1st Time for my 2 year Old! +PLEASE HELP+

[Lizzie the Banker]

i took a 2.5 and 3 year old and both consistently begged for the pool and told me swimming was their favorite part. So be sure to plan pool time.

 

[jtopp]

Don't go for table service meals. Short attention spans mean they will be bored before the meal gets there. Remember that this is a big, overwhelming change to the daily routine, and some will not be as receptive to it as you think. Remember that this is for them to enjoy, however they want on a moments notice. Don't be surprised if you only do a fraction of the things you thought they would love to do. Enjoy the look on their faces as they experience anything for the first time. Remember snacks, water, naps, potty breaks and all the other things that are a regular part of their day. Most of all remember that they are experiencing this for the first time, and react accordingly. You will be surprised at the cherished memories that you make. Enjoy!!!!

 

[lilmissy7789]

My son, at days shy of 2, also preferred the fur characters to the face ones. He wasn't scared of the face ones, but it was more like just another stranger coming up to him so he was shy and a bit standoffish with most of them. I'm sure part of it was that he wasn't that familiar with the princess movies and most likely didn't recognize that they were a character. He really surprised me with the fur characters though. He has some anxiety around strangers, but I think to him, the fur characters were "safe" since they didn't look like people. Even the ones that he had no knowledge of whatsoever before the trip (like Pooh and friends), he ran right up to. My favorite memory of the entire trip was with Pluto. My son wasn't really talking before the trip, but was suddenly talking up a storm with Pluto who probably couldn't understand a word he was saying but played the part well and kept up the conversation with gestures that my son seemed to understand perfectly. The magic I saw in his eyes was like he was seeing a long lost best friend.

I also second the suggestions that you take things at her place and try to see the parks through her eyes. It's so magical seeing how little ones view the parks and what they notice. Without even knowing Hidden Mickeys were a thing, my son found some and pointed them out. We rode the Mexico ride repeatedly when there was no wait because he was playing "hide and seek" with Donald, trying to find him in each scene. We skipped a FP because he was having so much fun playing on the light up carpets in the Imagination pavilion.

Sorry for all the stories, but I was trying to highlight some of the most magical moments of the trip and how they were all things I never would have expected. Go in with few expectations, don't be afraid to throw any plans out the window, and most importantly, try to see everything through her eyes. That's where the Disney magic is.

I love your story!! That’s makes sense about the face characters!! Ohh I’m so excited to see how my little one does! She’s already saying she wants to meet Jessie, Woody, Buzz, & Minnie! Hahaha — our trips not till Sept!! Haha

 

[lilmissy7789]

I've answered this one a lot. Here are a few top level suggestions.

Plan your day around meals and breaks not around attractions and shows.

Bring a backpack not a single strap bag (if you still use one).

Buy a cheap umbrella stroller and bring it with you unless you don't mind paying for a rental.

No more than 2 park days in a row.

Bring snacks.

Great advice! Thank you!!! Good idea about no more than 2 park days!! Smart thinking.... it can be very overwhelming! We hope to avoid as many meltdowns as we can!!!

 

[lilmissy7789]

Don't go for table service meals. Short attention spans mean they will be bored before the meal gets there. Remember that this is a big, overwhelming change to the daily routine, and some will not be as receptive to it as you think. Remember that this is for them to enjoy, however they want on a moments notice. Don't be surprised if you only do a fraction of the things you thought they would love to do. Enjoy the look on their faces as they experience anything for the first time. Remember snacks, water, naps, potty breaks and all the other things that are a regular part of their day. Most of all remember that they are experiencing this for the first time, and react accordingly. You will be surprised at the cherished memories that you make. Enjoy!!!!

Thank you so much!! Great reminder to just relax & enjoy her 1st time! I have to remember how overwhelming it all can be!! Slow down & have fun! Thank you!

 

[lilmissy7789]

i took a 2.5 and 3 year old and both consistently begged for the pool and told me swimming was their favorite part. So be sure to plan pool time.

Yes, definitely! Got it!!! Thanks!!!

 

[lilmissy7789]

I just got back with my son, who is 2.5. It was rough, I'll be honest.

