TIPS FOR 3 YEAR OLDS

[bfamily5]

Hello! We've been to wdw several times but only started when our youngest was 10- Now it's the grandbaby's turn! Doing all the research well in advance and planning to bring her just before her 3rd birthday. We have never toured with a small child/toddler before and realize we will have to adjust our commando style but what are some of your tips? TIA!

 

[nw6675]

Follow their cues for sure. My DD was better at 18 months than at 3. We probably didn't use my own advice like we should have and dealt with some meltdowns. Having cool breaks to refresh is key. If you can't go back to where you are staying for a nap, try to have an ADR in the A/C during the day, ride Carousel of Progress, etc. Cooling fans or towels help, too.

Tons of water, limited sugar, cooling items, and a nap are my best advice. Lol - that goes for adults, too

 

[SaraAnn90]

What worked for us at that age was making the most out of her normally peppy times. She has always been an early riser so rope drop was easy for us. She would eat breakfast as we were waiting in line for whatever transportation we were using and then we always stopped at Joffrey's or Starbucks when we got to our park so she could get something special if she wanted.

Rope drop rides were focused on rides that the grown ups were wanting to do the most since we knew we could get them out of the way quickly and that one parent could easily manage her mood at that time. After that the rule was that there was no expectation. If she wanted to do Dumbo or the Carousel 10 times in a row we would. My DH actually had to tap out of round 3 of Teacups. By setting the expectation early on we were able to enjoy the moments of playing in the Dumbo waiting area or splashing in the fountains rather than feel like we were missing out. Dividing also worked well. DH wanted to ride EE so he did that solo while we went and watched Kite Tails.

Disney is definitely a more expensive vacation and it can be so easy to get wrapped up in "getting your money's worth" but littles will feel that pressure and no doubted crumble. By keeping a flexible mindset you will have way more positive memories than meltdowns! If you want more specifics on our trip feel free to reach out and we can talk more!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hello! We've been to wdw several times but only started when our youngest was 10- Now it's the grandbaby's turn! Doing all the research well in advance and planning to bring her just before her 3rd birthday. We have never toured with a small child/toddler before and realize we will have to adjust our commando style but what are some of your tips? TIA!

a good stroller with good recline and lots of shade. if planning resort breaks make sure to keep child awake on ride back to resort. and you are right no commando touring. learn about rider swap and plan on rides taking twice as long as you will be using rider swap

 

[loves to dive]

Just take your cues from her and go at her pace. I took my son for the first when he was just shy of 3, we took his daughter the first time when she was 8 months. We tried to stick as close as we could to my son's schedule. He had pretty much stopped taking naps by then but we did always go back to the resort mid-day for a break, some pool time and just some down time in the room (that one was mostly for me, I'm not gonna lie, Mama needed naps). We didn't use a stroller because he hated them and pretty much refused to get in them after he learned to walk. I think we rented one maybe twice late afternoon. We didn't try to do too much, if he wanted to play in the hub, we played in the hub. If he wanted to ride the same ride over and over, we rode the same ride over and over. I bet we never rode more than 4 or 5 rides during a day. I was a single mom so no rider swap for me. The one thing I didn't do that other parents tend to is lug a ton of stuff around with me. Like I said single mom. I just carried a small purse with a little zip lock with snacks. If he got too dirty for words, we back to the room and changed. If I knew it might rain, I stuck a small poncho for him and one for me in my purse. If he needed to wash his hands and face (and let's face it, he was a toddler boy so dirty all the time) we just went to the bathroom and did it. I didn't carry things to keep him busy in line, he had a very active imagination so we would invent stories about things we saw.

 

[ktlm]

You really aren't sure how they are going to be at WDW until you are actually there for their first trip. They can surprise you. Mine was better behaved at WDW than at home. The main thing is to be flexible and be ready to pivot as you figure out what works for her.

