Please tell me...!!!

[SpectroMagic*o*]

...EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TAKING AN 18 MONTH OLD TO WDW FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!

 

[latexscooter]

Well, I don't know if I can do that. But I can tell you about some of the things we have done and experienced. Here's some useful tips:

• Bring your own stroller that has a sun shade and allows your child to lay flat.
• Get a fridge for your room.
• Take afternoon breaks.
• Let your child decide what may be frightening - don't coach your child into a fear.
• Take a break in the middle of your vacation.
• Don't try to do everything.
• Kid leashes aren't necessarily a bad thing.
• Character meals are a good way to introduce your child to characters and avoid lines.
• When you pack your childs clothes put outfits into individuals sandwich bags. That way you grab a bag and everything you need is altogether.
• If you don't have a car get a grocery service delivery for fresh produce, milk and other must haves.
• Sun screen, sun screen, sun screen.
• It's easier with an toddler than with a four year old.
• The environment can over stimulate so take time to enjoy the playgrounds and let you child get their wiggles out.

[/LIST]

The most important thing for us was keeping to the same wake up, eating and sleep cycles as at home. My daughter was 4 going on 5 before she saw a night parade or fireworks. But she was always well rested.

 

[bryannem]

We took my nephew when he had just turned 1 and then when he had just turned 2. We let him sort of direct us in our plans. He saw his first character and just fell into obsession. He saw everyone after that. We also took him on things that we wanted to do, such as the Haunted Mansion. He loved it. It is best to know your child and then let that determine how much you do and what you do.

If you can bring a cooler or something with their lunch in it, you will save time, money, and your sanity. If my nephew got hungry, we just gave him a sandwich or a snack and kept on going about our day. It saves you from having to find a suitable snack and place to buy it whenever your child announces they are hungry.

Just my thoughts!

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

This advice is wonderful!!

I'm surprised I havent gotten more tid bits, as I see children that age in WDW all the time!

Keep it coming PLEASE!!

 

[MHSweb79]

Be aware that there's a Baby Care center in every park. This can be a nice cool place to feed Jr. and they can also help you with any issues that you may have.

Try this link if you want a TON of great info: http://allears.net/pl/infant.htm

 

[Momtomouselover]

Bring something small to play with in line. My son loved to play with little race cars or one of those water fan spritz things (others liked it too when they would ask he would spray them!!).

Lollipops if you allow them are good to for both a treat and to occupy a young one waiting in line.

We always packed a soft sided cooler with water and with his own lunch full of favorites and juices.

Bring a spare outfit in case of rain and/or you let them play in the water areas (a favorite of our son).

An extra poncho to cover the stroller in case of rain

Take afternoon naps!! Plan for down time. This was key for us.

Have a fun trip!!!

 

[pixarmom]

Loved reading OP's post, because our oldest was exactly 18 months old for his first trip to Disney! (Now we have 3 boys, so now it's a little different!)

In our experience:

1) We tried the afternoon break for a nap at the hotel - disaster. It entirely depends on the child, but for some kids, it's really hard to just take a quiet nap in the middle of all the excitement. And our oldest was a really well-behaved toddler, so we didn't expect that kind of nap resistance. Once we let him just nap in the stroller, he was happy, refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. But every child is different, and it's most likely trial and error. Just don't feel bad if the conventional wisdom of the afternoon nap in the hotel room doesn't work for you!

2) We arrived at rope drop every day. Just walked on to the rides - eliminating the wait time was our best strategy. When the park was more crowded, he played on the playgrounds in the parks and/or slept in the stroller.

3) For counter service lunches, we always ate early. Between 11am and 11:30, no waits and tables always available.

4) We always had one TS per day, around 6pm.

5) We had a plan for each day at the parks, but were always willing to adjust for him, if necessary.

6) We tried to keep our expectations reasonable. Sometimes he would be really happy, other times, he would not! Some photos would turn out perfectly, others would not! Etc., etc. . . .

7) Bring extra supplies in the stroller. The baby care centers are really wonderful, but there is nothing like having extra diapers, changes of clothes, etc. in your stroller ready to go!

Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[twins4me]

We ended up going to Epcot a lot int he evening just because it was a lot less crowded and easier to contol our 2 yr old twins. We had a great time and our returning this year.

 

[steph73]

Subscribing because our youngest DS will be 18 months on our trip. New territory, in a way, for us as the youngest child we've vacationed at WDW with was 3.

