Disney with a 2 year old?

[snowflakegirl]

I've made several trips to Disney World, both as a child with my family and since I've been an adult. The last was in 2010 to introduce my (then) boyfriend to the Magic. We had a WONDERFUL trip and began planning a trip with another couple for sometime in the future. Fast forward 4 and a half years and he and I have since married and now have an 18 month old. The other couple we were planning a trip with also have a 21 month old. Hence the delay in our plans. We've finally decided that our Christmas present to each other this year is a trip to Disney in August (yes, it has to be summer because I work in a school system and costwise August is affordable versus our spring vacation). It will be our family (with our then 2 year old son), our friends (with their then almost 2 and a half year old daughter), my parents and possibly my friend's parents.

I am pretty good at planning Disney vacations and tend to be the planner for my family and friends vacations even when I'm not going. But I've never done Disney with toddlers (or with a group this big; definitely 8, possibly 10-12).

Any suggestions for ways to make it a great experience for all of us? I definitely know that we need to slow it down and take it at our kids' pace (and despite always having been a go, go, go kind of visitor, I'm actually looking forward to being able to slow down and spend time at the playgrounds etc and watching my son explore), but any other pieces of advice?

Also, it'll have been 5 years since our last trip. I know there have been some big changes since then (new Fantasyland, magic bands, etc). Anything that I should make sure to see/do, anything that I should definitely know going in?

Thanks,
Jen

[faline]

Going with a 2 year old can be fun but can also be a challenge. We went when my nephew was 2 and I have wonderful memories of him from that trip. That said, there were a couple of times when mom and dad ended up leaving the park earlier than intended or not entering the park at all due to an impending (or actual meltdown). The biggest issue, as you've already mentioned, is to slow it down and take it on the child's terms!!

[CleveSJM]

You sound like you already have the most important thing locked in. Slow it down and go at his pace. Understand his interests and keep away from things that may scare him. No need to push that lesson at that age.

Focus on his special characters and spend the time on those.

One thing I noticed with our little's is they seemed more accident prone at the parks. Use sunscreen, keep him cool, watch any hot railings or playground items. I was always pretty careful not to let mine wander too much. Being so short, other people rushing around might bump into them, so we always tried to keep them off to the side or out of the fray.

Enjoy!

[theyoungs07]

Make it a long trip so you can meander through the parks and can be ok with getting only a little bit compared to what you are used to with just adults.

We get 10 day passes when we go so if we only spend the least-busy 3-4 hours at a park during one day, then maybe catch a closing show after a long break...we are happy because we know we have time to see other things on future days.

Bring your child's refillable water bottle (we use insulated thermos ones), that way your little one will always have their familiar drink whenever they're thirsty.

If you are budget-minded, pop some popcorn and put in in bags for quick snacks while at the parks. In August, I'd suggest a misting fan for the little one.

[1DisneyNut]

We have been going since our kids were in the womb. They have been to WDW almost every year of their lives. We never slowed down a bit really other than when they were small we visited the characters if they weren't afraid of them and got autographs/pictures and we also stopped at the playgrounds for a bit. We never left the parks for breaks or left early. Sometimes we would stay until closing even when it was 3AM with extra magic hours. The kids would fall asleep in their strollers when they were little and that was when we would ride the big rides. We often utilized the swap passes so we could take turns riding.

We have a backpack that is specifically for the parks that we leave the essentials in and never take them out. It has ponchos in case of rain, a pack of bandaids, wipes, napkins, aspirin/tylenol/aleve or whatever we take for headaches, sun block, and probably a few things that I am not thinking about at the moment. Each trip we put snacks such as fruit snacks, oreos, nutter butters, pop tarts etc. in it to snack on while waiting in lines and we usually refrigerate or freeze a few waters and gatorades to put in it each morning.

We ditched the big stroller after one trip because it was so cumbersome to deal with in the parks and especially the buses. We used umbrella strollers from then on.

[Janmac]

We've tried renting the park strollers but like having our own umbrella stroller, despite the somewhat hectic bus stop collapse the stroller panic, because of getting the youngsters from the bus stop thru the resort, etc. The strollers with the basket underneath are wonderful.

Also carried lots of bandaids. One toddler could not stand the sight of blood and of course she would trip and skin a knee regularly.

Another point with lots of folks is that simply moving through the parks takes more time. Many folks recommend splitting up, altho this doesn't work if everyone in the group wants to experience the toddlers reactions, which has been our trips. Altho, with plenty of adults per toddler, it certainly makes park touring much easier. As a previous poster mentioned, if there is a melt down, or an upset stomach or simply exhaustion, one adult - who might want a bit of a rest as well - can take the child back to the resort. If you're staying on property.

The other point to remember is that there is a lot of walking, even with toddlers riding, and grandparents might have a better time at WDW if they can be sure to walk more at home, before going to Disney.

Our toddlers rarely wanted to interact with a character in the parks, tho they liked to stand and watch other kids interact. We got better photos, and the little ones seemed to have more enjoyment, at character meals. Perhaps because the toddlers can remain in their high chairs and there is that table protecting them from the large character.

