anyone had this problem with a toddler?

[mickeymel]

We are about 5 weeks out from our trip with me, dh, ds7, dd4, and dd19 months. My dd 19 mths is very hyper and has enough energy that they could probably hook her up to the spectro parade and she would just run around and make enough energy to light up the whole thing.
Anyway, when we made the decision to go this summer I really thought she would be a little more calm by this age. She has always been very active-she walked at 8.5 months and was climbing things at 12 months that some 2 year olds won't climb. Anyway, I am so worried that all I am going to get done in the park is chasing her and holding her and wear myself out and be no good to my other two kids and have no fun. She hates her stroller and will scream most of the time she is in it (I can usually get 5 good minutes and then it is over).
I started thinking of maybe getting fairy godmothers to watch her for several hours on several days so I can help my other two enjoy the parks, but not sure about the cost.
Any suggestions or thoughts?

Thanks--if you are there 7/16-7/24 and you see a crazy woman with a screaming baby---it will be me. Please don't judge me --just come up to me and give me a big DIS smile.

 

[mmeb144]

I know that this will sound harsh, but have you thought about leaving the little one at home? WDW isn't going anywhere. The other 2 will enjoy some special time with Mom and Dad. Grandma & Grandpa, or Aunt and Uncle, make wonderful sitters.

On the other hand, maybe you can tag team her. Take turns chasing her around the park. With any luck, maybe by day 2 or 3, she will be content to sit in a stroller.

Marie

 

[mickeymel]

I would seriously consider that if we had any family close that would't be over 8 hours to take her and drop her off. None of the grandparents are in physically good enough shape to keep her and the other relatives (8 hrs away) all work and I can't ask them to take off work for a week.
Thanks for the thought.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

I would just try to take it easy, make sure you take breaks so the kids can rest. The little one will probably get more tired than you think. have fun!

 

[experiment626mom]

I hate to ask this but have you thought if getting her a harness? It frees her from the stroller and you don't have to constantly chase her.

 

[Lora]

I'm assuming you're going to at least have a stroller for her. I'm thinking that perhaps the harness thing isn't such a bad idea for her. Then, when she's tired out, she would have the stroller.

I had my younger dd at WDW when she was 20 mos. She did pretty well on that trip, but she got a bit more clingy. My older dd was almost 4 at the time. We made sure we had a break back at our room for a good part of the afternoon. My parents and mil were with us also, so we took turns returning to the room early with the kids. I don't think that at that age in a strange place I would be willing to leave my children with someone I didn't know. That's just me.

 

[kbkids]

What about renting a double stroller from the parks? The 4 yr old is going to get tired too. We would always take our regular stroller for our little one so he would be more comfortable in his own stroller, but he always wanted to ride with his big sister. I guess he thought the rental strollers were a "ride" in themself. She might think it's cool to ride around with her older siblings.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Both my almost 5 and 2.5 yo's are live wires. I really worried about keeping track of them in the parks at the end of May. I don't think I could have done it alone, but it was easy with my dh's or older ds' help. I found that the heat really zapped the kids. Normally, they wouldn't spend 5 minutes in a stroller. They begged to ride at WDW!!

 

[MOMOFMNM]

Lets see if my expert adivce can help here; I have worked with rowdy tods for 10 years now and went to college specifically to handle the needs of an infant/toddler, now that you know my crudentials:
First off, be realistic in your expectations of a toddler. She is REALLLLY young. You can expect her attention span to last maybe 2 mins or less depending on how energetic she really is. Secondly, take breaks frequently. I reserved a monorail resort for this specific reason. I forget how old your other kids are but mine help the younger kids like when my niece is over and so forth. I think a babysitting service would be good for you and her both especially at fireworks shows late at night, the rates are around 10 dollars an hour w a 4 hr minimum and a small transportation fee I have read. I know others would say no with this but I am a big pusher for safety and I WOULD suggest a harness, sounds like she loves to walk and explore and fighting her to sit when you know darn well she never has before, well she is not going to start just because you are at WDW!!! By the sounds of her personality it will be opposite. A 19 mo old does not know consequences or cause and effect so any form of if you do this then....will not work (I am sure you know that) I a harness or even a wrist strap thingy will do wonders I think. Tods need to be able to release that energy we so desire I might suggest a family member or a teenage companion to help out but this might not be possible for you. It would help too if you and hubby took turns with the kids so each of you could have some time...ie...let the toddler run around at a park or in the fountains or on a jungle gym while the rest of the family sees an attraction. I would say definitely do not push her past her schedule too much. Do naps and meals like you normally would and don't expect a lot of table service 5 star dinners for now Have a great time and cherish your little girls spirit...and remember many people have the same fears as you going to WDW...your not alone

