First time traveling with toddler

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

While our first trip is still a little over 10 months away, I am a planner so I am already thinking about how I need to plan things differently for this trip. This is our first trip with a child, who will have just turned 2 by the time we travel. We are staying at VWL in a 1 bedroom.

What do I need to plan to bring with me to the parks now that I will have a 2 year old with me?

Tips for bags for the park that are comfortable to carry and still fit on rides easily?

How do you handle lines with a toddler? Or should we just avoid things with lines over a certain number of minutes?

Any other tips would be great. Thanks!

 

[TravelingTotMom]

We've been taking our son starting when he was 7 1/2 months, and now he is almost three (so these are my tried and true pointers).

-Take a comfortable stroller that reclines. My son has always been able to sleep in his, and for us it was much easier letting him nap in the parks then try to go back to the hotel. When he naps, we go on the height restricted rides and use child swap.

-For a bag, we've always just used a backpack. Filled it with diapers, wipes, hand wipes, lysol wipes, autograph book/sharpie, sunglasses, snacks, sippy cup with water, hat, extra change of clothes and glow sticks/light toys for night.

-Child Care Centers are awesome! If you are close to one and need to change a diaper (or have a diaper that needs an extra set of hands), they all have wonderfully clean rooms with actual changing tables. It is so much nicer than trying to do it in one of the rest rooms.

-Schedule some buffets/all you care to enjoy meals (especially character meals!), b/c you won't be charged for your toddler. Our favorites are Tusker House and Garden Grill, which is also easier b/c the food is brought to your table family style.

-Think about your FastPass selections and choose the busier rides that you think your toddler would like for FastPasses. Lines with toddlers are HARD! Snacks and little toys help in line, but I don't think I would get in anything over 20 minutes with mine. During early afternoon when the lines seem to get the longest, the carrousel and Mickey's PhilharMagic are good, shorter wait options.

-Make sure you give your child some time to run around. Between strollers and lines, there really isn't a change to run around, but there are some great spots. MK - playground inside Dumbo or the little playground under the railroad track by Splash Mountain; EP - lots of spots here: interactive play area after Journey into Imagination (can also enter through exit), the aquariums w/Bruce's Sub House after the Seas with Nemo (can also enter through the exit), the car display area after Test Track (again - can also enter through exit, can take turns riding single rider, and it's a nice, big area for napping); AK - the Boneyard! Great playground area. Also, make sure you take the Wildlife Express Train b/c 1) it's a train, and 2) they have the world's cleanest petting zoo with goats that don't mind toddlers. DHS - this one is hard. We never spend a whole day there with our toddler.

-Here are some other things we discovered: Our toddler HATES fireworks, so we usually skip. Shows also do not work well for us, b/c toddlers sitting that long is a challenge. Be prepared for them to change their mind about what they want to do - and just go with it. There's plenty to do (once we arrived at park open and headed for Pirates with no line. Well, as we started to head in, he started screaming he didn't want to go on Pirates - he wanted to go to the Tiki Room. Yep, we spent prime morning time in the Tiki Room...)

-And here are some fun ideas for a toddler's first trip: Get a Mickey Ears Hat with their name on it at the Chapeau on Main Street as soon as you arrive. They are adorable in photos, come in toddler sizes, and ours has lasted 2 years and a whole lot of trips. If they haven't gotten a first haircut (or even if they did), get the first haircut package at the Harmony Barber Shop. They only offer a very limited number of reservations, but we went at parking opening without one and got in pretty quickly.

-There's also a great old Disney Sing-A-Long video called Disneyland fun that shows the actual characters. Yes, it's dated - and the wrong park - but it's a great way to get them exposed to what the characters look like and could make them more comfortable at character meets.

And get them a Mickey Ice Cream Bar while you wait for the parade!

 

[Kerriowl]

Waiting in lines with a toddler is a "you know your kid best" kind of decision. With my 2 year old, we did a lot of hand play games and quiet song singing. He happily made it through a line of over an hour for Peter Pan because he picked it and we had a delightful family behind us with a 10-12 year old girl who played with him the whole time. It really is hit or miss.

 

[jennygirlmt]

I agree with travelingtotmom. Although my girls LOVED the shows. We have pictures of my girls at 2 enraptured by Beauty and the Beast!

