What to do with a 2 yr old?

[Bekkasmom]

We will be visiting WDW in later Feb 2007. I am wondering what best to do with an almost 3 yr old. Apparently she will be have free entrance as she is under 3 but does she still get to ride the rides? Also my husband and I will have 3 day park hopper passes. Which parks are best for the younger crowd? We do plan to go to EPCOT and MK but will there be anything in the other parks for a child of her age? We were at WDW 2 yrs ago but not really focusing on things to do for the younger set.
I appreciate all help. Also is it easy to bring an umbrella stroller when using the park transportation or better to rent a stroller once at the park? Can you bring a rented stroller from park to park or do you have to rent a new stroller at each?
Thanks for your help!
Beth

 

[amyedreger]

Your daughter can still ride most of the rides except the bigger "adult" rides - the only reason she won't be able to ride these is because of her size. MK is the best park for little ones. Epcot is a tad bit of a snooze for toddlers, especially the World Showcase. If you plan on going around to the countries, be sure to visit the Kidcot Funstops - these were a lifesaver on our last trip with my now 4 year old.

If I had to choose between MGM or AK with a toddler, I would definitely choose AK. My little one loves animals and had a ball here when she was 14 months old. Lots to look at and explore. The only real fun thing for toddlers at MGM is Playhouse Disney Live and the Voyage of the LIttle Mermaid (this can be a tad intense though and might scare her).

Have fun! We will be traveling to WDW with our 2 year old in Feb.

 

[pigget74]

Agree with previous poster but I would go to MGM before AK.
Don't foget that you can park hop. Start at one and then move to the other one.

 

[maxtomsmom]

We're going with a 2 1/2 yr old in Dec. I think AK would be better, but I love animals so I'm a bit partial. Both have something for little ones. In AK, the dino dig area was fun and it allowed him to release some energy. There are also some walking trails in which he/she can walk and explore. THere's a petting zoo area as well. In MGM there is a playground-like are called Honey I Shrunk the kids. Very cute! There are several shows, but my toddler who was 1 1/2 last year was very bored at MGM. Too much sitting in the stroller. Like someone previously posted, you can take your toddler on any ride that does not have a required height restriction. My little one is a bit taller and can now go on Goofy's rollercoaster. You can ride along on most rides. Also one more thing which helped our little guys. We did take a short break and had a snack at the baby center. When my younger one fell asleep, if a baby center was near by, I would go in with him and let him sleep in his stroller. We always found a quiet corner. It was a little quieter and a lot cooler. They do have some activities for them like coloring. It's good to go if you feel your child needs to rest or have a quiet moment.

By the way, we brought our own stroller and didn't have a problem with the transportation system. They are pretty use to it and many people offered to help us drag it on. People are more friendly on vacation.


For you and your husband- Are you familiar with the baby swap? You can enjoy the more adult rides and attractions by doing this.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Since you guys have Hoppers why not drop into both MGM & AK for a little bit. When my kids were really small I would split 1 day between the 2 parks and fit nearly everything into the day. We would do AK first thing for the Safari and then head to MGM for lunch (my kids didn't like much of the food at AK). THis worked until lastyear, DS7 & DD 6, when the 2 got big enough to like the bigger rides so now we spend a day in MGM & split AK day with EPCOT and do 2 days in MK at least.

What I loved about WDW when my kids were little was the fact that I could bring the babies on almost anything because I was able to hold them in my arms.

As for the stroller, no they won't let you bring one from 1 park to another (Universal Studios does though) but you won't need to pay for another one. All you have to do is keep your receipt for that day & show it to the stroller desk at whatever park you are in & they will give you one. We've had kids with us for years & to be honest, if you can afford to rent, renting it is easier.

Nothing ruins my normally cheery DH's day faster than fighting with & balancing a stroller on a crowded bus. In fact, a few years ago I was bent on bringing our double stroller to save $ and DH resorted to hiding some screws so I couldn't attach the front wheel to our jogger. It stayed home in the garage. When I found the screws & realized how miserable the stroller must be making DH for him to resort to that I vowed to never make him carry it again. We're both happier renting