Taking a toddler to the Magic Kingdom

[NewfieFan]

My husband is a family doctor as well and there is nothing harmful by having your child in a stroller pass the age they can walk. Of course, children should get plenty of exercise and free play time. But how on earth would we get anything done without a stroller!?! Forget Disney World, I wouldn't be able to get groceries!!! My husband jokes that it's more harmful to make a child walk on errands b/c of the potential of the child's shoulders becoming dislocated as we drag the child around!:animwink: :lol:

 

[sublimesting]

Here's the thing about the stroller it's not a matter of what research shows, or that someone who doesn't have kids just wouldn't understand. It's not about living in the real world vs. the ideal world, it's about the fact that parents want to use the stroller because they want to make it easier on themselves. It's not about it being easier on you it's about look how fat and lazy this country is. A child should not be in a stroller at the age of 6 for God's sake! We should be ingraining exercise and fitness into them at an early age when they are developing bone and muscle. Once you get fat or flabby you will always have those cells in your body. You can shrink them down but you don't truly "burn off" fat. So a chubby kid is probably always going to have weight issues. There is really no such thing as "baby fat" past the age of being a baby or a very small toddler...we just made that up as a society to accept the fatness and we say "he'll burn it off". Look how many adults ride scooters now cause they are fat. This wasn't the case even 15 years ago. America is OUT OF SHAPE AND LAZY!!!
Being fat is not a disease for the most part it is that people eat too much and do too little. before you tear into me and say "well, I come from a fat family, it's in our genes, or my metabolism is slow." That's only true in a very small % of cases..... Here's proof: America is about the only fat country there is. Why does the rest of the world not look like us? Here's more proof: American's weren't getting fat either until recently, so if we look at our own family trees we'll see our very own family was not always fat. Think back to the 50's, 60's and 70's and even 80's the fat kid in class (and there was most likely only 1 or 2 per 35 kids) was only "chubby"" by today's standards. As a nation we are just more accepting of laziness and fatness.


Now, I am very very sorry I turned this into a weight issue but it's a hot subject with me because the state this country is in....look at us as! It's sad really and look at our children having heart disease, diabetes, etc. as children!!!


I know an occassional use of a stroler won't make a fat child, or maybe just using it at Disney won't make a fat child cause Yes that is a lot of walking but chronic use of a stroller is not good.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I have a two year old son and wanted to know if it is worth taking him to MK?

Better than leaving him alone in the hotel room :ROFLOL:

Welcome aboard :wave:

 

[durangojim]

Here's the thing about the stroller it's not a matter of what research shows, or that someone who doesn't have kids just wouldn't understand. It's not about living in the real world vs. the ideal world, it's about the fact that parents want to use the stroller because they want to make it easier on themselves. It's not about it being easier on you it's about look how fat and lazy this country is. A child should not be in a stroller at the age of 6 for God's sake! We should be ingraining exercise and fitness into them at an early age when they are developing bone and muscle. Once you get fat or flabby you will always have those cells in your body. You can shrink them down but you don't truly "burn off" fat. So a chubby kid is probably always going to have weight issues. There is really no such thing as "baby fat" past the age of being a baby or a very small toddler...we just made that up as a society to accept the fatness and we say "he'll burn it off". Look how many adults ride scooters now cause they are fat. This wasn't the case even 15 years ago. America is OUT OF SHAPE AND LAZY!!!
Being fat is not a disease for the most part it is that people eat too much and do too little. before you tear into me and say "well, I come from a fat family, it's in our genes, or my metabolism is slow." That's only true in a very small % of cases..... Here's proof: America is about the only fat country there is. Why does the rest of the world not look like us? Here's more proof: American's weren't getting fat either until recently, so if we look at our own family trees we'll see our very own family was not always fat. Think back to the 50's, 60's and 70's and even 80's the fat kid in class (and there was most likely only 1 or 2 per 35 kids) was only "chubby"" by today's standards. As a nation we are just more accepting of laziness and fatness.


Now, I am very very sorry I turned this into a weight issue but it's a hot subject with me because the state this country is in....look at us as! It's sad really and look at our children having heart disease, diabetes, etc. as children!!!


