Looking for more suggestions...

[Timmer]

Going to WDW 5/6 through 5/9 for DD 4yr-old and DD 2yr-old (their first time, third for my wife & I).

I've picked up some great tips reading through these boards, but if anyone else has some ideas for our family they would be greatly appreciated...

 

[jamsmom]

WELCOME TO THE DIS!!!

I have never traveled with chidren that young. Be sure to take it nice and relaxing so that they don't get overly tired.

 

[gshoemate]

Take advantage of the Baby Centers. It will be a nice place to get away from the crowds for the little ones to take a break. And they are air conditioned so it will cool them off to. MK and DAK have nice ones with a large room and a tv that is usually playing cartoons. MGM is smaller with no TV room and I am not sure about the one at Epcot.

 

[2belles'mom]

My DDs are now 6 and 3. They have each gone to WDW at least 3 times. Our recipe for success: GO EARLY and LEAVE EARLY...to TAKE A NAP. We are at the parks at opening, and take advantage of early entry when in effect. We usually spend 3-4 hours at the park, then bail to go back to the hotel for naps and swimming. The kids need the naps, and the "down-time" at the pool is great. We usually do something for the evening--a character dinner, or a return to one of the parks. We try to stay on site for ease of commuting back and forth. It is more difficult when we are off-site.

The kids love character dining--this is how we interact with the characters. We always try to do a princess meal, a Winnnie the Pooh meal, and a Chef Mickey's. The kids also LOVE the Alice in Wonderland Tea Party at the Grand Floridian and the Pirate Cruise, also at the GF.

As for parks, their favorite is, of course, MK. But they really enjoy all of them! My little one gets a bit frustrated at MGM, but still enjoys it.

Have fun!

 

[InstImpres]

I second what 2belles'mom said. Mid day naps and Chef Mickey...always a hit!!!


Enjoy

 

[DVCPAT]

A reclining stroller with plenty of storage is a must. Go at the childrens pace and enjoy the things you usually rush past. My kids enjoyed the character breakfast and dinners. Mid-day would be to unpredictable, we would play it by ear and decide to head back to the resort when they would run out of gas.

Sometimes they would fall asleep in the strollers and we would walk around the park. I could never understand the statement "we're going to wait until our kids get older before we vacation at WDW ". Some of our best photo's/video were taken when the kids believed they were meeting the actual characters.

 

[kdibattista]

I don't have kids but I do know that WDW has something called "baby swap" on the rides.

 

[Spoisal]

What my kids enjoyed most at those ages were the Character Meals (especially Winnie the Pooh at the Crystal Palace) and the Parades ......please try & catch the Parades! These were the highlight of the day for the kids. They also enjoyed Fantasyland at the MK - start on something slow & easy like "It's a Small World". But I agree with what another poster said - get there EARLY. Go straight back to Fantasyland 1st and you can get a few rides in before the crowds pick up. Have Fun!!

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Another feverish support message for 2belles'mom's suggestion to go early, then take a break. And this is whether you have kids or not. Quite simply, a swim and a nap enhance the full day plan.

And take your kids to the Hoop Dee Doo!

Pat

 

[dizkidz2]

The character can be a little scarey, even though they are cute and friendly, they are soooooooo big to little ones. On my DD 1st trip (just under 3) she wanted nothing to do with any characters. It took a couple of days for us just to get her near them.

 

[Harambe]

Dont' forget to get the Mickey wake-up call, if you're staying on-site. My DS couldn't believe that Mickey called us!

 

[grinningghost]

We took DD at age 4 and she doesn't remember anything but the Minnie Mouse lollipop on Main Street and the hotel pool. Let them enjoy the little things - after all, they're little people.

 

[mommystieg]

Watching the Disney sing-a-long and vacation planning videos can help prepare your kids for meeting the characters. My youngest dd was just a little over 2 when we went last year and these videos were all she wanted to watch!! She was a little shy for the first few encounters but by the end of our trip she would approach the characters with her autograph book and pen. These videos are filmed at WDW and DL and show the characters hanging out with kids. They also feature lots of the attractions. The ones I recommend are:
Disneyland Fun
Beach Party at Walt Disney World
Campout at Walt Disney World
Flik's Musical Adventure at Animal Kingdom
As everyone else has suggested, let your kids set the pace and take lots of breaks. We didn't always make it back to our room for a nap but we definitely paced ourselves to our kids' energy level. Seeing Disney through the eyes of a child is an awesome experience. Have a great time

 

[CTillberg]

Wow, you sound almost like our family - This October will be our first trip for our children - DD 4 and DS 2 and the third time for my husband and me. (Although I have been about 15 times before that with my parents.)

I plan to use NetGrocer and pre-order snacks (and maybe diapers,wipes, paper plates, etc., too, so I don't have to lug them accross the country- we'll be flying) to be sent to the hotel so I don't have to spend precious vacation time grocery shopping when we arrive. Our kids like to nibble through-out the day and eat first thing in the morning, they won't be able to wait until we get to a restaurant, so I want to have lots of munchies and breakfast items available.

Net Grocer's prices are a bit higher that a traditional grocery store, but the shipping price was not as bad as I thought it would be and it will be so nice not to have to pack all that up myself.

Right now, I plan to purchase umbrella strollers that recline so the kids can nap as needed as we go through the parks - the park hours will probably be short in October, so I don't want to waste so much time going back to the hotel to nap, when I know we would probably have to fight them to go to sleep anyway.

But- We will be flexible!

Have a great time - let us know what you learn about traveling with little ones when you get back!

Cathy