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June 2011 Moms
3Girls3xsTheFun
member
Has anyone taken their toddler to Disney?
3Girls3xsTheFun
member
We leave in 17 days for our first family vacation to Disney World!
My excitement is starting to turn into anxiety over Cate and how she will do.
If you've been, how did it go? Did you take breaks during the day and go back to the resort or did you let LO sleep in the stroller as needed?
I'm so worried she won't enjoy the trip. I know our big girls (7 & 3) will have a blast, but I am crazy nervous that Cate will be super cranky after the long days in the park and ruin the trip.
We have this stroller:
Usually she sits in front (my 3 y/o likes to hop in & out of the rumble seat) and she naps in it occasionally.
My worry is that there won't be enough there for her to do. We have the deluxe dining plan so we have a sit down breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. I'm hoping that "down time" will help her.
I guess H and I can always split up.. but I really want to expereince this with the big girls, not sit in the hotel with the baby.
Can anyone calm my fears?!? Do you have any tips for Disney with a toddler?
Thanks
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Has anyone taken their toddler to Disney?
We are going in Januray and I'm feeling anxious about it too. I've found a few great websites for advice and I'm feeling a little better.
https://wdwprepschool.com/a-toddler-centered-disney-world-trip-plan/
Though your trip won't be "toddler centered" she has a lot of great tips!
thank you!
No problem! I can't wait to hear how the trip goes!
We just got back from Disney a few weeks ago. It was pretty exhausting, to be honest. LO hates her stroller and wanted to run around, which just isn't possible at Disney. We went to Magic Kingdom and we were able to ride most of the rides. However, a fussy toddler does NOT like waiting and lines, so we tried to ride things with minimal lines. She ended up napping in our arms, which was fine.
We stayed in a condo with Disney Vacation Club, so we didn't have a dining plan. I agree with PP about snacks though. Have a lot on hand!
We used the buses to travel around b/c we stayed on property. It was fine. I preferred to drive our own car b/c she is more used to it. When we were on the bus, she didn't understand waiting, not being able to get down, all the people and noise, lots of lights, etc.
One thing that I highly recommend is Chef Mickey's at the contemporary resort. You don't have to be staying there to go. It's a bit pricey (37 for adults. not sure for kids. Cate will be free). However, all of the main characters come out (mickey, minnie, donald, pluto, and goofy) and they sing and dance. It's an all you can eat buffet (I prefer the breakfast) and you are gaurunteed to meet all the characters (they come to your table) and get as many pictures and autographs as you want. I have been to disney a LOT (went to college nearby) and it was by far the coolest thing we've ever done there.
GL!
Oh, also, the cribs are mini cribs. LO barely fit in it. Bummer.
**By the way, is your stroller a Phil and Teds? Do you like it? We (obviously) need a double soon!
We are Disney pro's (even got married there!). We are going for Christmas and it will also be his first trip.
I would say don't feel rushed to everything at once. Get there as soon as they open, leave in the early afternoon and go back after dinner.
Also, start at the BACK of the parks not the front, everyone rushes to the rides up front so it will be less crowded.
You are going to be there at a great time, kids are still in school and its before Thanksgiving and the weather is still warm.
Most of all have fun!
Get at whichever park you're going to earrrrly.
Don't rush while in the park.
take advantage of the baby center each park has one. It's less crowded than the bathrooms for changes and Potty breaks.
bring your own snacks and drinks! Lots of snacks and drinks!
If you have sit down dining options in your plan, character breakfasts are great! You can character photos and not have to worry too much about hitting up characters in the parks. The food is great at those too! We love Ohana's breakfast at the polynesian and the chrystal palace in MK.
We don't stay on property often because we are locals...but when we do we usually go back during he afternoon for a nap or pool time then go back to the park. if we aren't staying on property, Logan just maps in the stroller and we take turns doing older kid things. :
if you go to MK during the week, they're doing previews of the new fantasyland which includes a little mermaid ride, story time with belle, etc. It's not open to the public yet and we haven't waited more than 10 mins for either.
if you do animal kingdom, do the safari first thing in the morning...the animals are out most then! :
its still pretty warm here during he afternoon. There's a splash/water area in storybook circus at MK...you might want to bring extra clothing in case your older two or maybe even Cate get wet.
:. Have fun!!!
We have a breakfast reservation at Chef Mickey the first morning after we arrive : I'm glad to hear its good.
And yes, I have a PT explorer and I love it!!! For us it was the best choice much more compact than the BReady City Select and is easier as a single than both of them. It's so easy to steer and has good storage. I'm really glad I got it this time around. When dd2 was born I did the sin n stand and hated it, then I used a double side by side jogger and hated that as well. I love my PT!
I'm so stressed about the meals! We have a villa with a full kitchen and we are not the type that like to have everything scheduled. If DD needs a nap and we have a reservation that would bug me. But, on the other hand I don't want to miss out on anything. The good news is, we are going in January which historically has the lowest attendance. Reservations are still available at most places. AHH! I'm overthinking this, but I just want it to be perfect.
Vent over
If you don't have O'hana's on your list, I highly recommend it as you won't be disappointed!!
I've been trying to get into Ohana for dinner for 3 months. Right now the only thing available is 9:55p. That won't work! I can't complain because we got EVERY SINGLE character meal that I wanted -- especially breakfast @ Cinderella's Royal Table BEFORE the park opens
I'm going to keep trying for Ohana, but if that's the only one I miss I'll be OK with that... it will give me something to look forward to for our next trip.
we're planning our first trip there for October 2013, so I can't help with any personal experience yet, but I wanted to pass along this blog that I've enjoyed reading, written by a few different moms and their experiences and tips for Disney with kids:
https://www.thehandmadehome.net/category/keys-to-the-kingdom-2/
Have a great trip!!
Photos from Libby Hilf Photography
Jake - 1.15.08
Liam - 5.17.11
We went to Disney, only Magic Kingdom when our son was 12 months. We stayed the entire day and he was great.There were only a handful of rides he could go on, but he loved them. I was afraid he would cry or disrupt other people, but he didn't. He was a little anxious waiting in the lines, especially to meet the characters but that was honestly the only time he fussed at all. We did fast passes where they give you a designated hour to get on that ride and there's hardly any wait time. He loved looking at everything, and took his scheduled nap in the stroller. I recommend taking one with a shade. There was a little area where things squirted water out and he absolutely loved running through that, so we had to do a clothes change for him and me !!!
I hear you. When we went in March, the only reservation we could get was at 9:45. I took it & ran with it because I have heard so much about it. We were hoping the twins would sleep right through dinner as I had already fed them at their normal time, but I guess the smell of food kept them up so they ate a bit with us!! We even got to watch the Wishes fireworks from our table while they played the music in the restaurant. We waited till our 3rd trip to finally eat there, but now my DH said he wants to eat there everytime we go. Have fun!!