We are going to WDW in May. My DS is 2 and my DD will be 5. Please give me some tips for touring the parks, fireworks, parades, and naptimes! We are on the DDP and have already made ADR's. Of course, DH is coming as well. We are staying at Movies. We have not been since our 1997 honeymoon, and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!:sohappy:
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Tips for traveling with young kids
- Thread starter Madash
- Start date
ralz28
New Member
You just have to know what your kids like and how they react to things. We went in December with a 4 and 1 year old. The kids had a blast, one thing I found was not to overstimulate the kids. If you go ride after ride they will wear out quickly. Stop and get some lemonade, ice cream, whatever. Also, I would rent a stroller, that will give their legs a well need rest. We stayed at the movies in the Dalmation section. That hotel is perfect for young children. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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blairsville
New Member
We took our son when he was 4. The main thing to rememebr is to slow down. I saw more glassy eyed kids being dragged around all day. Take lots of breaks. I think they would rather have a few special moments then days of activity. (By the way, my son has been diagnosed as hyper active, and he STILL got worn out.)
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MickeyFan77
New Member
We took our 5 yr old and 15 mn old in Fall '04 and stayed at Movies, Love Bug. My advice would be to take a break midway through the day. We always came back around 2ish or so and napped or swam and it seemed to make a world of difference. Just take your time and enjoy it!! As stated you can easily overstimulate young ones. Also bring snacks!!!
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Dwarful
Well-Known Member
FASTPASS! Sunblock, camera, autograph books, big pen, snacks (whatever kind they like best)..fruit snacks, peanut butter crackers etc., even if you bring them from home. They can become your best friend when waiting in lines. We have hauled our own strollers and rented from WDW. Staying at Movies (Dalmation bldg is great) best bet would be to rent because the buses will be crowded. Make sure to stop for drinks & restrooms.
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MouseMadness
Well-Known Member
All good advice, and I'd have to add, don't "force" anything on them, from attractions, to characters. And yes, take those breaks and naps!
Have a great time! :wave:
Have a great time! :wave:
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Heatherbell
Active Member
As someone mentioned, bring snacks and juiceboxes. My 4 year old is famous for being "thirsty" every 5 minutes. As far as attractions go I definately recommend going slow. One of the times we went we sat next to this family at one of the parades who was saying that their daughter was refusing to go on any rides. The problem was the first ride they took her on (Snow White) scared the daylights out of her and therefore she refused to get on any other ride. So start with something very kid friendly and work up...
Remember that you are with kids and they are not adults and therefore cannot keep up with you. Just go slow and make sure you have a stroller. Little legs get tired fast.
As for parades bring something for the kids to do while sitting and waiting for parades. My little one is easy to please so we bought her one of those spinning light toys that amused her for 45 minutes, without that we would've been up a creek. Remind your little one that the fireworks are loud as they tend to scare little ones. Same with 3D attractions, try the best you can to explain what is going to happen so that they aren't terrified.
Have a great time. And oh yeah, remember your child(ren) is going to be tired and cranky, pick your battles. There were a few nights where our little one refused to eat and wound up eating chips or ice cream for dinner. At home she knows that is absolutely not allowed, however on vacation.....we picked our battles.
Remember that you are with kids and they are not adults and therefore cannot keep up with you. Just go slow and make sure you have a stroller. Little legs get tired fast.
As for parades bring something for the kids to do while sitting and waiting for parades. My little one is easy to please so we bought her one of those spinning light toys that amused her for 45 minutes, without that we would've been up a creek. Remind your little one that the fireworks are loud as they tend to scare little ones. Same with 3D attractions, try the best you can to explain what is going to happen so that they aren't terrified.
Have a great time. And oh yeah, remember your child(ren) is going to be tired and cranky, pick your battles. There were a few nights where our little one refused to eat and wound up eating chips or ice cream for dinner. At home she knows that is absolutely not allowed, however on vacation.....we picked our battles.
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GenerationX
Well-Known Member
Be sure to hit the playgrounds in each park:
MK - Pooh's Playful Spot, Tom Sawyer Island
Ep - Viking Ship
DS - Honey, I Shrunk the Playground
AK - Boneyard.
These playgrounds give the kids a chance for a little unstructured play time.
As for fireworks shows, I would bet your kids will like Wishes the best. They may also like Illuminations.
Have fun! :wave:
MK - Pooh's Playful Spot, Tom Sawyer Island
Ep - Viking Ship
DS - Honey, I Shrunk the Playground
AK - Boneyard.
These playgrounds give the kids a chance for a little unstructured play time.
As for fireworks shows, I would bet your kids will like Wishes the best. They may also like Illuminations.
Have fun! :wave:
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GoofyMom2
New Member
Let your little ones set the pace. If they want to spend 1/2 hour playing at the Imagination Leap Fountains, let them. Let your kids decide what they want to do....... talk about some of the rides before your trip and let them pick out some "must-dos". If they want to skip a ride, not see a character, that's fine....don't push them.
Make sure they have plenty of rest, drink and food. My parents still tell the funny story of how at our first visit to WDW they had just purchased me Mouse Ears and insisted on taking my picture in them. But, I was very hungry and getting cranky. But my Dad made me stand for this picture so I have the maddest expression on my face in it! OK, it's funny 30 odd years later but I know it would have been a better time for all had they let me get a snack first! :lol:
And as others have said, I cannot stress enough taking a mid-day break for a swim and rest. Plan on being away from the parks for a minimum of 3-4 hrs. Don't burn the candle at both ends or you will all be miserable. Also, schedule "down" days during your trip, when you have no parks or activities planned. Use that time to sleep in, go to the pool, whatever you all feel like.
With kids that age, I would start at Fantasyland in MK. Get to the park at opening, or have a character meal at Crystal Palace before the park opens. (Pooh and friends)That way, when you are done eating, you can stroll right through the Castle and to the rides. If you time it right, the park will just have opened and you will be ahead of the crowd. We did this last April and had only a few minute wait for Dumbo, Pooh, and Peter Pan! We also walked right onto Small World. Plus, we got some great pictures in front of the Castle with no crowd in the photo, just us.
After Fantasyland, go to Mickey's Toontown Fair.....lots of fun things for little ones here.
If you go to AK, don't rush through the Oasis in the morning....there are cast members walking around with small animals in cases for the kids to see if you pay attention....my kids both loved this. Also, in the Pang Trail there is a building you go in before the bird aviary (where the naked mole rats are). There are a lot of interactive things to do in here and the cast members are fun to talk to. If you eat at Pizzafari, there are "back" rooms away from the registers that are usually not crowded.
Have a great time! :wave:
Make sure they have plenty of rest, drink and food. My parents still tell the funny story of how at our first visit to WDW they had just purchased me Mouse Ears and insisted on taking my picture in them. But, I was very hungry and getting cranky. But my Dad made me stand for this picture so I have the maddest expression on my face in it! OK, it's funny 30 odd years later but I know it would have been a better time for all had they let me get a snack first! :lol:
And as others have said, I cannot stress enough taking a mid-day break for a swim and rest. Plan on being away from the parks for a minimum of 3-4 hrs. Don't burn the candle at both ends or you will all be miserable. Also, schedule "down" days during your trip, when you have no parks or activities planned. Use that time to sleep in, go to the pool, whatever you all feel like.
With kids that age, I would start at Fantasyland in MK. Get to the park at opening, or have a character meal at Crystal Palace before the park opens. (Pooh and friends)That way, when you are done eating, you can stroll right through the Castle and to the rides. If you time it right, the park will just have opened and you will be ahead of the crowd. We did this last April and had only a few minute wait for Dumbo, Pooh, and Peter Pan! We also walked right onto Small World. Plus, we got some great pictures in front of the Castle with no crowd in the photo, just us.
After Fantasyland, go to Mickey's Toontown Fair.....lots of fun things for little ones here.
If you go to AK, don't rush through the Oasis in the morning....there are cast members walking around with small animals in cases for the kids to see if you pay attention....my kids both loved this. Also, in the Pang Trail there is a building you go in before the bird aviary (where the naked mole rats are). There are a lot of interactive things to do in here and the cast members are fun to talk to. If you eat at Pizzafari, there are "back" rooms away from the registers that are usually not crowded.
Have a great time! :wave:
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DisneyMarg
Member
The most important thing is to enjoy being together as a family. You can come back to Disney many times but you will never be able to come back to this time in your family's life.
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coltow
Well-Known Member
I have tons of tips. My son will be 2 when he's there for his 3rd trip in July.
-Bring what you need from home, don't plan on buying diapers, etc there it's too expensive
-Bring some of their favorite snacks and keep them with you. It's not always easy to find crackers and other things when they want them, so if you have them handy it makes it so easy to keep them happy when walking through the parks
-I put everything in the diaper into ziploc bags so that if it rains nothing gets wet and it also helps keep the bag organized
-Bring some small toys from home (little people are great) that will keep them entertained when waiting for rides, food, etc
-Bring your own stroller, they are already used to it and comfortable with it
-When they are ready for a nap find a quiet place like the exit to a thrill ride (ToT, Mission Space, etc), assuming they nornally can sleep in the stroller
-Make sure they drink enough
-Invest in a rain sheild for your stroller. My son would never keep a poncho on and then ones they sell are not meant for toddlers.
I got tons more but these were the first to come to mind
-Bring what you need from home, don't plan on buying diapers, etc there it's too expensive
-Bring some of their favorite snacks and keep them with you. It's not always easy to find crackers and other things when they want them, so if you have them handy it makes it so easy to keep them happy when walking through the parks
-I put everything in the diaper into ziploc bags so that if it rains nothing gets wet and it also helps keep the bag organized
-Bring some small toys from home (little people are great) that will keep them entertained when waiting for rides, food, etc
-Bring your own stroller, they are already used to it and comfortable with it
-When they are ready for a nap find a quiet place like the exit to a thrill ride (ToT, Mission Space, etc), assuming they nornally can sleep in the stroller
-Make sure they drink enough
-Invest in a rain sheild for your stroller. My son would never keep a poncho on and then ones they sell are not meant for toddlers.
I got tons more but these were the first to come to mind
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RebeccaQ
New Member
DisneyMarg said:
So true! As others have said, just be open to what is going to make it magical for you and your family. Your most treasured memories are often not the same as the top-billed attractions (eg time at the fountains, just resting with ice cream, etc).
And while I don't recommend being a commando, certain "strategies" are well worth it, especially with kids (mine are now 7 and 3). For example: getting to the parks EARLY and then taking a break during the day is great and turns out to be more relaxing than sleeping in in the morning. (do plan at least one sleep in "lazy day" during a week or longer trip though)
There are tons of other great tips, but most you probably already know just from knowing your kids and knowing what they need and like the best. Trust yourself, relax, and have and AMAZING time.
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