Go at a slow pace. We have never made it to night shows with the kids.

Snacks and drinks help get through lines. Also, the perk of little kids is they wake up early so you get all the best time to tour the park!

 

[monkistan]

I'll let you know in three weeks. Just booked a trip for us and our 2 year old toddler. It's 16 days away.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

We've been taking our son starting when he was 7 1/2 months, and now he is almost three (so these are my tried and true pointers).

-Take a comfortable stroller that reclines. My son has always been able to sleep in his, and for us it was much easier letting him nap in the parks then try to go back to the hotel. When he naps, we go on the height restricted rides and use child swap.

-For a bag, we've always just used a backpack. Filled it with diapers, wipes, hand wipes, lysol wipes, autograph book/sharpie, sunglasses, snacks, sippy cup with water, hat, extra change of clothes and glow sticks/light toys for night.

-Child Care Centers are awesome! If you are close to one and need to change a diaper (or have a diaper that needs an extra set of hands), they all have wonderfully clean rooms with actual changing tables. It is so much nicer than trying to do it in one of the rest rooms.

-Schedule some buffets/all you care to enjoy meals (especially character meals!), b/c you won't be charged for your toddler. Our favorites are Tusker House and Garden Grill, which is also easier b/c the food is brought to your table family style.

-Think about your FastPass selections and choose the busier rides that you think your toddler would like for FastPasses. Lines with toddlers are HARD! Snacks and little toys help in line, but I don't think I would get in anything over 20 minutes with mine. During early afternoon when the lines seem to get the longest, the carrousel and Mickey's PhilharMagic are good, shorter wait options.

-Make sure you give your child some time to run around. Between strollers and lines, there really isn't a change to run around, but there are some great spots. MK - playground inside Dumbo or the little playground under the railroad track by Splash Mountain; EP - lots of spots here: interactive play area after Journey into Imagination (can also enter through exit), the aquariums w/Bruce's Sub House after the Seas with Nemo (can also enter through the exit), the car display area after Test Track (again - can also enter through exit, can take turns riding single rider, and it's a nice, big area for napping); AK - the Boneyard! Great playground area. Also, make sure you take the Wildlife Express Train b/c 1) it's a train, and 2) they have the world's cleanest petting zoo with goats that don't mind toddlers. DHS - this one is hard. We never spend a whole day there with our toddler.

-Here are some other things we discovered: Our toddler HATES fireworks, so we usually skip. Shows also do not work well for us, b/c toddlers sitting that long is a challenge. Be prepared for them to change their mind about what they want to do - and just go with it. There's plenty to do (once we arrived at park open and headed for Pirates with no line. Well, as we started to head in, he started screaming he didn't want to go on Pirates - he wanted to go to the Tiki Room. Yep, we spent prime morning time in the Tiki Room...)

-And here are some fun ideas for a toddler's first trip: Get a Mickey Ears Hat with their name on it at the Chapeau on Main Street as soon as you arrive. They are adorable in photos, come in toddler sizes, and ours has lasted 2 years and a whole lot of trips. If they haven't gotten a first haircut (or even if they did), get the first haircut package at the Harmony Barber Shop. They only offer a very limited number of reservations, but we went at parking opening without one and got in pretty quickly.

-There's also a great old Disney Sing-A-Long video called Disneyland fun that shows the actual characters. Yes, it's dated - and the wrong park - but it's a great way to get them exposed to what the characters look like and could make them more comfortable at character meets.

And get them a Mickey Ice Cream Bar while you wait for the parade!

These are amazing tips, thank you so much for taking the time to type all of that out. I never would have thought about needing run around time but it sure does make sense.

I've been researching strollers and currently putting the summer infant golite on my short list. Which one do you use? I would love for him to nap at the park but luckily we will probably spend most time at MK and be a short ride back to VWL for downtim if needed. We will also have 4 adults so easy to have someone sit with the baby when he is napping.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I'll let you know in three weeks. Just booked a trip for us and our 2 year old toddler. It's 16 days away.

Great time of year! Good luck

 

[monorailsilver]

What do I need to plan to bring with me to the parks now that I will have a 2 year old with me?

