Help! What are 2.5 year old like?

[lizally]

Hello. We are planning to take our 2.5 year old twins to Disney. Originally we had planned to do it one month before their 3rd birthday, in the fall. But we are considering moving the date up to May 07, a 4 month difference. That will put the girls at 2.5 years old. Our drive is about 12 hours, we do have a DVD player. I do not have any older kids, so I have no idea what they will be like. Therefore, I have a few questions:

What type of car entertainment can 2.5 year olds use?
Can 2.5 year olds color with crayons?
What type of doll sets are good for 2.5 year olds?
Will they be too young for magnet travel playsets (like colorforms, but with magnets?)
Will they need bedrails?
What type of schedule did you use in Disney with 2.5 year olds?

Any other advice you can give me will be appreiciated.

 

[WantToGoNow]

My dd is almost 29 months now -- so just a month and a half away from 2.5.


What type of car entertainment can 2.5 year olds use? Other than a DVD player, not much. She doesn't have the coordination for video games yet.

Can 2.5 year olds color with crayons? Yes -- my dd loves to color with anything, crayons, markers, chalk. For the car I would get the color wonder books and markers -- that way you won't have marks on your car, their clothes, etc.


What type of doll sets are good for 2.5 year olds? My dd likes dolls of any kinds.


Will they be too young for magnet travel playsets (like colorforms, but with magnets?) No, they won't be too young, but you might spend a good deal of time picking up the pieces.


Will they need bedrails? We don't use bedrails at home so we won't on vacation either. She has been in a twin bed since 16 mos.


What type of schedule did you use in Disney with 2.5 year olds? We haven't taken a child that age yet. Last time my ds was 3.5 and dd was 1. You probably should try to keep them on the same schedule as they are at home or their schedules will be messed up afterwards.

 

[scrapmoose]

We took my 2 1/2 year old DD to WDW in January and we drove to Tennessee from Texas then Tennessee to Orlando so we were in the car alot during the two trips. One thing that helped was we left in the middle of the night so we actually let her sleep in clothes, changed her diaper, and stuck her in the car still 1/2 asleep. She slept alot in the car. When she wasn't sleeping she was coloring, she is a huge colorer, watching DVD's, or using her Pixter. She loves her Pixter too. She also played with her stuffed animals with her sister. We stopped throughout the day and walked around and ate so we all could stretch our legs, etc. My kids did fabulous in the car.

At WDW she slept in a pack n play, but this time when we go in May, she will sleep in a bed and use a bed rail. Otherwise she would fall out since she moves around so much. Does yours use a bed rail or crib at home, if yes they will need one there (bed rail).

Mine doesn't nap anymore. Our schedule was breakfast about 8 parks at about 9 and stayed all day. If she was tired she slept in the stroller. We never had a problem with her being cranky or upset. She would fall asleep in her pack n play the second her head hit the pillow though at night. She interacted with all the characters, rode everything she could ride and even pitched a fit because she was too little for Test Track.

She had a magical time as did we.

What type of car entertainment can 2.5 year olds use? see above
Can 2.5 year olds color with crayons? Mine has since age 2
What type of doll sets are good for 2.5 year olds? any, mine loves them all
Will they be too young for magnet travel playsets (like colorforms, but with magnets?) have no idea, if they are small and they put stuff in their mouth then know.
Will they need bedrails? probably
What type of schedule did you use in Disney with 2.5 year olds? see above

 

[2poohbears]

Hi! You are going to have a GREAT time! I know this because we took our 2.5 y/o twin boys to WDW for 6 days in JAN/FEB this year and it was a 12 hour drive from Louisiana.

1st---Leave very early in the morning so they'll sleep/rest most of the first half. We left at 3:00 am and it worked out GREAT!

2nd---Make sure you stop every 3 hours or so for diaper change and to let them walk/run around a bit.

3rd---I recommend buying new toys/entertainment as it will keep them occupied longer if they haven't seen it before or don't get to play with it often.

Car Entertainment: board books, lift-the-flap books (they will likely tear them, but who cares if it entertains them during the drive and keeps them occupied---just don't buy expensive ones), magna doodle (get the small ones and you can later attach them to the strollers so they have something to play with in the parks as well), play phones (I found some cute ones at Target by Parents Magazine), DVDs, large stickers, small mickey mouse plush (I found some on sale at Disney store before we left home). I took out the 1st toys after breakfast. They would pass them back and forth to each other, so it occupied them for a good 2 hours or so before I had to pull out something else.

Do you have Snack Traps? I bought some at Babies R Us and linked them to the car seats and later to the strollers so the boys could snack easily. I put teddy grahams in them (cheerios tend to fall out easily and make a mess)...whenver they wanted a snack they just went for the cup. I also bought Drink Deputies and hooked them to the car seats and later to the strollers so I could hook up juice or water in sippies. Here are links to Snack traps and Drink Deputies in case you don't know what they are:
http://www.snacktrap.com/StoreFront.bok
http://www.drinkdeputy.com/

About colors---I didn't bring them because mine sometimes break them, color on other things, put them to their mouths. I just didn't want to have to worry about that in the back seat.

Magnet sets---at 2.5 I decided not to bring those because I figured they would just drop them on the floor then cry for me to find them...didn't want to deal with that.

Bedrails---We requested 2 bedrails, but you could request 3 if you want. We pushed the bed up against the wall, removed the top sheets, and placed the bedrails at the foot and side of the bed. The boys slept like a charm for naps and bedtime.

Schedules: We pretty much stuck to their normal home schedule. We let them sleep until they were ready to wake up, then dh went to the food court and grabbed breakfast while I got the boys dressed, got myself dressed. We ate in the room before leaving for the parks. Generally, we got to the parks around 9:00 am and ate lunch around 11:00 am. We left the parks after lunch and went back to the room for naptime. They napped for about 1.5 to 2 hours, then we went back to the parks until around 7pm most nights. We did stay later to see the spectromagic parade and the fireworks...they were major crankpots leaving the park that night because it was past their normal bedtime---but that was our only real tantrum we had to deal with. I highly recommend going to the room for naps and keeping them as close to your normal schedule as possible. They will be in a much better frame of mind and you'll have fewer tantrums.

Be prepared that they both, or one of them, may be afraid of some things. One son was happy to do anything we wanted. The other was afraid of all the 3-D movies as well as Fantasic...I think it was the noise level as well as the special effects of water in your face, air, etc that bothered him. I just made sure when we went into anything I knew where to go to get out...the CMs will help you find your way out---they are used to it and are very nice about it. I would just take Michael out and he and I would get an ice cream or walk around a bit until the attraction was over...this way my other son and husband didn't miss out. It was actually kind of nice to have one-on-one time with him anyway...I enjoyed it. I recommend that you try bringing them in---don't skip something because you think they won't like it...they'll surprise you. I let them try anything that I felt wasn't harmful for their age...if they hated it or were afraid I just took them out - no biggie.

Here are the things mine loved the most:
Magic Kingdom:
Pirates of the Carribean (which I thought would scare them)!
It's A Small World (they still sing the song)
Pooh's ride
Pooh's Thoughtful Spot (they will get wet, so bring extra clothing and take off their shoes and socks)
Peter Pan
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Animal Kingdom:
Triceratop Spin (loved it - made us ride 3 times)
Animal Safari
MGM:
Disney's Playhouse
Lion King show

We spent most of our time at Magic Kingdom since there was more for them to do there. Also, we did the Dining Plan...it ends up being cheaper, in my opinion. We were able to do 4 character meals without paying extra. I highly recommend Crystal Palace (pooh bear and friends) and Liberty Tree Tavern...the food was excellent...the few times they didn't have to eat chicken nuggets for a meal. Doing character meals was great because we didn't have to waste time in the parks trying to get pics or let the kids meet them...we knew they would meet them at the character meals. If you have girls you might try the cinderella breakfast...a friend of mine said it was amazing! My biggest complaint is there aren't many choices for kids their age to eat---pretty much mac n cheese and nuggets at most places. We had an issue with constipation because of this---you might want to bring something just in case you need it.

Be prepared that they may be afraid of characters up close...some are, and some kids aren't. Both of mine were excited to see characters across the room, but the minute the characters came close they both started crying. Finally, at the last meal, they warmed up and had great fun with Mickey and Pluto...I got some great camera footage of that!

