Disneyworld with a 1 Year Old

[marebear]

Hi Everyone!

We've just booked our trip to Disneyworld in October! My husband and I have both been to Disney, but this is our daughter's first time. She will be 14 months old when we go. I've booked her first haircut at Harmony Barbershop, which we're pretty excited about. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of other things we can do with our daughter when we go or any tips in general for surviving Disney with a 1 year old? Any specific restaurant or dining recommendations? TIA!

Mary

 

[KrazeeK120]

We took our then-18 month old son in May! My husband and I had been there 6 times together before our son was born, but it was like a completely different trip with a toddler!

We kept his schedule as similar to home as was practical. That meant early nights for us, but a well rested and happy toddler was worth it to us.

We tried to find areas he could just roam around for awhile. The playground at the Splash Mountain exit and the Chevrolet exhibit at the Test Track exit were particularly interesting to him.

We did stroller naps. We went back to the resort one time and it was a disaster. He wouldn't nap in the crib in the room. He was too excited. In the stroller, he just conked out whenever he got too tired.

He loved character meals. We did Garden Grill and Tusker House. He was a big fan of the characters, in general.

He enjoyed most of the rides...really all of them except FEA (the drop made him pretty upset). His favorites were the "spinners"...Dumbo, Magic Carpets, Triceratops Spin. He also really liked the Festival of the Lion King at AK.

We did Early Morning Magic at MK one day, which worked out great for our family. He got to ride PP 4 times and Winnie the Pooh 3 times! My husband and I just switched off...one of us would take him on a ride and the other would do the Mine Train, and then switch. It was well worth the cost to us, and our son was free. The breakfast was pretty good too.

We had an amazing trip and our son had a ball. I've actually already booked a trip for October 2018, the week before he turns 3. I'm already so excited to take him back!

 

[marebear]

We took our then-18 month old son in May! My husband and I had been there 6 times together before our son was born, but it was like a completely different trip with a toddler!

We kept his schedule as similar to home as was practical. That meant early nights for us, but a well rested and happy toddler was worth it to us.

We tried to find areas he could just roam around for awhile. The playground at the Splash Mountain exit and the Chevrolet exhibit at the Test Track exit were particularly interesting to him.

We did stroller naps. We went back to the resort one time and it was a disaster. He wouldn't nap in the crib in the room. He was too excited. In the stroller, he just conked out whenever he got too tired.

He loved character meals. We did Garden Grill and Tusker House. He was a big fan of the characters, in general.

He enjoyed most of the rides...really all of them except FEA (the drop made him pretty upset). His favorites were the "spinners"...Dumbo, Magic Carpets, Triceratops Spin. He also really liked the Festival of the Lion King at AK.

We did Early Morning Magic at MK one day, which worked out great for our family. He got to ride PP 4 times and Winnie the Pooh 3 times! My husband and I just switched off...one of us would take him on a ride and the other would do the Mine Train, and then switch. It was well worth the cost to us, and our son was free. The breakfast was pretty good too.

We had an amazing trip and our son had a ball. I've actually already booked a trip for October 2018, the week before he turns 3. I'm already so excited to take him back!

Thank you so much for all the info! That makes me feel a lot better, that your trip was a success. We're actually in the process of looking for an umbrella stroller that we'll bring with us to Disney. We figure she'll probably nap in it while we're at the parks, so we're trying to find something comfortable and has good sun coverage. We thought about splitting the days in half and taking her back to the hotel for a nap, and going back again later. But I guess we'll see if she'll just nap in her stroller. It's definitely less hassle, and I can see her not napping because she's over stimulated, just like your son.

We booked a character meal at Tusker House too! But there doesn't seem to be any availability for any character meals in MK when we're there in October.

Thank you so much again for all the info and tips!

 

[ssmurphy28]

We took our oldest son right when he turned 12 months, and then our second son at 10 months. We actually really enjoyed taking kids at both of those ages. They really can do most attractions, which is awesome! If I remember correctly my oldest son really liked Dumbo on his first trip. Another favorite was Living with the Land in Epcot, and the Gran Fiesta boat ride in Mexico. We also did the First Haircut for both our kids at Harmony, and it was perfect! The same lady actually ended up cutting both of their hair, about 20 months apart.

Although they may not remember anything about the trip, my wife and I have memories that will stick with us forever. My profile pic is actually from that first trip we took in May 2013.

One thing I will say about that age, is take advantage of the buffets! The only dining reservation that we did was for Cape May, and man was it worth it. That kid ate a ton of food at no cost. Kids under the age of three eat free at most buffets, so take advantage of that and do some character meals.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Thank you so much for all the info! That makes me feel a lot better, that your trip was a success. We're actually in the process of looking for an umbrella stroller that we'll bring with us to Disney. We figure she'll probably nap in it while we're at the parks, so we're trying to find something comfortable and has good sun coverage. We thought about splitting the days in half and taking her back to the hotel for a nap, and going back again later. But I guess we'll see if she'll just nap in her stroller. It's definitely less hassle, and I can see her not napping because she's over stimulated, just like your son.

We booked a character meal at Tusker House too! But there doesn't seem to be any availability for any character meals in MK when we're there in October.

Thank you so much again for all the info and tips!

I might throw out that I recommend bringing your stroller from home. We had our own stroller with us, and I think that's what helped my son sleep. He's slept in it here plenty of times, ha! Umbrella Strollers often don't recline the same as a "regular" stroller. Obviously, a toddler doesn't need the same amount of recline that an infant does, but it helped that we could lay him back a little bit to be more comfortable sleeping, and the seats just look more comfy overall. Plus it was nice to have the drink holders for DH and I. Just a thought!

 

[kboo]

We took our oldest son right when he turned 12 months, and then our second son at 10 months. We actually really enjoyed taking kids at both of those ages. They really can do most attractions, which is awesome! If I remember correctly my oldest son really liked Dumbo on his first trip. Another favorite was Living with the Land in Epcot, and the Gran Fiesta boat ride in Mexico. We also did the First Haircut for both our kids at Harmony, and it was perfect! The same lady actually ended up cutting both of their hair, about 20 months apart.

Although they may not remember anything about the trip, my wife and I have memories that will stick with us forever. My profile pic is actually from that first trip we took in May 2013.

One thing I will say about that age, is take advantage of the buffets! The only dining reservation that we did was for Cape May, and man was it worth it. That kid ate a ton of food at no cost. Kids under the age of three eat free at most buffets, so take advantage of that and do some character meals.

LOL, we do this, for sure! Our DD2 eats more than her 6yo sister, who is also a good eater. We are planning a just-turning-3 birthday trip for her, like we did for her older sister. Then again, my DH did remark at least a few times, "There's a reason they're free before 3!"

 

[marebear]

We took our oldest son right when he turned 12 months, and then our second son at 10 months. We actually really enjoyed taking kids at both of those ages. They really can do most attractions, which is awesome! If I remember correctly my oldest son really liked Dumbo on his first trip. Another favorite was Living with the Land in Epcot, and the Gran Fiesta boat ride in Mexico. We also did the First Haircut for both our kids at Harmony, and it was perfect! The same lady actually ended up cutting both of their hair, about 20 months apart.

Although they may not remember anything about the trip, my wife and I have memories that will stick with us forever. My profile pic is actually from that first trip we took in May 2013.

One thing I will say about that age, is take advantage of the buffets! The only dining reservation that we did was for Cape May, and man was it worth it. That kid ate a ton of food at no cost. Kids under the age of three eat free at most buffets, so take advantage of that and do some character meals.

Oh I love that! <3 Thank you so much! That's how we feel about it as well. We know she won't remember the trip, but we can look back at the pictures with her when she's older, and tell her all about it. We also need the vacation ourselves! LOL. Dumbo is my favourite ride at MK, so I'm definitely looking forward to taking her on it. That's so cool that the same lady gave them their first haircut! Thanks for the tip about buffets! So true, and I didn't even think about that!

