I did it,Booked 1st Family trip!!!!!! (I also have some ?)

[fluffernutter]

I cant believe I actually did it. I just booked our first family trip,YIPPEEE

We are going Nov 29-Dec3 and staying at the Poly. I have 2 girls and they will be 2 and 3 1/2 at the time of the trip. I have been to Disney seventeen times but never stayed onsite and this is the first time the girls are going anywhere.

Im a little nervous with my older one,we tried a family 1st weekend trip away to sesame place early this fall,and she FREAKED OUT at bedtime in the hotel room.
She wanted to be at home in her own room, with her own crib,etc (we did bring her fav blanket and toys from home to help with the experience but that didnt seem to work) she threw a fit for 3 hrs,even threw up from crying so much that we actually drove home and didnt do our weekend trip. I didnt want to traumatize her by forcing her to stay.

Now we cant actually just pick up and fly home if she freaks out in the hotel so any suggestions on preparing her ahead of time.I have 10 months to work on this. We already tried a weekend at my sisters house and she cried but not as bad as in sesame place.

Quick question regarding strollers at Disney. We have a double stroller that we are thinking of bringing, Do we have to worry aout someone walking off with it and what do you do with the stroller?,do you keep the kids in it till right at the last minute for the ride,or do we have to check it at the beginning of the line and then have them stand the whole time in line,know what I mean.

any help would be appeciated and I would love any feedback on the Poly with 2 kids. We figured it was much more than we wanted to spend but to be on the monorail and to have the daybed ( my mom is going with us) would be great help location wise with going back for naps,etc
Also with the Poly,any suggestions on what building to request,to be close to the monorail.

I am so excited that I am actually going to be staying onsite for the very first time and to finally after all these years to be able to have my own family with children and to see the looks on their faces at Disney.

Thanks for any tips you can give me.
Marcy

 

[Desnik]

Congrats on booking your first on site family trip!! Isn't it so exciting!! I still get so excited no matter how many times we have gone.
To get a ton of info on the POLY I would suggest heading over to the resorts board. We have never stayed at the POLY but, we stayed at the GF and being on the monorail loop is great, especially with small kids.
As for the stroller thing I would take your own. Theft is VERY rare. Just don't leave anything valuable in it and tie something to it that would help it stand out among the sea of strollers outside of an attraction! You do have to leave the stroller before getting into the line for the rides. You'll see where to put it and there are always plenty of CM's around to help.
Have a great trip!

 

[Desnik]

OH, I also wanted to comment on your DD and sleeping in a strange place. Disney has a way of wiping us all out!LOL By the time you get to the room you are ready to crash! She might even fall asleep in the stroller on your way back to your room from the parks. I would really "hype up" that she is going to be staying where the princesses are, and Mickey. Try getting her excited about sleeping in the hotel. Bring her familiar stuff like a blanket and toys. It may also help that her grandma will be there too.
Good luck!

I was so worried about DS when he was a baby sleeping in a different crib. He would be knocked out every night with no problems at all at WDW! He was so exhausted at the end of the day. I did take him to Hershey Park before his first WDW trip to get him use to sleeping in a hotel.

 

[DisneyMama27]

Keep in mind that your DD has 10 months to grow and change before this trip - that is a long time for a little one! i'd say by then things could change drastically for her! She may not be sleeping in a crib by then (I only had one that made it to 3 in a crib - the others climbed out and we had to move to the "big bed").

Congratulations, too! We went with little ones many times and it is so much fun - never stayed in Poly, but i've heard it's great for little kids. I'm sure you know this, but enjoy the resort and DON'T overload kids or you WILL have meltdowns. I have seen lots of parents of toddlers dragging around exhausted children, who don't care how much Mom and Dad are spending on the evening! It can be a lot of pressure for someone who barely knows how to use the potty! My motto has always been: There will be many more WDW trips. If we don't do _________ this time, we can do it another time. (All my kids wanted to do last time was swim in the pool at OKW and eat Easy Mac in the room instead of the TS ADRs I had worked so hard for! Oh well - it's only as fun as your least happy family member allows it to be!)

 

[dfarner]

Im a little nervous with my older one,we tried a family 1st weekend trip away to sesame place early this fall,and she FREAKED OUT at bedtime in the hotel room.
She wanted to be at home in her own room, with her own crib,etc (we did bring her fav blanket and toys from home to help with the experience but that didnt seem to work) she threw a fit for 3 hrs,even threw up from crying so much that we actually drove home and didnt do our weekend trip. I didnt want to traumatize her by forcing her to stay.

