Is MDE, etc making it hard for toddler families?

[branv]

Before I even got pregnant with DS, I was planning in my head our first trip as a family. I knew it would be VERY different than our trips as DINKS -- a lot of going with the flow, no more commando touring, lots of breaks and a willingness to change plans/expectations. We have our first trip booked for November 2015, when he is 2 y 2 mos old. But the more I read about MDE/FP+, the 24 hr cancelation fees for restaurants, etc, the more frustrated I get.

How is it possible to "go with the flow" with FP+?! I'm supposed to know before i even get there what rides DS won't freak out on? I might make a bunch of FPs in advance that i just have to cancel bc DS ends up hating the ride type, or needs a nap or gets sick. At least with legacy FP, i knew the next day i could start over. With FP+, there likely won't be anything good left if i try to re-do things. And now, not even the normally, reliably low stand by lines are still a good option for changing plans. It feels like we'll just end up walking in circles bc this requirement to plan it all ahead will lock those of us out who have your typical unpredictable toddler.

And of course the restaurant fee. I absolutely understand why they did it, but for families with small kids it's terrible. It's not like you can plan 24 hours out for them to get sick, have the sudden Disney meltdown, etc. I can see a fee for never canceling or letting them know you won't make it, but really?! 24 hours?!

I can't believe I would ever say this, but I am nearly on the brink of Disney not being a fit for us. It makes me want to cry. Any toddler families with recent trips, how was it for you? Are the problems overblown?

 

[churchpilot]

FP+ has completely changed the way we tour, but we are finding that we don't completely mind the changes. Our kids are older and are we go 4-5 times a year and they know what they like/don't like. You will find that you can change your FP+ selections the day of and times from your originals, and they should be something left that will fit into your plans. As far as canceling meals, we have never been charged the 3 times we have cancelled the day of the reservation. Breath in, breath out---you will have a blast!

 

[disneypolybride2008]

Hi. Don't worry it won't be as bad as you think. We took DD2 for her first trip at 2 yrs 4 months. We did end up having to re-arrange some FP+'s and sometimes it did not work and we did forfeit one. Most of the time it did work out. Going online the night before (if the intermittent Wifi worked at all) to re-adjust for the next day seemed to be helpful. We were able to get to all our FP+'s and all our adr's just fine luckily. You will have an hours window of time to get to your FP+ and if you don't get to it, then you can go to a kiosk or on your phone to change it afterwards, but yes it may be that there is nothing that appeals to you.. but then you can pick something for one of you adults to ride instead. As far as rides DD2 freaked out on, she was scared of Peter Pan! It did seem very dark and in some of the darkness came some things to look at. We saved roller coasters like Goofy's til the day before last. Good thing we did. She loved the drop on the pirates ride so i was thinking she'd love the coaster. She did ok on it, didnt come off screaming or anything, but the last day which was the following day she was scared to go on anything, not trusting us that it would be a coaster or not. So that was not fun. She loved Enchanted Tales with Belle and meeting talking mickey in town square. There was nothing that we would have went on w/o FP or legacy FP (luckily we could use both last Nov) besides large seating shows like Monster's Inc or Philharmagic.. those never had a wait for us luckily. We scheduled all our adr's for either late morning or the first dinner time at 5pm, and glad we did. DD2 was done by the time dinner was over and ready to go to bed as soon as we could get back from dinner. Nights were short, but she had a blast. She'd get up at 5am, instead of her at home time of 8am, she would not nap at all, as she doesn't at home either, but staying up from 5am-8pm was hard enough so i didnt push her to stay up late. Luckily there were no tantrums or meltdowns, or anything. She was just elated to be there. It was priceless. Already it's been 10 months since our trip and looking back at the pics/videos she already seems so much older. I am so glad we went. As far as adr's, the cancellation thing is not too helpful i agree, but make it for a time that should work the best. Like don't make it for a character meal for early, and stress about getting there on time. When DD suprised us at how early she would wake up, it worked out that MK had magic hours in the morning so we did that, got done, took the boat to the resort breakfast at 10:30am. However, for our next trip our new baby would be turning 1, our DD would be 4, and i am thinking the same as you, so we are going to get the quick service dining plan and just pay OOP for the must-do character dining, about 3 meals: 1900 Park Fare, Crystal Palace, and Ohana for breakfasts, but i'd only book the latest times. And one Kona for my favorite dinner -at 5pm. I'll be hopefully nursing, and fitting in all the adr's and fp+'s, i feel what you're saying. One good thing about FP+ and a 2 year old is that you can choose 2x the amount if you dont mind taking turns. One parent and the child, then the other parent and the child. We were able to do this and book one thing right after the other. I kept them all in the same area so we could get from one to the other. For instance, choose meet mickey at the time you think you'll get to the MK or leave it, then make the other ones by 'lands.' For each day we did a bunch in one land plus a Meet Mickey or a Meet a Princess. As far as standing in line, DD was always at the front of the line with our FP's and that was the most she'd wait.. i could not imagine getting into a real line! Double up on the FP+ idea and if you have to miss a couple atleast you have 6 things lined up. One thing i heard about the ADR's is that you can cancel the night before as long as it is the 'day' before.. double check that though, we didn't actually have to cancel any so we didn't try that. Some places don't have penalties like Kona Cafe, but the popular ones do. Happy Planning and you will have a great time!

 

[Raenstoirm]

I am actually hearing the opposite. Families with small children PREFER the new system. In the past you had to walk all the way to a ride to see what the return FP time was. If you get to TSM at 10 and the return is 3pm and Jr will be napping at 3, you are out of luck riding TSM today. This way you know not to book any FP+ between 1-3 because it is nap time. You also don't have to go tromping from one end of the park to another to get another FP. You can got to a kiosk that is close to book your next one.

There are many negatives to the new system, but one big positive is arranging your day when you have small children in tow.

 

[asmit4]

We like it because I can work around nap time. I know my son's schedule and it doesn't deviate---even when we are at Disney. He needs an afternoon nap from around 1-4. or 2-5 even.

We went last year with FP too- when he was 1.5 and we planned it the same way---booking FPs around nap time.

 

[branv]

Thank you so much for your reassurances, insight and wonderful tips. I never thought of it from the aspect of benefitting a nap schedule (our DS so far is very much one who does best on a nap schedule. He is *not* a stroller sleeper or fall asleep playing/eating sort) And it really would be nice to avoid trying to get to rope drop. While DS is an early riser, and DH always did wake early at WDW to avoid crowds, DH is not a morning person. If I can get a good, sit-down breakfast in him, the day is much smoother (wow, he sounds like a more grown up toddler that way, lol). So perhaps this is a win-win after all. Though I truly do hope they fix some things by the time of our trip.

I'm still tantruming about Maelstrom, though. Mainly just for me (If only I'd known the last time was my last time possibly, etc)

 

[DopeyDame]

I'm heading down with a 2 and (very short) 5 year old in a few weeks. I actually think the FP+ is helpful with littles. As PPs have said, being able to leave a big gaping FP hole for nap time is great.

My concern is the ARDs, though. If we miss a fastpass or reschedule and can't get our "perfect" ride, no biggie. That's something I can handle and so far the benfits outweigh the risks, I think. But having to cancel an ARD 24 hours in advance or get charged $40 has me a little nervous. I've made mostly lunch ARDs this trip, figuring there's less of a chance of needing to cancel earlier in the day. We have one 6:15 dinner ARD. I'm a little stressed about that. Something like a 2 hour cancellation window (to coincide with the time limit in MDE for dining reservations) would be SO much more helpful and workable.

 

[Muskrat191]

I'm not sure if this is official policy or not, but on our last trip, we had 8 people, including 4 under age 4. On one MK day, we had dinner reservations at Crystal Palace, but it was apparent that lunch would work better for the kids. We asked at the restaurant, and they said if we did a lunch walk-up, we would not be charged the no-show for dinner (because it was the same restaurant). We showed up at the beginning of lunch (I don't remember the time - maybe 11:30?) and had a table within 10-15 minutes.

