the airplane.

Our first trip was in May and our 2nd trip was in October of the following year. We wanted to avoid extreme heat, although there was a heat wave during our May trip...1st week of May and temps were ~95.

Anyway, both trips were such a joy. They are some of my favorite memories. He was so excited to be there and I don’t remember any meltdowns or anything (although he hasn’t historically been a meltdown kid). His favorite parks were MK and AK, although he enjoyed them all. We found that he napped better in the stroller than going back to the room, so we adjusted our plans accordingly. He still talk about things from our last trip and wants to go back so badly!

We were supposed to go in May 2020. I’m thinking of postponing to summer 2022 and hoping for no masks at that time. He’s 5 now and wears his mask to school just fine, but I don’t really want to make him wear one all day outside in July (and honestly, I don’t want to do that either). I understand and support the mask requirement, but I’d rather wait until it’s a thing of the past.

 

[LSUmiss]

DS has been going since he was 7 mos old. He has been 8 times already. Our most recent trip was last week & he is about 2.5 now. All kids are different, but he has never been a problem & it’s always been worth it to us. Our hardest trip was at 14 mos (pre Covid) when he was first learning to walk b/c he wanted to go everywhere on his own. Now he’s much easier. He enjoys it so much! We keep his schedule & take him back to the room for naps/breaks. He napped well in stroller as a baby, but now he needs more of a real break. We don’t try sit down restaurants b/c it’s not worth the hassle with him.

 

[ArielDreams]

I think my little guy is about 1 month older than yours based on your info and we are going in April. We were going to go last April at 10 months so I have a lot of the same questions! He is pretty well behaved in public so I’m fairly confident he’ll be good at Disney (just stir crazy at home!). I thought about going this summer instead in the hopes that more would be open but also don’t want to go after he’s 2. I don’t really have any advice but we are in the exact same boat!

 

[GBRforWDW]

I think my little guy is about 1 month older than yours based on your info and we are going in April. We were going to go last April at 10 months so I have a lot of the same questions! He is pretty well behaved in public so I’m fairly confident he’ll be good at Disney (just stir crazy at home!). I thought about going this summer instead in the hopes that more would be open but also don’t want to go after he’s 2. I don’t really have any advice but we are in the exact same boat!

I wouldn’t count on much more being open this summer compared to spring. Sure, lion king musical just announced will be, but, are the temp/ humidity differences between April/July worth the 1 extra show? . Guess everyone has their own ideas, hehe.

but, without knowing when mask requirements will be lifted, probably a lot better to go before the second birthday!

 

[TinkB278]

I think my little guy is about 1 month older than yours based on your info and we are going in April. We were going to go last April at 10 months so I have a lot of the same questions! He is pretty well behaved in public so I’m fairly confident he’ll be good at Disney (just stir crazy at home!). I thought about going this summer instead in the hopes that more would be open but also don’t want to go after he’s 2. I don’t really have any advice but we are in the exact same boat!

So nice to hear from someone else in the same situation! Will you be flying? I’m kind of nervous about that part.
I’m just really hoping Covid gets a lot more under control in the next couple months with all the vaccinations. One thing I never considered is what would happen if we came down with Covid while there with a little one to take care of. Ugh, this virus is making planning his first trip way too stressful and complicated.

 

[Blondie58]

Hi all.

I am desperately in need of advice being a first time parent during a pandemic. We have an 18 month old and we’re planning on taking him to WDW in September 21, right after he turns two. I thought by September there would be no way Covid would still be an issue. Well, it looks like even if Covid is gone, masks are here to stay for awhile and so I canceled the September trip knowing my very headstrong two year one month old toddler will absolutely not wear a mask on a plane or at Disney, he won’t even let us put a hat on him.

I am a DVC owner and am finding myself very sad at the thought of not knowing when I will ever be able to bring him for his first trip due to mask rules and so I am contemplating sneaking in a trip in May, before he turns two. Everyone tells me he won’t remember it, but this trip is more for us, to experience having a little guy and seeing his eyes light up at the sights of his favorite characters etc. however, I have never been to Disney as a parent of a small child, during a pandemic to boot. I don’t know if this trip would be more trouble than it’s worth and maybe I should just bank my points and hope the mask rules are lifted in 2022. I’m curious, how is it taking a rambunctious almost two year old to Disney? I think I’m scared of meltdowns on the airplane and on rides etc. Curious for input from other parents?

i think I’m scared because we hardly have any experience as parents taking him anywhere since the pandemic hit while he was still a baby.

