1st time at Disney..

[ALLYYLLA]

We are going to Disney for the first time in 2 weeks....going with a 2 and 4 year old....any hints?

[TexasPrincessAurora]

With little ones, just know that you aren't going to see everything...and that's ok! Be sure and take breaks each afternoon, whether to nap or swim or whatever. It will rejuvenate the kids and help them really enjoy their days and get more out of them. Take time to see the characters and take pictures. Take time for the smaller attractions.

[minnie2002]

Use baby swap on the higher thrill rides that your children would be too small to ride. This way you and your spouse can enjoy some of the adult rides too and only wait in line once. Just/tell the Cast member at the entrance of the ride that you want to use baby swap and they will tell you the procedure for that ride. You can still use a fast pass at that ride too to speed everything up. But you will still want to spend most of your time on the rides for all heights to keep the little ones happy.

Rent a double stroller when you get there for the entire week. You will be glad you did. Buy a balloon or bring something to identify your stroller so you can find it easier after a ride or event. The stroller is a great place too for the little ones to fall asleep in since there is a lot of room for them to stretch their legs out. If you bring your own stroller you may find it is too hard to get on and off the buses with.

Bring your own snacks with you into the park. It is nice to have a snack handy when you are waiting in line that the kids like and have had before. Security at the front gates will look in your bags, but I have actually had them tell me that I was smart to come prepared for the little ones. Plus it will save you money too.

We have taken our DS's many times at all different ages from infant on up and have always had a great time.

We have traveled to Disney so much because it is so kid friendly. All the cast members really do try to make your day enjoyable. Like at some restaurants they want you to park your stroller, but if you have a sleeping baby/child they want you to bring the stroller in with you so you can eat too and let the baby/child sleep in the stroller.

At the bus stops (if you are staying on property) make sure you can sit on the bus before you get on, It can be a long jorney to and from the park if you are holding a small child when standing on the bus. Disney will fill the buses with standing people. Some people may give up their seats for you but don't bet on it. We usually wait for the next bus if we have too, It is worth it to make the ride more enjoyable, especially in the evenings with sleeping toddlers.

For a break during the day ride the tomorrowland express in the MK, it is a longer relaxing ride that you can even do twice if you ask the CM if you can stay on. It is easy for adults even to take a snooze.

You will have a great time!!

[Belle1217]

:welcome: I took my 3 kids in 2006 they were
2,5,7. I would say that a little break in the afternoon saved us from major meltdowns later in the day. Also a stroller is a must. I brought one from home so I could use it outside the parks. And just remember to relax and enjoy yourself!!! :mickey:

[KAT1811]

First off :welcome: to Intercot!!! I think you are going to like it here!!!

We were there last September with our 3 DDs (10, 2 3/4, and 10 months at the time) and will be heading back in 60 days (they'll be 11, 4, & 2this year). Here are some of the tips that worked well for us:


Bring your own stroller! It is great to have it in and out of the parks if you rent a stroller you can only use it in the parks not around the resort and other areas you may want to check out.
Go at whatever pace your children are okay with. For us we left the resort first thing in the morning and did not return until after the parks closed. Or DDs always take a nap in the stroller if they need one and every 2 or 3 days we plan a quiet day at the pool or water park and get a good nap in.
In the MK head straight for Fantasyland first thing in the morning, ride all of the rides and move on from there. The rides there tend to draw the longest lines in MK later on in the day (60-90 minutes sometimes 120). First thing in the morning they are very short (5-10 minutes).
Try to treat Epcot as two parks (or plan on spending two days there) the park is massive and there is a lot to see, almost impossible in one day.
Do not skip the Epcot countries just beacuse of the children. Get them a mask at the first country (avaliable at the kidcot funstops located in each country, the mask is free). They will have a ball decorating it and collecting the paper "charms" in each country giving the adults in your party time to see the country.
In DHS pay attention to the show times of the shows you most want to see. Nothing worse than telling a child they can see Beauty and the Beast only to miss the last showing.
We love our stroller fans for circulating the hot FL air while the children are in the stroller. I can PM you with the website if you want it.
Try to plan at least one character meal for the children. It will give them better interaction and you'll spend less time waiting in line to meet the characters.
Stay hydrated, a great treat for the kids that gets them some fluids is the Itzakadoozie popsicles they have at the carts, the kids love them.
Autograph books for the kids, we got a great tip on another board: bring a ring bound book of 4x6 index cards for the kids, have the characters sign the blank side of the cards, and then take a picture with each character. Then when you get home get the pictures printed and put each index card in a photo album next to the picture of the children with the character. I plan on getting a dated photo album in WDW for ours.
Have fun!!!

