Disney with a 15 month old...any advice?

[Tink0812]

Hello everyone! Thank you in advance for any advice that you may have! We are currently in planning mode for our upcoming trip in May 2017. This will be my 15th Disney trip but, it will be my first with a child. Our daughter will be 15 months old at the time of the trip and, thankfully, already has developed a love for Mickey and friends. This will be a large family trip to include my husband and I along with our aforementioned daughter, my parents, and both of my brothers who are 23. We will be driving down there from central Illinois. We are going to try and rent DVC points for a villa during the trip so we can all stay together. 5 park days are currently planned. We will likely have the Deluxe dining plan with her eating off of our plates.

Anything that I need to make sure I pack?
Anything you packed but didn't end up needing?
Best places to eat/snack/rest
Best entertainment for the journey down there?
What do I need to make sure I bring to the parks?
Anything your child did/didn't like at that age?
General advice for the trip

 

[Hdc51]

We have a trip planned this December and our DD will be 16 months. We plan on bringing lots of snacks like Puffs, squeezable fruit and veggie pouches, and other toddler friendly foods that can easily be eaten while riding in the stroller. We recently started training DD how to use a straw for water with her meals. I think this will help a ton in Disney as we will have more options than just a traditional sippy cup. Our older son has used Thermos Funtainers before and they keep drinks cold very well. We plan on using one for our DD as well to keep her milk cold in the mornings.

I'm debating on bringing our baby carrier for when we are in lines and can't use the stroller. Still haven't decided yet....

For your stroller, I recommend a nice stroller fan. We've used our O2COOL clip-on fan for a while and it works great. Also, I read a tip about bringing those black binder clips and a lightweight blanket (maybe muslin?) to clip the blanket onto the stroller canopy to create more privacy for stroller napping. We are definitely going to try that.

If you stay in a villa, you could always make a small Garden Grocer order to get items she's used to eating like yogurt, whole milk, etc.

I'll be following along with this thread to see what other tips are posted!

 

[kayemgi]

We went for our daughter's first trip when she was 14-months.

Things that were helpful:

• Packing her diapers into gallon ziploc bags for each day so I could just grab a new bag each morning and know it had the correct amount of diapers in it.
• Same for her clothes, I packed each set of clothes and a set of spare outfits into a ziploc for each day of our trip. It just made everything feel more organized, which is very helpful when you have a toddler in tow.
• Ditto snacks, packed into daily bags so I could grab one every morning on our way out the door
• Make sure everything in your stroller is either attached to the stroller or in a bag so it's easy to get out for when you have to fold the stroller and go, like boarding a bus or any of the railroads in the parks. We had a few 'oh crap' moments of scrambling to get everything out of the stroller in the beginning of our trip and learned that lesson quickly.
• Also, get a name tag and/or something to differentiate your stroller and make it easy to spot.
• A baby carrier is extremely helpful to have for lines, buses, and when your kid just wants to be held but you want to keep your hands free
• Places that are great to let your kid let off some steam and run around and be free include the old Wishes FP viewing areas in front of Cinderella Castle, the Casey Jr. Splash Station, the Dumbo playground, the front of the Italy pavilion, the back of the UK pavilion, the Imagination building, Rafiki's, and the Oasis at AK.
• She loved pretty much anything she was able to go on, which is a lot of stuff. Dumbo, it's a small world, Pooh, Three Caballeros, etc.
• Make sure you have some bandaids and neosporin (we like the spray-on kind for quickness and ease). You can get them at first aid in the parks, but it's much faster and easier to just have them with you if your little one scrapes a knee.

I probably have tons more, but I'm sure other people will hop in and I have to get off the computer now! I'll come back to share more later!

 

[happymommy]

Honestly, I would recommend you get separate rooms. One for you and your husband and child, and let your folks and brothers figure out if they want one or two rooms. Trust me, you will want some away time, as well as down time when you're putting the little one to bed for the evening.

I also recommend keeping your normal sleep schedule for the little one! It helped us so much to do that our first few trips with our kids. They needed quiet time (with no distractions, such as in-laws) to decompress by 6 or 7 pm to get ready for bed. It made for a much better day the next morning!