hope that helps a little

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Our youngest was about that age the first time we went.... lots of great suggestions here. Ours didn't want to be in the stroller much either- except for the day we didn't tote OUR stroller and rented a double- boy she loved being in there with her brother. LOL

She might surprise you though... she might not be AS hyper as you think she'll be. We found that Disney wore them out pretty good.

 

[MOMOFMNM]

it is true it might tucker her out and if she is like my kids, the next day will be HE..... for the rest of the population anywhere near 50 ft of her I am sure she will do fine but I would seriously think about keeping a semi routine for her at least...

 

[4theloveofdisney]

I am pretty much in your situation! I have a 7, 5 and 2 year old toddler who is crazy. From a very little age, she was advanced in walking, talking and so on - very vocal, very active and VERY hyper!! My husband and I joke that we were so happy when we found out she was girl. (Thinking she would be a nice, calm girl - lol!) Our family calls her the "suicidal toddler" and we joke and say that if she had an Indian name, it would have to be "Runs With Scissors". Anyway, you get the picture! However, when we are at Disney, she is an angel!! She sits in her stroller and is amazed. She's a different kid, challenged, happy and overjoyed, and just loves being there. Some kids get overstimulated but others need this. You won't know until you get there, but hopefully, and I'm crossing my fingers and toes for you, she will have a great time and even be so tuckered out that she will sleep for naps and fall asleep each and every night without even a whimper!!! As far as babysitting, we've thought about it but just didn't have the heart to leave her behind. We love her so much and our family memories include her too!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

I'd also suggest a harness. My 2yo is a bundle of energy, too. She also walked, climbed and ran very early, and the harness has been a lifesaver when we're out in crowded places. She actually loves the thing, because she's got more freedom than sitting in a stroller or holding my hand. (Not to mention the backaches I get when I have to hold her hand for a long period of time -- she's just a teensy bit too short for me to stand up straight when I do so.)

Sometimes, she'll run in circles around me, while I pass the harness strap around my body from one hand to the other again and again, lol. She works off that energy and I don't have to chase her and scoop her up again and again.

I know there are people out there that disapprove of harnesses, but my personal opinion is that I'm going to do what's right for my family, and I don't give a darn what other people think. I know my dd is safer and happier using it, and I plan to use it with her when we're in Disney in fall, unless of course by some miracle she mellows out by then. Hmm, I doubt it, lol.

 

[MOMOFMNM]

you are all so right...I am sorry to sound so textbook!!! Appologies I am sure she will be transformed by the power of DIS

 

[tjmw2727]

Relax - it will be fun, remember your on vacation and everything you do will be great in comparison to being home. Don't worry about what you may miss but enjoy what you see.

I did use a harness with my second - so do consider that. I also agree that the home stroller may be to confining but the rentals may be fun. Perhaps call them a cart or carrage instead of a stroller? I do think your 4yo will need a ride as well especially at night and maybe for Epcot, so a double may be fun and exciting. I also got some cool noisy and light up toys at the disney store before we went these helped my crazy nephew lots during our December trip. Also a few snacks, a lolly or gummies (something they don't normally get) or a favorite drink that is allowed only while in the stroller may help. My nephew loved his spinning lighting buzz lightyear so SIL saved it for "stroller time!".

My advice would be to hit the parks early and start with things the toddler will like, maybe fantasyland first. Take it ride by ride to see how the toddler does. If she enjoys the rides you can try explaing to her that she needs to sit in the stroller to get to the next ride. Or you can park the stroller in each land and walk from ride to ride - thus minimizing the stroller time.

