DL Strategy with toddlers

[neonderlyn]

I have been reading the boards daily for months to help prepare for our first trip to disneyland in April, i notice a lot of people talking about planning out each day, having a game plan, and working the fast past systems. Its pretty overwhelming for a newbie to say the least.

My thoughts originally where to just wing it and go with the flow and hope that makes for a worthwhile trip. We will be in the park for 4 days, i want to be able to see shows, character dinning, and allow the kids to go on all the rides they would enjoy. Is not having a plan of attack, reservations, and knowing the fast past system going to be something I regret because we missed out on a lot because of poor planning?

What is everyones thoughts on how a first timer should approach a disney trip with a 2 and 3 year old in tow.

 

[figment_jii]

It's a little of both...I do think it would be beneficial to spend a little time getting to know the basics about the parks, the FP system, and the dining system.

I would make ADRs if you know you want to have a character meal. It means you know you'll be able to dine when you want rather than walking up and hoping they're taking walk-ups. Also, the character meals feature different characters, so it's best to know which one has the characters you want.

• Plaza Inn (breakfast) - Minnie and friends
• Ariel's Grotto (breakfast and lunch) - Princesses
• Storytellers (breakfast) - Chip, Dale, and other woodland friends
• Goofy's Kitchen (all meals) - Goofy and friends
• PCH Grill (breakfast) - Mickey and friends

Also, it's worth noting that at that age (2 to 3), it's hard to stay how they'll feel about characters. I would plan the meal for the end of the trip because it gives you time to determine if the characters scare your little one. If they do, then you can still cancel the ADR without penalty.

With regards to FP, it's worth knowing which rides have it and how the system works. At that age, not to many of the rides that they can do have FPs. Autopia is the only attraction that I can think of (unless you're little one is fairly tall). There are also FPs for WoC, F!, Frozen Sing-a-Long, A&E meet and greet, Frozen at Fantasy Faire. So if you want to see those, getting a FP may help save time.

For my group, we did not plan out the days in great detail. We knew where we wanted to start and the times for any shows we wanted to see each day. After that, we went with the flow for the rest of the day. It made for a less stressful trip because we didn't have tight schedules to follow and we could go where the kids wanted. The only caveat, is we went in mid-November when the crowds aren't super high. You mentioned you're going in April and if it's the first full week (week after Easter), I would expect high crowds, which means some planning will probably be needed to avoid standing in long lines all the time.

 

[neonderlyn]

Thanks for all the good information, i always seen your post on here and i do have to say you are always very knowledgeable and helpful!

We will be going the last week of april, the 27th - may 2. Hoping its a slower then.

Where do you normally start in the park, is there a least busy part in the mornings or a place you should hit first to avoid the longer lines. We have 4 adults going so we are hoping to get in some adult rides as well and toddler rides.

 

[figment_jii]

Thanks for all the good information, i always seen your post on here and i do have to say you are always very knowledgeable and helpful!

Thank you!

Where do you normally start in the park, is there a least busy part in the mornings or a place you should hit first to avoid the longer lines. We have 4 adults going so we are hoping to get in some adult rides as well and toddler rides.

In the mid-November trip, it was a coin flip between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland in Disneyland. More often than not, we usually started in FL because that's where the most kid-friendly rides are concentrated. Given you dates, I think Peter Pan will still be closed, so you don't have to try and factor that into your plans. If you get there early (i.e., rope drop), you can probably accomplish quite a bit in FL before the crowds arrive. We also did spend time in TL because the 2.5 year old like Nemo (kind of - he was a bit scared by some of the sequences), Autopia, and Buzz. Over in DCA, we generally started (like everyone it seems!) in Carsland. He liked Maters, so he did that while the big sister rode RSR. He also enjoyed Bug's Life Land, which is close to Carsland, and he could do that while she did RSR. He also liked Ariel, but that normally has a very minimal line, so I would save that for early-afternoon when the crowds are highest.

He also loved the parades and Mickey and the Magical Map, so we made a point of seeing those. He wasn't to big into character meet and greets (wouldn't make eye contact), so we didn't do a lot of those with him (his sister, on the other hand...loved characters!). We tried a character breakfast and it was okay (in terms of the 2.5 year old). He was very wary of the characters (except Daisy - no idea why he liked her, but was unsure about Mickey, Pluto, and Stitch).