Having said that, I do think the most important thing is try to keep cool, use sunscreen and keep them hydrated. The spray mist fans are great.

Have a plan, but accept in advance you might have to occasionally deviate from it.

 

[mickeydonalgoofyyyy]

Hi! We first took our son when he was 22 months old and our dtr at 6 months, 15 months, and 23 months. People asked us why we were taking them at such young ages as they would not remember it later. We always responded that "we will remember". We do not have any regrets about these trips instead wonderful memories. I agree with a previous poster that in many ways these trips were much easier than the preschool years (however enjoyable in many different ways). The key to success was being flexible. Although my itinerary was created scheduling down to the 1/2 hr we were always prepared to switch it or ditch it when necessary. We always did rope drop and went back to hotel around 1 pm for nap or pool or just down time. This worked for us. We always bathed the little one before we went back out and dressed in comfy night time outfit or brought jammies with us at night. That way a couple of nights we could enjoy a leisurely stroll back to the hotel with the little one(s) asleep in the stroller and easily transfer them into bed. Of course this is a major deviation from normal night time routines. However, the whole vacation was a deviation from normal life. We found that as long as we avoided the parks mid day, took plenty of breaks, tried to keep them comfortable from the elements, and did not push them past their limits we were great. My husband is not a thrill ride guy so I was use to riding some things alone so that was not an issue. We eased them into character interactions slowly and they were fine. We brought familiar blankets (to the park:shade, comfort, warmth with a/c), toys,snacks,and books from home which was a must. Had their ears checked to r/o infection prior to flying. Packed tons of wipes and used them. Sunhats- my toddlers would not wear glasses.
The few challenges we did experience were:
Our kids did not like the noise of the fireworks--Some people report ear muffs work . It has only been last few trips that we have been able to watch wishes at MK. We still have not seen illuminations from start to finish. However, there are many places to catch the fireworks at distance without the noise. This noise concern holds true with attractions as well, some are noisy---the Unofficial guide always did a good job of pointing out which rides/shows to be wary of with little ones.
Try to stick to as close a diet as at home---our Julia had some constipation issues on one trip---- look at menus beforehand and bring snacks from home or have grocery delivery to room if ther is a fridge.
Avoid putting the 3d glasses on the little ones. Freaks them out.
Juggling the stroller and a toddler and a backpack takes finesse--never mind bags from shops. You want to have all purchases sent to your room if possible. Also some trial runs of sprinting to a bus stop , passing off the little one, collapsing the stroller, climbing onto the bus before the doors shut and you have to wait another 20 mins, and then trying to hold on tight to the metal bars (because there are no seats left) without knocking someone out with the backpack on your shoulder or the stroller being held with your other hand. It is an art and a sport at the same time and my husband is an expert:.
We also learned to use a lot of gallon zip lock bags and sandwich bags in the backpack. Also very very important to make things easily accessible in back pack like sunscreen diapers and wipes. My husband would get kinda aggravated when I would just start digging and digging in the overstuffed backpack he was wearing for things. Also we brought small bottle of dish detergeant to wash out sippy cups. Also freezing a wash cloth and bringing it in park for hot days is great.
I also agree---don't skip the playgrounds they are geared for little ones and the kids love them.
I am sure there is so much more...but that's it for now. Happy planning!!!!

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

People asked us why we were taking them at such young ages as they would not remember it later. We always responded that "we will remember".
We always brought jammies with us at night.
We eased them into character interactions slowly and they were fine. Also some trial runs of sprinting to a bus stop , passing off the little one, collapsing the stroller, climbing onto the bus before the doors shut and you have to wait another 20 mins, and then trying to hold on tight to the metal bars (because there are no seats left) without knocking someone out with the backpack on your shoulder or the stroller being held with your other hand. It is an art and a sport at the same time and my husband is an expert:.

We always packed a soft sided cooler with water and with his own lunch full of favorites and juices.
Bring a spare outfit in case of rain and/or you let them play in the water areas (a favorite of our son).

We arrived at rope drop every day. Just walked on to the rides - eliminating the wait time was our best strategy.

These pieces of advice in particular were just wonderful, ppl already say to me that my daughter will never remember, but I will and its important to me to capture these memories with her!
As far as the characters go, Ive noticed my daughter is completeley fine with Santa and The Easter Bunny (she took pix w.them during those holidays), and we've been getting her used to "real life size" Mickey by watching the planning tapes with her, I hope this works!!
Also wondering your thoughts on bringing a full size stroller to the parks...I'm driving down and will b able to bring my own instead of renting, seems more convenient to the blind eye!
And here's the fun question!!! What rides will I be able to take my 18 month old on???

