New to the boards...first time back to DL in 10 years...have a few questions.

[Keyframer30]

I’ve used one with all of my kids year round in SoCal and never felt overheated. A hot day is a hot day, but to me a tiny human sweating on you is hot whether you carry them or wear them.

Thanks for the insight!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I have a 3-year-old and we visit frequently. I think that for most lines it's not not feasible to join up at the end anyway never mind if it's rude or not. I know my child and I know how long he can wait. I suggest starting out waiting in lines that are no longer than 10-15 minutes to see how your child does. If you download the Disneyland app to your phone it tells you the wait times for all the attractions (however, it an be wrong, so definitely check the sign at the front of the attraction where you enter the line). I usually bring a snack or something special for longer lines. Your child may or may not like all the rides, so definitely let him lead when it comes to doing things, and start off with some gentle/easy rides or rides that you know he loves the teaming (for instance in Carsland).

Feed your child frequently (real food as much as you can rather than sugar and junky snacks). A well-fed toddler at Disneyland is far less prone to meltdowns. We pack a ton of food and snacks (sandwiches, fruit, veggies, crackers, applesauce, string cheese, etc) and also attempt to get at least one really solid meal with protein in during the day (grilled chicken and rice, grilled chicken skewers, bean and cheese burritos, even a hotdog). I am a firm believer in enough food (and the right kind of food) being one of the keys to a pleasant day with a toddler at DL.

If your boy is recently pottytrained and not totally reliable you might consider Pullups for the day. My friend's daughter had an accident in one of the boats on Pirates when we got backed up and had to wait a long time to exit the ride. They were both soaked. On that note, bring an extra shirt, pants and socks for your boy (and maybe a shirt for you). It never fails that we need a wardrobe change at some point due to food or something.

Respect your kid's mood. If he is cranky, exhausted, melting down or just needs downtime or a nap, skip the rides, parades and shows and find someplace quiet to chill for a while (indoors if it's hot). Also if it's hot, there are two splash pads in DCA (one is in Bugsland and one is near the pier--this one is only open in summer). A change of clothes comes in handy for this too. They must wear shoes in the splash pads so some water shoes or flip flops are good.

Also encourage him to drink lots of fluids. My boy definitely needs me to remind him or he will get dehydrated. He is just having too much fun to remember to drink enough water.

I hope you have an amazing visit. We have the best time together at Disneyland! It is really magical to go with your young child.

 

[Keyframer30]

I have a 3-year-old and we visit frequently. I think that for most lines it's not not feasible to join up at the end anyway never mind if it's rude or not. I know my child and I know how long he can wait. I suggest starting out waiting in lines that are no longer than 10-15 minutes to see how your child does. If you download the Disneyland app to your phone it tells you the wait times for all the attractions (however, it an be wrong, so definitely check the sign at the front of the attraction where you enter the line). I usually bring a snack or something special for longer lines. Your child may or may not like all the rides, so definitely let him lead when it comes to doing things, and start off with some gentle/easy rides or rides that you know he loves the teaming (for instance in Carsland).

Feed your child frequently (real food as much as you can rather than sugar and junky snacks). A well-fed toddler at Disneyland is far less prone to meltdowns. We pack a ton of food and snacks (sandwiches, fruit, veggies, crackers, applesauce, string cheese, etc) and also attempt to get at least one really solid meal with protein in during the day (grilled chicken and rice, grilled chicken skewers, bean and cheese burritos, even a hotdog). I am a firm believer in enough food (and the right kind of food) being one of the keys to a pleasant day with a toddler at DL.

If your boy is recently pottytrained and not totally reliable you might consider Pullups for the day. My friend's daughter had an accident in one of the boats on Pirates when we got backed up and had to wait a long time to exit the ride. They were both soaked. On that note, bring an extra shirt, pants and socks for your boy (and maybe a shirt for you). It never fails that we need a wardrobe change at some point due to food or something.

Respect your kid's mood. If he is cranky, exhausted, melting down or just needs downtime or a nap, skip the rides, parades and shows and find someplace quiet to chill for a while (indoors if it's hot). Also if it's hot, there are two splash pads in DCA (one is in Bugsland and one is near the pier--this one is only open in summer). A change of clothes comes in handy for this too. They must wear shoes in the splash pads so some water shoes or flip flops are good.

Also encourage him to drink lots of fluids. My boy definitely needs me to remind him or he will get dehydrated. He is just having too much fun to remember to drink enough water.

I hope you have an amazing visit. We have the best time together at Disneyland! It is really magical to go with your young child.

Thanks for the tips SOCALMouseMommy! Will definitely keep this in mind when we are there! Hopefully he'll love it and it'll be the start of yearly trips to DL for our family!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Another tip about waiting in lines: since you have a while until your trip dates, start practicing good line skills now. We did this with our two for all our trips. After all, you wait in lines everywhere anyway, e.g. supermarket, post office, mall, etc., so why not make it a game? We would "practice" waiting for rides and reward for good behavior. Poor behavior, like whining, hitting each other, touching other people, starting a melt down, not listening to Mom or Dad, etc., was addressed with removal from the line and an appropriate consequence. (And, as a pp stated, they did come to understand quite quickly that removal from the line at DLR meant no ride.) Even as toddlers, they understood the game and got very good at playing (especially if a Disney trip was in the works!). As a trip got closer, they received tokens for good line behavior. The tokens were to be used at the parks for treats or fun things that we knew they liked. We even had characters play the game. Handlers were told about their good behavior and the character would give verbal or mimed praise. Totally agree with SOCALMM's advice above -- especially about knowing your child's limits. Start practicing with short lines, even with just one or two minutes. Then build up. You'll be amazed at what a champ he'll be by September.

 

[Keyframer30]

Another tip about waiting in lines: since you have a while until your trip dates, start practicing good line skills now. We did this with our two for all our trips. After all, you wait in lines everywhere anyway, e.g. supermarket, post office, mall, etc., so why not make it a game? We would "practice" waiting for rides and reward for good behavior. Poor behavior, like whining, hitting each other, touching other people, starting a melt down, not listening to Mom or Dad, etc., was addressed with removal from the line and an appropriate consequence. (And, as a pp stated, they did come to understand quite quickly that removal from the line at DLR meant no ride.) Even as toddlers, they understood the game and got very good at playing (especially if a Disney trip was in the works!). As a trip got closer, they received tokens for good line behavior. The tokens were to be used at the parks for treats or fun things that we knew they liked. We even had characters play the game. Handlers were told about their good behavior and the character would give verbal or mimed praise. Totally agree with SOCALMM's advice above -- especially about knowing your child's limits. Start practicing with short lines, even with just one or two minutes. Then build up. You'll be amazed at what a champ he'll be by September.

Thanks for the tips luckyrabbit. I just might start training my kid to be "DisneyReady"

 

[JohnR5101]

#4: Just a caution about early morning from GC to DTD to get to the main entrances. We tried to do that last Sept for early morning and found that the GC security point into DTD was VERY backed up (into the hotel lobby) about 15 min before the park entry time. Bad planning on our part. They only have 2 security lines there and you need to get there early to get through in time. We chose to go out the hotel front entrance, walk around to the DH checkpoint area and go through there because they have about 10 or 12 lines at that location.

 

[Keyframer30]

#4: Just a caution about early morning from GC to DTD to get to the main entrances. We tried to do that last Sept for early morning and found that the GC security point into DTD was VERY backed up (into the hotel lobby) about 15 min before the park entry time. Bad planning on our part. They only have 2 security lines there and you need to get there early to get through in time. We chose to go out the hotel front entrance, walk around to the DH checkpoint area and go through there because they have about 10 or 12 lines at that location.

Awesome tip JohnR5!. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[tarheelalum]

I don't think Pixar Pier is going to be that big of a deal. They are really just putting some lipstick on the pig. No real money going into it or any significant changes coming with it. Probably be a bit of a bump at first but nothing that big. Have a great time.

 

[DLfan4]

i have never been to DL in September, but i hear that is is similar to mid -January when we go. We only used 1 Fastpass when we went ( for World of Color) but otherwise, all the lines seemed managable to us. and we had kids between 2 - 8 years old. there were only 2 rides ( peter pan and Indiana jones) there were long when we went in january

so i think september will be a good time to go, and shorter lines

 

[disneylover102]

I can’t answer your other questions, but in answer to 3, don’t do that. I extremely dislike people squeezing in front of me in line. Plus, squeezing through the whole line would take a long time and be really annoying for your family as well.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Disney announced this past week that Pixar Fest will end Sept. 3rd, so make sure to check the entertainment schedule for changes during your trip dates.

 

[jjpet]

In regards to #3:

If your child is having a meltdown, that is akin to a 'bathroom emergency' in every sense, and it is absolutely reasonable to pull your kiddo out of line, help them calm down, and re-enter the line as they are able. On the way out of the line, make sure to check with a cast member about it on the way 'out' and they'll surely let you back in (as they have done for us several times). If others are upset about it... oh well. You don't owe it to everyone else there to keep your child from enjoying rides because of the line up... and if it is repeatedly becoming a problem, you can also talk to guest services about getting a special pass to book ride times to avoid the longer waits.

