First time with toddler - help!

[KrazeeK120]

DH and I have been to Disney several times (6 together, and I went once as a child). We are planning to take our son on his first trip next year. He will be 18 months old. We haven't booked anything yet, but I was wondering if people who have traveled with kids can let me know what you think of my plans. I feel like I'm preparing for an entirely different vacation!

We live in central IL. It's a 16 hour drive. We plan to leave early in the morning of Saturday, April 29. We will drive halfway and stay in Chattanooga, TN overnight. The next morning, we'll drive the rest of the way and arrive at Disney in the evening. We plan to stay at CSR.

I'll have to take a look at Josh's crowd calendars, but based on current trends, I would like to do the following:
Monday - Epcot, with lunch at Garden Grille
Tuesday - MK
Wednesday - AK
Thursday - MK
Friday AM - Epcot

We would leave Friday after lunch and drive to Marietta, GA (about 7 hours) and drive the remaining 9 hours the next day.

We plan to go every couple of years, and I don't want to visit the Studios right now. I don't have personal interest in it at this time, and there isn't a ton for little kids to do there right now either.

I plan to take an afternoon break every day and also to drive to the parks (except maybe MK). We will be bringing our stroller from home.

Any other tips or things I should think about with having a toddler in tow?

 

[kreckl]

Well, I'm actually thinking that's an incredibly long ride for an 18 month old....Sitting strapped in a carseat for that long might be tough.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Not going to lie, our kids would be a total mess after that much car travel, but I know people do it! I'd stick to the usual advice... Frequent breaks, don't try to cram everything in, you don't have to ride every ride in the park, etc. One thing I do now that I didn't do at first was to plan at least one off day - no plans, no reservations. Use it to rest up, be spontaneous if spirits/energy are high, or just chill at the resort. We've also adjusted our expectations on how to tour - meaning, for example, we could go to MK for a couple of hours in the AM, hit three FPs, and out of the park by lunch and we're totally happy with that. Best of luck with your planning.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Not going to lie, our kids would be a total mess after that much car travel, but I know people do it! I'd stick to the usual advice... Frequent breaks, don't try to cram everything in, you don't have to ride every ride in the park, etc. One thing I do now that I didn't do at first was to plan at least one off day - no plans, no reservations. Use it to rest up, be spontaneous if spirits/energy are high, or just chill at the resort. We've also adjusted our expectations on how to tour - meaning, for example, we could go to MK for a couple of hours in the AM, hit three FPs, and out of the park by lunch and we're totally happy with that. Best of luck with your planning.

We just did a 6.5 hour road trip a few weeks ago and the little guy did fine. He got cranky in the last hour, but we didn't stop for as long as we would had we been driving further. We didn't really stop too much on the way home because my husband had the stomach flu. Obviously, there's a big difference between an 8 month old and an 18 month old, but so far, he has been probably the easiest kid on the planet. I wouldn't even attempt this if I didn't think he would enjoy himself! And you have a good point about adjusting expectations. I've been to Disney enough times that there isn't anything I "must" do, and there's a lot I know we won't be able to do anyway, simply because we have a young child.

 

[happymommy]

I would seriously look into flying if you can!

I agree to bring a stroller from home for sure.

I've been many times, and started taking my kids when they were 2 and 4. Then started taking them myself without DH for many trips when they were 4 and 6. A stroller even when they were older was the best thing to have! We started with a double, but then when they were older (4 and 6) I took a good single that they could either take turns in, or for a short while they actually could fit in it tandem style! Only for a few minutes!

We also didn't have super big expectations; we took it easy and enjoyed just having fun together! We also didn't plan on going back to the room for naps; the kids would nod off in the stroller for a nice long nap daily!

We only will drive at Disney if we have to stay off site. Otherwise, part of the nice thing about staying on property is not having to drive.

 

[EeyoreME]

we drove from texas to indiana with our 22 month old and she did great! we are driving to florida next month (she'll be 2) and we are going to stop halfway through for the night. We stopped alot and made it fun for her ! You'll do fine with the drive !