I know an occassional use of a stroler won't make a fat child, or maybe just using it at Disney won't make a fat child cause Yes that is a lot of walking but chronic use of a stroller is not good.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, simmer down. I agree with much of what you state, but no one was attacking you. You are right about the obesity epidemic in the US, but the answer isn't the prohibition of strollers past the age of 1 or 2. Good habits need to be taught at a young age and that absolutely includes nutritious eating and exercise, but to state that you won't use a stroller after your child learns to walk is a statement made from a lack of experience, but then again if you don't put your child in any type of physically demanding environment -- Disney World, hiking in Yellowstone, going through an airport -- I can understand how you can make it. No one was or is attacking you, it's just that the majority of us posting in this thread are parents and our experience leads us to a conclusion that is different than what your statements profess. Like I said before, if you don't have kids, revisit this thread when your child is two and see if you still feel the same way. One thing to consider is that your child, you, and your spouse may miss out on some really great times due to the inability to be flexible with your toddler.

 

[MouseMadness]

:lol: My extremely skinny and active kids would be stunned to learn that having used a stroller at WDW when they were past toddlerhood is setting them up for obesity. :lol:

I hate when this becomes an issue, but it always does It isn't a stroller thread, it's a toddler in the MK thread.

As I said I would LOVE to do it again with a toddler (I just might be in a couple years :lookaroun ) and I would LOVE to see each of the kids there again, if I could Those years go way too fast to worry about arbitrary rules imposed by other people. Memories are too precious.

 

[happymom52003]

Here's the thing about the stroller it's not a matter of what research shows, or that someone who doesn't have kids just wouldn't understand. It's not about living in the real world vs. the ideal world, it's about the fact that parents want to use the stroller because they want to make it easier on themselves. It's not about it being easier on you it's about look how fat and lazy this country is. A child should not be in a stroller at the age of 6 for God's sake! We should be ingraining exercise and fitness into them at an early age when they are developing bone and muscle. Once you get fat or flabby you will always have those cells in your body. You can shrink them down but you don't truly "burn off" fat. So a chubby kid is probably always going to have weight issues. There is really no such thing as "baby fat" past the age of being a baby or a very small toddler...we just made that up as a society to accept the fatness and we say "he'll burn it off". Look how many adults ride scooters now cause they are fat. This wasn't the case even 15 years ago. America is OUT OF SHAPE AND LAZY!!!
Being fat is not a disease for the most part it is that people eat too much and do too little. before you tear into me and say "well, I come from a fat family, it's in our genes, or my metabolism is slow." That's only true in a very small % of cases..... Here's proof: America is about the only fat country there is. Why does the rest of the world not look like us? Here's more proof: American's weren't getting fat either until recently, so if we look at our own family trees we'll see our very own family was not always fat. Think back to the 50's, 60's and 70's and even 80's the fat kid in class (and there was most likely only 1 or 2 per 35 kids) was only "chubby"" by today's standards. As a nation we are just more accepting of laziness and fatness.


Now, I am very very sorry I turned this into a weight issue but it's a hot subject with me because the state this country is in....look at us as! It's sad really and look at our children having heart disease, diabetes, etc. as children!!!


I know an occassional use of a stroler won't make a fat child, or maybe just using it at Disney won't make a fat child cause Yes that is a lot of walking but chronic use of a stroller is not good.

You know, I really should just stay out of this, but my BIGGEST pet peeve in the world are people who do not have children trying to give parenting advice.
I think you are being extremely judgmental.
I still do not understand where on earth you are getting the idea that stroller use=fat and lazy kids and parents. Do you not realize that just becuase you see a kid in a stroller at the mall or at WDW it does not mean they live in that stroller and are never allowed to get out of it? Because your post sure makes it sound that way. Do you have any idea how many hours each week my kids are running around the yard (and the house, for that matter)? Do you have any idea how many outings my family makes where no stroller is involved (like the park, etc)? Do you have any idea the number of sports that my "lazy" child participates in weekly? If anything, my kids are TOO active!! Sometimes we just wear them and ourselves out! :shrug:
As a stay at home mom without ANY help from family, etc as far as babysitting goes, I HAVE to take my toddler with me everywhere I go. So if putting her in a stroller because I need to Christmas shop at the mall for a couple of hours makes me fat and lazy in your eyes, then so be it. And if putting her in a jogging stroller everyday so that this "lazy" mom can exercise is wrong in your eyes, then so be it. And if putting my two year old in a stoller while walking down Main Street with the masses at park closing makes me lazy, then so be it. And if letting my six year old take a little break in his stroller after WALKING for 6 hours straight in the hot sun at Disney World which is the only place on earth he ever occasionally uses a stroller makes me lazy in your eyes, then so be it.
Again, I say....someday if you have kids, you or your wife WILL use a stroller at some point. That is unless you want to be house bound for the first few years of their life. I know you will deny this, but TRUST me. You will use a stroller.

 

[NewfieFan]

This is NewfieFan's significant other, and I had to post after seeing this thread. First, I'm a physician, and a former teacher, and someone who is trained in child development/psychology. I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I do have two kids and I figure that has to count for something:animwink:. The obesity issue in the US is partially due to a sedentary lifestyle, I agree, but has been said time and again (and even in this thread), it is more due to portion size, caloric intake, and general poor nutrition than anything else. Relating stroller use to obesity is a bit of a stretch (I'd be more inclined to link it to the large meals at WDW!), and I am unaware of any research that states that kids over two should be out of the stroller. In fact, it is accepted that kids are not little adults, and as such, they cannot be expected to walk the some 20,000+ average steps an adult walks during an average WDW day. Strollers provide both rest and shade for kids, both of which are exceedingly important in the hot Florida sun.
With regard to the comment about the parks thinning out at the mid-evening point, this makes perfect sense--many kids go to bed around 8:00, so by that time they would likely be winding down anyway. Kids are creatures of habit.
From my personal experience, my son (under 4) was afraid of every ride. It's his personality, the lad is afraid of the world! Yet, he loves WDW and talks about it all the time. He has not "repressed" any memories or anything of the like. In my experience, taking him to WDW was one of the very special times we were able to share. I could not have asked for a better experience, and look forward to taking both kids back to MK.
As an aside, when obscure research is quoted regarding children, I often note that it is done by those who do not have children.

 

[mnfootballmommy]

Sorry this is so long, but...

We took our DD in Dec. when she was 2.5 (she'll be 3 this month) and she LOVED it! Seeing the characters (who are very real to her anyway) was awesome. (Of course, she now wants to meet EVERY character that she sees on TV or in books! ) We started with MK, then moved through the other parks during the week and she kept saying that she wanted to go back to DisneyWorld!

Will she remember everything? No, but she may remember the time we found "Golden Treasure" at Disneyworld (Tom Sawyer's Island). Does she care that we had lunch at the Castle? Probably not, but she remembers meeting Sleeping Beauty, who is/was her absolute favorite princess. Maybe she will remember that Dad stayed with us all week (instead of going to work) and she got to see fireworks every night. It really doesn't matter what she does or doesn't remember. It matters that we were together and had fun (at her pace)

Did she cry and whine at times? Yes, but she did that at Kohl's today as well, so that's nothing new. Sorry if it offends--it's part of having kids/being a kid.

We actually 'accomplished' more that I thought we would (I set my expectations REALLY low). When she napped, DH and I traded off to do the BIG rides (You need a single rider? Right here!) and saved the 'smaller' stuff for when she was up and going.

Also, that whole "out of the park by 8" thing didn't hold true for us. First of all, we weren't there long enough for the time change to affect her schedule (6 days). Secondly, if she slept in during the mornings and took a nap, she was good to go until 10 pm or so. (One night we were in our jammies at the hotel --Contemporary--and she was begging to go on the monorail!:lol We actually stayed for EMH one night!

Oh, and DD will not touch a stroller OR a shopping cart at home, but by Thursday was asking to ride in her stroller. That is a LOT of walking for little legs!

Take your toddler and have fun. Just know that you will probably have to go back again when he is older so that he can discover it all again!:sohappy:

 

[rictusred]

I think the conversation has kind of got off subject but I can let you know from my experience I have take my daugther to DW 3 times with her 4th in ten days and she has had a blast everytime from 10months she rode rides and had a blast at 1 and a half she was all smiles but by far last january when she was too was great she was all smiles and when she met cinderella ( her favorite) she had the greatest smile I had seen as a dad.

But with that being said my daughter is very outgoing for her age and very adventerous.
but my neice at the same age who is very quite and shy was not very happy at the parks she would'nt go near any charachters and would cry through any ride she was on including winnie the pooh so long story short each child is going to be different there but I ask people about Santa when they ask me about DW if your kid is willing to sit on santas lap and is not afraid she is going to have a blast but if you child is screaming and clinging to you for life and limb you may want to think about it.

 

[Disneybird]

I took each of my daughters to WDW when they were less than a year old, and they have gone almost every year since. We have wonderful memories of those trips. Maybe they don't remember those early trips, but we have great pictures. My mother still talks about my daughter crawling across the 4th floor concourse at the Contemporary to the windows at the gift shop, standing up and looking at the displays.
Now I have a young grandson and I am already wanting to take him. I made the comment after he was born that I had to get in several trips before he turned 3, while his admission and some of his meals would still be free. My SIL thinks maybe I'm crazy, but my daughter is ready to go.
And by the way, strollers can be life savers in the hot Florida sun. Just take plenty of rest breaks when needed.