 

[nemofans]

My absolute fav trip was when DS was 18 mos old. He loved Dumbo so much & I will never forget his huge smile & screams.
We shipped a box of supplies to our resort ahead of time.
I kept his schedule the same as home & took afternoon breaks at the resort.
We stayed away from fireworks shows.
He was scared of all characters, except Mickey.
We brought our own big stroller.

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

My absolute fav trip was when DS was 18 mos old. He loved Dumbo so much & I will never forget his huge smile & screams.
We shipped a box of supplies to our resort ahead of time.
I kept his schedule the same as home & took afternoon breaks at the resort.
We stayed away from fireworks shows.
He was scared of all characters, except Mickey.
We brought our own big stroller.

I'm so excited to try Dumbo with her, I havent been on that ride in FOREVER!!!
What other rides can an 18 month old go on??

 

[Disney Spaz]

My favorite experience when DD was 1 and we went was to book Crystal Palace for breakfast at 8:05am on a day the park didn't open til 9am. This allowed us to video tape her walking down Main street toward "her castle" without having to worry about crowds and her slow speed. It took a little while but she was too cute waving to everyone as if she was greeting them .This memory is priceless for me.

 

[bryannem]

Depending on the child, you can take them on almost everything in the MK. The dark for the indoor rides (Snow White, Pooh, Peter Pan, Small World, etc) might be too much, but my nephew loved them. we took him on everything except the roller coasters. The carousel is good, Aladdin's Magic Carpet, the train, the Speedway one, Jungle Cruise are also good as well. Pirates of the Caribbean might be too loud, but again it depends.

As far as the other parks, there are plenty of shows and the Honey I Shrunk the kids play area in HS. The parade there is also good because the kids can dance, etc. Epcot is mostly walking and seeing characters, but if you entertain them with Figment, etc, it should be ok. Animal Kingdom is awesome for little ones because its mostly the animals and then the dinosaur kid play area is a big hit as well. My nephew spent hours in DinoLand.

We also had our own stroller and it was very helpful, though the Disney ones are not bad. Ours just allowed him to lie down. The only thing will be to watch their little hands. My nephew kept grabbing stuff off the shelves in stores. We found it most of the time, but he did manage to get out of Epcot with a penguin from Germany by sitting on it. Yes, he was not even 2 yet. Very sneaky!

 

[wdw71]

DS was 18 months old when we took him for the first time. It was a great trip. We never left the parks to nap but he did not nap much at home and when he was tired he slept a little in the stroller. He was not afraid of anything (that changed last year though) and over all I think he had a great time.
Take your stroller and disposable sippy cups. Try to keep the same sleep and eat schedule. Take a break in the afternoon. Have something in your bag for them to play with while waiting in line and take lots of video and pictures.

 

[Kimberly815]

Thanks for posting this. We are hoping to take our DS right around his second birthday and all these tips are so helpful!

As for Dumbo, I can't wait to do that one with my DS. Though I have been to Disneyworld 8+ times, I saved Dumbo intentionally in the hopes that I could ride it for the first time with my child someday.

 

[connorsmom911]

I'll add a few of my thoughts too. I've taken a 20 mo old and a 15 mo old, with differences each time.

-barbershop on Main St (on the left as you enter, past the fire station) does "My First Haircut". It's a bit pricey, and there is usually a line-up, but it is totally worth it! They are super at keeping your child occupied with stickers, light spinners, etc. They will gather up the hair clippings for you in a kleenex to keep (label it or put it somewhere you won't accidently throw out like I almost did!). Plus you get a certificate and a pair of mickey ears with "My First Haircut" embroidered in the back. Total photo op!!! I did this with both my boys, one with hair long enough to have been mistaken for a girl, and one with barely enough hair to cut!

-early morning rope drop, pack it in at 11:30 or so for a swim and a nap at the hotel (don't discount how important this is, just for the break from the sensory overload), head back to the park for the evening and change them into jammies because they will fall asleep on the way home!

-extra blankies, extra toys, extra soothers...we left a soother on the steps to the gondolas in Italy when someone decided to practise his baseball throw...

