Tell me it will be OK!

[rebecca314]

We arrive 8-12 with DD, age 4, and DS, age 2. We're not crazy, right?!?!?!?! Everyone seems to think we are. DS lovesa Chp N Dale DVD we play in the van, so we scheduled a lunch at Garden Grill.

This will be manageable, right??????

Rebecca

 

[Pirate&Princess]

We go every year and started in 2003 with DD's 2 & 4. Absolutely magical! (We did go in February with no heat) My biggest tip is to let them sleep and don't worry about what time you get to the park. If you wake them up or try to keep them on your schedule, they will be tired and cranky. Our schedule went out the window for Disney and we followed them. Which meant usually sleeping until 10:00, being in the park for 11:30 and staying until 9:00 or 10:00. Have a great time.

 

[marconat]

OMG, it's the most magical time ever... their expression when they see a character, the castle, the parades etc...... my daughter was barely 3 when we saw Cinderella for the first time... she was tapping her open mouth, looking at her with eyes wide open... when Cinderella asked if she was ok.... she ran up to her and just kept on looking at her in amazement.... PRICELESS look caught on tape.... My greatest memory ever in the parks.... Take your time and take afternoon breaks if you need them... It's so much fun to see them enjoy every little thing.

 

[2poohbears]

We went in JAN/FEB 2006 with 2 1/2 year old twin boys...everyone we knew thought we were NUTSO! We had a BLAST! The boys loved it and we loved their expressions and excitement seeing the magic for the first time. My favorite memory is Spectromagic Parade...the lights went down and my son, Michael, got a little scared. I pulled him to my lap to comfort him. Then, in the distance we could make out the first float with beautiful white lights...Michael leaned in to make out what it was. Suddenly, his mouth dropped wide open, his eyes sparkled and opened big and wide, and he whispered, excitedly "Mickey Mouse"! I get chills every time I think about that moment. So very sweet. I think it's a great age because it all really IS magic to them.

Just try to keep to their normal schedule as closely as you can...late nights in the park or skipped naps/meals will cause cranky children and you'll all end up miserable. We maintained their regular schedule and had very few tantrums during our 6-day trip.

Have fun!

 

[seven dwarfs]

It will be ok for sure. We have been going since the twins were 2. Now my twins are 6, triplets 4 and my baby is 2. They all love it. They also have been going for awhile so its like they have been trained by Disney. My 2 year old was 1 on her first trip and loved it.

 

[GabbyMom]

Ok now I'm starting to feel better. I'm taking my DD 17mo in two weeks. She knows Tigger, Pooh, and Mickey. We have dinner planned at Crystal Palace, hoping to see Geegee. I hope she loves it as much as I do.

 

[AMaloy314]

Absolutely! It will be better than OK. It will be fantastic!

We took my DSs when they were 4 and 2. It was a wonderful trip. The only problem we had was the first day, when we tried to make it without stopping for a nap. I had made a reservation for the ice cream social and didn't want to miss it. Luckily, kids have a way of letting you know when they have had it. Mine were subtle, yet effective, when they started yelling "I don't WANT ice cream, Mommy!" Once we finished taking a nap back at the room, the kids were good for the rest of the day. After that first day, we rested after lunch every day and had a great trip!

Just watch the kids and be flexible. It might be the best trip you've ever had!

 

[disneymama73]

I'm sorry people are telling you you're crazy. It's not crazy at all! Those are great ages to take your kids to WDW. It will be so magical for them. Just be flexible and go with the attitude that you won't see everything.

Have a great trip!

 

[Ariel8676]

Yes i agree this is an awesome age for the kids. If you are crazy than im completely nuts..lol We have 3 dd's 4,3 and 8 months and go 2x a year since my 4 yo was 2 months.
You will have a great time! We go the last week of August and it is hot..Make sure you bring hats.LOTS of sunscreen, drink a ton a water and take advantage of the AC. The other thing we do in August is..get up early and get to the parks at opening(cooler and much less crowded) stay until lunch..go back to the resort and swim, nap, whatever you want..then go back to the parks around dinner time. Have a great time!

 

[Tinkybell]

You will have a great time. You are not crazy. WDW is the most kid friendly place ever. Where else can you enjoy a fine dining meal with your kids along.
We took DS at 1, 2, 3,4 and 5 yo. Each year was special in it's own way and DS LOVES WDW, and keeps asking to go back. Just be realistic about your expectations, and take a mid day break. Have fun.

 

[MissMagnolia]

Ignore all the nay-sayers!!! We took my DS to DL at 11 months, to WDW at 2, to WDW at 4 and added DD-9 months, and we are going again in August when DD is 3 and DS is 6. We had a blast! Just make sure that if you as an adult love going on the rides and don't want to go alone, bring someone along to help.

My DD3 is in the 10% for height - only 36 inches and can't go on many of the rides we like or big brother can now go on. So, last minute (we were hoping she'd have a growth spurt ) we added a 5th person to our room (staying at a deluxe so we can) to come along and we'll alternate going on the rides with the babyswap, but as adults we don't have to go alone. My DS6 may chicken out on some rides, so this way we are covered!!

