Independent 2 year old

melmood2000

melmood2000

Active Member
Original Poster
Our last year trip to disney 2010 my daughter was content sitting in her stroller for most of the time. However this year a now Very Independent toddler (almost 2 during our trip,) I would like to giver her some freedom of walking around disney but I'm not completely comfortable that she would listen to safety rules at her age. I dislike the leash/ harness but I think for this trip I'm going to use one. I have just purchased online a daypack from little life http://www.littlelife.com/html/toddler_daysacks/animal-turtle.html
It is a tiny backpack with a loop to hook a safety rein.

Any thoughts or experience with taking exploring toddlers to disney?

or has any one seen or used one of these packs?
Thank you.
 
J

Jacks_Wench

Member
When my DD was about 1 1/2 we used one of the harness things with her. It was her first trip and that way she could interact with the different characters at her own pace. That way she was in more control but I could keep up with her. She never really liked a stroller either. It worked out great for us.
 
mickey&me

mickey&me

Active Member
Always used the leash for trips to many different places with my son (now 11 and no longer in need of it). I got dirty looks from some people, and even a few comments, a la "That's a child, not a dog!" To which I replied, "Yes, he is a safe child and you haven't heard me yell for him to come here or stop once. Count your blessings and mind your own business." Be aware that it'll happen and decide now that you don't care what other people think nearly as much as you care about your child. Then have a great trip!
 
docdebbi

docdebbi

Well-Known Member
we just had a "mickey mouse backpack" for my 2 year old grandson when we went in April. and will use it again when we go in august.
first, he does not realize it is a "leash", he thinks it's just his friend Mickey going places with him. we are fans of this particular one, wish i could tell you where we got it, don't remember.
second, while he listens to us almost all the time, and stops on a dime when we say stop. the operative word is ALMOST. he's a good kid, but it only takes a second for a 2 year old to get away, especially in huge crowds. and anyone who tells me they have NEVER EVER taken their eyes off their child for even A SECOND.........guess what, i don't believe you.
a two year old jumping/running where they don't belong at WDW could spell tragedy. is it really worth taking even that extremely small chance, just so you can tell yourself you never used one, or your kid is so good they don't need it?
 
slappy magoo

slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
ThatMouse said:
I'm not judging, but a leash is a leash no matter how you dress it up.
http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/
Click to expand...

While I can't imagine ever using one, I think the big potential problem with leashes/child harnesses (take your pick) is the parent using it. Some of them use it as carte blanche to not pay attention what their child is doing, because worse comes to worst they're at least not getting far. But they can still get tangled with other guests, they can still get their hands on things they shouldn't, they can still get tired only to see parents yank on the leash to get kids up and walking like prisoners on a chain gang.

at the very least, a parent using one should at least try to explain to the kid that it represents something like holding hands, so they're always close to each other. But honestly, even though a WDW vacation can cost an arm and a leg, I think it's still important as a learning experience to teach kids to stay close, and to take them out of the park if they're not staying close. It's also a learning experience to parents, that no matter how hot or tired or distracted they are, you've gotta pay attention to your kids, and if you're not able to do so, then maybe you need to leave the parks for YOUR benefit instead of your child's.

Of course, not having had to deal with that yet, it's easy for me to say that. But at home, if we take our kid to a store or a park, we do warn her to behave and listen or else we'll have to go home. And we follow through, even if it's inconvenient to do so.
 
GenerationX

GenerationX

Well-Known Member
My advice: put her in a bright, practically neon, shirt each day. We used to have our sons wear matching bright shirts each day (we first went when they were 2, 4, and 6). The shirts made it easier to keep track of them.

They all liked to explore so we made sure we followed them and, given that they outnumbered us, kept at least two of them together with one of us and one with the other. The only spots you can safely let them wander by themselves are: The Boneyard at AK and Honey I Shrunk the Playground at DHS. In both cases, there's only one exit.

During major crowd situations (Illuminations, Wishes, etc.), we held their hands throughout the event and exit.
 
