Trip with 2 kids under 2?? Are we crazy?

[Fall1]

Please convince me this won't be a disaster trip! DH and I are in WDW withdrawal and really want to go in October 2008. Our twins will be 16 months old and I am scared that the trip will be a disaster. I've read many tips about traveling with toddlers, I'm just so scared!

Should we wait til they are almost 3? Over 3?

Thanks!

 

[chrisw127]

We took our (then) 9 month old twins in December (as well as our five-year old). It wasn't a huge problem. Of course, 9 month olds are different than bigger kids (for one thing, they'll stay in a sling or stroller), but I think if you take your time, allow time for naps, and have very low expectations of how much you'll be able to do, you'll be fine. I'm not sure if you've used them before, but the baby stations were a great place to nap and just be quiet for a while.

One thing we did wrong: We arrived late at night. It didn't allow any time for the kids to unwind after the long trip and my daughter stayed up for hours. Also, I would not have driven from NC. Much easier to take a plane.

Another thing: Babies cry at night. Not really an issue for you, but when one kid cried, the other two woke up, so schedules were really messed up in the morning. When we go again, if we can't afford a two bedroom place at WL, we'll rent a house off-property. Space is such a big issue with little kids.

What we did right: Hired a sitter one day. It was a huge splurge (because the twins weren't walking yet, we needed two sitters, which meant we paid $24 an hour), but it gave us an entire day to ourselves (with DS5). We used Kids Nite Out. They were fantastic.

Also, you're a twin mom and you are probably a master of organization. All the twin moms I know are, even if they don't realize it! You all will be fine.

 

[TJA]

Please convince me this won't be a disaster trip! DH and I are in WDW withdrawal and really want to go in October 2008. Our twins will be 16 months old and I am scared that the trip will be a disaster. I've read many tips about traveling with toddlers, I'm just so scared!

Should we wait til they are almost 3? Over 3?

Thanks!

I take it they are your only kids? Same situation here: we have twins and no other kids. We took them to Disney 6 times under the age of 3 and loved every single time! I cannot imagine how/why you would regret it. Not having any other children along means that you all can go on the twins' schedule. Rotate each day around their feedings and naps. We LOVED that. We took a comfortable stroller from home so that the twins could adapt to napping in the stroller when tired. We took things really slow. We used the baby care centers in the parks for changing them. We took them on all rides that didn't have height restrictions. Wonderful memories!

Also, we learned what worked best for us was to budget our money so that we could afford to stay in either monorail resorts or Epcot resorts so that it was easy to get around with the babies and double stroller (monorail and boats -- just roll the stroller right on, or else walk back and forth to parks). So we could go to parks in the morning and then easily swing back to our resort in the afternoon, then easily swing back to a park at night. Taking a bus was a little more challenging as the stroller would have to be unloaded (with 2 babies, that's a lot of supplies!!) and then folded up. It wasn't nearly as relaxing as staying at the resorts where we didn't have to worry much about buses. Some nights, we'd put PJ's on the babies and then walk over to a park, have a nice late dinner while the babies slept next to us in the stroller, and then just casually stroll back to our resort. Honestly, having the twins in Disney when they were still babies were the greatest times we've had so far.

 

[danielle916]

Please convince me this won't be a disaster trip! DH and I are in WDW withdrawal and really want to go in October 2008. Our twins will be 16 months old and I am scared that the trip will be a disaster. I've read many tips about traveling with toddlers, I'm just so scared!

Should we wait til they are almost 3? Over 3?

Thanks!

this is just MHO, but i say go for it, when i went with my three kids, my youngest was 15 months and my oldest was 4....my youngest was a little scared of some of the chars. but if i was holding her she was fine...
when we came home i downloaded our pics to the disney dvd on photopass and they watch it all the time and my 15 month old, now 3, loves it and still remembers it...
we will be going back in dec. 08, and now with 4 kids, and my youngest will be 15 months again....
have fun!!!!!!!
again, just MHO

 

[4forMe]

No, you are not crazy. Go for it and have a great time.

On our first family trip to WDW, our oldest was 4, our twins were 22 months and the youngest was 5 months old. People told us we were crazy, the kids would have meltdowns and wouldn't remember anything, etc. We do not regret the trip. The kids had a great time, and we have the best pictures from the character dinner at the Crystal Palace (which I highly recommend).

