Disney with toddlers -the good bad and ugly

[DisneyJill]

We leave in 18 days for our Disney trip and my youngest is 19 months old. We've been going every year for the last 4 years with all of our kids (13,9 &7) and I did tell them that this year would be a lot different with a toddler. She is normally a WONDERFUL little girl at home but I am preparing for the worse so that I can be pleasantly surprised. lol At least if it doesn't work out I know that there's always next year.

 

[brightspark]

This all makes for very interesting reading... half terrified now of our trip next week with DS 18 months, but on the other hand, I do think he'll love looking around, some rides, the playgrounds, and swimming pools, so we should have some fun.

Ordered groceries from garden grocer so I can cook meals in our 1bed DVC accommodation, and we are going to use baby sitters at least one night so that dh and I can go out.

My general expectation for DS is that he will run around being excited by all the things to look at and that he won't really care if we don't do much else! LOL we'll see...

 

[Cinbride]

The sleeping thing is one I wish hotels esp. Disney would try and figure out. While I know you can get 2 rooms or a bigger room. some just can't do it. I wish there was some sort of curtain/like at POR sink areas that you could use and divide the room. In saying this, I am considering doing something like that. Buy a couple of suction type hooks and a sheet??? I don't know. That is one thing I am afriad of at disney. Our girl needs her sleep.

 

[champagnegirl26]

The sleeping thing is one I wish hotels esp. Disney would try and figure out. While I know you can get 2 rooms or a bigger room. some just can't do it. I wish there was some sort of curtain/like at POR sink areas that you could use and divide the room. In saying this, I am considering doing something like that. Buy a couple of suction type hooks and a sheet??? I don't know. That is one thing I am afriad of at disney. Our girl needs her sleep.

www.baabaablinds.com sells travel black out blinds here in the uk that use suckers to stick to the window...not sure there is anything like that in the states though?

 

[brightspark]

The sleep thing is an issue even with a one bed at DVC... either the baby has the main bedroom, or the lounge / kitchen area... so either you give up your bed and sleep on the pull out or you give up being able to eat / make drinks etc... weird

 

[mdsouth]

Thanks OP for sharing your experience. I, too, think many people who post on the DIS gloss over the bad, ugly, or disappointing moments of their trips (with or without toddlers).

It really helps to read posts that don't shade the truth, therefore, there are less unrealistic expectations that your WDW will be totally magical every minute of the trip.

We took our DD 2 /12 years old. She is usually extremely well behaved, calm child at home. She was out of her routine and thus not herself on the trip. We went in early May to avoid the summer crowds and to have a bit of a break from the heat.

1. For one, she would not ride in the stroller! We rented a two person stroller from Disney for her to share with her brother. We thought she would like being with him and more comfortable using it. We ended up carrying her the entire trip. I was exhausted but prepared for this since she has a rare disorder and did not walk or put any weight on her legs until she was two.

2. She was worn out and run down after just a couple of days, even though we went back to the room for mid-day nap break.

3. She had a major meltdown one day as we were heading into MGM. We even slept in late that day and did not arrive at the park until around 10:30 or so just to help her since she is a late sleeper at home. The following picture tells it all.

4. We had lots of trouble finding plain white milk for her to drink in the parks. This was back in 2005 and none of the carts had milk. Only some of the counter service places did - so many of them did not. We went back in 2009 and I noticed more CS places have milk but there are still lots that do not. She would not drink juice so it was water or nothing.

5. We waited until she was older to go back to WDW. A super long wait for me, but our experience was night and day! We went this past summer, June 2009 and she was 6. She had a fantastic time! She really enjoyed it tremendously and so did we. It was lots of fun experiencing WDW with the kids (she at 6 and my DS at 13).

Anyway, I know when we went in 2005, I knew it would be an exhausting experience at times and it was.

Personally, we would have waited until she was older around 4 for her first trip but my DS is seven years older than her and we did not want to wait any longer to take him to Disney for his first time. He was 8 at the time.

We tried to stay together as a family for most of the time since it was our first family trip. In hindsight, it would have been better for us to split up more (DS and DH and DD and I or DD and DH and DS and I). We split up some and those times helped. My DH and I took turns staying back at the resort with my DD.