[TexasPrincessAurora]

Be sure at AK to check showtimes too...Lion King and Nemo only show at certain times and so many times a day, so you wouldn't want to miss out on that.

Another idea on autographs that we did, since our DS's room was done in Mickey Mouse. I made a pillowcase (you could buy one too) to match his quilt. I took it, along with lots of different color Sharpies, for the characters to sign. I put a sturdy piece of cardboard between the sides when the characters signed it. When we got home he had a permanent and personalized souvenir of our trip. (One tip that I got from a CM...if the character doesn't "sign" but uses a stamp signature (i.e. Buzz, Woody, the Incredibles) let them stamp it and then trace over it with the Sharpie. That will make it permanent. This idea would work for a tshirt too.

[Married-2-WDW-nut]

I agree with all the above, but would add a comment based on my recent experience. We travelled with our good friends. It was their first trip with their 2 year old. He loved seeing the characters but was scared when they came near him burst into tears and screamed- happens to a lot of little ones (girl at table across the way was also not happy)

So basically, just be aware and if necessary at a character meal, sit the small ones across the table so they can wave & blow kisses - but the characters don't get near!

[Queen Stephanie]

:welcome::welcome: to Intercot! Please call 407-WDISNEY today and make character ressies, preferably at Chef Mickey's, which is located in the Contemporary Resort. This resort is located very close to Magic Kingdom. I promise your children will list it as a favorite memory. Don't forget to have your camera ready. HAVE A GREAT TIME!:thumbsup:

[wdwfansince75]

Over the years, we've been to WDW with kids of all ages, from 4 months and up. They may not recognize some of the characters, but showing Disney DVD's, including Pooh, some Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy cartoons, Peter Pan, and Toy Story will help prepare them.....On DGD's "Coming Out Party", a character meal at 1900 Park Faire, she recognized, and loved, Pooh.

Our experiences with Character meals have all been positive. Our personal favorites are 1900 Park Faire and the Safari Breakfast at AM. Determine what characters are the most likely to get a positive response, and schedule one or more character meals with the favorites.
At their current ages, be careful about Wishes, Illuminations, and Fantasmic....lots of noise, and pyrotechnics....
Don't do Snow White....it is really dark, and kids that age don't usually like it...
Unfortunately, the same is true for HM....but since this is your first trip, try to get to see it and PoTC,,,,,they are the difference between Disney and all other parks....And after all, it is your trip, too.....one of you can take the kids to Country Bears, or to the Tiki Room, while the other does HM....
PoTC is also special, but can scare kids of that age...
You know your kids better than anyone else does....If they love rides, try everything...some of our grandkids still won't do certain rides, like ToT, and others will do anything.....If you don't know how they will react, start with Small World, Peter Pan, and Pooh....than try louder attractions, like Philharmagic.....
MK is the kiddy park....all of the others have kids attractions, but make sure that you spend the first day, and the last day, at the MK.....that's what they will remember.....
In addition to the "mainly for kids" attractions, all of our clan loved Tommorow Transit Authority, Carrosel of Progress, Buzz Lightyear, and the Tea Cups....especially if the adults had problems with the Cups.
At EPCOT, don't miss Nemo, Crush, Journey into Your Imagination, and the Mexican boat ride.....use your judgement about Soaring....the Four year old will probably love it...consider getting Fast Passes, and using the Baby Swap.....other things to do in the Land Pavilion, for the non-riding adult, including a very benign boat ride, Living with The Land....
For Toy Story Midway Mania, get Fast Passes, and then, use Baby Swap, with each of you taking the Four Year old for a ride....

Our kids and grandkids also love (loved) the Monorail, most boat rides, and Safari Ride....

[BigRedDad]

Congratulations. We took our DD2 back in April. No matter how well you know your kids, they are going to be overwhelmed by the experience. They are going to get tired much more quickly than at home.