Go and have a wonderful trip!

 

[DevilDuckie]

Please convince me this won't be a disaster trip! DH and I are in WDW withdrawal and really want to go in October 2008. Our twins will be 16 months old and I am scared that the trip will be a disaster. I've read many tips about traveling with toddlers, I'm just so scared!

Should we wait til they are almost 3? Over 3?

Thanks!

Good Lord, don't wait until they're over three, then you have to pay!

All joking aside, I think two toddlers is infinitely doable if you have two adults and no other kids. (Yes, still doable with more kids or one grownup, but harder.) I don't think it will be any more overwhelming than life with twins in general.

 

[Benducci]

We went with out twins when they were 10 months old, then again when they were 22 months old (& I was pregnant) and then again when they were 30 months old & the baby was 6 months old! It is doable & can be fun. Just realize that you are not going to see everything - move at a slower pace & hydrate, hydrate hydrate!

 

[famprovost]

Hi,

I went for the first time with my kids, the twins were 41/2 months... we're going for the 4th time in 17 days (Yay!) and they went every year and looooooved it... They're out of their mind with excitement this time at close to 31/2 y.o.

We're also taking them to Disneyland in September... It takes a lot to stop me from travelling...

Martine

 

[crazykids]

Don't worry about it, you'll be fine & have a great time!

I'm the one who's scared - I'm leaving next week with a 2 & 3 year old all by myself!

 

[taitai]

I have traveled with THREE under 2 on a number of occasions including some international trips. While this will be our first trip to Disney from my other experiences, I have to say, go for it. If you plan well, it really isn't THAT different from being at home except that you get to have all these cool, new experiences.

Don't wait. Go have fun now.

Taitai

 

[Fall1]

OP here....Thank you for helping put my mind at ease! I am going to stop second guessing myself and start planning a great trip! Thanks!!

 

[bellebud]

Definitely go! I honestly think they'll be easier at this age than at 3yo (they'll have many of their own ideas and opinions at 3yo - right now you're pretty much still calling the shots). Just do everything for their age, take it slow, lots of shade, naps, water - you'll have a wonderful time!

For our first trip, mine were dd(3 1/2yo) and ds(21 months old) - and tons of other people on this board go w/ toddlers, babies, infants, big kids, etc. It was a heavenly trip, but we took it sssllllooooowwwww and not once did either have a meltdown or tantrum (but honestly, even if they did, so what). We would have simply dealt with it. we did early mornings in the parks, always had lunch ressies for 11am or 11:30, whenever the restaurant first opened up (but counter service would have been fine too, but I really suggest the 11am or 11:30am lunch - no crowds), then left the parks usually for naps and pool time. sometimes we'd go back into a park for an afternoon parade or the evening, but not stress about rides. maybe a fast pass or 2, shows, walking around, etc... or we just hung at our resort watching bunnies and ducks on the grass and chasing lizards. The kids were in heaven!

It's honestly harder w/ a larger span in the ages of the kids than with twins - having an older kid have to wait for the younger one to do dumbo, or having to wait with the little one while the older kid & one parent does splash mountain, splitting up parents to please different ages, etc (we'll go to toon town, you go to tomorrowland and we'll meet up). At least w/ twins or kids w/in a couple of years of each other, you're all on the same page. Mine are 21 months apart, so not too bad and we always were able to be on the same page (except for the boy/girl thing, which has come into play in recent years - they're now 8 and 6). DS is no longer happy to see Beauty and the Beast, and dd is not interested in star wars and car crashing shows (me neither!), but there's enough for all of us to enjoy together too, and of course we compromise.

You don't say if you have boy/boy, girl/girl or one of each. If you have the same sex, then you really have the best of everything for a disney trip! And even if not, it will be perfect (and it doesn't matter for years anyway w/ the boy girl thing)! Go and enjoy!! You'll be amazed at how much they love there, and you'll not regret going (just be sure to plan ahead and take it slow).

 

[Camno's Mama]

Hey, you might be a little crazy, but aren't we all when it comes to Disney???

You'll have a great time as long as you adjust your expectations and roll with their schedule! I loved taking my kids when they were babies and toddlers!

Have fun!