How long is too long with toddler?

[Peaseblossom36]

So we have a trip planned for September that we’re hoping to FINALLY go on (moved 4x), in the planning process we’ve added days and are now at 10 days including arrival and departure. Our daughter was going to be 6 months when we first planned this and will now be 2.5 years when we go. This will be her first time at a theme park and first long trip (we did one night in a hotel to visit the Omaha Zoo). Am I going to regret such a long trip? We have 6 day tickets so there will be resort/pool days.

I know this board generally swing towards more Disney is better but I have no parent friends to talk with. I’ve only been twice myself and they were both 2-3 day trips.

 

[Anna131517]

So we’ve done anywhere from 4-5 day trips (not counting travel days or arrival/departure days). For us, 5 days with no resort days is the sweet spot. Our last trip was 10 days with a resort day and it was way too long and we hated the resort day. I basically felt like the resort day was a giant waste of money when I could have been at a park instead of a pool. And it was a nice pool - Boardwalk - but my kids couldn’t care less about the fancy slide and it was super crowded. I also feel like a week is the max for my kids. More than that and they really get overly tired and just miserable. If I want to go to a pool there are other really nice places we can go for just the weekend - I don’t need to go to WDW for that. Now if I went in the summer I might feel different. We usually go in Jan / Feb but that last long trip was in April.

 

[Specter]

I can't speak to going at that time of year, DW is a teacher so we go over Spring, Thanksgiving, or Christmas breaks (we already live in Texas and get enough heat, summer is a no-go for us).

However, DD, who turns 4 in May, has been 3 times at 10 months, 34 months, and 3 and a half. We have found that about a week in the parks is perfect for us, but we take a midday break each day. DW and I are of the opinion that we are paying to be at Disney, not the hotel. Our opinions might differ because we live in a warm climate and both of our parents have pools that we can use, but as the previous reply noted, it just seems like a waste of money (especially given what Disney resorts cost) to take a resort day. I know from reading these boards that lots of people feel differently and truly, to each their own, but that is our opinion on the matter. If I am going to burn a PTO day and pay for the resort, I want to experience Disney, not the hotel.

With the midday breaks DD has done great on each trip. While she obviously has her moments, as all children do, the only time that she really melted down was on her 10 month old trip on a day that we decided to try and press on at Hollywood Studios and not take the midday break. This was largely "my fault" because I am a huge Star Wars fan and it was our first trip after Galaxy's Edge opened. We decided that because there was so little that DD could do at that time (and even the later trips since she's on the petite side) at that park that we would just push through and call it an early day. It was a mistake and she definitely was in a mood that afternoon and evening. FWIW, that trip was in March 2020, just before the shutdown.

At 10 months DD would nap in a stroller, but during the two later trips that really wasn't likely given the level of excitement and visual and auditory stimulation. Even DW and I enjoyed the midday breaks for our own sake and, as a result, all three of us were able to stay out later and enjoy fireworks and things that, had we tried to power through, would just not have happened.

Whatever you do, enjoy the trip, hope it works out for your family this time.

 

[Sharene0724]

We did a 10 day stay when my now 7 year old was 2 1/2. We did a split stay between AK Kidani and Boardwalk. My kiddo is a water baby and loved loved loved the AK splash area and pool. We did partial park days in the morning with a stop at the pool in the afternoon after nap times (either in the stroller at a park or at the room) and then dinner and early night in at the room, hubby and I would sit on the balcony and have a glass of wine and relax while the little was sleeping. It was really manageable, my only regret was switching rooms lol. After I had just got everything unpacked and situated, I felt like I was packing up again.

Outside of the room switch, it is really one of our best trips and I loved the not so go go go pace of things as we adapted to the little one's schedule and took breaks in the afternoons. I will also mention that 2 1/2 was a magical age for the kiddo in terms of characters, parades and just seeing all of the Disney things. He is still excited now at 7, but he knows that the characters are people in costumes and that some of the "magic" is just dancing, costumes etc. Also school is in the way of my best Disney life! It's hard to do those long trips during the school year.

The younger years are so fun for kids and parents too Good luck, I am sure you all will have an amazing time!!!

 

[DisneyDillyDally]

Only you know your child/what’s best for your family. BUT - when we took our child when they were around that age, we did two park days and stayed only for a few hours in each park. That was enough. Am at WDW today and the sobbing/tantrumming kids I saw today were in the 1.5 to 3.5 age bracket.

