Take her....or leave her? 22 month old

[skoi]

I would also say take her. We took our big kids when they turned three, but our youngest daughter had just turned two, and had only been in the US for about 7 months when we took her. She loved it, and is a complete Disney fanatic.

We went in early September, and it was really hot, but she did fine, and there was no problem taking the big kids on rides she couldn't ride.

Have a great trip.

And as another poster said, "she's free!" Can't beat that as she'll have a good time.

 

[aLLpInK]

Thanks for the replies!! I totally feel the same way. Shes def. going! I guess i needed some reassurance and I know now for sure that I could never do Disney w/o her! Thanks thanks!!

Another question for those of you that have done it with small ones, I have a double stroller but its not a side by side. Should i rent or get a side by side?

I was also wondering about which parks to visit with them. Are they all pretty much the same as far as things to do with the little ones. Would i want to do all 4 parks with them?? My 3 year old is 36 inches right now so i dont see her being 40 inches when we go. 8 year old is 47 inches now. AND when the ride says "Any Height" does that mean the 22 month old can ride any of those?

Thanks!!!! Im really trying to get all the info that i can so that we can make the most of it!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The decision should be yours.

But if it were me.

I don't believe in leaving out a child out of a vacation out of "convenience" or their inability to remember it long term. To me it just seems cruel. Sure she may not notice, but to me--that makes it worse.

My 2yo's have as much fun as my older kids. We've even capatalized on naptimes and did the baby swaps at that time. (FP do not have to be used in the precise window.)

She's free--so no lost money.

Many of the ride swap rides have play areas and for those that don't--I use it as snack time or naptime. The Baby swap is the coolest invention as it doens't have to be used right away, you can always use it later that day.

May is not hot at all (for Florida--and for most anywhere.) The people providing that advise are ill-advised IMHO. Near-2yo's have more than acquired their ability to regulate their body temperature and there are many air conditioned opportunities in the parks.

FWIW--depending on the height of your 3.5 yo, she may not be able to ride the "mountain" or roller coaster rides anyway, so you'd be baby swapping anyway on behalf of the 5yo.

My kids from oldest to youngest--were taken for the first time when they were:

11 months, 4 months, and 2.5 months. Bambette will be a little over a month when she goes--but b/c it is July, I won't be planning on doing very much. But the oldest is having her birthday there and doing BBB and CRT for lunch. So we'll be fine until then.

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

My DD's 1st trip she was 22 months old as well. We went in September when it was 87degrees at 8am and she did GREAT!!! We have an older son who was 7 at the time. I can not imagine not taking her with us. We did take breaks each day and my older child would swim while my DD slept. Some days we all took a nap! We only had 1 meltdown and that was as we were leaving in the Orlando airport-and that was after a 6 day trip at WDW. (She ended up falling asleep HARD on the flight home).

My DD had fun and my son actually liked doing the baby swap b/c he got to ride twice. We found alternate activities for my DD when my DS was on a bigger ride and she had a blast. One of my favorite pictures is her at the 1st rope drop wavng to the characters and the "oh my gosh" look in her eyes.

Our best advice would be plan to get there for rope drop, and take a break mid-day. I really feel like that helped us have a good time.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Thanks for the replies!! I totally feel the same way. Shes def. going! I guess i needed some reassurance and I know now for sure that I could never do Disney w/o her! Thanks thanks!!

Another question for those of you that have done it with small ones, I have a double stroller but its not a side by side. Should i rent or get a side by side?

I was also wondering about which parks to visit with them. Are they all pretty much the same as far as things to do with the little ones. Would i want to do all 4 parks with them?? My 3 year old is 36 inches right now so i dont see her being 40 inches when we go. 8 year old is 47 inches now. AND when the ride says "Any Height" does that mean the 22 month old can ride any of those?

Thanks!!!! Im really trying to get all the info that i can so that we can make the most of it!!

I found a non-side by side better to navigate. It will fit in doorways like in the stores if a kid is napping. The doubles, not always unless you find an entrance that is a double door entrance.

Yes--do all 4 parks if you want to. Even EPCOT, my kids enjoy. It is much more kid friendly than when I was a kid. My son just LOVES the fire truck at innoventions.

Any height means your 22 month old can ride. Your 3.5 yo is too short for the mountains--as those are 40 inches, but is tall enough for goofy barnstormer. Your 8yo MAY be tall enough for RNR, but I don't remember.

 

[DisAmyK]

Thanks for the replies!! I totally feel the same way. Shes def. going! I guess i needed some reassurance and I know now for sure that I could never do Disney w/o her! Thanks thanks!!

Another question for those of you that have done it with small ones, I have a double stroller but its not a side by side. Should i rent or get a side by side?