Will you go back for a mid day break? If so the less the better. So enough diapers to cover the visit, a zip lock bag of wipes (easier to smoosh then the hard cases...do they still make hard travel cases?). If you are taking a break, I wouldn't bother with a chance of clothes. We leave the park right after we eat lunch so if my kids got dirty they got clean clothes at the room or just changed into a tshirt for a nap.

A drink and a snack or two as a back up.

A camera unless you use your phone.

I don't bring sunscreen since we apply in our room and are back to our room by 1 at the latest.

A hat of your kid will wear it...bonus...we use a hat for autographs so it does double duty!

Tips for bags for the park that are comfortable to carry and still fit on rides easily?

With a stroller I had a bag that carried nothing important, I think I left it in the stroller. I want to say I also had a small bag that carried water/snacks/phone.

I currently use a baggalini crossover, DH uses my ultra light back pack. My girls have a baggalini crossover and my DS has a cinch sac. I would suggest just trying out bags with various weights, that is the only way you will know what is comfy for you.

How do you handle lines with a toddler? Or should we just avoid things with lines over a certain number of minutes?

We do look at wait times but there are so many things to see. I never brought anything for my kids to do in lines. They do not need an electronic game...I mean I survived lines as a kid without fast passes and there were no fun things to look at/interactive games while in line.

I have given my kids a snack while in line but honestly they were fine. Maybe because I made sure when my kids were small that they didn't always have some structure and had to figure out themselves how to not be bored.

Any other tips would be great.

We do breakfast in the room, for us it saves time. DH and I take turns in the shower while the kids eat/get dressed and I sunscreen their arms, face and shoulders.

We go early, my DH would could sleep til 10 or later learned from that very first trip he went on wth me. His visit to the library needs to be made much earlier in the am unless he wants to wait in lines! I told him there are plenty of libraries in the park and he can visit after we have hit a few rides! So I am up at 6, shower, DH showers, kids eat and we are out the door between 7-7:15 with our back packed, water containers filled and we go to the park that has early entry. We leave after we eat lunch and we all nap, shower and return to a park by about 5. And we stay til closing...yes even when my kids 15 mo, 22 mo and 2 1/2 they lasted...it was that nap!

We do plan non park days. Arrival and departure days. Arrival because we are up early, no one..ok except DH..sleeps that night before. So we hang at the pool and do character dining for dinner. Departure day because I want to relax and not be rushed so what did I do our last trip...up at 6, did the last load of laundry and was at the pool by 8. Then we plan a non park day after every 2 park days. We all need a break and my kids love the pool.

Zip lock bags/ice packs/small collapsible cooler-my older 2 on their first trips were not big eaters. And I didn't want chicken nuggets, a chicken leg, pizza, or whatever they wanted so my kids ate leftovers. I would bag them and put them in the cooler. It was primarily lunch and we were headed back to our room anyways so it went in the fridge. My kids never complained about eating leftovers.

I lived by those table toppers, do they still make them? I also have carried Lysol wipes, in a zip lock bag, around to wipes the high chairs and table.

Mean mom but ice cream was reserved for the resort so they could be washed off or it was in a bowl, no cone! Too messy. I would still encourage a bowl for my oldest who is 15.

FL, well Disney of water is gross. My sister lives in FL and I can drink hers but it is filtered thru the fridge. So I have learned and we use water bottles and pour into our thermos containers. Otherwise it would be soda the entire time.i know some people do the filters on the water bottle or put flavors in their water, I'll just stick to Poland spring or whatever water I find.

Basically go and have fun. The frost trip with a kid I told my DH we would do a baby swap for space mountain. Guess what...I didn't go on SM or any mountain. I knew I had been on them and I knew I'd be back. I was OK with that as she had a great time.

 

[carlymcqueen]

-There's also a great old Disney Sing-A-Long video called Disneyland fun that shows the actual characters. Yes, it's dated - and the wrong park - but it's a great way to get them exposed to what the characters look like and could make them more comfortable at character meets

oh. my. GOD! That video was my life as a kid. I was obsessed with it. I can sing all of the songs.

When our family first went, my sister was 3. The one big recommendation I have is to not wear them out. You might really want to spend the whole day in the park, but if our experiences are the same, they might be tired by mid-afternoon or evening. We would just go back to the pool and hang out for the rest of the night.

For longer lines, I'd suggest maybe downloading a few of their favorite disney shows or movies onto your phone or tablet and letting them watch it. Will definitely lessen complaints

Hope you have a lovely trip!!

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

]

When our family first went, my sister was 3. The one big recommendation I have is to not wear them out. You might really want to spend the whole day in the park, but if our experiences are the same, they might be tired by mid-afternoon or evening. We would just go back to the pool and hang out for the rest of the night.

I agree with this. The last thing I want is a kid who is utterly exhausted and fussy. This is one of the primary reasons we are at Wilderness Lodge since it will be easy to take a mid-day break. Frankly I could use a mid-day break myself.

 

[TravelingTotMom]

These are amazing tips, thank you so much for taking the time to type all of that out. I never would have thought about needing run around time but it sure does make sense.

I've been researching strollers and currently putting the summer infant golite on my short list. Which one do you use? I would love for him to nap at the park but luckily we will probably spend most time at MK and be a short ride back to VWL for downtim if needed. We will also have 4 adults so easy to have someone sit with the baby when he is napping.

We learned about the need to run around the hard way, and now it's just part of our planned trip (including having a beer while DS runs around the hedge maze in the UK pavilion at Epcot).

We drive, so we just take our everyday stroller, which is a Britax B-Agile.

Monorailsilver also mentioned the table toppers. They are disposable placemats that stick to the table and are awesome (forgot about those since DS now eats off the plate pretty well). Toys R Us, Target, etc all have them, and they even have Mickey ones! They will make your trip significantly easier!

oh. my. GOD! That video was my life as a kid. I was obsessed with it. I can sing all of the songs.

Me too! And now we've had it playing in our house at least once a week (and sometimes every day for a span!) for the past two years... Glad I love Disney and Disney music!

Ohhhh... and do Enchanted Tales with Belle! Even little kids can play a minor part (like a spoon, fork, etc.) and march around the room in the parade - and you can hold their hand if need be. My son has been a plate - by request - three times now b/c his name rhymes with plate, and he thinks that's funny.

 

[HeatherL1985]

It really helped us to show our DS videos of the characters and emphasized "Look how big and awesome they are!!" so that he wasn't overwhelmed with how big they are.

I always took a cross body for my money, cards and phone. I also took a diaper bag with diapers, wipes, more wipes, some sunscreen, snacks, a few bottles of water and a change of clothes. When we went on rides I would leave the diaper bag with the stroller (either on a mommy hook or in the basket underneath) and bring the cross body with me.

Touring with a toddler seemed almost twice as hard as touring with adults only so we found that EVERYONE needed a mid-day break. You will DEFINITELY appreciate being a boat ride away from "home". I'm not sure about WL, but at Fort Wilderness there were two types of boats. One made a direct launch to/from the resort and did not require you to fold up the stroller. The other made a loop around WL, FW and the Contemporary and did require you to fold up the stroller. The direct launches were a godsend while DS was still sleeping.

Rope drop, rope drop, rope drop! Our toddler was an early riser anyway so we'd get to the park, ride whatever we came across until around 11 and then head back to the resort for lunch, swimming and naps. We would return around 4 in the evening to do our fastpasses and watch the castle shows.

And most importantly - go with the flow and have fun!!! It's so amazing to see the World through the eyes of your kiddo! On our first trip - we ended up stuck in a crowd to watch Celebrate the Magic in a not so good area. It was hot, we were all smushed together and my back hurt from carrying DS through lines all day...and then the music came on, the castle lit up and all of a sudden I could barely hold onto him as he bounced and clapped and smiled and gibbered. Some of our favorite experiences happened quite by accident while most of our plans go awry. LOL

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

We drive, so we just take our everyday stroller, which is a Britax B-Agile.

Monorailsilver also mentioned the table toppers. They are disposable placemats that stick to the table and are awesome (forgot about those since DS now eats off the plate pretty well). Toys R Us, Target, etc all have them, and they even have Mickey ones! They will make your trip significantly easier!.

I have the same stroller! I just didn't want to have something so large fold and carry on busses and honestly didn't want to put the miles on it or risk it getting stolen.

Luckily DS already is practicing eating off plates and does well 75% of the time. Hopefully by December he will be a pro. If not, I have a reusable one that suctions to the table I can take.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

It really helped us to show our DS videos of the characters and emphasized "Look how big and awesome they are!!" so that he wasn't overwhelmed with how big they are.

