WDW with littlies!

[karly101]

I'm so excited - planning a trip to WDW in late Oct with my cousin and her 3 beautiful kids - age 4, 2 & 9 months. I'm not new to the world but have never traveled there with kids (let alone toddler age). SO.. my usual park style with my sister will completely NOT work (ie. rope drop till close, try and ride space at least 8 times in one day etc). I am prepared to completely relax my touring style and go with the flow, fortunately we do have 8 days and park hopper so plenty of time built in to give up and go back to the hotel (CBR is our booking) when there's a major meltdown!

But.. what rides do you think I could aim to do with with their ages? It is just my cousin and I so we are outnumbered by kids! What rides can we all go together? I was planning to book fast passes for midday but focus on things that the kids will enjoy....but are they too young for haunted mansion or pirates? Will the 9 month old have to sit out most rides and me and my cousin just rider swap?

Any tips would be welcomed

 

[Robo]

An infant/small child can ride with an adult in any ride without a height restriction.
Most rides at WDW do not have a height restriction.

That's not to say that an infant or small child will enjoy all of those attractions.

 

[maxiesmom]

They are allowed on any ride that doesn't have a height restriction of some sort. I think Peter Pan would be a good use of a FP as would Winnie the Pooh. How are the 2 and 4 year olds with dark rides? Would they be ok if they sat in the middle of the boat, with maybe a very small glow stick? I'm thinking I would lean more towards skipping any dark ride this trip, and wait until they are a bit older. I know at 4 my nephew was scared of Malestrom because it was dark, and those polar bears looked huge to him.

 

[SillySallySews]

The nine month old can ride anything without a height restriction, which leaves lots of options especially at MK. Our youngest daughter was seven months old on her first trip and she rode both HM and Pirates with us. On many rides you'll be able to seat three of you in a vehicle. We rarely go to Disney without young kids and I think trying to make it to RD is still a good idea. We get so much done in those first few hours the park is open, and it's not too hot first thing in the morning. Using FP+ in the afternoon is also a good idea, or save them for the evening. We usually get to a park at RD, leave around lunch and take a long break to swim/nap/rest at the resort, and then use our FP+ in the evening. With that many days it sounds like you'll be able to get lots done, even if the littles need lots of breaks. Have fun!

 

[karly101]

The glow sticks are a great idea! I will definitely bring some. But yes I'm not sure how the 2 and 4 year old feel about dark rides...(my cousins babies have all been super chilled as infants so I'm not too worried about the 9 month old!) would it be helpful to show them a video of one of the dark rides beforehand?

 

[Mikie]

Despite being outnumbered, I think your age range is pretty good. The 4 year-old probably can't do some of the bigger rides and therefore, anything s/he can do, the 2 and 9 mo can as well. Meaning most of your time together and not waiting for rider swaps! My niece was not quite 4 yet and excited to do Splash as her first "big kid" ride, and also liked Test Track. If you wanted to do those, you'd need to ride swap, but the good news is that both of those have cool play areas nearby for the 2 and 9 mo, so the wait will be very pleasant. (Test track, I'm thinking you'd use the play area at the end of Mission:space while you waited).

My kids were afraid of dark rides when they were little - not necessarily Pirates and Haunted Mansion because of themes, but even Pooh simply because it was dark! Assuming they've been to a movie in a movie theater, you could try to describe it as a movie where they get to ride a slow ride, and watch a story in the dark but it has cool statues and robots instead of just pictures. I second the idea of a glow stick and holding hands for reassurance on those rides. Couldn't hurt to show them videos, but I'm not sure that captures the "in the dark" feeling. Anything that makes it more familiar and less foreign may help, though!

Since the mom will be with you and you're not just borrowing these kids , she'll probably be on top of this, but *snack often*! Being fed is a big part of keeping everyone happy and little guys don't stuff themselves and stay full for hours like grown-ups can. Utilize the Baby Care Centers!! Even I find WDW overstimulating sometimes and the baby care centers are one place where you aren't bombarded with lights and music. If you're headed there for a diaper change, go ahead and bring in 2&4 y.o. and have a breather in the a/c and relative quiet. (assuming they can be calm and quiet). If the baby is one who gets distracted at busy restaurants and doesn't eat well, the centers are a great solution too.

I think young kids enjoy the rides and characters, but really need to also have unstructured play where they're not expected to be sitting for a stage show or waiting relatively still in line. Plan to spend time in the Splash Mountain play area, the waiting/play area at Dumbo, Mission:Space in Epcot as well as the dancing fountain near Figment, play area after Figment, hedge maze in UK. Seek out the Boneyard in AK. I think DHS is lacking anything at the moment, but simply taking time to have a snack and let them walk at their pace may do the trick if you're there.

Enjoy!!

 

[ejdmomma]

I would start with asking your cousin about their normal routine...what time do they normally wake, nap, go to bed. Will they nap in a stroller or do you need to head back to your resort for nap time? That will help you get an idea for when to schedule FP+. For us since our kids are early risers, rope drop with a mid-afternoon break at our resort has always worked best and then we schedule our FP for the early evening.

For dark rides, you can try to show them videos but I'm not sure they will really understand until you go on the ride. Also my youngest son was totally fine on the dark rides when he was 2 but the following trip when he was 4, he was really nervous and closed his eyes the whole time!