I was also wondering about which parks to visit with them. Are they all pretty much the same as far as things to do with the little ones. Would i want to do all 4 parks with them?? My 3 year old is 36 inches right now so i dont see her being 40 inches when we go. 8 year old is 47 inches now. AND when the ride says "Any Height" does that mean the 22 month old can ride any of those?

Thanks!!!! Im really trying to get all the info that i can so that we can make the most of it!!

I would definitely do all 4 parks. There is something in every park for little ones. Some parks more than others obviously. MK has the MOST for little ones. My family can easily spend 2-3 days there. Ex. Pooh ride, Peter Pan's flight, It's a Small World, Carousel, Buzz Lightyear, and many more. Yes she can ride anything that says "any height." My 2 yr old loves to go to Playhouse Disney Live on Stage at DHS every time we visit WDW. She also really enjoyed The Finding Nemo show and Kilimanjaro Safari at AK, Toy Story Mania at DHS,and the Finding Nemo RIDE at Epcot. Those are just a few examples of things your little ones may enjoy. If you can, I would definitely make ADR's for some character meals. Our family feels this is the easiest way to meet the characters, opposed to waiting in a long line (especially with toddlers). Our top 2 favorites are Crystal Palace(for bkfst) at MK w/ Pooh,Piglet, Tiger and Eyeore and Tusker House at AK w/Donald, Daisy, Mickey and Goofy. There are many other character meals throughout WDW, those are just 2 examples. I hope you and your family have a wonderful vacation. I'm sure you'll make some invaluable family memories!!

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

For our family, we would DEFINITELY take her! We went to Disneyland with DD at 14 months, and Disney World when she was 22 months. It was SO MUCH FUN! Of course we went a little slower, but that was kinda nice, too. We got to see everything from her eyes, and she had such a good time. And she still remembers it... of course she asks about things to help her remember, but she talks about it all the time. She's just about to turn 3, so that may change, but we have lots of photos to remember it. Honestly, there's just a handful of rides that a young child can't go on - a huge, longer list that they can! And for rides that she can't, there's the baby swap option and fun playgrounds around some of those areas where she could play while waiting for her siblings. I guess I just can't imagine a family trip without a member of our family. To me, Disney World is a family place - they really cater to ALL members of the family, and I want all of our family to enjoy it. I'd also miss either of our DD's like crazy if we weren't with them (especially just one of them - a trip with just DH and myself is different to me). So anyway, if it were me, there's no way I'd leave a 22 month old at home.

EDITED TO ADD: Woops, I didn't read all the replies before I replied. I'm glad you're being reassured. Yes, any ride that has no height restriction is good for EVERYONE in your family, toddler included. Here's a link to the list of height requirements... http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/m...traction Height Chart - Walt Disney World.pdf I think there's only one that your 3.5 can do that the toddler can't, The Barnstormer. Oh, and if you're doing any character meals, I'd suggest one be a princess meal (like the Storybook Dining at Epcot's Akershus)... our DD has been fearful of other characters like Pooh & Mickey (although you can avoid them at the meal or have them sneak around behind the toddler), but she loves the princesses and other "face" characters. I guess you'd never know (or maybe you do - we have to stay away from the Chickfila cow weekly! ), and obviously some kids love them (we're still hoping for DD2!), but it's a good option if you have more than one character meal.

 

[Kayleebug]

Also, don't forget to bring loads of sunscreen because the average high temperature in Orlando in May is in the mid to upper 80's! There is nothing worse than a sunburned baby! I don't think you will regret your decision to bring your entire family. Have a fantastic time!

 

[DisneyDoc5]

We left my DD home at that age and took DS 4 and 6 at the time.... I know my opinion is different then many other positng, BUT, we had a great time with the boys and were able to focus on them. The 4 of us had a great time together and we felt like the boys deserved that attention after having to 'share' mom and dad with the 'baby' for the last few years. Yes, I missed her, but every time I saw a child her age they were sitting in a stroller, often waiting for a parent or sibling to go on an attraction. We felt so fortunate that we could provide uninterupted attention to the older kids AND relax by the pool with them as well. I know my DD had SO much fun at home with family getting tons of attention and had no idea what we were doing. The funny part of the story is that she would look at the pictures of the trip and she thinks she was there!!! My best friend left her baby home and took her two older children and shares my positive opinion about the experience. Of course, children that age can have a great time at Disney, but for us, being able to focus on the older children while they were at great ages to be at Disney was a gift to them and to us. In addition, it was a great way to hook DH into multiple trips, we now go every other year so we can experience Disney with the kids at all of there different ages. I have NO regrets about leaving her home that 1 time, I can only think of all of the fun things we did with the boys during that trip. Good luck with your decision!