I always took a cross body for my money, cards and phone. I also took a diaper bag with diapers, wipes, more wipes, some sunscreen, snacks, a few bottles of water and a change of clothes. When we went on rides I would leave the diaper bag with the stroller (either on a mommy hook or in the basket underneath) and bring the cross body with me.

Touring with a toddler seemed almost twice as hard as touring with adults only so we found that EVERYONE needed a mid-day break. You will DEFINITELY appreciate being a boat ride away from "home". I'm not sure about WL, but at Fort Wilderness there were two types of boats. One made a direct launch to/from the resort and did not require you to fold up the stroller. The other made a loop around WL, FW and the Contemporary and did require you to fold up the stroller. The direct launches were a godsend while DS was still sleeping.

Rope drop, rope drop, rope drop! Our toddler was an early riser anyway so we'd get to the park, ride whatever we came across until around 11 and then head back to the resort for lunch, swimming and naps. We would return around 4 in the evening to do our fastpasses and watch the castle shows.

And most importantly - go with the flow and have fun!!! It's so amazing to see the World through the eyes of your kiddo! On our first trip - we ended up stuck in a crowd to watch Celebrate the Magic in a not so good area. It was hot, we were all smushed together and my back hurt from carrying DS through lines all day...and then the music came on, the castle lit up and all of a sudden I could barely hold onto him as he bounced and clapped and smiled and gibbered. Some of our favorite experiences happened quite by accident while most of our plans go awry. LOL

Thanks for the tips. I'm hoping to fit the essentials in one bag but that may not be possible. If not then I'll go the two bag route and leave one with the stroller.

I'm excited to be doing things different this time around.

 

[pixie08]

• Also I wouldn't cross baby wearing off the list unless you have a huge toddler. DS is 37" and 27lbs 26 month old so on the lighter side. Going through the airport and on lines and such I will still put him in the Tula (on my back on lines) because he just gets squirmy and will not be held.

• I carry a large Vera Bradley backpack and have fit everything. Aside from the essentials like diapers, sunscreen and change of clothes I bring some snacks, a little toy or two, an ipad (for longer dinners) a change of PJ's for evenings in the parks and my camera. Extra water bottles and a sippy cup (although if we forget it he will just use a straw) and anti bac wipes. That's about it.

• We make sure to take a midday break for a nap, and try to stick to his home schedule as much as possible.

• We have a City mini that we bring that is good for trams and buses. If you will be driving you may have to fold the stroller onto the tram or onto the bus so make sure it is easy and on the light side. We also make sure there is a good canopy to shield from sun.

• A one bedroom villa is perfect it is what we usually stay in and it works awesome with the kitchen and washer/dryer. Also a place for mom and dad to hang when baby is asleep. VWL is great because you can take the boat to MK.

• Try and make use of FP's and lower expectations of how many rides you will actually get to do. I pick my top four, 3 of which I FP. If I get to do more, great but if not I am not dissappointed.

• Find the playgrounds or play areas in each park and let them burn off some steam or the will get antsy. In MK there is a play area in the Dumbo tent, AK has the boneyard in Dinoland, HS has the Honey I shrunk the kids and EPCOT has the living Seas Pavilion (my son's other favorite park area) and Journey to Imagination play area.

• His favorite things at Disney: play areas, pool, living seas aquarium,Frozen ride, Little Mermaid, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, Dumbo (so-so actually), the train, the safari, Rafiki Planet watch, Disney Jr. Live.

• Make sure to schedule some pool time because in all honesty that is my toddlers favorite part of the Disney trips lol! A lot of the resorts have splash pad areas. We usually go there after his nap and before dinner.
• Take advantage of buffets (they eat free until 3) and specifically Character buffets. It is a good way for them to meet a character without waiting in line. Worth the money in my opinion.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

You've already gotten lots of great advice from PP. I didn't read all posts so if this has already been suggested please forgive me.


-when you park your stroller, there is a chance it may get moved. Either by a Castmember that is tasked with keeping the stroller parking areas orderly OR if you mistakenly parked your stroller in an area that was not designated for strollers (wheelchair areas). If you return from an attraction or restaurant to find your stroller isn't where you left it, don't panic. We did this once and had to track down our stroller as it was moved to the nearest stroller parking area.

-which leads me to my second thought. Attach something to your stroller that makes it easy to identify EVEN AT NIGHT. Some of the stroller parking areas can be sort of dark at night. We were there in December so we brought a set of battery operated Christmas lights and decorated our stroller with them. Another option would be to get a bunch of those glow bracelets from your local dollar store as those will work just as well. It made it soooo much easier to find our stroller at night.

 

[pixie08]

You've already gotten lots of great advice from PP. I didn't read all posts so if this has already been suggested please forgive me.


-when you park your stroller, there is a chance it may get moved. Either by a Castmember that is tasked with keeping the stroller parking areas orderly OR if you mistakenly parked your stroller in an area that was not designated for strollers (wheelchair areas). If you return from an attraction or restaurant to find your stroller isn't where you left it, don't panic. We did this once and had to track down our stroller as it was moved to the nearest stroller parking area.

-which leads me to my second thought. Attach something to your stroller that makes it easy to identify EVEN AT NIGHT. Some of the stroller parking areas can be sort of dark at night. We were there in December so we brought a set of battery operated Christmas lights and decorated our stroller with them. Another option would be to get a bunch of those glow bracelets from your local dollar store as those will work just as well. It made it soooo much easier to find our stroller at night.

Oh yes! Great advice. We usually get some of those flashing lights they sell that people put around their necks!

 

[blackpearl77]

Does your 2 year old sleep in his stroller? We took my son when he was 2.5 and he was a good stroller sleeper/napper. So we never went back to the resort for a nap. Stayed at the parks all day. He would fall asleep in the stroller for like 2 hours! Even with all the noise! Found some good spots to sit - at MK if it's raining we found a good spot at POTC near the bathrooms is a hallway that is covered with benches. Most restaurants won't let you take a stroller inside but at HS the ABC commissary will let you bring in a stroller and it has AC! and tvs! So that's another good spot to hang out if it's raining and he's asleep in the stroller. If its sunny we would just walk around or sit - trade off - one go on a ride then come back and switch until he woke up. Or get a snack and sit and eat. Not having to leave the park was big. But my son was a huge stroller and car seat sleeper. He hated taking naps in his bed and wouldn't - so even if we tried to go back to the resort and make him lay down it would not happen! hehe

Definitely bring your own stroller or rent one (like from Orlando stroller rental or kingdom rentals). The first time we brought our own since he was 2.5 and he would need it in the airport. The next time we went when he was 5 we just rented one and had it delivered to the resort. Yes at stroller parking they move them all around so it might not be in the exact same parking spot - could be the next row over, etc. We brought a beach towel with our son's name on it - when we would park the stroller we would lay the towel over it (keep it cool from the sun since the black seats get hot and so much easier to spot in the sea of strollers). At night we would put glow in the dark bracelets around it (brought from home from walmart).

We didn't do fireworks - my son didn't like loud noise then. We did bring noise headphones with us and he wore them on a couple rides. He loved small world the most and had to ride in 3 times in a row - hahahaha. He loved everything - he even loved the characters. I thought maybe he would be afraid but nope. You should try for a crystal palace character meal with pooh. My son was so excited he even punched tigger in the nose.

We brought a "swimmie" from home. I think the brand is puddle jumper. They do have free life jackets at all pools. The second time we brought him we just used the free life jackets at the pool.

We stay at CBR - but I'm sure all the resort marketplaces have the same stuff - but they sold lots of toddler food and supplies. We bought milk there too for the room.

He was great on the plane down. Had lots of activities and iPad for movies and snacks! I got the gummy snacks for the ear popping at landing. Also dum dum lollypops. I bought those ear mates but he wouldn't let me put them in his ear. Coming home he cried - it was takeoff and he refused to get into his seat (then came to realize he was pooping in his diaper so that's why he wouldn't sit and the flight attendant said we are moving he needs to be in his seat. I wasn't allowed to bring him to the bathroom to change his poopy diaper since we were on the runway! So had to get him to sit and he's having a scream fit since he's sitting in the poop! And it stinks!!! hahaha And he couldn't talk yet to say hey I have to go poop (when we got on the plane)! But once that was done he was fine on the way home. hahaha He did great in the security lines. M&M's were very helpful!