My daughter didn't like characters. That was fine with me; I didn't see a point in pushing it. I'm not into the whole autograph thing anyway. So we didn't push that ever!

We had a backpack that we'd bring with us, and has been mentioned, similar to if you go out to a local park, change of clothes, wipes, diapers, and such. Also, a good stroller that they will fall asleep in.

Take it slow. Let the others go off and do what they want. Don't try to keep together all the time, or you will end up not being on good terms by the end of the trip! Trust me. Just have a meeting point maybe once a day or even less often if you need to tend to the little one! Let them do what they want, and you do what you do. It is way too difficult otherwise. I've done extended family trips. Won't do them again! It's just too hard!

 

[kohlby]

Bring some sort of baby carrier. Also, make sure your stroller is one that can lie flat in case baby gets picky. At that age, mine didn't want to ride in the stroller at all - they wanted to be carried in the sling. Crowds can be overwhelming and they need somewhere they feel safe. For some, the stroller will be fine for that. But for others, only a carrier will do. Even if you have a stroller baby, the carrier helps quite a bit in lines.

My general advice is to be flexible. I tried to keep my baby on the same schedule but he refused to sleep when we took a mid-day break at the hotel. He was 11 months old and there was no way a nap was happening. So, the next day we just stayed in the parks longer. (I also had a 3 and 6 year old on that trip). It worked so much better! The baby didn't fall asleep until 6pm while in the parks but he slept very well. I learned that you can't get babies/toddlers/3 year olds to nap necessarily, but you can get them to sleep at night much more easily. So, we did earlier nights. I've heard of toddlers who still napped while on vacation and seen even young kids asleep in their strollers while at Disney so I know they exist. Be flexible and figure out what your child needs as it may be different than common suggestions.

I'm not sure if your child is nursing, but it's really easy to breastfeed at Disney. They do have nursing rooms but there are lots of places to sit down and nurse. (Even on rides!) For food, they pretty much just ate off of our plates. I did bring some snacks as you don't want to have to stand in a line if someone needs food ASAP. My kids were nursing at that age still so snacks weren't an issue but it helped quite a bit when we had 3 year old on our trips.

Two of my three kids did not like the car at that age. None of the three liked traditional entertainment for the car ride. The thing that helped the most was music. Bring some familiar CD's (or whatever form of music you use). Have your child get familiar with some of the songs before you go.

 

[PrincessMamma4]

I have 4 daughters and have been there twice when 2 of my girls were 15 months and 16 months. I was honestly shocked at how much fun they had. I was so worried that the older girls were going to get held back and the younger one would be tough but the youngest had the greatest time. That age is when they LOVE mickey and Minnie (if they're into characters like you said yours was). We never did a park all day. We hung out at the pool in the morning then fed the kids and off to the parks. We did this everyday for 8 days. The little ones would take naps in between pool and park (not long) and then of course passed out on our way back. I'm sure they don't remember much but the fact that at the moment they had the greatest time ever made it all worth it.

 

[KyGirl]

We took our DD at 18 months and we had a great time. We actually had more fun at that age than when we took her right before she turned three. We stayed in a two bedroom villa at OKW that time with my parents and it worked out so well to have the extra space and also the full kitchen so she could eat normal breakfast stuff. I remember at the time I was all worried about finding whole milk in the parks and it was actually everywhere. No problem there. It was also great to have a laundry room right there in our villa instead of having to schlep baby laundry all around a hotel.

Like someone else mentioned, one of the best tricks we found was instead of cramming everything into a big diaper bag or backpack, I would pack things into gallon ziplock bags (one for diapers, wipes, and changing pad, one for a change of clothes, one for sunscreen, one for snacks etc.) Then we got some of those clear Disney shopping bags that they give you in the gift shops. I would put those ziplocs into the clear shopping bag and carry it on the bus/car ride when the stroller had to be folded up. Then we could take the clear bag through bag check and it was SO much quicker than having a stuffed backpack. After bag check I unpacked the individual ziplocs into the bottom of the stroller for the day. We also carried a smaller backpack for anything we didn't want to leave in the stroller and that we carried into rides and restaurants. Lots of people say it's risky to leave things in the stroller and I know it is but we were lucky. Plus we only left things that would be mildly inconvenient if they were lost or stolen, not things that would ruin our trip. Those stayed in the backpack. It was also really helpful to be able to just grab the diaper change ziploc when we went to the bathroom or maybe the snack one when we went to a restaurant, rather than digging in one huge bag for every little thing. It made it easier for me to replenish our supplies every day, quicker to go through the bag check line, and way easier when it was time to fold up the stroller for travel.