 

[disnut8]

One thing to think about is bathrooms. Yep, bathrooms. The nine month old will be in diapers and not sure about the two year old but realize that every single bathroom at Disney World has changing tables. Also, with kids that age, there could be "problems" standing in line (even with FastPasses) so take some small things for them to do while in line (my favorite is pipe cleaners). Nothing they have to seriously concentrate on but some "fluff" stuff. And to tie into the bathroom thing, make sure the kids are ready before they enter the entrance queue by having a bathroom stop.

Another thing about kids is they will get dirty so find out from your cousin how "sensitive" she/he about that. You might have to pack an entire backpack full of backup clothes but I would advise against that. I know you asked about what rides the kids could do but you also asked about other advice. So that's a subject to bring up to your cousins. Trust me, no one at Disney World cares if a kid has an ice cream mark on his/her shirt but if your cousin is a stickler, that could be a problem with what you carry.

Kids that age can ride anything without a height requirement but realize that there are kid swaps and things like that you can utilize. Also, for places like Animal Kingdom, there are a lot of walkways and paths where the kids can get their wiggles done so remember those places. Also, look for places just to sit and relax and cool down. You could take things like children's books with you and read aloud during those times (only one book per day unless you want to take a backpack that weighs a ton)

 

[SA mom]

I still think you should aim for rope drop. Our kids were always up at the crack of dawn anyway.

October can be really hot. Check the weather for opportunities to splash in the parks and maybe pack extra dry clothes.

 

[stinkerbell]

One thing to think about is bathrooms. Yep, bathrooms. The nine month old will be in diapers and not sure about the two year old but realize that every single bathroom at Disney World has changing tables. Also, with kids that age, there could be "problems" standing in line (even with FastPasses) so take some small things for them to do while in line (my favorite is pipe cleaners). Nothing they have to seriously concentrate on but some "fluff" stuff. And to tie into the bathroom thing, make sure the kids are ready before they enter the entrance queue by having a bathroom stop.

Another thing about kids is they will get dirty so find out from your cousin how "sensitive" she/he about that. You might have to pack an entire backpack full of backup clothes but I would advise against that. I know you asked about what rides the kids could do but you also asked about other advice. So that's a subject to bring up to your cousins. Trust me, no one at Disney World cares if a kid has an ice cream mark on his/her shirt but if your cousin is a stickler, that could be a problem with what you carry.

Kids that age can ride anything without a height requirement but realize that there are kid swaps and things like that you can utilize. Also, for places like Animal Kingdom, there are a lot of walkways and paths where the kids can get their wiggles done so remember those places. Also, look for places just to sit and relax and cool down. You could take things like children's books with you and read aloud during those times (only one book per day unless you want to take a backpack that weighs a ton)

I 100% agree with the bathroom complication. The changing tables in the bathrooms scared me but the Baby Care centers in the park were awesome! I suggest using them! They are so clean and quiet. You can change your baby there. Some even have rocking chairs for feeding or relaxing with your baby a bit. As my daughter got older (and potty trained) I found that the auto flushing toilets freaked her out a little and that the sinks are always too high (and wet) for easy handwashing. The family restrooms worked better for us.

 

[TinkLoverSam]

I LOVE that at WDW all bathrooms (men's and women's) have change tables. My husband could change DS with no problems. At home he comes back to me about 25% of the time because there aren't change tables in the men's room

 

[maltdizzy]

My son practically grew up at Disneyland from 1 week old to 5 years old when we left L.A.

Make note of the Baby Care Centers, each park should have one. While the 9mo may or may not have outgrown the usefully of the rocker chairs for nursing, they also offer bathrooms sized for small kids, changing areas, quiet areas (and the rockers) for naps in air conditioning, etc. They also have spare diapers and other resources for emergencies and accidents.

Be prepared to sit and people watch while small kids nap in the stroller. Or take in a quiet show (Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, etc.). While you definitely want to plan time back at hotel and in the pool, it's hard to keep the kids awake until you get to the hotel room, and some kids won't nap after they've woken back up begin transferred from the buses, monorails, boats, etc. (instead they'll just be more cranky).

With kids this age, the best thing to do is take it at their pace. Give them time to, look around and process everything and take it all in. The more they understand it, they more they'll like it. Rushing them from one attraction to the next just teaches them impatience.

Even the most innocent ride can be intimidating until they've ride it once and see what's it's like. This is more for the 4yo than anything, at that age, they have a habit of psyching themselves out, the 2yo will probably happily walk on anything and not know to be scared.

 

[gap2368]

I did not read the whole thing but on your EPCOT day make sure to get a FP for FEA as there is not hight requirements for this ride al so rider swap if there is something the kids are not tall enough for like space one could have a FP for it while the other lets the kids people watch and then the other person could have a FP for 7DMT so you could really get a few more FP rides in a day.

 

[disnut8]

I LOVE that at WDW all bathrooms (men's and women's) have change tables. My husband could change DS with no problems. At home he comes back to me about 25% of the time because there aren't change tables in the men's room

Yes, ALL bathrooms have changing tables so males get to enjoy this process as well.

As far as the Baby Care Centers, those are only in one place in the park. If you aren't comfortable using the changing tables in the restrooms, you will have to walk to that one place in the park all the time. My son and daughter-in-law just had child #3 and they have a changing mat that folds up very nicely and they use that everywhere. I would recommend getting one of those to use if the changing tables are scary. Also take wipe down like they have at grocery stores to wipe down the cart handles so you can clean the table before you use it.

 

[TinkLoverSam]

We used a change clutch that holds a few diapers and a wipes container as well as folding out into a change pad and it was awesome. It was all you needed to take with you, we could leave the diaper bag on the stroller