WDW with 2 Yr Old

[SweetPea]

My family and I are heading to WDW the week before Thanksgiving. My little one is 2. One set of her grandparents and her aunt will also be joining us. Has anyone recently been with a 2 year old? If so, how did he/she do on the rides. Any tips or suggestions would be helpful. My daughter is very easygoing and seems to be fearless

 

[KUNZEWORLD]

We went in 02 with our sun who was 2 1/2 at the time and he had a blast. We are going back in oct with him now 4 and he is tall enough for many of the rides

 

[dreamteacher]

I dont know we went in 02 also when my youngest sister was 4 she enjoyed it but now does not remember much of it so you might want to go agian soon I dont know how often you go so sorry if you go alot

 

[rosebud's mom]

I've taken all my children to Disney when they were little and don't regret a minute of it !! My oldest, (he's 25 now... ) made his first trip when he was 2. Then again when he was 4 and his little brother was only 1. They don't have strong memories of course, but pictures and video lasts forever ! These trips were 1981 and 83. We had a character breakfast on the Empress Lily and Goofy gave Justin his 4th birthday "spanking". Now THAT was a magical moment !

Then in 88 - 91 we lived in Florida. My daugther was born Dec. 0f 87. Therefore, we tease her that thanks to Florida resident passes, she "grew up" in WDW.

Then I moved back north and eventually re-married. Now I have another little one who made her first trip last year at the age of 4, and we're going again in December.

Just follow the little one's leads. Rest when they need too. None of mine were ever afraid of anything, but I raised them to be somewhat fearless ! Wait, my 2nd son was terrified of Captain Hook when he was only 1 year old.

Have a great trip !!

 

[jordanyosh]

We went with my niece who was about a yr and a half at the time. Make sure you familiarize your daughter with the size of the characters. Nothing would be more disappointing than having your daughter be terrorized by a larger than life Mickey or Minnie.

If the grandparents are willing, try to have them watch the Granddaughter while you ride the thrill attractions. It is a little easier than doing the whole baby swap. It was nice too that my aunt and uncle watched their GD while my cousins and the rest of the younger set went out for a night. To be fair, we also gave them some time to themselves as well.

As far as attractions, there are a few that may be too loud or scary. Snow White can be scary and It's tough To Be A Bug as well. She liked boat rides. Small World, El Rio Del Tiempo, Living with the Land.

She loved the pool.

I just talked with my cousin and she said her daughter also likes the parades where she can see characters she knows...Pooh, Nemo....

 

[waltdisny]

I went in March with my 2 year old (her second trip). She loved it, IASW, Mexico, Buzz Lightyear, Pooh Bear, and Dumbo where all big hits. None of mine liked the loud rides, or the 3D movies like PhilarMagic at that age.

I've taken all four of mine before they were two. Keep them on thei regular schedule, take your time, enjoy what you can do, and don;t worry about what you miss, you'll see it on a future visit.

 

[Ringo8n24]

We took my daughter last October when she was 18 months and are taking her again next month. She did awesome! We did familiarize her with the characters before going and she went up to everyone of them with no problem. She, too, enjoyed POTC, El Rio del Tiempo, and IASW. She even kept the glasses on at the 3D movies and watched them all the way through. She got a little frustrated with the stroller, but as long as we took her back to the room for a nap in the middle of the day...she kept going with no problem after that. I took along ziploc bags to keep snacks on hand and kept plenty of water and juices for her. Bring lots of extra clothes because they can get grungy throughout the day. You will be surprised how well they can enjoy the trip with you.

 

[mrtoad]

I say go for it. Every kid is different so one will like one type of thing and other kid something else. There will be definitly stuff they can do and enjoy. As for the characters, some kids are scared some like my daughter went right on up and hugged an kissed them (she had just turned 3). Only Goofy threw her off for about 2 minutes becuase he is so big. My wife had to go up first and get a picture with him and then my daughter ran right over and hugged him.

We spent a ton of time doing character greets with her. Also Playhouse Disney in MGM was a huge hit.

 

[mousepainter]

We have twin boys who will be three in November. We took them at age 1 and age 2. Age 1 was a pretty difficult trip, but age 2 was great. We found that it was easier to go to the parks when they opened, then take a nap break at the hotel after lunch, then return to the parks after in the late afternoon. I personally don't want to sacrifice ONE MINUTE of park time, but it really was better for all if the boys had slept.

Remember to bring ample snacks and drinks; we always give the kids something if they are going to be in line for 15 min or more.

If you are planning to bring your own stroller, consider a hotel on the monorail so you don't have to fold it so much for the busses. The ap rates for your week are great. We will be there that same week, good luck!

 

[KUNZEWORLD]

One thing that has cracks me up is when people make comments about taking such a young child "they're too young to remember" Blah Blah Blah. My wife and i love going and just watching our son at disney makes us happy. For me its worth it remembered or not. Thats what cameras are for!

 

[fjm777]

We took our two year old last December. She did fine. She took her naps in her stroller. You need to have a plan though for how the rest of the family will switch out on the rides like test track.

 

[mrtoad]

One thing that has cracks me up is when people make comments about taking such a young child "they're too young to remember" Blah Blah Blah. My wife and i love going and just watching our son at disney makes us happy. For me its worth it remembered or not. Thats what cameras are for!

I agree 100%. As long as they have fun and you have a fond memory, what does it matter. Usually when people make that statment the say it is too much money for something they won't remember. Well there is a ton of stuff you spend money on and don't remember throughout your life. I say if someone can afford to go and want to go, well then go...