Our other best tip were those plastic disposable placemat sticker things that you can buy for restaurants. Disney does its best but there are lots of people eating at those tables! These were large enough that DD could spread her food around a little bit and eat off them but she wasn't putting food on a dirty table. Plus they made it much easier for her to "eat off our plates" when she wasn't actually eating off our plates. My husband said this was crazy but I also kept a pack of disinfectant wipe things in our "restaurant Ziploc" and cleaned the high chair anywhere she could touch it. I don't always get so germaphobic at home but I was so afraid she'd get sick while we were there. (Also, probably a coincidence but the next time we went I wasn't so anal about that stuff and yep, we all got a stomach bug.)

So many people told me that they thought it was crazy to take such a young kid to Disney because they wouldn't remember it. And honestly, she doesn't really remember much (although she does from her almost three trip) from that visit. BUT I always say that she had a wonderful magical time and my husband and I will remember that forever. And she loves looking at pictures from both trips and comparing how much she grew between them.

 

[monorailsilver]

Our dd was 15 mo when we took her. She is now 15...sigh...

Anything that I need to make sure I pack?

Diapers, wipes, disposable bibs (do they still make them??), Clorox wipes, sippy cups, ice packs, zip lock bags for left over food...we don't do dining and I would buy my dd a kids meal and she would have it for leftovers. I know how horrible but I have leftovers at home all the time!

Laundry detergent and less clothes. We wear 2 outfits per day, there are 5 of us and our last trip was 11 days...that would be a lot of clothes and suitcases.

you packed but didn't end up needing?

Toys! I brought a bunch of small toys for her to keep busy with in the room while dh and I got ready. She never touched them! In the am while dh and I took turns showering she was ever still asleep, getting dressed, sun screened or eating breakfast as we bring food to eat in our room.

Best places to eat/snack/rest

Eat-I would look at menus. It's all subjective. We live chef mickeys and whispering canyon cafe and Trex and Wolfgang pucks express. We don't do a lot of sit downs because we don't do dining and can't be tired down to eating at a certain place at a certain time, our max for a sit down is 2 per trip.

Snack-the same thing, although I bring snacks for my kids to the park as well.

Rest-no place better then the room. We all nap these days! We are out the door by 7-7:15 depending onwhich park and which way we are getting there-monorail, boat or bus. We return just after we ate lunch and nap until 4 and then shower and return to the park until 10-11. Yes even my then 15 month old did that with out issues. The same with my then 22 month old and lastly our 2 1/2 yo (the last trip they were 12, 9 and 7 and yes we napped then too). But we do plan a non park day after ever 2 park days just to recoup...well they recoup, I am still up at 6, in my bathing suit and I start laundry!

Best entertainment for the journey down there?

For that age, whatever she likes. Movies can only hold interest for so long. Color wonder? Things that aren't messy I would say.

What do I need to make sure I bring to the parks?

A smile and patience. After all it isn't about you anymore there is a kid. I had plans to do reader swap with my dh for space mountain because I rode that every time. Well that first trip with a kid, I didn't care. It was all about seeing her have fun. Then we went again with our 2 kids and my parents came for a bit so I had planned to have them watch them while dh and I rode...well I was pregnant with our 3rd so that didn't happen!

We go with the flow, we know which park we are going to in the am, as long as there are early entry hours we go to that park, have lunch where ever we end up and at night we go where ever we want dinner...either MK or Epcot.

Other things..a change of clothes if you have a messy kid, zip lock bag of wipes, table toppers, diapers, sow,thing to put on the changing table (I used the huge supply of small blankets we had), drinks, small non messy snacks, hats, sun screen. Heck when our son was 22 mo, I gave him ice cubes to play with in the stroller. It was hot, he was hot, he loved water and ice so it was a win win!

