Packing for a two year old???

[disneygirl1977k]

Hey everybody,
I could not even tell you how many times I have been to WDW since 1982, however, this is our (DH and I) first trip with our two year old son and I am so overwhelmed thinking about what to pack for him....Would love suggestions from you parents out there on must have items and clothing suggestions (as far as 2 or 3 outfits a day) and any other things that you have to take with you....Please help give me some advice if you can....This will be his first major vacation, we are staying onsite at CSR and BC for 7 nights and I just don't know where to start and you guys have helped me make all of my decisions from character breakfasts, to what stroller to buy and also where to stay.....so I am hoping you guys will help me out again.....
Thanks a million guys,
Kristy

 

[KimWDW]

Don't forget:
-sippy cup (if he still uses them)
-snack for the plane (to give him during takeoff and landing to help with popping ears)
-SPF 45+ lotion
-a hat (maybe more than one in case one gets soaked or something)
-if he has a lovey or stuffed animal he sleeps with
-a toy he hasn't seen before for the plane -- new crayons, a new book, stickers
-sneakers/sandals/socks
-pajamas
-bathing suit & swim diapers
-your camera!

Have a great time!

 

[mel63]

My kids are a little older and I can't remember what we took with us, but here is some help. BHG.com has an interactive packing list. You select age, length of trip, weather etc, and it makes a paking list for you. Here is the link...
http://bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/10679.xml&catref=bcat328

FamilyFun has a Theme Park checklist. Here is the link...
http://familyfun.go.com/family-travel/places/feature/dony119tra4_lists/dony119tra4_lists.html also the Plane trip checklist link...
http://familyfun.go.com/family-travel/places/checklist/dony1200tra2_lists/dony1200tra2_lists.html

You can use these to help you get started. Hope this helps. Have fun.

 

[disneygirl1977k]

Thanks guys.....definately helps out a lot......Kristy

 

[tbelfonti]

definitely bring toys!!! We forgot this when we took Maddie Rose on her first trip!

 

[DMAMom]

Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination since this is our first trip with our kids - but here's what I'm bringing for my 22 month old........

First off - I got the best advice on this board - do NOT put sandels on them on the plane. The AC is pretty strong on the plane so put socks and sneakers.

Second - I have a bag in her closet that I am tossing stuff in when I think of it or buy it. Instead of doing everything last minute or having a running list - I just toss it in there. Of course it's easier for me since I'm in MA and it's still too cool here for shorts - so her stuff goes in there for our trip next month.

What I have in the bag:

Disposable sippy cups
Disposable snack bowls
Sun block
Bug Spray
Scalp Spray sun block (she's not great at keeping her hats on).
Hats
Portable fan (they have some cute ones at Walgreens - 2/$5 and they have the soft blades that don't hurt if little fingers touch them)

Then two things not yet in the bag - but on "the list":

Her blanket from her crib and her favorite lovey (in fact - she has 5, yes 5, of her favorite loveys. That way I can bring 2 on the trip and still have some here in case they get lost!!!!)

 

[monorailsilver]

I shipped some stuff ahead of time (and will do it this year too).

I counted how many diapers she used each day about a few weeks before we left. Then I added how many days we were going to be there & added one extra day of diapers plus a few extra. I shipped most of them down except for what I put in my carry-on-a day supply.

I shipped a few packages of wipes down too. I had them handy so I could wipe her hands down too.

I also brought table toppers to put on the tables where we went to eat. & I think I even had some lysol wipes to wipe the area down where I couldn't put a table topper.

I shipped breakfast food & snack too. This way she could eat, she was & still is a slow eater, while we got ready in the am.

I packed 2 outfits for each day. But I also did laundry.

Remember to sun screen him at least 1/2 before you go out so the sunscreen can soak in.

I brought toys but quite honestly she didn't play with them other then the sand toys I brought since she was only in the room in the pre-park in the am, for a nap & then at night. We'd sit out side the room & watch the ducks (we were at the Poly). They loved her since she fed them.

We took mid-day breaks. To me it was important to get her out of the parks (plus I need them too to get a break) & actually rest/nap in the room. We requested a bottom floor room this way we'd lock the front door & sit out on the lanai & we'd take turns leaving to do laundry, my dh would go play video games, etc..

Swim diapers, I brought one for each day plus another 2 to be on the safe side (she took long naps so I knew she wouldn't wet that many diapers in side of an hour.

Sippy cups, just like everyone else said. I also brought a small bottle of detergent so I could wash the cups at night.

Snack cups to take in the park.

A small cooler/colapsable is better since it would fit in the stroller better. Have ice packs (if you can get a fridge other wise you ice) to keep her drink cool.

Zip lock bags-I brought them to the parks to put her meals in that she didn't eat. If she got 5 chicken nuggets & only ate 2 of them, I bagged the rest & put them in my cooler & she ate the rest for dinner that night.

I got a small stroller, not an umbrella one for the trip. I made sure it had a canopy for her to protect her from the sun, it reclined a little bit too but we don't have our kids nap in the stroller but we use the reclining mode to change diapers. I made sure it had cup holders for dh & I & a tray for her to eat on too. Plus it had to have a big enough bag underneath to store stuff in it. It is an evenflo one & I have had it since 2002 & use it quite often. It only cost about $60 vs the more expensive ones.

Don't pack his favorite lovey if you are going on the plane, put it in your carry-on stuff.

Medicine-tylenol, benadryl, bandaides, bacitracin & what other meds you will need (if your child is allergic to things bring an epi-pen).

Maybe start a list of the things you use every day this way you can use that as a guideline so you don't forget something.

 

[WDWorBUST]

We took Sammi when she was 13 months and two of the items I would HIGHLY recommend are the bibsters and the Huggies disposable changing pads. Then I didn't have to worry about yucky changing tables in airports, etc. Also - if you fold them the soft clean side in you can use them multiple times - or if you have a messy change just trash them. Also....as hard as it is .....keep your carry-on items to the bare minimum. We were carrying a diaper bag, cameras, belly bags, a tote with toys in it, a car seat and stroller. I tried to make sure we had anything and everything we could possibly need and it was a pain in the butt. We will definitely pack lighter next time. Consolidate just a couple of toys in the diaper bag. Pack one belly bag and one of us carry our id, etc. while the other uses one with money, etc. Cameras - well I still haven't found a way around that one. We take a 35mm, digital, and a camcorder and I'm just not comfortable letting those out of my sight. Have a great trip.

 

[KimWDW]

Scalp Spray sun block (she's not great at keeping her hats on).

Do they sell special sunblock spray for scalps? My son is nearly three and still doesn't have all his hair. If he won't keep his hat on, I just put regular sunblock on his head but it makes what hair he does have look craaaazy. I'd love to know more about this spray. thanks.

 

[iheartdisney]

Videonow JR!!!!
Ours only comes out on trips, but it earned its keep on our trip to WDW for my DD2. When she got a bored in line or was having a little too much, it really helped to pull it out of the bag!!

 

[jenr812]

Great thread! Thanks for the tips

 

[monorailsilver]

I just thought of this as I was showering so I had to come & post it:

If you plan on giving your child a bath, either bring something to scour the tub with or bring one of those blow up tubs that they sell in TRU/BRU.

OH & if you are going on an airplane, don't forget gummy bears, lollipops, fruit snacks-something that is going to make them swallow for their ears during take-off/landing & then don't forget to save some for your return trip (I am going to ship a box down with my diapers for the return trip).

 

[EthansMom]

If your child takes a pacifier, take extras. When we took our son to DL at 18 mos. old, we took all 8 of his pacifiers. Good thing, because by the end of the week, he had lost 4. It became a running joke as the week wore on because we kept seeing pacifiers that had been dropped by some other child and got to wondering if it were even possible to go to Lost and Found and rake through the thousands of pacifiers that must get lost each week!

I read here about someone who made up little ziploc bags with a diaper, wipes and changing pad in one bag and thought it was a good idea, but probably won't work well with my messy kids. However, I'm doing something similar for my DD1 on our trip next week -- I'm making up meal kits with 1 jar of baby food, 1 disp. bib, 1 disp. spoon, and 1 disp. placemat in each ziploc bag. In the morning, I can just grab one baggie for each meal and toss them in the diaper bag instead of putting it all together each day.

I hope this helps!

 

[NeedaVacation03]

I love the tip about the meal kits. Anything that would make the mornings easier sounds great to me. I feel like a pack mule most of the time.
With girls ages 11,8,5,9 mths. I feel like I am always trying to remember something. I am trying to figure out this whole packing light thing. This is the first big trip we have taken with the baby and I am sort of out of practise. All the tips are great.