Tips and helpful hints???

mom_to_2

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
288
Hi!! My DH and I will be staying in a disney resort for the first time 3/25-4/1 this year. We will be flying with DS3.5 and DS8months and will be staying at the Contemporary. We also have the deluxe dining plan.

Does anyone have any bits of wisdom, advice, tricks :) or any helpful suggestions for me??? Any attractions/rides/events/shows that we absolutely must do with kids that age?? Things to avoid, perhaps??? Any hidden or overlooked areas we should know about??

I am soooo excited about this trip and want to make it as magical as possible!! Any and all help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Here are the list of rides that are good for the little ones.....in MK-monsters inc laugh floor, buzz lightyear's space ranger spin, peter pan's flight(my favorite), it's a small world, dumbo for your 3.5 year old. Epcot-the seas with nemo and friends. HS-playhouse disney live on stage. AK-finding nemo the musical,kilimanjaro safaris. Also at Down Town Disney they have a lego store that is neat to go through. I am not sure how your 3.5 year old is around characters but my 2 year old likes to look from a far. He did really well around the princess though. I would say Chef Mickey's is a must if you think your 3.5 year old would be alright around Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald. We went there bc I also have a 5 year old and my DS2 held onto my arm so tight I thought my arm was going to fall off. Crystal Palace is also very nice and has Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore. Again my son was not to thrilled. We have a pic of him when Piglet came up to the table to see my children and my daughter hugged Piglet and my son burst out in tears.
If I had to give you just one tip.........it would be to take you time. Do not rush things and just enjoy your selves. There is a lot to see and do and you just will not get it all done in one trip. If I can answer any questions let me know. Hope you all have a great time. FYI- my favorite breakfast is Cinderellas Royal Table.
 
Don't forget to pack sippy cups if your child uses them, I have certain types that I like because they have a valve that prevents them from leaking, you can't find these in the parks... also have an empty one in your carry on to fill up with water or juice that you will have to purchase once you have passed security. ;)
 
Here are some hopefully helpful tips:

* The Contemporary is a great choice....the walk to MK is quick!

* Make your dining reservations as soon as you can to get decent times at the places you want. You will be spending a lot of time in restaurants w/the DXDP between waiting and eating. Consider how well your children will tolerate that...waiting for a table, waiting for food, waiting for the check. You may want to think about the regular DP, which is great and will give you more time for the parks, which will probably be quite busy.

* Each park has a play area which is wonderful for little ones to stretch their legs...especially Pooh's place and there is also one in Toon Town. Watch out for water squirters though!

* You can borrow life jackets at your resort.

* Have a "grab and go" bag in your diaper bag that has diaper change essentials ready for when you need them....don't forget a blanket/towel to lay baby on!

* There are really nice baby care centers in all parks for changing, feeding, relaxing and to stock up on supplies.

* No strollers in lines, so bring a baby carrier/sling. It comes in super handy!

* Bring your own stroller for comfort and cost savings!

* I always bring in a small cooler bag w/familiar snacks and drinks for the kids. It was great to have in lines and shows and not have to find a spot that sold juice, then wait in line to buy it.

* Many shows/attractions are LOUD...so prepare your little ones!

Have a great trip!
 

I'm not sure if you have flown with both before, but if not, just be prepared for securityand the airport in general. I always warn by hubby - to just know that we will be a security nightmare and that hauling everything through the airport will not a joy. We will prepare for it the best we can but that it is only small amount of the trip and that we should not dwell, but rather move on....its worth it in the end. After our recent trip, he laughed after security - saying that it wasn't as bad he thought it would be (I think I had talked it up so much that he was prepared for the worst!). That said - we had 2 car seats, a double stroller, 2 carry ons, 2 lg checked suitcases in tow - oh and lets not forget the almost 3 yo and not quite 1 yo.

Ditto on taking your time! Plan for naps and know that tired kid meltdowns may happen. We don't even bother with park hoppers and try to encourage naps. Both our pair passed out cold in the stroller just after lunch - dh and I took the time to sit in the shade along the parade route to relax. The boys woke up just in time for the parade and were ready to explore some more. We tried to get them to bed at a decent time and nap so that they weren't tired little disasters ;) by the end of the week. We took our time and had a fantastic trip!!!!

My kids loved the tiki birds, jungle cruise, the MK train that goes around the perimeter of the park, and toon town as well as the rest of fantasy land rides (dumbo, peter pan, pooh, small world, etc.). We head there first thing in the morning before it gets too packed.

My guys loved character meals - especially the contemporary's Chef mickey. They loved all the character interaction and watching the monorail go through the hotel. They were in awe - so after dinner we took a roundtrip ride on the monorail and saw the castle all light up - they loved it! (They are both crazy about trains.)

Animal Kingdom - Loved nemo, the safari, lion king, dinosaurs, and the animals and scenery. HATED BUGS WORLD - not crazy about the 3d glasses and they spraying of air and water during the show in the dark theater....yeah that one didn't go over well! :rotfl2:

Hollywood studios - full size lightening mcqueen and mater were a hit, playhouse disney was great, little mermaid, the honey I shrunk the kids was fun (but a nightmare to keep an eye on them - busy and lots of hiding spots!), and the afternoon parade was great - they knew all the characters.

If your little one needs a first haircut do it at the mainstreet barber - very cute. They give the little one a free pair of ears, a certificate, and wrap the hair with mickey confetti - very cute!

Enjoy your trip with your kids. We can't wait for our return visit in the next month. Can't beat the look of wonder on little kids faces at WDW!
 
Biggest tip:

TAKE YOUR TIME - enjoy every minute, believe me this will not be your last trip to Disney.

Toddler don't care if they have "seen everything" they are very happy with such little things that you might not even notice. When we took my GS @ 2 years old, he was happy & laughing in the hotel room! He was thrilled to walk down the hall into the elevator, loved the pool / gameroom etc, if we had never made it to a park he wouldn't have know the difference! Take your time, watch their eyes and you will see magic. I swear I spent more time watching my GS than watching anything Disney.

Try to see it thru their eyes- Relax & enjoy everything, even if you miss something else. Don't push them when tired, they are not enjoying anything and neither will you.

RELAX and Watch their faces. :)
 


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