 

[Colleen27]

I was also wondering about which parks to visit with them. Are they all pretty much the same as far as things to do with the little ones. Would i want to do all 4 parks with them?? My 3 year old is 36 inches right now so i dont see her being 40 inches when we go. 8 year old is 47 inches now. AND when the ride says "Any Height" does that mean the 22 month old can ride any of those?

Thanks!!!! Im really trying to get all the info that i can so that we can make the most of it!!

All the parks have something for the little ones. She can go on any ride without a height restriction, which is all but a handful in each park. The classics like Dumbo, the Mad Tea Party, Small World, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, etc. don't have any restrictions.

The Magic Kingdom has the most for them to do, obviously, between all the any-height rides and the shows/parades. DD16mo especially loved the castle stage show and the parade, and of course Small World which to her eyes was full of singing babies.

Epcot has the Living Seas with the Nemo and Crush attractions, Figment, and in May, the Flower & Garden festival with lots of colorful decor, character topiaries, butterfly garden, etc. It is my favorite park but probably had the least for DD16mo to do. She didn't seem to mind, though; the music and sights around the World Showcase kept her entertained even though there weren't rides for her to go on.

Hollywood Studios has the Toy Story ride, Playhouse Disney, Little Mermaid, and Beauty & the Beast shows, the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground, plus the Muppet show if she isn't scared of the 3D movies. I'd highly recommend moldable soft earplugs if you intend to see any of the shows with her, because they are loud enough to be scary even though the content itself isn't.

Animal Kingdom has all the animals, the Boneyard playground, the Triceratops Dumbo-style ride, and the Lion King and Nemo shows. The Tough to be a Bug 3D show can be a bit much for little kids; my dd16mo didn't mind it, but DD8 was terrified by it on her first trip at 3yo.

 

[mommy3girls]

I totally agree....a family vacation means "all" family members are present. Everyone will have a great time regardless of their ages.

 

[sk!mom]

I disagree that a vacation is not a vacation unless everyone goes. We vacationed (not Disney but other places) without our DD13 when she was an infant and young toddler (13-14 months). We did not leave her after that. By the time my children were nearing 2 they were talking and interacting with the family to the point that they would have felt left out if left behind.

I would take the 22 month old. However, I do think you need to consider your DH's opinion.

 

[robinb]

I would bring the stroller you have or rent one from an outside company. Don't rent one from Disney because they are VERY expensive. I see plenty of the longer double strollers in the park and I think they take up less room than the side-by-side ones.

 

[wdwfan16]

Take her.

 

[brightspark]

Looking for advice on what to do in the parks - check out tourguide Mike. We are going for our first trip with our ds 18 months, and although we've been before as a couple, we found we know little about what's best to do for the little ones. He's got loads of advice about what is good for them, (or any agegroup actually) and you can read all about all the different rides and shows etc etc. I found joining his site really worth the money (although not everyone does)

You're going to have a fabulous time!

 

[msmama]

I'd take her.

My DS is 20 months and he would definitely KNOW if we left him behind to do something fun (even if he was having fun with Grandma).

And can you imagine her looking at the pictures of your trip? It would just be a reminder to her that she got left behind, wouldn't it?

 

[Erica09M]

My youngest will be 23 months when we go on our first WDW trip in May. I never, ever thought about not taking her. I couldn't imagine being 17 (driving) hours away from her, especially for a week. And our vacation wouldn't feel complete if our family wasn't all together. I know she's going to have so much fun, and she'll have memories from her photos and the stories we tell her over the years about the trip.

I say take her (and she's free!)

 

[babynala]

I would take her. There is not much that a 3.5 year old can do that a 22 month old can not do. We took my son when he was a year old and he had a great time. Sometimes he was easier to deal with then his sister who was 4years old at the time. He is 5 now and loves watching the video of him at Disney when he was little. On that trip we took our tandem double stroller with us and both kids ended up taking naps in it at various points during our vacation.

I am sure you will enjoy your trip no matter what you decide.

 

[crazydaisy00]

On our first trip to Disney my kids were 9,7,5 friends kids 5,2. I was very surprised we all enjoyed each ride, even the adults. Its one of the few parks that a family with children of different ages can enjoy riding together. I did want to mention at that point I wish that I would have been to the world when my kids were small because they would have enjoyed it so much! We were there in May and it was hot but most of the rides are inside and we went to the parks for opening, went back to the hotel for the pool and a much needed nap in the afternoon and after resting up we went to dinner and back to the parks in the evening! Worked out great and we did have a lot of help from experienced disers!

 

[MartDM]

A lot of reasons can be given to not take her but they all serve someone's interest other than hers. There is one big reason you should take her that has nothing to do with WDW at all...she would miss her family and possibly even at that age feel some sense of abandonment. Take her, she'll love it & your family will too.