Trip booked! So happy

[Fantasia79]

Reservatiion window opened today, and I got the reservation I wanted!

This will be my daughter's first trip.

Still trying to get points for grandparents, but one part is done!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

Yeah! How old will your daughter be?

 

[Fantasia79]

Thanks! She'll be 2.2 when we go. Can't wait! Also, can't imagine what she'll be like in 1 year!

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

That's great! Happy planning!

 

[Kidanifan08]

Congrats! Where are you staying for her first trip? DS10 was 2.5 for his first trip in October 2008, and it was great! He was never picky about where he would nap, so we were able to get him to sleep in the stroller, which gave us a little time to shop and chill in the parks. Some our favorite photos of our Disney trips are from that first one. If you are flying, you may want to consider renting a stroller from one of the off-site vendors. We had good experiences with Magic Stroller and Kingdom Stroller. Have fun planning!!

 

[Fantasia79]

@Kidanifan08 Thanks! VGF. I'm doing a ton of research into planning, actually have a thread going for it!

http://www.disboards.com/threads/da...dparents-advice-wanted.3526286/#post-56089544

I plan on doing the rental. She's an OK stroller napper. At the zoo we can usually get her asleep if we keep moving in a generally calm area, but it's not a huge nap (30-60min). Figuring out what her schedule will be like in a year is a bit daunting, but I think leaving a large chunk of the day wide open will help.

Any experiences you had I'm all ears.

 

[Kidanifan08]

I noticed on your other thread that others are suggesting to take your own stroller. DW reminded me that we took our own stroller the first trip. It was an umbrella-type stroller, which was fine, but the next time we took our larger stroller which was one with bike wheels and a single front swivel wheel (jogger style). The bigger stroller was better from a storage standpoint, but more challenging on the buses. We finally rented on our 3rd trip, when DS was able to do more reliable walking. I still stand by my recommendation to rent for your trip next year. The downside of a stroller is the buses, but the upside is storage. If you have good under storage you may want to pack a six-pack cooler to take cold water and beverages to the park. You will probably also want one of these:
[GALLERY=] [/GALLERY]
It's called the mommy hook. It was great for clipping purses, backpacks, bags, etc to the stroller handle. Also, get some disposable rain ponchos and several small "chip clips" to cover the stroller in case of rain. Some of the rental companies will provide a rain cover (Kingdom Stroller guarantees it), so if you rent, you may not need the clips and ponchos. I always bought the insurance for the rental, since the CM's move the strollers around and you never quite know what could happen when it is not in your line of vision. With that in mind, take something to tie or clip to your rental to make it stand out among the others. Makes it much easier to find in the sea of strollers. We had a neon yellow suitcase handle protector which worked well, but I have seen scarfs and ribbons used as well.

 

[Kidanifan08]

Also, DW was really good about pre-purchasing surprises for the trip. She would get glow sticks and flashing things from the Target dollar spot for the evening. She would watch for Disney Store sales to buy plushes and other surprises to leave in the room "from Mickey" for when we got back. It's much cheaper than buying stuff one you get to the parks (as you may already know). We would also take night lights for the various villa rooms, which was more for us than my son!

 

[Fantasia79]

@Kidanifan08 Oh my. We have the Mommy hook, I use it all the time, my wife refuses to. It's a stubborn thing, she insisted we wouldn't ever need it when we bought it. So, I'm now calling it the daddy hook.

I'll def be referencing this going forward. Great tip on the cover & insurance! Totally going to try to mark it.

Gifts too. So far, she can't really ask for gifts. I feel like I'll be powerless......