Toddlers and Disney second try

[jann1033]

first time we went to disney our kids were 5+ yrs...we'd like to take the grandbaby next yr. she'll be just 2 then, but her mom thinks she is too young and it will be difficult. She is active, extremely curious and basically fearless presently( could change by next year). Heard of baby swap but never used it so how does it work. any other difficulties we might encounter?. we 'd go off season, don't need to stick together 24/7 and probably won't ride everything ( ie It's A Small But Annoying World) although we all like thrill rides. we are comtemplating one of the cabins at FW so any thoughts along that line would help also.

 

[lisadisney2003]

We are taking our dd on her 4th trip in Sept. and she is now 2. It has been a different experience each trip based on her development. Alot of people thought we were crazy because she will never remember the trips but, we do and treasure those memories of her. We can't wait for Sept. If you can stay on the monorail, that would be good so as to take easy afternoon breaks for naps. We try to go for 7 - 10 days so that we have time to do the parks with leisure. I would also try to attend at least on character meal. I think you should go for it and have the time of your lives!!!

 

[cinder1]

We have taken kids as young as 4 mths, 21 mths, 3 yrs, 4yrs (and on up). My kids have all been rambunctious, fearless, extremely active, etc., and we have loved all our time at WDW. We do split up quite a bit. We go again in Jan and our kids will be 10, a few weeks shy of 9, turn 6 while there and 19 mths so I'm sure we will split up a lot again. I never mind the splitting up because I get to enjoy things with the youngest that the older ones would scoff at (until they bring their own little ones waaaay in the future!!). We have never left the parks for a nap. My kids would never nap in a stroller ever EXCEPT at WDW so we keep going!! We also do our best to go in off seasons.


I would absolutely take the 2yr old. She and you will love it. Even if she can't remember everything, she will know in her heart that she had great fun with her grandparents!!

 

[jann1033]

(i am so sappy when it comes to her that after reading the above comments i actually have tears in my eyes typing this.. huh brother, that will be aweek long cry fest for me!)i think that is it..she may not remember it(another of her mom's concern ) but maybe this trip will be more for us remembering HER first trip, her memories will come later. Thanks

and any more advice will be much appreciated

 

[isyt]

I have 3 kids now dd8,dd6 and ds4. My 4yr old has been 10 times. My oldest had her 1st trip when she was 4 months she doesn't remember but I will always remember Mickey holding her for a picture in Garden Grille ( priceless )!! It has been like that ever since , each trip different and different memories. Our familes think we are nuts, but there is so much to see and do the kids don't have time to be crazy. My big suggestion is to only make a few reservations and play it by ear. We usually based things on the kids moods. We were usually lucky my kids never had a problem napping in the stroller so we never went back to the rooms for naps.

Kid swap is great. As you are gettting on line you tell the cm that you are swapping and they will give you a special fastpass that allows the bearer and 3 additional people to ride again. We have used this for years and my older kids love it because they ride with dad 1st then again with me.

You will have a great time them!!!!

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

We took DD for her 2nd birthday. She LOVED it! She rode everything she was able to and loved all the rides. Dumbo was her favorite. She was fearless when we took her so I didn't really think anything would bother her, but a few things did. She didn't like the 3d shows at all. She really didn't like Fantasmic. She sat there with her fists over her eyes so she didn't have to look. She also became afraid of the Villains in the parade. If she saw a Villain signing autographs she would march right up and hug them but she didn't like them accompanied with scary music.

DD sleeps well in her stroller so we let her nap in it while in the parks.

We also planned to spend some extra time at playgrounds. The Honey I Shrunk at MGM and the Dino Land one at Animal Kingdom. It was kinda hard for me to spend so much time at a slide when Disney Magic was waiting to be explored but at her age she needed some "play" time.

We had her watch the Disneyland sing along tape to get her familiar with Disney and the size of the characters. We took her at 8 months but she obviously doesn't remember that trip.

I don't know if its because I take about 1000 pics of each trip but DD remembers tons about the trip. She is 3 1/2 now and still talks about riding It's a Small World. I made a special photo album just for pictures of her and the characters. She loves looking through this book and has taken it to preschool a few times for show and tell. I think 2 is a great age The pictures you will get of her will be priceless!

