Disney with a toddler

[Gabe1124]

Hello everyone, in June my wife and I (along with my mom, dad, sister and sister's bf) are going down to the world and taking our 18 month old daughter. It will be her first trip down there but the rest of us have been plenty of times, and while I know it will be a different trip, it will be nice to have the whole gang there to help out. I was looking for any tips anyone may have about bringing a toddler to the world, fun things you have done with them, their favorite things etc. I know she won't remember any of the trip but I can't wait to see her reactions to everything we love about the world! Thanks for your input.

 

[RedDad]

We took our littlest daughter at 14 months we all had a blast! She's 3 now and will be taking her 4th trip to WDW in June! There's plenty for the little ones at WDW, but first thing you'll need to do is realize that you'll have to slow down. Having multiple adults there will be a huge help, but these are the things we learned from our experiences with a toddler:

1. Decent umbrella stroller is a big plus - don't know if you fly or drive, but either way I recommend having one that you can keep with you at all times, and will fold up quickly to hop on buses or trams. Doesn't have to be anything fancy - we bought one for about $40 and it will be taking it's 4th trip to WDW in June as well.
2. We found that staying in a resort near the parks made things much easier. For our little one, an almost daily trip back to the resort with one of the adults for a nap was very beneficial, although there were times when she just crashed in the stroller and we kept going. Every kid is different, but you'll know their schedule and I would encourage you to follow it as much as possible. We also found that staying in a nicer resort was better (WL for us), since we were there much more than with older kids, and the transportation was quicker.
3. We scheduled a day mid-trip for just resting and spending time at the pool.
4. Character meals are great, but she may be intimidated by the bigger fur characters. We found that letting her watch dvd's of the characters before our trip helped, but she still took several days to warm up to them. Just be patient and introduce them slowly.
5. If she likes Disney Jr, then you def need to do the Disney Jr Live show in DHS. Our daughter was able to do most every ride that she was tall enough for and loved them (even things like POC and HM, which we thought would scare her). Also recommend the shows in AK (Nemo and FOTLK).
6. Depending on how she reacts to fireworks, you may want to do Wishes and/or Illuminations from a distance the first time (Wishes from the Poly beach or even the Tomorrowland Terrace; Illuminations from inside a restaurant like La Hacienda).

Just slow down and enjoy her reaction to everything and you'll have a great trip!

 

[RedDad]

As for favorites, Small World was a big hit, along with pretty much everything in Fantasyland during that first trip. She really liked the Nemo musical at AK and the princess breakfast at Akershus. She also really loved seeing "Tink-ball" fly out of the castle during Wishes, and pretty much every parade!

 

[Figmentation]

Ahh, this is good advice!
I'll have to tell my sister, who's coming on the trip with us with her 8 month old. They're only doing two parks, and plan on doing lots of resting.

 

[cynic710]

i took my then 18 month old in november of 2011...its true he doesnt even realize he was there, even though hes a huge disney fan now, but while we were there the parades and characters abound made his time magical. you will find that you will be resting a lot more..we missed plenty in the magic kingdom between diaper changes and napping, but we brought along my mother since she hates moving rides anyway, so we still were able to slip away for most rides with lines. it is a different trip, it will seem a little faster throughout the day, my biggest noticable change was missing the little details of the park.

its not easy, i wont sugar coat it, but it is so worth it when they look at a parade, or character or even a set piece in complete awe. he wont remember, but i will, and it really was magical.

 

[danpam1024]

Realize that SHE controls the show- take breaks for naps. The parks/crowds are overwhelming for little ones- when mine was little, he preferred the hotel pool and we were fine with that The fountains at DTD are a great way to spend an afternoon (next to Earl of Sandwich). Don't think for a second she will nap in the stroller- she will not! Also, if you have time for an adult night out, hire a sitter- we always used Fairygodmothers- my son looked forward to them coming

 

[foreverbelle]

I have a 4 year old, who has been going since he was a year. @danpam1024 is absolutely right, go with her schedule. Maybe you won't get to everything you want, or think you are going to be able to but sometimes those are the best vacations. There will probably be at least one meltdown. Do not let the people in the parks stare you down, they will and you will think you are doing something wrong. Do what you know works, and what is best. Enjoy a lazy afternoon in the shade...take them to see Disney Junior. The fountains at DTD are the greatest invention to a year and a half year old.

