New Here and going to WDW for 1st time!

[ldsdragongirl]

I am so excited about going to WDW for the first time. I have been wanting to go since I was little. I have a 20 month old little girl and was wondering if anyone has any tips or advice about going to WDW for the first time with a little one.

Thanks
Terri

 

[THESCHULTZFIVE]

Hi and welcome! I was new here 2 wks ago and as you can see from my # of posts, I come here often. I've never taken a 20 mo. old, but my now 3 y/o was 12 mo. when she went the first time. When are you going? I'd see just take your time and enjoy!!! If you go when it's hot(when isn't it hot?) maybe take a break at the pool. Wear comfortable shoes! Just the basics. have a great trip!!

 

[all4fun]

My advice: stay on Disney property if you can, bring a stroller that reclines and has a decent canopy, and use the baby care centers. This site: www.allearsnet.com has a lot of helpful planning info and also says where the baby care centers are located, if you're interested. They're easy to find though - just pick up a map on the way into the park.

hth!
Cheryl

 

[ldsdragongirl]

We are going at the end of May. So my dd will be 22 months old. I am so excited and can't wait.

Terri

 

[ldsdragongirl]

Thanks guys for all your help so far!

 

[EthansMom]

Here's a piece of advice widely espoused by the DISers who go with young children: get out of the parks in the afternoon and head back to the hotel for a nap and/or pool break. This works best if you stay on-site.

But the basic schedule that most people like is to be at the park at opening and do as many attractions/shows etc. as possible, then stop for lunch (either in or out of park) and then head back to the hotel for an afternoon break, head back to a park (park hop to a different park, if desired, to see a particular show) either for dinner or just after and stay until after you've seen a night-time show. When you plan to go to Early Entry for a park, make sure to get to bed early the night before.

The parks tend to get busier during late morning and so you'll avoid more of the crowds. When we had just the one young child, I would head back to the hotel and nap with our son while DH would stay at the park and get in one or two or the adult rides. DH would then meet us back at the hotel in time for dinner.

Also, ask to use "Babyswap" on rides that you and DH both want to go on. You can combine Babyswap with Fastpass to avoid long lines for both of you.

Definitely get at least one Priority Seating reservation for a character meal.

Take your own snacks, juice boxes and candy. Learned on our first trip that you can't just buy one small lollipop -- you can buy one gargantuan lollipop or several small lollipops, but not just one small one, at WDW. It's great to have some snacks as a hold-them-over when you've got a bit before mealtime.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[SKELATOR THE PIRATE]

Nap time....Break time....Slow time....Go have a blast......Having taken a 13 month old to DL same one at 25 months to WDW along with older sibling(2 1/2 years older...3 1/2 at DL and 4 1/2 at WDW) that is my best advise. Avoid the Park Commando syndrome.....

PS the Park Commando Syndrome is the one where you try to do everything at the parks..

 

[Msslaydbug]

We always bring our own stroller. One that reclines like someone else mentioned. We bought a rather expensive one that was our "Disney stroller: but if you figure you are in the parks for about 7 days plus add up the amount of money you are spending on a rental. Plus - those rental ones look SO uncomfortable to me !!

We always return to the hotel to take a break. We rest nap shower, and sometimes swim. We are always so refreshed by the evening. This is the only way to do it.

This will be our first trip with our DD in May - she will be 8mo

 

[mommystieg]

DD#2 was 26 months old the first time we visited WDW. To help prepare her for meeting the characters I bought her some of the live action Disney sing along videos. These videos are filmed around WDW and Disneyland and show the characters interacting with kids. She also loved watching the vacation planning video. We don't tour the parks commando style but we didn't go back to the room every afternoon. We took advantage of air conditioned attractions (Hall of Presidents, Spaceship Earth, Country Bears, etc) so she could take a nap. She also napped in her stroller -- I bought a little battery powered fan and rigged it so it attached to the stroller. Have fun!!

 

[ldsdragongirl]

Thanks guys I get more excited about going the more I hear about it from everyone!

Terri

 

[blitzkrieg048]

We've brought our 3 boys to disney when they were that age and younger, my middle son went when he was 9 months old. Staying on property is a good suggestion. If your renting a car go to a supermarket outside the park and by baby food and formula if needed. this way you don't have to pack it. Use an umbrella strooler in the parks, it's easier to manuever. Split the days at the parks in half and just do the rides your baby can go on. Leave at noon for lunch and naps thn go pack later in the evening for fireworks or just walking around Main St.(MK). Put a bottle of water in the freezer the nite before you go to a park then bring it with you the next day, stays ice cold for a while. Good Luck

 

[TJA]

We took our twin girls to WDW when they were 18 mos. old. These were some things that worked for us:

> Stay at a resort onsite as it's so easy to travel back and forth between your resort and the parks. If possible, stay at a monorail resort as you can just roll your stroller right on and off the monorail. It's very handy with little ones, especially if they're sleeping!

> Take your comfy stroller from home. Our babies are very comfortable in their own stroller, which reclines and has a canapy so they can nap in it.

> Take lots of suncreen for your little one.

> Take your little one to the children play areas at the various parks. Ours would burn off some steam there and then take a really good nap in the stroller afterward! Then hubby and I would have a nice sit-down meal while the girls napped in the stroller right at our table.

> Pack your child's favorite snacks for possible fussy times at the parks.

> Make at least one PS reservation for a character meal! Chef Mickey's is fun for the kids and one of our favorites. There is no charge for kids under age 3 at the buffets and character meals.