On amazon I bought giant disposable changing table pads (like thick paper towels almost). I put those down on the changing tables in the parks. I never used the baby care centers but have heard great things about them. I also brought a fan for the stroller.

We did all the character buffets. This was how he met characters so we didn't have to wait in line. And he could eat free at buffets!

We packed all the diapers, wipes, sunscreen, etc in a backpack and kept that in the bottom of the stroller the entire time. Even when we parked it. No valuables - just diapers and baby stuff. Then I carried my purse with the camera, wallet, etc...

I thought it was a great age to bring to disney! My son was a late talker. He started talking at disney! He said HI! to one of the characters out of the blue! And castle!

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

• We have a City mini that we bring that is good for trams and buses. If you will be driving you may have to fold the stroller onto the tram or onto the bus so make sure it is easy and on the light side. We also make sure there is a good canopy to shield from sun.

• Make sure to schedule some pool time because in all honesty that is my toddlers favorite part of the Disney trips lol! A lot of the resorts have splash pad areas. We usually go there after his nap and before dinner.
• Take advantage of buffets (they eat free until 3) and specifically Character buffets. It is a good way for them to meet a character without waiting in line. Worth the money in my opinion.

I will have to look into the City Mini. I want light weight easy to collapse for the bus/boat. My son is a huge fan of swimming so I will make sure we have pool essentials. Unfortunately it is a short trip so I hope we don't get stuck at the pool too much. We are also planning some character dining. My hubby and I are foodies though so I am not certain which ones we will choose. I would prefer something with great food but my son's entertainment is more important.

-when you park your stroller, there is a chance it may get moved.

-which leads me to my second thought. Attach something to your stroller that makes it easy to identify EVEN AT NIGHT. Some of the stroller parking areas can be sort of dark at night. We were there in December so we brought a set of battery operated Christmas lights and decorated our stroller with them. Another option would be to get a bunch of those glow bracelets from your local dollar store as those will work just as well. It made it soooo much easier to find our stroller at night.

THANK YOU! I had not thought of this. I love the battery Christmas light idea. We will be there in December too so it will be the perfect decoration.

Does your 2 year old sleep in his stroller?

Definitely bring your own stroller or rent one (like from Orlando stroller rental or kingdom rentals).

We didn't do fireworks - my son didn't like loud noise then. We did bring noise headphones with us and he wore them on a couple rides. He loved small world the most and had to ride in 3 times in a row - hahahaha. He loved everything - he even loved the characters. I thought maybe he would be afraid but nope. You should try for a crystal palace character meal with pooh. My son was so excited he even punched tigger in the nose.

On amazon I bought giant disposable changing table pads (like thick paper towels almost). I put those down on the changing tables in the parks. I never used the baby care centers but have heard great things about them. I also brought a fan for the stroller.

We packed all the diapers, wipes, sunscreen, etc in a backpack and kept that in the bottom of the stroller the entire time. Even when we parked it. No valuables - just diapers and baby stuff. Then I carried my purse with the camera, wallet, etc...

I thought it was a great age to bring to disney! My son was a late talker. He started talking at disney! He said HI! to one of the characters out of the blue! And castle!

He is only 1 now but loves his stroller and definitely dozes off in it no problem. A year from now, who knows! I would love if he could get a nap in the stroller so that we could soak up park time on such a short trip but I am also ok if we have to go take a 2 hour break mid-day. We have 4 adults so we are alternating between three of us (myself, dh and my mom) who will go back with the baby at night while the rest can go play on the big rides.

 

[KrazeeK120]

He is only 1 now but loves his stroller and definitely dozes off in it no problem. A year from now, who knows! I would love if he could get a nap in the stroller so that we could soak up park time on such a short trip but I am also ok if we have to go take a 2 hour break mid-day. We have 4 adults so we are alternating between three of us (myself, dh and my mom) who will go back with the baby at night while the rest can go play on the big rides.

Be aware that it will probably be more like a 3-4 hour break. By the time you get out of the park, to your mode of transportation, to your resort, to your room, let the kid nap, and do it all in reverse...that's probably going to be much longer than 2 hours.

I, too, am planning my toddler's first trip. He's 15 months and can sleep just about anywhere. We are going in 3 months, so hopefully he doesn't change too much between now and then!