DISNEY with a TWO YEAR OLD - any suggestions/tips?!

[3mickeymom]

Just remember that strollers can get very warm if you are going during the summer months. It amazes me that they even make black strollers!!! Make sure the air is circulating in your stroller and keep your child as cool as possible. I saw some peopple with a clip on stroller fan that I thought was a great idea. Also, I reccommend a rain cover. A wet stroller can tke quite a while to dry if caught in a downpour.

 

[reginaastralis]

Just a warning ...

We do bring our stroller, but my daughter is 2 1/2 and doesn't like to ride in it. It's a STRUGGLE to get her to ride. I bought one of the monkey back pack leash things, well actually my parents did after they took her to Disney, so she is attached to us at all times. She really really likes to walk at Disney, and even though half of the day the stroller sits empty, it's nice to have with you. We have to let her get in and out of the stroller on her own and walk as much as possible, or you get an amazingly festive tantrum. I have to say, Julie has gone about 10 plus times, so maybe she is just more used to Disney than other kids, who knows ...

If you haven't gotten their hair cut, I recommend doing a first haircut at the Mainstreet Barber shop. We got her hair cut for the first time there last year and it was darling. We will be going back this August for her second haircut, it's that worth it.

Let your children take the lead, and just watch them. The last time we went, in May, we went for the Flower and Garden Festival. My daughter climbed up to the top of the playground near Test Track with Wendy. She spoke to Wendy for about 10 minutes, it was adorable. If your children know anything about the characters, remind them while they are in line to speak with them. My daughter was afraid of Hook and Smee, but in line I asked "Remeber when the croc gets Hook?" So, when we got to him she said "Argh, croc's gonna get you!!" He pretended to be scared of her, which broke a lot of the tension she had of him. If you ask her about Disney right now, she'll go on and on about Hook and Wendy, they made such an amazing impression on her.

Let me just warn you, it's truely amazing to see your child's face when they see the castle for the first time. I don't know if it's the same for little boys, but the look of pure joy and wonder when they realize who that castle belongs to ... sigh. My daughter refers to our house as Princess Juliette's Castle, which probably means we should lay off the Disney trips for a little while, but it's amazing how she brings the magic home.

 

[ObsessedwithWDW]

My daugheter is 18 months old and is 38 inches tall....we are going again in April to Disney and I am willing to bet she is 40 inches by then. She would be about 2 1/2 at that time. Are rides that she meets the height requirment REALLY safe to take her on for example the barnstormer?

 

[2poohbears]

Eat at Mickey D's so he can play while we eat I'll let him eat in van after we get back on road. I'll sit in the back with him while he eats so I can help him and maybe we won't make to big a mess.

OH and even if GS happens to be potty trained by the time we go I'm going to use pull ups for disney might save a outfit or 2 if he has an accident in line or attraction etc.

Just a tip --- I bought some Snack Traps for the boys to use when eating in our van on long trips. I can fit all 4 nuggets from Mickey D's in one, and I put all the fries or apple dippers in the other (don't let them have the caramel sauce) and I hook them onto the car seat belts with some straps that originally came with some board books we had (you could probably use link a do's to attach the cups). Here's a link for Snack Traps, in case you haven't seen them before. http://www.amazon.com/Mossworld-3-P...ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1185937836&sr=8-1 I also have drink deputies for their disposable sippy cups...this keeps them from getting thrown onto the floor. http://www.drinkdeputy.com/ My van stays nice and clean and they are able to eat snacks as well as a "happy meal" this way.

Also - We used pull-ups in May and it worked great. My son never had any accidents, but it was nice to have that "peace of mind" just in case.

 

[2poohbears]

My daugheter is 18 months old and is 38 inches tall....we are going again in April to Disney and I am willing to bet she is 40 inches by then. She would be about 2 1/2 at that time. Are rides that she meets the height requirment REALLY safe to take her on for example the barnstormer?

If she meets the height requirement I think she would be fine. I don't find Barnstormer to be overly rocky or scary. Mine went on it when they were 3 years and 4 months old and they LOVED it! DH and I always put our arm around each boys' shoulder just because it makes us feel better.

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Oh, you're going to have a great time!

We took my DD when she was 2 - we are going this year now that she is 3, also. That's how much fun we had.

My only advice that hasn't been mentioned is this - Philharmagic is really loud and things come out at you. MY DD loves movies, is not afraid of the dark, but she FREAKED out at this, and it was the first day. I nearly cried, I felt like the worst mom ever for taking her to it. She was rolling with the sound level and that it's 3D, until water squirted at her. She lost it and we had to leave. Like Honey,I Shrunk the Audience, and A Bug's Life, you actually feel water and air, etc. Too intense for my two year old. Yours might be fine, but you might want to consider how they will react.

I thought I was super prepared, but things happen!

 

[snocrossmechanic]

We brought my son at 6 weeks and again on his first birthday. We are heading down again (we live in Minnesota) to spend two weeks over X-mas. Now he is 18 months and walking so we are in for a new experience.