 

[loves to dive]

It really depends on your kid. I started taking my son when he was just shy of 3 and those where 7 park day trips with hoppers. We never did resort days, I don't think he would have put up with that. We did (and still do and he is 43 with a little of his own) take mid day breaks back to the resort. He was a water baby and would spend hours in the pool then we would hop to a different park in the late afternoon/early evening. We took his then 8 month old in Sept. of 21 and they took her again last Sept. when she was 17 months old. Both trips were 5 or 6 park days. She slept most of the time the first trip and did sleep in the stroller a lot the second trip. They had no problems with the length of the trip either time. I think the key is to know your kid and work with that. My son was very active at 2+, more so than me. We did not use a stroller except maybe once or twice late afternoon because he hated them. I was a single mom so very used to doing things on his schedule. We took our time and frankly did what he wanted. If he wanted to run around the hub grass for 1/2 hour, we did that. If he wanted to ride Figment back to back to back to back, we did that. The only exception was I insisted on the afternoon break, since he knew we were going to back to the parks and knew we were going to the pool, it was no problem. I tried to stick to his schedule as best we could. He had pretty much stopped taking afternoon naps at that point and usually went to bed around 8 (kid hated going to bed, I guess he thought he would miss something) but he would sleep on the buses and monorail and most shows. He was pretty good about standing in lines, this was well before any FP system so you had to. He had a very active imagination so we would just make up stories about things we saw, you would be surprised how many spy families there seem to be at WDW, at least according to a toddler.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

So we have a trip planned for September that we’re hoping to FINALLY go on (moved 4x), in the planning process we’ve added days and are now at 10 days including arrival and departure. Our daughter was going to be 6 months when we first planned this and will now be 2.5 years when we go. This will be her first time at a theme park and first long trip (we did one night in a hotel to visit the Omaha Zoo). Am I going to regret such a long trip? We have 6 day tickets so there will be resort/pool days.

I know this board generally swing towards more Disney is better but I have no parent friends to talk with. I’ve only been twice myself and they were both 2-3 day trips.

It's really down to preference and to your kid and their disposition. My oldest was 2.5 on her first trip to WDW. We had an 11 night stay and like you, I worried beforehand that it could be overkill. It wound up being absolutely perfect - I literally CRIED on the ride back to the airport, it was just such a wonderful experience - and in the end we thought it was the perfect age and the perfect length of stay. Of course, our most recent trip included our youngest, who was a few months shy of 2 at the time, and based on the success of our previous trip we'd planned for a longer stay again. Youngest was a major pain in the butt, and I was BEGGING to go home by the end. I do think it had a lot to do with his age, the developmental phase he was in at the time, and with the fact that we were now doing it as parents of two rather than just the one.

One thing that I think helped a lot was never doing full park days, but actually going to the parks nearly every day. The perk of a longer stay is being able to take the parks at your own pace and knowing that if you miss XYZ attraction, chances are you still have plenty of time to get back to it before you leave. If I were you I would consider adding some park days if you could swing it financially. As I'm sure you're well aware, toddlers are always on the go, and 4 full rest days - depending on the pool situation wherever you're staying - might be a lot (because who is ever actually resting with a toddler ). One thing we have learned is that it's not always relaxing to "relax" with a little one - sometimes it's more relaxing to get them moving, be on the go, have them engaged and entertained. So we usually have park tickets for nearly every day, but do not plan on ever being in the parks for full days. It's usually parks for a couple of hours in the morning, afternoon at the resort, then parks for a few more hours in the evening. Having park tickets for every day allows for the flexibility to play it by ear and pop in and out of the parks when it WORKS for our family. I know that doesn't exactly maximize your money as far as park time, but I've learned to look at it as maximizing our overall experience and parent-relaxation.

 

[sponica]

It depends on the kid. When we took our oldest the first time we did 4 park days (because it's all we could afford) and it was the perfect length trip for her.

Our youngest doesn't travel well, and the first morning of her second trip at 2.5 (which was 6 park days + a travel day on each side) she was asking to go home, and she was absolutely done by day 3 or 4.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

Thanks for all the replies!

I guess I should have said two of those days are travel days. One of which being a very early flight and the other more midday. We are currently staying at Copper Creek because of the boat but are considering switching to either AKL or SSR because the price is so much lower, we also have one day at Kidani on the end (flight options made us add a day). They all have great pools and splash pads our daughter loves pools and splash areas. We were also planning on doing other things those days also, Springs, meeting with family and visiting the Tri-Circle-D Ranch (daughter and I love horses), so not true resort days I guess. Our plan was to just go with what ever she seemed up for. Maybe I'm just over thinking.

We've only been able to travel the one other time and that just one night in a hotel, and she did great for that but that was just one night.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Thanks for all the replies!

I guess I should have said two of those days are travel days. One of which being a very early flight and the other more midday. We are currently staying at Copper Creek because of the boat but are considering switching to either AKL or SSR because the price is so much lower, we also have one day at Kidani on the end (flight options made us add a day). They all have great pools and splash pads our daughter loves pools and splash areas. We were also planning on doing other things those days also, Springs, meeting with family and visiting the Tri-Circle-D Ranch (daughter and I love horses), so not true resort days I guess. Our plan was to just go with what ever she seemed up for. Maybe I'm just over thinking.

We've only been able to travel the one other time and that just one night in a hotel, and she did great for that but that was just one night.

I think your rest days sound well-planned! And Wilderness Lodge is a fantastic resort for littles. It's got the splash pad (which is a HUGE perk with little kids, obviously) and easy transportation to MK. Sounds to me like you have it figured out. Hope you all have a great time!

