Cruisers w/ toddlers..what do U take?

[pbharris4]

We're doing 4 days @ WDW and then 3 nt cruise. I normally take my huge Lands End tote w/ toys to WDW, but it's too huge for a carry on. DO I need a lot of toys? Can you list things you have taken or are going to take? My youngest just turned 2 and I highly doubt she will go into the nursery. One thing I know we are bringing is the portable DVD player. BTW, we're leaving one day earlier than my countdown..I'm so excited I had to leave earlier! Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!!

 

[DisneyLovingMama]

You know your child best and what will keep her occupied. If she's not potty-trained, she can only be in one ear of the Mickey pool, which is in full sunlight, so you may not spend a ton of time there. So, there may be a good deal of downtime, depending on the excursions at Nassau you plan to take.

At the very least, I would bring sand toys for CC and something to keep her occupied during dinner, so you can enjoy your meal. Also, I found crayons and paper always worked for my DD when she was younger (and now).

Bring what you know will pacify her, even if it means more luggage. I'd rather have less room in my cabin than a crying, unhappy and bored child.

 

[lindakmonty]

I took my son first when he was 18 months, and 2 1/2 and 3 1/2...and have to say we didn't use many toys... I took plenty in case... but between the shows, pool, and ports... we didn't really use too many. I actually took my port. dvd too and never used it! But then again we drove from Ohio to Daytona before he asked "are we there yet?"!!! I would recommend the favorite snacks and toys for sure. Order room service for milk or juice, can put in sippy cup and put in cooler for later or whenever you may need. He watched the tv "playhouse disney" mostly if we were in our stateroom!! Have a blast. it is so cool to see their reactions to the characters. the first time my son loved them as long as they were a comfortable 6' away. 2nd time he was ok with it, third time he cried when he didn't get to give Mickey a hug!! "he had to go... time was up" but you get to see them quite a bit! You will enjoy for sure! They are a big help with the little ones too, helping with drinks, cutting food, carrying plates.etc... I love it and can't wait to go again!!!

 

[Denise Escola]

We took the favorites that seem to go with her everywhere. Small playcharacters were very useful. They fit into the diaper bag and so they were always handy. Thay even went into the pool, the beaches, dinner, pretty much everywhere. We picked some up at CC also and now have a new group of friends to carry around. Plastic animals are a big hit as well.
My 2 year old loved the nursery when she got in there. Characters would drop by and play with the little ones.
We too had the portable DVD player and ended up watching the Disney channels they had on the tv in our stateroom.
Good luck, think small and replacable.

 

[CACruisin']

We were on the 6/18 West Coast Cruise. Our youngest turned 2 on 6/18. I had brought toys most of which we didn't need/use. What we did need toys for was dinner -- crayons, stickers, small characters, etc. We also used our sand bucket and shovel at the beach and sippy cups.

For activities onboard, DD loved the main stage shows, but was less interested in the variety acts. She did not like Bingo, though! She loved the mickey ear and all the characters. She also loved just walking around the ship (her walking, not being carried or in the stroller!) We had DVD's but didn't need them. There was always an animated Disney movie on one of the channels for her to watch when we were in the room.

Don't dismiss Flounders. DD has never been in daycare and spent very little time with babysitters (Anyone over 5 ft is considered suspicious in her eyes as a potential babysitter!) She LOVED Flounders! It was her "play with toys" time and she went happily every time we dropped her off. This was a pleasant surpise for us, to say the least!

Have a great trip!

 

[pbharris4]

Thank you for all the suggestions!! I have some colorforms, a few books, and a toy or two for the drive down. I also bought 3-4 small sand toys for $1 each @ Target (I LOVE that store!) and glow in the dark stirrers there as well. One thing I didn't think about was the little plastic figures and crayons!!!So thank you for mentioning that!! I assumed they gave them crayons/paper at dinner. I'll have to get a Dora coloring book! On Characters: she's just like my older DD was...they are neat if they are a safe distance, but if they get closer...the look of fear comes over her face and she frantically reaches for anyone who will pick her up!

Here's a tip of my own: Instead of taking several sippy cups..I bought those take n toss cups. You get like 4 for $2.54 (at Target). So if they get left behind it's no big deal. I bought 3 packs and am taking 1 of her reg. cups. You have to poke a little bit bigger hole in the spout though for older kids because you really have to suck on it to get anything out.

Thanks again!!

 

[grlzmom]

Even if you aren't planning on using Flounders for childcare, they always had some scheduled "family time" during our cruises (havent sailed the Wonder so I don't know how their schedule is), when families can come and bring their little ones to play with the toys. Ours all liked that.

They do get crayons with dinner, and the menu is a piece of paper with activities on it for bigger kids. However, we always brought ours with us because the regular skinny crayons don't work well with our toddlers. We use the bigger toddler crayons (we stock up at the dollar tree ahead of time). There seems to be enough stimulation and things going on in the dining room that we never really had a problem keeping them happy there. We like colorforms and also like the magnetic playsets which are similar but for us a little easier to keep track of. And, at Walmart we also buy one or two little mini magna doodles which occasionally come in handy.

There is plenty of kid friendly programming on the tv so I bet you won't need your dvd player.

As someone else said, our toddlers best times were spent walking around the ship with us, just taking in the sights.

 

[pbharris4]

we always brought ours with us because the regular skinny crayons don't work well with our toddlers. We use the bigger toddler crayons (we stock up at the dollar tree ahead of time). .

Great idea! I'm going to get those big crayons too! They are harder to break! Thanks for the idea. I grew up in PA!!