Disneyland with toddlers-- share your experiences please.

[bunnygirlie]

We're going soon with our 17 month old and we're trying to plan out our trip while still being very flexible because of naps and such.

If you've taken your young child to Disneyland I'd love to hear how you handled everything. Did you go back to the hotel for nap time? We're afraid our ds will wake up super early and be ready for a nap by the time the park opens. Or if he gets sleepy while at the park he'll he fall asleep on the way to our hotel and then wake up as soon as we try to get him to rest on the bed. So how did you do it? Did you dc take one or two naps while at Disney?

thanks!

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

We always waited until 3 or 4 bc we didn't want to skip many rides (there IS BabySwap tho!!) but many take their tiny ones.

My advice is to keep on schedule as much as you can. If they eat at 8' - feed them at 8'. If there's a wait & you can't get in on time - have a snack waiting. If they nap at 12' - be back in time for them to become UN-stimulated & to get their nap on time. If a binky is needed - bring FIVE. If a lovey is necessary for scary moments or sleeping, do not forget it!

In other words - do what you can to make it as "normal" as possible. Some kids go w/ the flow like a trooper....but most are creatures of habit. Also - characters can be downright SCARY. Between 12-36 mos - LOL!

 

[21yankees]

The last time we went our youngest was 26 months. We have 2 older girls as well. Our son actually took his naps in his stroller. It worked well for us because one parent would stay with him and the other took the 2 girls on other rides. Also our girls were tired (ages 6 and 3 at the time) and they took turns sleeping in the stroller too (we have a double). We took him on rides with which ever sister was awake too. We ate lunch while in the park one day while ds slept. We bought his lunch and he ate as we were going from ride to ride (he's not a big eater).

steph

 

[Kayla's Mom]

We have been taking both of our girls since they were infants. We never go back to the hotel for naps, both of our girls have slept in their strollers.

 

[specialks]

Our first trip was last year and my daughters were 4 and 22 mos old. We did not go back to the hotel at all. Our DD22mos just napped in our arms or in the stroller. I think it really depends on the type of child you have. My oldest could nap no matter what - we went to Maui when she was 1 and she slept in the stroller during the Luau!. My youngest does not nap well in public but she is very laid back and goes well with schedule changes. I think you will know what is best for your little one. Just read your little guys signals and be flexible enough to accommodate him. A fussy baby will just make you stress and not be able to enjoy your trip.

Good Luck!

 

[cheshiregirl]

My DS is almost 21 months and he has been going to DL since he was 7 weeks old. We sometimes go back to the room for naptime and sometimes he naps in his stroller and we take turns riding and staying with him. I think that you just need to play it by ear and figure out what works for you and your family.

The Mark Twain is also a great spot for a little relaxation break if you need one. On the flip side, if your little one needs to burn off some energy after being in the stroller most of the day, I would recommend Goofy's house as a good fun and safe place to run a little bit. Redwood Challenge Trail and Tom Sawyer Island are also good, but I would recommend that you use a kid leash in those two areas.

I would also recommend bringing LOTS of snacks. I pack goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks, teddy grahams, etc. so that I always have something to pull out when he is hungry. I also bring string cheese, yogurt sticks and my own drink boxes and only buy milk in the parks. You can get a kid's power pack that has lots of little snacks that toddlers tend to like, but at $5.99 they add up quickly, so I tend to just bring all the same types of food.

Also be sure to take lots and lots of photos--Disney is magic at any age, but toddlers in particular absolutely revel in the joy of all the sights and sounds!

 

[Nanseev]

When we had a 2 & 4 year old, we actually did go back to nap, and it was the best decision we made! We had gotten up early in the morning, did the parks until lunch, had lunch, then back the hotel for a nap (probably napped between 1-4..something like that). The kids woke up, and we went back to the park. It was great because they lasted longer at the parks, and actually my 4-yr-old stayed up until the fireworks and after! My 2yr old at the time fell asleep right before the fireworks.

For us, the mid-day nap worked wonders...

 

[St. Margaret]

We took DD for the first time in Feb, so she was 22 months old. We've been back a few times since then, and we've learned what works for her. The first time, we couldn't get her to nap (we tried to get her down on the railroad), but every time since then she's done a nice short nap while I wore her on my back in a Beco (like an Ergo or Babyhawk). We sit down and eat lunch while she naps, and she wakes up when we get up. We bring a big baggie full of cereal and she is happy to snack on that all day long, occupies her while waiting in line, etc. The toddler meals at the fantasy land and hungry bear walk-up eateries are great, cheap and perfect. Time flies at DL, so just be sure you remember to offer food and water regularly.

DD is a very circumspect kind of kid, and we definitely learned to hold her on our laps for all rides. She can see better, and she enjoys them so much. Sitting on her own, she gets very nervous. Some of it is just getting used to the feeling, but I think she just wasn't used to sitting not in a car seat or cozy stroller and being moved around like that. So on our laps makes sense.

The dark rides were a bit hard for her until we held her and she got familiar with them. But again, I think it was because we weren't holding her at first, because she loves Pirates and Haunted Mansion so much right off the bat, and we held her for those.

We did watch videos on youtube (ru42 has great ones) of the rides, so she would know what to look for and what to expect, and that helped.

We also make sure to have time in the afternoon, after her nap, to let her just run around, either in toontown or just by the Snow White grotto or something.

All in all, we have a great time. Sometimes my husband goes off for the big fast rides, and I take her on Small World for the billionth time, LOL. She adores DL now and can get out our map and show you where to go to go on each ride she loves (even ones she doesn't go on but loves to watch, like the Matterhorn). And DH and I have so much fun, too. It works out well.

