Top Ten Things for Toddler - 1, then 2, then 3 years old!

[Brygida]

Now my toddler was 3 years, 4 months old. (see below for prior lists) The twist this year is that when he really enjoyed a ride, he would hold up his fingers indicating how many more times (in-a-row) he had to ride the ride! Very cute. I've created another Disney-phile!

#1 - Peter Pan - moved to the top of the list this year! He can now recite the layout of the whole ride... It's Wendy.... It's Nana barking.... We're flying through the streets of London.... The mermaids.... the Indians.... Peter Pan saves the day! You get the picture.

#2 - Finding Nemo The Musical - the only thing he will willingly wait in line for and wait in our bench, seated, until showtime! His favorite double-whammy is to see Finding Nemo the Musical at AK, and then park-hop to EPCOT to go on Finding Nemo - The Ride! We did this twice!

#3 - It's a Small World - still sheer joy and smiles all over his face. Each time he rides, he notices new things... like we all do.

#4 - Animal Kingdom animals - on the safari, on the Pangani trail, on the signs, on the buildings and chairs! Loves them all.

#5 - The shows! - Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Pocahontas - It's like watching his favorite DVDs... only live! He intensely watched all these shows.

#6 - Magic Kingdom - Dumbo, Aladdin Magic Carpets, Mickey's Philharmagic, Winnie The Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean - he can now truly appreciate and be entertained on these rides

#7 - Ol Man Island at Port Orleans Riverside - the swimming pool! He really enjoyed it this year. He learned to swim under water from watching the older kids! Most days we went to the park in the morning, swam in the afternoon, and then drove to our evening meal.

#8 - Make Your Own Ice Cream Sundae Palette at Wolfgan Puck's (DTD) - This had to be his favorite meal item. Fixings for an ice cream sundae are delivered on an artist's palette. This kept him entertained a very long time.

#9 - Disney characters! - whether it be Princesses, Princes, or the classic characters (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald), he liked shaking hands, talking to them, watching them in parades, taking pictures with them!

#10 - Splash Mountain? - He insisted on going, even after I made him watch the logs coming down the highest drop! So I took him (he is very tall and was 2 inches over the minimum). He looked at all the various scenes, and the catchy songs he liked. He held my hand the whole time and held on with the other hand. We both got thoroughly soaked (think kali river rapids soaked!). He tells everyone that he went on Splash Mountain, but when asked, he says he does not want to go again, because it was a little too scary.

Okay. 1 Year Later, my toddler was 2 years, 4 months old. His favorites now, which he would ask for *all the time* are:

#1 - It's A Small World - At the end of the ride he would look at me and ask, "Another Small World?" - we would go on this 2-3 times in a row. He can now sing the song with enough clarity so that you can understand most of the words. During a particularly sweltering afternoon, after waiting 45 minutes for a Disney bus to arrive at MK, we got on and were packed like sardines. He starts singing the song, and after a few minutes people around stopped their conversations and said "Hey, he's singing the Small World song." Laughter followed, and then several adults joined in the sing-a-long that my toddler had started!

#2 - Animal Kingdom - Pangani Forest Trail - He loved this because of the multiple displays of right at his eye level.... especially the fish (underwater viewing and in the clear ponds).

#3 - Animal Kingdom in general - At the safari, he loved looking for the elephants, zebras, giraffes, and other favorites. I think he loved this park the best, because of the animals everywhere. He identified each one as we walked by. He enjoyed playing on the dinosaur, he enjoyed Pocahontas and Her Friends show, he enjoyed the parade. He did not seem as enamored about the petting area at Conservation Station as last time. He lost interest during the Lion King show.

#4 - EPCOT miniature train display in Germany - I would let him run between the trains as they rolled through the miniature town - He would run from one to another saying, "Another Train!". He cried when we had to leave (the display is outside and you can only stay so long in the sweltering August sun).

#5 - Thomas The Tank Engine train table at toy store in England, EPCOT - So engrossed, he would not leave. Had to carry him out kicking and screaming. Same story as last time!

#6 - Monorails - "Monorail." "Another monorail." "Monorail Gold." "Monorail Black." He especially liked when we got to ride up-front in a monorail!

#7 - Trains - Around the MK or in AK, it didn't matter. He could here the whistle from anywhere in the park.

#8 - Parades - MK afternoon parade, SpectroMagic, AK afternoon parade... He loved them all. He did his little happy dance while announcing all the characters to me.

#9 - Classic Characters - Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Daisy, Minnie, Chip & Dale - We had breakfast with them (Donald's Breakfastausaurus), lunch with them (Garden Grill), ran into them at the parks, got pictures at Toontown. He loved naming them, hugging them, high-fiving them.

#10 - Peter Pan ride - This is the only other ride he asked for by name!

We recently visited WDW with our 16 month old son. Using his screeches of delight, screams when we were about to leave, and the sheer joy/awe on his face, I have come up with the following list of his favorite activites during our 6 day stay.

#1 - Pooh's Playful Spot at MK - especially the fountains of water shooting up from the ground - lots of screeching and smiles

#2 - Thomas The Tank Engine train table at toy store in England, EPCOT - So engrossed, he would not leave. Had to carry him out kicking and screaming.

