We weren't planning on taking our daughter to WDW until she was 3, and after all the construction was over, but my dad recently told us he had some points on a credit card he has to use this year and wants to take us to Disney for 4 days. We're thinking October will be the best time for crowds,weather, and our schedules, and will put our daughter at 20 months. I've been to Disney 18 times in my 25 years, but never with a toddler, and can't remember exactly what we would do when I was a toddler. Should we do a day at each park, or should we spend 2 days at MK and skip a park? Also, I'm wondering about the MNSSHP and if we should take her to it. I've read it lasts until midnight but she's pretty flexible when it comes to her sleep schedule, I'm more worried about if she would have fun. I've been to the Christmas party as a teenager but basically used it as an opportunity to ride without waiting. I also usually stay more than 4 days so I'm not sure how to get as much as we can in those 4 days.
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Short Vacation with toddler
- Thread starter Disney_Lover
- Start date
kmac77
New Member
Hey,
My daughter just turned 3 in September, and she has been to DW 8 times! LOL. Most than some people go in their lives. What she loved? Seeing all the big "teddies".....AKA the characters. We talked it up a long time before she saw them the first time at 11 mos. old, and she loved the. IMHO, when they are that young, there are two parks perfect for them. MK and AK. MK for the obvious reasons......IASW, Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, TTA, Buzz Lightyear, WDWRR, and her personal fav, the Country Bears. She loves that show. As for AK, it's perfect for kids, as they will love Camp Mickey Minnie, the Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo the Musical, KJS, and even the MJT, to see all the animals. In Epcot, there really wasn't anything she was interested in except The Seas w Nemo, and Imagination (sing the song to her all the time), and the boat ride in Mexico. As for HS, now that she's 3, she can appreciate things like BatB Live, Star Tours, and of course TSMM. So I give a big thumbs up to MK and AK.
KPM
My daughter just turned 3 in September, and she has been to DW 8 times! LOL. Most than some people go in their lives. What she loved? Seeing all the big "teddies".....AKA the characters. We talked it up a long time before she saw them the first time at 11 mos. old, and she loved the. IMHO, when they are that young, there are two parks perfect for them. MK and AK. MK for the obvious reasons......IASW, Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, TTA, Buzz Lightyear, WDWRR, and her personal fav, the Country Bears. She loves that show. As for AK, it's perfect for kids, as they will love Camp Mickey Minnie, the Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo the Musical, KJS, and even the MJT, to see all the animals. In Epcot, there really wasn't anything she was interested in except The Seas w Nemo, and Imagination (sing the song to her all the time), and the boat ride in Mexico. As for HS, now that she's 3, she can appreciate things like BatB Live, Star Tours, and of course TSMM. So I give a big thumbs up to MK and AK.
KPM
bgraham34
Well-Known Member
I have gone with a 5 month old and a 14 month old. I will also be going with a 23 month old come Sept. My first two trips we did what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it within reason. We still park hop and that is not going to stop. I think it helps to keep things fresh in our sons eyes.
journ116
Well-Known Member
I think taking a child at any age will always be an adventure, a trial by error of sorts. My DH and I, took our DD5 & DD2 on a similar length of stay trip this past October (but this isn't our first rodeo with kids).
With 4 full park days and park-hopper tickets, here's how the scenario played out for my family (this varies on what day of the week it is):
1 day
AM: MK
PM: EP
2 day:
AM: AK
PM: DTD
3 day:
AM: HS
PM: EP (via walkway into the International gates)
4 day:
AM: EP
PM: MK for MNSSHP
MK has the most toddler-friendly options. As you're aware, it's probably wise to get there at or shortly after park opening and hit up Fantasyland & Storybook Circus first. My family could get through FL in 30 minutes!
We made it an adventure of sorts, to see how many rides we could accomplish in one hour.
Also, we've conceded to the fact that we will not get EVERYTHING in at every park, but at least we'd hit up the main attractions. Oh, and things move at a much slower pace, which is a welcomed relief from years past of "power park-hopping." (There are similar threads on this kind of topic in the "WDW with Kids" tab.)
We also make sure we have an afternoon break, whether it's a long lunch or a trip back to the resort for an hour or two, just so everyone can recharge for the evening festivities.
As for weather, it rained EVERY morning, with the temp hovering in the 60's (good thing I bought $1 ponchos before leaving home); by mid-afternoon it would reach the mid-70's (not very humid); and by evening, it was back down to the mid to upper 60's. Be sure to pack layers of clothing, and even a blanket for the little one.
The crowds were moderate, but EP on the weekend, especially in the evening, was nightmarish due to the F&W Festival.
I hope this helps a bit, but you sound like a seasoned pro, so you should have no problems deciding what's best for your family! :wave:
With 4 full park days and park-hopper tickets, here's how the scenario played out for my family (this varies on what day of the week it is):
1 day
AM: MK
PM: EP
2 day:
AM: AK
PM: DTD
3 day:
AM: HS
PM: EP (via walkway into the International gates)
4 day:
AM: EP
PM: MK for MNSSHP
MK has the most toddler-friendly options. As you're aware, it's probably wise to get there at or shortly after park opening and hit up Fantasyland & Storybook Circus first. My family could get through FL in 30 minutes!
We made it an adventure of sorts, to see how many rides we could accomplish in one hour.Also, we've conceded to the fact that we will not get EVERYTHING in at every park, but at least we'd hit up the main attractions. Oh, and things move at a much slower pace, which is a welcomed relief from years past of "power park-hopping." (There are similar threads on this kind of topic in the "WDW with Kids" tab.)
