Need all the help I can get

[Momma_Katie]

So my husband and I will be traveling to WDW Dec 3rd thru the 7th. We will be bringing our 2 year old little boy with us. So give us all the tips, tricks and ideas you have.

We need ideas for dining options that would work well for us. Our son has several food allergies is Disney good about this or no?

What character Dinners/lunches/breakfasts are the best?

Should you bring your own stroller or rent one?

Is Downtown Disney free to get in or do you have to pay? We are looking at going to the ESPN zone but not sure if we want to if we have to pay.

What is the best option for park tickets, we are thinking of just going to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.

Any Tips, Tricks or info you can give us is great.

Also, we are staying off site but will have our own car for transportation.

We are totally clueless that is the 3 of us right now!!!!

Katie

 

[ElementCamper]

So my husband and I will be traveling to WDW Dec 3rd thru the 7th. We will be bringing our 2 year old little boy with us. So give us all the tips, tricks and ideas you have.

We need ideas for dining options that would work well for us. Our son has several food allergies is Disney good about this or no?

What character Dinners/lunches/breakfasts are the best?

Should you bring your own stroller or rent one?

Is Downtown Disney free to get in or do you have to pay? We are looking at going to the ESPN zone but not sure if we want to if we have to pay.

What is the best option for park tickets, we are thinking of just going to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.

Any Tips, Tricks or info you can give us is great.

Also, we are staying off site but will have our own car for transportation.

We are totally clueless that is the 3 of us right now!!!!

Katie

Lots of questions, most of these are answered in several different forums on this board.

The first thing you want to do is try search function. This will pull up the threads that are related to your searches.

For example, allergy or food allergy: Disney is wonderful about this, there is information on the board how to go about contacting Disney and making special arrangements. The chef at each restaurant will be happy to work with you on allergies.

Replies to these questions would require writing a book (hey, there are books too!), break them down to single questions and put them in the appropriate threads, that makes it easier for you to get quick replies. Search function can often find these without having to wait on someone to get back to you.

Enjoy your trip, the DIS is here to help!

 

[Ldynred812]

I would attempt to book a character breakfast/lunch/dinner NOW!!! I recommend buying Birnbaum's book for WDW. It is imformative and not too overwhelming.

Also, I have a 3.5 yr old and we are leaving in 23 days!! We are taking our own smaller stroller. Renting one was going to cost 80 bucks for the week and I want to have it at the airport/resort etc.

Good luck planning and you are going to LOVE IT!! Been there 6 times myself and this is my first time going as a parent!!

 

[ZoZo]

Welcome to the DIS! I have two suggestions:

1) Get a good guidebook; I recommend the Unofficial Guide. It will answer many of the questions you have.

2) Rather than asking so many questions in one post, I have found it easier (after I did my initial research with my guidebook, and read through posts on the DIS) to ask one question at a time, in separate posts. There's lots of good information that's already out there on the DIS, and the search function helps you find threads that apply to your question. [And, to be perfectly honest, it's kind of overwhelming for us to respond to so many questions on so many different topics in one post. In my experience, you'll probably get more respones if you ask for input on one question at a time.]

Hope this helps! I have found this chat board very valuable, but would recommend that you do some research on your own, too. The answers to many of your questions are out there!

 

[marshmellow86]

Our son has several food allergies is Disney good about this or no?

Disney is awesome about accomodating food allergies. The chef will even come out and discuss your needs with you. Recommend calling ahead and talking to Disney ahead of time. If you could plan your restaurants ahead of time, then they can plan any special needs much easier for you

[/QUOTE]What character Dinners/lunches/breakfasts are the best?[/QUOTE]

Numerous different options on this one. We have taken our 6 year old to Chef Mickeys EVERY year for her birthday. In my opinion, it has been slipping in quality and service over the years, though the price is increasing. This past Sept was HORRIBLE. We have had good experiences at Crystal Palace in MK (pooh, tigger, piglet, eyore) and 1900 Park Faire at Grand Floridian (characters vary between breakfast and dinner, check the website for more info on which ones are there). O'hana character breakfast is good. My kids like the Garden Grill in Epcot for dinner (chip, dale, mickey) - the restaurant also rotates, so that is different.

[/QUOTE]Should you bring your own stroller or rent one?[/QUOTE]
Definitely BRING your own. I think it is around $12 / day to rent and they are hard plastic and not much storage space. Bring snacks and a cooler of drinks and store under the stroller. Saves a ton of money. Also pack rain jackets and store in the stroller. ponchos in the park are expensive and FL has a lot of rain.

[/QUOTE]Is Downtown Disney free to get in or do you have to pay? [/QUOTE]
free

 

[Alesia]

One important thing to note: ESPN Zone is at the Boardwalk (which is also free,) not Downtown Disney.

 

[hillview]

What character Dinners/lunches/breakfasts are the best?

I like Chef Mickey's the best.

Should you bring your own stroller or rent one?

I bring my own.

What is the best option for park tickets, we are thinking of just going to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.

Sort of depends on how long you are going for. Expect most time to be spent at MK IMO.
/hillary

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

I have severe food allergies and carry several epi pens on me at all times, and I feel very safe eating at Disney World. Disney is absolutely amazing about allergies, both at restaurants and at counter service spots. When my mother and I went in February, the head chef from each restaurant came directly to our table with a pad and pen, sat down with me and went over every item on the menu that I could have. Every one wrote down what I wanted and also ensured me that they personally would make my meal. They told me how they would prepare my food (which pans, which cutlery they would use and in which area of the kitchens they would prepare it in).

The Counter Service spots have ingredient books behind the counter that you can ask to see. Each item lists the ingredients and what the food may have come into contact with.

 

[Tricia's mom]

So my husband and I will be traveling to WDW Dec 3rd thru the 7th. We will be bringing our 2 year old little boy with us. So give us all the tips, tricks and ideas you have.
We have traveled from NY to WDW 3 times withour DD last year on her 2nd birthday.

We need ideas for dining options that would work well for us. Our son has several food allergies is Disney good about this or no?
don't know much about this but from what I have read, they are great just let them know in advance..GET ADR's

What character Dinners/lunches/breakfasts are the best?
Depends on what his favorite characters are?? With a 2 year old it might be a good idea to pick one that is not in a park (Like Chef Mickeys at the contemp) and make the character meal a special day paired with swimming. I found to many days in the parks were a bit to much for a little one. NO ONE could have told me other wise. I needed to find it out for myself.

Should you bring your own stroller or rent one?Bring your own

Is Downtown Disney free to get in or do you have to pay? We are looking at going to the ESPN zone but not sure if we want to if we have to pay.
DTD is free and great for strolling around, food and shopping. ESPN zone is at the boardwalk also great for strolling at night great atmosphere.
What is the best option for park tickets, we are thinking of just going to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.
That sounds like a good plan. 2 days maybe just enough as I said before. Keep in mind Animal kingdom get crowded due to the fact that is designed poorly. But the bone yard is a great place for little ones to burn energy , they have a vibrant parade, and affection station to feed and pet animals.JUST GET IN EARLY !! It gets crowded and for some reason that park is 10 degrees hotter than any other ???
Magic kingdom- What can I say ??

Any Tips, Tricks or info you can give us is great.
Keep snacks and drinks on hand, try not to pack EVERYTHING to take into the park other wise you as the MOM will feel like you spent your vacation as a pack mule.
Does your DS still Nap ?? If so stick to it if you can. Don't push him . As much as you are anticipating this wonderful trip it helped us to remeber this trip was for DD and if she wanted to stop and watch a squirrel for 15 mintues...so be it. Go at his pace,not a hurried schedule.



Also, we are staying off site but will have our own car for transportation.That's great that you have a car..you can stop at the grocery to pick up special dietray snacks. and a case of water !!

We are totally clueless that is the 3 of us right now!!!!
don't be confused just pick up what ever tips you can here on the boards and remeber you have to adapt them to your family.

Katie

Have fun. Planning is part of the fun. -Janet

 

[happymommy]

So my husband and I will be traveling to WDW Dec 3rd thru the 7th. We will be bringing our 2 year old little boy with us. So give us all the tips, tricks and ideas you have.

We need ideas for dining options that would work well for us. Our son has several food allergies is Disney good about this or no?

YES! They are the best vacation spot for food allergies. My son has food allergies, and we were so overwhelmed with how well he could safely eat there, that it is one of the reasons I've taken my children there so many times! His allergist, Dr. Robert Wood, even mentions Disney specifically in his book, "Food Allergies for Dummies", as he hears so frequently of his patients returning again and again there. Just be sure to ask for an ingredient list at a counter service restaurant, or at a sit down place, mention it to your server and a chef will come speak to you.



What character Dinners/lunches/breakfasts are the best?

We don't care so much for those, as our daughter was frightened of them a bit when she was 2. We did have a breakfast at Cape May Cafe that was a character one, though, last year, and the food was surprisingly very very good. It was a last minute decision to eat there.


Should you bring your own stroller or rent one?


Bring one that you little one can nap in!



Is Downtown Disney free to get in or do you have to pay? We are looking at going to the ESPN zone but not sure if we want to if we have to pay.


Downtown Disney is a huge and very nice shopping (well, we're not so into the shops but the Disney store there is huge and fun) and dining (great places) complex. It is free. ESPN zone is on the Boardwalk (I know someone else said this already, sorry!). I have never been there, but my husband went for a lunch one day. I wouldn't bother with it, as really just a short stroll away is the World Showcase in Epcot, with so many great dining choices.



What is the best option for park tickets, we are thinking of just going to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.


We like park hoppers. On a day that we go to the Magic Kingdom, we usually hop over to Epcot for dinner. We find the Magic Kingdom gets fairly crowded, and would rather do two short mornings there than one long day. Also, if you like some wine or beer with dinner, only the Magic Kingdom does not serve alcohol of any kind. In Epcot, you can get a beer from one country and stroll around with it! It is fun. I cannot imagine not going to Epcot - it's my kids' favorite park at Disney! We also like the food much better at the other parks or resorts than at the Magic Kingdom. Just our opinion.

Any Tips, Tricks or info you can give us is great.

Also, we are staying off site but will have our own car for transportation.

We are totally clueless that is the 3 of us right now!!!!

Katie

I also recommend the Unofficial Guidebook to Disney. The official one is colorful and cute, but really is more of a travel brochure. I do recommend some planning, as it is a big place. You won't see it all, so don't try. We never did autographs, but a few times when there wasn't a line, my kids would get a photo with a character as they got older. I just really don't have a lot of patience for waiting in line to see a character.

You can still go have a meal at a Disney resort - that is fun! We've enjoyed Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and some other places, I forget right this second. It is also fun to see the huge gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian resort!

 

[ktlm]

Disney is great about food allergies- at least the table service restaurants are. As far as character meals, if you don't already have them booked, you may be out of luck. Those book up really fast. You should get on the Disney website and see if you can get any ADRs (reservations) for any. If you are lucky, you may be able to pick up a cancellation. You are going during a "free dining" promotion time ( a special deal that was offered for people staying at Disney resorts), which means that you may have trouble getting into any table service restaurants if you don't have ADRS. In addition to looking for character meals, I would be looking for any table service meals which are available. Allears.net has a listing of all the restaurants, where they are, and their menus and prices.

We took our 2 year old daughter last December. It was wonderful. She had a great time and she loved the character meals. Aside from the Princess meals, she really likes Crystal Palace (Pooh) at MK. The Tusker House breakfast at AK was really good too. I would bring your own stroller- they are much more comfortable than the rentals. Also, how much park time, depends on your kid. My kid would not have stood for a break from the parks for a whole day or even a few hours. We went to a park every day for a week, from pretty much open to close. The only time she had a melt down was the 1st day when we tried to get her to leave the park for a nap- that only got us a very angry kid who wouldn't sleep. We learned really quick that stroller naps in the park worked best for us. If we had got up in the morning and even suggested not going to a park, it would have been ugly. She was generally at the hotel room door with her stroller before we were ready to go.

 

[klacey1]

So my husband and I will be traveling to WDW Dec 3rd thru the 7th. We will be bringing our 2 year old little boy with us. So give us all the tips, tricks and ideas you have.

We need ideas for dining options that would work well for us. Our son has several food allergies is Disney good about this or no?
Disney is GREAT about allergies. Tend towards buffets-- those will have the most choices to keep the three of you happy

What character Dinners/lunches/breakfasts are the best?
Table service breakfasts-- Crystal Palace in the MK (Works for lunch, too!) and Ohana at the Polynesian resort. As far as Counter Service lunches, Cosmic Rays in the MK and Pizzafari in AK (if those are the only parks you're visiting)
Should you bring your own stroller or rent one?
Bring your own.

Is Downtown Disney free to get in or do you have to pay? We are looking at going to the ESPN zone but not sure if we want to if we have to pay.
DTD is free, but ESPN Zone is on the Boardwalk, not in DTD. You don't have to pay to get on the Boardwalk, though

What is the best option for park tickets, we are thinking of just going to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.
If it's your first time, park hoppers probably aren't needed. Get 5 or 6 day passes, visit the MK and AK on the first days. If you want to go back to them, go back. If you've gotten bored, you can go to Epcot or DHS. DHS has some great things for young kids-- Voyage of the Little Mermaid has great scenery, and there's a fun Playhouse Disney show (and character breakfast!). The tickets aren't park-specific, so you don't have to KNOW you're only going to two of the parks in advance

Any Tips, Tricks or info you can give us is great.
Don't push yourself or your son. If you feel yourselves or him growing tired, leave, go back to your hotel to rest and come back. Also don't feel the need to do everything. It's just impossible!

Also, we are staying off site but will have our own car for transportation.

We are totally clueless that is the 3 of us right now!!!!

Katie

See the red! PM if you have any other questions!

 

[alaska8]

Hello
My son has a severe egg allergy. I emailed disney beforehand and got some great information as to what food he could and couldnt eat. We were not doing any sit down meals so it was great to get information on what snacks he could eat which lessoned the dissappointment.