Disney in the Summer with Kids!

[Coreena]

We will be going to Florida in June. It is our first time in the summer (The first week of June). I am wondering if anyone can share any strategies for the parks and beyond for getting the most out of our visit with kids (4 and 12months) without frying in the sun! Thanks

 

[3mickeymom]

Get an early start and you can get lots done before the sun gets too hot. Take a break for a nap, a swim or lunch in a nice cool place when the sun gets very hot. Also, I saw some people who had those foam fans that attach to strollers and I thought that they were a great idea for keeping your little one cool. Plan ahead with sunscreen and water etc and you will have a great time.

 

[WAHMto5]

TONS of sunscreen and water for everyone! Make sure if you bring a stroller that it has a good hood to keep them out of the sun and one of the clip~on fans work great. Just make sure to keep putting on sunscreen all day.
When we went in the summer months, we always went back to the resort for the hottest part of the day or would eat our TS in a nice cool place to take a break.

 

[Coreena]

How about the waterparks? How busy do you think they will be on or around June 6th??? I forgot about the fans with the water bottle I got some at Walmart last year and because we were there in October, January and March we didn't need them! They will really come in handy

 

[monorailsilver]

I agree, go early to the parks & leave around lunch time & then go back around dinner time.

Go back to your room, rest in the a/c you & your kids will need it with the heat.

I don't know if your 4 yo still naps but when we last went my oldest was 4½ & the first park day I took her to the pool with me & my dh stayed in the room with our then 22 month old to take naps.

My dd fell asleep in her stroller after dinner in Epcot for about an hour. The next day we made her take a nap.

We also do breakfast in the room. I bring pop tarts, dry cereal (OK I ship it). My kids eat slow (plus it saves $$$$) so dh & I take turns showering & we sit with the kids while they eat or we take them out on the patio.

Also with my oldest the first time we took her (she was 15 months old) & she was tiny & a very picky eater (she was probably about 16 lbs soaking wet at that age & now at almost 6 she is 40lbs) & she was a light eater so I brought some zip lock bags & I did have a soft cooler. We mainly do counter service and I recall a few meals where she didn't eat the entire thing-like she ate 2 pieces of pizza & left 2 or she ate 2 chicken nuggets & left 2 so I bagged them & put them in the cooler & when we got back to the room I put it in the fridge & there was her dinner (or lunch for the next day). It also allowed us to start her earlier & by the time we got to the park she was almost done.

Use the baby stations when ever you can for all of you to um..you know. So when you have to change the 1 yo everyone make a pit stop. Also they are a nice break for the kids even if just for 15 minutes. The one in MK has a TV & some toys as does the one in Epcot. I think the one in AK has too but the one in MGM is the smallest so there isn't much there.

Are you bringing a stroller for your 4 yo (or renting one?), I would just because I know my kids & they'd moan the entire time if they couldn't sit for a few minutes.

That is all I can think of right now as I have a 13 month old grabbing the mouse wire.

 

[SuziQZee]

We always go in the summer months because the kids are out of school and it gets REALLY hot in July and August so we have learned a few things every year to keep cool. I suggest that you take a break during the hottest part of the day and go back to the room and nap...just get out of the heat and the sun. If you get up early, your family will need the rest and then go back in the evening. Your kids are little so they might not be able to stay out as late as we do but I'm sure you'll want to see the fireworks, parades, etc. We have taken the mister fans in the past but last year I found Misty Mates at Walgreens and bought two. The mist is very fine so it lasts quite awile and then we just refilled it at a water fountain or a sink. All 5 of us have our own personal mini fan and we walk into the parks for the day with one cold water bottle and one frozen one. We also found those bandanas the have the gel pebbles in them that expand when you soak them in water. My husband didn't want to wear his but me and the kids wore ours around our necks and they felt nice when it got to hot. And last but not least....the one thing that I found I couldn't leave the room without was a fan I purchased in China, Epcot. It is a simple fan that unfolds and is very pretty and very cheap but well constructed. It moved alot of air and kept all of us cool. (My husband even used it because it worked so well.) Last year we bought a few more so the girls could have their own and we used them everywhere because they fold up nice and small.

Have a great trip and stay cool.... however you decide to do it!! We are going at the end of June this year so we will have our "survival kit" with us again this year!!

 

[MEM]

My kids were 4 and 5 when we went for the first time (end of August). I made a point of squirting water in their mouths from a sports bottle every
15-20 minutes or so in addition to having them drink water (or OJ) with all of their meals. We avoided any beverages with caffeine in them to prevent dehydration. Hats and sunglasses were a must as well as the mister fans.

We also did EMH mornings every day, had a leisurely lunch and then spent the afternoon in the pool and in the room.