-every over the counter medication you can possibly think of for toddlers, because the resort stores don't carry infant gravol (dimenhydrinate?) or infant tylenol, and they aren't open at 1:30 am when your child decides to throw up all over the pack and play (also see above re: extra blankies and toys)

-in reference to the above, bring anti-bacterial wipes and the first thing upon entering your room, wipe down the doorknobs, phone, tv remote, drawer pulls, every surface you can think of that your little one will touch. Grown-ups wash hands more often and don't tend to suck on their hands. It's not perfect, but it will cut down on the germs that go hand in hand with large public gatherings of people. Also bring anti-bac hand sanitizer and use often. Make a game of it! I make the boys slather up their hands and then shake, shake, shake to dry!!

-like others have said about the characters, go at your child's pace. My 20 mo old LOVED the characters, couldn't get enough of them. My 15 mo old cried and screamed at every one (every picture of him he has that "get the #%*# away from me!!" face)

-if you are flying, pay for a seat for them and bring their carseat. They are familiar with the feel of their own seat, and it will keep them from crawling all over the plane, plus if you're lucky, they'll conk out before the plane reaches cruising altitude and sleep the entire flight.

-on that above note, change their diaper right before boarding. Airplane bathrooms do not have change tables. The toilet seat will work in a pinch, but it's cramped and not pleasant for any of the parties involved. Trust me on this.

-pictures, pictures, pictures!! who cares if you make it on every ride in fantasyland, but get that perfect picture of your child with a character, or just bouncing around in line...priceless. Consider photopass, and pre-purchasing the cd.

-fireworks are loud! If you're little one can't tolerate the noise, consider watching Wishes from the beach (or the end of the boat dock) at the Poly. The lights are dimmed, the music is piped in, but the noise is significantly reduced.

-take your own stroller. Again, your child is familiar with it, the rental strollers aren't so comfy for sleeping, and can't be taken out of the park. Schlepping your kid from the bus/car to and from the gate, with all their stuff, and your stuff is a nightmare. And it will weigh twice as much at the end of the day when they are asleep and dead weight. Consider pinning in a white towel if your stroller is dark in colour (suns rays are absorbed more by dark colours, making it warmer), and getting a battery operated clip-on fan to keep them cool. Also tie a bright coloured scarf or something on the handle to make it easier to spot yours in the stroller parking at every ride (they often get moved by a CM to keep things organized).

-relax and have fun!!!

 

[troynkasey]

We have two daughters...1 and 4 years old and both went at age 6 months old. My oldest went at 18 months as well and this year we will be taking my youngest and she'll be 18 months old too. Here are the things we learned...

Nap time is essential, but not always at the hotel. A cat nap in the stroller is perfectly fine.

Purchase a spray bottle with fan. It's a life saver for keeping the kids cooled off.

Both our kids loved to have a little figure to play with. My oldest had a little minnie mouse. My youngest had an Animal Kingdom Mickey.

Be flexible with eating. We learned the hard way table service meant at least an hour at the table. This coupled with a long day in the parks can be disasterous. Try it once, but make sure they are comfortable and occupied.

Be careful with characters. My oldest loved them, my youngest was skeptical.

Take time to rest. DW is a busy place that will wear you out. A worn out parent has little patience and that leads to bad experiences with crabby children. Plus we found both our girls loved to soak it all up. Especially since DW has a lot going on. We found sitting somewhere in the shade (like the balcony area of Cosmic Ray's facing the castle) are ideal for people watching, taking a break, and relaxing.

Utilize the baby stations if you need to. We were fortunate not to need them, but I know plenty who have.

Make sure they drink lots of water. In strollers, they sweat a ton, so keep them hydrated.

Bring your own stroller with shade. It lightens the stress to and from the parks if you have a stroller. If it doesn't have shade, you can purchase stroller attachements that provide shade...

Both our girls LOVED its a small world. The music and little people caught their attention. As much as the music gets stuck in your head, you may have to do it or other rides more than once if they loved it.

Take things nice and easy. Don't over do it or you won't enjoy yourself.

 

[NurseNash]

Take your own stroller-- one that will recline and one that you can put a lightweight blanket over to block the sun if your child falls asleep. We come from a very dry climate. If you do too, bring LOTS of diaper cream b/c little diapered bottoms are not used to the humidity and will get bad diaper rash. You can always buy additional cream at a Baby Station but it is expensive. Bring lots of baby wipes for messy faces after Mickey Ice Cream bars. Don't expect to do everything. Bring a camera- you will have fantastic photo opps with a little one. Great attractions to hold a younger child on: Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Its a Small World, People Mover! Have fun!