Question about dining/parks with 2 year old.

[Suziqzer]

My DH, DS & I will be going in a few wks and have never been together before. My DH and I went as children but not been since, and when I went we stayed off grounds & ate off grounds so this will be my first total Disney experience. I will be as excited as my 2 yo.

We have the value dining plan and have made our reservations- the trip was
very short notice.. going to visit the father-in-law and making a trip to Disney while in FL. We got all of the reservations we wanted, except the time at Coral Reef.. all in all did pretty well (only 4 TBS meals)

DH had me book dinner at the park where we would be starting the next day.

Weds- get there at 12-1pm
Animal Kingdom
CS for dinner

Thurs- at Epcot
lunch cs
dinner at Liberty Tree at M.Kingdom 6:25pm

Fri- at Magic Kingdom
Brkfst at Crystal Palace 8:10am (will we get to see the park empty?)
lunch cs (if hungry)
dinner at Hollywood & Vine(MGM) 6:30pm

Sat. at MGM
lunch cs
dinner at Coral Reef (epcot) 4:10pm
Fireworks as Grand Finale

Sunday- Brkfst w/leftover CS @ resort

(I've considered changing the Liberty Tree reservation to a true table meal, but not sure what is better for us. DS doesn't eat much and DH wanting to focus on DS having a good time.) Any suggestions here?

Has anyone done this before? DH thinks it will be good to get a glimpse of the park we will be starting at the next day since we've not been there for so long. We have a 2 yo and may be going back to the resort for his nap... or heading to the next park to get him to sleep (he usually falls asleep on trains, buses, etc when he gets tired).

We are also thinking with the 2 yo we may be heading back to his favorites at some point if we need to. We do have Park Hopper passes so can bounce around as needed.

Thanks for any input you have. Counting down!!

Suziqzer

 

[TJA]

We went to WDW when our twins were 2. It was a blast! First thing I want to mention is that it was hard for us to follow a schedule with the kids at that age. We adapted to their schedule and it was different each day. Some nights they slept more so they weren't as tired during the next day. Other nights they didn't sleep well, so they napped on and off the next day. So as long as you're prepared for inconsistencies, then you will be fine.

A hint we learned: take a comfortable stroller from home. It may not be necessary to go back to your resort each day for naps if your child is comfortable in the stroller. Large canopy and reclining seat, favorite stuffed animal, pacifier, small toys.

We've had breakfast at Crystal Palace before park opening and yes it was pretty empty!

Have fun! Age 2 is great in Disney. We've taken our twins since they were 7 months old and have loved each and every age and experience in Disney.

 

[Suziqzer]

TJA ... Thanks for your input. We were planning on a stroller, but probably our small umbrella one. DS doesn't sit much, but will probably want to with all the walking... plus it will be easier to get on the buses, etc and he can sleep in it in a pinch.

We were undecided on the dining package for awhile, but thought it would be easier to be on it at his age and we like the occasional special dinner. I'm usually a pretty frugal person so this is a splurge for me. I figured that we would spend close to that anyway because DH was planning on a buffet everyday if we didn't get the package.. & I was able to get park hopper and fun tickets... don't know that we will use the & fun part, but we can consider that.

I had made my room reservations and nothing more and then called AAA to get their price (was an afterthought)... they could only give me a pkg price & DH said call Disney and see if they can come close. They were $11 more at Disney and they were able to make the tickets plus fun for free- not something I had asked for. The lady I talked to really worked on it for me so I wouldn't cancel my room and go through AAA. It pays to spend some time at it!!

Any more input on the restaurants would still be appreciated..
Thanks
Suziqzer