Oct7-14 Traveling with Toddler

[WeluvMickey]

Hi!!
Family of 3 going to Disney!! First time since '93...this it's with my husband & daughter 23months old.
We are staying at Caribbean Beach Resort.
Looking for ideas & suggestions...best character breakfast?!?
Stroller rental?!?!
Good tips for 23 month old!!??
Thank You!

 

[momto3squirrels]

We will be there too during the same week but at POR. I'm renting a stroller for my 4 year old and even if she doesn't use it, at least I've got something to put things in. Have a great time and your little one will love it!:wave:

 

[MayKit]

My tip....

Even though your daughter is small, she'll most likely have a great time at Epcot with all there is to see there (including Disney characters), so my tip is not to skip Epcot!

 

[mayrag]

Pack at least an extra change of clothing for each child. Also you want to bring swimsuits and a small towel. I just pack a lot of stuff, but whatever I need, it's in my bag. Trust me, what you leave in your room, it's the first thing you need inside the parks.

 

[natalia1681]

Welcome to the boards!

We are big fans of the Character Breakfast at the Poly. But there are so many to choose from, I think that you'll be pleased with any of them!

Have a great time!

 

[Epcot82Guy]

As for character meals, I would actually suggest 1900 Park Fare or another of the "non major" resort meals. Some of the big meals get very popular (those including Chef Mickey's, 'Ohana or Boma character Breakfast, etc.). 1900 Park Fare for dinner tends to be a bit less crowded (more time with the characters and simply a more relaxing atmosphere). The food is simple, and I enjoyed it, and the Pooh characters are great for young children.

Luckily, this time is a great time to go. The temperature is very nice. Crowds are active but not huge. It also provides a great excuse to go to Epcot in the evenings after an afternoon rest (i.e. nap) back at the hotel. I also think this is the key to fun with a young child. It also allows mom and dad to recharge or to explore an area by yourself if one of you stays back in the room.

Have a magical time!

 

[WeluvMickey]

We also have a few more questions that hopefully you can help us answer...

During Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party...Do the adults also dress up?!?! & if so..including the children are the costumes related to Disney themed?!?! I was thinking of having my daughter dress up as a EAGLES Cheerleader?!!? Your thoughts please!! Since I came to the best to ask?!?!

Do many of the people rent the strollers or use there own?!?!

Pleasure Island?!?...Can you take children there to walk around...and have dinner?!?! Is it worth adding it to our hopper option with the water parks..or may extra..

THANK YOU!!

 

[JPVonDrake]

We also have a few more questions that hopefully you can help us answer...

During Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party...Do the adults also dress up?!?! & if so..including the children are the costumes related to Disney themed?!?! I was thinking of having my daughter dress up as a EAGLES Cheerleader?!!? Your thoughts please!! Since I came to the best to ask?!?!

Well Mickey will be in his favorite Holloween costume, and he is expecting you to be in yours too! You (and your children) can dress up in any costume you choose, as long as you stay in the spirit of being "Not so scary" meaning avoid using Freddie Kruger type outfits. Otherwise anything goes so have fun!

Do many of the people rent the strollers or use there own?!?!

Unless you have a very little one, you may find it much easier to rent a stroller from Disney. One full day rental is $10 for a single stroller, but you save money by purchasing a Length of Stay Stroller Rental at a rate of $8 per day (2 day minimum.) If you visit more then one park in the same day, simply turn in your stroller at the first park, save your receipt and you can pick up a new stroller at your second park for no additional cost.

Pleasure Island?!?...Can you take children there to walk around...and have dinner?!?!

Children under the age of 18 are welcome on Pleasure Island but must be accompanied by an Adult over the age of 21 at ALL times. Currently you can walk along the streets of Pleasure Island without charge, but you will need admission to enter any of the Clubs. Select Clubs have age restrictions on weekends, but the Comedy Warehouse and the Adventure's Club allow children. Pleasure Island as a whole should consider PG13, (Parental Guidance strongly suggested for anyone under the age of 13.)

Is it worth adding it to our hopper option with the water parks..or may extra..

As for adding the "Water Park and More" option (formally known as the "Magic Plus Pack" option) the price of this option is $45 per person and gives you between 2 - 5 one day / one park visits to your choice of Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, DisneyQuest, Pleasure Island or Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

The number of "plus" visits included is based on the number of Theme Park days on your Magic Your Way Ticket.

1-3 Park Days = 2 plus visits
4-5 Park Days = 3 plus visits
6 Park Days = 4 plus visits
7-10 Park Days = 5 plus visits

To determine if this is your best value the single day admission to each park is as follows:

Typhoon Lagoon $34 (age 10+) / $28 (ages 3-9)
Blizzard Beach $34 (age 10+) / $28 (ages 3-9)
DisneyQuest $34 (age 10+) / $28 (ages 3-9)
Pleasure Island $20.95 (anyone age 3+)
Wide World of Sports $10 (age 10+) / $7.50 (ages 3-9)

THANK YOU!!

