First disney family trip as parents - what wouldn't we think of?

[quagmire0]

My greatest advice for you is to go into this trip with an open mind and be prepared to make adjustments. When you plan, plan for the kids. You will have more fun if the kids are happy and having fun. TAKE BREAKS. Bring water bottles/cups for the kids to drink out of and refill them with water for free around the parks. Have snacks at the ready. And afternoon break at the room or condo is awesome IMO. It allows EVERYONE to recharge - parents too.

Our first trip to Disney as a family was Disneyland when our (now oldest of 4) was only ~20 months. That's where we got an education in taking care of the kids first and working our way from. Went there the first day, just the three of us, and had an awesome time. DD passed out at the end. Went there a second time with the grandparents and we totally got caught up in entertaining them and ourselves and DD was in meltdown city. When we went to Disney World in 2011 with DD and DS, we used touring plans and break times and things were awesome. Same result in 2013 with 3 kids. Honestly, just remembering drinks, snacks, and breaks will save your vacation.

Also, read up on rider swap and how you can take advantage of it.

 

[bradykp]

Disney is for everyone. It's one of my favorite places on the planet. Honestly - i was just asking about what things have changed or not. Do some people just enjoy this? I'll decide whether or not we bring the youngest on my own. There's literally nothing that can be said on a message board that would change that. Also - please realize none of you know my 2 year old and why i would or wouldn't be considering bringing him. So, there's also that. ;-)

 

[quagmire0]

Of course. You know better than any of us, obviously. Not sure why someone would rail on you for considering it. Biggest things that have changed in the last 6-7 years: Fastpass+, Fantasyland expansion (additional Dumbo, Seven Dwarfs coaster, Casey Jr. splash pad, Belle's castle, etc.), and there's lots of refurbs going on in Epcot and Hollywood Studios, so you'll want to read up on that.

 

[lan3]

I brought ziploc bags of diapers, wipes, etc that I left in the stroller and had a small crossbody bag of valuables that I did not want to leave in the stroller. It made it easier for us to carry less and we did not worry about stuff being stolen.

 

[kjw42]

We just had our first kid trip too. I loved the MDE app, it helped us change FP+ and ADRs quickly so we could stay more flexible.
I followed the tip from here about having a ziplock with each kids clothes pre assembled for the day. While packing it felt like overkill but it did make mornings a breeze.
We also broght quick breakfasts for in room dining. The kids really liked the individual cereal boxes. Definate hit and super quick and easy.

 

[EeyoreME]

why would you leave the 2.5 year old at home. Just incase you didn't know... under 3 is free to get into the parks and all : ) We are going for my daughters 2nd birthday.

 

[brazilian fan]

I took my son for the first time last time I visited. He was 1.8 yo at the time and he LOVED it. It was a very different trip from what I was used to. We rented a city mini for him and he was able to take long naps in it so we didn´t have to go back to the resort. We bought a couple of hooks from Amazon for the stroller so we didn´t have to carry the backpack. A change of clothes is a must and some sort of card game for the lines.

Also my son loved the meet & greet, specially the street party and the character breakfast (we went to Tusker in Animal Kingdom)

Hope it helps

 

[lorenni]

So my kids will be 5, almost 4, and 2.5. Wife and I have been a bunch of times as kids and adults. We're thinking of taking all 3 kids, or leaving the 2.5 year old home. But either way, what key things do we need to think of? What do we need to bring? I'm thinking the lightest weight backpack I can find to carry snacks, water, and maybe a spray bottle, and sunscreen. the youngest may or may not still be in diapers at the time we go (june).

also, what key things have changed in the past 6-7 years? I've never planned this trip for a kid-friendly trip. either went as a kid, or planned for my wife and i.

also - i'm told by some to avoid parks on days of extra magic hours. thoughts?

There are so many areas you probably walked right by on your kidless trips. Here are a few that are must-do's for us now that we have a kiddo:

- futureland at MK has a dance party with the Incredibles characters every day (twice, I think). The characters get out and boogie with the kids - ours LOVES this.

- dinoland at AK has a playground, the Boneyard, that has slides, climbing and even a shady sandbox area.

- if you go during flower and garden, Epcot has two temporary playground areas that are great.