 

[mrtoad]

We have twin boys who will be three in November. We took them at age 1 and age 2. Age 1 was a pretty difficult trip, but age 2 was great. We found that it was easier to go to the parks when they opened, then take a nap break at the hotel after lunch, then return to the parks after in the late afternoon. I personally don't want to sacrifice ONE MINUTE of park time, but it really was better for all if the boys had slept.

Remember to bring ample snacks and drinks; we always give the kids something if they are going to be in line for 15 min or more.

If you are planning to bring your own stroller, consider a hotel on the monorail so you don't have to fold it so much for the busses. The ap rates for your week are great. We will be there that same week, good luck!

Another thing to consider as to why you might want a monorail hotel is at the time you are going the parks close kind of early. If you need to go back to naps it is good to be close to the resort you are staying at. When we went in Jan/Feb this year we had stayed at POR (which we love) but going back for a nap can really cut the day down as you are talking a possible hour each way. I mean if walk out to get the bus you can wait 20 minutes, then the bus ride of abou 15 then the walk to your room. The monorial could cut it down to 20 minutes. If you stay at the Contemporary you can walk.

All this is in the thinking most of your trip will be at the MK as with most little kids it works out that way.

 

[rosebud's mom]

To address this issue that many people raise about children not remembering the experience:

Child development experts and child psychologist state that a child's personality is determined within the first 3 or 4 years. Early childhood stimulation and positive experiences are crucial for developing a well-rounded individual. I doubt there are many teenagers out there who remember in detail any of the field trips they took in pre-school or kindergarten, but would anyone lobby to remove all field trip experiences until we could guarantee the child would fully remember every moment of the outing ? If parents decide including a trip to Disney as part of their toddler's experiences that is their decision to make.

And add me to the list of photo nuts !!!

 

[TwoTigersMom]

My Son Love It!

We took my son in April. He was 2 1/2 and he had a blast! I think his favorite thing was either breakfast with the Pooh Characters or the AKL pool lol. We did the Gold plan and with so much food for us adults, we easily shared a variety of foods with him. We took his umbrella stroller and he spent some time in it. The rest of the time he was dragging me around by his leash. I know I know, but I'd rather be "frowned upon" that get seperated. We even left it in the hotel room one morning and he started screaming "GO BACK GO BACK" in the lobby. He ran back in the room and grabbed it and put it on. He's never been a shy child so he eagerly greeted all the characters he saw. He wasn't quite tall enough for most of the rides, but thouroughly enjoyed the ones he was able to ride. As for him not remebering......Who cares! I have 10 rolls of film from that trip and hundreds of great memories. Every smile he smiled was worth every penny of that trip. We are already making plans for a 2007 trip. He will be 5 years old and our new baby will be 2. Can't wait!!

 

[scorp111]

As for him not remebering......Who cares! QUOTE]


Exactly!!

We are taking our 14 month old in less than 3 weeks, and a lot of people of have expressed "concern" about her remembering ...et al

Get over it folks. I cherish every moment I spend with my daughter (and wife too). We get to spend over ten days together as a family in a wonderful environment. My daughter loves being outdoors, and she loves activity, and she will get both. Throw in that her Grandparents and an Uncle will be there as well, and she is in high heaven.

Yes our visit will be different, then if my wife and I went alone... but that is what Children do... they change your lifestyle....

I can't wait! 18 days and 6 hours....

 

[Danijo]

We have taken our son (6 years old on Friday) to Disney every year since he was 2 1/2. Now, I know not everyone is lucky enough to be able to do that but the point is that each visit highlights something different. The first visit was short, 3 days. We mainly stuck to Magic Kingdom, took plenty of breaks, and he learned a bit about patience by waiting in lines. Each visit we've been able to expand the rides and parks. This past June was our longest visit yet. Six days in the parks and a four day cruise. Granted, we also celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary so the trip was a bit more extravagant than usual. But my point (and I do have one!) is that kids of all ages enjoy the parks. Know your child and his or her limitations and plan accordingly. Having other adults will definitely help so that mom and dad get some time together too!

 

[Ringo8n24]

We took ours at 18 months old and everyone said she would not remember it. Fine. We expected that, but she still had a great time and so did we seeing her reaction to things there. However, she really does remember things from there. She saw the WDW commercial with the family standing on Main Street with the castle in the background and she says "mommy, do you remember that, we went there". This was just as the commercial started so they never really said what the commercial was for yet, but she knew. So, I do think they remember more than what people say and I also think it matters how fresh you keep it for them. She watches the vacation dvd almost every night and pretends she is reading the WDW Birnbaum "to get ready for our trip next month".

 

[figmentmom]

Go for it, and have a great time! The pictures, of course, will be priceless. You might want to get a copy of the "Unofficial Guide" - there is some great advice/information for parents included.

Are you planning on bringing your own stroller, or renting one while there? If your little one can nap comfortably in his/her own stroller, I'd go with that one. Also, WDW can be overwhelming, even to adults, so take things at your little one's pace, take it easy, head back to your hotel for midafternoon naps, and try and stay on your child's normal meal schedule as much as possible. But most of all - have fun! :wave:

 

[tigsmom]

We took our youngest when she was 18 months old. She had a grand time. She loved most of the rides and all of the characters.

When we were planning our next trip (she was 4) we dug out all the pics. She thought they were of her sister. She didn't remember alot of stuff; she knew she had been there before, but didn't recognize herself.
This made her second trip just as fun as her first! It was like she was experiencing everything for the first time! :lol:


Park strategy: Use a stroller...yours or theirs. Its great when thery get tired and don't want to walk, napping and parade/firework viewing. (also carrying those goodies we all buy.

Keep snacks, drinks and handiwipes close by. It saves time & money.

Rest when you need to, you know your kid best. Avoid the dreaded meltdown.

Relax, have a great time & bring us back some pics. :wave: