WDW with a 2 year old...

[Bodyfather]

...pondering a trip next year, which will be my first for 3 years. In that 3 year period, we’ve had a little man! He will be 2 years and 3 months old when we’re thinking of going.
Has anyone done WDW with such a young kid? Am I mad for considering?

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I have and many others have.
Not sure why you'd be "mad for considering it".
Go have fun.

 

[DisAl]

Our granddaughter's first trip was at age 3 1/2.
Because of our every two years WDW trip schedule (can't afford it every year ) our grandson's first trip was at 1 1/2.
We wondered if he would get much out of it, but he had an absolutely wonderful time. I know every child is different but he LOVED WDW at 1 1/2. We went back last year with him at age 3 1/2 and he had even more fun. It rained a lot on our AK day and he must have jumped into at least 1,000 puddles.... By the way, he says most of the characters are just people in costumes, but Mickey and Minnie are REAL!
Just be sure to take into account rest time, eating time, and a stroller that he can nap in.

 

[JIMINYCR]

You see lots of parents at WDW with children that young and younger. You just have to be mindful of the childs needs and not expect the trip to be all about your desires, realizing that sacrifices must be made on your part. Too many parents want to do WDW the way they did it when they were without kids and you end up with screaming, overtired, cranky kids and frustrated upset parents that are neglecting their parenting skills because they want to have their fun. Plan to keep the childs schedule as similar as you can that they are used to. Set up times to nap. Dont over plan with long nights. Have a great time knowing that Disney will be there for followup trips and you can do more and more as the child grows up.

 

[KaliSplash]

My youngest son made his firs trip when he was 4 months old. Was not our best trip, but we had a good time. (Oldest son was almost 3 at the time, his 5th or 6th trip at that point.)
You can't be a theme park commando, but you can have a good time. Go for it. But you MUST, take a midday break. Or you will have wished you stayed home.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Ive never seen anyone with young kids at WDW before.

 

[SMS55]

Not the worst idea, but there's a reason that under 3 are free.

 

[Bodyfather]

Ive never seen anyone with young kids at WDW before.

Good point

 

[MagicalMommy]

Both of my kids’ first trips were before they turned 3 (daughter was still 2, son was just turning 1). I loved taking them that small and we’ve been many times since. Kids under 3 are free. There are many tips to having an enjoyable vacation with a little one — renting a stroller, blocked out time for naps, baby care centers in the parks, playgrounds in the parks/resorts to get energy out, etc. Go for it!

 

[Marianm]

We took my son at 1 and daughter at 2. You’ll be fine! We just made those trips more casual and took a lot of resort breaks. Now my kids are 6&8 and we’re going in a few weeks, and I’ll be about 5-6 m pregnant. So I’m sure there will be another trip in the future with a toddler

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

Just took my daughter for her second trip this past summer. She was 2.5 and she had a blast. Make sure to try to stick to his schedule and take breaks and let him run around. MK has an indoor playground at Dumbo, EPCOT has an indoor playground at the exit of Mission: Space AND an outdoor park by innoventions. I don’t think HS has a kid friendly play area yet, but that might change. Go and have fun and enjoy seeing his face and experience all that Disney has to offer!

 

[ninjaprincesst]

My daughter was 2 her first trip and had a blast and that was the trip where my little theme park commando came to be. We have been every year since and it's her favorite place in the world. I never experienced one fit or "meltdown" from her, we did not alter our touring plan at all, we just did the ride swap for Space Mountain and Rock n Roller coaster. She rode everything else (she was tall for her age 36 inches at 2) she even rode TOT, she loved it!

 

[DisAl]

The best part of the trip when the granddaughter was 3 1/2?
This hug and a "Thank you for bringing me to Disney World granddaddy!"


One other word of advice. Take PLENTY of "wet wipes" of some sort. This photo is just after her first Mickey Bar ice cream.

 

[MegRuss626]

We took our 16 month old daughter and she did just fine. Like a couple people said, the best mentality is to go at their pace and remember you will able to take them again one day so don’t rush to do everything. Plus, the perk to taking a 2 year old.....they’re still free!!

 

[Raegansmommy]

You will be surprised to see newborn babies there too! Our first trip was when my daughter was 18 months and then we went the following year as well. Just take it slow, go back for a nap in the afternoon, keep snacks and drinks with you for long lines, etc. You will have a great time!

 

[Wellhello]

...pondering a trip next year, which will be my first for 3 years. In that 3 year period, we’ve had a little man! He will be 2 years and 3 months old when we’re thinking of going.
Has anyone done WDW with such a young kid? Am I mad for considering?

Hey Bodyfather!
My wife and I have taken our daughter twice so far (once at 10 months and once at 1.5 years) and are going again in November when she’ll be 2.5 y/o. She has had a blast every time we’ve been. Just remember everything will take longer than you expect it to, don’t try to do it all and follow your child’s cues. Both times we have gone with my daughter I get so worked up that she is going to “throw it down” at the most inopportune time. Thankfully the few meltdowns she had were while walking through the park and trust me she had plenty of other children making just as much noise as she was. Disney is great with kids and you’ll be surrounded by thousands of other parents that are feeling the same way you are. Go have fun with your family and make plenty of good memories!!

 

[crawale]

...pondering a trip next year, which will be my first for 3 years. In that 3 year period, we’ve had a little man! He will be 2 years and 3 months old when we’re thinking of going.
Has anyone done WDW with such a young kid? Am I mad for considering?

We took our eldest grandson when he was 1 year and 10 months and he loved it. Luckily all mine are now of an age when they can walk. If they weren't I would just buy an umbrella stroller at the hotel and leave it there if I were flying in. Strollers otherwise are very cumbersome on the buses and since you have to park, in some cases, quite a way from the rides, not as convenient as they used to be.