 

[NEMouse]

We brought our son when he was 1 year older than yours. My suggestions:
-drive to the parks. When staying on-site you don't pay for parking. The convenience of leaving when we wanted and dealing with a stroller (we usually walked to the gates) far outweighed not having to wait for a bus, possibly not having a seat and managing this with a sleeping child.
-if you drive, bring a towel to cover the carseat if the windows aren't shaded. It can get very hot while you are in the parks!
-schedule a character meal. I believe you don't pay for your child due to age. We went to Donalds safari (AK) and rode the first safari of the day : )
-unless you are set on it, consider dropping Epcot and replace it with a pool and Disney springs day. I didn't find much at Epcot for a toddler except nemo/ talk with crush. Others may have suggestions to keep Epcot on the list so research and decide what is best for you.
-be flexible. Our son had more fun at the often overlooked attractions (I.e. play areas, water areas) than the rides at the younger age.
-if you plan on seeing parades or fireworks, we used noise cancelling headphones so he could enjoy the sites without the loud sounds.
-if your son falls asleep while you are in the parks, use the monorail to explore resorts, stay cool and keep him asleep.
-keep your son hydrated and take breaks in air conditioned stores/ rides.

Have a great trip, be flexible and take lots of pictures!

 

[happymommy]

My kids loved Epcot at 2 and 4, so I'd figure out if you want to go there. Everything doesn't have to be about characters; my kids enjoyed the different countries, the sea life at the living seas, and basically everything there. It's actually always been their favorite park at Disney.

Also, it's about what you want to do on your vacation.

 

[jvz82]

I'm surprised at the people saying not to drive! Geez, we live in Minnesota and it's a 28 hour drive and I've done it a bazillion times as a child and now as an adult with kids as well. And we drive straight through the night, no hotel stay!! We take lots of breaks and it's fine. Our last trip, my 3rd child was 12 months old and I sat in the backseat with him the whole way down. My husband and my dad took turns driving. Lots of games of peekaboo, books, and toys. But it wasn't bad!

I think with kids that age, the best advice would be to just go at their speed. The first time we went with kids, my oldest two were 2 and 8 weeks old. We rode the Carousel like 4 times (I had forgotten that ride even existed). We went slow because the 2 year old wanted to walk sometimes. We took lots of breaks. Ate lots of snacks. Spent time at the baby care center out of the sun. It's definitely a different trip with young kids but I still remember that trip being so laid back and magical.

I'm trying to listen to my own advice for our upcoming trip in December. Part of me wants to over-plan and hit every ride we can. Then I remember I have 4 kids and doing that will make us all miserable.

 

[Dashzap]

When my kids were that little, they loved the resorts and the transportation. We'd alternate park days and resort days. On our resort days, we'd enjoy the pool, book character meals at other resorts, and all the transportation (full loop of monorail and boats).

It's not that they didn't like the parks, but they enjoyed the resorts just as much, and didn't want to be dragged away from what was right in front of them.

 

[2PrincessesRmine]

Just a thought, I know he's too young now, but the toddler characters and Disney Jr Live are at DHS. I know my kids loved that stuff when they were little. We did a the character breakfast at Hollywood and Vine and that and the Disney Jr show were their favorite parts of the trip.

 

[Raptor83]

I agree that you should be fine driving. We did an 8.5 hour drive (each way) with our son when he was 11 months old and he did fine. Just be willing to make stops as he needs, obviously.

Just another option - have you considered leaving that Friday night just before his bed time? We are driving to WDW in December with our son (he will be just shy of 3 at that point) and plan to leave around 8 or 9 PM; it's a 12-13 hour drive for us. He usually goes to bed by 9 PM, so we are hoping that he will fall asleep in the car, as he normally does if in there around that time, and sleep most of the night/drive. If it works out just right, when he wakes in the morning, we'll stop for breakfast and then finish the last few hours.

 

[Tucker24]

You should be fine with the drive but think about how your kids are. I thought my kids would be fine with a drive that long but I was sorely mistaken. They don't do well in hotels or any other bed other than their own. Just keep in mind that with that much time in the car your little one's nap or sleep time may be off. They may get fussy with a lot of time in the car and then a lot of time with the stroller. My kids never have slept well or rested well in hotel rooms and have been prone to getting a little sick so just be prepared.