With a group of four adults, I would probably opt to split up. Have two adults stay with the two kids and let the other two adults go off to do "bigger" rides. That assumes all of the adults are equally able to (and willing to) watch the little one. We were a big group (12 at one point), so splitting up was easy. It was good because it meant everyone could go on things like PotC and HM (most of the year, HM does not have FPs). We tried PotC, but he was scared by the two dark drops, so that was crossed off for the rest of the trip. We didn't want to risk it with HM.

You can also use rider swap for attractions with height requirements. Basically, take the little ones to the attraction entrance and show him/her to the CM. The CM will give you a ride swap lanyard, that you hand to a CM further in the line. That CM will give you the ride swap pass, which is basically a FP so that the one(s) that stayed behind with the kids can ride the attraction.

 

[Jaina]

With toddlers, I would continue to read as much as you can, so you have a lot of info in your head, but I would have more of a "wishlist" of the things you want to try to do, and (other than making dining reservations) don't try to have a specific timeline. I've gone with 3 kids (6, 5, and almost-3) and I've gone with a baby, and we avoided so much stress by having an idea of what we wanted to do, but going with the flow a lot, and letting them enjoy what they were doing at the moment. I would definitely get there -early-, go back and rest if you need to (if they won't nap in the stroller - we were pleasantly surprised), bring lots of little snacks with you (that went a long way towards keeping ours happy, and was healthier and cheaper than purchasing in-park), and make sure you make plenty of time for going at their pace and letting them discover. Check the weather and plan for heat or rain, if needed, so you have what you need and no one gets uncomfortable. And use MouseWait or something to make sure you don't go all the way across the park to something that is closed or has a super-long line. We didn't get everything done that we wanted to (we were there 3 days) but they (and we) had a BLAST and made some amazing memories.

 

[crystal1313]

HI! I have been in your shoes, my kids are currently 5 & 6! Take advantage of the child swap! It is so nice. When my oldest was tall enough to go on something and my youngest wasn't, DH and I would pull a FP for each of us, then get a child swap pass. Then DH could ride with my oldest, while I took the youngest on something else. Then, we would switch. Then we also had our FP. So our oldest got to ride tons of times!

I would also HIGHLY recommend the baby care centers! Total life savers. If your 3 year old is potty trained, or in the middle of being potty trained, they have mini toilets that are perfect and don't have a auto flush. Also, the padded changing tables are SO nice! And it's just a nice, quiet place to take a break in. I kinda miss going in there now

Plan to take breaks! And assume you won't get as much done as you would have without kids. You'll still have tons of fun, but things will be slower!

Take a stroller, or rent one! At that age we had a sit and stand (because I don't like pushing a double wide stroller) and it was so convenient! Little feet get tired. We would have our break while the kids sat in the stroller and had a snack.

Bring snacks! DL food is expensive. We always bring a backpack full of snacks and a cooler with waters.

As Figment said, some kids get freaked out with characters (both of mine did), so don't set high expectations!

Bring extra clothes and stash them in the stroller! You never know and it's nice to have back ups.

Dollar store glow sticks are awesome to bring and helps with the request for every light up toy they see

For your oldest, you might want to set some ground rules regarding souvenirs. Some attractions exit you out into a gift store, with toys galore. We would tell them they had to wait until the end of the trip to buy something and that helped with the "I want that!" all the time.

Most importantly, have fun! Take time to soak things in. Take photos! Have a great time!!

 

[geergirl]

We just did our first trip with kids in September. Our twin girls were not quite three (January birthday). Our tactic was to book certain things that we really wanted to do and plan around those. So we had lunch reservations for Blue Bayou and a Plaza Inn breakfast reservation for what we originally planned to be our last day. In the end, we added on an extra day because we had time and were having fun.

We decided to start the trip by riding Dumbo as the girls were familiar with the movie and love elephants. We were waiting at the rope the first day and beelined for Dumbo. They were enchanted. Then we just let them point at stuff they wanted to do and tried it. We took them on most of what they were tall enough for. POTC freaked one DD out but she said she wanted to ride again. We rode three times total over the entire trip and she got progressively more upset by the drops each time although did recover quickly and enjoyed the rest of the ride. I wouldn't have taken her the subsequent times if she hadn't asked for it!

Afternoon naps were a lifesaver for us. Everyone got a rest and a break from the heat and sun. We rented a double stroller and it was fantastic. It was a City Mini double and we much prefered it for the park compared to our City Select at home. We tried to take as few things with us as possible and restock if required at the hotel in the afternoon. DH did bedtime on his own a couple of nights and I binged on the big rides solo. With four adults, you can easily spell each other off and have a chance to escape to some big kid rides. I used DH's ticket to get an extra fast pass for my solo evenings or for a quick ride while he and the kids had a snack.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I've been taking my oldest son since he was 2 and we're getting ready to take our 1-year-old twins very soon (following their mmr vaccines...). Here's some tips I've found useful:

--Get there really early in the morning. It's less crowded and you won't have to wait in line as long. EMH or Magic Morning really helps.