 

[maxiesmom]

Taking our then 26 month old in August, and I'm already prepping the older kids for the fact that you need to be patient with your sister while we are on vacation. She'll be off schedule, not napping in her crib, hot, and most horribly, confined to her stroller which she despises! At least they won't be shocked when pixie dust doesn't magically turn her into a super happy toddler at WDW.

Have you thought about getting a baby harness/leash for your daughter? That way she can walk around a bit and not be confined to her stroller, and you will still be able to know where she is at all times.

 

[rgrutland]

Funny that you mention the toddler harness! I'll be honest that I used to snicker at parents that used the harnesses until I had #3!! He is a great kid and he LOVES to run off at 24 mos (we are celebrating his bday at the parks)!! So this XMas I got him a harness that looks like a stuffed dog. Had seen a Mickey harness on eBay, but decided to opt for the doggy and he did NOT like it at first, but I am slowly trying to get him used to it so that he'll wear it when we are at the parks next week...we'll see...wish me luck!!
Robyn

 

[Cinbride]

we are staying at Wilderness Lodge. Do they have cribs/rails? Does it cost extra and does anyone have pictures? thanks

 

[Blurrysmom]

We also had a monkey backpack leash for our son, but I only found it mildly helpful. Of course it kept him physically from running off, but it didn't keep him from expressing his frustration by writhing on the ground or, my favorite, running in circles on the end of the "leash" like the Astro Orbiter. : )

 

[Juliet25]

I pretty much agree with pp that taking a toddler is very challenging. I took my youngest at 11 months and 18 months, and boy did those 7 months make for two very different experiences! She was a breeze as an infant; as a toddler -- yikes! It's just so hard for them to understand that thet can't run loose. For my DD, it was the bus rides that did her in. She had meltdowns on every ride. Good times...

 

[disney*mom*82]

We have taken our youngest DD since she was 5 mo. She went at 5mo, 17mo, 23mo, and we go again in March when she is 29mo and so far she has been GREAT, and the only bad moments I can think of were nothing to do with her age, just her health since she has apnea and heart conitions.

She LOVED every single ride she has ever gone on and she goes on a lot of ries. I couldnt imagine only being able to go on 3 rides per day. We kept track last time and we went on 17 rides/attractions at MK in one day. It was great! This last trip she was a little leary of the characters at first, but warmed up after seeing them a couple of days.

But, as PP have said, every child is different and she is a great child who travels and adjusts well. She naps in the stroller durring the day at WDW ad we stay at the parks until close and only go on late EMHs. She never is fussy, always well behaved, rides in the stroller and eats well. Keeping my fingers crossed each trip that this continues.

Not wanting to boost everyones hopes, but to let you know that it isnt always awful with a toddler. I planned for the worse and it never got bad. GL to evryone who takes their toddler, but know its not only toddlers you have to worry about, any child at any age can have a breakdown. Our 10yr old DD is more likely to than our two year old! LOL

 

[frtchr]

We took DD at 11m, 16m, 26m, and a month shy of 3. DD has been at 6m and 15m. We're going again in May when DD will be 20m. I loved every trip for different reasons, and I can't wait for the next trip! We always stick to our regular schedules of napping and bedtimes, and that makes for happy kids. And happy kids make for happy parents.

 

[momma2kiddos]

I appreciate how candid you were about going with a toddler! I think alot of us go in with rose colored glasses thinking it will be something right out of a Disney commercial! My DS will be 2 1/2 when we go so thanks for giving me something to look forward to! LOL With his little temper now, I see that we will go to war at the World! LOL I guess that's what happens when your bday is 2 hours before mommy's (we're Libras.....infamously known for being stubborn!)