Rain ponchos and something to cover the stroller in case it does rain.

Anything your child did/didn't like at that age?

Each of mine were different. 15 mo-hated the face characters, would not go near them but pooh, Mickey, etc...she was all over them. 22 mo old, loved them all but as long as we were holding him and he was clinger to us for dear life, 2 1/2 yo did what her siblings did, had no fear.

I know they all got a little nervous in the dark rides, any of them-space ship earth, POTC, HM, etc....

Our oldest didn't like to sit. She was and still is a skinny little thing and had a ton of energy but she was not one to run from us (non pe of our kids did). So the first day in the MK after we took her out of the stroller to ride a ride she did not want to sit back in it. She then realized that we were going to another ride and was fine after that but we did let her walk as much as possible.

General advice for the trip

Have fun and go with the flow. Do make too many plans because things will change, people get tired, someone might not be hungry at 5:30 for dinner because they just had a snack at 4:15.

 

[kdka421]

My 2 cents would be to strongly consider if the deluxe dining plan makes sense - not financially, but logistically. That's a lot of table service meals, where you will be planning them (probably) far in advance, and you will not be able to bring a sleeping child in a stroller (virtually no table service restaurant allows strollers in the restaurant, although *occasionally* will make exceptions for a sleeping child but no guarantees). At this point, you have no idea what your daughters nap/sleep schedule is going to look like as a 15 month old. If you plan a lot of sit down lunches, and then find out shortly before the trip she always naps at noontime, you will either be forced to totally redo your dining plans, or try to change her schedule (which may or may not be easy).
When we took my daughter at 18 months, we restricted any sit down meals for breakfast or dinner when we knew she'd be awake. You may not feel as flexible if you feel locked in to using a set number of credits.
Just a thought! I know it's just so hard to predict a child's temperament/schedule/desires/etc this far in advance.

 

[npaige611]

We are traveling at the same time and my daughter will be 19 months. I will be keeping some of these tips in mind. The ziplock bag for outfits is wonderful, I have been doing that for my son since our first vacation when he was 4 (he is almost 7 now). This is our first stay onsite and so exctied. I will add I have read a lot of tips of taking a rest midday, it doesn't have to be to nap, but maybe the downtime would be beneficial. I am planning on that, but I also know that I am going to be as flexible as possible. It is hard to say what is really going to work for us until we get there. I would say definite yes to the carrier, even if you only use it here and there, it will be great to have hands free for other things.

 

[Tink0812]

We have a trip planned this December and our DD will be 16 months. We plan on bringing lots of snacks like Puffs, squeezable fruit and veggie pouches, and other toddler friendly foods that can easily be eaten while riding in the stroller. We recently started training DD how to use a straw for water with her meals. I think this will help a ton in Disney as we will have more options than just a traditional sippy cup. Our older son has used Thermos Funtainers before and they keep drinks cold very well. We plan on using one for our DD as well to keep her milk cold in the mornings.

I'm debating on bringing our baby carrier for when we are in lines and can't use the stroller. Still haven't decided yet....

For your stroller, I recommend a nice stroller fan. We've used our O2COOL clip-on fan for a while and it works great. Also, I read a tip about bringing those black binder clips and a lightweight blanket (maybe muslin?) to clip the blanket onto the stroller canopy to create more privacy for stroller napping. We are definitely going to try that.

If you stay in a villa, you could always make a small Garden Grocer order to get items she's used to eating like yogurt, whole milk, etc.

I'll be following along with this thread to see what other tips are posted!

Thank you so much for all of the great advice! Using the binder clips with the blanket is a genius idea, I definitely just added that to my "things to remember for Disney" list. I don't have any personal experience with garden grocer but have heard a lot of good things so I will definitely be looking into it.

 

[sweetlike]

We had our first Disney trip with kids in February and DD was 12 months along with DS 5 yrs and DS 3 yrs. we stayed in a 3 bedroom villa at bay lake with all the aunts, grandmas and grandpas we could fit and I have to say it was extremely roomy and everyone was able to find personal space and relax.