 

[marebear]

I might throw out that I recommend bringing your stroller from home. We had our own stroller with us, and I think that's what helped my son sleep. He's slept in it here plenty of times, ha! Umbrella Strollers often don't recline the same as a "regular" stroller. Obviously, a toddler doesn't need the same amount of recline that an infant does, but it helped that we could lay him back a little bit to be more comfortable sleeping, and the seats just look more comfy overall. Plus it was nice to have the drink holders for DH and I. Just a thought!

That's what we're planning to do. Although our current stroller is about 28lbs. So my husband wants to find an umbrella stroller that fully reclines, and use it between now and when we go, to get her use to it. But I guess we'll see. It's definitely handy to have a drink holder, and I'm sure storage underneath the stroller! Thanks again for tip! So helpful!

 

[PollyannaMom]

We took DS to MK for the first time at 18 months, and it was so much fun! I agree with the advice above about keeping close to your regular schedule, and the stroller naps, too. I also had this little folding hip carrier thing at that time. - It was nice when we needed to park the stroller. Going at "kid pace" and keeping the "through their eyes" mindset is the most important thing!

Sure, DS doesn't "remember" it, but the pictures are adorable, and we were in the area anyway to visit family. If I was only ever going to the parks once, I'd wait, but as regular Disney vacationers, I'm so glad we included that age!

 

[twoolle]

That's what we're planning to do. Although our current stroller is about 28lbs. So my husband wants to find an umbrella stroller that fully reclines, and use it between now and when we go, to get her use to it. But I guess we'll see. It's definitely handy to have a drink holder, and I'm sure storage underneath the stroller! Thanks again for tip! So helpful!

I would recommend a Maclaren umbrella stroller. It reclines and has storage. Plus you can buy a clip on cup holder and a rain cover on ebay. We have a double and have used it our last 3 trips!

 

[shairpdrh]

I think you will have a great time! Our daughter was 13 months when we went earlier this year and she had a blast. Stroller naps worked really well but we had to go somewhere quiet (and with nothing to look at) for her to fall asleep. Naps were shorter, but she seemed to ok. She loved Dumbo and so we did all of that style of ride. She was able to sit on our laps which worked well. We also used our carrier for some of the time but she wasn't walking yet, so that may or may not be something that works for others. Rider swap is great if you want to ride the height restricted rides.

I agree with the previous posters about buffets. We also made the most of QS kids meals and often ordered one adult meal and one kids meal to split for the three of us.

 

[westie55]

I took my son at 11 months and again at 16 months. While he was fine with characters at 11 months, he was afraid at 16 months. Be prepared for either reaction. He did great on all the rides. We also did stroller naps because DS doesn't settle down to nap in a crib so going to the resort for that purpose would be a waste of time. I do recommend having some familiar food on hand because DS wouldn't eat from buffets or restaurants in Disney until our most recent trip at 21 months, even though we offered him foods he would have happily eaten at home. He basically survived on milk, puffs, and goldfish and refused almost everything else at 16 months. At 11 months he was still eating some baby food so I was happy I brought that. We also tried to keep our schedule as normal as possible and have yet to stay in the parks for evening entertainment/shows since they are so much past bedtime. I have loved every "baby" trip!

 

[Grand Michig(ian)?]

You will have a great time with your 14 month old. Our youngest was 16 months when we took her and got along fine. As some have mentioned, following your regular routine within reason is key. We skipped all night shows so we were at least on the buses headed towards our room closed to bedtime. Always carry snacks with you in line or the buses or any place where you may have a wait. We stroller napped with our kids. In MK there is a covered chilling out area over between the Fantasyland railway depot and Big Top. It is pretty special to share some of those moments and such a great place with your kids. Enjoy

 

[adisneyaunt]

Have a wonderful time making Memories that will last a lifetime.
My DS was 18 mos. first visit...oh the memories...(RIP papa)