Taking three kids ages 4, 2 & 2 : Am I getting in over my head?

[LarryStoken]

My wife and I are planning a trip to take our 3 kids. A 4 year old and 2 year old twins. No relatives are going with us.

Sometimes I think we are nuts for attempting this. It is nuts enough already at home!

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Personally, I think you're taking on way too much with 3 kids so young and without any assistance. You need somebody along to lend a hand (and at the very least) baby sit on the odd night to give the two of you some quality time together. Wait a couple of years when the kids are a bit older and can appreciate Disney a bit more and you can afford to take someone with you to help out

 

[Master Yoda]

With two of you it will be doable. If you try to do that mission alone you would be a prime candidate for a nervous breakdown by lunch.:lol:

 

[MITCH 112198]

we have 2 children under 5 and every time we go to disney we take a set of grandparents with us. That is our saving grace.

 

[maggiegrace1]

I think it is totally doable...

Make sure you have strollers, take breaks, follow the kids schedules, and it should be fine!

Realize there will be things you can not do, things you think you can do and once inside you will not be able to do and that you will probably go at a slower pace then you would if it was just you and the wife or with one child.

My parents did it with a 8 ,7, 5, and almost 1 year old, 3 times a year...

As long as you are willing to adjust you should be fine..

 

[LuxeMama]

I'm with Dana.

Don't let others stress you out, when they don't even know your levels of patience. You two do a lot on a day to day basis alone, and while Disney is a whole other animal, you can do it if you have a plan and don't try to do too much that will overwhelm you or your babies.

Get a plan and make sure that you make it about the kids and not about getting so much done in a day. Pick a few things that the kids would like to see perhaps 3-5 and make a point to see them. These could be as little as one of the on-site playgrounds or parades to one of the attractions.

My little girl got sick, so I had to take my 1 & 3 yr old the the MNSSHP alone and I thought I would be overwhelmed, but it turned out great.

You'll be great. If you need any help/support, just ask!

 

[mickey7879]

I think you'll do fine. You know your kids. As long as you plan on going on their schedule, watch for meltdowns before they happen, etc you should do fine. If you decide you want an evening out or want some extra help for a day, you could always call Kids Night Out and they can babysit in your room or have a helper come into the parks with you. Yes it's expensive, but may give you some relief and would be cheaper than paying for another person to come on the trip with you.

 

[corey154]

I don't think you're nuts, I think you're great parents and you'll be fine...if not chalk it up to another lesson learned.

 

[KeithVH]

We waited until our youngest was 6 which was a killer to the older two. But sometimes I wish we HAD taken them younger. I think just watching them experience the world at a younger age would have been priceless.

The fact that you are asking the question indicates you're at least aware of potential issues. Good advice so far. Stay out of park commando mode and just go to HAVE FUN. That means NO SCHEDULE - this way you won't be dissapointed if you plan something and, for whatever reason, it doesn't happen. And the kids might surprise you with their ability to keep up. Although afternoons back at the hotel are probably the smart thing anyway. Shoot, we do that now and the youngest is now 18.

 

[WDW_Emily]

I think you'll do fine my parents took me and my sister when we were 6 and 1
then again when my other sister was born at 7, 2, and 6 months just remember to take it slow

 

[TakeMeThere81]

We've got 3 boys, and the youngest they were when we attempted a full-force Disney(4 parks, the works) trip was ages 7, 3 and 18 months. Just take that into account as far as my experience and advice goes.

I love and agree with the advice to simply go to HAVE FUN. Take in all the sights, the little things.

Kids love parades and may or may not love characters.

Be prepared, a lot of little kids freak out at the loud sounds of fireworks. When we watch wishes, we always sit at the train station so we can make a quick exit in case one of our kids surprises us with a bad reaction.

If you can do childcare one night for a grown-up night out, go for it! It will be a wonderful time for just the two of you.

Be prepared to take breaks, and don't overdo it.

Here's my list of not-to-miss for your kids' ages:

MK
It's a Small World(always a winner with very small kids)
Dumbo
Peter Pan's Flight
Winnie the Pooh
Mickey and Minnie's House
Donald's Boat(but they will get wet)
Pooh's Playful Spot
Magic Kingdom Railroad
Dream along with Mickey show
Afternoon Parade
Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
Perhaps buy balloons for each of them, they'd love that

AK
Nemo Musical
Boneyard
Rafiki's Wildlife Express
Affection Section(but be prepared to walk, this part of the park is pretty far away)
Triceratop Spin
Character Greetings

EPCOT
Finding Nemo
Turtle Talk with Crush
Living with the Land
JIIw/Figment

DHS
Playhouse Disney Live!
Toy Story Mania
Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area


Notice I didn't put many shows in the list because kids are hard to get to sit. I would try them on Mickey's Philharmagic first and if they like it continue to other shows like the B&B stage show and Nemo stage show. HTH! Have a great trip. Take lots of pictures! I treasure the pics of my kids when they were little at the World.

 

[mousebymarriage]

We've got 3 boys, and the youngest they were when we attempted a full-force Disney(4 parks, the works) trip was ages 7, 3 and 18 months. Just take that into account as far as my experience and advice goes.

I love and agree with the advice to simply go to HAVE FUN. Take in all the sights, the little things.

Kids love parades and may or may not love characters.

Be prepared, a lot of little kids freak out at the loud sounds of fireworks. When we watch wishes, we always sit at the train station so we can make a quick exit in case one of our kids surprises us with a bad reaction.

If you can do childcare one night for a grown-up night out, go for it! It will be a wonderful time for just the two of you.

Be prepared to take breaks, and don't overdo it.

Here's my list of not-to-miss for your kids' ages:

MK
It's a Small World(always a winner with very small kids)
Dumbo
Peter Pan's Flight
Winnie the Pooh
Mickey and Minnie's House
Donald's Boat(but they will get wet)
Pooh's Playful Spot
Magic Kingdom Railroad
Dream along with Mickey show
Afternoon Parade
Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
Perhaps buy balloons for each of them, they'd love that

AK
Nemo Musical
Boneyard
Rafiki's Wildlife Express
Affection Section(but be prepared to walk, this part of the park is pretty far away)
Triceratop Spin
Character Greetings

EPCOT
Finding Nemo
Turtle Talk with Crush
Living with the Land
JIIw/Figment

DHS
Playhouse Disney Live!
Toy Story Mania
Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area


Notice I didn't put many shows in the list because kids are hard to get to sit. I would try them on Mickey's Philharmagic first and if they like it continue to other shows like the B&B stage show and Nemo stage show. HTH! Have a great trip. Take lots of pictures! I treasure the pics of my kids when they were little at the World.

I agree 100% and couldn't have said it better!

 

[LarryStoken]

We've got 3 boys, and the youngest they were when we attempted a full-force Disney(4 parks, the works) trip was ages 7, 3 and 18 months. Just take that into account as far as my experience and advice goes.

I love and agree with the advice to simply go to HAVE FUN. Take in all the sights, the little things.

Kids love parades and may or may not love characters.

Be prepared, a lot of little kids freak out at the loud sounds of fireworks. When we watch wishes, we always sit at the train station so we can make a quick exit in case one of our kids surprises us with a bad reaction.

If you can do childcare one night for a grown-up night out, go for it! It will be a wonderful time for just the two of you.

Be prepared to take breaks, and don't overdo it.

Here's my list of not-to-miss for your kids' ages:

MK
It's a Small World(always a winner with very small kids)
Dumbo
Peter Pan's Flight
Winnie the Pooh
Mickey and Minnie's House
Donald's Boat(but they will get wet)
Pooh's Playful Spot
Magic Kingdom Railroad
Dream along with Mickey show
Afternoon Parade
Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
Perhaps buy balloons for each of them, they'd love that

AK
Nemo Musical
Boneyard
Rafiki's Wildlife Express
Affection Section(but be prepared to walk, this part of the park is pretty far away)
Triceratop Spin
Character Greetings

EPCOT
Finding Nemo
Turtle Talk with Crush
Living with the Land
JIIw/Figment

DHS
Playhouse Disney Live!
Toy Story Mania
Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area


Notice I didn't put many shows in the list because kids are hard to get to sit. I would try them on Mickey's Philharmagic first and if they like it continue to other shows like the B&B stage show and Nemo stage show. HTH! Have a great trip. Take lots of pictures! I treasure the pics of my kids when they were little at the World.

Great post. Thanks!