My son has special needs, we use the special access pass. We adamantly do not abuse that privilege and try to spend as much time in line ups as he can tolerate because we are always trying to teach him. There is always someone in a line up who will give us a dirty look or make a rude remark... so at a certain point, if you've done what you can, then that's enough. Please don't listen to anyone suggesting that your child has to 'not' go on rides just to appease the impatience of others. Its Disneyland!

(Not suggesting your child has special needs... just wanting to use our experience as an example.)

 

[drjackal31]

I watched a parent waiting in line hold a coloring book and gave the little girl markers to amuse herself in line. I thought it was a good idea. Not having kids myself I never would have thought about it.

 

[chickapin parterre]

I watched a parent waiting in line hold a coloring book and gave the little girl markers to amuse herself in line. I thought it was a good idea. Not having kids myself I never would have thought about it.

it is a great idea, along with the stroller concept....don't even have to be parents to a child...think back on your experience of boredom....for me, in the 1960s, it was 30 min church sermons and sit down restaurants waiting hours for our meals....sheer torture....I am happy to see that churches have color packets for children during worship and restaurants have colors and paper.

 

[azdisneylover]

I suggest getting Maxpass. This might help with the waiting in line for some of the rides. The waiting in line is a perfect opportunity to teach your child to wait his or her turn. Try to be there when the park opens. Stick to any nap schedule you have going now, so everyone will be well rested and happy to be around.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

In regards to #3:

If your child is having a meltdown, that is akin to a 'bathroom emergency' in every sense, and it is absolutely reasonable to pull your kiddo out of line, help them calm down, and re-enter the line as they are able. On the way out of the line, make sure to check with a cast member about it on the way 'out' and they'll surely let you back in (as they have done for us several times). If others are upset about it... oh well. You don't owe it to everyone else there to keep your child from enjoying rides because of the line up... and if it is repeatedly becoming a problem, you can also talk to guest services about getting a special pass to book ride times to avoid the longer waits.

My son has special needs, we use the special access pass. We adamantly do not abuse that privilege and try to spend as much time in line ups as he can tolerate because we are always trying to teach him. There is always someone in a line up who will give us a dirty look or make a rude remark... so at a certain point, if you've done what you can, then that's enough. Please don't listen to anyone suggesting that your child has to 'not' go on rides just to appease the impatience of others. Its Disneyland!

(Not suggesting your child has special needs... just wanting to use our experience as an example.)

There is a big difference between disability and deliberate disobedience. Helping and supporting special needs or limited ability is not in any way the same thing as rewarding poor behavior. I'm glad to read that DAS has been a helpful tool at DLR for your son and also glad to hear that you do not abuse that privilege. However, there are too many people who did abuse the previous program (which is why it had to be changed) and there are people who abuse the current program because they think it is for skipping lines and getting shorter wait times. (I've spoken with CMs about this -- the problem is very real.) As you noted, the OP has not in any way suggested that his son has a disability or an inability with waiting in lines. All children struggle in some way or other with the concept of waiting their turn for things. Just as you want others to trust that you know what's best for your child when you take him out of a line for whatever reason, let's all extend that same grace to other parents here. Let's trust that the parents here want and know what's best for their children at Disneyland or anywhere else.

 

[Keyframer30]

This has all been great info and tips. Thank for all that chimed in!

Got a pretty good plan of attack now...

Start training the kid to deal with lineups.
Pack distractions for when in line.
Hopefully crowds will be "moderate" right after Labor Day...even though some attractions might be gone/down.
Don't hold places in line. Pull kid out if having meltdown.
Use Maxpass.
Use EMH & Ropedrop.
Don't use GC DCA entrance for EMH.

Thanks all!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Wait until about two or three weeks before your trip, then get a good height measurement for your son (standing up straight and we always used bare feet, just to be safe -- if the kids were tall enough in bare feet, they certainly would be tall enough in sneakers). Go to the DLR website or use the app to get the height measurements for the rides that have them. And train your son about being measured. Some kids shy away from the measuring stick (which can look different at various rides) and therefore don't measure accurately, even when they really are tall enough for a ride. Teach him not to slouch or jut his chin up. The CMs just want him to look straight ahead and stand up straight with both feet flat on the ground. And if you know his height ahead of your trip, you'll know which rides to skip ahead of time (thus avoiding any heartache).