The ideas here are all wonderful but one was overlooked....FASTPASS !!! You can eliminate long lines and meltdowns by using the fastpass system. Combine that with the rider switch and you will save tons of time. Most of the major attractions have fastpass.

We just take the whole vacation in stride. We get up when we get up. We have breakfast and head over to the parks. We never make it to the morning EMH or even the opening time. We stay on schedule per my son and come back for naps and relaxation time. Sometimes he gets tired and takes cat naps during the day. We will be back so if we miss an attraction we will get to it next time.

Most important, the trip is for him. Our friends say we are crazy and waste too much money on going because, "he won't remember it". I will remember it and he can see pictures of all of us having fun as a family. Thats what its all about !!!!

 

[Chikita83]

thanks for all the tips!! Do you know where i can find a stroller fan with a mist? i been looking every where but cant find any. Thanks so much!

 

[mom2l&t]

thanks for all the tips!! Do you know where i can find a stroller fan with a mist? i been looking every where but cant find any. Thanks so much!

I saw some mister fans at Wal-mart the other day near the garden center.

We are headed there next month for my DS 5th bday and my youngest DS will be 21 months when we go! We are so excited. Love all the tips. Thanks!

 

[Chikita83]

thanks! will check tomorrow!

 

[ObsessedwithWDW]

one step ahead makes an awesome fan MADE to clip to the stroller....it doesnt mist but we used it in early September with a 10 month old and IT WAS GREAT. We got SO MANY comments on it I think I could have sold it for any price at the end of my trip! Well worththe $$ I spent on it.....to keep baby cool while napping.

 

[theduck619]

Thanks so much for the post! We are taking our twins (girls) in Septmeber and they are just a little over two. I appreciate your insight.

 

[Chikita83]

thanks for the post. I found that out after i posted in my catalog sitting next to my computer had it in ! lol, they carry the same fan on walmart.com so i got it from them, is like 5 dollars cheaper. Is under stroller accessories.

 

[bsusanmb]

We (grandma and grandpa) took our children and grandchildren (ages 2 1/2, 2 and 12 months)

I had made ADR's for times they usually eat, and we ended up cancelling most. The entire Disney experience was so exciting and the older two were in sensory overload! The one year old slept in his stoller, on the bus, anywhere, but the other two had to be taken back for quiet time and slept in those metal cribs at SSR. The sit down meals were tense, like everyone has said, and they restless. The character meals were great, but they were so excited they barely ate anything in the restaurants.

Plan you meals carefully. I made ADR for 1900 Park Fare for 4:45, knowing this was a great time for the kids, but they couldn't wake up from their naps. Breakfast buffets are good.

They loved the pool - just loved it. They loved the characters at the meals, because they would kneel down and be at the kids level. The characters were great at knowing if the kids were a little bit timid, and kept their distance until they warmed up. Goofy is really tall and that was one that was a bit intimidating.

We got the DVD's of the Disney parks and the Disney sing along DVD's and this really made it wonderful for the kids. They knew who the characters were and they knew some of the rides and shows. Dumbo was a hit, so was Small World - they would have stayed on SW all day. Snow White too intense, and avoid Bug's Life in AK. They loved Rafiki's Planet Watch going back and seeing the paintings of the animals and the petting zoo. Our kids loved the 3D Muppets and Mickey's Philharmagic.

They loved having a battery operated fan of their own, rubbery blades, and they didn't hurt them.

Lots of snacks and fluids for hydration. Standing in line to see the characters was too much for them - they wanted instant gratification and didn't want to leave. CP, Chef Mickey were great because they were in their high chairs, and couldn't run after the characters...but there was plenty of interaction at the table.

You never know what is going to upset them. Our Nicholas was 2 1/2 and loved buses. When we tried to get him out of his stoller to get on the bus, he had a total meltdown and wouldn't let go of the stroller. The ride was terrible for him, he was so frightened. The only thing we could think was that he had not been on a bus since he was 13 months and he was adopted from a Russian orphanage - They had to ride a bus for a long ride. Perhaps this was it, don't know.

Just be prepared for anything and take tons of photos and movies. It has been 10 months since our trip and that is all the older two talk about. (they are cousins and don't see each other often) They want to go back to DW and they remember everything they did. They love to look at the pictures and the movies.

Oh, yes, they loved the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area, no stimulation, and room to run and play!

Have a great time!

 

[lundve]

Great Advice!