 

[liznboys]

We arrive 8-12 with DD, age 4, and DS, age 2. We're not crazy, right?!?!?!?! Everyone seems to think we are. DS lovesa Chp N Dale DVD we play in the van, so we scheduled a lunch at Garden Grill.

This will be manageable, right??????

Rebecca

Right!! We've done 4 trips with little ones so far...the last one we had our three (ages 6, 4 and going on 2) AND I was pregnant. lol Keep an open mind, be flexible, stay calm when things get a little crazy and go with the flow. It'll be great!

 

[cinjam]

I think you will have a great time. We've take DS#1 when he was 1 and then at 2. Then I had DS#2, waited almost one year and went again with them at ages 4 and 1; then 5 and 2. We are going in September at ages 5.5 & 2.5

We've always had such a magical adventure!!

I stopped listening to other people (usually family) after that first trip, which was totally awesome!

You know you kids best. Take it easy. Nap in the afternoon. Let your kids set the pace. Always have snacks & liquids at the ready (I've found snacks keep the tantrums at bay!).

Seeing Disney through my children's eyes is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had in my life. And I plan on repeating it, year after year after year...and then repeat again with my grandkids!

Totally manageable!

Enjoy your trip.

 

[glass slipper girl]

That's a perfect time to go! The only reason I'd say you are crazy is for letting other people make you worry about this! You're going to have a fantastic time! We've taken our kids at 21 months and 3.5, 2 and one month shy of 4, solidly 2 and 4, "almost 3" and 4.5, 3 and 5 and 4 and 6...you'll do great!

 

[deide71]

We had a great first trip with DD6, DS 3 and DS 18mo last August, we had so much fun we went back 4 months later. We are going back this October, and are toying with the idea of a April trip as well.


Forget the naysayers and have a fabulous vacation .

 

[smschex]

Your kids will have a great time! My theory is that if you first see Disney at a young age, you never really lose the magic.

It has been almost 40 years since I first saw Disneyland, and I still get wonderful goosebumps whenever I see that castle. I've worked hard to instill the same thing in my kids.

You will love the Garden Grill. Chip and Dale are full of fun. Just hold on to your napkin. They have some very creative uses for stray napkins!

 

[golden1]

I am also nervous about taking my kids who are the same ages. I am used to going to WDW without kids so I am trying to adjust my thinking before we go and I am just going to try to go by there cues. My kids are early risers and have early bedtimes, so we are planning on getting to the parks at opening and then taking a break after lunch and then go back to the park for a few hours.

We are also going to do the Garden Grill on our visit.

 

[bartleby1]

You're not crazy at all! There are lots of little ones at disney. I think you are smart to break them in early, lol! We never stopped going anywhere just because we had kids so they are very used to going places and deal with it just fine. We just got back with our 3 kids (6, 4, and 20 mths) and they all had a blast. My 20 month old learned soooo many new words on vacation and she can't stop talking about it. While we were there, she kept saying "happy, me happy". Some of her best new phrases include "Figment, skunk, P.U" and "Pooh, stuck, tree, hiney". It is amazing watching the excitement of a little one.

The only part we had difficulty with was going to Blizzard Beach. We really needed another set of hands since the kids wanted to go in 3 different directions and we were outnumbered.

 

[2poohbears]

I am also nervous about taking my kids who are the same ages. I am used to going to WDW without kids so I am trying to adjust my thinking before we go and I am just going to try to go by there cues. My kids are early risers and have early bedtimes, so we are planning on getting to the parks at opening and then taking a break after lunch and then go back to the park for a few hours.

We are also going to do the Garden Grill on our visit.

You are going with the exact right plan---follow your children's "cues" and you'll know when they've had enough and need to rest. Keep in mind this won't be your last visit to WDW, so whatever you miss you will see next time! We stayed on-site at ASMovies Resort so we took advantage of Morning Extra Magic Hours, had lunch at 11am (to avoid long lines), then went to room for naps, then back to parks for afternoon, ate dinner around 5pm, saw a few more things, then headed back to resort by 7pm. The kids did really well. If you use any kind of "white noise" at home, you might think of bringing that with you if you can. We brought their small air purifier, which they sleep with every night, and I think it helped lull them right to sleep. Garden Grill was a great character meal...I think our boys had the most fun at that one because it felt a little more private with each character since the restaurant is not a big open space. You'll have a great time!

 

[Cruz91]

Our kids were barely 4 and 23 months for our first trip (March of this year) and they have talked about nothing else since we got back. We had decided by about 1/2 way through our first trip (which was 11 days) that we would return, and even upgraded our passes to AP's. Just yesterday, we reserved everything for our 2nd trip coming up at Thanksgiving. The only two things we're changing - we're staying even LONGER (13 days) and flying instead of driving (from Ohio - the sanity is well worth the extra cost).

Your kids will have a blast - as will you. My best advice (AND LISTEN TO THIS - I EMPLORE YOU) TAKE NAPS!!! Not just the kids, but you two as well. Do that, everyone's happier, and you'll have an absolutely wonderful time!