Hope this helps, and enjoy your stay with us! :sohappy:

 

[Nemo14]

If you get a chance, take your little one over to Fort wilderness for the campfire program. They have a sing-along, usually Chip and Dale are there, and a Disney movie afterwards - and it's all FREE! You can get there by taking the boat from MK, then the FW bus transportation. Have a magical time!

 

[roninbrian]

I have 2 children myself. Go ahead and book your character meal. My favorite is the one in the Land Restaurant or the Crystal Palace. Before you go though, you should test the waters with your kid and the characters first.

My oldest was scare to death of the characters until was 3. My younger son is 3 and is still terrified of the characters. Our first character meal was a disaster. He cried through the whole thing, which made my older boy feel bad for him and not enjoy it. Character meals go fine now...as long as the character stay at least 3 feet away from my youngest when they come to our table.

 

[coltow]

Hi!!
Family of 3 going to Disney!! First time since '93...this it's with my husband & daughter 23months old.
We are staying at Caribbean Beach Resort.
Looking for ideas & suggestions...best character breakfast?!?
Stroller rental?!?!
Good tips for 23 month old!!??
Thank You!

I will be there the following week with my 22 month old. Here are some things we are doing. We will be eating at Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace for character meals. We plan on spenidng at least 1 full day at each park (2 at Magic Kingdom). And we will be attending MNSSHP.

We will be bringing our own stroller because we know he's comfortable in it and will nap in it when he needs to.

In his diaper bag, I will be bringing some of his favorite snacks with us just in case, a few toys and/or books, and his favorite sippy cups. I also will be putting his diapers and changes of clothes into ziploc bags so that I know they will be dry if it rains. I will also bring a sweatshirt so that when dining or in shows where it's cooler I have something if he gets cold.

Some if the key attractions we will be hitting are Playhouse Disney and the Muppets at MGM, and almost everything at the Magic Kingdom.

Hope this helps

 

[robynchic]

Everyone is insisting on MnG with characters. What if she's afraid of them?

To see if she's afraid, go to Disney's Animal Kingdom in the morning (when the park is opening is best, or about 30 minutes after) and have her meet one of the characters in the space before the turnstiles. A more familiar or cuddly looking one. If she reacts poorly, you know the answer.

Please please please please do NOT rent a stroller. They're large, difficult to use, and makes it harder for other guests and cast members to move around you. Besides, they roll away really quickly and may hit other guests. Get an umbrella stroller instead. Then you can fold it if she doesn't want to sit in it, it doesn't take up much room, and you can bring it back home, in case you want to go on any more theme park excursions in the future.

 

[dflye]

Please please please please do NOT rent a stroller. They're large, difficult to use, and makes it harder for other guests and cast members to move around you. Besides, they roll away really quickly and may hit other guests. Get an umbrella stroller instead. Then you can fold it if she doesn't want to sit in it, it doesn't take up much room, and you can bring it back home, in case you want to go on any more theme park excursions in the future.

I'd have to agree that having your own stroller is handy, for a number of reasons:

• Easier to pick out of several hundred strollers that lurk outside the larger attractions, especially when they are routinely shuffled around by the CMs, so where you parked it when you entered the queue won't be where you'll find it after the show!
• You can use it outside of the parks, such as around the Boardwalk, or in your resort (great if you have a long hike to the bus in a place like OKW)
• Not as bulky as the rentals, making it easier to navigate in crowds

 

[WeluvMickey]

Thank You so much for all of the advices I've been receiving!! I am so happy that I've found this site!! Thank you so much!!

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Thank You so much for all of the advices I've been receiving!! I am so happy that I've found this site!! Thank you so much!!

We're glad you found us !
From personal experience - beware of characters. My youngest (23 months on first visit) was scared silly by the size of the characters. Even in her mothers arms she would cry or turn away when approaching the characters (despite their best effects to interact with her)

 

[Nemo14]

This was mentioned in another post, but let your toddler watch a video that has the costumed characters (not the cartoon versions). This will help get him or her used to the idea that they are friendly, but bigger than they are. Some of the Disney sing-along videos feature characters in the parks, or probably the planning DVD does. Hope this helps!

 

[robynchic]

That still doesn't help children as much as you'd think. I've seen 12-year-old boys crying, having a fit to not go near Mickey Mouse.

I'm saying from observation- bring your child to the location I mentioned before to see how they react to the characters. That way, you're not using your ticket yet, and you can see if you should keep your child away from the characters in town square when you go to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[dflye]

That still doesn't help children as much as you'd think. I've seen 12-year-old boys crying, having a fit to not go near Mickey Mouse.

I'm saying from observation- bring your child to the location I mentioned before to see how they react to the characters. That way, you're not using your ticket yet, and you can see if you should keep your child away from the characters in town square when you go to the Magic Kingdom.

And the reaction to the characters can vary wildly from one trip to the next, I've found.

When our son was barely mobile, he was OK with almost any character. The next trip a year later, he was too scared to get near any of them. The next year, not totally scared, but somewhat nervous, so that we had to be very careful to time the character visits when it wasn't near nap time!