Disney with Toddlers

[llmj_midland]

Hey All!

First of all, let me say how appreciative I am of everyone on this group. You all have been great about answering questions with great detail. I have just finished planning my family's first trip to DL. My wife and I went to WDW in 98 on our honeymoon, but we our taking our 4 1/2 (the 1/2 is very important) and our 3 year old to DL in April.

I know that these questions have probably been asked before, but the search function is turned off...therefore, can anyone help with some tips with going to DL and GCA with toddlers. Please do not spare the details! We have a 3-day hopper and plan on being in LA for five nights. I plan on trying to have a break day somewhere in there where we can just relax at the hotel. However, rides, budget tips, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks again!

 

[CalGal]

Of course, so much depends on your own children. Here are some of the things that worked for me when my DS was young.
1. Always start early. Most fantasyland rides get very long lines since they have a slow flow rate. This and Toontown is where you are likely to spend most of your time at DL.
2. How are your children with the dark? You might want to try to help them overcome any fears they have of the dark before you go. I found this was sometimes more of a problem with a 4 1/2 year old than a 3 year old.
3. The Toontown rollercoaster is very short so its a good initiation for faster rides like the Matterhorn or BTMRR (which is not likely to be opened by then). It will get long lines as well due to the slow flow rate, so again don't wait until too late in the day to try it out. If one or more of the kids really like it, then dare to try Matterhorn. My DS did Matterhorn by 3. He did Space Mountain before 5, but that is a little too intense for many that age.
4. Again, if your kids do OK with the dark fantasyland rides, they should be ready for Pirates, and even Haunted Mansion.
5. The Bugs Life area in GCA looks great for Toddlers, but since GCA doesn't get as crowded as DL, I would start with DL and go over to GCA after DL starts getting crowded.
6. Be sure to enjoy the parades. Most children love them. One of my fondest memories was watching my DS watch the electrical parade when he was 20 months old. He still loves it at 13.
7. Autograph books are cheap and treasured souveniers. I would recommend you get one for each child the first thing on the first day. (Also go, preferably "fat" pens). You may find you spend more time waiting in line for autographs than for rides, but that's OK.
8. Speaking of characters, I think it's worth splurging on a character meal at the Plaza Inn or at one of the hotels. My favorite is Goofy's Kitchen at the DLH. You can do a hotel character meal on a day that you don't go into the park.
9. Take time to rest. Go back to your hotel before the kids start getting too tired. Take a nice nap (not just the kids--you might want to take one too). Enjoy a swim. Then return to the park for evening entertainment.
10. Use Fastpass when you can.
11. Use babyswap so you guys can ride some of the E rides. If there are some rides that the one child wants to do and the other is not ready for, then you can use baby swap to stay with the timid one. Each parent may be able to ride with the other without having to wait in line again. Or one parent stays with both kids while the other rides; and then you do the swap, again without having to wait in line again.
12. The 3-D shows are really fun, but can be a little intense for young kids. You might try Muppet 3-D first (at GCA). It's not too bad. If they love that, try Bugs Life (also at GCA) and if they survive that, try HISTA at DL.

That's at least a start.

Taking a day off to rest in the middle is a really good idea. You also might want to use one of your extra days to go down to Legoland if you have a car. Its about an hour south of DL. It really appeals to kids, especially those under say 12. The park is much smaller than DL and GCA, so it is not as exhausting.

Most importantly, take time to enjoy. Disney is new and wonderful experience when you are able to experience it through your children's eyes.

 

[llmj_midland]

Thank you so much CalGal. Those are definately the tips I was looking for.

Do you have meal/budget tips? When my wife went to WDW, I found we spent nearly as much, if not more on meals as we did on souveniers.

Also, what is the weather like in late April? Being from west Texas, we are used to dry heat. As a matter of fact, we were wearing shorts last weekend.

Sorry for all the questions! Appreciate any help you can give.

