First Disney Trip

[sugarik13]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this site so I don't know all of your abbreviations, but I'm slowly catching on. My husband and I just booked our first trip to WDW and will be travelling the end of March with our 2 year old girl (we will be staying Sun-Sat at the Disney Beach Club Resort). I would appreciate any advice you could give us on character dining (how and when do you make reservations), the best way to tackle the parks, what should I pack to take with us for the day (cooler? backpack?), and just helpful tips in general for keeping a 2 year old (who hates being in a stroller) happy. Thanks so much!

 

[Memaw2Wm]

For character dining call 1-407-WDW-DINE to make priority seating reservations 90 days before date of ressie.

Go here for the ps ressie calculator:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/pscalc/dispscalc.html

Last time I took a toddler to WDW was in 1978, LOL!!! Only the Magic Kingdom and River Country were open and times have changed!!!

Cheryl

 

[dzneelvr]

There is so much to do and see from a childs' perspective at WDW, that I don't believe you'll have a problem with keeping her in the stroller. Keep in mind that each park will have attractions that are age appropriate and ones that are not.

Don't assume she'll be comfortable with many of the characters as well. Remember, they're real to her and can be frightening and imtimidating. I've seen far too many families with young children screaming because they are scared of the characters when they do approach them. Once 2 kids hid under the table the entire time at Cinderella's Breakfast at the castle while we were there.

I would advise that you take it at a nice leisurely pace each day, building in many breaks or cut each day at the Parks short and go back to your resort for nap/pool time. Watch her for things she enjoys and then do them again; watch for things that she's hesitant to do and postpone them for another trip when she's older.

We've been going with our kids forever and they're now teenagers--they don't remember the "early" trips at all--sometimes that's the best you can hope for as you don't want them to remember something bad so they won't want to go back!

I've always found the latest edition of Birnbaum's Guide to Disney to be my bible for trip planning. They have one specifically for your current family set-up--it's $$ well spent!!

WDW in June

 

[riggins]

We just returned with our 2 year old DD. This was her 4th trip, so she's starting to become somewhat demanding about what things she wants to do and see. Hopefully, your DD will let you do the leading. Anyway, her favorite park was MK. We were there for 5 days and we spent about 1/2 our time there. We had to do everything in Fantasyland at least once (except Snow White- "Mommy, we not go in there . . . mean queen in there"). We did multiple rounds on Small World, Cindy's Carousel, Dumbo, and the Teacups. She also discovered Goofy's Barnstormer this trip. We ended up riding it 5 times. It was her favorite. She also loved the Magic Carpets.

This trip, we left the baby at home and took advantage of the opportunity to travel light. DD is potty trained, so the only thing I took with us was a small ziplock with clean pants and underwear in case of an accident (fortunatley, it never left the stroller pocket). I also took her light jacket for cool mornings and evenings. I personally would recommend travelling as light as possible so you have less to lug around, but I know there are plenty of other moms on this board who would disagree. When we went in October with the baby, we needed a lot more stuff. We took a backpack with diapers, bottles, clean clothes, etc. Keep in mind you'll have to carry your stroller, child, and bags with you on and off the bus. Having a backpack gave us more free hands.

All that said, my biggest piece of advice is to take a break and rest. If your DD is like mine, she's ready to go bright and early. We got moving and took advantage of the quiet mornings in the parks when the lines aren't long. We then took a break every afternoon. DD never took a nap, but we forced her to sit and rest. She generally watched TV in the bed and it really helped keep her happy.

If I can answer any other specific questions, let me know.

Enjoy your trip
Leslie

 

[mommyflower]

Hi!
Welcome to DIS. My ds has been to WDW two times. The first time he was 18 months and the last time he was 2 1/2. The first time my ds really didn't want to sit in the stroller so we had one of those harness things that allow the kids to walk around without holding your hand but still be held on to. He was so little it was hard to just hold his hand, with the harness he thought he was free. Anyway we only used it when it wasn't really crowded. When he was 2 1/2 he was happy to to sit in the stroller in between destinations. DS is also an early riser so we take advantage of the early entry mornings. If your DD gets up early I highly suggest using at least the Animal Kingdom & Magic Kingdom early days. Definately take a break in the middle of the day. It helps everyone feel better. Plan to spend the majority of your time in Magic Kingdom. Also we had to watch the playhouse disney show in MGM several times. Go with her pace, don't try to rush. Take character interaction slowly. See a character from a distance, watch her reaction, and ask her if she wants to meet them. Some kids love the characters on TV, but are scared in person. My DS loves them. 75% of our time is spend seeing characters. But for me that's what disney magic is all about.

I think the character breakfast at the Cape May Cafe in the Beach Club is great. It is a buffet with Goofy, Minnie, Chip, & Dale dressed in swim outfits. If you are going to do character meals I suggest to have a day or two in the park first to see how your DD reacts to the characters. They are expensive meals and unless your DD is going to interact with the characters I would spend the money on something else.
If you have any questions feel free to ask. I know it can seem overwhelming planning a trip like this for the first time with a toddler. I hope I was able to help. Good luck!