1. You are not going to be able to do everything, so don't plan on it
2. Manage your time: Afternoon breaks at the resort can be a godsend vs naps at the park
3. If Dumbo is on your list, hit it early. There are no FPs and lines canget long quickly
4. Characters: Do not force your little ones to them. I had to hold my DD the first two days. Then, it occurred to her that they would not hurt her. She ran to them every chance she could get after that.
5. Utilize the shows for a break in AC and maybe a little nap for the kids.
6. Make a plan of the must see/do vs the wants.
7. Don't get upset if the pool is their favorite and most memorable part of the trip
8. Do as many rides early as possible: At MK, you can do almost every Fantasyland ride in about 1.5 hours while people run off to SplMtn, SpMtn, BTMRR, etc.

[KAT1811]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]Don't do Snow White....it is really dark, and kids that age don't usually like it...
Unfortunately, the same is true for HM....

Our children love these rides. You know your children best if they scare easily then maybe they will not like it but if not they may love love it.

[g8rgirl29]

Bring a spare outfit or swim suits and take a break in Ariel's Grotto in MK and the Fountain in EPCOT. Let them run off some steam and cool down all at once. Also Pooh's Playful Spot in MK is a fun place for them to run around and have a good time. If you can find a clamp/clip on stroller umbrella it will help keep the kids cool. The reason I like these is that you can bend them around to keep your child in the shade at all times. Graco and Apollo make them.

[IloveDisney71]

When my girls were 1 1/2 and 3 I dressed them the same so I could spot them easily if they got lost in the shuffle.
Also, pack their favorite snacks and some drink boxes. That way you'll have them handy.

[Bama Mickey]

We have taken our two kids three times in the last three years and hope we can help. There has been some great information posted so far, and I would like to condense a few of the suggestions that have been posted along with our own personal experiences.

Travel - Bring lots of books and snacks. If you have a portable DVD that really helps pass the time. We bring lots of Disney movies to make the trip part of the overall experience. We also listen to Disney CD's as we get closer to the parks.

Accommodations - If you can swing it, stay at one of the park resorts. The convenience of the transportation system saves a lot of time and the service is without equal. Your kids will get tired midday and spending a few hours back at the resort helps recharge their batteries for the nighttime. We recommend a moderate resort or better. They have waterslides in the pools and other extras that allow you to spend extra time at the resort resting and not feel like you are missing out on the parks.

Magic Kingdom - Allow two days so the kids are not rushed. If you only have one, focus on Fantasy Land. Every ride is great. Small World is a good 15 minutes so head there when the feet get tired. See Fantasy Land early and move on to Frontier Land when the crowds get busy. My kids love the Country Bears and Tom Sawyer's Island. The Haunted Mansion is also very popular with us but may be too much for really young kids. We usually end the day with Adventure Land and Tomorrow Land. Adventure land has Pirates of the Caribbean, Enchanted Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise and Magic Carpets. Tomorrow Land has the Raceway and the Buzz Light-year rides that are good for younger children. At days end get close to the entrance to watch the fireworks and make a quick exit before the transportation gets crowed.

Epcot – Visit all of the Future World pavilions. Go to Soaring at the Land Pavilion first, then try to catch Nemo and Journey into Imagination. My kids love the Kidcot stations around World Showcase. That’s where you will find a lot of characters also. Make sure you ride Mexico and Norway. Epcot is huge so definitely plan a break to rest midday. Come back for the fireworks and any attraction you missed during the day.

Disney Studios – My kids’ second favorite park. Before you visit pick a few of the stage shows to see. Make sure you see the Playhouse Disney show (its short). If you try to see them all you won’t get to ride as much. We recommend the Little Mermaid for girls and the Indiana Jones for the boys. The parades are great and should not be missed. The Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground is fantastic but keep a close eye on the kids as it gets very crowded. Fantasmic is by far our favorite nighttime show. Get there early as it fills up very fast.

Animal Kingdom – The Safari and Train Ride are fun. My kids enjoyed the Bone Yard Playground more than the animals. For us the animals were great especially the bird show. The park tends to close early so save the evening for Disney Village.

Disney Village – The toy stores. My wife loves the Christmas and Kitchen stores, but the toy stores are huge hits with the kids.

Food – If you are staying at a Disney resort and can afford it, get the dining plan. To save you hours of line time I strongly suggest meeting the characters through the character dining. They come to your table and will pose for video and photos. Get an autograph book as soon as you arrive. We strongly recommend Chef Mickey’s (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald) and also Norway (Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Snow White, Belle and Jasmine) and Ohana at the Polynesian (Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch). It will use two table service meals but the Cinderella’s Castle meal is the only time you can meet Cinderella (try to get a window seat).

I hope this helps! :smickey: