Keeping a 19 month old happy on a car trip

[Denine]

It looks like we will be driving to WDW in May instead of flying.

We have a very active DD. She will be 19 months for the trip. I need some good ideas on how to keep her happy for the long drive. We will be driving from Cleveland, Ohio. I have a hard time keeping her happy with a living room full of toys and the mommy jungle gym!

We plan on stopping more often and for longer periods than in the past. She needs to get out and walk!

How much does it cost to rent a DVD player or VCR to take in the car? I know they exist, but I don't know anything about them. Where do you rent them?

We have driven with DD to WDW 4 times and have flown with her once. It got more difficult each time, which is why we flew the last time. However, the budget doesn't permit flying this time.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NHDisneyFan]

We are driving with DS, 20 months, this weekend from Southern New Hampshire to WDW. We are bringing a laptop to watch DVD's, toys, snacks and also plan on the longer stops to let him run around. We plan on leaving at 1am to get 5-6 hours in to the trip before he has even woken up. I will let you know what did/didn't work when we return.

 

[sbrown]

A happy 19 mos. old in a car? Does such a thing exist? Definitely get a travel DVD player. Last week in our Best Buy or Circuit City fliers they had one with a 5" screen for $150.

 

[luckywife]

We are also planning to drive to WDW in May from Indiana and have an 18 month old. I have been worried about the long car trip for him but we will also plan to make longer, more frequent stops. Information from people who have done this before would be great.

 

[Desnik]

Just buy the dvd/tv from Best Buy or Target. They almost always have them on sale. You might like to have it for future trips as well. I couldn't drive without mine!! We have driven with DD since she was 9mo, every year. We have done the drive different ways. Through the night, early in the morning, stopping for the night. DD is very active too. She has always been really good in the car. Just bring little toys, like from the dollar store. Wrap each one up and when she starts getting antsy give her one. It should keep her occupied for awhile. Bring a ball for her to kick around at the rest stops. Buy coloring books, small travel magna doodle. If she has favorite songs put them on a tape or cd to play for her.
What worked best for us was leaving our house at 4am. The kids slept until 9am. I had packed breakfast items for them to eat in the car. We stopped at around 10:30am for a stretch and potty and I had packed snacks and drinks for the ride. We didn't have to stop again until 2:30! They had both fallen asleep! You'd be suprised how much they sleep on long car rides! We reached WDW at 10pm that night and all got a good night sleep and were prepared for the next day.
When we drove straight through the night, we were exhausted the next day. DD was wide awake! It took DH and I a day to recoop!

 

[FWFamily4Life]

our DS5 and DD will be 18 mos when we go. We are traveling from the ft wayne IN area and it takes about 17 hrs. We rest during our day and then leave at 5-6pm. We Travel at night driving straight through arriving at disney around 11 am. The wonderful deal is the kids are asleep from from about 9pm and you dont have to make to many unecessary stops. We take books and A dvd player that we got from walmart for about 140. You can also get a tv/vcr combo for less than 100 if you dont have many dvd's. We only have to entertain for a few hours in the morning because we stop for breakfast at a mcdonalds with a playland. We will give the kids time to play and then finish the trips. For the trip home we have a casual day at the pool, or go let the children play in the fountains at DD. We eat an early dinner and then hit the road again about 6 or 7 pm. The kids are worn out and sleep most of the way home. My DW or I will rest or keep the kids occupied while the other drives. I think there have been plenty of good suggestions in this post. hope this helps good luck

 

[Denine]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! They are really appreciated.

 

[Sazzo'sMommy]

and MONSTERS INC. kept my daughter happy at 14 months driving 12 hours to WDW. Now that she is 19 months, we are leaving on Saturday and she stands in front of the TV for an hour and a half watching MI and NEMO over and over!

She loves other Disney DVD's, but I see no problems on this drive at all!

Portable DVD player and DVD's are a must for YOUR PEACE OF MIND and QUIET!

Good Luck!

 

[dijid]

Definitely buy the DVD player! I'm one of those mom's that doesn't like their kids to watch a lot of TV, and we drove with an 18mo last year. So, I gave each kid a notebook and pens, pencils and they could draw. Little post it notes were a big hit. They could put them wherever they wanted. My 3yo drew her own stickers and had a blast. I was surprised that this kept them occupied for an hour. We sang lots of Disney songs to get in the mood. (Bought the CD for the trip specifically.) Magna Doodles and etch a sketch were fun. Got $1 store play binoculars and had them look for things as we drove. And we tied a rope across the van and put clothespins on it signifying how far we had to go (each one represented 50 miles.) The kids loved the countdown until we removed one.

We left right before lunch and ate lunch in the car. Then it was nap time, which helped. Stops at McDonald's with a playplace were a necessary evil. And we drove as far as we could once they fell asleep, but still broke the drive into 2 days. Be prepared for at least one bad accident to slow you down, but it can be done from Ohio. We're living proof!