I second a lot of what has been said here and would add just a few things:

1. Take the stroller but park it - we found it easier to leave the stroller at the first ride and then use a baby carrier until we were ready to leave that area of the park.

2. Eating off your plate - something that I didn't realize is CRT will actually provide them their own meal but you don't get to choose it. I think it was chicken fingers with grapes and cheese for an app. Not sure if other prix fixe restaurants are the same way.

3. Memory Maker - for a big group it's obviously worth it but with a little one even more so. My DD surprised me and LOVED the characters but it was really hard to navigate her wanting to pull off Goofy's nose, get an autograph book signed and take a picture. The photopass photographers were great at snapping a bunch of candids rather than just one posed picture where she wasn't looking anyway that a family member might take.

HTH and have fun!

 

[KittieKat]

I'm taking my then 12 month old in October, and the thing about three carrier is he's huge! It hurts to use. He's about 20 lbs now at 10 months. But I'm only a five foot tall woman. I've always found it uncomfortable to use because he came out big too.

 

[Ross J 82]

We have a trip planned this December and our DD will be 16 months. We plan on bringing lots of snacks like Puffs, squeezable fruit and veggie pouches, and other toddler friendly foods that can easily be eaten while riding in the stroller. We recently started training DD how to use a straw for water with her meals. I think this will help a ton in Disney as we will have more options than just a traditional sippy cup. Our older son has used Thermos Funtainers before and they keep drinks cold very well. We plan on using one for our DD as well to keep her milk cold in the mornings.

I'm debating on bringing our baby carrier for when we are in lines and can't use the stroller. Still haven't decided yet....

For your stroller, I recommend a nice stroller fan. We've used our O2COOL clip-on fan for a while and it works great. Also, I read a tip about bringing those black binder clips and a lightweight blanket (maybe muslin?) to clip the blanket onto the stroller canopy to create more privacy for stroller napping. We are definitely going to try that.

If you stay in a villa, you could always make a small Garden Grocer order to get items she's used to eating like yogurt, whole milk, etc.

I'll be following along with this thread to see what other tips are posted!

Hi is this the fan you would recommend? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/O2COOL-4-...6392238?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368#shpCntId

 

[Hdc51]

Hi is this the fan you would recommend? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/O2COOL-4-...6392238?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368#shpCntId

No, that's not the exact fan. I didn't want a typical stroller fan like the one you listed above as they normally don't put out much wind. I couldn't find the exact fan we used in stock anywhere anymore, it must be an older model. But this one is very similar to it (moves 360 degrees) and can be charged via USP instead of worrying about batteries. It also got great reviews on Amazon and has multiple colors (some cheaper than others).

https://www.amazon.com/BTOOP-Rechar...221809&sr=8-17-spons&keywords=O2COOL+clip+fan

 

[Tink0812]

We went for our daughter's first trip when she was 14-months.

Things that were helpful:

• Packing her diapers into gallon ziploc bags for each day so I could just grab a new bag each morning and know it had the correct amount of diapers in it.
• Same for her clothes, I packed each set of clothes and a set of spare outfits into a ziploc for each day of our trip. It just made everything feel more organized, which is very helpful when you have a toddler in tow.
• Ditto snacks, packed into daily bags so I could grab one every morning on our way out the door
• Make sure everything in your stroller is either attached to the stroller or in a bag so it's easy to get out for when you have to fold the stroller and go, like boarding a bus or any of the railroads in the parks. We had a few 'oh crap' moments of scrambling to get everything out of the stroller in the beginning of our trip and learned that lesson quickly.
• Also, get a name tag and/or something to differentiate your stroller and make it easy to spot.
• A baby carrier is extremely helpful to have for lines, buses, and when your kid just wants to be held but you want to keep your hands free
• Places that are great to let your kid let off some steam and run around and be free include the old Wishes FP viewing areas in front of Cinderella Castle, the Casey Jr. Splash Station, the Dumbo playground, the front of the Italy pavilion, the back of the UK pavilion, the Imagination building, Rafiki's, and the Oasis at AK.
• She loved pretty much anything she was able to go on, which is a lot of stuff. Dumbo, it's a small world, Pooh, Three Caballeros, etc.
• Make sure you have some bandaids and neosporin (we like the spray-on kind for quickness and ease). You can get them at first aid in the parks, but it's much faster and easier to just have them with you if your little one scrapes a knee.