The Good

-We rented a full size crib from A Baby's Best Friend, since they mostly had Pack n Plays. That saved us quite a bit.
-We stayed at a monorail resort which also saved us. When we needed to escape, we were able to get out of there pretty quickly.
-He liked the splash pad, the monorail, Dumbo, and the Carousel. Everything else he just kept asking to go home.
-We mostly stayed at the Magic Kingdom. He was too short for most of the stuff at the Studios so we skipped that. He like Animal Kingdom but it was hard to negotiate a stroller when it was so narrow and busy.
-They had lots of healthy foods and "kid" foods at all the restaurants.
-Due to a series of misadventures, we had to call in babysitters suddenly. Disney is pushing Kids Night Out as their "official" provider now, but we couldn't get anyone to answer the phone. We called Fairy Godmothers and they were wonderful!

The Bad

-He was not into it AT ALL. He kept asking "We go home now?" and saying "It's too loud" and "Who all these people?". He didn't want to ride on the stroller and he didn't want to walk on the toddler leash. What he really wanted was 20 square feet of clear land where he could run out of control so after every second or third ride, I would try and find some place where he could be free for a while.
-He woke up at 5 am every day, and napped only 10 minutes at a time. Be prepared for sleep disturbances!

I’m so sorry your trip was like that, however, going to be honest, I do appreciate you telling me because I foresee my trip having a lot of moments just like that!! My LO loves to just run wild! Haha she’ll stay in her stroller for maybe 30 mins at a time (at a normal place...) she’s never slept in the room with us, so I’m already preparing myself for a lack of sleep trip! She gets very Hangry (just like me) so i’ll Have lots of snacks & be prepared to feed her before we enter a restaurant hahaha she’s never been one to sleep in her stroller so we’ll see how this all plays out!!! I appreciate your help & honesty!!!!

 

[lilmissy7789]

When we took our first trip with kids they were 6 and 3. In addition to the dining plan, we also had a load of groceries delivered to our hotel room. It was mostly snacks and kid items for convenience. That made a world of difference and we will do it again in the fall when we return for our youngest's first visit (she will also be 2).

May I ask what kind of snacks you had sent? That sounds like a great idea!!!

 

[NYCgrrl]

One or at most two familiar items from home; no need to "pack the farm". I used to bring a favorite stuffed toy which worked well at bedtime and during the day. A small binkie/blanket also worked well to line the stroller, nap or go to bed for the night.
Don't try to change your LO's sleeping pattern to accommodate a vacation; it rarely turns out well for adults or children.
Let your LO's diet resemble the one at home in nutrition and textures.
Not all children react the same to people sized characters even if they enjoy them on TV. Instead of spending the funds for an expensive character meal do a free character meet first. Doesn't work? Save it for a later trip.
Study the parks' maps and that of your resort before you get to WDW so you know where the quiet spaces, playgrounds and Child Centers are.
Remember you are going on a day trip and vigorously edit down what you are taking into the park daily; no need to pack as if you are on a week long camping trip since Disney will provide everything from the occasional bobo band aid to extra diapers. The bandaid will be free, the diapers won't be. Now if you are traveling with a child who considers band aids a form of decoration sure, bring your own; you know your child. Did that once with one LO- he's a card.

 

[wendlle]

We took our 19 month old and she loved it and we had the most amazing time. It was our best WDW trip ever.
Seeing the parks through a toddlers eyes is amazing, you will only have this chance once so be sure to enjoy it.

Make sure you go with NO PLANS. Just do what you want thru the day, yes make FP selections but be flexible.
We did plenty of TS meals no problems, my DD wasn't used to sitting down for a proper meal out but she did great. Loved the Characters but be prepared just in case yours doesn't. We showed her youtube videos before we left so she could see how big they were going to be.

Take plenty of snacks and let your kid get a few treats thru the day, this is what kept my DD from being bored at TS etc. New toys that didn't cost much can do wonders - even a new sippy cup kept her amused for over an hour opening and closing the flip lid.

Make sure you have pool time, playground time etc. They get sick of being in the stroller.

 

[Kristen47]

May I ask what kind of snacks you had sent? That sounds like a great idea!!!

We got mostly things we could easily grab and take to the parks in a backpack (little bags of pretzels, goldfish, fruit snacks, etc). We got a pack of bottled water as well.

 

[YesterDark]

Great advice! Thank you!!! Good idea about no more than 2 park days!! Smart thinking.... it can be very overwhelming! We hope to avoid as many meltdowns as we can!!!

Meltdowns will happen. But I'm talking about you. You won't be able to handle more than 2 park days in a row!

If you're staying a week, that's 5 full days of being there (2 travel days). I would do something like - Park | Park | Resort Day | Park | Park. Or something like Park/Resort/Park/Resort/Park. My up coming trip will have the first cadence to it. Click on my trip report link in my signature for how I'm planning it (3Kids: 6yo 4yo and 1.5yo).

 

[sponica]

Meltdowns will happen. But I'm talking about you. You won't be able to handle more than 2 park days in a row!

If you're staying a week, that's 5 full days of being there (2 travel days). I would do something like - Park | Park | Resort Day | Park | Park. Or something like Park/Resort/Park/Resort/Park. My up coming trip will have the first cadence to it. Click on my trip report link in my signature for how I'm planning it (3Kids: 6yo 4yo and 1.5yo).

HAHAHAHA. Yeah my 20 month old outlasted my MIL on park day 1. We didn't do rest days, the reality is we can't afford to stay long enough to do a rest day.

But there's no wrong way to do Disney. We'd probably enjoy a morning at the resort, then we'd want a park...

 

[lilmissy7789]

HAHAHAHA. Yeah my 20 month old outlasted my MIL on park day 1. We didn't do rest days, the reality is we can't afford to stay long enough to do a rest day.

But there's no wrong way to do Disney. We'd probably enjoy a morning at the resort, then we'd want a park...

Yeah, I've done a week at disney with my best friend & we did ALL park days... Sheesh we were tired but oh my goodness -- SO MUCH FUN!!!
We definitely won't go that hard when we have my little with us! She needs room to run and time to be 2!

 

[Alice121078]

Yeah, I've done a week at disney with my best friend & we did ALL park days... Sheesh we were tired but oh my goodness -- SO MUCH FUN!!!
We definitely won't go that hard when we have my little with us! She needs room to run and time to be 2!

This is a great thread! We are taking our almost 3 year-old in late September. Our plan is to go in the morning, do whatever he wants (of course we have some ideas of what he might like), and go back to the resort after grabbing lunch so he can nap and swim. But I think everyone is right - all plans might go out the window, lol!

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

We were just there a little over a month ago - end of Jan into first week of Feb. DD is 7 and DS is nearly three. The last time we were there (Feb 2018) he was just shy of two so our most recent trip is closer to the age your DD will be when you go.
Because we have an older kid we can’t really just toss the plans for the day but that’s not saying he didn’t have meltdowns - he did a few times but I stuck him in the stroller and sucked it up.
He likes the characters but he doesn’t have the attention span for the character meals so we only did Chef Mickeys this time. The trip prior we did Chef Mickeys, Ohana, 1900PF, Tusker House, Crystal Palace, PLUS Tutto Italia and Sci Fi. It was on purpose that I only booked one sit down meal this time We met up with friends and ate at Teppan Edo this time but that was impromptu and we had to let him watch a movie on the iPad which I hate doing but we needed to avoid a total meltdown.
Use rider swap! We did it for all major rides. There’s a playground in Epcot now and you can let her play while you swap Test Track.
His fave rides/attractions - Small World (can’t count how many times we rode), Toy Story Mania (also can’t count how many times), we did Alien Saucers a bunch of times, Safari in AK, Boneyard in AK, trains in Germany, boat ride in Mexico, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, March of the first order (loves), the MK parade, we got his first haircut at the barber shop in Main St and he liked that bc the barber gave him toys to play with
Rides we take him on but he’s whatever about - Haunted Mansion, Frozen (I think this is just bc the drop scared him), Pirates of the Caribbean, jungle cruise
I book the Happily Ever dessert party because I wouldn’t be able to stake out a spot and have him sit so for me that’s money well spent to have a nice place to sit and be able to relax.
I know there’s a ton more but hopefully this helps. It’s so much fun! You’re going to love it!

 

[YesterDark]

This is a great thread! We are taking our almost 3 year-old in late September. Our plan is to go in the morning, do whatever he wants (of course we have some ideas of what he might like), and go back to the resort after grabbing lunch so he can nap and swim. But I think everyone is right - all plans might go out the window, lol!

A lot of people do that however my counter argument (there is no wrong way to do Disney) is be aware of travel logistics to and from the park. For example your day could look like this:

9-12 - Park Time (maybe lunch?)
12-12:45 - Leaving Park and getting to the bus (this time could vary obviously).
12:45 - 1:45 - Waiting for a bus, getting back to your resort (obviously changes depending on where you're staying)
1:45-2 - Bus to Room
2-3 Nap

Then you have the rest of the day for swimming, changing, showering, eating dinner.