Follow her clues and don't assume you are going to have to completely adjust your commando style. We first took DD a couple of months before her third birthday. We are typical open to close people, but I figured we would need to go back to the resort for a mid-day break with her. I was totally wrong. We learned on day one that leaving the parks didn't work for her-- she was a stroller nap kid all the way. All we got was a screaming kicking toddler who was furious we made her leave MK and that was so mad at us that she stood behind the curtain at the resort for 2 hours because she didn't even want to look at us, and refused to nap. We gave up and went back to MK, and she immediately got a big smile on her face and climbed into her stroller and went to sleep. After that it was stroller naps for her all the way. She turned out to pretty much be an open to close kid like the rest of us. When she got tired in the evening she would either ask to go back to the resort, or just crawl into the stroller and go to sleep until we went back into the resort. She had very few fits at WDW--- that was the biggest one she had on her 2 year old trip, and then at age 3 she had the mother of all fits when she realized we were getting on the boat at MK to go back to the resort to catch magical express to fly home.

What worked for us-- but might not work for you- was to do table service lunches instead of dinners. We would go from rope drop to lunch and then sitting down for lunch would wind her down so that she would climb in the stroller and take a nap right after lunch. Then she was ready to go again- with maybe a short nap in the stroller here and there until close to closing time. If we did Table service dinners instead of lunch she would often get antsy and fidgety because she would be starting to get tired, and it could ruin her for the rest of the night because the adrenaline would be gone and she would be about ready to go to bed.

It also helps to know what their natural time clock and personality is. My DD was always a night owl as a toddler-- not a morning person-- still is as a teen. She gets that from me. She was hard to get up in the morning at WDW-- but once she was up- she was standing at the door with her stroller telling us to hurry up. Unless there was something we absolutely had to be there really early to do- our goal with her was to arrive right at rope drop--- pre-park breakfasts and getting there an hour before rope drop to be ready to rush somewhere didn't work well for her. I remember our one and only pre-park breakfast was at Tusker House where she slept face down on the table the whole time. We had to go find Mickey later elsewhere-- and he hilariously remembered her from breakfast and pretended he was sleeping and pointed at her. She would get her second wind at night if at a quick dinner instead of a long table service. I remember at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party she was riding Barnstormer over and over--- there was no line so they let us stay on-- I think I gave up after 12 times, and at 11:45 and 14 times DH dragged her off with her begging to ride one more time. She still has a "frequent flyer" certificate they gave her for that one somewhere. LOL. If your granddaughter is naturally a total morning person and not a night owl at all-- you could be better off early. Is your granddaughter flexible or rigid? That could play into how to schedule. My DD was always a flexible kid-- she was not rigidly scheduled. We didn't have to stick by any type of home schedule to keep her happy. We just kept our park arrival time to around rope drop when she was a toddler (often 10 minutes after rope drop which avoided the rush at the gate) instead of being in the front of the rope drop line and then she would just stroller nap here and there when she got tired, and she was pretty much up for anything.

Be sure to keep her sunscreened well, and be sure there are plenty of water and snacks to keep her going. Also, we used a product called Body Glide all over DD's feet and our own, and it keeps you from getting blisters on your feet. If it gets hot, find something inside or at least well shaded to do like a show or an indoor ride. A kid who doesn't have hurt feet, and isn't overly hot, thirsty or hungry is a more pleasant kid.

You never know what they are going to like--- mine didn't even look twice at the castle when she walked in the park because she spotted Pluto and he was all she wanted and she didn't care how long his line was- the normally wild child was going to patiently wait 20 minutes until she got to him and there was no rushing to any line for any ride until she saw him. Your granddaughter may like rides best, or she could be like mine and would be happy going from character to character all day and thought the rides were secondary. Also-- if they are terrified of something don't push them. I had visions of riding Dumbo as our first ride-- DD took one look and said "I not ride him". We found out later she was scared of heights. And for dark rides, start out with something that isn't scary like Small World (or Peter Pan) at MK or the boat ride in Mexico or Living with the Land at EPCOT. If their first experience scares them-- you are going to have a hard time getting them on anything else. We had a friend that did EPCOT first and thought the NEMO ride was a safe bet (there is a dark part with a fish that some kids think is scary) - and they almost never got their kid on another indoor ride.