 

[EpcotDave]

My wife and I still think Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary is one of the best Character Dinners. The food is great and the photo ops with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip, Dale and Donald are priceless. It has been a tradition with us since our kids first went when they were 2 & 4 years old!
Have a wonderful trip and as others have said . . . rest. We find getting up early and then coming back to the resort for a nap in the early afternoon works best.

Going back for the 10th time since 2000 . . . Easter Week.

 

[MELSMICE]

My suggestions:

--Pack light for the parks. Bring water or juice boxes & a few snacks but not too much stuff.

--Even though she's not a stroller kid, I would at least bring an umbrella stroller (much easier to maneuver) & also one of those wrist straps so she can walk but you can still hold on to her. I was never a huge fan of those, but in WDW it is necessary for safety reasons!!!

--Take a mid-day break. You'll be staying at a great resort with very convenient access to MGM & EPCOT.

--The BC has a character breakfast. As someone else mentioned, Chef Mickey's is great. Our favorite also.

--Don't over do it.

I'm she's an active 2 year old - as most are, but because she'll probably have fun no matter what you do you should be able to relax a little while she's enjoying a little down time at the pool or taking a nap during the day.

Have a great time!!!

 

[juliesue]

I have been taking my DD and DS since he was 18 months old. All of the advice you have gotten here is great. Both of my kids are hyper-active, so I understand about an active child that does not want to ride or take naps!

However, the MOST important thing we did on all these trips (beside just relax and let the fun happen) is go back and take breaks! Although the kids did not act tired, it was easy to tell when they had had enough and needed to get away from all the excitement for a while.

When they got demanding and crabby (even DH), I called for a break. We would go back and swim, do laundry, etc. Then we when arrived back at the park around 3 pm, we were all refreshed and ready to go.

Even though my DD and DS are 10 and 7 now, we still do this as much as possible. One thing you will find interesting, you spend all this money and energy to go to the parks, and when you ask the kids their favorite part, they say the POOL! LOL

 

[mbb]

and take a nap!!

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by juliesue
One thing you will find interesting, you spend all this money and energy to go to the parks, and when you ask the kids their favorite part, they say the POOL! LOL

That is so true!! LOL

One of my DD's says her 2 favorite things about vacation are the pool & the fact that housekeeping has to make her bed & not her!

 

[MOMO2DK]

Hi,
Lot's of good ideas. Definately take is slow. When my DD was younger, we went back for naps and afternoons by the pool. She really wasn't into the rides or attractions until we took her at
3 & 1/2. Most of the pictures of her first visit (at 18 months) were either of her sleeping in the stroller or poolside.

We always have a character lunch at the Crystal Palace in the MK on our first day in the MK. It's a nice break and the kids get introduced to the characters- and even if frightened by them, they soon warm up and if not, the characters know to stay back and wave.

Take a morning to walk around the boardwalk, or got to Downtown Disney.

Looking foward to taking DD, now 4 & 1/2, down for more fun, DS is 2 & 1/2, so we'll still go easy- try to get the naps in and plan on afternoons by the pool.

We always end our vacation with the character buffet dinner at Chef Mickeys- and take a monorail ride around.
Have fun!

 

[sugarik13]

Thanks for all the great tips. We'll definitely take it slow. I had planned on afternoons by the pool all along, so you all confirmed this was a good idea. And then maybe back to the parks later for dinner, parades, or fireworks (energy permitting).

 

[BobbiG]

WE went in Ocotober with my 2 yo. Stayed at the beach club. It was perfect. I prepared her for the characters, by talking about how huge they are in real life, and she watched so many of the sing alongs...she was ready for the characters...and she is a very shy child...but not with the characters. She could care a less about the face characters. The pool there is great for her...take advantage of it, as the other postings have implied. Make sure to get her a mickey sundae at beaches and cream ice cream parlor at the pool. And definitely do the character breakfast at Cape May, at the beach club, if she is into the characters. At the parks, be prepared and know where you think she will want to go, but also be very flexible. In one day, I rode Dumbo 13 times! That's what she wanted to do! My daughter hates a stroller, so it was more of a hassle to get one, and lug it around, and struggle with her to stay in it. So we rented one for a couple of our days there. Most of the time, she walked or we carried her...which was fine. It just made everyone happier that way. Check the boards at the front of the parks, or the weekly fliers, for the character locations and times. Travel light. I used a fanny pack, with a few diapers, water bottle, and a light snack. My husband carried the camera, and we were out of the door. The character dinners/lunches were the best, because you don't have to pay for kids under three, and they are entertained during your meal, and it is a nice break during the day...well worth the money. Just find what she wants to do, as long as she is happy, you'll be happy. Oh yeah, fireworks are great, but noisy, so watch them from far away...maybe even the entrance. That makes leaving much easier too.