 

[zaza]

We took our 18 MO GrandPrincess in May and had a wonderful time! She was afraid of the characters close up but loved looking at them from a distance. She was scared of elevators--who knows why? Luckily, we were on the 2nd floor of WL so one of us would take the elevator with the stroller and the other would take her up the steps.
I wouldn't dream of going without our own stroller. It's a long way from the bus/boat to the room at your resort and I worry about germs. Be sure you have a sun shade and a clip on fan. We have a Chicco umbrella stroller that we love--it folds quickly and small. It has a mesh underseat basket that we'd stick a small soft cooler and a large-size ziplock bag in. The bag would have a poncho and clothespins (pin the poncho over the seat when you leave the stroller to go on a ride, to a show, etc. so the seat stays dry in rain), a towel, and a lightweight blanket (she needs a blanket sometimes as a lovey). Whne you are ready to fold up the stroller, it's much quicker to grab the bag by its handles than to pull out all the stuff individually and the bag keeps everything dry as well.
We took lots of snacks--she loves having her own snack in a ziplock bag--and lots of disposable sippy cups. We would take a plastic water bottle (the refillable ones) of apple juice in a soft-side 6-pack size cooler along with a individual-serving packet of cheese and a couple fruit cups since sometimes she didn't like much of what we had at meals. We'd just put some ice in a ziplock bag to keep things cool. We have a plastic rollup place mat (about $12at Babies R Us or onestepahead.com) that we use for meals everywhere with her. You suctioncup it to the table and put food right on it. You don't have to worry about how clean the table is. We carry packets of antibacterial wipes and just use a napkin and a wipe on it after meals.
She is too nosey to sleep in her stroller, so we took a nap break back at the resort each day. We usually all napped! We found it worked best for one person to go to the room with her and then, after she was asleep, we'd call on the cell phone for the other one to come up.
We used baby swap for rides she couldn't go on to minimize the time she had to wait. The baby care centers at the parks are great--we were the only people in the Epcot one and got so much attention!
Don't plan to do as much as you used to, but plan to enjoy it all more!

 

[GEM]

We took our 18 MO GrandPrincess in May and had a wonderful time! She was afraid of the characters close up but loved looking at them from a distance. She was scared of elevators--who knows why? Luckily, we were on the 2nd floor of WL so one of us would take the elevator with the stroller and the other would take her up the steps.

It's funny how different kids aren, isn't it? When we took my little guy at that exact same age, I can honestly say that elevators were the highlight of the trip for him! Each time we got on an elevator he'd giggle and bounce and turn around and look at us like, "Isn't this the most fun ever?" He loved the characters, the rides, the pool - but it was the elevators that really made the trip for him.

 

[o2bacelt]

You've gotten lots of great advice...

Our first trip with DD was when she was 20 months old. She had a blast.

Things that worked for us...

* Down time is a must. Meltdowns happen especially somewhere that is so stimulating on quite a few levels.

* Never take both sets of grandparents on vacation at one time. Too many people trying to get the baby's attention compounded by the stimuli of Disney make for a really trying time for mommy.

* We find that having our own vehicle there helps us A LOT. If we need to make a fast exit because of meltdowns or sickness, then we don't have to wait for the bus.

* Don't be a commando. Small people take a long time to get anywhere.

* Having our own stroller was a godsend. My Mac has a lime green canopy, that thing stuck out like a sore thumb in the sea of Disney strollers. I could always find it even if it was moved. It also helped with a very very tired toddler at the end of the day, we had a stoller to keep with us when we were walking to the parking lot and if she was asleep, we just walked to the car and didn't bother with the tram. She stayed asleep and we just took our time.

* let them loose in the play grounds like the Boneyard, Pooh's play ground, let them enjoy themselves.

* schedule a day when you aren't in the parks, go shopping, go to the pool, whatever but having a break from the parks helps us a lot.

I could go on and on. We have a great time when we go, DD just turned 3 and she's going for her 3rd and 4th visits this year and we're planning a surprise trip for her 4th birthday next June.

 

[pumpkin5156]

You've gotten lots of great advice...

Our first trip with DD was when she was 20 months old. She had a blast.

Things that worked for us...

* Never take both sets of grandparents on vacation at one time. Too many people trying to get the baby's attention compounded by the stimuli of Disney make for a really trying time for mommy.

Oh my gosh. I just pictured us with our son and both sets of grandparents, and I almost had a heart attack! I never have thought about that situation until i read your words, and I was in instant panic. I will NEVER do that! Ever! Thanks for the heads up!

Thanks for all the great advice. We're taking our then 2.5 DS and I'm eating up all this info!

 

[hoosiergirl7]

We took DS almost 4 to WDW last September, 3 months before he turned 3.

We had to have afternoon downtime. At almost 4 he still naps and needs downtime or he'll have a complete meltdown.

We also made sure we took plenty of snacks like other suggested to keep him busy during the waits in the lines for rides.

I ditto the lots of wet wipes. I still don't go much of anywhere without them. They're a lifesaver.

We thought our son would love the characters as he did very well with them when we lived in So. California and took him to Disneyland several times...he hated them and was terrified to death after meeting Pooh the first day. Wouldn't go near another one the whole time. So that made it difficult to take pictures with characters like we wanted. A few times we were able to convince him to go with us although we really wanted the majority of the photos of him by himself. So you might have to worry about that.

We also took our Maclaren stroller with us. It's a lightweight titanium stroller that helped so much and was easy to maneuver through the parks and into the shops.

Hope these extra few tips will help. Most people covered everything that I would've said.