Needs some help from the preschool set experts...

[ruthies12]

I noticed that you said she is renting a double stroller, if she plans on the 2 year old napping in it she may want to rethink that. It will be very difficult for the 2 year old to nap on that hard plastic. Depending on how many days she needs she may be better off price wise with buying a double stroller. Tell her to start looking in second hand shops for a double, even if it is just for the trip it may be worth it, was to me.

 

[1stvisit0909]

I noticed that you said she is renting a double stroller, if she plans on the 2 year old napping in it she may want to rethink that. It will be very difficult for the 2 year old to nap on that hard plastic. Depending on how many days she needs she may be better off price wise with buying a double stroller. Tell her to start looking in second hand shops for a double, even if it is just for the trip it may be worth it, was to me.

She's renting a Citi Mini GT from stroller rental, not the parks stroller

 

[1stvisit0909]

Our kids were not quite 2 and 5 on our first trip. I'd definitely head them straight to Fantasyland. It just feels like Disney and the kids are the right age. Skip them past the crazy stuff and go for the classics...I'd do Peter Pan, Pooh, then Dumbo, and Under the Sea (in that order) and maybe throw in the Barnstormer for the 4 year old. Then move to characters...Ariel blew my son's mind when we met her in mermaid form in 2012 when he was not quite 3. Because OMGLOOKMOMIT'SAREALMERMAID! Plus, she's a face character so it's a good way to start them off. Hit IASW and the Carrousel later in the morning. And totally encourage them to leave the park by noon not necessarily for a nap, but rather for a swim. They can come back for the 3:00 parade and then CRT.

I like this plan. I know she MUST meet A&E (and with a FP) they could come back another day for that one.

 

[nat8199]

I went with two 2yos and an almost-4yo last trip. My kids napped in the stroller every day. We stayed in the parks until dinner and then went back for bed. That plan worked for us and could really work for them. The one or two days we went back to the resort earlier than dinner we ended up just staying there. Getting back to the parks was too much work and we were at BLT!

 

[cel_disney]

I went with two 2yos and an almost-4yo last trip. My kids napped in the stroller every day. We stayed in the parks until dinner and then went back for bed. That plan worked for us and could really work for them. The one or two days we went back to the resort earlier than dinner we ended up just staying there. Getting back to the parks was too much work and we were at BLT!

We have never had trouble going back but we usually have an ADR or fireworks as a motivator. I cant imagine spending money and not taking part in evening activities there. I like it when we go back mid day, take a shower while the kids nap/rest and update what is in our bag - for kids that age, I always had extra clothes and I would swap them out for PJs and change in the park before they fell asleep (in the park, stroller, bus, car - wherever!), and we would lighten the bag not needing to carry sunscreen etc because the 4pm application in our room would suffice etc. Replace the frozen washcloths with new ones to wipe off the sweat before 6:30 dinner etc...we always try to do the nighttime shows and really like the cooler (post thunderstorm) evening.

 

[Aurora0427]

We always go back mid day and go back in the evening. Evenings provide some of the best entertainment, and we love the restaurants. Being stuck in the room from 7pm on just doesn't feel like fun to me. My child is also not a stroller napper. We also dislike being in the parks during the busiest and hottest parts of the day. We did it when it was just us, but with little kids I think it's hard.

If you stay onsite I think it's relatively easy to get back to the parks, especially if you're at a MK or Epcot resort.

 

[Aurora0427]

She's renting a Citi Mini GT from stroller rental, not the parks stroller

We rent from Kingdom Strollers every time we go, and it is the best decision!

 

[nat8199]

We have never had trouble going back but we usually have an ADR or fireworks as a motivator. I cant imagine spending money and not taking part in evening activities there. I like it when we go back mid day, take a shower while the kids nap/rest and update what is in our bag - for kids that age, I always had extra clothes and I would swap them out for PJs and change in the park before they fell asleep (in the park, stroller, bus, car - wherever!), and we would lighten the bag not needing to carry sunscreen etc because the 4pm application in our room would suffice etc. Replace the frozen washcloths with new ones to wipe off the sweat before 6:30 dinner etc...we always try to do the nighttime shows and really like the cooler (post thunderstorm) evening.

My kids sleep 6pm to 6am. The evening entertainment simply isn't an option for us. We pushed the bedtime back to 7-7:30 while we were there, but they were still up by 6:15. That is why we make the most of the 12 hours they are awake with pre-park character breakfasts, RD, and no afternoon breaks.

I am HOPING that when we head back in 2018 and the kids will be 7/7/8 we MIGHT be able to see some night time stuff.

Every family is different. Different schedules work well for different families.