 

[AJKMOM]

I heard that a lot too "They won't remember it". I always responded that I don't care if they remember it, just so they enjoy it. Our first trip with kids was ages 2-4-6, and the 4 year old was worse than the 2 year old, and he is autistic!

Big tips from me are 1. go off season, 2. get a stroller they can sleep in, and 3. don't rock the boat.

If they are happy, then they will behave better, my opinion.

 

[AnaheimGirl]

probably won't ride everything ( ie It's A Small But Annoying World) although we all like thrill rides.

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding, but are you saying you want to take a 2yo to WDW and not go on IASW? Toddlers love that ride! You should certainly ride the rides you want, but please, don't skip IASW (or Dumbo or Winnie the Pooh, or any other kiddie-type rides) when you're there with a toddler, those are the rides they're going to love! As annoying as IASW is, it's pure heaven (IMO) to see the look on a toddler's face as he/she goes through the ride.

Difficulties? Well, yea, taking care of a 2yo is difficult no matter where you are, IMO. They require a lot of attention, and Disney is no different. As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather be watching over my 2yo at Disney than at home, or at the grocery store, or the mall... lol. Just make sure you know where the nearest bathroom is at all times, if she's newly potty-trained, bring plenty of snacks, sippy cup, lovey, a comfy stroller, and be prepared to take a rest each day, maybe several times a day.

Good luck!

 

[Windy City Heather]

I never would have even throught about taking a toddler to Disney. I won a trip and was not going to give it up because she was only 14 months old. She had so much fun. I know she does not remember it but we do. We took her back again when she was 28 months. She does remember this trip and talks about it all the time (it was last December). She also pulls out pictures from the first trip and talks about going back. We are going next month and we can't wait.

Also, if she has not had her first hair cut think about getting it done at the Main Street Barber Shop. We plan to do this next month.

Bring your own stroller, one that she can sleep in. Bring snacks to the parks with you.

 

[Bunch24]

I heard that a lot too "They won't remember it". I always responded that I don't care if they remember it, just so they enjoy it. Our first trip with kids was ages 2-4-6, and the 4 year old was worse than the 2 year old, and he is autistic!

Big tips from me are 1. go off season, 2. get a stroller they can sleep in, and 3. don't rock the boat.

If they are happy, then they will behave better, my opinion.

I've always questioned the logic in people saying "Don't bring your toddler to WDW, they won't remember anything."

Well, then, why do we throw them a first and second birthday party? They won't remember those either.

Why does Santa pass for them at that age?

Why do we do anything for our toddlers?

It's easy, because we love them and we like to make them happy, even if it's not something they'll easily recall on their graduation day. We'll remember it, and that's just as important.

 

[rlduvall]

quote by Bunch24:

[I've always questioned the logic in people saying "Don't bring your toddler to WDW, they won't remember anything."

Well, then, why do we throw them a first and second birthday party? They won't remember those either.

Why does Santa pass for them at that age?

Why do we do anything for our toddlers?

It's easy, because we love them and we like to make them happy, even if it's not something they'll easily recall on their graduation day. We'll remember it, and that's just as important.]


You are so right. I wish I would have thought to say that back to my family when I took my DS4 to WDW. Even my husband didn't want to do it yet. I'm so glad I did. I know 4 isn't very young, but I still got a hard time about it. That was almost 2 years ago and I am thinking about taking him back for free dining, BY MYSELF. Is that crazy or what????

 

[blessedby3]

I agree. I was thinking the same thing that Bunch24 wrote before I got to that post. Why not bring a child of any age to the happiest place on earth? If they are too young to remember why would you go anywhere on vacation until they are about 5 or 6 years old to make sure they remember??!! This so-called logic makes NO sense to me. You take kids to the beach, camping, other vacation spots when they are small so what is the difference? We took our oldest DD for the first time when she had just turned 2. She spoke of that trip for a long time afterwards and was clear to point out what rides she liked and which ones she was not going to go on again. We went again when she was 4 and she remembered many things from when she was 2. Dont let people tell you they are too young. That is what cameras are for anyway. Priceless pictures whether you are at the beach with a one year old, or Disney!

