Please sale me on WDW!

[cruiserkaren]

Hello all, I'm new here. DH and I are thinking of taking our then 2 year old to WDW in the fall. I have only been there once in 1993/4? (I was a sophomore in high school!) and DH has never been there. We have been on 9 cruises and many land based vacations in the caribbean. Last fall we took DD (13 months old at the time) on a cruise and it wasn't all that great. It was definitely not a family atmosphere and she was teething so let's just say it wasn't our best trip. We want something that is totally geared towards kids but still not sure it's the best place for a 2 year old? (She's our first and only child can't you tell?! ) A Disney cruise is really expensive.

I'm practically an expert on cruising and quite knowledgable about the caribbean but I'm LOST on WDW! What are the benefits of staying on site? We cannot stay in the POP/All Stars b/c we need 2 rooms. DD won't sleep if we're in the room with her. Would we be better off paying more to stay on site without a car or renting a villa and getting a car? We went yesterday and bought 2 books on WDW with kids! I'm lost. Any help, suggestions, tips, experiences, anything would be appreciated. Also Grandma and Grandpa would be coming with also! Sorry for the rambling!!! TIA

 

[THESCHULTZFIVE]

I first took DD8 when she was 2 turning 3. WE had a wonderful time. I would suggest staying onsite in case she wants to take a nap you can go back to the room and do so easily with Disney transp. If you say she won't sleep with you guys in the room I believe you, but have you considered the fact that after a full day in the parks(riding, shopping, eating, seeing shows, and characters) she may just "fall out" regardless of who is in the room? Just a thought. My mother always travels with us and my father went last year and will be coming again this year(they are divorced, but friendly). We are looking to rent a house this year but only b/c we want to try something new. The first time we took our oldest DD we had no plan, I wouldn't suggest doing this. Ever since that first trip I have done a full planned itenirary, including priority seating, show schedules, and where to see all the characters we're looking for. It can be overwhelming, but soooo worth it. do your research and planning in advance so when you get there, it's all "smooth sailing"(I through in a cruise reference for you). We are going in fall also and that, in my opinion, is the best time to go. It's less crowded, it's cooler and the chance of rain is less(compared to like August). I don't know whether you are going in Oct. or not , but there's a Halloween party at the Magic Kingdom that is supposed to be great(we are going for the first time this year). i hope this helps you and I hope you and your family have a wonderful vacation. I'm sure you will.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It sounds like you might be best off renting points from a DVC member and getting a two bedroom unit? (Not sure why the Value/two rooms wouldn't work for you if you wanted to save $$ - younger kids love the value resorts). Staying onsite is great, but many still like the convenience of having a car, myself included, especially with young kids. Buses to the main parks are easy but if you want to go anywhere else it's more difficult. We also liked to drive around a bit after our kids fell asleep to see some of the other resorts. You can also go to the grocery store and get some things there.

If you love cruising I wouldn't bypass a Disney Cruise so quickly. If your schedule allows for travel "off season" then you could take advantage of the lower rates offered then - before you have to deal with the hassles of taking your older child out of school. Lots of people with younger children cruise DCL and have a great time. Go over to the cruise boards and pose a question about it or do a search to read others' experiences. DCL may be a bit more expensive than what you're used to but I think you'll see a "Disney difference". Besides, a DCL vacation is just about the same $$ as a WDW vacation, you just have to take your pick. What's nice is if you wanted to you could do both with a Land/Sea package to try them both out. Lots of decisions...

Another book you might want to try is the Unofficial WDW Information Guide. It's a large book but once you read it you have a good idea of what you're dealing with. My best tip if you do WDW is to go in Value season, again while you can, since the crowds are usually lower and you won't have to "hurry up and wait" as long with your little one. It will also allow you to do the most in the limited hours you'll have due to naps, bedtime, etc...

Have a great trip and remember, the planning is half the fun!!

 

[2dogmom]

We went twice with DD when she was 2 and I was pregnant, and we all had a wonderful time. Sure, we hade a few moments where she would act up, probably because she was tired, but overall it was a great trip. We will be going again in less than 3 weeks, and both of my girls are so excited. They look at all of the pictures from previous trips and talk about which rides they want to go on, which shows they want to see, and how they want to swim in the pool. If I had to do it all over again, I would. It has made for some wonderful memories.

My girls have never slept in a room with me, but they seemed so wiped out from a day at the parks that I never had trouble getting them to sleep. I have only stayed on-site so I can't tell you about how it is off-site.

 

[Mac and Us]

cruiserkaren

We have a 3.5 year old. She's been on 2 cruises. The first cruise she was 2 years/4 months. She was potty trained. We tried very had to leave her at Camp Carnival but she wanted nothing to do with it. Let's say it wasn't the best (1st) cruise experience. Not because we didn't want her around but because we had an Oceanview room and spent a lot of time there during naps and going to bed early.

We decided to try it again 10 months later. She was 3 years 1 month. She loved Camp Carnival. We couldn't get her out. Every morning the first words out of her mouth was "I want to play with the kids". We've only cruised 2 times, both on Carnival so I can rate the other cruise lines kids programs. I can say that Carnival does a great job with their kids program. We had a balcony room so while she was in camp we sat on the balcony and enjoyed some R&R. We actually got to a point where we missed her and kept trying to bribe her to stay with us......she wouldn't budge!

So, don't give up on cruises.

As for Disney. We just got back. Our daughter is 3.5 now. We followed her lead. We are morning people so we got to the parks at opening and usually stayed until 3 - 4 pm. That when she starts getting tired. We went back to our motorhome (stayed in FW), had an early dinner and hung out. We never had a meltdown. However, we did see a lot of kids melting down (in a big way). My advise is don't push her.

I would recommend you rent one of the cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness campground. The cabins sleep 7 I think. That way you have privacy and the room you need. The cabins look nice. Each has a deck so you can sit out and let your daughter play in the driveway. They also have a bbque so you can cook your own food.

The campground is close to the Magic Kingdom. You can either take the bus or boat to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[all4fun]

Hi, we are DVC members and usually rent a 1-bdrm but on our last trip were in a Studio. Like the pp's have mentioned, our ds was so tired out by the end of the day that sleeping in the same room with us was not a problem. And this is the kid who we have to tip-toe around the house for at home, lol. We have also been on a few cruises - 1 w/DCL- (before DS) and a trip to WDW requires a lot more physical exertion. Every child of course is different, but I wanted to let you know about our experience.

Renting DVC points is definitely something you should consider if you're set on going the timeshare route. Check the DVC rent/trade board out. There is a sticky at the top of the board that should answer all your questions about that.

hth!
Cheryl

p.s. We have taken four trips to WDW in the last year with DS. His first trip at 13 months and his last trip at almost 24 months. He has enjoyed it each time but his enjoyment has increased with his mobility. I think two is a great age for WDW.