--Take a break to go to a hotel or some other quiet place in the middle of the day. It gets crowded and it's a great time to leave the park, get a nap, and be refreshed.

--Bring snacks. Goldfish crackers and a water bottle to refill work great. Oh, and the water at many locations is filtered, so the water is actually pretty good.

--When your kids get cranky, shoot for the train or Small World. Both give you a decent chance to sit and relax for a bit. Small World is about a 15 minute ride in the air conditioning and you can ride the train all day if you really wanted to.

--Have a stroller. Seriously. My 4-year-old still can't make it the whole day without a break. A stroller with a big storage basket is even better.

--Have a general plan, but don't expect to keep to it. For instance, we start out at Fantasyland at rope drop, usually do Dumbo, Peter Pan, other dark rides, etc. first, then go to New Orleans Square, etc. When we go to DCA, we do Carsland first thing, which is a must, then go down to the Toy Story ride, then back up to Bug Land, ultimately winding up at Monster's Inc. before lunch.

--Don't get your kids' hearts set on any one character. Tell them you may see Mickey or Minnie or a princess, but set the expectation that while you may meet them, other kids also want to meet them and they may not get to see everyone. That way if you can't get a fastpass to see Anna and Elsa or the line to meet Mickey is out of control, it's no big deal.

I'm sure I could come up with more, but that's the big stuff. Enjoy! Oh, and take lots of pictures!

 

[neonderlyn]

Check the weather and plan for heat or rain, if needed, so you have what you need and no one gets uncomfortable.

What is the average weather last part of april first part of may. Is it usually always shorts weather or should i plan on leggings and jeans? Never been outside of Washington state so i have no idea when it comes to California weather

 

[Ratherbeatdisneyland]

Great discussion for me too! Getting lots of good tips for our first trip with our 3 year old!

 

[beachdreamr1229]

What is the average weather last part of april first part of may. Is it usually always shorts weather or should i plan on leggings and jeans? Never been outside of Washington state so i have no idea when it comes to California weather

Weather in May is tricky. I'm from Washington, but I've lived in southern California most of my life, so let's see...It won't be as cold as WA is and there's virtually no chance of rain, but there are usually foggy, cool mornings in the 60s. Afternoons are hit and miss. It could be 75 or it could be 90. Best to look on the accuweather forecast a few days before you go. Even then, dress in layers. In May, you can usually get away with jeans or shorts. My husband and kids usually wear shorts. I like to layer leggings, bike shorts, and a dress. Then I can take off the leggings and still have a cool dress but not flash everyone.

 

[D1sneyfam1ly]

We are going that same week and are so excited! Here are a few more tips, some may be repeats from above.

-Absolutely take a stroller and tie something to it so that it is easier to spot when you get off a ride. CMs often need to move strollers.

-Take Water bottles and snacks for the kids. We like to have a bag in or attached to the stroller with all our snacks, diapers, wipes, etc. Then we have a smaller bag with our wallets, camera and passes that we take with us when we go on rides.

-We share meals and then try out some of the snacks too. It saves on money and gives us a chance to try more in the park. And you can always go back on get more food if you are still hungry.

-Take moleskin or some other blister preventer/remedy. Sore feet would be awful if you aren't used to walking a lot.

-If you have a stroller then you can keep a light jacket for everyone in the bottom. You will probably need it at night.

-For World of Color, If you can see the bottom of Mickey's chin on the Fun wheel from a central spot then you should see most of all the effects. If you are nervous about shows, arrive early to line up and then ask a CM. They are very helpful to point you to a good spot.

-Don't memorize everything but try to be familiar with what is in each land so that you aren't walking back and forth across the park. That way you can get a fast pass in that a land if you need it and then go on some of the other rides while you wait for your fast pass time. For example we usually start with Fantasy Land, go get a fast pass for Splash, ride Pirates, Haunted Mansion (if your kids are up for it), Winnie the Pooh, check out a shop in Critter Country and then go back to ride Splash.

-Use the baby swap and single rider line.

-I don't feel like there is an exact science to it, just do what works for your family. Try to stay relaxed and prepare yourself and your little ones that things may not exactly as planned but it will still be a wonderful trip. You will love it!