 

[maxiesmom]

As far as the cancellation fee goes, it is not a true 24 hours. You just need to cancel the day before. I think that is one thing that is still on a level playing field--older kids and adults don't know when they won't feel up to a meal the following day either. And as long as someone shows, the fee is waived.

 

[Corey127]

Just came back from a trip with our 2y 4 m old.

FPs are easy to reschedule, except for the big headliners.

I would say don't plan too many ADRs. We had to cancel 2 the day of due to naps (and I originally planned around naps, but you can't predict a toddler) and had to eat the $30 for the 3 of us twice.

Maybe 2 character meals or something, like a late breakfast or 8 breakfast and maybe one dinner.


Plan for long afternoon breaks.

 

[msmama]

I'm actually looking forward to FP+ because I feel like it'll maximize our ride time. Most people FP the headliners, which we skip all together (because my son is a huge chicken and it's just the 2 of us) so I think we will get more done in a shorter amount of time.

As for the reservations - A pp said that it wasn't actually 24 hours, but that was NOT my experience. I tried to cancel about 20 hours in advance and they wanted to charge me (I had a super crabby child). When they were going to do that, I then asked if I could change it (to a time more than 24 hours away) and then cancel it. Rather than going through the work they cancelled the original reservation, but there are ways to get around that.

 

[Lavitz]

It's overblown imo. FP+ made my Disney trip much easier than legacy FP with toddlers. Booked Peter Pan, Pooh and the like in advance since I usually didn't end up getting these with legacy. On the off chance you can't make it, just change it on the fly.

If your toddler is prone to meltdowns, schedule ADRs around it. If they usually get tired in the evening, plan early lunch ADRs before they run out of steam so you're guaranteed a good/peaceful meal.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We have 4 children and have traveled a bunch with toddlers. We have never had a situation where we cancelled a meal. For us--my kids drop naps on their own around 18 months of age. This isn't to say we haven't had meltdowns, but I truly do not sweat it. I make my ADR's consistent with mealtimes at home and we to with it. Yes, I have had to walk a child out of a restaurant. But we cope.

The restaurant fees are a non-issue for us. Since we do have more than one child, we would still keep the ADR for those who can behave. To me, it is not a big deal at all. Too many no shows caused it. If you have a chronic issue of a toddler who as a wonky schedule or dispositions , then nothing changed except now you would have to consider if it is worth being charged for preventing another family access to your spot. I consider that a good thing.

For character meals--the child, if any question is sat at the most inaccessible part of the table and when child appears to not want to meet a character, the characters have been good about it. We also let the baby/toddler meet on their own terms.

For rides, a child can feel out whether they have a FP+ or waited in line for an hour. It is a chance that is taken. I would suggest not using the FP+ on dark rides like Pirates or HM where the atmosphere can be spooky or seem threatening to a toddler. We often only did FP-'s on the rides mom and dad could only do and baby swapped anyway. Toddler sometimes just want a break to burn off energy or stop and smell the roses-toddler style. These baby swaps made great opportunities for that.

Traveling with toddlers is ALWAYS going to be different than traveling with our children. You always have to figure what will work. It may be that you have to hold TS decisions until you get there and take what is nearly walk in. And that is okay.

The key with a toddler wherever you go is personal flexibility is key.

 

[branv]

*happy sigh* I just love the Family boards. So nice for a rather clueless FTM.

I think it's easy for me to imagine the worst in part bc DS isn't technically even a toddler yet (he'll be 1 yo in two weeks, sob, where did the time go?!) He's just now starting to exhibit some of those loooovely toddler tendencies. I'm getting whiplash from the 5 second mood swings. So I don't really know yet *what* his 2yo personality will be. And of course, everyone tells you the worst possible stories. I'm thinking I just need to chill for another 8 months before I even start to think about what traits and schedules we need to work around yet. Oooh but it's soooo haaaard to not dive into hardcore planning. That's one of my favorite parts

 

[mrsp1030]

For all those who have gone with toddlers and FP+, what times of day are you booking FP for??!

 

[slzer0]

Why avoid FP for pirates or hm?
Or are you saying avoid the rides altogether?

 

[jacknsally19]

When I booked my FPs for toddler, I try to do 1-2 in the morning and then one late afternoon. I haven't travelled at peak times with a toddler but I found that the only park I really relied on it is MK. The other parks with my DD tend to be mostly shows and meet & greets so it's not as dependent on a FP.

As far as meals, I did one sit down a day - usually dinner - and it actually worked out fine. I was really worried about losing money but we didn't have to cancel last minute. I think have a loose plan a few shows / ride nap at hotel and then dinner actually prevents you from over doing it with a toddler.

Personally, I took my dd on POTC and HM and she loved it. What freaked her out was the Little Mermaid show at HS - not bc of Ursula- but the water from the ceiling totally scared her! And Philharmagic scared her because of the voices from behind the curtains. Who would have thought? It's true odd things do scare toddlers!

 

[Lupeix]

I went last year when DS was 2 1/2 and would have loved having FP+, did not enjoy having to run all the way to the ride FP for Peter pan or pooh and find out it was only available for nap time . We never had issues with ADR, I think a late breakfast early lunch is best. Toddlers are always better in the morning. I will avoid ADR for dinner since you don't know what their napping will be and how long they will be able to stay in the park, we never made a firework
I am exited about planning our next year trip and using FP+, DS will be 4 and I learned to only plan 1/2 days and let the rest just go with the flow. Toddlers like just being there so you don't have to do a lot of rides for them to have fun, they can't do most headliners anyway and are happy to spend a whole afternoon in the pool as well

 

[Nztara]

*happy sigh* I just love the Family boards. So nice for a rather clueless FTM.

I think it's easy for me to imagine the worst in part bc DS isn't technically even a toddler yet (he'll be 1 yo in two weeks, sob, where did the time go?!) He's just now starting to exhibit some of those loooovely toddler tendencies. I'm getting whiplash from the 5 second mood swings. So I don't really know yet *what* his 2yo personality will be. And of course, everyone tells you the worst possible stories. I'm thinking I just need to chill for another 8 months before I even start to think about what traits and schedules we need to work around yet. Oooh but it's soooo haaaard to not dive into hardcore planning. That's one of my favorite parts

I have DS 2.5yo and he is nothing like he was 8 months ago! He has even changed in the last three months. We rarely have meltdowns in public, he leans more towards overly silly and staying active to avoid falling asleep.

We are traveling in January (two weeks before his third birthday) and I still hesitate to plan too much. I have 3 ADR's planned for the entire week. Lunch at T-Rex the day after arrival, an early dinner at Garden Grill two days later and a later breakfast on our final park day. I did book the Wishes Dessert Party, but that is a date night for DH and myself.

I'm not a super structured person, so I prefer to go with the flow and I hope going in the slow season will give us a few walk-up seating options during the trip.

 

[crewsn]

I have a 3 year old and right now 15 month old. I have been planning a fastpass typically right before lunch, right after, and then one for the evening. Midday as crowds pick up then knowing we will make our exit for a break. Then one to get in a ride upon returning to the park at night.

My sons are always in better moods after a full nights rest. Crankiness increases from mid afternoon on until night. Knowing this I am planning hitting parks in am to the full extent. I have planned one character meal before park open. One mid morning character meal breakfast then the rest as lunches. Dinner moods can be unpredictable so I would rather do counter service meals. Not tied down and able to eat shorter meals. Oh wait I do have one early character dinner in our break day, but this was because of the break.

Don't stress you know your child and just plan what works best for them. I like the system with a toddler but it's just like anything else with being a mom the key to happiness is planning planning planning in advance