Am I crazy?? Disney with a 4yo and 14mo..

[Mrs D]

If you're crazy then you have plenty of company. Sept. 08 I took my DS 3 (by a week) and DD 14 mo. and both sets of grandparents, Aunt & Uncle and MY aunt & uncle to the World. We are going back in Dec. the little ones will be 4 and 2. I found it magical to see the wonder in their eyes. You don't get those WOWS forever.
Here are my tips for Disney with small children in the summer:
*Get a good sunshade for your stroller (I used Rayshade)
*Bring a soft sided cooler with a few bottles of water and cool wet cloth in a baggie.
*Bring a few snacks (they help fend off tantrums)
*Bring a rain cover for the stroller
*Purchase small toys at the dollar store use them as distractions while waiting

Have a magical trip!

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

I have never gone with a kiddo, but I can say that that is the BEST time to go! My DH and I went Sept 2006 the week of labor day and there were NO crowds! I mean most rides were under 5 minutes waits. It was awesome!!! I think you will do great as long as you go with the flow and if your kiddos need a break you take it. Have fun!!!

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

Yeah, great time to go, aside from the heat! We went last year just after labor day with DS2, DS5, it was great, crowds were so low, we only had trouble at parade times. Longest ride wait was, oh, maybe 20 min. Everyone has given you great response, but I do have to put my opinion on in the double stroller thing. That did not work well for us. With the age difference we actually ended up separating a lot, DH took 6yo I took 2yo and did what the kids wanted... but our boys are as opposite as you can get, so may not be so bad for others. I wish we had taken 2 umbrella strollers, easy to be separated, easier to lug around!!! And if one is asleep in the stroller the other won't wake them up getting in and out.
I'm sure you will all have a great time, and remember to have FUN!!!

 

[wrighter]

The first time we went to Disneyworld our DS was almost 4 and our DD was 17 months. We pretty much took the trip for our son, but were amazed at how much our daughter loved it! We'd walk by Dumbo or the Carousel and she'd start hooting, trying to get out of her stroller. We also went with the mindset that we were going to go at our son's pace - let him be the driver, so to speak. It was an awesome, awesome trip.

One suggestion that I'll make, for what it's worth, is to consider bringing two umbrella strollers. This way, if you want to go in separate directions you can. If #1 wants to go on a ride and #2 wants to play at Pooh's Playful Spot, you're good to go. This also works well at naptime. Most days we left the parks for naptime - but on a couple of days when DS was still going strong, my DH would take our daughter onto the monorail for her nap. (He would take the one that just goes back and forth to the TTC - not the one that stops at all the resorts.) The motion of the monorail just knocked her right out - and he would make some phone calls or play on his blackberry.

The two umbrella strollers worked great for Disney transportation, too. We much preferred Magical Express and the resort buses to driving ourselves. No car seats to worry about or directions to follow. And the buses were all part of the adventure for our kids! They loved them!

Am a little jealous that you will get to experience Disney with your little ones. I have such endearing memories of that trip . . .

 

[Newfiescotian]

I'm attempting the same thing in April, with our baby girl who will be 13 months by that time. I am totally prepared for the fact that this trip will be very different from the previous trips my DH and I took before Lily, but it will be a very special trip. I can't wait to see her face when she sees the characters, especially Minnie - she loves her stuffed Minnie, especially pulling on her tail and chewing on her nose. Oh oh, hope she don't attempt this when they first meet
Hope you have a wonderful time, and enjoy making memories that will last you a life time!

 

[laughinplace199]

I'm attempting the same thing in April, with our baby girl who will be 13 months by that time. I am totally prepared for the fact that this trip will be very different from the previous trips my DH and I took before Lily, but it will be a very special trip. I can't wait to see her face when she sees the characters, especially Minnie - she loves her stuffed Minnie, especially pulling on her tail and chewing on her nose. Oh oh, hope she don't attempt this when they first meet
Hope you have a wonderful time, and enjoy making memories that will last you a life time!

She just might! Here is a pic of DS trying to bite Minnie's nose:

 

[Newfiescotian]

Oh my, that is too adorable!! I'll make sure to have the camera ready in case my little girl decides to do the same!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[buzznina]

Go and have a great time We have been taking our 1st DD since she was 6 months old and next month I have a conference at CSR so we will be going back with our 1st DD now 5 and our new DD who will be 3 months. Just take it slow and let the youngins dictate the pace, we learned with our 1st DD that the 3rd day is a no park day. She just got to stimulated and needed a down day, and she was fine after that. We took our video camera and our DD loves watching the trips when she was a baby

 

[mupt02]

I guess you can put me on the crazy list as well. We are going next summer for our first trip. Our kids will be 4, 2, and 9 months. Plus, we are driving from Colorado (at least a 28 hour ride). We plan on doing the same thing and just letting the kids dictate how things go. Everyone I have talked to, says it is great doing this. I can't wait. Hope you have a good time.

 

[ARmomof2]

We are making our first trip to WDW in Feb. with a 3 1/2 year old and a 14 month old. We are very excited!

 

[happymommy]

Yes, if you are crazy, you are in great company! I started taking my kids when they were 2 and 4, and started taking them by myself when they were 4 and 6.

Instead of daily naps in the room, I found that both my kids at 2 and 4 took a very long nap in my Peg Perego double stroller. Both the front and back (it's a tandem) recline, have a canopy, and are cushioned. My kids wouldn't nap well in an umbrella one (unless it's my Aprica travel stroller that fully reclined, had a leg extension, and a full canopy) - it was like an 8 pound travelling bed, I loved that thing, but it was a single.

The most fun I remember of our first trip was at the Animal Kingdom - the kids both fell asleep, so DH and I sat at the Bawa Bar and had a couple of beers, just chilling out, people watching, and the kids were in the shade resting away. It was a pain on the busses to fold up the double stroller and all, but we didn't go back on the busses midday (we were at the Boardwalk Villas). A nice easy alternative to renting a car is to take cabs -we've done that a few times, and WDW isn't too big that it's an expensive ride. That way you don't have to worry about parking. Just an alternative.

Oh, we also always went by their schedules - we pretty much never saw any fireworks until they were a bit older. We didn't mind getting ready for bed at their usualy time (or close to it) and letting them go to sleep. We could chill out and relax, and we were all refreshed in the morning. I still try to keep a normal schedule on vacations with my kids. I've seen families with kids having a meltdown that are obviously overtired, and it's hard as I know WDW is expensive, but it's not worth it to wear the kids out till they are melting down. For a few years, we got annual passes, so we didn't care if we were in a park for two hours, that was enough some days for my kids.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[sweetmonkey]

If you do take a cab, you will need car seats. . . just something to keep in mind.

Here is the link: http://www.dmvflorida.org/seat-belt-laws.shtml

 

[lolafrances]

No, you are not crazy. As long as you have realistic expectations you will have a great time.

We went most recently for Labor Day weekend with a 3 month old, a 2.5 year old, and a 4 year old. Did I mention we were camping at Fort Wilderness at the time? Now those clowns in a camper... THAT is crazy.

We also went with the two older boys (using the word "older" loosely) when I was 36 weeks pregnant. Now that was not crazy, just DUMB. Looking back, I could have gone into labor there in the middle of the Magic Kingdom. That would have made for a good story, but certainly not my brightest moment. But we wanted to take our 4 year old for his birthday and I was due just before then, hence the trip before the baby came...

I think the idea of taking the baby back to the hotel for a nap while you entertain the 4 year old is a great idea. Sounds like you have it all figured out.

My personal life philosophy with three little kids is... life at home is crazy anyway, so going out and doing things won't be any different. So have a great time!!

 

[ashleyd725@hotmail.c]

We went in March when ours were, just two months shy of 4 and 8 mos. and we will be going back in Dec and DS will be 41/2 and DD 16 mos.
So we are all little crazy but seeing my sons face LIGHT up when he saw Buzz and Woody made the whole trip.
We are def crazy because we drive 18 hours to get there!
Good Luck
and have an amazing trip.

 

[happymommy]

If you do take a cab, you will need car seats. . . just something to keep in mind.

Here is the link: http://www.dmvflorida.org/seat-belt-laws.shtml

We never used one in a cab, but they will frequently have them in their trunk if you need it. Of course, we didn't have an infant! You can call a cab from your cell phone (I forget which company it is that is at WDW) and within minutes they can have a cab with a carseat for you. I know on ME you don't need a carseat, and for short cab rides we never bothered with toddlers.