We chose to bring umbrella strollers (singles) for our trip and I think we'll do the same when we go back in JAN 07. I brought connectors just in case, but we found it much easier to get through crowds with singles. I recommend bringing strollers instead of renting at this age because it's a pretty long walk for toddlers to get into the park. Also---I bought rain covers at the last minute and was glad...it rained 2 days while we were there and we would have missed out on a lot without them. The boys were very content to be strolled around under their protective cover (I got the kind with mesh vents on the side so they allowed air in, but no rain). They were high and dry. We got a little wet, but the rain ponchos kept us dry enough.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I was very anxious before we left, but we really had a great time!!! I think it was a good age to bring them because they were so thrilled by everything---it was truly magical for them (and for us). Just go knowing you may have to deal with a few tantrums, and that you'll be a little slower so you won't get to see EVERYTHING. You can always go back next year to see what you miss this year!

 

[lizally]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I am really taking all the suggestions to heart! It is really intimidating to think of taking two toddlers to Disneyworld, but I know we'll have fun, as long as we're prepared.

It seems hard to find little toys for 2 yr. olds in stores. Either its a baby toy, which they will be too old for, or it's for over three because of choking hazards! I like the idea of the small plushes. I am going to visit to a disney store soon, and will look there. I also like the color wonder set suggestion, i just hope they are coordinated enough to color!

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Hannathy]

We went when my son was not quite 28 mos and we didn't do anything different. He kept the same hours we did -open to close- ate what and when we did, slept in reg. bed without rails, and was potty trained so no diapers yeah so he went when we did! Only thing different that I remember is I stayed in the dinosaur dig, play area with him while everyone else went on Dinosaur etc. He loved that place. And we rode the people mover a few time while SM was being ridden. He is the youngest so he is used to doing what everyone else does, not just for him. I think in a lot of ways he was easier, no whining, happy to do anything etc.

Car ride- books on tape/cds loved looking at these, matchbox cars, figures- he had the toy story ones, crayons, sticker books, McDonald toys,
I try to leave very early Am so they sleep for a few hours and never stopped if he was sleeping, my eyes turned yellow a few time but you make better time that way. One trick I learned was to stop for lunch at a fast food place with a play area! Then let them play while you eat and order their food to go and take it in the car and they can eat while you drive. gives them an outlet for energy and something to do on the drive.

 

[SalandJeff]

We are leaving on May 7 for our 1st trip with dd who is 2.5. We will be flying, not driving, but I plan on bringing some things for her to play with on the plane or during down time in our room.

She loves to color so bringing crayons and wonder markers. Coloring for toddlers is scribbling on paper - no coordination required! She also loves to write on the magna doodle and you can get the travel size. Loves her baby dolls and all kinds of plush animals. I would skip the magnetic sets. I never give my dd anything with small parts that will fit in her mouth while in the car. You will have to watch them every second they are playing with these. We will also bring a few of her favorite books.

DD still is in her crib, but we will have a king size bed, so she will sleep with us at WDW. She takes naps at home (although she refuses at daycare unless she is totally exhausted), so we are trying to plan our day around her schedule as much as possible. And we are not planning to do too many long meals...just to hard for her to sit still for a very long time. We'll do a couple of character meals.

We will bring her own stroller and blanket. We're planning to do MK, MGM and are deciding between AK and Seaworld. The other days we'll just relax and go to the pool.

 

[Zoesmama03]

My dd has colored since a year of cours back then she tried more eating than coloring. BUt she has colored for quite some time and will be 3 in 3 months.

So yes theyc an color but they will likely drop crayons all over the car and a note THEY MELT!! so be careful. Maybe a magnadoodle or those colorwonder finger paint or markers(still probalby will drop those too though but if someone can help pick them up not a big deal). Stickers kept my dd entertained on our 4 hour plane ride as did books. I know thats not 12 hours but I'm sure you can bring some stuff to keep them occupied.

Movies, fun silly kids songs might help too.

 

[mrstomrice]

WE made the 18 hour drive with our 21 month old. I was shocked how well he traveled. We found that the DVD was great for him. He doesn't watch much tv at home, so it seems to be a treat in the car. He didn't require too much other entertainment, luckily. He was able to nap in the parks in his strolller. Be prepared that many exhibits at EPCOT required you to leave the stroller outside, whihc became a hassle. I found EPCOT to be a waste of a day, and we won't go there again until he is older and can do more there. Try to get to the parks at opening so you can hit the rides early and beat the lines. We were there during spring break and had very few waits. We even had our own boat on It's a small world! He loved the characters, except for the soldiers from toy story. HAve a great trip...it is such a great aga to be there!

 

[Kendra17]

Just get out of the car every hour or so to stretch. That's our biggest issue with the baby. The car seats don't give much room to stretch.