 

[jann1033]

this has kind of gotten off topic..i was asking for pointers on taking a toddler ( ie the stroller, baby swap stuff which is helpful) so any help a long that line would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[slo]

My DD#1's first trip to WDW was when she was 2 and it was a wonderful trip - one of my favorite!!(this year will be her 5th trip)

DD#2 will be 2 this year and I think she will do just fine. She probably won't be as good as her sister was at this age because DD#2 is a lot more impatient of an individual.

My best tip is to cater the trip to the child. When she is tired you stop, when she is tired you eat, when she is crabby you entertain her - you do whatever it takes to keep her happy - because when she is happy then you will be happy!! Good luck and I'm sure you will have an awesome time!!!

 

[slo]

this has kind of gotten off topic..i was asking for pointers on taking a toddler ( ie the stroller, baby swap stuff which is helpful) so any help a long that line would be appreciated. Thanks

My advice on the stroller is to rent one at the parks. We have really liked their strollers and have used them every year we have gone. They have an overhang for shade and the bottom extends out so the childs legs are extended which is nice if they should fall asleep. I give the WDW strollers an A+.

The child swap at the rides are great!! When you go on the ride you tell the CM that you need a child swap ticket and they will give you one. Then you go on the ride and when you get off you give the ticket to your spouse and then he goes into the Fast Pass line so he can go on right away. It's great!!!

Each of the parks have a wonderful area where you can go tend to your child. In the MK it's by the Crystal Palace and I can't remember what they call it exactly. But they have a very nice clean area to change diapers, a room with highchairs to feed your child, & toiletries or medical items if you need them (for sale of course). This is a very very nice area that not to many people know about.

Eating - your 2yr old eats for free - this is a good thing to remember!!!

Fantasmic - we have personally skipped this last year and we are again skipping this this year because you have to wait on bleachers with a lot of people. I don't know how your 2yr old would be, but I can guarantee my 2yr will have no part of that, and then I would feel really bad that all the people around us would have to listen to her have a fit.

I can't really think of anything else - if you have any questions, please feel free to PM me, because I don't know if I will be coming back to this thread. Have a good night!!!!

 

[Honeybehr1]

My son went for the first time when he just turned 4 and he will be 8 on our next visit this October and he still talks about his first trip.
Our second child is 2, and I get that comment that he is too young to go, but I tell them, that it is free for him to go, so why not. We can always go back when he is older. Disney is not a one shot visit - it changes all the time.

 

[southjerseymom]

You will be spending most of your time in the MK so it is worth the extra money to stay in one of those resorts. When my DS was 2 we stayed at the WL for a reasonable price and even though he has stayed at the Poly and the BC since then he still loves "his" hotel. Boat ride is easy - stroller on and off. I find having to fold up a stroller to get on the busses a pain - but it is doable. I went for a cheap umbrella stroller the last time and I was sorry. I am tall so it made pushing it difficult. Make sure your stroller is comfortable for you and the baby! I would recommend a character meal - we do Chef Mickey's for dinner and the kids are always happy. We also did a princess lunch at Epcot and Crystal Palace for breakfast. Its nice to enjoy a meal while the kids are entertained. Fantasyland will be your place with a little one..just don't be in there when they do Wishes! It was like a war zone by Dumbo. Really scared my kids. What I have learned in my trips is one day they may love something -the next they won't. DS still dosen't love the sensory attractions like Philarmagic - but DD2 does. We found our kids were good for about 4-5 rides in the morning then back to the hotel for resort time. They love the resorts...its part of the whole experience. Take it easy...follow their lead and you will have an AWESOME time!
WL May 2003
Poly November 2004
BC May 2005
FW cabins February 2006

 

[slo]

It's easy, because we love them and we like to make them happy, even if it's not something they'll easily recall on their graduation day. We'll remember it, and that's just as important.

AMEN!!!!
(sorry, I know that is off topic, but I couldn't resist )

 

[disneylizzy]

Our kids were teens by the time we had any extra money to go to WDW. They love it, but I'd give anything to have memories of them hugging Mickey when they were two.

I say, you take your precious little 2YO grandbaby and have the time of your life. I think grandparents would be even more likely to revolve the whole trip around the child and I think that is the key to a great trip with little kids, that is, no commando touring, taking a break when the baby needs to, etc.

Unofficial Guide book has a great description of the baby swap.

 

[jann1033]

so the baby swap ...you don't all get in line together?