I probably have tons more, but I'm sure other people will hop in and I have to get off the computer now! I'll come back to share more later!

Thank you so much for the great ideas! Everyone seems to be posting about the Ziploc bag idea and I will most likely use it too. Just sounds so much easier! Surprisingly I hadn't even thought of taking the baby carrier that we have but have now added it to the list. Your list of places to let her run around and let off some steam is much appreciated as she is already full of energy at 6 months old.

 

[Tink0812]

Honestly, I would recommend you get separate rooms. One for you and your husband and child, and let your folks and brothers figure out if they want one or two rooms. Trust me, you will want some away time, as well as down time when you're putting the little one to bed for the evening.

I also recommend keeping your normal sleep schedule for the little one! It helped us so much to do that our first few trips with our kids. They needed quiet time (with no distractions, such as in-laws) to decompress by 6 or 7 pm to get ready for bed. It made for a much better day the next morning!

My daughter didn't like characters. That was fine with me; I didn't see a point in pushing it. I'm not into the whole autograph thing anyway. So we didn't push that ever!

We had a backpack that we'd bring with us, and has been mentioned, similar to if you go out to a local park, change of clothes, wipes, diapers, and such. Also, a good stroller that they will fall asleep in.

Take it slow. Let the others go off and do what they want. Don't try to keep together all the time, or you will end up not being on good terms by the end of the trip! Trust me. Just have a meeting point maybe once a day or even less often if you need to tend to the little one! Let them do what they want, and you do what you do. It is way too difficult otherwise. I've done extended family trips. Won't do them again! It's just too hard!

While I do see your point about the separate rooms, our daughter spends a lot of time with my parents and brothers so she will likely enjoy staying with them. My brothers and husband will spend a lot of time together while my daughter and I will be with my parents the majority of the time. The biggest adjustment for us will be slowing our pace down from previous trips. I am hoping she will like the characters but it will be no big deal if she doesn't!

 

[Tink0812]

I have 4 daughters and have been there twice when 2 of my girls were 15 months and 16 months. I was honestly shocked at how much fun they had. I was so worried that the older girls were going to get held back and the younger one would be tough but the youngest had the greatest time. That age is when they LOVE mickey and Minnie (if they're into characters like you said yours was). We never did a park all day. We hung out at the pool in the morning then fed the kids and off to the parks. We did this everyday for 8 days. The little ones would take naps in between pool and park (not long) and then of course passed out on our way back. I'm sure they don't remember much but the fact that at the moment they had the greatest time ever made it all worth it.

It is great to hear some positive experiences with children at that age because it seems like everyone thinks we are crazy for taking her so young. I was lucky enough to go to Disney every two years (and sometimes more frequently) when I was a child and I want that for my children as well. We truly believe she will have a blast and we will love watching her having so much fun

 

[roseaster]

Anything that I need to make sure I pack?
Anything you packed but didn't end up needing?
Best places to eat/snack/rest
Best entertainment for the journey down there?
What do I need to make sure I bring to the parks?
Anything your child did/didn't like at that age?
General advice for the trip

#1 Lots of stuff, but I'd rather be overpacked than not have something I need.

#2 It depends on your kid as far as eating. I've had some that are great in restaurants, some that were terrible. I've also had a few (I have 6 total) who were terrified of characters at that age, so we sat them at the back of the table at character meals. We found the one most terrified actually did very well at Mickey's Backyard BBQ because she could approach the characters, they didn't approach her. Though we didn't care for the food. LOL. There are lots of places to rest. Mine were, for the most part, good nappers, so I would just try to pick a shady spot. Innoventions in Epcot is good (A/C)

#3 Toys that she can manage by herself in the car seat. My kids are older, but electronics. Load movies, cartoons, whatever she enjoys on the tablet.