Look into Kids night out-sitter service. Enjoy an evening out with the adults. We use them at least once while we are there and never an issue.

Don't be discouraged if she is not liking the characters. Its ok...try again. But if not, then there will be another time, whether its this trip or the next.

Enjoy the small moments. Watch her as she watches the parade. Capture the moment.

 

[AngryEyes]

Our youngest was about the same age when we first went. Since you're going in the summer, the most important thing is to get her out of the heat each afternoon. I think that's important for any age, but especially for a child that age. Get her back to the AC and/or the pool and let her take a nice, long nap. Everyone in your party will benefit.

 

[tracyandalex]

When DD was that age she actually bruised me because she was so excited watching the light parade (I can't remember which one it was) that she didn't stop kicking her feet! It was awesome, lol. We never went back to the room for a nap, but we would walk around "boring" areas until DD fell asleep in the stroller then we would do some grownup rides. The only characters DD ever had a problem with were interestingly enough the face characters! I guess they looked more like strangers to her

 

[Gabe1124]

We took our littlest daughter at 14 months we all had a blast! She's 3 now and will be taking her 4th trip to WDW in June! There's plenty for the little ones at WDW, but first thing you'll need to do is realize that you'll have to slow down. Having multiple adults there will be a huge help, but these are the things we learned from our experiences with a toddler:

1. Decent umbrella stroller is a big plus - don't know if you fly or drive, but either way I recommend having one that you can keep with you at all times, and will fold up quickly to hop on buses or trams. Doesn't have to be anything fancy - we bought one for about $40 and it will be taking it's 4th trip to WDW in June as well.
2. We found that staying in a resort near the parks made things much easier. For our little one, an almost daily trip back to the resort with one of the adults for a nap was very beneficial, although there were times when she just crashed in the stroller and we kept going. Every kid is different, but you'll know their schedule and I would encourage you to follow it as much as possible. We also found that staying in a nicer resort was better (WL for us), since we were there much more than with older kids, and the transportation was quicker.
3. We scheduled a day mid-trip for just resting and spending time at the pool.
4. Character meals are great, but she may be intimidated by the bigger fur characters. We found that letting her watch dvd's of the characters before our trip helped, but she still took several days to warm up to them. Just be patient and introduce them slowly.
5. If she likes Disney Jr, then you def need to do the Disney Jr Live show in DHS. Our daughter was able to do most every ride that she was tall enough for and loved them (even things like POC and HM, which we thought would scare her). Also recommend the shows in AK (Nemo and FOTLK).
6. Depending on how she reacts to fireworks, you may want to do Wishes and/or Illuminations from a distance the first time (Wishes from the Poly beach or even the Tomorrowland Terrace; Illuminations from inside a restaurant like La Hacienda).

Just slow down and enjoy her reaction to everything and you'll have a great trip!

With the stroller we were thinking about renting one from the Orlando Stroller company, that way we wouldn't have to rent one at the parks and deal with that mess. We had initially thought about bringing an umbrella stroller, do you guys just carry a backpack then for everything. We thought having a bigger stroller would be nice, we are renting a car so won't be taking the buses.

Definitely are going to go back to the condo for mid day naps. We are staying at Bonnet Creek so we will still be on property.

 

[luv]

Don't make them eat when they're hot and worked up. They frequently vomit the stuff back up. You'd be surprised how many parents force the kids to eat and then are surprised when it comes back up, lol.

Let the kids sleep when they're exhausted. In a bed.

Those are my Top Two Toddler Tips.

 

[danpam1024]

With the stroller we were thinking about renting one from the Orlando Stroller company, that way we wouldn't have to rent one at the parks and deal with that mess. We had initially thought about bringing an umbrella stroller, do you guys just carry a backpack then for everything. We thought having a bigger stroller would be nice, we are renting a car so won't be taking the buses.

Definitely are going to go back to the condo for mid day naps. We are staying at Bonnet Creek so we will still be on property.

we had a SMALL car when DS was a baby and we rented one to save space on the drive. I HIGHLY recommend renting from a stroller company here's why:
1. We got a jogger- big enough for the kiddo and all our junk- it reclined, it had shade.
2. Convenience- they drop it off at the hotel before you get there and pick it up after you leave- you don't have to deal with it. Ours was wrapped and spotless.
3. It's cheaper than renting a hard plastic one from the parks (and you have to turn those in at the end of the day).
we used http://www.abbf.com/pricelist.html- but it was several years ago.

 

[RedDad]

With the stroller we were thinking about renting one from the Orlando Stroller company, that way we wouldn't have to rent one at the parks and deal with that mess. We had initially thought about bringing an umbrella stroller, do you guys just carry a backpack then for everything. We thought having a bigger stroller would be nice, we are renting a car so won't be taking the buses.

Definitely are going to go back to the condo for mid day naps. We are staying at Bonnet Creek so we will still be on property.

I would definitely recommend renting from off-site if you have a car and are driving to the parks. Being able to stroll a sleeping kid out of the park and to your car is nice. Umbrella strollers are much easier to use, and unless you plan to get to the parks early enough to be within walking distance from your parking spot, you may still need to fold it up to use the trams sometimes.

We've found that a decent umbrella-type stroller (like the ones you can rent off-site) is better than the cheap ones because you can hang bags on it and place things in the basket underneath, use cup holders, and they're more comfortable for the kid. We did use either a backpack or just a diaper bag that would hang on the stroller handles when she was still in diapers. We're looking forward to her first trip to WDW without diapers in June, but we've gotten used to having the stroller as our pack-mule for carrying all the stuff!

My wife also found some little velcro lanyards that you can attach to a sippy cup and spill-proof snack cup, and have it tied to the stroller - that way we weren't stopping every 30 seconds to pick one of them up after she tossed it.

 

[RedDad]

I guess I should clarify that when I say "umbrella type" I mean something that folds quickly, but is more substantial than your typical umbrella stroller. We have something similar to this:

I've heard good reviews of the City Elite at Orlando Stroller, fwiw.

 

[mcurtiss]

- take advantage of the baby stations. they are a good cool place to get out of the sun.

- wedway people mover is a fun little diversion to rest up those legs and watch people./

- we found Pinocchio's to be a nice quiet place to get a snack in between meals and to get out of the crowd.

 

[Gabe1124]

I guess I should clarify that when I say "umbrella type" I mean something that folds quickly, but is more substantial than your typical umbrella stroller. We have something similar to this:

I've heard good reviews of the City Elite at Orlando Stroller, fwiw.

Haha, that is the one we are going to rent from Orlando Stroller so good deal!

 

[Gabe1124]

- take advantage of the baby stations. they are a good cool place to get out of the sun.

- wedway people mover is a fun little diversion to rest up those legs and watch people./

- we found Pinocchio's to be a nice quiet place to get a snack in between meals and to get out of the crowd.

My wife and I are huge fans of the people mover, it has always been our ride. Nice relaxing get away and it is always fun to look down at the craziness.

 

[LizC]

I took my twins last year, when they were 15mo. old, and they loved it! They especially loved the character breakfast with Winnie the Pooh. Their eyes lit up when Tigger bounced over. A moment my family and I will never forget, easily worth the price of admission.

I pretty much agree with everyone else. All I would add is some advice I picked up from this site:

Bring a fan that attaches to the stroller. (And extra batteries)
Bring clothespins to attach to a light blanket draped over the stroller while your child is sleeping.
I can not begin to count the number of times I was stopped on our trip for these two things. Other parents were loving both ideas. Both were life savers for the kids. We went in October and it was warm, both the fan and the light blanket helped them get better naps.

Also, take advantage of the Baby Care Centers in each park.

Have a great trip!

 

[bethymouse]

"Baby Swap" for rides is nice. You can ride ( in stand by line) and then your husband can go through the fast pass line. It cuts down on time, and at Splash Mountain the babies have a place to play! We used it when the boys were 3 also when we rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I believe the Disney website still offers "experiences" for toddlers, school aged kids, and teens. Check it out.

 

[cynic710]

With the stroller we were thinking about renting one from the Orlando Stroller company, that way we wouldn't have to rent one at the parks and deal with that mess. We had initially thought about bringing an umbrella stroller, do you guys just carry a backpack then for everything. We thought having a bigger stroller would be nice, we are renting a car so won't be taking the buses.

Definitely are going to go back to the condo for mid day naps. We are staying at Bonnet Creek so we will still be on property.

we rented a double stroller from the company advertised on here, kingdom strollers. it was really convenient, they dropped it off and picked it up at the hotel, no questions asked. super clean, and affordable. my best friend was with us with his family so his 11 month old was in the other seat (side by side BOB model) but still, we had enough room for both of them and anything that would have been in a backpack, including the backpack itself, which was in the lower basket.