 

[princessbride6205]

DH and I had been taking 2-3 trips a year, visited DL a few times, got married at WDW, etc. So we wanted to go back to Disney before our little one would actually be able to enjoy it. DD was 15 months and had just become competent at walking. She is an average baby, behavior-wise. We also went with the grandparents, which really helped us stay sane. She was in a bit of a daze a lot of the trip, probably overwhelmed. She slept okay but ate like a bird. Fortunately she liked the characters - that could have gone either way! Our fondest memory is probably her kissing Leo (Little Einsteins) on the nose - unprompted! Most of all, toddlers like things they recognize. If they love fish, Living Seas is a good spot. If they like the characters, the character meals are great. Our DD loves lights and music, so she had so much fun running around the room in Epcot at the exit of Imagination - where you step on the carpet and it lights up and plays different musical instruments (Actual name: What If Labs). DD was too young for the shows like Playhouse Disney and Turtle Talk - she wanted to crawl around and "meet" all the other kids sitting on the floor. She did like the rides like Nemo Clam-mobile and It's a Small World. Overall, DD wasn't quite as happy and excited about the rides and Disney World as I'd hoped (although I'm not sure why I expected a 15-month old to really understand the magic). But, I would still do it all again.

Just 5 more days till our next trip - DD will be 30 months old. Her grandparents will be joining us for the 2nd half of our weeklong trip.

 

[ppan77]

Love this thread!!! I am leaving in 9 days with ds4 and dd 22 months!!! I am very worried about how my daughter will react to the characters. I have been trying to prepare her with pics and looking at rides and characters on youtube!! Crazy I know! My ds4 doesn't nap but I do plan on going back to CR for breaks and for dd to nap. My biggest mistake when we took ds at 18 months was assuming he would nap in the stroller. For two days he never fell asleep and ended up sick by the end of the trip. Always plan for rest/naptime with toddlers!!!

 

[princessbride6205]

One more thing about characters - it has helped us to prep our DD for how she will react to them. A minute or two before meeting a character, we'll talk about what DD wants to do or say to them. For example, "We're going to see Leo. Are you going to give him a high five?" Or, "There's Minnie Mouse. When it's your turn, do you want to give her a hug?" This pre-planning really worked on our 2 1/2 yo DD when we met some non-Disney characters last week. I think sometimes toddlers aren't sure what to do with the characters. (And of course, sometimes your toddler will just be scared out of their minds.)

 

[DisneyDreamer8]

Thanks for not sugar coating your report

We are taking our DS in May for his first trip to the World. He will be 26months. He has been to Disneyland when he was 7months and DCL at 14months so we are not going into this with no experience.

I have only made two ADR's on being a Character Breakfast. I am fortunate that my DS likes his stroller and will nap in it. I have rented a full size crib so he will be comfortable and we are hoping to get connecting rooms so we can stay up after he has gone to sleep.

I am trying to keep my OCDPD (obsessive compulsive Disney planning disorder ) in check. I usually have every little detail planned out for our whole trip so this is VERY hard for me.

I am hopeful that by keeping my expectations low and a go with the flow attitude our trip will not be a total disaster.

Best of luck to all fo us traveling with a toddler

 

[eeyore29]

DD will be about a year old for her first trip to WDW, so do you think we'll be spending most of our trip at MK? Or would that be when she's just a little bit older?

 

[Tiger926]

Excellent points by OP! Good advice all around!

Our babes have also been at 10, 12, 13 and 22months, and not many issues either. We always go in July, and a few time in May, so super hot! I appreciate the candor of the OP, and as been stated in this thread, it not only depends upon temperment of child, but also the family's schedule.

We plan knowing that our kids are the top priority - we take naps, bedtime is the same, good meals/snacks are crucial (we don't eat junk food, nor drink pop), downtime each and everyday, strollers, child harnesses, favourite toys/blankets/pillow from home, Baby Care Centers (we still use it for our 6.5yr old as it's a comfort place for her) and they sleep with us. Basically, if a child looks tired, for whatever reason, that is handled right away. If a child is hungry, he/she is also taken care of right away. In most cases, it's that simple.

I find many of the meltdowns that I see in the parks, are due to bad planning on part of parents or horrible schedules. We've all seen the parental meltdowns as they don't get to do what they want to do, and this does not bode well for anyone. Not saying this was the case with the OP, but one cannot expect a child to act differently at Disney and be ok with that. OP is right about that! If naps are necessary at home, they are on vacation too! If kids don't normally eat junk all day long, they cannot on vacation either and mostl importantly, sleeping must be a priority, or unhappy people all around!

It is fun taking babies/toddlers to Disney, but it does require a bit more patience and planning, Tiger