 

[carone0318]

We will be going to Florida in June. It is our first time in the summer (The first week of June). I am wondering if anyone can share any strategies for the parks and beyond for getting the most out of our visit with kids (4 and 12months) without frying in the sun! Thanks

Well the first time that we took ds to Disney he was 16 months and dd was almost 6 and it was in June. We never went back to the room, but ds did nap in his troller. One thing that I did was bring a receiving blanket and safety pins. I pinned the one end of the blanket to the top of the stroller shade and when ds fell asleep I would drape the blanket over the front of the stroller to block off the sun while he napped. I also had the battery operated foam fan and would turn that on while he was napping to circulate the air in the stroller. It worked perfectly and he would take nice lengthy naps.

Just one of my tips.

 

[ajcolorado]

Have a good touring plan - the Unofficial Guide, www.tourguidemike.com and www.buildabettermousetrip.com all have plans for families w/ small children.

Do Dumbo as soon as the park opens - this is the slowest loading ride in all of Disney World and the line gets long fast. Fantasyland does not have much shade and is surrounded by cement so it turns into an oven as the day progresses - get it out of the way early.

 

[Coreena]

Funny - Because my 10 month old was grabbing my mouse while I was sending my email! My 4 year old still naps right now, but who knows how he will be in June. I can say that as of right now he is full on nap mode and asks me to go to bed at 1:00 pm! I think he will only stop when he has to for school! The baby naps at the same time, so that will be good for the parks! We have a full size graco stroller for the baby, and I have a smaller umbrella stroller that I left at the condo for the 4 year old (I cannot carry him, it's actually easier to carry the stroller if he is not using it). So - I guess we should be all set. We were thinking that we would go mostly to Disney Quest and the water parks in the day, and the theme parks at night - - we'll see how it goes! I really want to take advantage of the fact that the Magic Kingdom is open so late! Thanks so much for your input!

 

[Coreena]

We always go in the summer months because the kids are out of school and it gets REALLY hot in July and August so we have learned a few things every year to keep cool. I suggest that you take a break during the hottest part of the day and go back to the room and nap...just get out of the heat and the sun. If you get up early, your family will need the rest and then go back in the evening. Your kids are little so they might not be able to stay out as late as we do but I'm sure you'll want to see the fireworks, parades, etc. We have taken the mister fans in the past but last year I found Misty Mates at Walgreens and bought two. The mist is very fine so it lasts quite awile and then we just refilled it at a water fountain or a sink. All 5 of us have our own personal mini fan and we walk into the parks for the day with one cold water bottle and one frozen one. We also found those bandanas the have the gel pebbles in them that expand when you soak them in water. My husband didn't want to wear his but me and the kids wore ours around our necks and they felt nice when it got to hot. And last but not least....the one thing that I found I couldn't leave the room without was a fan I purchased in China, Epcot. It is a simple fan that unfolds and is very pretty and very cheap but well constructed. It moved alot of air and kept all of us cool. (My husband even used it because it worked so well.) Last year we bought a few more so the girls could have their own and we used them everywhere because they fold up nice and small.

Have a great trip and stay cool.... however you decide to do it!! We are going at the end of June this year so we will have our "survival kit" with us again this year!!

It is so funny that the simplest things seem to work the best! I am interested in the Gel Bandanas! My some would think that was so cool! Where did you find them? Thanks so much!!!

 

[Coreena]

Well the first time that we took ds to Disney he was 16 months and dd was almost 6 and it was in June. We never went back to the room, but ds did nap in his troller. One thing that I did was bring a receiving blanket and safety pins. I pinned the one end of the blanket to the top of the stroller shade and when ds fell asleep I would drape the blanket over the front of the stroller to block off the sun while he napped. I also had the battery operated foam fan and would turn that on while he was napping to circulate the air in the stroller. It worked perfectly and he would take nice lengthy naps.

Just one of my tips.

I really like the idea of the blanket and the fan! I think that would work great for the baby!!! He gets hot really fast..... I think he will need to be misted and fanned often The 4 year old is much easier going - he has always been that way!

 

[laniemouse72]

I'm not sure if this was mentioned but we survived WDW in late July using frozen washcloths!!! We would take washcloths wet thoroughly, fold them in fourths and place them inthe freezer over night. In the morn, they go into a large plastic ziploc and placed in the soft sided cooler. A frozen washcloth on your neck at 2 pm is like heaven. My sis in law actually would put a washcloth her head and under a floppy hat, you couldn't see it!!

We also had ziploc bags full of ice in the cooler, as the day goes on and it melts, pouring it over your head or body feels good too!!

Frozen capri suns also save on money and keep your other food cold.. You be surprised how quickly they thaw out in the sun...

we survived July so we're heading back 8/8-8/18/07