Tips for taking a 21 month old??

[Freiden8]

We are just starting to plan our late Jan./ early Feb. 2007 trip. DD will be about 22 months.

I'm looking for any and all tips for taking a toddler for the first time. Thank you!!

 

[pooh4evr]

our Dd was 23 months at travel time

#1 Stroller- we have 2 DD so we rented a double from Babys Best Friend - it was comfortable, had a canopy and large basket and reclined nicely so the girls slept in it- so we did not take afternoon breaks everyday- but depending on your child and where you stay you may want to.

#2 Character meals some kids at this age are afraid of the characters so you'll have to decide on yours but our kids loved seeing Pooh and friends at Crystal Palace breakfast and the Princesses at Norway lunch we also did autograph books and by the 2nd day Alli had the hang of it and loved it

#3 Snacks we took a backpack (diapers,wipes...) and a small softsided cooler with us with bottles of water, crystal lihgt to go packets, (just refilled the bottles when needed) goldfish, raisins, chex mix fruit snacks...- helped a lot to be able to give them something little everyonce and a while instead of paying park prices for a snack

#4 We flew and Dd had her own seat! lifesaver! She is a very Long kid and ahveing to hold her would have been a nightmare for well many- we probably broke a rule and did not bring a carseat but for us it worked great- that is a decision for You to make but we ahd Disney transportation so no rental care so no carseat needed. We did take an umbrella stroller just for the airport which we gate checked and that worked out great just to keep her "contained" while wrestling with luggage and stuff

We also did all 4 parks ans she rode on everything she was tall enough for I think -no Snow White - Did- Dumbo, IASW, Teacups, Goofy Barnstormer, PPF, Aladdin, JC, HM, TTA, Buzz,- MGM was great the girls Loved all the shows, Mermaid, Playhouse Disney, Beauty & Beast, Muppets..- Ak loved seeing all the animals and really loved the dinosaur playground area- Epcot was a really nice relaxing day took our time just enjoying the park and the Kidcot stations and foods!

Time for Dance Class will write more later if I can!

 

[o2bacelt]

We left the day our DD turned 22 months.

If you can, rent a car, we found this to be a lifesaver. If we were in the middle of a meltdown and there was no end in sight, we left, there was no waiting for the bus, we just packed up in the car and left.

If you are staying in a value resort, get the small fridge, it was worth every penny of $10 a day. It was a life saver.

Either send down or stop and get supplies at Wal-mart or Target when you get to Florida. We picked up juice, milk, snacks, diapers and wipes when we got to Florida. I had enough to get us to Florida and another day. The only diapers I packed besides what was in the diaper bag was overnight diapers. It was nice not to have to lug all that stuff around.

Schedule down time everyday. We took a break in the middle of the day and took a nap.

We did laundry while we were there, that also cut down on packing and lugging.

We brought our own stroller and carseat and a seat on the plane for DD. All three of those were great things for us. We didn't need to rent a car seat in FL (and for what it would have cost me I could have bought a brand new one) and it also gave our DD a comfortable and familiar place to sit on the plane and in the car. Our stroller was great as well, it doesn't look like all the other strollers in the stroller parking areas and we rolled our DD our to the car asleep more than once.

Pack a few toys in your luggage for down time in the room. We brought a My little pony and our Mr. Potato Head and got some new pieces to play with in the room.

I think that's it, if I think of anything else I'll post back.

 

[2poohbears]

My twins were 2 1/2 when we went earlier this year. I would emphasize the earlier point of keeping her on her usual schedule. Once you're in the parks, sometimes you may feel tempted to just keep going, but I think the naps really kept my 2 even tempered and allowed all of us to fully enjoy the trip. The time of year you're going (and we're going late JAN/early FEB 2007 as well!) is perfect for toddlers, IMO - no big crowds nor lines, so you'll have lots of time to see what you want to see. Keep in mind that you will be going at a slower pace, so you most likely won't see EVERYTHING. You'll spend a LOT of time in MK, b.k.a. Toddler Heaven. You'll be amazed by the looks on her face when she goes through rides like "It's a Small World" for the 1st time!

Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland---this was a HIT for my 2. Be aware that your child may get wet, so bring a change of clothing and socks just in case.

Umbrella Strollers---we stayed at ASMovies Resort and used Umbrella Strollers as they were easy to fold and carry on and off buses.

Blanket/layered clothing---that time of year the weather can be fairly warm during the day, then cold at night. I found it best to layer their clothing so I could pull off sweaters, long sleeve shirts as necessary throughout the day. I also found those snap-on blankets on sale at Babies R Us, which were great for late evening/nighttime strolling.

Rain cover for stroller---I threw these in at the last minute for our trip, and boy was I glad I did! It rained 2 days of our vacation. It would have been much harder to get around without these. I found some that have the mesh on the sides, so they weren't hot for the boys---it allowed air in, but no rain. Some people throw rain ponchos over the stroller, but I noticed those often were falling off other strollers, while ours remained in tact & the boys were able to see everything through the clear plastic and remain totally dry.

Character Meals---we started with Crystal palace - Pooh and Friends breakfast. The boys were both terrified of the characters. Generally, when they notice the children are afraid they'll stay away from the table and just wave as they pass by. We did a few character meals...by the end of the week the boys were thrilled to meet Mickey. I have GREAT video of them with Mickey, Pluto, Chip n Dale. We found character meals were a great way to meet the characters without having to stand in line for pics. We had to eat anyway, so why not see characters at the same time?

Loud Noises/Shows---Some toddlers are afraid of dark theaters, loud noises. One son was not phased in the least, while the other cried for every movie we tried to sit through as well as Fantasmic. Every child is different. I went in with the attitude that we would try everything we thought was not too violent for them. If either child cried or didn't want to go in, my husband or I (we took turns) would take that child outside and allow the other to enjoy the attraction. It worked out well for us.

Stuffed Animals/Disney stuff---I went to the Disney store several times over the months leading up to our trip, looking for sales. I bought small mickey mouse fantasia stuffed animals and stickers there before we left. I also bought books, small toys they didn't have and would pull them out every other hour during the trip (12 hours drive for us)...this kept them happy and occupied. We also brought our dvd player with a few new movies they had never seen...this occupied them on the trip home. Buying Disney stuff at sales before leaving home saved me a lot of money---they had no idea I didn't buy it at WDW. They carried those Mickey Mouse dolls through just about every park!

Sing Along Songs - Disneyland DVD---This was taped in the 80's at Disneyland, but it looks just like Magic Kingdom. The boys watched this a number of times before we left. I think it gave them a familiarity with MK, so it wasn't so foreign to them when we got there. It also showed them some of the characters we would be seeing in the park. They still ask to watch this dvd. I found my copy at Babies R Us.

Hope you have lots of fun planning your trip! You're going to really enjoy seeing WDW through your child's eyes!