 

[CalGal]

Meal/budget tips: I usually spend way too much money on meals, so I am not the best for budget advice. But I'll take a shot anyway. I like Redd Rockett's Pizza Port in Tomorrowland for a quick, fairly inexpensive meal that's a bit more healthy than the standard fast-food. If you want to try some of the nicer restaurants at the hotels or DTD, you might have your main meal at lunch; prices are usually lower. Sometimes. we'll have a big buffet meal late morning, and only need to snack later. Children's menus and prices are available most everywhere. Since you are likely to want to take a mid-day break anyway, you can walk offsite to McD's, Denny's, and any number of other places. Even some of the nicer hotels have some low cost, quick alternatives for food. For example, at the DLH we liked the sandwiches and salads at Captain's Galley, and they were quite reasonable.

Weather in late April. GREAT! You are unlikely to have much rain at that time. The days shouldn't be terribly hot, and in fact could be cool by your standards. (highs probably around 70, but could be anywhere from 65-80 ish I would guess) I'd recommend bringing a sweatshirt for evenings.

 

[720L]

We just went to DL with a 2 1/2 yr old and 5 yr old. I agree with all the other tips people gave you. I found it helpful to have little snacks/treats to surprise the kids with while waiting in line when they start to get tired or bored. (ex: fruit snacks, suckers, snack size pretzels-you can buy Micky pretzels in stores at DL). This is cheaper than buying the snacks from the stands around the park. Definitely plan on going straight to Fantasyland and ride those rides first because not many have Fastpasses and the lines can get long. Head to Toontown after Fantasyland. The Red Rockets pizza place in Tomorrowland (by Space Mt) is one of the best places for food for kids and us I think. There is a lot of seating there also. And the kids will LOVE the parades so don't miss them!

 

[CalGal]

Another thought. Bring your strollers if you can. You can rent them, but it can be easier to bring your own. You don't waste time and money with rentals and it's easier to find yours when its surrounded by dozens of others. You will likely want a double stroller or two strollers. When my DS was young, I also used one of those leash type things that you put around your wrist and your child's wrist for when they are walking so they don't wander far. It was very helpful (do they still sell them).

As 720L suggested, snacks and juices are a definite must.

 

[ChairborneRangr]

If you haven't already bought your passes, check with AAA. Their travel group has a "3 day" pass that is good for 5 days on the same trip. Meaning you can't use three days, go away for a few days, then use two more. You have a window once you use your first day. That way you can catch an evening parade, and some of the mainstreet shops on the arrival day, and you have another AM to catch a few Fantasyland rides on your way out of town.

I, for one, like Disneyland Magic Kingdom better than Disneyworld Magic Kingdom. BTW there are guidebooks etc that concentrate on trips with young ones.

Have fun!

 

[year2late]

Start Early.

Head for Fantasyland. Also, lines in Fantsyland may (not will) diminish during parades.

Use fastpasses wisely. Remember that although they "expire" at a certain time, the CM will accept them as long as it is the correct day and you have entered the time period.


Check the brochure for the schedule of meet and greets with the characters. I agree the autograph books are cheap but treasured souvenier. (Get PS for Goofy's Kitchen for more character activity). Go to Toontown when it opens. That is where Mickey and Minnie live. Tour their houses and have your picture taken!

Tom Sawyers Island and Redwood Creek Challange trail are great places to blow off toddler steam. My son is 9 and he still loves Reswood Creek Challange Trail.

Even if the kids can't/won't go on Soarin over California - Make sure Mommy and Daddy indulge.

I see your vacation is in April. Does it coincide with spring break times? If so, the "get there early" suggestion is a necessity.

Have fun. I treasure my sons early visits. His priority was "character searches" --- he barely knew DL even had rides!

 

[ajcolorado]

Your toddlers will have a great time if you are having a good time. Remember, it was not that long ago that playing with their toes could keep them amused for a long time. They'll be happy seeing a plain old sparrow on a tree branch. You just about can't go wrong with toddlers! Unless you start getting irritated and stressed out about what you are missing and what it is costing per minute to go to the bathroom AGAIN.

Those stupid Teletubbies do everything two or three times in a row and toddlers love them. Why? Because toddlers like familiarity. So don't be surprised when you get of "It's a Small World" (or whatever) for the third time and they want to do it again. It's like they don't even care about the rest of the park. It'll help if you can laugh and just go with the flow.

I read this whole long article once about why it is a waste to even take a child younger than seven to a Disney park and it got me all stressed out when we were going to take our little one. But we set our expectations to "we're going to enjoy the time however it works out" and our trip was awesome.

Also, this might go against your core values and, if so, don't do it. But our little ones were getting kind of stressed by pirates and whatnot so we armed them with a plastic sword (found at any number of conveniently located gift shops). We gave them permission to stab anything that jumped into the ride and attacked us. They were actually disappointed that nothing did. But they felt empowered.

Oh! We got so frustrated on our first trip to DL with toddlers because we felt like we "wasted" too much time on Tom Sawyer's Island but they loved it. They set the pace and it let their little bodies wiggle.

Also, remember it is not your child's fault that they want to buy everything they see. Disney hired experts to figure out how to create that desire - your poor toddler didn't have a chance. It helps if you can warn them in advance that you won't be shopping until the last day or however you want to do it. I bought Disney T-shirts at Kmart before the trip and packed them in the suitcase so they got something new on the vacation but it cost me $5 vs. $10 - $15.

Go on ebay and buy a used copy of the Disney SingAlong Songs - Disneyland Fun video. It is filmed in the park and will help them to feel prepared for what they will see. Also, check out Disney movies from the library or borrow them from friends so they're familiar with the characters - especially if you're doing a character breakfast. We did a Princess breakfast at Disney World and learned that Mary Poppins was one of the characters. Our youngest had never seen the movie so we got it and let her watch it. It is now one of her favorite movies and she was so excited when she saw Mary Poppins at breakfast. It was a highlight.

Hope this helps!

 

[bubbasmom99]

If you can splurge on a character meal, it is a great way to get some one-on-one time with the characters without having to wait in a long line. My kids love the Pooh characters so we always try to have breakfast at the Plaza Inn. Pricey, but we usually skip lunch that day anyway because we're still full from breakfast.

Also, another good souvenir is the Pressed Pennies. We did the autograph book thing at WDW when my son was 4 and he thought it was just so-so. He *loved* running around and collecting pressed pennies at DL this last trip when he was 4 (and a half, lol).

For snacks, we've always brought a ziploc baggie of goldfish crackers and cheerios. Good for the munchies and much cheaper than buying a box of crackers in the park. Sometimes when the lines are long, you just don't want to wait to buy something to snack on.

And I agree with everything else - get in early, fastpass, bring a stroller, take a nap And have lots of fun and go with the flow - just enjoy it from your kids' perspective.

 

[mommykatt]

I have to agree with the previous posters about arriving early and bringing snacks into the parks. If you want to splurge a bit, they have snack kits for $6.50 that include a PBJ snadwich, a bag of pretzels, a bag of choc chip cookies, and a juice box all in a themed plastic tote (we have brother bear). We bought one for our 3 1/2 yo (I understand the importance of the "halfs" too!) on our first day and filled it with our own snacks the rest on the time. She really enjoyed it! Plus, it kept her snacks separate from the others in our group and kept them from getting crushed in my backpack when she got tired of carrying it. Her favorite snack though is the tortillas at the Mission Tortilla Factory (DCA)!
The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail area (DCA) is a great area to let the little ones burn off some steam. It is also a great place to take them while one of you is waiting in a long line (think babyswap!). Tom Sawyer's Island (DL) is another great place for this purpose, especially since they remodeled it.
We will be going in late April also, as we do every year, for dd birthday. Thank goodness it is not in the spring break time this year! Late April usually means smaller crowds but shorter park hours. Depending on your children, you may be able to make a 10 - 6 day without a nap, just get to bed early.
Our little one wants to buy every little thing in the park, which can be really expensive! The autograph books area a great idea (we purchased ours outside the park), as are a personalized name tag you can get in the parks for about $5. Dd loves to be greated by name throughout the park; it makes her feel special. Our local dollar stores sell all kinds of light-up type goodies -- wands, glow sticks,etc -- we usually pick up one or two before a big trip and bring them with us as a surprise. Another fun activity is pin collecting. They have a stater kit for $20 that comes with 4 pins. There are CM all over the park that are given pins to trade specifically with the 3 - 7 yo group. I think we may try this when we go in April.

Hope this helps!

Kathleen

PS -- if you are still doing the potty training thing, definately check out the Baby Centers at both parks. They have toddler sized potties for the kids and are usually less crowded than the regular bathrooms. They are also a great place to refill those water bottles with cold filtered water!