What to do with a toddler?

[stickeymouse]

This may be a silly question, but I have never been to WDW with a toddler. I am going with my family in two months, which includes a one year-old toddler. What sorts of things can he do in the parks? Are there any rides he can go on? Is it a pain for someone to have to alway refrain from going on the "thrill" rides? Please share any information or experiences you have.

Thanks!

 

[Reddog1134]

Toddlers can go on any ride that doesn't have a height restriction. Which is a LOT at WDW.

Here's the things they CAN'T go on.

MAGIC KINGDOM
Barnstormer
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Space Mountain
Stitch's Great Escape
(Also, most likely, Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster when it opens)

EPCOT
Test Track
Soarin'
Mission Space
Sum of All Thrills

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Tower of Terror
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

ANIMAL KINGDOM
Dinosaur
Primeval Whirl
Kali River Rapids
Expedition Everest

 

[Fantasmiss]

We went with our son when he was 7-8 months, but as we don't do thrill rides, that wasn't a problem. The only things we wanted to but couldn't, was Soarin, Barnstormer and KRR. And we didn't want to take him to a waterpark either, so we didn't go, but was was no biggie. We really enjoyed taking him to WDW and so did we! We're planning to go again in Nov, I recon he'll enjoy it even more this time.
Just be aware he might need a couple of days to adjust. So don't panic if he cries a lot to start with, just take it easy and he should adjust pretty quickly

 

[mrzrich]

The baby can ride most rides. Those rides that he can't ride, you can utilize rider switch passes. Doconeil explains Rider switch (or baby swap) here:
http://wdwuntangled.com/fastpass-and-rider-switch/

 

[stickeymouse]

I feel silly not having realized how many rides a baby/toddler can go on. He is very mild mannered and should do just fine, but what about if he starts to cry on a ride? Does that happen often? I would hate to bother any of the other patrons.

 

[DSNY4ever]

I feel silly not having realized how many rides a baby/toddler can go on. He is very mild mannered and should do just fine, but what about if he starts to cry on a ride? Does that happen often? I would hate to bother any of the other patrons.

There are babies and toddlers everywhere, it's just something you and everyone else has to deal with . Don't worry, you'll have a great time. My DS had a blast in Disneyland at 15 months...and at 9 months. So much to do and so fun to see it through their eyes! Use the baby care centers, pack well (don't over pack and lug a bunch of unnecessary stuff around). Have fun! Check out the families forum- lots of good info.

 

[dlove28]

There are a ton of shows, parades and street entertainment that a toddler will like as we'll.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

We've gone with a toddler many times. We've never really let a toddler 'slow us down' so to speak. We still ride all the big rides, you just have to use rider swap. Often a child that age is happy to nap (partly) in a stroller.

Just to clarify, WDW uses height restrictions, NOT age restrictions. The list provided is good for a one year old, but older 'toddlers' can ride some of those.

You know the child best. It's best to be flexible.

Another thing to know/consider/ask about is that WDW is well designed with kids /families in mind. There are too many options to list here, but near just about every height restricted attraction is a kid friendly (mini) attraction. There are thing like interactive water fountains, little playgrounds, character greets, etc. Then again, at age one- characters might be a big scary! Probably your best bet is 'face' characters, like princesses -over characters like giant mice. your toddler may do best simply seeing the characters from a distance.

We like short split ups. Most the group goes on Space Mtn, one person takes the toddler on the Peoplemover or Buzz. Sometimes a toddler that age is just happy to people watch.

I agree with other posters, you don't have to worry too much about your child making a little noise here and there. That said, I'll go out on a limb- if the child is outright SCREAMING- it is may best to use a little prudence and take them to a quiet spot to cool off/tend to their needs for a few minutes. Your CM server will understand, and probably your fellow customers will appreciate your efforts.

Most of the time, if we see a meltdown, it's the parent who is having it. Probably the biggest pitfall to avoid is to simply keep your expectations in check. It's probably smart to avoid overplanning or over expecting. WDW stimulates your senses all day long: smell, sound, color, touch. (even taste) It can be tiring for anyone. We personally never plan more than one TS per day. I also limit the number of CC hold meals to like two per week. That way, most of our time is up to us. If we need a break, we take one. If we miss a ride- there's always NEXT TIME!

 

[khertz]

As others have posted, there are tons of things for a 1 year old. We took DS shortly after his first birthday and he loved everything, even the characters. At that age he didn't have a very long attention span so we skipped the longer attractions (think Ellen's Energy Adventure & Great Movie Ride that are 20+ minutes long) and most of the shows. He was more content at that age to chill in the stroller while DH and I switched off for the rides he could not go on.

The baby care centers are a great place to get away from the hustle & bustle of the parks and let your little one get down and move around a bit. We also fed DS most of his meals in them because he was so easily distracted by others at mealtimes.

I was probably most nervous about that trip, and after taking him to Disneyland at 18 months and WDW again at 2 yrs old, it turned out to be the easiest one!

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Disney for Families board.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

I feel silly not having realized how many rides a baby/toddler can go on. He is very mild mannered and should do just fine, but what about if he starts to cry on a ride? Does that happen often? I would hate to bother any of the other patrons.

I wouldn't sweat it. Most people there are with young kids. Those with older kids have most likely been there when their children were very young. And as parents we all understand, those that don't are ignorant. When my wife and I hear a young one crying we smile at each other and say "well there is someone who is not happy and or tired" and go on enjoying our day. As parents we have all been there.

 

[Fantasmiss]

I feel silly not having realized how many rides a baby/toddler can go on. He is very mild mannered and should do just fine, but what about if he starts to cry on a ride? Does that happen often? I would hate to bother any of the other patrons.

It's WDW, happens all the time! When my son cries on rides, I try to comfort him and apologize to people nearby. They tend to say "Don't worry", "No problem" etc.

 

[asmit4]

Things he can ride....and these are just some:

Peter Pan
Dumbo
It's a Small World
Pirates of the Caribbean
the carousel
Jungle Cruise
Winnie the Pooh
safari at AK
haunted mansion
little mermaid

.....and like I said- these are just the ones off the top of my head. LOTS of rides have no height requirements.

 

[kmb584]

My BEST experience at WDW EVER was when DD was 1 (15 months). It was just the 2 of us and I didn't miss the thrill rides a bit as seeing her gasp in awe over every little thing brought the biggest smile to my face. There is nothing like seeing WDW through the eyes of a child seeing it for the first time.

We rode everything except attractions with height requirements. Fondest memory? Her imitating the can-can dancers on IASW. She's now 4 and still does it.

It was also the easiest trip I've ever gone on (with a child) because of the fact that she was only 1. There were no tantrums over not riding something 10x in a row, no meltdowns because she wanted some kind of extra sugarery snack, etc. From the ducks to the attractions, she was immersed in everything.

Now, at the age of 4, she'll politely ask a stranger standing next to us (if they happen to be looking at a map) if she can help give them directions "to whatever it is you're looking for on that map!" and she DOES give accurate directions too.

 

[ninafeliz]

WDW is an awesome place for toddlers. They can ride so much, and once they hit 40 inches (which I know is usually a little past toddler) they can ride almost everything. But where else can you go and actually ride a lot with an infant or 1 year old? Now that we have a 3 yr old and a 6 month old, at all of the other parks we go to either my DH or I have to stay off with the baby while the other 2 ride. At WDW we can usually all ride, and even on the others we can do baby swap. We were at Waldameer (a park near us) the other day , and I wanted to ask them so badly if we could do a swap for some of their rides! However, I'm sure I would have just gotten blank looks LOL. It certainly is a different kind of trip with a toddler, but it's great. I never thought I would spend all of an extra magic AM in fantasyland before I took my son at 1 and again at 2 yrs old - but he loved it and I loved watching him enjoy himself. We'll be doing it again next month - spending a week doing a lot of what a 3 yr old wants to do with a few rider switches thrown in. But he hit the 40" for this trip - so he'll have tons more to enjoy. We'll still have to trade b/c of the baby, though.

Sorry if that's disjointed and slightly off topic. It was a long day at work, and i need to get to bed but I'm perusing the boards first

 

[Paigesmom2013]

We just went and took our dd (3 tomorrow) and her baby sis on a ton of rides. The only thing baby skipped was tea cups (dh didn't want to go) and little mermaid ride (sleeping.) If baby started getting fussy I either gave her a bottle or nursed her. (Not smart on pirates--didnt know there was a dip.) The one thing I was naive about was how much you have to park the stroller outside the queue. It got a little annoying but I understood why.