 

[bgoebel]

Okay. I took my 4 year old and 16 month old last year (this year in december they'll be 5 and almost 3) and now I have a 2 year old. The 2 year old had a great time and only really had 1 meltdown. We still came back to our hotel to take naps (adults enjoyed the down time too). The only issue was convicing her to sleep in the new environment. She was so excited about the day. She just had her 2 year old birthday and chose to have a mickey mouse party, says she is 'ariel' and shows you her feet as fins, and can name every single princess. I think that although she didn't remember most of it, she caught Disney fever (like her mother) and that's worth the trip!!!

 

[KC82271]

My DD almost 3, can name every ride in the MK by site. She has been there 3 times already and can't get enough. Definitely take him to the MK!

 

[rlaeromech]

take them at 2? ITS STILL FREE!!!!!! TAKE THEM and enjoy the free park entrance for them. Then you won't feel bad when their favorite thing is the Pooh playground!

Seriously, count me in the take them at any age group.


Also, count me in the take them in a stroller age. My daughter is 4 and walks all day until she is literally too tired... then comes the stroller.

 

[lebeau]

You just have to be prepared for the fact that it will be a very different experience. Our two-year-old loved the Pooh's playground. We only rode one ride while we were there. But it was a blast seeing her take in all the sights.

I'd do it again, but you have to be prepared to do things at a toddler's pace.

 

[k.hunter30]

Read the Maggie Goes to Disney World thread in the TR section. They had a great time with little Maggie Grace! I'd definitely do it!

 

[Minnietoo]

The 1st time I took my kids my son was 20 months and my dd was 4. Sure my so didn't remember anything from the trip but he had a blast while he was there and loves looking at pictures of him with all the characters! My dd remembers a lot of it.

My son had no issues with anything. My dd had some issues with some of the fire on rides like on the Pirates ride but we just told her it was fake and it was just a story and how se was safe with us on the boat. Then she was fine. Part of that was our fault too because when we 1st arrived at WDW we went to MGM and went to the Indiana Jones show and were so happy we got seats right up front so the kids could see everything!:goodnevil Well little did we know there was an explosion and my dd nearly ran out the door faster then we have ever seen her run! Our fault we hadn't seen the show so we didn't know. We calmed her down and explained what was going on and she was fine.

When we went we went with their Aunties and yes we used the double stroller and it was a god send!!!! The 4 yr old walked alot but it was really nice not to have a tired whining child who wanted to sit. So when she got tired she would sit and sometimes would just fall asleep in the stroller. Which we loved ad she would have done if we were at the mall. So being at WDW didn't make a difference. With the 20 month old he road most of the way unless we were on a ride. He was the kind of kid who was every where and was physically draining being so active. S for him to be in a stroller it was actually safer. The rule was unless we were waiting on a ride or at a play area if you took him out you had to deal with him for the rest of the day because he would never go back in and would start whining wen he was over tired. So if you took him out ad he got whiny you needed to take him back to the room for rest! LOL

Sure that trip was more for mommy and daddy and big sister BUT my son loved it and talked about it for long after we got back.

they are both heading back in less then 2 weeks and they are now 8 and 5 and I can almost bet a stroller will be rented at some point!!!!

FYI both kids are very thin and VERY active in sport so the fat kid in the stroller doesn't float in our house. Heck if I could they would still be in a stroller so I can keep an eye on them when I am out and not worry as much! LOL:ROFLOL:

 

[maggiegrace1]

I would give anything to be able to take a toddler to WDW again. Some of my all time favorite memories!

And I would carry them/hold their hand almost the entire time and love every minute of it and not give a darn if I got to ride Splash Mountain or if I thought we all "got our money's worth" out of it.

Go and have a WONDERFUL time and know that I'll be sitting here feeling extremely jealous of you :lol:

:lol: My extremely skinny and active kids would be stunned to learn that having used a stroller at WDW when they were past toddlerhood is setting them up for obesity. :lol:

I hate when this becomes an issue, but it always does It isn't a stroller thread, it's a toddler in the MK thread.

As I said I would LOVE to do it again with a toddler (I just might be in a couple years :lookaroun ) and I would LOVE to see each of the kids there again, if I could Those years go way too fast to worry about arbitrary rules imposed by other people. Memories are too precious.

*Sings*
And allll your Wishes..will come true!

:sohappy::sohappy:

Read the Maggie Goes to Disney World thread in the TR section. They had a great time with little Maggie Grace! I'd definitely do it!

:kiss:
Thanks Kat..

 

[MouseMadness]

*Sings*
And allll your Wishes..will come true!

:sohappy::sohappy:

:ROFLOL: Yes... now the trick is being able to get us all down there someday :lol:

 

[Laura]

Here's the DW and my 2 cents: We decided we would never take a child less than 5 and even then it would depend on their maturity level.

I guarantee if you're a real Disney fan you'll be eating your words. When you have kids the kids become a part of your FAMILY. If you feel your kids are worthy of going to Walmart or the gas station with you, then why not Disney? And you do realize that once your child is past the age of 5 your chances to bring them will be limited because of school, right? And what if your older child reaches the magical age of 5, but you still have a 1 year old. You gonna make the big one wait 4 more years because you're so darn stubborn?

It's pointless if the kid is too scared to do anything as they won't enjoy it or won't remember it...you would be going just for the sake of "going to WDW".

What's wrong with just "going to WDW"? I do it about 3 times a year. It sure beats sitting around here.

You also have really warped visions of how kids are at any given age. A kid may be afraid of a rollercoaster or a character, but that doesn't mean they'll be terrified of the entire Disney experience. And I'd say most kids over the age of 2 are just about guaranteed to have a great time and remember the trip. (Under the age of 2 is FREE anyway, so who cares?) You planning to lock your kids in a dark closet until they're old enough to "remember" every detail of their lives? You not gonna give them any Christmas presents or birthday parties because they aren't allowed to have fun until they can remember it?

We made our decision on seeing so many parents hauling around sleeping babies in strollers. What is the point of hauling around a child who is sleeping.

Um...because they are a part of your family and therefore they go where you go? Just because they may be sleeping at one point doesn't mean they'll be sleeping 24 hours a day. Again - are you never going to take your children on outings because they may fall asleep at some point during the outing, therefore (according to your logic) rendering the outing completely useless?

But keep in mind that my wife is a child development specialist and insists that research shows that as soon as kids can walk the stroller should go bye bye - even if it means your going really slow all day - so that's how I'll be rolling.

Well my daughter was walking at 9 months old. Apparently I should have made her walk 12 miles a day at 12 months old when we took her on her first Disney trip, right? I hope that your babies walk early too, and you better not DARE put them in strollers after the day they learn to walk after all the judgement you've passed on other parents. Have fun bending over and holding an infant's hand while walking across the mall and back at baby step speed with your hands full of shopping bags. :wave:

Also these parents looked exhausted and not having any fun...and most people with really small children (under 3 or 4) are back in their rooms around 7 or 8 as is evidenced by the way the children in the park and crowds in general thin out at night.

So how is it that Magic Kingdom and Epcot both become a stroller mob the moment the 9:00 fireworks are over if all these children are disappearing by 7?

it's about look how fat and lazy this country is. A child should not be in a stroller at the age of 6 for God's sake!

My kids (4 and 6) have been out of strollers since they were 2 (which according to you is still a year and a half too long in a stroller). But at Disney World, they BOTH get a stroller. They rarely use it, but little legs can only go so far. After a week of walking for 12 hours a day, I'd like to see you motivate a sleepy 4 year old to walk another mile.

Now go ahead and call my family fat and lazy. My husband is a Marine and his entire life is focused on fitness. While he was home he would take my extremely bony, skinny children on about 4-5 mile bike rides EVERY DAY. Now that he's overseas, I've taken over the exercise routine. You'd be hard pressed to find more active children than mine, who have almost no fat on their bodies. But OMG they use strollers at Disney World! I'm such a bad, lazy, fat parent!!!

All I can say is I'm SO glad you are not my father. I can't imagine having parents who refused to take me anywhere fun as a little child because I wouldn't remember it, or who forced me to walk everywhere we went from the moment I took my first steps because they had an obesity phobia. Kids who have parents who are as judgmental about weight as you are are the kids who grow up to have eating disorders.

Wishing you a wonderful stroller-free, Disney-free parenthood. :wave:

 

[George]

I completely agree on the stroller obesity thing. This is what I did on my most recent trip in December. I put my two year old under one arm (weight 21 lbs) and my four year old under the other (wieght 38 lbs). Throughout the day I alternated sides so that my muscles wouldn't build up in an unsightly assymetric fashion. I then sprinted from attraction to attraction (gotta get some cardio in). My kids also stayed at a healthy weight since they were burning calories thanks to the stress created by my "in-park transportation system." See, we all stayed in great shape, no strollers needed. My wife thinks this behavior had something to do with my collapse and eventual visit to the ER, but I think she's crazy.