#3 - Pools at Wilderness Lodge - Toddled straight for the pools every time he saw them.

#4 - Cinderella's Carousel at MK - Tried to run... fell... tried to run... fell... till he reached it.

#5 - It's A Small World - fascinated by the clock in the loading area.

#6 - Seeing a zebra and then an elephant at Safari in Animal Kingdom - dumbstruck at the live animals that were close enough.

#7 - Castaway Creek at Typhoon Lagoon - happy, wriggling, almost fell asleep in my tube.

#8 - Pooh and friends meet at toy store in England EPCOT - when his turn was up and I walked him out, he turned around and walked right back.

#9 - Getting a Mickey Mouse balloon on Main Street - I attached it to his stroller for hours of entertainment.

#10 - Strolling around the walkways, geysers, waterfalls at Wilderness Lodge - Actually, being in his stroller anywhere in WDW, could cause him to spontaneously erupt in smiles as he turned to look at us pushing him.

Brygida

 

[nessz79]

Oh, it's so fun to see them change! Thanks for sharing!

 

[LadyShea]

Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[ehrn]

that was a neat idea to make lists to compare like that!!!!
my son(2.5) loved a lot of those things too--as well as looking for lizards at POR, seeing Philharmagic and Pirates!

 

[WVUFan]

I love your lists! I'm excited to see what my 2 and a half year old will like in November. She loves pictures and videos of Splash Mountain, but she won't be tall enough- there's always next time!

Thanks for the warning about Thomas the Train in England- she could stay there the whole day. I think I'll keep Thomas to myself.

 

[Brygida]

I love your lists! I'm excited to see what my 2 and a half year old will like in November. She loves pictures and videos of Splash Mountain, but she won't be tall enough- there's always next time!

Thanks for the warning about Thomas the Train in England- she could stay there the whole day. I think I'll keep Thomas to myself.

I avoided Thomas this time too.... mainly because I knew there were so many things that he could not see at home.

 

[only1alexa]

top 10: (He turned 3 on Memorial Day weekend)

#1 Hands down is Buzz at MK
#2 "The Nemo Ride!"
#3 Getting his face painted at MGM
#4 Tom Sawyer Island
#5 The Boneyard
#6 The fountains at Epcot
#7 Rafiki's Planetwatch (?) at AK
#8 Any pool
#9 Meeting Characters
#10 The Lego Store play area in DTD

 

[Brygida]

top 10: (He turned 3 on Memorial Day weekend)

#1 Hands down is Buzz at MK
#2 "The Nemo Ride!"
#3 Getting his face painted at MGM
#4 Tom Sawyer Island
#5 The Boneyard
#6 The fountains at Epcot
#7 Rafiki's Planetwatch (?) at AK
#8 Any pool
#9 Meeting Characters
#10 The Lego Store play area in DTD

Good list. Toddlers are such fun. I wonder what they will like next year?

 

[moparop]

Thanks for the lists ladies! We are taking my two boys in Janurary. They will be 3.5 and 22 months. I am starting work on lists of rides for the trip right now. this is really helping me zero in on things that are particularily suited for their ages.

 

[Skyw]

for the OP. How did your son like Port Orleans? Was it a long walk to everywhere and how was the pool. My son will be 4 this fall and we are trying to decide were to stay.

When my son was 3 he liked...

1) Riding the golf cart at FW
2) Riding the boat to MK from FW
3) Buzz light year ride
4) Pooh ride
5) THe playgrounds at all of the parks. (l liked MGM's the best)
6) The pool at FW
7) Shopping for toys.

We only spent a few hours a day there, so his list is short. We spent more time at FW exploring and looking for animals.

 

[Brygida]

for the OP. How did your son like Port Orleans? Was it a long walk to everywhere and how was the pool. My son will be 4 this fall and we are trying to decide were to stay.

We only spent a few hours a day there, so his list is short. We spent more time at FW exploring and looking for animals.

My son loved Port Orleans, especially the main pool and the bridges over the waterways. I don't know if you are familiar with PO Riverside, but the main lobby, food court, and main pool are on little islands in the middle of the resort surrounded by a waterway. On the opposite side of all the waterways are the buildings with the rooms. My favorite building is Magnolia Terrace. On the outer side of Magnolia Terrace, the bus stop (last stop prior to leaving for the parks) is across the parking lot. On the inner side of Magnolia Terrace is a bridge that brings you directly to the main pool, slide, and playground. If you hang a left and pass the pool, you have another bridge linking you to the food court side of the main lobby building. By studying the map, this gives you the shortest total distance to the bus stop, pool, and food court that I have found.

On the lawns near the parking lot are always lots of lizards and bunnies. On the walkways near the waterways are lots of birds and ducks. Even when he was 2, he had no problem getting to the pool or food court walking.

We too, on average, only spent about 3 hours in a park on any given day riding the rides.

 

[Brygida]

Thanks for the lists ladies! We are taking my two boys in Janurary. They will be 3.5 and 22 months. I am starting work on lists of rides for the trip right now. this is really helping me zero in on things that are particularily suited for their ages.

Your welcome. I hope it reaps you some sweet memories.