We've done many many trips with 8 or more. We have a saying - it's about the memories. Not attractions, or schedules but memories. Maybe your toddlers find a fountain to splash around in. Or the lighted sidewalks at Epcot. This is what Disney is with toddlers.

We seldom brought diaper bags, but did bring a couple of diapers, if necessary, and a couple of changes of clothes in a large ziplock bag.

You have the right ideas. Just slow down and watch the kids watch everything else. And with all those people in your group, riding some favorite rides, without doing the baby swap, is very doable.

Jan

[Jillirose]

With toddlers, we spent the mornings at the park, lunch at the pool, followed by naps, and then evenings at the parks. :thumbsup:

[mellen9]

We have taken my son at least once a year since he was born. We really play it by ear, sometimes he just wants to swim in the pool. As others have said, it is about the memories, let the little ones set the pace. He had the most fun at the Disney Jr show when he was that age. I also agree with the character meals suggestion. Our son never wants to wait in line to see the characters, he will watch them but won't go up and talk to them. But, when he sees them during character meals he will get his picture taken, etc. Seeing it through a child's eyes makes everything so much more fun!

[titleistboy]

We went last October with our 2-year old, my sister and brother-in-law, and my parents.

My wife and I had been the same as you in our first 3 visits - early mornings, late nights, and generally running ourselves into the ground.

Some tips from our visit:

You're right, slow the pace down - the absolute highlight of our trip came on an early morning at the Studios on New York St. There is a fire hydrant "fountain" that had a photographer nearby - our son spent nearly an hour playing with the fountain while she took pictures - we had a memory maker, so we've got them all.

Second, our son, who loves Mickey and all the characters, was terrified of the characters at first. We let him look at them from afar, and by the week's end, he'd let one of us hold him near one of them.

Third, look to the buffets! For two reasons - first, you've got a diverse group, and there's lots of options, and something for everyone. Second, they're fast - you've got food within 5 minutes of sitting down. There's lots of variety for your kids (and they eat free) so if they decide that they don't like tomatoes today, there's something else, readily available. Rather than trying patience for an hour (or more) meal, you can be in and out pretty quickly. Most of the buffets do have characters, but if your kids are scared, you can let your server know that they're scared, to what degree, and they can make suggestions and talk to the handlers to keep your kids from being startled.

We had planned on a mid-afternoon return to the resort each day for pool and nap. We did this three of seven days, but generally speaking, our son would grab some rest in his stroller when he needed.

We used an umbrella stroller, and it was super convenient. Yes, getting it on and off the bus was a bit of a hassle, the bus drivers will wait, and half the other people are doing the same thing. It also was much easier on the bus, as it collapsed very compactly. Take some sippy cups (obviously) and if you can, get some bottled water outside the resort (much cheaper) any Disney vendor will give you ice, so you can refill all day. Also, we had a little cooler "bag" which we filled with ice at the resort each morning and carried fruit and waters in. Never did security give us a hard time carrying this in to the parks during bag checks.

Most of all, have fun and enjoy! We've got memories we'll have forever, whether he remembers or not!

[lawgirl]

We just got back from a Dec trip with my 2.5 and 4.5 YO. Definitely plan on slowing down and taking alot of breaks. We tried to keep to a somewhat normal nap schedule, which helped. My kids stay up pretty late anyways, so the later nights weren't a huge deal.

One thing I have definitely had to do with kids is adjusting my expectations. Our trips are now geared towards my kids schedules, and things have worked out really well. I love going with my kids, and it's been so fun to visit the parks with a new perspective. But we've also had to make alot of adjustments. And be prepared for things to not go as planned, haha. I find the more flexible we are, the better it goes. I really didn't make too many dining reservations, as I've found it's so much easier on everyone in our party to eat when we are ready, and to not have to stress about being somewhere at a specific time and a couple of times, we weren't even really hungry, but had reservations.

And my kids really love just riding the bus and monorail around to the different resorts. We've cut down on our park days for now because they are both at that stage where they are just as happy playing at our resort playground (Saratoga Springs has an awesome playground!) and riding the bus to a resort for dinner. We made a "day" out of visiting the AKL, which for us is a better option than the AK park.

The key is to be flexible and open. Have a great trip!

[BigRedDad]

For a larger group like yours plan to separate. It will save a lot of issues with everyone. You will be going at the 2yo's pace. If your child is a stroller sleeper, then I think it is OK to stay in the park. If not, definitely go back to the resort for a nap. You also want to be sure to get them away from so much stimulus so they can have a "kid" break. Below are some of the things to let loose on:

MK: Little playground by Splash Mt, water play area by Goofy's Barnstormer. Are there other play areas?

Epcot: Play area in Mission Space, Innoventions, sometimes there are other in WS.

AK: The Boneyard, Rafiki's Planet Watch

DHS: Honey I Shrunk the Kids, game room maybe by Muppets