Tips for taking a Toddler to Disney!!!
During our first trip, I had to come to terms with something that I did not want to deal with on my trip... our STROLLER! I hate taking a stroller to Disney because it is such a pain to keep up with it, to know where to park it, and to load/unload it onto transportation.
Here are some tips for dealing with strollers:
If you have the budget, stay in a resort that is on the monorail loop or Fort Wilderness, so you can minimize stroller duty. (You do not have to break them down to transfer from the boat/monorail to the park.)
For your first trip be prepared to have a little patience when it comes to parking your stroller. Do not leave any bags with your stroller because security will check them out.
Be prepared to hold your baby while you wait in line or keep your toddler entertained. We were so used to putting her in the stroller when she got antsy, so this was very tricky for us.
Character Dining: Is it for you?
I was beyond ecstatic to take my little almost two year old to her very first character dining experience. I loved the idea because she was free, the characters would come to us, and we would get to have a table service meal!
But all of that wonderfulness came to a screeching halt when I realized one little problem or should I say HUGE problem...my daughter didn't understand that she had to wait her turn!!!! This was the absolute worst experience of our entire trip. A lot of parents made claims that my child might be afraid of characters, but nobody hinted at the amount of time we had to wait. So she would see Cindy heading to her first table and have a complete meltdown. Knowing that there are four princesses at this dinner and we were sitting right smack in the middle of the room guess how many meltdowns occurred?!
My tip: If you are taking a whole bunch of kids, I would see how the first experience goes, and then decided if it is worth it for you. If you are taking one child, schedule the first seating and ask to see if you can get the first table or last table that is involved in the meeting of characters.
Dance Party Palooza!!
My daughter absolutely loved the dance parties. This was a new one for me because it just isn't my thing. However, after attending two I can completely understand why toddlers love this so much...they aren't in their strollers (hooray), they don't have to wait in line (double hooray), and they can be entertained!! The characters or other dancers may walk up to them! So this gets a big thumbs up from this Mom. Tip: The Hoedown may be Happening on your trip. Check online for show times. Other dance parties: Disney Junior at Hollywood Studios on EMH nights only, Tomorrowland Terrace, and during the special event parties.
