Small children tips

[teacherlisa1978]

We took our son to WDW when he was 27 months and to Disneyland when he was 3 1/2. Here's what worked best for us:

In WDW every time you pal the stroller put the rain shield on. We have a Citi Mini and just used the canopy that comes with it. We came out of long attractions a couple of times and hadn't used it only to be surprised by sudden storms.

When he was still in diapers we had our main park bag that we kept the essentials in and carried with us to all attractions and restaurants. Camera, wallets, changing pad, wipes, a diaper or two. Then we kept another bag in the stroller with his change of clothes, extra diapers, sunblock, etc. wouldn't be the end of the world if those went missing. The only hassle was making sure we could quickly pack up when the buses arrived-after a day or so we had it down

Go with your child. Meaning, last Fall at DLR when he fell asleep halfway through our morning and I still had a ton of things I wanted to do, we realized we needed to scrap the plans and let him sleep- it would work a lot better for all of us. On both trips we have always taken afternoon break at the hotel ( my feet need the rest!) but if he'd already napped in the stroller, no big deal. We'd go to the pool or just rest in the room. Don't push your kid past their breaking point, you'll regret it!

Even though it wasn't his first haircut, we still visited the Harmony barbershop for a haircut and it was well worth it.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[buzznina]

You know your kids and we all know all kids are different. I agree with taking midday breaks back at the room , but that's not for everyone. In 2012 when we took DD and DS ( DS was 1 1/2) but he did not stroller nap, so we had to go back and we all napped, it was refreshing. Or the lil one can nap and the older one can enjoy pool time. Our kids loved the nighttime parade/fireworks and with the afternoon nap, they were refreshed enough to stay up till 10 or so. We did not do RD most mornings unless we had an early morning ADR. I let the kids sleep but they were usually up between 7-8 each morning so we got breakfast and headed to park. But I agree with picking what you want to accomplish and don't rush rush rush, take your time and enjoy the little things, especially if the kids throw you off your regular plans, you never know what memories will be made.

This is our family except for the midday break, tried it for 2 days and it failed miserably We have been going since our 1st DD was 6 months old Found that DD's had no issues sleeping in the stroller, so one of us would sit and people watch, with a snack of course and the other would shop or do a ride. The key for us was to make sure they got their sleep, so if we stayed out late we made sure we had no early plans the next day. Also, taking the 3rd day off from the parks and just hanging by the pool and doing an activity at the resort or minature golf helped a bunch. Happy to say that, other then trying to take a midday break, we have not had any meltdowns from DD's or DH A PP mentioned not to do youtube of the ride, but it helped our oldest overcome a few rides that she did not want to go on, like Thunder RR and Splash mountain. So like everything, what may not work for one may work for others.

 

[Chrispygal]

We are back from our trip and now that I've had time to rest, I'll let you know the things that made the biggest difference for us. This trip was a lot of work for me, but remember that I am traveling without DH and with a girlfriend, so the majority of care for DD fell on me.

-Snacks. This was the #1 thing that kept her happy. I brought one of her snack cups from home and had multiple stashes for throughout the day. This helped with lines and the bus rides A LOT. We also found out she loves popcorn and dole whips. Go figure.

-Binky. We usually only allow them at nap time and bed time but at Disney, I was generous with them and was a treat for her, and was comforting. We did some long days and I doubt we would have made them if we didn't have the binky.

-Diaper packs. I bought the pampers ones but you can make your own (I have in the past). This was super helpful. I made sure 6 were loaded into a storage pouch of our stroller and if I needed to change her, I'd grab a pack and go. Very convenient.

-Fruit. DD is a newly picky eater. It was terrible. She wouldn't eat much of what Disney had to offer so I would bring some fruit with me each day so I at least knew she'd have something healthy to go along with the popcorn. I also ended up eating a lot of kid meals so she'd get the fruit and yogurt.

DD had so much fun though, and I'm really glad we took her. She LOVED getting out of her stroller and exploring the little railroad set in Epcot, and absolutely ADORED Mickey and friends. The princesses she was not a fan of, which is the opposite of how I thought it would be. She loved going on rides and was in AWE of everything. I got a bit teary-eyed when she was watching her first fireworks. That was such a big moment for me and probably the most memorable of the trip (FYI we did pirates and pals cruise so we were not close, so no loud bangs). All in all it was not an easy age, but a fantastic trip. I struggled most at meal time and getting her on and off the bus but again, I was solo and having hubby there would have made a huge difference.

It will be a great trip and your will all make fantastic memories together!

 

[texasroni75]

We just went through a trip with our youngest just prior to his 2nd birthday. What I learned: Let your child lead the way (for the most part). Divide and conquer - take turns with DH so neither of you feels like the other is having all the fun and the other is doing the gruntwork Not to make it sound like I'm being petty, but I have a much better time and don't mind sitting out for a few rides when I know DH will return the favor later by taking over toddler-duty.