 

[Heatherbell]

I agree, take them. You know how your kiddos are so just tailor your WDW vacation to them. As long as you go with realistic goals and knowing that you are going to have to be flexible you should be fine. Look through these forums for great tips and idea on traveling with young kids. Got to Allears.net, also some great tip there. I took my (then) 8 month old, I thought I was going to totally regret it but as soon as I accepted the idea that it wasn't going to be WDW MY WAY it would be Aiden's way everything just sorta fell into place. I am glad I did alot of research before I went. Even though I had been to WDW a million times before I brought him, it was a whole different experience with him.

 

[bmg]

You can definitely do it. Disney is made for kids and even if they are young - it is magical to watch them see Disney for the first time. My advice to you is simple (this is how my husband and I don't go insane on our vacations with 2 under 4):

1. Plan in advance.
2. Remember that your kids are on vacation too. My husband and I try to remind ourselves that we let loose a little on vacation with ourselves - so why not with the kids. At home, the kids go straight from point a to point b but while on vacation, if our 3 year old decides he wants to stop and dance to a song that is playing - then why not - even if it means we may not be first in line at a certain ride, etc.
3. Respect the Sleep Schedule! We stay on property mainly because we can quickly go back to the room every afternoon to nap. Yes, that means we don't get to do as much each day at the parks but we have found that it makes the times we do spend at the parks MUCH more enjoyable for all. And while we enjoy staying late in the parks to see some of the after dark things - like fireworks, etc. - we need to judge how our kids are acting before doing so. We would rather miss an hour of evening activities if that means that the entire next day will be filled with happy babies.

Good luck and have a wonderful time!
B

 

[KC82271]

Just providing some first hand experience.

I have a 4 year old - who has been to Disney 6 times already. She's my only one. I have to say - it's tough with just my Mom and I (which has been 3 of the 6 trips). When I add my husband in - it gets easier. Add my in-laws - it's a breeze. The more, the merrier.

Just the bus alone - one of us takes the carriage, while the other takes the kid and the bag. Granted she is now capable of walking up unto the bus and "running" into the back to get a seat, but when you have to carry any of them, it's tough. Think about the trips back to the hotel at night.

I assume you have a double stroller for the 2 younger ones, don't think the 4 year old isn't going to need a stroller though. Even though my 4 year old is 42lbs and 42inches, I put her in the stroller because I don't want to hear "I can't walk as fast as you", "my feet are tired", etc. It's a lot of walking for a 4 year old's legs.

I am for anyone going - but make sure you have enough hands. One extra set is good, but more than that is great.

Enjoy it no matter what!

 

[EvilQueen-T]

i've done disney with one as young as 2, my kids are 5 years apart so we either waited for the youngest to be old enough or the eldest to be to old. the biggest thing is being flexible, not trying to do everything at once. if you can space out your vacation over a week then you can take your time and still do a massive amount without killing yourself.

take turns between parents on taking the older child on rides so one of you isn't always sitting with the little ones waiting. if the older child wants to go on something with a long wait, plan to do a show or similar with the younger ones during the same time.

if they still nap don't skip it... go back to the hotel and let them nap, if the older one doesn't then they can go swimming or similar while the younger ones nap (a cranky baby is the worst hell when you're standing in line in the heat lol). i think it's unfair that the rides designed for the youngest visitors are the longest and least imaginative and the rides are the shortest so be prepared to play pass the baby A LOT... they only stand there for so long.

when we took our 3 year old granddaughter for her first trip we thought she'd love the characters more than anything... turns out she was the most excited over the castle and standing in the walkway looking at the mosaics... go figure but we spent at least a half hour each day in that walkway lol. when we went again just before she turned 5 she was all about the princesses and splash mountain. preschoolers make their own magic.

 

[LarryStoken]

Just providing some first hand experience.

I have a 4 year old - who has been to Disney 6 times already. She's my only one. I have to say - it's tough with just my Mom and I (which has been 3 of the 6 trips). When I add my husband in - it gets easier. Add my in-laws - it's a breeze. The more, the merrier.


I am for anyone going - but make sure you have enough hands. One extra set is good, but more than that is great.

Enjoy it no matter what!

Thanks we will enjoy it (I think). It will be just my wife and I on the trip with the 3 kids, but we are used to the chaos of being outnumbered.
It must be pretty easy for you at this point just having one kid. I know whenever I am watching just two of the kids ,because one is napping, it seems like a breeze.