We also make sure we have an afternoon break, whether it's a long lunch or a trip back to the resort for an hour or two, just so everyone can recharge for the evening festivities.
As for weather, it rained EVERY morning, with the temp hovering in the 60's (good thing I bought $1 ponchos before leaving home); by mid-afternoon it would reach the mid-70's (not very humid); and by evening, it was back down to the mid to upper 60's. Be sure to pack layers of clothing, and even a blanket for the little one.
The crowds were moderate, but EP on the weekend, especially in the evening, was nightmarish due to the F&W Festival.
I hope this helps a bit, but you sound like a seasoned pro, so you should have no problems deciding what's best for your family! :wave:
mickeysaver
Well-Known Member
Since moving to FL last year, we have been taking day trips over when possible. The little one was 13 months on her first visit with several visits inbetween that and our most recent visit which was 2 weeks before her second birthday. So far, she has had a blast on every trip. We don't tour the parks like we used to do before when it was just us and we could commando with the best of them. We still do our best to make rope drop. We try to do a new ride or two each trip over. We have stuck with the same park all day and found that she typically naps a little late, but will do so in the stroller. For some reason HM knocks her right out when all else fails. The pace is much slower. Her needs dictate how much or little gets done. She has enjoyed MK, Epcot, and AK quite a bit. We are just now starting to consider a trip to DHS since we know that she can behave in the longer shows. She had done well from the beginning at MI:LF We tested her out at Finding Nemo: The Musical earlier this month and she did great.
Be prepared! Don't forget the sunscreen. Try to get your little one used to wearing a hat and sunglasses. Work with getting her to drink from a straw, if possible, so that you don't have to completely depend on sippy cups. Bring a couple of changes of clothes for each day at the park. Bring a beach towel. Bring a light blanket. Bring one small toy to the park each day, not one that the little one can't live without, so that if it gets dirty or lost you are not sunk for the rest of the day/trip. Bring several bibs. Bring a bathing suit and swim diapers if you go to Epcot or MK. Those water play areas are irresistable to toddlers and if you forget the beach towel, you are going to spend $20 to buy one in the park.
We typically will change our little's one outfit after lunch, even if she is not dirty, just for comfort's sake. We always have a back up outfit in case she gets super dirty. At the end of the day, before leaving the park, we stop and do a diaper change into an overnight diaper and go ahead and wipe her down well and put her into jammies. When placed in the stroller in jammies with her light blanket and the toy, she usually goes right out.
In the parks, she hasn't been spooked by anything other than Bullseye. He made the mistake of hovering just a little too long over her. She typically handles character meets ok. We find it best to let her walk up to them rather than us holding her as we approach. She is a ham for the camera, so pictures are not a problem. Oh, buy the PhotoPass cd before you go because you will want the pictures. You may be on the fence about it, but trust me, just buy it.
For your little one, it's all new and all fun. Your attitude will be her's. Go with no expectations and plan on maybe taking in 3 rides for the entire day. If you get more done, fine, but be prepared to meet characters, enjoy the little things that you would normally whiz past, and generally just enjoy watching the wonder in her little eyes as she explores. It can be so much fun, if you don't go with huge expectations. If you go expecting to do a lot, you are setting yourself up for failure because toddlers have no itinerary.
Don't forget the toddler snacks! God forbid we go to the park without the baby veggie puffs, Cheerios, and baby fruit leather. Oh and don't forget that the Baby Care Stations at the parks are a lifesaver for when you just need to go to a quiet place.
Be prepared! Don't forget the sunscreen. Try to get your little one used to wearing a hat and sunglasses. Work with getting her to drink from a straw, if possible, so that you don't have to completely depend on sippy cups. Bring a couple of changes of clothes for each day at the park. Bring a beach towel. Bring a light blanket. Bring one small toy to the park each day, not one that the little one can't live without, so that if it gets dirty or lost you are not sunk for the rest of the day/trip. Bring several bibs. Bring a bathing suit and swim diapers if you go to Epcot or MK. Those water play areas are irresistable to toddlers and if you forget the beach towel, you are going to spend $20 to buy one in the park.
We typically will change our little's one outfit after lunch, even if she is not dirty, just for comfort's sake. We always have a back up outfit in case she gets super dirty. At the end of the day, before leaving the park, we stop and do a diaper change into an overnight diaper and go ahead and wipe her down well and put her into jammies. When placed in the stroller in jammies with her light blanket and the toy, she usually goes right out.
In the parks, she hasn't been spooked by anything other than Bullseye. He made the mistake of hovering just a little too long over her. She typically handles character meets ok. We find it best to let her walk up to them rather than us holding her as we approach. She is a ham for the camera, so pictures are not a problem. Oh, buy the PhotoPass cd before you go because you will want the pictures. You may be on the fence about it, but trust me, just buy it.
For your little one, it's all new and all fun. Your attitude will be her's. Go with no expectations and plan on maybe taking in 3 rides for the entire day. If you get more done, fine, but be prepared to meet characters, enjoy the little things that you would normally whiz past, and generally just enjoy watching the wonder in her little eyes as she explores. It can be so much fun, if you don't go with huge expectations. If you go expecting to do a lot, you are setting yourself up for failure because toddlers have no itinerary.
Don't forget the toddler snacks! God forbid we go to the park without the baby veggie puffs, Cheerios, and baby fruit leather. Oh and don't forget that the Baby Care Stations at the parks are a lifesaver for when you just need to go to a quiet place.