Snacks. Snacks. Snacks.

My youngest didn't care for characters, not afraid but indifferent. He also HATED the baby change areas - would NOT lay down for diaper changes. Therefore, I mastered the "standing up diaper change" while in WDW LOL!!

Water shoes and swim diapers for splash pads. We could not walk by one without our toddler stopping to play and get soaked. Just be sure to change the swim diaper immediately after play is done - to lower the risk of icky waterborne germs.

Hand sanitizer. Lots of it. Toddlers love to stick their hands in their mouths after touching things at their level that every other toddler that walked the same path already touched - and with the constant snacking too - it just makes sense to sanitize their hands even more often than you would at home.

Let them RUN! If they've been cooped up in their stroller or waiting in lines for too long, they will revolt. Every once in a while find a spot where they can get some energy out We found the area outside the Nemo Attraction in Epcot to be one of his favorite place to let off some steam, he could see the "mine mine" birds, and watch the monorail pass by. And, it was usually pretty empty over there too. Everybody must have been waiting on line for Soarin' LOL.

The trains in Germany at Epcot can hold a toddler's attention for days! Ha ha. Seriously, my son watched the trains for nearly an hour while the older kids did the Agent P adventure game thing. Even after they finished, he would have stayed there watching those trains (and a bunny who was hanging out there).

NAPS - my kids are not big nappers, but when they do crash, they are just fine sleeping it off in their strollers. Some suggest going back to the room for naps, but I've found that my kids don't need it.

 

[ashleymrush]

This was getting me some great advice a couple weeks ago so I'm going to try to bump it up one last time and see if any more of you have some great tips for me. thanks for everything so far!

 

[kboo]

We went last year and stayed offsite with my then-21 month old. She had a GREAT time. I agree with all of the PPs, follow your child's needs, and definitely give them a lot of advance warning for everything. We had my family with us, so we did rider switch a LOT and DH and I managed to have an evening date one night at MK.

We kept to a pretty strict bedtime for her of 8pm, and ended up taking a forced day off due to a tropical storm. My kid is a horrible stroller napper (she just doesn't unless she's exhausted, and then it's a 50 minute nap at 5pm which doesn't do anyone any good), so we drove in/out of the park and back to the condo to do lunch/nap. Usually by the time she woke up and we drove BACK to WDW it was a hustle to make a dinner reservation at 5pm. Then we'd have some time for dinner and maybe a ride and then it was back for bedtime. Looking back on it, it was a lot of driving back and forth, but was still a ton of fun for what we did.

In August it's just going to be DH and me, but we are staying at the CR and for a longer time, so we will take a mellower approach. We know we are going to have to go back to the hotel for nap each day, but we're already telling her that she's going to have to do that so she can "stay up late" for the night time fun.

What else was key? sippy cups and snacks!! She loved the buffets (she's a good eater), loved watching the animals at AK, belly dancing at Marrakesh, all of the shows, etc. Wasn't into the princesses then, was alternately freaked out/fascinated by the characters.

 

[kboo]

For characters - she already loved Donald Duck and was familiar with the Pooh characters, but she doesn't watch much TV. We did Crystal Palace early dinner first, and she liked to see the characters come up to our table and get pictures with everyone else, but when they got a little too close to her, she would cry. But then she wanted to walk around the restaurant and see them. Later in the week, we did a Tusker House breakfast with Donald etc, and she was much more into it. She still didn't crack a smile for our official family photo, and the pics we took of her meeting them she still looked a bit serious, but she couldn't stop talking about them afterwards. Putting her on my husband's shoulders so she was taller than them helped. She played peekaboo while in his arms but we still have a few where they get a little closer and she's like, "uh, too close. I'm scowling." hahaha. But overall she liked it and still talks about it now.

 

[lheav09]

I also recommend Kingdom Strollers, the City Minis are great and easy to fold. Plus, the stroller was clean and in great working condition. Lots of water, juice, etc and plenty of snacks!

Also, don't underestimate an autograph book for the little one! I didn't think my daughter would even care about getting signatures but I got one for her to let her try out, everyone she met she was very adamant about getting them to sign her book! She made sure we had it out for her as soon as we got in line! She loves looking back at it now and pointing out the letters on the pages!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

besides a change of clothes for the little one, I would have one for adults as well. by the time you get little one out of splash pad and to area to change you will also be soaked. if child has diaper leak, getting child to changing area and it is now on you. without a change for you, you are looking paying Disney prices for a change for you. in a different area, always have a camera with you and ready to use. never know when something you will want pic of and not time to get camera out.

 

[Dani C]

Sun hats and sunscreen. And don't forget first aid supplies (bandages and medicines).

Another thing you may want to consider is taking a beach towel or small blanket for them to sit on.