HouCuseChickie

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
We took our 2 yr old back in December (she turned 2 one month prior to the trip). I was dealing with similar concerns, but I skipped the harness b/c she couldn't stand it. While I really didn't like the idea of using one- I wanted to see how she'd do just in case it worked well, so a friend let me test hers out at the zoo a few months before the trip. Let's just say she looked like a little blonde alligator in a death roll. :lol: She HATED it. So, we got her and her big sis Safety Tats to go on their arms...she rode in the stroller when we were trying to get from point a to point b (since letting a 2 yr old walk too far is a disaster)...and walked or was carried while in lines, rides/attractions, or less restrictive situations/settings. Of course she decided she wanted to be babied on the trip and wanted an awful lot of carrying, but that just comes with the age. Areas like the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area in DHS also seemed much easier to navigate (and much more fun for the child) without having the child tethered in a harness.

We also did other things- like distinctive clothes and big hair flowers to make it much easier to spot her. We took pics of the kids with each outfit change, told them to seek out a CM (showed them the badges) if they got lost, etc. I also considered the Mommy I'm Here bears so I could have an alarm go off if they wandered too far, but I decided not to spend the $ and was happy with that decision.
 
britdaw

britdaw

Well-Known Member
slappy magoo said:
While I can't imagine never using one, I think the big potential problem with leashes/child harnesses (take your pick) is the parent using it. Some of them use it as carte blanche to not pay attention what their child is doing, because worse comes to worst they're at least not getting far. But they can still get tangled with other guests, they can still get their hands on things they shouldn't, they can still get tired only to see parents yank on the leash to get kids up and walking like prisoners on a chain gang.

at the very least, a parent using one should at least try to explain to the kid that it represents something like holding hands, so they're always close to each other. But honestly, even though a WDW vacation can cost an arm and a leg, I think it's still important as a learning experience to teach kids to stay close, and to take them out of the park if they're not staying close. It's also a learning experience to parents, that no matter how hot or tired or distracted they are, you've gotta pay attention to your kids, and if you're not able to do so, then maybe you need to leave the parks for YOUR benefit instead of your child's.

Of course, not having had to deal with that yet, it's easy for me to say that. But at home, if we take our kid to a store or a park, we do warn her to behave and listen or else we'll have to go home. And we follow through, even if it's inconvenient to do so.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this. I think the "leashes" get a bad rap because there are so many people who DO treat their kids like dogs while they use them. We are certain well need to get one before we go, be use our 3-year-old is very easily distracted and I know she'll be too excited to want to hold our hands the whole time.
I may also do the matching shirt thing with my girls though... God knows I'll be buying The Disney Store out before we go, and I might as well get two of everything for them. LOL
 
bmarkelon

bmarkelon

Well-Known Member
I think ultimately you have to make what you feel is the best decision for you. I have taken 2 little ones now at that age and though I was worried I was able to go without the leash. When they were not in the stroller, which they were mostly when getting through the parks, my DH or I were just on them close, never taking our eyes off of them. We also always have and still do stress with them how important it is that they stay with mommy and/or daddy. In a way, I guess we have invisible/mental leashes on them and are just always aware of their whereabouts and that they are within reach of one of us.
I must comment though on the leash that you found, I haven't seen this type and they are pretty cool compared to others that I've seen out there. If this is what you were definitely going to decide to do I would get your toddler used to the concept and test it out at a mall or something. I'd also explain exactly why you are using it in as few words/a language they can understand. Best of luck to you! It will all work out just fine!!
 
melmood2000

melmood2000

Active Member
Original Poster
Thank you everyone for your comments and thoughts. It is nice to talk with others that have experienced the parks with little ones. We have just over 3 months till our trip and I'm going to start prepping and talking to her now about staying close when we are walking around stores and such.
Any more thoughts or experiences keep them coming?
 
tracyandalex

tracyandalex

Well-Known Member
we actually just got back yesterday from MK with our daughter who is 2 and 1/2, not 2! we are not big fans of the leashes so we made a deal with her - she had to ride in the stroller if we were going distances, but otherwise she could walk if she held someone's hand. that worked out pretty well, we just let lots of folks cut us in line when it was moving too fast for her. thanks to special agent oso she likes to do everything "by myself" so the parks are becoming more of a challenge. as with everything in parenting you need to do what's best for your child and what you feel most comfortable with.
enjoy, it's an awesome age for wdw
:wave:
 
SAV

SAV

Well-Known Member
Back when our Daughter was around 2, we brought the harness with and never used it...we couldn't bring ourselves to do it. Instead, we both just payed attention to her and watched her every move. We just made her hold our hands when we walked or were right on her when she wasn't holding our hand. It's a total different mindset being out of the stroller. You don't have a choice but to watch them like a hawk.
 
Club Cooloholic

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
Just got back from a trip with our Daughter who was 2 weeks shy of her 2nd birthday. She is NOT really into strollers, but here is how we did it. The stroller we brought had shoulder straps too. We let her walk a lot, but coming in and going out, when the crowds were at their worst we insisted she sit. She fought it but acutally was cool once we got going. Just make sure you give her time to run around. The Boneyard at Animal Kingdom, Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area at the Studios, Winnie the Pooh play area in the line....ect, and just general areas where you can keep an eye on her but let her run around. Also, remember she might have enegery to run a lot, but after a day or so she will get a little more tired. I never saw my daughter nap so much.
 
sshindel

sshindel

The Epcot Manifesto
I've taken my daughter twice since she was a good walker (at 18 months and again at nearly 3 years old) and we found we did not need a leash for us. If my daughter wanted to be down and out of her stroller, she was either going to be holding one of our hands, or playing on something where one of us was near and watching her.
I think you can just ask yourself how you want to tour. I'd rather be closely watching my kid play, or holding her hand, than staring at my cell phone like other parents do. We just made sure that she knew (and we do this at home anyway) that if she's walking, she's holding one or both of our hands.
That worked for my family, but only you know your family best, so just think of what works best for you.
 
George

George

Liker of Things
No matter how you keep your kid close, I recommend purchasing one of these -

http://www.whosshoesid.com/

We don't use ours on shoes (ankle or wrist) and the kids know there is a piece of paper with parental units cell phone number on it. It's a good backup if something does happen (luckily, we've never had to try it out).
 
sbkline

sbkline

Well-Known Member
For a 2 year old, I would recommend the stroller. That's pretty small to be walking around on his own all day and he's gonna get tired of walking. I'd say bring the stroller and if you want to let him walk on his own (with the leash or without) that's fine, but at least you have the stroller for when he gets tired, or if you're in a hurry to make your supper ADR and you don't have time to wait for his little legs to toddle along. LOL

We took our son when he was almost 4, and then this year, when he was almost 5. And the stroller was just as much for MY convenience as it was for HIS (not making him walk everywhere). My wife moves slow enough as it is without having to wait for both of them. Or maybe I just walk unusually fast. Either way, I always joke that people probably think we're an Islamic family because she's always 10 paces behind. And then when my son is walking with her and he wants to stop and look at every little thing and I feel like we're NEVER gonna gain any ground! :ROFLOL: So I pop him in the stroller and we can speed buggy through the park when necessary...and then wait for my wife to catch up once we get there. :ROFLOL:
 
Frau Farbissina

Frau Farbissina

Member
The year we took our twins at 22 months was the hardest trip ever (although part of that was because we stayed off site and had transportation issues). They wouldn't stay in the stroller at all. Fortunately, they actually liked the harnesses (we had the backpack ones) and it saved the trip. The other thing we did that worked out really well was let them run around on Tom Sawyer Island. I wished we'd discovered how well it worked the first day instead of the last. That place is great.

I do have to say, as much as they liked the harnesses, they would sometimes just lay down in the middle of the park and refuse to move. It didn't exactly make me feel like mother of the year and I did get some looks, mostly from older ladies whom I'm sure couldn't imagine letting a child wear a harness!
 

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