 

[bunnygirlie]

thanks for all the great responses!

 

[blackssrider00]

We have taken our son when he was 8 months , then 1 1/2 then at 2 years old from my experiences bringing a little one is as they get older they want to run around and get out of the stroller that’s what happened in my case so it was a little more difficult just because he wanted to get out of his stroller and we would have a hard time putting him back in his stroller but who can blame him he’s at the Happiest place on Earth and very curious. I think the next time we go I am going to bring a harness to give him some what of freedom, has anyone used one at DL?

 

[bunnygirlie]

we bought a harness to use for this trip. It will give him some freedom to run around and make it easier for us to keep up with him in the crowds. Hopefully he won't hate wearing it.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Our boys were 5 and 2 on our first trip. We went the first week of December and crowds were almost non-existent. We took a our double stroller so neither boy got overly tired of walking. The little one would just fall asleep in the stroller when he was tired. We had my sister with us so we would take turns doing rides and watching the sleeping guy.

Luckily, my 2 year old was the easiest going baby I'd ever met. He did great until it was time to leave Anaheim. We had breakfast at IHOP and had to drive by Disneyland one more time to get to the freeway. When we drove by and didn't stop, he started to cry and point. He kept saying, "I go Ninnyland! I go Ninnyland!" It was heartbreaking but adorable!

Next month, we'll be taking the boys back to Ninnyland. They're now 13 and 10 and have been 3 times since that first trip!

 

[Krissy Marissy]

we just got back from a trip in april with 4 kids under the age of 3. None of them ever needed to go back to the hotel for a nap. We stayed at the GCH so it was close, we though we'd try nap time the first day...they would not nap! So the next few days they napped in their strollers and never once got cranky. We didn't push them though, we didn't wake them up early and we didn't keep them out too late. They didn't mind being in their strollers at all, but we tried to let them walk whenever we could

They had fun. Dont force them to see characters as most kids this age are quite nervous around them. Also our saving grace while waiting in line wasnt toys but snacks! I brought many many snacks from home. Keeping them well fed kept them happy. Favorite places were things you maybe wouldn't expect. The toontown fountain! They loved throwing coins in this fountain. Also liked playing in goofy's yard much more than in his bounce house. They loved it's a small world and teacups. They also loved the fountains in a bugs land area. It was just a great trip and we're excited to go again next week. They reminded us that it's about enjoying the small things

 

[kirstie101]

We went last year when DD was 21 months old. Basically what worked for us was this...We didnt "plan" anything. We went with the flow the entire time. There was no schedule for us. We did what made DD happy. We got up when she woke up, ate, and went to the park. When she fell asleep in her stroller we found a shady spot and sat there while she slept and enjoyed people watching. When she was hungry we ate. She ended up loving the characters so we spent most of our time in toon town and looking for characters. Rode very few rides. We didn't plan on watching any parades but we happed to be on main street as the parade was getting ready to start. It worked out well for us and she enjoyed watching it! We stayed at the BWPPI so we headed back to the motel both days for a break. She was too wound up to sleep in her crib though. Both days she took naps in the stroller. I am glad we stayed so close though. We were able to leave the park, take a break, freshen up and not feel like we were losing out on a lot of Disney time cause its so close to the park. I brought snacks and bottled water into the park for her which was nice. I can' honestly say that I was expecting at least a couple of meltdowns but she didnt have any!

 

[ksdisneyfan]

Obviously, you know your own child best. If your child will nap in the stroller, that is a great option. We took my 25 month old to DL last month and hoped she would nap in the park. Didn't happen So, for the next 3 days, my husband took her to the hotel in the afternoon for a nap and then rejoined myself and our 3 older children in park around dinner time.

I agree with other posters that lots of snacks/drinks are a must for this age. Snacks definitely kept my little one happy. And giving her breaks to run around helped immensely as well. She got tired of the stroller fast! My 2 year old loved most all of the Fantasyland Rides and had a blast playing around in Toon Town. She also loved the train, Autopia, Small World, and Winnie the Pooh. And her favorite part was kissing each character on the nose! She couldn't get enough of them.

Have fun!

 

[BayAreaE]

Our DD will be turning 5 (we will be surprising her on her birthday by having her wakeup at DLR), and our DS is 2. Is 3 days enough at the parks to see enough of the attractions/enjoy ourselves? Or is 4 or 5 days a better option? Well, I know 4/5 days is preferable, but just wondering if we can fit enough into 3 days. We won't be trying to go on every ride, kids are noise sensitive (possibly afraid of dark rides). Thanks for your help.

 

[jenniferrose]

My kids would never nap when we went back to the hotel. When my daughter was 14 months she just napped in the stroller.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Our DD will be turning 5 (we will be surprising her on her birthday by having her wakeup at DLR), and our DS is 2. Is 3 days enough at the parks to see enough of the attractions/enjoy ourselves? Or is 4 or 5 days a better option? Well, I know 4/5 days is preferable, but just wondering if we can fit enough into 3 days. We won't be trying to go on every ride, kids are noise sensitive (possibly afraid of dark rides). Thanks for your help.

When are you going? Unless it'll be a busy time, then 3 days should be enough.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

My kids would never nap when we went back to the hotel. When my daughter was 14 months she just napped in the stroller.

Mine very rarely napped at the hotel too. Then if they did fall asleep, they were crabby from taking a nap when they aren't used to taking them...