Anyone take a 15mth old?

Mommy2boys · #1 07-25-2007, 11:27 PM

Our son would be 15mth at the time and I am not sure what to expect. Anyone?

MNMS · #2 07-26-2007, 12:50 AM

We've gone with our 3 1/2 yr old and 8 month old and every year since (they are now 6 1/2 and 4). You'll have a wonderful time as long as you keep expectations low and not push it (e.g., rest, naps, likes and dislikes, etc.).
Our youngest asolutely loved the characters (animals only; no princesses) at that age. She would squeal with delight when they approaced and cry (only briefly) when they left.

Again it is about expectations. If you're going and are going to be disappointed because you won't be able to go on the rides you like then you will be stressed. If you're going to see their enjoyment and get enjoyment out of their enjoyment -- there's nothing better.

One other thing you might hear from some is that he's too young and won't remember. The fact that he won't remember it is irrelevant (unless you won't be able to go back for a very long time) -- I am a believer that experiences make us who we are throughout our lives (even if we don't always remember them).

Have fun!

kakn7294 · #3 07-26-2007, 04:31 AM

We took DD when she was 13 mo old. It was a great trip. She slept in her stroller whenever she was tired and we used baby swap for those times to ride the height restricted attractions. She loved the characters - my favorite memory of that trip is of her grabbing Mickey's nose and planting a big kiss right on the tip (I know, it's probably the dirtiest, germiest place in all of WDW, but it was so cute!). My suggestions are: take your own stroller, take extra clothes and more diapers than you think you will need, take snacks and plenty to drink, and take small toys to keep him busy in line. Read all of the other posts on here about kids and strollers and characters - you can learn alot from others experiences.

Donald · #4 07-26-2007, 08:15 AM

My son loved it when we took him to WDW-he was about 13 mo. old at the time. We put him in one of those baby back packs. He was able to see everything and had the biggest smile the entire time.

And I agree with the previous poster about being too young to remember-forget about it. Our job as a parent is to make our babies happy and what better place to do it than WDW!

We utilized the baby centers at each park. They have nice areas for diaper changing, breast feeding (if you still need that), baby supplies (yes it is cheaper to bring your own, but it was convienient to have things there), and a water cooler to fill up sippy cups for the day. They also sell milk there. And the attendant was always very helpful.

We would take a break around noon, go back to the hotel for lunch and a nap, and then we would go back into the parks around 3-ish. When we would be coming in, there were a lot of tired and unhappy babies going out!

My favorite Disney moment to this day is when Mickey Mouse got down on the floor to play with my toddler! (best picture also!)

Have a wonderful time with your toddler at WDW!

RaRaRoundTheWorld · #5 07-26-2007, 09:16 AM

Our DS was 18 mo. and we had zero expectations for his enjoyment. We thought one of us would sit out with him while the rest of the family had fun.
But, we were pleasantly surprised when he went on every kiddie ride, even the Barnstormer. He wasn't afraid of anything, but we also didn't pick any "frightening" attractions due to our DD. Our DS loved the characters, despite not really knowing who they were. But that's part of the charm of WDW - whether or not you know the characters, everything is tremendously entertaining.

Pooh's Playful spot was a great place to let him run free from his stroller and he loved the train. Mostly, we stuck to the MK since our DD was disappointed with the other parks. I personally feel it's the best park for preschoolers.

We always went back to the hotel for naps, so we didn't use the babycare centers - but it's great to know that option is there. Our family is happier when the kids priorities are met first, and we felt our WDW trip was more for the kids, versus for ourselves, so we really allowed them to form our daily schedules.

By the end of the trip "Ickey" had become part of my DS's vocabulary...

irish1967 · #6 07-26-2007, 09:35 AM

My youngest (now 7 - how did that happen?) was 13 months old during his first trip.

Assuming that you will be taking your DS back to the room for a nap during the middle of the day (which I strongly recommend), I suggest that you call "Mousekeeping" in the morning and request that your room be made up first thing. (They clean the rooms that were vacated by guests checking out first)

Also, bring familiar food from home - even if he is completely on table food - my DS turned his nose up at the majority of the food we initially offered (we ended up buying baby food from the store at the resort just so he would eat!)

Also, if you plan to swim - swim diapers are required (I've seen life guards ask parents to remove their infants from the pool for not having a swim diaper on!)

Give your child time to warm up to the characters - they are BIG and scary to many children. If you are planning to do a character meal, plan it for the end of your trip, rather than the beginning.

As others said - keep the expectations low and you'll have a great time. I love going back and looking at the pictures and the HUGE smile on my son's face.

Dyanna · #7 07-26-2007, 11:31 AM

Our DD will be 10 months old when we take her to WDW!

crazeedizneefinatic · #8 07-26-2007, 12:27 PM

This is a truly magical age to take em! Our son was around 18 months the first time we went. We have alot of pictures of him with his eyes wide open. Take lots of pictures, he still looks through our memory albums and we talk about being there.

If you are flying here is a plan tip: Young ears can sometimes get sore with the pressure at take off and landing. Make sure your little one is drinking something from a sippy, sucking a lollypop or something of the like during take off and landing. It will help equalize the pressure and hopefully no ear aches. My son (he's 6) still looks forward to take off since he gets a piece of gum so early in the a.m.! What a treat.

scottgr · #9 07-26-2007, 12:44 PM

We took my DD for the first time when she was 21 months old (last MAY). She had the time of her life. She loved all the characters and small rides. We made sure we did not push her to hard. We spent time by the pool some afternoons. It was a great trip. We plan on doing it again next OCT with her being 4 and new DD at 16months. she be a crazy time.

KatGat · #10 07-26-2007, 02:10 PM

We took our youngest when he was 6 months and again at 18 months. At 18 months, he was very interested in the people and activities around us, but scared of the fireworks. He stayed in his stroller without a fight for hours, which surprised us. One of his favorite things to do was to just run & play in a patch of grass in Epcot (I think it was around the miniature train area.). But hey, it was his vacation too, so we took the time to let him run off some energy. He was fine with the characters, but preferred them from a safe distance. We didn't find much for him to eat, even on the kid menus. He wasn't big on chicken strips. I was better off with my own food for him. The baby centers are great! We stopped in when he got a little overheated & they rounded up a sippy cup of cold water for him and we sat quietly, cooling down & playing with the many stickers they had given him. He also liked the ducks that roam around by Crystal Palace...oh and It's a small world... Plus, the little play area near the entrance to Splash was very nice for toddlers. He did fine on the plane (thanks to Tylenol, decongestant, & bottle at take off/landing-check with your pediatrian).
Stay flexible and Have fun!

magicofdisney · #11 07-26-2007, 03:43 PM

My youngest was 9mos during his first visit and it's never been a problem. He'll be two on our next visit, his 10th trip since that first visit. He LOVES Mickey!

Mommy2boys · #12 07-26-2007, 10:06 PM

I am definately not going there with any expectations. I know my 4yr old will love it and that will make it all worthwhile. Thanks for all your tips. I truly appreciate it!

EmmMOM2 · #13 07-29-2007, 08:08 AM

I took my 16 month old son in 2005. It was wonderful, be sure to go back to the hotel middle of the day to rest as that helped us alot. IT was a great age, he loved everything and still had no fears at that time so he even went on Haunted mansion, pirates etc. He loved them all which was nice for us, so we wouldn't have to skip our old time favorites. I had a wonderful experience with him this age. Enjoy your trip!