The other thing that worked with my kids and more recently with my neice and nephew was pool/nap time at the resort and time for "normal play". I think sometimes we forget when on vacation that kids need to climb and run. All the resorts have a playground and all the parks have something neat for the kids to play on. MK has donalds boat and a small play area under splash mountain, Epcot has the area on the exit from MS and great fountains, AK has the dinodig and MGM has HISTK playground.

My kids were good sleepers even though they were crazy during the day so we could get them settled in PJ's and head out for the night and they would sleep in the stroller. My neice and nephew however did not manage this in December. SIL used fairy godmothers and they were great - IIRC she only did it once but if she had done it earlier in the trip she may have used them more.

Last tip - is to use babyswap to make sure that mom and dad get to ride with the older kids without waiting the lines twice. This along with fast pass will make it easier to do some of the mountains and bigger rides without undue waiting for the toddler.

If you do choose a table service meal we found late lunch to be the best. Everyone was ready for a break, food is great but less expensive and usually the toddlers were more able to deal with sitting at that time rather than dinner time.

You will most likely have to separate so make a plan, take cellphones or make some type of arrangements to make meeting easier.

Wow - sorry so long and have a great trip.
TJ

 

[GinaGrumpyDwarf]

my approach to it is TOTALLY different than most.....Mikayla has been going to Disney since she was 6mo.old....when i saw the look on her face, i knew she would love disney as much as we did...lol.
She has ALWAYS been good at DIsney..but i TOTALLY made adjustments BEFORE going.

Try this....
when you are out...like at the mall, store...etc...use the stroller of choice and get her used to being buckled in....use it around the neighborhood BUCKLED IN...she'll get used to it. I saw something similar with carseats on nanny 911 and to be quite honest, i do it with mikayla even now (she's 2 1/2 now) I totally wouldnt advise a harness cuz they WILL get tired quicker and i dont know about your DD but mine has NEVER fallen asleep in the stroller, so your days WILL be short. You can even say to take frequent breaks and be prepared for this and that, but no one will want to leave the park and go back to the hotel. It would be best for her to just get used to it. We went in December and she really was great! we cant wait until september!!!

 

[HaleyB]

We took an extream toodler about 7 years ago. We too found that he was easier in the parks as long asthere was a lot going on around him. We also used a harness and it was a lifesaver for all of us (him too, he got a lot more freedom than we could have done without it). We also used a back pack carrier, we used to be a hiking family... anyhow he always loved it and we kept him very happy in it in the World Showcase it was wonderful. Also used it in MGM. Not so good at MK. Would be good at AK too, I think. He loved being up high and above the crowd. If your dd likes shoulder rides I bet she would like one of these too. If you decide to try one make sure it has over the shoulder straps and a back support for you.

 

[HaleyB]

I forgot this but thinking back, the harness was really a life saver because we could rig it up to hold him in the rental stroller. Without it he wanted to either stand up or climb out of it.

 

[FSUGrad97]

I can understand as I have a DD who is almost 19 months - she is into EVERYTHING!

Back to my point, we have 3 strollers - 1 Graco, a cheapy unbrella, and a Chicco Tuscany.

My DD will stay in the cheap one for about 5 minutes until she starts screaming and doesn't stop until she is taken out. Needless to say, we don't use this one at all.

She will stay in the Graco longer, but after a while, she gets really antsy. Her favorite (and mine) is the Chicco. She naps in it, and it has an adjustable foot rest, so she can really stretch out. Plus, it is SO EASY to manuever in crowd and stores.

Hope that helps!

 

[pbharris4]

I'll be there during that time..but I bet you wouldn't be the only one with a screaming toddler! My DD was 13 months last year when we went, but she didn't start walking until she was like 16 months (don't know why ). She'll be 2 later this month and this may be an issue with us as well. Although she loves running and walking everywhere..she's not really into everything. My advice would be to: take the stroller or rent a double one for her and the 4 yo. Make sure she's hydrated throughout the day. Make sure to let her nap. It gets sooo hot there in July she just might poop out on you! If you have to trade off, with your DH once in awhile. And just relax. You can't see all of WDW anyway in just one trip. Maybe spend a few hours of thing for the youngest to do and then the rest of what the other kids want to do. Or you spend the a.m. with your youngest at the pool while your DH takes the others and then switch. I wouldn't do that all days though because you aren't all together, but it wouldn't hurt just for one day.