- that ride in the Mexico pavilion that you always skipped? Turns out to be wildly popular with the preschool set, and basically never has a line. Bonus - air conditioning.

- as another poster mentioned, the regular line at Dumbo now has an indoor playground. They'll give you a pager that buzzes when it's your turn to re-enter the line, but you can ignore it and keep playing. Great for rain bursts and hot days.

- the Tiki Room at MK has reverted back to its original format (thank god). My kiddo loves watching all the birds, trees, etc sing. And again - air conditioned and basically never a line.

- kids under 3 don't need a ticket or a fast pass for rides, so my husband and I would get fast passes for a popular ride (little mermaid, for instance) and first I would go thru fast pass with the kiddo and then my husband would go they fast pass with the kiddo. So kiddo got double the rides with no lines.

- Rafikis planet watch at AK has a petting zoo and a few smaller reptiles to check out. Rafiki the character is sometimes there for pictures.

- there is no shortage of live shows - most about 30-45 minutes long. Those that have been a hit with our now 4.5 year old over the last 2 years include: Nemo (AK), Lion King (AK), Frozen sing along (DHS), Disney Junior (DHS), and the Little Mermaid (DHS).

As far as items to bring, a rain cover for the stroller is clutch. Random afternoon rain happens, so we left the stroller parked with the cover on whenever we went inside and it saved it from getting soaked a few times. Wet wipes are awesome - I think we'll be buying those for the next 20 years. I keep some in a ziploc bag in the stroller.

We have the wrist bands another poster spoke of from Mabel's labels. Has our sons first name and my cell number. He knows that if he gets separated he is to "find a new mommy" (his words :/) and show her his bracelet. Cast members will not remove a magic band or any other item to look for names/phone numbers so if you go this route make sure it's visible or easy accessible by your kids.

Have fun!

 

[misskate28]

I'm not sure if someone recommended this yet or not, but we always make sure to bring in my youngest' blankies. They're aden & anais swaddle blankets that are big and very light weight. We tie them up on the strollers to provide shade for the girls if they fall asleep or are snacking and we let her take them on rides that make her nervous. They work well for saving spots for shows as well and have kept the girls relatively dry in light rain.

We never go into the park without a backpack full of snacks, pull ups, change of clothes for both kids, sunscreen, an empty ziploc for messy clothes, some pins for trading, autograph books, chapstick, water bottles, glow sticks, camera, phones, portable charger, and APs, CCs, and IDs. If we suspect rain, we bring panchos. If we're staying in the park late, we bring pjs, toothbrushes, and toothpaste so that we can get the kids all ready for bed in the bathroom pre-show. This way they're ready to toss into bed at the hotel when we return.

I would totally bring your youngest. We brough both of ours when they were as young as 20 months through to 5 and I would honestly say that 2.5-3 is a perfect age to watch them experience the magic.

Have fun!

 

[DYOBL0305]

DH and I planned our trip in August almost 2 years ago blindly since we also had never gone with kids before and we were taking a 1 year old, 3 1/2 year old, and a just-turned 6 year old. We made sure to get a double stroller for them to share, bought some battery-operated fans from Babies R Us to attach to the stroller, packed 2 backpacks (one with diapers, wipes, change of clothes, and extra pacifiers and comfort items) and the other one with snacks and water for everyone. We scheduled meals around our youngest's nap time (she'd crash out right after eating), and planned out our FPs so that we never had to wait longer than 10-15 min on the most popular rides or attractions. Somehow we pulled it off and our entire time there was a huge success. I can only hope our next trip there with 4 kids will turn out just as well, but I may be getting a bit ahead of myself lol And yes, definitely bring your 2.5 year old. Our 1 year old was too little to remember but she did enjoy herself and she loves being able to look at photos of the trip and see herself posing with all the characters

 

[iheartdisney44]

Mother of 5 here. I understand you not wanting to take all the kids. We have done several trips with "just a few" kids. However, we are DVC members and know we will be back very soon. If this is gonna be your only trip for a while, I say take them all. Disney makes it easy to have kids there and as long as you don't try to do everything under the sun in one day, you will be fine! My best advice would be to be flexible, don't overplan, and go with the flow. If one kid is having a meltdown, change the game plan. Get to the parks as early as possible and go to bed early! Good luck!