Now we cant actually just pick up and fly home if she freaks out in the hotel so

I am so excited that I am actually going to be staying onsite for the very first time and to finally after all these years to be able to have my own family with children and to see the looks on their faces at Disney.

Thanks for any tips you can give me.
Marcy

Congratulations!!
I would make this suggestion regarding your DD. If this fits into your budget, I might book some different nights at a hotel close to your home to get her used to it. Not like every month, but maybe just a few times before you go (since you have awhile). We do this in the winter--we go to the hotels that have indoor pools and let the DD swim til her heart's content. It's a great way to break up the monotony and have some family time. And it doesn't have to be too expensive. Book at a hotel that serves free breakfast. Sign up on hotel websites with your email address and they sometimes will send you coupons and special deals. We are Marriott and Hilton members and they send me things once a week for deals in our area.

 

[bless7ings]

I think the best tip I got was to come back to the room in the middle of the day for a break. We did and the girls took naps. It was nice for us too! I brought books to read during their nap time. My husband was at the pool with the other kids. Or they can take advantage of the pool or resort at that time. I was amazed at the visual overload, so a break was refreshing.

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

Congratulations on your trip!

I second the idea of maybe taking one or two inexpensize overnights at a local hotel before you go. If she has the chance to see it as an adventure, she might be fine with it. Good luck!

 

[Mom2Dash&JackJack]

The Polynesian is awesome with little ones. You will have a blast. We went when our son was 18 months and 27 months. Both trips were magical, and a lot of that had to do with the Poly (and we are heading back in September with our DS4 and DS21 months). Here were some of our great experiences :
1. MONORAIL – My son loved riding it. It was a 10 minute trip back to the hotel from the MK, and so convenient for naps and swim time. Having the monorail right there in the hotel was priceless. With little ones, most time is spent in the MK. Also, a quick 2 minute walk to the TTC to get on the monorail to Epcot.
2. Fireworks – each night we were able to get DS ready for bed in his PJs and walk outside to watch the fireworks. That was such a nice thing to do. And a lot less pressure on mom and dad knowing that the bed is right around the corner (9:30 fireworks are late for our family, and otherwise I don’t think he would have lasted without being able to watch from the hotel)
3. Electric Light Parade – right around firework time – same tradition for our family.
4. Zero Entry Pool - DS had a blast in the pool. Also, there are fountains coming out of the ground that he was fascinated with. We spent EVERY mid day back at the hotel napping and chilling out in the pool. Very relaxing!
5. Captain Cooks – we were last there in 2005 before it was renovated, but still always found something quick and easy for the kiddo.

I think 10 months to get the little one ready will be a big advantage. Maybe getting her to sleep in the stroller for some occasions, or used to sleeping in a pack n play (although the times we have been to the poly, we have gotten an actual crib delivered to our room). Bringing their usual cups to drink out of and snacks they are used to on a daily basis. One thing that I found to be a great primer for Disney World was tirelessly watching the Vacation Planning video so they are not shocked and overwhelmed when they get there. It actually gets the whole family in the mood. There is also a Sing Along Songs – Beach Party at Walt Disney World, which takes place at the Poly for a good portion of it, but it has the characters and the parks also.

I would also suggest keeping your plans light and trying to make some kind of light agenda when you are there. For example, napping is a must with little ones, so work your days around nap time and don’t expect too much from the kids. I know my boys are early risers, so I am making most of our reservations for character breakfasts, and only a couple of dinners. We know that by the end of the day they are not likely to cooperate and be as enjoyable. If you work around their schedules, you should be fine.

Congrats on booking and have fun planning – I know that the anticipation is half the fun for me!

 

[TheDizMom]

I think it is probably just not being used to sleeping someplace other then home in her own bed. Some overnights in her sister's room, grandma's or an aunt and uncles would help her get used to that. When you get closer to the time of your trip practice playing "hotel". You could pack a suitcase and have her put in what she thinks she'll need in bed at night, and pretend to fly there. This could also potentially help you determine what to pack for her when you really go too. Then all of you could sleep in the same room that night to get used to that as well. Make a big deal about staying in a hotel room and having special wake-up calls from characters and big big girl beds. If you make a game out of the whole thing hopefully she will then view it as a fun experience instead something to be afraid of.

With the stroller I would rent one from them if it were me instead of lugging one with me, but that is my own personal thing.

I hope you have a wonderful first trip with your kids . When we did our first trip with the kids in 2005 we had an absolute ball.

 

[Mandylynne]

Congrats!!!! We just booked our 1st Disney Vacation and can't wait to take our 3 1/2 year old!!!

~Mandy