First trip with a toddler

[Black & White Stripes]

Hello! I have been reading the threads here over the past few months as we plan our first visit to Disneyland and have found it very helpful so far! I have a few questions that I hope some of you frequent fliers can help me with.

Some background information: traveling will be two 30-something parents and our soon-to-be 3 year old son. We are planning this trip to celebrate our son’s 3rd birthday. He will turn 3 after we return home so he still counts as a 2 year old while we are there. Both adults have been to WDW a few times but never Disneyland and the toddler has never been to any theme park/rides ever. Our dates are October 19-22. We will be arriving late on the 19th (so we will not enter the parks) and will have a half day in the park on the 22nd before we fly out. Tickets are 3 day, single park, with Genie+. Staying at BWPPI.

Onto my questions:

1. Which park for which days? I was looking at the crowd estimates which suggested lower crowds in DCA on Thursday 10/20 and DL on Friday 10/21. However, I also read that the Oogie Boogie Bash is likely to be on Thursday (though official dates have not been released yet). We will not be attending a party (the toddler won’t be able to stay awake late enough to enjoy it!) and don’t want to get kicked out of the park early so that makes me think we should reserve DL on 10/20 and DCA on 10/21. Is there anything else I should be considering when deciding what park on which days?

2. Where to spend the half day (Saturday 10/22)? We are planning to do a character breakfast at Plaza Inn on our full day in DL so for that reason combined with my perception (is it accurate?) that there are more toddler rides/attractions at DL makes me lean towards spending the extra time on our half day in DL. The big thing making me second guess this is that our son loves Cars and I wonder if we should go back to Cars Land a second time? Although we are planning to go to Cars Land first thing on our DCA day then we will return after nap/before sunset to watch Radiator Springs light up so in a way he will get to visit twice.

3. What general tips do you have for bringing a toddler to Disneyland? Any favorite rides that we may overlook? What toddler friendly rides that tend to have longer lines that we should prioritize first thing in the morning? Any food items that tend to be a big hit with the toddler crowd? We are planning to use the time change to our advantage and get to the parks early in the AM, head back to the hotel midday for a nap, then return to the parks after naptime so hopefully we will avoid much of the midday crowds. We are bringing our travel stroller even though we rarely use a stroller at home.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!

 

[CodeGoddess]

1. Which park for which days? I was looking at the crowd estimates which suggested lower crowds in DCA on Thursday 10/20 and DL on Friday 10/21. However, I also read that the Oogie Boogie Bash is likely to be on Thursday (though official dates have not been released yet). We will not be attending a party (the toddler won’t be able to stay awake late enough to enjoy it!) and don’t want to get kicked out of the park early so that makes me think we should reserve DL on 10/20 and DCA on 10/21. Is there anything else I should be considering when deciding what park on which days?

I usually get a park hopper and follow crowd calendars. Hope over to DL on OBB day in the evening.

3. What general tips do you have for bringing a toddler to Disneyland? Any favorite rides that we may overlook? What toddler friendly rides that tend to have longer lines that we should prioritize first thing in the morning? Any food items that tend to be a big hit with the toddler crowd? We are planning to use the time change to our advantage and get to the parks early in the AM, head back to the hotel midday for a nap, then return to the parks after naptime so hopefully we will avoid much of the midday crowds. We are bringing our travel stroller even though we rarely use a stroller at home.

Did two WDW trips one for my sons second birthday and one just a couple weeks ago (he turned four this spring). He NEVER naps at home (quit before he was two) but no issues with a stroller nap. First day I headed back to the hotel but it didn't let me rest. Next days I learned and once he was asleep sat down in the shade with a cool drink and read a bit of my book. It was heavenly.

Bring snacks. When he was two he was not into park food, he wanted the snacks he was used to. Even now at four he still wanted his apple sauce and fruit snacks.... we still got treats and gave him some but for the most part he wasn't into them.

Character meet and greets were his jam at two. This last trip we were four days to early for the return of in person meet and greets but even this trip he said he hopes he can hug mickey in October for our OBB trip. Highly suggest taking some time out for the characters. My favorite memory was of him fanboying out over Winnie the Pooh. That video to this day make me smile. At two he rode the ones in fantasy land but was way more into just seeing everything in real life vs on a cartoon.

Take this with a grain of salt as we are WDW vets (21 trips) on our way to our first DL trip this fall. Genie+ was amazing a couple weeks ago when we were there during spring break. We had over 2/3 of MK done before dinner. I rode rides I have never ridden in the past due to lines. Made having a little one in line a lot easier when it was rare he had to wait a long time.

 

[Kerr84]

Definitely do the extra half day at DL! There are so many more rides there.

We haven't taken my toddler to DL yet, but her first trip will be in June. She has been to DW four times. You will definitely want a stroller that reclines for naps. Bring snacks! My daughter eats a bucket of Disney popcorn every day, but then she wanted her normal snacks too. We use a stroller fan depending on the weather. We also bring an old phone for her to watch videos on when we are in a long line. (bad parent, I know!)

Rides with longer wait times and no genie plus seem to be Peter Pan, Alice, Storybook Land Canals. I would rope drop the Fantasyland rides one morning. Rope drop Cars Land on your DCA morning.

Make sure to hit up the Disney Junior Dance Party! My daughter LOVES it! Ride the train and the monorail! Toddlers love transportation. lol. Tiki room was a big hit too!

 

[smartlabelprint]

There are a lot of kids rides in fantasyland. But I find myself wishing we had another day in dca. We have a 5 day ticket with only 2 days in dca. The kids rides here are more spread out. I can only spend a short time in fantasyland. There ars just so many kids, everywhere. Mostly so many strollers. Our guy is 2.

 

[manicmonkey]

We just did a trip with our 4 yr old last week and she still liked having the reclining stroller. If your son hasn't been out in crowds much, definitely know he might get overwhelmed. Mine has been in daycare and out in public a bit this spring, but was still very overstimulated. We brought her headphones to put on when she felt things were too loud.

Agree with CodeGoddess and Kerr84 on some of your own snacks. Mine liked having her usual granola bars and goldfish.

Do DCA once during the day and once at night. It's magical both ways. And yes, Fantasyland in DLR has more kiddie rides, but some of them are actually kind of dark and scary. Mine didn't like Pinocchio or Mr. Toad's.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

First let me say I have done the trip with toddlers the last 4 trips we made, and while I dont have my own toddler anymore the family we are going with this trip has a 2.5 yr old so we are still taking all the same things into consideration!

1. Which park for which days? I was looking at the crowd estimates which suggested lower crowds in DCA on Thursday 10/20 and DL on Friday 10/21. However, I also read that the Oogie Boogie Bash is likely to be on Thursday (though official dates have not been released yet). We will not be attending a party (the toddler won’t be able to stay awake late enough to enjoy it!) and don’t want to get kicked out of the park early so that makes me think we should reserve DL on 10/20 and DCA on 10/21. Is there anything else I should be considering when deciding what park on which days?

I typically do DL/DCA/DL, but we also always have hoppers so we can adjust to crowds. You might find more bang for your buck forgoing the G+ and doing hopper instead of single park ticket so you can adjust in the evenings. There are pros/cons with which park for OBB: the pro for DL is longer hours, but the con is typically higher crowds all day as people avoid DCA because of the party, and the pro for DCA is lower crowds in the morning many times, but shorter hours and it can get VERY crowded in the late afternoon/early evening when the OBB mix-in starts.

2. Where to spend the half day (Saturday 10/22)? We are planning to do a character breakfast at Plaza Inn on our full day in DL so for that reason combined with my perception (is it accurate?) that there are more toddler rides/attractions at DL makes me lean towards spending the extra time on our half day in DL. The big thing making me second guess this is that our son loves Cars and I wonder if we should go back to Cars Land a second time? Although we are planning to go to Cars Land first thing on our DCA day then we will return after nap/before sunset to watch Radiator Springs light up so in a way he will get to visit twice.

I'd do the half day at DL, but of course the draw for Cars Land can be big too! Since you are already planning on doing it twice, I'd still lean toward DL, but definitely a tougher choice.

3. What general tips do you have for bringing a toddler to Disneyland? Any favorite rides that we may overlook? What toddler friendly rides that tend to have longer lines that we should prioritize first thing in the morning? Any food items that tend to be a big hit with the toddler crowd? We are planning to use the time change to our advantage and get to the parks early in the AM, head back to the hotel midday for a nap, then return to the parks after naptime so hopefully we will avoid much of the midday crowds. We are bringing our travel stroller even though we rarely use a stroller at home.

Use more sunblock than you think is necessary - even in October! It can get quite sunny, and toddlers are delicate.

My toddlers were all a little different in which rides they loved and which they didn't, but none of them really enjoyed the Fantasyland dark rides (Snow White, Toad, Pinocchio), but loved Tea Cups, Casey Jr. Train, Dumbo Carousel and Alice. We didn't do Peter Pan with the toddlers because of the lines. They were mixed on iasw and Winnie the Pooh, and all but one loved Buzz Lightyear in DL. In DCA, they enjoyed the Carousel and Flik's Flyers (now Emotional Whirlwind), but were only able to go on one ride in Cars Land (too short for RSR and Mater), so while it was fun for them to see all the things, it was a lot of waiting around for other people to go on rides.

If you are going to Rider Swap for some of the rides, G+ is worth it. But if you are only going on rides that the toddler can go on, just know that most of those are outside of G+, so your value might not be as high. Definitely worth having it on at least one ticket for the photopass benefit though!

In DL: Fantasyland rides all get long by midday, so hitting it in the morning is the best bet. Jungle Cruise can also get a big long in the afternoon, so doing it next can be good. Winnie the pooh really only gets long if Splash goes down, and Buzz is fairly steady all day as well. Definitely try the monorail, the train, and the tiki room!
In DCA: The Pixar Pier rides can get longer lines throughout the day, but if you do Cars Land in the morning for Luigi's and to see the sights, and then hit the stuff on Pixar pier that the toddler can go on, you should be fine.

Good call about bringing a stroller - it can be a lifesaver! We've done both umbrella strollers and heavier duty strollers, and both work well. I find I slightly prefer the heavier duty strollers because they are better at holding a full size diaper bag and any supplies we need for the kiddo/souvenirs we purchase.

Think about whether you want to do nighttime entertainment or not. Some toddlers really do not like fireworks, and there are fireworks and/or fireworks-like effects in Fantasmic and World of Color. Plus that is often past toddler bedtime. If you have a chance though, try to check out the Main Street Electrical Parade (if it is still going), or whatever parade is going on. Every single toddler I've traveled with have loved the parades but were very underwhelmed by the other shows (if not downright displeased).

 

[Black & White Stripes]

ok wow, y'all came through with the tips! Thank you all for your responses. Snacks from home sound like the big tip and I'm intrigued by the idea of a stroller nap. I hope our little guy can nap in the stroller, that would be wonderful!

It sounds like the big thing we need to reconsider is not getting park hoppers. It sounds like that may be a mistake. Is it fairly easy to change tickets to include park hoppers after I've already purchased them? Is that something I need to do before I make our park reservations or can I wait until it's closer to the trip to decide? I think we will keep Genie+. Anything that may reduce the amount of time the toddler has to be in a line is worth it! And I definitely want the Photo Pass.

I especially appreciate all your feedback about the rides toddlers tend to enjoy. Of course all toddlers are different but this gives us a good idea of what to prioritize and I plan to create a loose agenda so we can have a good strategy each day when we enter the park.

What time would you recommend arriving at the park in the morning? I don't have a full picture of the process but it sounds like a security area opens up before 8:00 that you can go ahead and get through before the park opens so then when the park officially opens at 8:00 you are ready to roll? We of course want to beat the crowd but arriving too early with a bored toddler is just asking for a meltdown so what time do you think strikes a good balance between arriving early but not too early?

Also, just wanted to add that we are coming from Colorado so mornings will be easy for us. We are not likely to stay in the parks too late because everything will feel later for the toddler with the time change so nighttime shows are likely not going to happen during this trip. My partner and I will switch off evenings in the park while the other stays in the room with the toddler while he sleeps at night.

 

[PiratesOfTheSea]

ok wow, y'all came through with the tips! Thank you all for your responses. Snacks from home sound like the big tip and I'm intrigued by the idea of a stroller nap. I hope our little guy can nap in the stroller, that would be wonderful!

It sounds like the big thing we need to reconsider is not getting park hoppers. It sounds like that may be a mistake. Is it fairly easy to change tickets to include park hoppers after I've already purchased them? Is that something I need to do before I make our park reservations or can I wait until it's closer to the trip to decide? I think we will keep Genie+. Anything that may reduce the amount of time the toddler has to be in a line is worth it! And I definitely want the Photo Pass.

I especially appreciate all your feedback about the rides toddlers tend to enjoy. Of course all toddlers are different but this gives us a good idea of what to prioritize and I plan to create a loose agenda so we can have a good strategy each day when we enter the park.

What time would you recommend arriving at the park in the morning? I don't have a full picture of the process but it sounds like a security area opens up before 8:00 that you can go ahead and get through before the park opens so then when the park officially opens at 8:00 you are ready to roll? We of course want to beat the crowd but arriving too early with a bored toddler is just asking for a meltdown so what time do you think strikes a good balance between arriving early but not too early?

We just took our toddler who is the same age as yours. Park hoppers would have been a waste so we didn't get one, and I'd recommend against getting one in your case as well. I'd save that money to get Genie+ if you are planning to get a lot of photos taken. We bought it for 1 ticket each day just to get the photos and a couple of LLs.

We got there 15-30 minutes before rope drop on both days when they have already started letting everyone through the gates. The lines don't usually get that long until about 10am or so. At DL we went for Dumbo first since that line tends to back up early. Our toddler surprisingly didn't like most of the dark rides so we ended up doing more outdoor rides like the carousel. At DCA we ended up doing Mater's, Luigi's, and the Inside Out rides with him. He was also pretty nervous around the characters and didn't really want to interact with them.

Make sure you bring a stroller comfortable enough for your toddler to nap in. Ours didn't sleep well the night before the first day and ended up falling asleep by 11am before we had a chance to leave the park for the hotel. BWPPI could be noisy depending on the room location so be prepared for less than ideal sleep. We took pretty long nap and pool breaks mid-day during both park days.

I'm sure he ate mostly fries and churros while we were there, but bring plenty of snacks with you because sometimes you can't mobile order ahead of time. Then you are left with some places that close early while others are backed up with pretty long lines. We had to deal with a hangry meltdown which was no fun at all.

 

[Kerr84]

I think park hoppers are a waste with a toddler. I like to focus on 1 park each day. I wasn't sure if my daughter would stroller nap and she did most days, but we also booked Tropicana so that we can go back to the hotel for a rest if we want.

Hearing what other toddlers loved is so funny because they are all so different. My daughter likes the dark rides and LOVES It's a Small World. She hates carousels and will not ride on them. I guess it is hard to predict what they will like. Most kids love driving a car at Autotopia. I forgot to mention that earlier.

 

[chezcurrie]

Think about whether you want to do nighttime entertainment or not. Some toddlers really do not like fireworks, and there are fireworks and/or fireworks-like effects in Fantasmic and World of Color. Plus that is often past toddler bedtime. If you have a chance though, try to check out the Main Street Electrical Parade (if it is still going), or whatever parade is going on. Every single toddler I've traveled with have loved the parades but were very underwhelmed by the other shows (if not downright displeased).

This. We got a babysitter for my youngest when he was 3 for a WDW trip because we knew he wouldn’t make it that late. This past Dec, even at 5 1/2 he couldn’t make it past the early DL Christmas parade so DH (happily) went back to our hotel with him. Each kid is different so plan accordingly!

As for what time to arrive in the park, I 100% hear you on a cranky bored toddler (or in my case older kiddos) when you are waiting for Rope Drop. We would arrive 30 min after Rope Drop so we didn’t have the crush of humanity and racing to the E-ticket rides (which isn’t necessary for you.)

Yes, you can add PH once you are there, and they apply toward all days ($60/ticket regardless of days). If more than one day is taken up with OBB it may make sense if you and your DH really are keen on evening entertainment. In that case a PP said, I would start at DCA and hop to DL in the evening.

If you are planning on Genie+ for you and your DH and using Rider Swap, you could get strategic with some of your choices. For example Indiana and Matterhorn go down a lot (but up until recently both had single rider lines). If you have a LL booked and it goes down you get a Multiple Experience LL that can be strategically used for some rides that don’t have a LL (Alice, Mr Toads, Snow White, Jungle Cruise), and you can single rider the original ride instead. Just a nice perk for those wanting to bypass those ride lines (if you get lucky.. i mean, unlucky.)

Enjoy the magic through your little’s eyes!

 

[PiratesOfTheSea]

I think park hoppers are a waste with a toddler. I like to focus on 1 park each day. I wasn't sure if my daughter would stroller nap and she did most days, but we also booked Tropicana so that we can go back to the hotel for a rest if we want.

Hearing what other toddlers loved is so funny because they are all so different. My daughter likes the dark rides and LOVES It's a Small World. She hates carousels and will not ride on them. I guess it is hard to predict what they will like. Most kids love driving a car at Autotopia. I forgot to mention that earlier.

We were expecting him to love the dark rides but he was asking off IASW halfway into it. We will probably bring headphones next time since it was pretty loud for him.

Autopia was a hit with ours as well. That line definitely slowed down once the LLs started coming so try to get that done early if you can.

 

[Jgc014]

I think park hoppers are a waste with a toddler. I like to focus on 1 park each day. I wasn't sure if my daughter would stroller nap and she did most days, but we also booked Tropicana so that we can go back to the hotel for a rest if we want.

Hearing what other toddlers loved is so funny because they are all so different. My daughter likes the dark rides and LOVES It's a Small World. She hates carousels and will not ride on them. I guess it is hard to predict what they will like. Most kids love driving a car at Autotopia. I forgot to mention that earlier.

Funny that you mention most kids loving Autotopia while also mentioning all kids are different. My daughter (almost 3 at the time) had a full-out meltdown on Autotopia in WDW (and generally she is not a huge melt downer) because she thought I was helping her drive, and she wanted to do it alone!

Also, I know someone mentioned kids not generally being nightime entertainment fans, but I think it can vary. Of my two (both 2 at the time), one was fairly neutral on it - I think she was getting tired and would have liked it more if it was earlier. The other was initially not into the loud noises, but in the end was the biggest fan. Every time the fireworks paused, which they do several times throughout the WDW Enchantment show, she assured us "don't worry, they'll be back", and when they were done for good, she wasn't pleased they weren't back. My mom traveled with us and said it was one of her favorite memories of the trip - the 180 on her feeling for the fireworks. That being said, we didn't plan to go to the parks the next day, so I didn't mind having them stay out a little later. If I was doing parks the next day, I would be more hesitant with a late night because I am not sure seeing fireworks, etc. is worth having a tired and thrown off child all next day in the parks.