My daughter will be three this next trip, but was one the last trip. I would, as much as I hate encouraging television, buy an inexpensive portable dvd player. When we drive to their grandparents', 8 hours away, it helps immensely.

She also likes magnet sets and coloring. But the dvds help out the most. Even if it's just one or two movies out of a much longer trip, it seems to just make the whole trip much easier.

 

[jessica52877]

My son loves to just look out the window, not that he can even see good, but we don't provide much entertainment in the car so he is happy when we go places. We do have a DVD player and limit it to one DVD per each way on trip (usually about 10 hour trip, 30 minute DVD) and only use it as a last resort. We also don't play kid music until we really need to! If I wait until he starts acting bored or whatever then he immediately is happy to stop and listen. Barney really is the best! But I must say JoJo ranks HIGH up there too. I do pack a small bag with two of each style toy, car, action figure, book. For a total of about 10-12 toys that he can reach or I can hand him. He sometimes just looks through it for a while. I would strongly suggest a magna doodle as this had always been great, no mess, can't drop "pencil", can clean the page. We have a travel size. I also try to choose toys on the softer side just in case of accidents. He just turned 3 and done LOTS of 9-12 hour car trips! Also a bag of cheerios is quite entertaining!

Put son in a bed at disney around 1 1/2 no siderails needed but he had the whole bed to himself. I brought his pillow and blanket (something I also have in the car, both small and lightweight) and pulled their sheets back and away. I also bring outlet covers! You just never know what a little one can do in such a short amount of time. My son has never shown any interest in outlets, but makes for peace of mind. I just grab a box and throw them in the suitcase.

We have had several great trips since he was 6 weeks old. He just naps in his stroller. If I could get him back to the room without falling asleep for a nap that would be great, but just doesn't happen, no matter what time of day, and he wakes up if I try to move him!

 

[jessica52877]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I am really taking all the suggestions to heart! It is really intimidating to think of taking two toddlers to Disneyworld, but I know we'll have fun, as long as we're prepared.

It seems hard to find little toys for 2 yr. olds in stores. Either its a baby toy, which they will be too old for, or it's for over three because of choking hazards! I like the idea of the small plushes. I am going to visit to a disney store soon, and will look there. I also like the color wonder set suggestion, i just hope they are coordinated enough to color!

Thanks for the replies!

McDonalds and Burger King Toddler Toys are the best! My son LOVES them! He is 3 1/2. We don't eat there often but I have been collecting them for years! Chickfila (if you have them) also have the most perfect toddler board books! Make sure you ask for a toddler toy. McD's are fisher price and BK are little tikes. I agree it is hard to find a toy for the inbetween age, not baby not 3 and up!

I skip colorforms and magnet play sets for this reason. Also really watch what I'll let him eat in the car and at that time if he is eating one parent MUST be awake and watching! and not be driving!

 

[2poohbears]

Put son in a bed at disney around 1 1/2 no siderails needed but he had the whole bed to himself. I brought his pillow and blanket (something I also have in the car, both small and lightweight) and pulled their sheets back and away. I also bring outlet covers! You just never know what a little one can do in such a short amount of time. My son has never shown any interest in outlets, but makes for peace of mind. I just grab a box and throw them in the suitcase.

I forgot to mention the outlet covers earlier. I did the same thing so I didn't have to worry about them getting into the outlets during the trip. About the siderails...with twins I would definitely request at least 2 siderails so you don't have to worry about them rolling out of the bed. Also---there is a tv channel in the hotel that shows just mickey mouse cartoons...the old ones. I can't remember the channel number, but whenever I needed the boys to stay in one spot I just turned to that channel...they loved those cartoons!

 

[TriMom]

Hmm... Maybe you could call a friend of yours ... one who has a 2.5 yo ... one who is taking said 2.5 yo to Disney is less that 2 weeks... She may have some answers for you.


Welcome to the DIS!!!!

 

[IkeandMike]

We took our twins last year on a twelve hour ride to the beach. We also had the dvd player and that was all we needed for them. It could have been that I had just bought the thing for the trip, so it was new to them. They were also about 2.5 years old and still sleeping in cribs at home. The house we rented had about six beds in it, but we opted to take the king bed and just sleep with them between us so that we didn't have to worry.

What I would suggest is just buy a few new movies for them to watch, that always keeps my two quiet for some time. And the crayons are a good idea as long as you can trust them not to eat them.

good luck with your trip, I hope they have a ball.
We are taking the twins to DW in two weeks. It will be there first time on a plane, I hope they do well with it.