Be ready to slow down and smell the flowers--- they can get obsessed with the littlest things--- things you might not have even noticed for years. Just enjoy. Those toddler trips were my absolute favorites. Everything was new and magical to her. That time is gone so quickly-- by kindergarten their friends with older siblings are ruining things for them.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

With a little one, I'd definitely lay off of the commando stuff. Go slow, pay attention to their moods, take breaks when needed. If it's going to be hot when you go, plan on that break being in the afternoon, when the parks are hottest. Adjust your expectations - you will not get to do it all, and what you DO do may be more tailored to what THEY want than what YOU want, or to even what you think THEY will want. The rest of what I've listed below are *HELPFUL*, but nothing is as important as your mindset. You will enjoy it more and they will enjoy it more, if you are flexible and remember that you are on vacation. The most important thing is not whether you hit every ride or attraction - the most important thing is that you all have fun and enjoy the experience together.

Also:

Bring a sound machine. Rested kiddo = happy kiddo.

Brings snacks. LOTS of snacks. Snacking kiddo = happy kiddo.

Consider giving your grandchild a Disney gift card for spending money (in whatever amount feels reasonable to you). This is a tip I picked up from other parents, and one that has served us well. It helps keep them in check in the gift shops and also teaches them budgeting skills, decision-making skills, and the value of a dollar.

Don't overdo it on the table service meals. Come prepared for the ones you do. Some may judge me, but our last trip with littles (a 5 year old and a less than 2 year old) was very, VERY challenging, and I am no longer above handing them a tablet during a sit-down meal. They are stimulated and engaged literally every second in WDW, and allowing them a few minutes to veg while also giving you the space to actually enjoy a meal you're paying good money for, is a trade-off I am more than willing to make. Aside from tablets, we also bring books and small toys/coloring books. And SNACKS.

Throw a change of clothes for your grandchild in your park bag.

Noise-cancelling headphones (good for nervous or noise-sensitive kids + fireworks)

Lots of sunscreen.

Don't forget a stroller cover, assuming you will be using a stroller (you should definitely be using a stroller).

 

[ccahpp25]

My son was 3 on our second trip (full disclosure: trip was the last few days of May/first few days of June, and he turned 4 on July 27, so he was an "old" 3). He LOVED it. He's skinny and tall for his age, so he met the 40" height requirement, and I have some PRICELESS ride photos of him from Splash Mountain, DINOSAUR, Haunted Mansion, and Frozen. I've found that, with him at least, taking him on those rides as a small child and not hyping them up beforehand as something to be scared of actually led to him really enjoying them. He's 5 now and our next trip is in June and when I broke the news about Splash being closed for this year's trip, he was super disappointed. Obviously this approach will NOT be appropriate for all children; and you'll know your own littles well enough to know whether or not they'll be able to handle these types of things, but I happen to have quite an adventurous tiny human.

Naps were our saving grace. Thankfully, the hottest part of the day happens to fall during a lovely time to go back to the resort and take an afternoon nap. After 2-3 hours of relaxing, he was ready to conquer the world again (ADHD 3 y/o- need I say more?) and we would head back to the park for more fun.

Walmart and Target are super close to WDW and we always drive, so after we checked into the resort, we did a grocery run and stocked up on fixings for PB&J's, plenty of snacks and juice, water, chocolate milk everything toddlers run on.

That trip was before I met my now-wife and it was just Tiny Human and I. I worked two jobs as a single mom and I was SO BUSY, he went to daycare six days in a row some weeks; I know he and I both LOVED that uninterrupted week with just the two of us and I will never forget it. I'm a huge advocate for taking the tinies to Disney, honestly, it was one of the best trips I've ever done.

 

[disneygolfer1985]

What I have noticed is both my girls could handle maybe 5 attraction before falling asleep. My oldest was 4.5 during our last trip and she could last longer than her 2 yo sister. However, we have found that our girls will only fall asleep in the stroller. If we go back to the room for a break they will not nap. However, if we put them in the stroller and walk from BW to Epcot, by the time we get past Canada they are asleep.

 

[hsmamato2]

Just got back from a group trip.... youngest was 3.5.... be prepared for anything,most of all not getting 'Your moneys worth'.... since a 3 yo has to have a ticket, but ours wasn't into most rides (he hated the Pooh ride,scared of the woozles) he still had fun in his own way, but not the way an older kid would. He needed a stroller to corral him when cranky,and rode in it most of the time b/c it's big,noisy and crowded there. Some days he'd fall asleep in it,other days not. Going at their pace is the best.