Moms of LO's, speak up!!

[lisalisalisa]

Great tips. I will be spending most of my time with my 2 year old whilst DH rides the big rides with my bigger boys.

 

[LavenderPeach]

My biggest tip would be to do everything you have to do to get there before the park opens. The lines the first couple of hours are SO much shorter than they are later, even on really busy days. This is a great tip for anyone but especially for people with little kids as it's harder for them to wait in long lines and some of the rides they enjoy the most are slow loaders (dumbo, for example).

My other tip is to try some of the outdoor rides first like Dumbo, Casey Jr., teacups, etc. If your kids aren't used to going on rides then the indoor "dark" rides can be scary and you wouldn't want their first experience to be scary or you might not convice them to go on any other rides the rest of your trip! After the outdoor rides, the first dark ride I would recommend is IASW since it's colorful and fun and not at all scary.

 

[LavenderPeach]

So many great tips on here!

We're going for 5 days in August, and while my kids aren't that little (4 and 7), they are still little to me!

So, Peter Pan is the ride that we should do first during MM? Is there a recommendation of what to ride next? Is there a philosophy (I'm sure there is) on what day to use a MM? We'll be there Monday-Friday but not until around 3:00 on the Monday so our only days for MM are Tuesday-Friday...can't remember off hand what days MM runs.

Yes, it's best if you do PP first since that line gets long fast. I've seen a list posted before about order to do FL rides in but I can't remember what was next on the list. I guess I would do something like Mr. Toad, Alice, Dumbo, Teacups, Casey Jr, Pinocchio. However, as I mentioned in my previous post, don't do PP first on the first day if you think your kids might be afraid.

MMs are on days that start with T and S. I'm not sure it would really matter if you picked tuesday or thursday to do MM except that you might want to pick Tuesday since it will probably be easier to get up early at the beginning of your trip. Hope that helps.

 

[Queen Elisabeth]

My other tip is to try some of the outdoor rides first like Dumbo, Casey Jr., teacups, etc. If your kids aren't used to going on rides then the indoor "dark" rides can be scary and you wouldn't want their first experience to be scary or you might not convice them to go on any other rides the rest of your trip! After the outdoor rides, the first dark ride I would recommend is IASW since it's colorful and fun and not at all scary.

This is great advice that I wish I had followed (take it from me, do NOT have your kids' first ride be POTC! ) Also, if you have kids who tend to be scared easily and you don't mind being "spoiled", I would suggest looking the rides up on youtube first to see which ones you think that your kids can handle.

 

[dancer_mom]

Hi there - I am taking 22 month old twins on their first trip this summer. Loving the tips so far. So here is one a friend of mine did - buy the Disney little golden books of your childs favorite characters... They have them for most of the major movies - they had the characters sign the books like an author would and then they pasted the picture of her kid and the character on the inside front cover. I thought that was a very clever idea and then they remember their trip to Disney every time they open the book to read it.

Also - the question about what order to do FL - I would say check out the super thread on MM. (I'm not sure how to paste the link) The advice found there can also be applied to doing FL first on a regular day. I know I used it to write out my ride order spreadsheet for our trip (yes - please don't mock - I have a ride order spreadsheet made up) and mine says the advice was

Peter Pan
Dumbo
Alice / Toad
Carousel / Tea Cups
Snow White / Pinocchio (these I am told generally have smaller lines throughout the day)

 

[mommyof2boys1girl]

If meeting characters is a big thing, do character meals. Also be on the lookout when park opens - on the right hand side (perhaps both sides), characters are usually found. PFF is a MUST for the little princess, perhaps even if you do go to Ariel's for the princess meal. By doing Ariel's and PFF, dd got to see Cinderella, Snow White, Mulan, Aurora, and Ariel, of course. At PFF, we saw Belle, Ariel again and Tiana. Then we caught Jasmine at the Oasis. Also plan on Pixie Hollow if she's at all into Tink or her friends.

Bring transport for all children under 10! We had a double stroller and an Ergo carrier. Kids aged 3, 5 and 7 all got tired - 7 and 5 yr old rode in stroller to/from hotel, 3 yr old rode in carrier. Made for easier commutes.
Bring snacks.
Don't be afraid to ask nearby CM's for nearest bathroom locations!
Bribe your children - we rewarded ours each day for good behaviour by allowing them to pick a pin or treat or other small item - worked like a charm! They'd start to act up, and we'd say "I guess no one wants their present today", or "too bad your brother will get to pick something and you won't..." Did the trick!
Take breaks - we went hard the first day, and regretted it! Exhaustion is cumulative - the more tired you are, the less tolerant/more cranky everyone gets, and you don't want to have everyone melt down at the same time (like we did!)

 

[Tablefor5]

These are all great hints!
Must do PP first. Take breaks midday, even if it's just walking out of the park to DTD if you can't make it back to a hotel. Double stroller-YES!
I will also mention something I learned from this board before my last trip with kids. Take ziploc bags and/or small tuperware containers for leftover food. These work much better than the take-out containers from most resturants. We used a small soft cooler with ice packs to keep food cool (and to bring in snacks/water) until we got back to the hotel. This saved some $ for late night snacks back at the hotel!!!
Have a magical time!

 

[DizNee Luver]

We've taken a number of trips when the kids were 2 & 3. We got to the park before opening & took full advantage of the smaller crowds, gathered FP's to use later in the day, did Fantasyland first (this area stays busy from opening to closing), took breaks in the downstairs seating area of the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country. The kids love to watch the ducks & boats go by. We also found the kids loved to run around between the parks (in the esplanade). We found taking a break from the sun & sounds in the lobby of the GCH was devine!! We've never stayed at this hotel, but use the lobby quite often for feeding our twins.
Take nap breaks in the afternoon to one refresh yourself & kiddos but also to avoid the heat of the day & the large crowds.
Keep in mind that DL is a sensory overload....even for kids that are not normally affected by this. You'll find that the music on the rides is very loud (something we didn't pay any attention too until we got the diagnosis of autism on our twins).
The character meals are a great way to guarantee your child will actually see one up close & get an autograph. There are characters all over the parks, but we have had distraught kids after standing in line to have the character leave before we made it up to them.

Pretty much let the little ones guide you in what & how much you do.....if you're keyed into their reactions, you'll have a wonderful time!! If the kids aren't stressed......you won't be either.

Have a great time!!!

 

[DisneyMom70]

My advice...relax and enjoy. Try to not get too hung up on scheduling as well. My LOs are 4 and 1.5. As much as we try to get them to nap at their normal naptime, sometimes they (mainly DD) are too excited. I used to get stressed because they weren't falling asleep when I wanted them too (or when they really needed too). I am a stickler for our schedule at home. Go ahead and try, but if they won't sleep, you have to be flexible. Maybe they will fall asleep later or it might mean cutting the day a little shorter.

Also, the a great thing we did was stock up on the light up necklaces and bracelets at the dollar store. Gave a pack or two of 15 to DD each night. We had them all over, and she had so much fun sharing them with other children near us. Much cheaper than the Disney ones, and it was a great sharing opportunity for her.

 

[jen7233]

I plan to take a break from the park around midday for a hopeful nap, plan to bring my own umbrella stroller, a backpack, plenty of sunscreen, change of clothes for the boys, packing my own snacks..still considering the rest of the list!