You just spent $300 to get in to the park that day. I'm totally against leaving the park to go back to the resort for naps/swimming if it's a designated Park Day. Just realize it takes a lot of time to get out of the park, get on to a bus, get back to the resort and get settled for whatever activity (nap/swimming). Minutes and hours a precious things at Disney World. They cost so much.

 

[Alice121078]

A lot of people do that however my counter argument (there is no wrong way to do Disney) is be aware of travel logistics to and from the park. For example your day could look like this:

9-12 - Park Time (maybe lunch?)
12-12:45 - Leaving Park and getting to the bus (this time could vary obviously).
12:45 - 1:45 - Waiting for a bus, getting back to your resort (obviously changes depending on where you're staying)
1:45-2 - Bus to Room
2-3 Nap

Then you have the rest of the day for swimming, changing, showering, eating dinner.

You just spent $300 to get in to the park that day. I'm totally against leaving the park to go back to the resort for naps/swimming if it's a designated Park Day. Just realize it takes a lot of time to get out of the park, get on to a bus, get back to the resort and get settled for whatever activity (nap/swimming). Minutes and hours a precious things at Disney World. They cost so much.

I know, it does make for an expensive morning, lol! We deliberately got a resort with boat transportation in the hopes that it would be a bit faster. I’m super excited just to see him experience whatever rides he goes on, even if it is the carousel 10 times in a row.

 

[monorailsilver]

Best advice: it is OK if you don’t get to ride something.

When we took our oldest, she was 15 months. I brought toys for her to play with...well they sat in her car seat in our room until I packed up to go home. I mean there were some fun things for the plane but that was it. The next 2 kids first trips, no toys to play with in the room.

With the oldest, I had planned to ride space mountain. I always rode it on every trip. Well, I didn’t ride it. I didn’t want to miss out on her fun. I knew I’d be back and could ride it in the future. Um...next trip I was pregnant with kid #3 so no ride for me, again I was OK with that. Next trip dh and I took turns sitting out with our 2 1/2 yo and sometimes the 4 yo while the other ride with one or two of the older two.

I know people say find a nice quiet spot for a stroller nap. Not me, I need a nap too! We go early, return mid day and we all nap and then shower and go back at night. Never had a melt down from my kids where as I would listen to all the kids crying at 8-9pm in the park and mine were happy as a clam. Disclaimer, we did not nap on August on our mid day break. We did a park every other day so my kids got to sleep in if they chose on those days. They were 17, almost 15 and 12).

Don’t over plan. You don’t need a character meal daily, heck, my limit is 1 a trip.

 

[monorailsilver]

A lot of people do that however my counter argument (there is no wrong way to do Disney) is be aware of travel logistics to and from the park. For example your day could look like this:

9-12 - Park Time (maybe lunch?)
12-12:45 - Leaving Park and getting to the bus (this time could vary obviously).
12:45 - 1:45 - Waiting for a bus, getting back to your resort (obviously changes depending on where you're staying)
1:45-2 - Bus to Room
2-3 Nap

Then you have the rest of the day for swimming, changing, showering, eating dinner.

You just spent $300 to get in to the park that day. I'm totally against leaving the park to go back to the resort for naps/swimming if it's a designated Park Day. Just realize it takes a lot of time to get out of the park, get on to a bus, get back to the resort and get settled for whatever activity (nap/swimming). Minutes and hours a precious things at Disney World. They cost so much.

Usually ours is like this (we go in August):

6am me-wake up, shower, dh wakes and showers and the kids are up by 6:30 ish. We all eat breakfast in the room with stuff we purchased outside of the bubble. I fill up ice in our thermos containers add water, kids pack them (they are old enough to carry their drinks now) .
7-7:15 we leave our room and head to whatever park is opening at 8. If there is no park that opens early that day then we leave a little later.
12ish have lunch at park and then leave. Siemens times we say eat earlier and do one or two more rides as we walk out.
1ish back to room via monorail or boat most of the time, occasional bus. And we would nap. Now I can swim since I figured it out...every other day is a park.
4ish if the nappers are still asleep, wake them, shower and return to park (usually MK or Epcot for us.
5-6 find dinner somewhere as we are walking, sometimes QS at the resort.
Stay til park closing.

For us, that $100 park ticket (not $300), means no sit downs on park days. We only do 2-3 sit downs per trip anyways. But the price of a nap/rest is vital to us and makes everyone, even the adults much happier.

I am just thinking of how tired my feet were in August as I have plantar faciatis. On our mid day break, I hopped in SAB and my feet and the sand=heaven.