 

[susykt4]

We took DS for the first time at age 2 1/2. At home he was VERY dependant on keeping the same schedule for eating/nap/bed so we tried to keep him close to that schedule most days. We went during a busy spring break week so what worked best for us was to be at the park at opening to take advantage of the lower crowds and ride as many rides as possible, leave around noon for a nap at the resort and then back to the park until about 8 and back to bed. We never saw an afternoon parade or fireworks that trip, but we also had no major meltdowns and rode every ride/saw every show that we really wanted to see. This schedule also greatly benefitted his sister who was almost 5 at the time. She wouldn't nap, but one of us would take her swimming while DS napped and it really helped her to have some down time from the parks.

We returned this January and DS was now 3 and 2 months. He no longer napped, plus the crowds and temps were low, so what worked for us this trip was to hit the park at opening and stay until between 4 and 6 (depending on park and when we were "done") and then back to the resort for the rest of the night. With the low crowds we took it easy and did this schedule for 7 1/2 days with no one being overly tired. Again, we never saw any fireworks or nighttime shows, but we had soooo much fun anyway!

If you don't have to work around a zillion dining reservations, try to keep an open mind and figure out what works best for your kids. My biggest piece of advice is to PRY yourself away from the park on your first day. We made the mistake of having too big a first day our first trip and that ruined the kids for day 2. Also, if you're staying onsite, taking two umbrella strollers will save your kids a LOT of walking around the huge resorts. They are kind of a pain on the buses but sooooo worth it!

As for toys, if your girls like to draw Magnadoodles were always one of my daughter's favorites at that age. No mess. My son had a magnet book with trucks that kept him somewhat occupied at 2 1/2. The DVD player is probably your best bet...

 

[tmanaster]

On our trip last June my twins were 27 months. My older two were almost 6 and 7 at the time. We drove from Cincinnati, leaving around 2 am and arriving in the afternoon. They all slept the first 6/7 hours which was great!!! After that, we stopped every couple of hours at rest areas to stretch and run. We had the DVD player going with Disney movies which they all loved. For us, crayons always sound like a good idea, but end up all over the floor, melting in the Florida sun. I totally agree with the magnadoodle idea, and also an etch and sketch. We bring a large bag of books too. They loved DW and still talk about it. We stayed at POR and they shared the trundle!!! because "they wanted to sleep together in the special bed" We sometimes came back to our room for a break, but sometimes just let them nap in their stroller that we brought from home. They went on many rides and loved them all except DD was frightened by POC. So many people told us we were nuts to take them to DW so young, but it was awesome!! and we are going back in August if that tells you anything! Have a great trip!

 

[gbrogers]

One thing that we like to do on longer car trips is to limit the movies by reading a chapter book. You could read any of the pooh books. Since I do most of the driving, my ears welcome the break from kid's cds and movies (my DW has a really nice reading voice). This year when we go in December, we'll be reading Mary Poppins.

Another thing we do prior to the trip is watch the Disney live character sing-a-long videos. It gets our kids use to seeing the characters in a non-animated format. You can usually check these out from your library.

 

[bartleby1]

Aquadoodle mini mats are great for the car for all ages. They are thicker than paper so they don't tear very easy but they are very portable and have pictures of characters on them. You fill the pen with water and when they color on the mat the pictures turn different colors. My kids all love them. I would suggest buying extra pens for when they drop them on the floor. I put my pens in a ziploc bag so they don't make a mess in the bag and we refill them out of the melted ice in the cooler. My 17 month old does suck on the pen sometimes, but it is only water so it isn't too big of a deal.

At 2.5 years, my kids where very into little people so we brought a bunch of them and a few vehicles. Also, most kids love stickers at that age. They also like pipecleaners, post-it notes, and scotch tape or masking tape. My DD had a colorform set called Miss Weather when she was younger that had big colorforms which was great for 2.5 year olds. The kids got to "dress" the person with different outfits. Actually, DD played with that on her first trip to disney when she was 19 months old so I'm sure your kids could handle that at 2.5 yrs. She loved her magnadoodle at that age too.

Be sure to bring their favorite stuffed animal, doll, blanket, or whatever else they sleep with in the car for comfort. We also bring a beach ball to play with at rest areas (easy to blow up and they take up very little room). Also, for 2.5 year olds, I wouldn't buy too many new dvds. Stick with the ones they know and love since kids that age love repetition.