Animal Kingdom with a young two year old

[winterparkbaby]

twice a year we go to wdw with my daughter and her two grandmothers. due to schedule constraints this year we only have one day in park and one park tickets. we have chosen to go to animal kingdom this time. none of us have ever been.

we will be staying at the beach club and i was just wondering if anyone has some tips or favs for a young toddler.

she is a true disney nut. she lives and breathes disney. her first trip in april was a huge day in her life and she talks about it almost daily. so just want to make sure i can still make this one as wonderful.

i have heard about camp mickey, etc.
how is donald's breakfastosarus, is it good for a two year old who is mostly into mickey, minnie and the princess gang.
just want to hear other people opinions and tips.
thanks

 

[Pioneer Hall]

The park is nice and since you are spending a whole day there, take the time to enjoy the park. Sure there aren't a lot of attractions to see, but visually the park is amazing. Be patient and enjoy the view around you, because it is incredible.

For the younger child, there is a lot to do, but at the same time there are a lot of restraints. Most of the attractions will be off limits for a child because they have height restrictions (Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, and Kali River Rapids). The shows are great though and there are plenty of them to see. Ther are also a bunch of characters in Camp Minnie Mickey. If you are interested in that character breakfast, it is pretty good (been there once).

My advice is to just enjoy yourself and take in the great park that AK really is. There is a lot more than meets the eye and sometimes you just need to explore. Have Fun!

 

[winterparkbaby]

ak with a 2 year old

thank you so much for you tips and advice.

 

[SewIn2Disney]

Donalds Breakfastasaurus is great. We did it mainly because Donald is my sister's favorite, and you can never find him. For some reason, I've never seen the greatest reviews for but, we loved it and have done it every time since!
If I were there with a 2 year old I would go see the Festivle of the Lion King. Over and over and over again! Its a big dance musical, and there is so much going on, it would be perfect for a young child. (Sit near the front for a chance to be in the last number)
Kilimanjaro Safaris is good to, so your daughter can see all of the animals.
Oh, I almost forgot, Rafiki's Animal Watch (or is it Planet Watch? I forget). You take a train ride to an area in the back of the park, and they have a large petting area to pet the goats and some other animals. The animals are so used to people, they just sit there, it's so cute! Also, Stanley and Dennis sometimes make appearances inside the building.
Don't forget to spend some time soaking up the atmosphere. There are so many animals everywhere, sometimes you just have to stop and look.
Can you tell AK is my favorite park?
Have a great trip!

 

[DisneyPhD]

Ak is a rather small park that normally isn't open late (sun set, sometimes as early at 5:00) That hardley makes for a full day and not worth it to leave and come back for naps etc... I don't know if I only had a one day ticket that I would spend it at AK because of this. We almost always go to AK in the morning and another park that evening.

Having said that AK is a good park for a 2 year old, and will be fun since you have never been there. It is a good park to take at a slow and relaxed pace, explore the trails (espeically around the tree of life, in Aisa and after the safari ride.) Check out the baby care station, it is one of the best of the 4 parks, a good place to take a little rest, use the bathroom and even let your kid play for a little bit (there is a T.V. normally on in there and sometimes toys.) Don't miss Pochohanas show, it is small and has live animals in it, but it is good for that age (we always seem to miss it and I was there with a 2 year old, next trip she will be almost 4).

AK has a lot of shows, that can be hard for kids to sit through. :brick: Tough to be a bug can be scary, my DD was fine with some preperation and sitting on Dad's lap (she always refused to wear the glasses at any 4D show.) But my friend who was with us had to leave right away, it freaked her 3 year old out.

The dino dig area and playground in dino land is a great place to play, especailly when others are riding Dino and prime evil.

It really isn't a full day park, even at a todlers pace. Find out what time it closes when you go. If you had a multi day ticket and could go to another park in the evening that would be better. However being at Y&B be sure to spend some time at SAB (the pool) I it perfect for a 2 year old. It has a sand bottom pool and DD has so much fun playing there. The most fun of the whole trip.

 

[spoodles]

she is a true disney nut. she lives and breathes disney. her first trip in april was a huge day in her life and she talks about it almost daily.

What did you do that day in April that had such an impact on her? We're going with little ones for the first time next April and would love them to feel the magic as much as possible.

 

[TheDisneyQueen]

I know one thing for sure youbetter get thereas early as u can i have been to animal kingdom twice the first time we went it was so hot... prolly since we went mid day go as early as possible the less heat the more enjoyable!

Angie

 

[winterparkbaby]

tips for a two year old

1. told her we were going to a really big party at mickey's house. she had no clue who mickey was until two minutes of walking down main street and i swore she was brainwashed in that moment. or it is genetic, i grew up in orlando and was at disney at least once a week as a child. she is a very active and observant child. so everything was amazing to her. we made sure to make the day for her. we did her stuff, we did not try to ride the adult rides. just ones that we knew she would like and get something from. the toon town was the biggest hit overall. she got to hug mickey and pooh and as we left the park she was crying because she did not want to leave them. she still talks about how she got to hug them to this day. she was 21 months at the time. the rides she liked the most were dumbo, small world (closed:dazzle: ), winnie pooh.

2. brought a backpack with a small digital camera, snacks, water cup, wipes, bathing suit(water area by ariel grotto), a couple small presents for long lines, bottle of bubbles.

3. kept our day open as i said, hoped to make it past lunch, were thrilled when we made it to close with her still going strong.

4. took her on the train to lull her to sleep. one lap and she was out. the heat helped her.

5. i rented a stroller. she likes new and novel things and it worked pretty well this time. the other advantage was being able to dump it on the way onto the train, collect our stuff and just find a new one when we got off on the other stop once she had fallen asleep.

 

[spoodles]

Thanks. All great ideas. Sorry I don't have any input on AK, my last trip was in '97, but I'm sure you'll all have a blast.