Going with a 2 and 3 year old

[MlWinans]

My family is heading to WDW in the near future. My daughter is going to be 2 and my nephew will be 3. I am wondering what rides might they be able to ride and would are some suggestions of what to take them to.

I know from past experiences that Toon-town will be good along with the parades. Also In my opinion the best place for them to meet the charaters is in EPCOT on the corner were innovations is since with one line they can meet a number of them.

What does everyone think?

 

[latexscooter]

We started visiting Disney with our daughter at 5 months. We took her on everything that she was tall enough to ride and set no expectations in advance. We just let her go with her emotions and she never was frightened. However, we were fortunate in that she has a curious nature and has never been frightened by the dark or things new and different. The funny thing is that when she was small we were warned away from ITTBB but we tried it anyways. She loved at 2 to 3 and decided she didn't like it at 5. I think you know your child best. If you know there are loud noises that startle or things that your child is frightened of, then I recommend you steer clear.

This isn't about the rides but the one thing that has always worked for us when travelling with a little one is keeping with the same schedule as home. My daughter is 6 and has never seen an afternoon parade. Thats because we were always back in the hotel and taking naps when a parade was going. She didn't even see Spectro or the fireworks until she was almost 5 - she never stayed up that late. I highly suggest keeping to the sleep and eating schedules your kids are used to and you'll find them much more receptive to the stimulation and new experiences in the parks.

 

[starsweeper]

We took our two toddlers (2.5 years old at the time) last Feb. They were able to ride nearly everything in MK except rides considered frightening (Snow White for example) or intense (roller coasters). They had a wonderful time. Some of my tips would be:
1. Go to the park at opening and return for naps, then go to a park again in the afternoon
2. Alternate parks to keep their attention (i.e. MK morning, EPCOT evening)
3. Go at their pace and allow them time to explore (we budgeted 2 days to see everything at MK, worked great)
4. Definitely do The Crystal Palace breakfast, preferably an early time on a non-Magic Hours morning. You get the castle and Main Street to yourself for pics--so fun!
5. AK has Pooh and friends available for meet and greet/pics near the Dino area--my kids loved seeing them again after Crystal Palace
6. The Lion King show at AK was a big hit with my two

 

[RMAMom]

When is the near future because they are getting ready to do away with toontown so you may miss that.

I think DHS is a great park for kids because of the shows, my DD loved it when she was a toddler.

 

[chrisw127]

When the Magic Kingdom became too crowded, we headed over to Epcot. While there are only a few things they can go on, there's plenty to see and the park doesn't get as crowded. Our twins loved running around Epcot (something they really can't do at the MK because of the crowds) and it turns out it's the most babyproofed place in America--fences and gates everywhere--so they could never go too far. They loved Finding Nemo and the fountains most of all.

I have to second DHS--the shows were great.

 

[happymommy]

My DD at 2 did NOT want to meet with characters at all. Just warning you.

We have never waited in lines to meet them; if we see they are free and want to take a photo, we do, but it's not a priority.

A 2 or 3 year old can do almost anything at Disney! My DD was 2 when she rode Goofy's Barnstormer, and she loved it! She was a tiny thing, too, and we rode in front. It was very cool.

My kids loved Epcot so much. It does offer a lot of space to run, and we'd bring glow sticks for them for the evenings (it gave us peace of mind so if they were a couple feet away we could spot them). I also would hang a couple on the stroller. They loved the countries, and the snacks, and if we got into Innoventions we could never leave it seemed.

Honestly, the kids will have a great time with what you enjoy. Mine also had so much fun all day at DAK, so we just enjoyed the animals and all.

We never went back for nap time. My kids would nap in the stroller. I always brought our double Peg Perego (which had both front and back to recline, very fully, with nice cushioning). We don't usually stay up late with them on vacation, though, so we get up early and go out, then get in early for a bath and down time (to kind of decompress, and process all the input from the day).

From our first visit, my kids favorite park has always been Epcot. I can still remember my son at 4 begging for one more trip up into Spaceship Earth (we were at the BWV, so my DH got my DD ready for bed and I strolled DS over to go on one more time. So cute - he was so happy and fell asleep on the way back "home").

Definitely - do not miss Buzz Lightyear! Or Winnie the Pooh. So cute... They love those.

 

[81felgs]

Thanks for sharing. We are planning for December 2010 and my DD will be 3.5. She is in the "do not meet character's at all" camp. I'm writing this stuff down so I know how to prepare for our first trip to Disney!

 

[Princess_Nikki]

My son just turned 3 and we have a 7 month old. They both did really well at the Mickey's Not So Scary party this year. I definitely did not bother with the parades, the characters, or the fireworks. We did manage to get one photo with Buzz Lightyear, which is my DS3's favorite, but as you can see, he wasn't so into it once we got to the picture taking part of it! The fireworks started as we were leaving and my 3 year old got very scared, so keep that in mind too.

We are heading back to WDW this coming February and I think we will try for MK in the morning, and Epcot in the evening, and with one other day at AK in the morning.