Otherwise I am not a huge help to this post as similar to the OP, I have done WDW many times, but DL only two days in my life, but not recently and never with children. That being said, I am headed there with slightly older kids (3) in August, so love reading the suggestions!

I did take my twins to WDW at a very similar age (about 2 years, 10 months), and we had generally the best time (minus the Autotopia incident mentioned above), so look forward to a magical trip! Plus it is nice they are still young enough to be free.

For us character dining was a huge hit, and for the price, we felt it was very worth it for food and entertainment. Also, I would say especially the first morning take it slow - I am usually a very aggressive Disney traveler with wanting to get certain things done, and I learned quickly that is not how it is with young children (probably obvious to many, but I was just kind of used to what I was used to). However, for young kids there were lots of people, lots of stimulation, a location they weren't used to, and honestly, at the onset, I don't think they really knew what a ride even was. They warmed up quickly though!

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[chezcurrie]

For us character dining was a huge hit, and for the price, we felt it was very worth it for food and entertainment.

Oh yes to character dining! (Although, again, some kids are wary of characters.) OP, perhaps instead of park hoppers since your DS is under 3 reserve a character dining (Storytellers is our fave) for day 2 or 3 and on your first day see how your little does with characters. Can be a great way to take a break and get to meet a bunch of characters.

 

[Kerr84]

Also, my daughter loves to just run around. We always try to find a place to let her run and play.

No one has mentioned the Animation Building in DCA. I know my daughter wouldn’t sit for the class, but there is a lot to look at in there!

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Has anyone done Tom Sawyer's Island with a toddler? It is one spot we've never done, and I'm wondering if it would be a good place for my friend's toddler to run off steam.

 

[CodeGoddess]

We were expecting him to love the dark rides but he was asking off IASW halfway into it. We will probably bring headphones next time since it was pretty loud for him.

Autopia was a hit with ours as well. That line definitely slowed down once the LLs started coming so try to get that done early if you can.

It's so funny how different kids are. My son is a daredevil and rode every rollercoaster. He didn't like dino ride at WDW because it was in the dark.

 

[Kerr84]

It's so funny how different kids are. My son is a daredevil and rode every rollercoaster. He didn't like dino ride at WDW because it was in the dark.

Dinosaur is kind of terrifying and rough.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Save some money; pack a lunch and put it in a locker in the Esplanade. There is a nice picnic area under the monorail beam where you can eat and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Speaking of - don't forget the Baby Care Center! We use to bring our kids jammies and took them to the BCS on the way out of the park to get changed. They were usually fast asleep before we even left the parking structure - freshly changed into jammies for the easy transfer to bed when we got home. BCS is great for changing diapers or just to give Mom a little quiet time. End of Main Street, by the bathrooms right next to the entrance to Tomorrowland. There's one in DCA too - I think over at the end of San Francisco street.

 

[bpx2]

Has anyone done Tom Sawyer's Island with a toddler? It is one spot we've never done, and I'm wondering if it would be a good place for my friend's toddler to run off steam.

It’s my 2.5 year old’s absolute favorite place (even outside of Disneyland). He would spend all day there if we let him.

 

[chezcurrie]

Speaking of - don't forget the Baby Care Center! We use to bring our kids jammies and took them to the BCS on the way out of the park to get changed. They were usually fast asleep before we even left the parking structure - freshly changed into jammies for the easy transfer to bed when we got home. BCS is great for changing diapers or just to give Mom a little quiet time. End of Main Street, by the bathrooms right next to the entrance to Tomorrowland. There's one in DCA too - I think over at the end of San Francisco street.

Oh, yes! Genius about the clothes change!

I met a mom last month at the restrooms outside of Carnation Cafe who as she was about to change her newborn saw the sticker about the baby Care Center. I was like: “Oh heavens, you are so close … go there now!” Lots of change stations, A/C, nursing/pumping/feeding room, microwaves if you have a particularly particular child that only take his food a certain way (ahem: my middle).