We just returned from DD 15 mos first trip the other week. She was a trooper! We were there 6 days and did all the parks. We stayed at the Contemporary so the monorail days were sooo much easier than the bus. I had a double stroller which was heavy and if I do it again, I would consider driving to the parks that didnt have a monorail (we drive to WDW from SC). At home she normally takes a 3-4 hr nap in the afternoon. At WDW, she napped in her stroller for an hour at the most and was ready to go. Perhaps the biggest highlight for her were all the birds, which she loves. I had been prepping her before the trip with the WDW free dvd planning guide, and the live Sing Along dvds. She does not watch tv at home (too busy) but does in the car. We did more than whats listed, but because of her height she couldnt go on some of the stuff her brother rode. My dad & I did the baby swap when that happened. Heres what we did and her reactions-
MGM- Little Mermaid (she loves LM and enjoyed looking at all the lights, bubbles; danced to the music), Playhouse Dis (another hit despite not watching it at home. Loved dancing and the bubbles were a huge hit), met lots of characters for DS 4 sake (she wasnt too sure about the characters and I had to go with her. Even Mickey spooked her a bit), Fantasmic (she loved this, never jumped or got spooked.)
Epcot- Spaceship Earth (Ds always napped here, DD enjoyed looking at the figures and especially the flashing lights at the end), Living w/Land (loved the fish area, and the hanging plants), Living Seas (Crush Talk was fun, she loves watching the fish. Had lunch at Coral Reef and loved watching the fish and divers go by our window), the slow rides and movies were fun for her too.
AK-not a big deal for us since we go to the zoo all the time. She did like Flights of Wonder and the safari ride was a hit. It was really hot and humid so we didnt stay long. Bugs Life and Lion King were hits too. We went back to CR and relaxed in the pool (a big hit with her as she loves the water).
MK- ahhhh,,,,, she loved it all-Buzz, Indy Cars (that was tough on me with my long legs), Philharmagic (though the 3d glasses didnt stay on), TTP was relaxing for her and my dad, Peter Pan (even with FP too long of a wait for such a short ride...not sure how much she could see), Pooh, Dumbo, Jungle Cruise, Country Bears, meeting Ariel, POTC (all hits). When she saw the carousel, she squealed in delight and clapped her hands (she loves carousels). Small World was the highlight. We rode it so many times my dad fell asleep in it! Waiting in line, she was enthralled with the glittering moving parts of the clock. At one point she was so excited to ride she shoved her brother almost knocking him down. She even had the wave to the operator as you sail off down. Inside the ride the first time, her eyes and mouth were wide open as she strained to take it all in. Nothing could distract her. She was in awe and it was amazing. The pics I took are priceless! And the night would not be complete without Wishes. I got a WOW out of her. We spent two days at MK because of her reactions to it.
Dining- we like Liberty Tavern for lunch at MK, Brown Derby at MGM, and tried Crystal Palace for dinner (very good despite DD's reluctance towards the characters). Tradition-we have breakfast at Chef Mickeys on checkout day. Another priceless pic gotten of DD chewing off Mickeys waffle ear.
Honestly, DD wouldve been happy sitting in her stroller taking in all the sights, smells, and sounds the entire trip. She was quite the social butterfly, hugging peoples legs while standing in line. She never fussed. I brought a leash just in case, but never used it. She stayed close to me, even in line. Bottom line, dont plan out everything. All we had planned was what parks for what day, and some ADRs for dining. With it being less crowded, it was a lot easier too. Be flexible. If DD had fussed, we wouldve called it a day and gone back to the resort. I would try out as much as you can. You can always walk out of shows if he gets fussy. We travel a lot so our kids are used to it. We put in long days and as soon as their heads hit the pillow they were out until the next morning. Once we got home, for a few days they slept a bit longer to recover.
alison
