Toddler at WDW

[holshouser]

We are planning our first family vacation to WDW July 08. Two kids, DD (8) and DS (2). Any helpful tips for the toddler, i.e. flying, WDW, etc.??????

 

[goldenears]

We took our DD to WDW this past Sept. and she was 23 mo.
It was a great time for all of us and I am sure you will have a blast with your 2 yr. old as well.
Not sure where you are flying from, but we were flying from NH, so our flight wasn't horribly long. I made sure to bring some snacks on the plane for her and we bought her some milk once we passed through security, so we wouldn't have to wait for the drink cart to come around if she got thirsty.
I also brought some new, small and cheap toys with us to entertain her (i.e., travel MagnaDoodle, coloring book, playdough, etc...).
When at WDW, we tryed not to rush around too much with her. We brought her on all the rides we thought she would enjoy and bought her a special autograph book and pen that she enjoyed carrying around and having the characters sign. We brought snacks and drinks into the park for her and stopped at CS in the park to eat lunch.
Have a great time w/ your kids!!

 

[DVCisME]

I am a fan of Ring pops for both the plane ride and for the long lines. They sell these books, I have seen them at the Disney Store and at Borders, where you put water in the pen and it colors the pages. I filled it up right before the plane ride, in the bathroom. I always carry with me an extra outfit in a ziploc bag. Inthe ziploc bag it doesn't take up much room and it is a great place to put dirty clothes.

 

[Jack&Ryan'smom]

The tough thing with going with an older child and a younger child is naps! We justwent this past Sept. DS was 6.5 and younger DS was 2.5. We always went back to the room in the afternoon for a nap. DS #1 was happy because that menant pool time for him! If you skip nap time you won't be able to stay late in the parks at all or even be able to sit down for a nice TS.

I wouln't worry about bring lots for the kids to do. They are busy all week...we didn't need anything we brought!

Make sure they have there own spending $. Each of mine had $75 for the week. This way I never had to say no to anything.

I have brought both DS's as toddlers and I always worried. But they were better behaved then I could have ever imagined!!! Our plane ride was a dream because we flew Jet Blue...they have Diret TV!!! My kids didn't move or speak the entire flight!

Don't worry...your little one will have a blast!
Don't forget to make ADR's for some character meals!!!

 

[Debi]

Bump to the top!

 

[mrswh]

A few random tips . . . respect the nap for the 2 year old! Your little guy will have no fun at all if you're pushing him past his limits. Like a PP said, it can be swim time for your older child.

For the flight - bring your 2-year old's car seat and install it on the plane. Most kids seem to do much better in their car seats - they are used to being there and know that it means they need to sit for a while. A portable DVD player is good entertainment for both kids.

Make ADRs for character meals. Make them now if you haven't already. They fill up fast. Kids love characters, and it's really awful to have to stand in line in the hot sun for 30 minutes to see one for 10 seconds. You get really terrific character interaction at most of the character dining experiences. So worth it.

Ride in the driver's car on the monorail. You can do it at a time when it's not busy, or just wait your turn for the next train if you have a few extra minutes. My kids loved that!

The Family Fun Day Parade at MK is so much fun, especially if you are in it. My kids loved that - you get to march down main street with characters. When you go in to the park, grab a Times Guide and see what time the FFD Parades are - there are 3 of them usually. If you go over to the Tomorrowland side of the circle in front of the castle about 15 minutes before the parade time, you can be in the parade or even be the grand marshal.

It's hard for a 2 year old to wait in line. Bring some random things for entertainment - we had a little bottle of bubbles that worked well (the other kids in line liked it too!). Lollipops are good when it's a desperate situation. Maybe some stickers, etc. Little things that can entertain/distract him for a few minutes. You could practice colors (I spy something red, etc.) or numbers or shapes.

Have fun!!

 

[melissalee1220]

Your toddler will have a blast!! Definately do expect some nap time because its exhausting for them.

Also, I tried a few times to get my tired little toddler up early to hit those early magic hours for resort guests and it was a huge mistake!! Let the little one wake up on his own and go with his schedule! On the days that i pushed those early hours we had serious meltdowns all through out the day.

OH, one more thing! A little down time at the Baby Care center is a GREAT thing! Its quiet, air conditioned, usually a Disney movie is playing. We'd relax in there for 15-30 mins while he watched a movie and rested a bit and then we'd hit the rides again. A little breather goes a long way!

 

[tinkrbells]

It's like going for the 1st time through their eyes.
The above posts are correct. There are so many things to do, but have things in the room for when they aren't sleeping or at the parks. They are kids and still want to play. You will miss Disney when you go home, because of how well your children will nap or sleep at night. Due to travel lag and excitement, expect your children to be tired and expect at least one meltdown. Remember that it could take more time than you expect to travel between your room and the park, so if your little one naps at a certain time, give yourself plenty of time to get back to the room. Your older child might even need a nap or turn in earlier for the night than normal. Disney is fun, but exhausting.

One of the things my 17 mth old DD (15 mths at the time of our trip) loved was the character breakfast @ Hollywood & Vine. It is Playhouse Disney. They also had the Little Einsteins and Handy Manny characters greeting outside of the PlayHouse Disney Show @ MGM. The line wasn't long and she was thrilled to see Leo, Annie, Quincy, & June.

 

[Aliceacc]

We're going in August.

I started this thread for other newbies: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1715551