Disney World with a toddler- helpful hints

[WDWFRK]

Now, one trip to Disney World with a toddler does not an expert make, but I do think I have some valuable observations and tips to share on the subject for those who might be interested! By nature, toddlers are unpredictable creatures, so parents of toddlers, above all else, need to be flexible with their schedules and expectations to ensure an enjoyable visit to Disney World.

TRAVELING-

Airplane: It’s a courageous and scary endeavor to board a plane with a toddler in tow. All I can say is try to pack a bag with fun, new, and interesting books, toys and playthings. Food is a good deterrent to a squirmy toddler and don’t be afraid to break normal house rules for your trip with suckers, licorice, or other every day no-no’s. A couple of suckers aren’t going to kill your kids and they are definitely worth your sanity. If your child is noisy, crying, or disruptive, do your best to address this behavior and minimize the discomfort to your fellow passengers, but hold your head up high and don’t feel bad about the occasional dirty look or rude comment. Anyone with an ounce of compassion or kids of his own understands what you are going through!

We made the mistake of bringing too much carry-on luggage which made walking through the airport a nightmare. Try to pack minimally so your treks through the airport won’t be so tiresome.

Disney transportation: We found it very easy to travel with our daughter by either monorail, bus, or boat. There was enough activity going on that she stayed pretty occupied.

STROLLERS-

Transportation can’t be fully explored without mentioning strollers. We brought a simple umbrella stroller with a light canopy. Yes, it would’ve been nice to have our big stroller with its cup holder, reclining seat, and undercarriage storage, but every time I saw someone struggling to get one on the bus, I was happy with our lightweight, easy fold, small stroller. Those big strollers take up so much room on the bus! There were a couple of days when I took my daughter out to the parks by myself and there’s no way I could’ve handled a 2-year old, a diaper bag, and a huge stroller by myself. On the flip side, people were really nice and volunteered to help me when they saw me struggling with my load! One lady with two small children and a humongous double stroller actually told me that she wished they had just brought two smaller umbrella strollers. I wouldn’t have minded renting a stroller every now and then, but I don’t know if I was up to the challenge of finding my stroller in a sea of hundreds that all looked the same. If you do rent, tie a brightly colored ribbon or something else easily identified on yours for easy spotting.

Now, I’m talking as if my daughter was always content to actually ride in her stroller. She’s 2 and the only thing she had to say about her stroller was, “No ride it! No ride it!” Be prepared for a struggle.


PACKING/ DIAPER BAG-

As I said before, we way overpacked! It’s hard to know what to bring when the weather is so unstable (as it was during our visit) and toddlers have a habit of spilling, rolling around on the ground, or having leaky diapers which lead to multiple outfit changes in a single day. I would highly recommend packing half as many clothes as you think you’ll need and doing laundry half-way through your stay. Lighten your load, so to speak, by planning layers of clothing that are easily taken off when it’s hot and put back on when it’s cold. Keep an extra change of clothes with you at all times so you don’t have to run back to your hotel in case something happens (and it will!).

I brought outlet covers to use in our hotel room, but didn’t need them. I forgot our nightlight which was unfortunate. I brought a big bag of diapers which did take up a lot of room in the suitcase, but they were gone at the end of the week which made room for our souvenirs! I also forgot to bring our swim diapers, which they require to be worn in all of the hotel pools and water parks. Our gift shop sold them but for a pretty penny- bring your own to avoid the extra expense.

THE PARKS-

Characters and Rides: I am fortunate in that my daughter is not easily scared or timid. This made our encounters with the characters very fun and didn’t really limit what we could ride. Every child is different and you need to adjust your expectations so they are in sync with your child’s temperament. We started our first morning at a character breakfast so our daughter was in a more controlled and relaxed environment when she first met the characters. We never forced her to get any closer than she wanted to and by the end of the week she was an old pro. Give your children time to warm up to the characters on their own terms.

Baby swapping: This seemed like a hassle sometimes, but the cast members are very accommodating. Just let them know and they’ll tell you what to do! You can do it on just about every ride out there.

Scary factors: My daughter is not afraid of the dark or any kind of motion. We were able to take her on everything but the coasters. Again, you know your kids best, so do what’s best for them.

Restrooms/ diaper stations: I wish every store/ restaurant/mall had facilities like Disney World! The diaper-changing stations in both the men’s and women’s restrooms were always clean, easily accessible, and had enough room for all of our stuff.

Toddleritis: There will come a point in each day when your child will just need to blow off steam and run free. An hour of freedom now will buy the rest of the family many more hours of easy touring with that toddler. I suggest the Boneyard Playground at the Animal Kingdom, the playground in Mickey’s Toontown at the Magic Kingdom, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground at MGM, and any wide open space at Epcot (it’s particularly non-congested over by the Land and Living with the Seas).

MISCELLANEOUS-

Eating: I suggest suspending some of your normal rules about eating while on vacation. Offer good foods when you can, but don’t freak out if your toddler doesn’t touch a vegetable for a week (FYI- on vacation, French fries do count as a veggie ). There is fresh fruit available at some of the outdoor carts and this is very handy for getting some nutritious food into your toddler on occasion.

Before we left home, I packed several snack-size Ziplocs with Cheerios, Goldfish crackers, and other small snacks. Each night when I restocked the diaper bag, I threw one of these in to stave off hunger between meals. I also kept a few individually wrapped Twizzlers on hand in case of emergency. These bought me a few minutes of peace when we were on the verge of a meltdown.


Sleeping: Your toddler will take a nap when he/she gets tired; it might be while riding in the stroller or it might be on the bus ride back to your hotel. Don’t be too rigid about sticking to exact nap times or places, but do try to adhere to your typical bedtime routine. Bring bath toys and books from home if this will help. I fully expected to have problems with my daughter sleeping in her crib, but she slept like an angel during our whole stay. The mysteries of toddlerhood continue to build…

I know there is a lot of info out there on traveling with kids, but these observations come from my own practical experience and, hopefully, there is something in here that might be useful to others! Thanks for reading and let me know if there are any other questions I can answer.

[Edzter86]

Wow!

Thank you for all those great tips! I'm sure the parents of toddlers will really appriciate those helpful tips! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[faline]

Thanks for sharing. I'm sure it will be helpful to many folks.

[the mudgie]

Thank you so much for the tips. We are going in June, kids are 10, 7, and 1....maybe a little nuts. I have been many times, but never with a toddler. I am still going to bring my big stroller, dh will just have to play pack mule. I am mostly worried about the plane trip. I know she will not want to be confined in that seat, and I don't need other passengers giving me "the look" and starting our vacation off on a bad note.

[WDWFRK]

That's the beauty of a toddler mind - I want it, when I want it. Period. Whenever I get frustrated with my daughter, I try to remember the hard facts of her developmental stage and that reassures me that I'm doing all I can to manage the situation. Like I said- do your best to keep the little one entertained, but if all h-e-double hockey stick does break loose, try not to pay too much attention to those dirty looks. This too shall pass.