#4 A few things we found helpful to bring. A large beach towel of blanket. We threw it over the stroller to block out the sun during naps. Extra sippy cups/pacifiers because it is a miserable thing when they lose them (and we lost a few) Bring your full sized stroller from home. It is cheaper, more comfortable for baby, and, hopefully it reclines for naps. Finger food snacks for throughout the day. A huge thing of wipes. Toddlers are a mess. You will be wiping faces and hands. At least 1 change of clothes (see "toddlers are a mess") A hat and sunscreen. Florida is sunny. Good shoes. Even thugh they were small, mine liked to walk quite a bit. Some are recommending insect repellent, too. Zika and all.

#5 Characters. Most of them (except for 2) were terrified of them until they were about 3.

#6 Be flexible. Toddlers are fickle things. They may be easy going or incredibly difficult. Be prepared to scrap a plan or a ride if the baby is cranky or overwhelmed. Try to go at their pace, which may mean spending a lot of time watching them play in a fountain, or riding Small World 3 times. Try to stick to their schedule which may mean getting to the park early and leaving early, or getting to the park late. The baby's sleep schedule may be thrown off from the excitement or activity. People always say "hit rope drop" but most of my kids (except 2) aren't morning people, and 1 (she is 11 now) was an absolute witch if you woke her up early. So, we tried to stick to their schedules to avoid the cranky.

 

[Tink0812]

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We took our DD at 18 months and we had a great time. We actually had more fun at that age than when we took her right before she turned three. We stayed in a two bedroom villa at OKW that time with my parents and it worked out so well to have the extra space and also the full kitchen so she could eat normal breakfast stuff. I remember at the time I was all worried about finding whole milk in the parks and it was actually everywhere. No problem there. It was also great to have a laundry room right there in our villa instead of having to schlep baby laundry all around a hotel.

Like someone else mentioned, one of the best tricks we found was instead of cramming everything into a big diaper bag or backpack, I would pack things into gallon ziplock bags (one for diapers, wipes, and changing pad, one for a change of clothes, one for sunscreen, one for snacks etc.) Then we got some of those clear Disney shopping bags that they give you in the gift shops. I would put those ziplocs into the clear shopping bag and carry it on the bus/car ride when the stroller had to be folded up. Then we could take the clear bag through bag check and it was SO much quicker than having a stuffed backpack. After bag check I unpacked the individual ziplocs into the bottom of the stroller for the day. We also carried a smaller backpack for anything we didn't want to leave in the stroller and that we carried into rides and restaurants. Lots of people say it's risky to leave things in the stroller and I know it is but we were lucky. Plus we only left things that would be mildly inconvenient if they were lost or stolen, not things that would ruin our trip. Those stayed in the backpack. It was also really helpful to be able to just grab the diaper change ziploc when we went to the bathroom or maybe the snack one when we went to a restaurant, rather than digging in one huge bag for every little thing. It made it easier for me to replenish our supplies every day, quicker to go through the bag check line, and way easier when it was time to fold up the stroller for travel.

Our other best tip were those plastic disposable placemat sticker things that you can buy for restaurants. Disney does its best but there are lots of people eating at those tables! These were large enough that DD could spread her food around a little bit and eat off them but she wasn't putting food on a dirty table. Plus they made it much easier for her to "eat off our plates" when she wasn't actually eating off our plates. My husband said this was crazy but I also kept a pack of disinfectant wipe things in our "restaurant Ziploc" and cleaned the high chair anywhere she could touch it. I don't always get so germaphobic at home but I was so afraid she'd get sick while we were there. (Also, probably a coincidence but the next time we went I wasn't so anal about that stuff and yep, we all got a stomach bug.)

So many people told me that they thought it was crazy to take such a young kid to Disney because they wouldn't remember it. And honestly, she doesn't really remember much (although she does from her almost three trip) from that visit. BUT I always say that she had a wonderful magical time and my husband and I will remember that forever. And she loves looking at pictures from both trips and comparing how much she grew between them.

You mentioned a few of the many reasons that we are looking into a DVC villa! Glad to hear some positive experiences! Your idea about avoiding a big diaper bag or backpack is wonderful. I will definitely be considering it as I tend to overpack the diaper bag and get stuck with lugging it around all day. The disposable placemats sound like a good idea too. I'm not that big of a germophobe but definitely don't want her eating things off of a dirty or "not-so-clean" table.