 

[Peaseblossom36]

I think your rest days sound well-planned! And Wilderness Lodge is a fantastic resort for littles. It's got the splash pad (which is a HUGE perk with little kids, obviously) and easy transportation to MK. Sounds to me like you have it figured out. Hope you all have a great time!

Thank you! I’m hoping so! We are really just planning to go with whatever she is feeling, as much as possible.

 

[ttintagel]

Even with all the best advanced planning, staying aware of how your particular kid is doing when you get there is absolutely key. You'll need to be prepared to change and adapt your plans on the fly.

 

[ktlm]

When my DD was 2 yrs 10 months we went for 6 nights. We had 5 full park days and then 1/2 day on departure day. We decided that wasn't enough so when we went back about 6 months later (on a discount we couldn't refuse) we did 7 nights. We like to do 2 days MK, 2 days EPCOT, 1 DHS and 1 AK at least. Sometimes we add an extra night to get more time in the parks. We are never ready to leave.

My DD always loved the parks and characters and never wanted to leave. We never did rest days. When she was a toddler if we had planned a non-park day it would not have gone over well with her. Once we got her to wake up and get out of bed, she would be at the door with her stroller telling us to hurry up and get her to a park. It really depends on the kid though. She has always been high energy. Some kids do well with some down time. In September, it will be hot, so a pool day may not be a bad idea. Or you might think about adding days to your ticket and instead of having full pool/resort days-- taking pool breaks in the hot part of the day.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Am I going to regret such a long trip? We have 6 day tickets so there will be resort/pool days.

Absolutely not! I feel like little ones actually need some time to adjust to being there, and definitely need those days off from the stimulation of the parks (at least my family did!)

 

[juxtapose]

At that age, we did a Saturday to Saturday trip with both kids and that was plenty. We'd also done a lot of travel with them before trying Disney so we were all used to hotels/flying/etc. It's pretty stimulating and my kids didn't sleep well in hotels (and neither of them would stroller nap at Disney) so we usually limited trips to a week. Now that they're older we do more 9-10 day trips.

If you have time to try out a 3-4 night trip somewhere else before you go, I think that'd help you get a better feel for how she does and help prepare her for a larger trip.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

At that age, we did a Saturday to Saturday trip with both kids and that was plenty. We'd also done a lot of travel with them before trying Disney so we were all used to hotels/flying/etc. It's pretty stimulating and my kids didn't sleep well in hotels (and neither of them would stroller nap at Disney) so we usually limited trips to a week. Now that they're older we do more 9-10 day trips.

If you have time to try out a 3-4 night trip somewhere else before you go, I think that'd help you get a better feel for how she does and help prepare her for a larger trip.

I wish we could, we've moved this trip a few times and were originally going to be driving so it was Thursday-Friday so we could wake up and leave that Friday but we recently decided to fly and flights were terrible on Friday so we felt it would be better to add a day and fly home Saturday.

We had planned a lot more travel but everything ended up cancelled or pushed further out because of the pandemic and moving houses. All we were able to swing was a two day, one night in a hotel trip last summer (this Disney trip was supposed to be last fall so that was our test). That went really well, she had zero trouble sleeping in the hotel room and managed a stroller nap too! So hopefully this will go okay.

 

[accm]

Even with all the best advanced planning, staying aware of how your particular kid is doing when you get there is absolutely key. You'll need to be prepared to change and adapt your plans on the fly.

This. We've taken a couple longer trips now with my younger son - one for his second birthday, and then this January for marathon weekend. We were there for 14 nights in January, and had a great time. As long as you're flexible, and don't try to over exert your kid, I think you'll be ok.
I don't know where you're staying, but if it's one of the DVC resorts, the community hall is a really fun place for kids.

 

[OlliePop27]

Throwing in my two cents - Have you considered looking into Disneyland instead? You can book an affordable walking distance hotel and have EASY access to the two theme parks and Downtown Disney. There's a lot more to do at Disneyland than most people realize and you can also plan a day at Huntington Beach and/or other area activities. The weather in SoCal is also overall much better than Orlando and the general vibe at DL is very laid back. Lots of attractions in a very small space at DL and you can take advantage of the lightly attended early mornings if you're coming from a different time zone.

I love WDW, but have done two trips to DL with an under 4 year old - my family thinks it's perfect. We only do 4 to 5 days including travel. Personally, we'd rather wait for longer week plus WDW trips until the kids are older.

 

[quinacciani]

For my little one, we have traveled quite a bit and 5 days is our sweet spot, so we're doing 5 days in Oct (he will be 1.5). Anything shorter feels rushed and we can't settle in, but anything longer I am ready to go home and parent in a more comfortable environment! Of course, if you are bringing grandparents or other relatives this view might change but that's my opinion. If this is a once in a lifetime trip, I would extend a bit but no more than a week.

 

[RoseGold]

Depends on your kid. My 2.5 year old would have been thrilled, but could sleep anywhere and was generally happy anywhere.

I don't think a trip this long is actually neccesary, but I don't see the problem with it either.