You are an "aware parent" because you are asking questions. Some two years olds would be fine and others, not at all. I agree, at a young age Disney is for parents and not for child to remember. You know you and you know your child. But I would not go until you know it will be a positive age appropriate growing experience for all. Take a short trip or two here and there over the next months. Set expectations and watch behavior. Lots of growth takes place month by month at this young age and parents learn what works and what does not. Why go if there are going to be meltdowns and agonizing days??? Good daily parenting practices set a foundation for a little one. Don't expect a child to act better because it is "vacation time". With the disruption of schedules and routines you may experience the opposite. Some children could handle the trip and the expectations for manners and decorum and some can't. I do not feel sorry for the parents that bring children not ready for the experience. I feel sorry for the little ones.

 

[ArielDreams]

So nice to hear from someone else in the same situation! Will you be flying? I’m kind of nervous about that part.
I’m just really hoping Covid gets a lot more under control in the next couple months with all the vaccinations. One thing I never considered is what would happen if we came down with Covid while there with a little one to take care of. Ugh, this virus is making planning his first trip way too stressful and complicated.

Yes, we will be flying. My husband and I will likely be vaccinated by then because of our jobs so that also makes me feel a lot more comfortable about going. I am hoping I can keep him entertained for the flight. When he’s in new situations he likes to observe and take everything in so I’m hoping just the new environment will keep him interested.

 

[browneyedgirl1683]

i think I’m scared because we hardly have any experience as parents taking him anywhere since the pandemic hit while he was still a baby.

I can relate to this. My little one will turn 23 months during our trip. Her big sister and older cousin will be 7 and 6, so she gets to ride along on their adventure. We haven't yet taken a family vacation because of COVID. All I can say is to come with no expectations. You can't tell day to day what your little one may feel up to. I feel like I'm doing more to prepare my husband that we may not be lasting as long, and that we may have to split up. We aren't DVC and are opting to take a longer trip so that we don't feel pressure to do so much each day.

 

[DietCokeMommy]

We went when my daughter was just over 2 (in 2018 so non-pandemic) and the hardest part was that a lot of the time she wanted to walk on her own and not be in the stroller. It was a little stressful because the parks were super packed. The parks are less busy nowadays but it would still make me anxious to be running after a toddler while trying to social distance from other people. And yeah, she doesn't remember it at all, but we still had a good time and I remember the awe on her face on all the rides. Magic Kingdom was great. Animal Kingdom was less of a hit with my kids.

Another thing to keep in mind is the heat. We live in FL and went to the parks last August, October, and November and wearing a mask when it's close to 100 out is not pleasant. Even the November trip it was maybe 75 and wearing a mask makes me feel much much warmer. So I would anticipate it'll be even more of a reason for the toddler to want to rip it off.

 

[westie55]

You live with him so you know what he is like. That's how he will be in Disney. IMO, you will deal with toddler moments anywhere you are. Might as well be in Disney. Both of mine went at that age and we had great trips. They were actually a little better in Disney because there was a lot to keep them occupied and entertained. The biggest problem to me now is that there is no FP so no way to avoid longer waits. They can be hard with a little one. Mine are now 3 and 5 and I feel like I may not return until some form of FP returns. They both did fine with masks in the heat when we went 6 months ago... but that was in August when the parks were almost empty and we could walk onto almost every ride. It was glorious, honestly. Crowds have gone up a lot since then and so have wait times. I'm dying to go back but I'm scared. I don't think my kids can handle waiting 30-60 min for every ride.

 

[beckyx3]

Just a bit of our own planning: We’ll have a 2yo soon and we’re going in July since I’m a teacher. We took her at 5mo in August and we always go in the summer so we really knew what to expect. We’re driving this year but in regard to the mask we’ve been practicing every night with it. Working up to a little more time each week. It’s gotten to the point where she knows she can stay up a few minutes later if she puts the mask on lol. She’s extremely used to seeing the masks even though we don’t go anywhere. My mom babysits her and wears it all day. She even points to them and says “mask” when they’re drying in the bathroom and we have a DVC mailer she plays with that has two little girls with masks on it. I would say give the practice a try if you decide at 2. Old Navy masks fit her pretty well even though she’s a tiny thing!