Toddler travelers: how much were you *really* able to do?

[epsmith921]

We took our daughter at almost 2.5. It is now tied with our Disney honeymoon for our favorite Disney trip.

We actually did a ton in MK on our trip and we were only in the parks 3 days. We did spend all three mornings in MK though.

This was before FP+, it was still testing, but I think we only got one regular FP. I did get stuck letting her go on the carousel more times than I'd have liked, but we decided before our trip we were going to let go.

So I went in with almost zero plans, and was glad about that. I used the maps on easywdw of what to go on when in the day, so we just prioritized based on that and what we were feeling like. Rope drop was also quite essential for us.

We went in September so with that special kind of hot, we were glad to get back to our room for a bit in the afternoon to cool off, change, relax, etc.

my advice would be to not worry about what you got done and enjoy yourselves. I will probably never forget seeing my almost 2.5 year old go off on the kid parade around CP by herself because she just was going to follow Tigger. The look of sheer joy on her face with the furry friends had me on the phone to schedule garden grill for dinner that night. Princesses were cool, but oh my the furry ones!

Also, the babycare centers totally rock.

You will have a great trip, and I doubt you will regret anything you don't make it to. I was actually surprised how much we went to/on in only three days.

 

[Grace W]

We took our daughter at almost 2.5. It is now tied with our Disney honeymoon for our favorite Disney trip.

We actually did a ton in MK on our trip and we were only in the parks 3 days. We did spend all three mornings in MK though.

This was before FP+, it was still testing, but I think we only got one regular FP. I did get stuck letting her go on the carousel more times than I'd have liked, but we decided before our trip we were going to let go.

So I went in with almost zero plans, and was glad about that. I used the maps on easywdw of what to go on when in the day, so we just prioritized based on that and what we were feeling like. Rope drop was also quite essential for us.

We went in September so with that special kind of hot, we were glad to get back to our room for a bit in the afternoon to cool off, change, relax, etc.

my advice would be to not worry about what you got done and enjoy yourselves. I will probably never forget seeing my almost 2.5 year old go off on the kid parade around CP by herself because she just was going to follow Tigger. The look of sheer joy on her face with the furry friends had me on the phone to schedule garden grill for dinner that night. Princesses were cool, but oh my the furry ones!

Also, the babycare centers totally rock.

You will have a great trip, and I doubt you will regret anything you don't make it to. I was actually surprised how much we went to/on in only three days.

Love this!

 

[kamik86]

I will start by saying that I dont' have kids and that I haven't ever taken a small child to disney.

However I would think as soon as you hit winnie the pooh early in the morning and try to walk by the play area in front becasue the line isnt' that long yet the plan will be shot... I have seen so many kids upset that the line moved and not want to leave the play area to go on the ride.

 

[jbcole82]

Thought of another tip. When it got hot in the afternoon, we'd go on Carousel of Progress, Hall of Presidents, the America movie, etc. which put her right to sleep. LOL. Then she'd nap in her stroller while we did some more exploring.

 

[Grace W]

Thought of another tip. When it got hot in the afternoon, we'd go on Carousel of Progress, Hall of Presidents, the America movie, etc. which put her right to sleep. LOL. Then she'd nap in her stroller while we did some more exploring.

Great Idea!

 

[krazystain]

However I would think as soon as you hit winnie the pooh early in the morning and try to walk by the play area in front becasue the line isnt' that long yet the plan will be shot... I have seen so many kids upset that the line moved and not want to leave the play area to go on the ride.

Yep. My almost 3 year old thought that the line at Winnie the Pooh was the best ever. And caseys splash area. He actually loved it all--I think taking a toddler is a great (but tiring) experience for all. We used touring plans (just like you, the extremely relaxed pace) and we made it to about 75% of the attractions. We had a great time 'winging it' when DS saw something that excited him, so definitely be prepared to veer off the plan!

We'll be going in November with DS (who will be almost 4), and DD who will be 4 mos. hopefully it will be just as magical!

 

[krsb09]

We just took our 2 year old during a very busy 4th of July week, and with careful planning, we were able to do all we wanted to do in Fantasyland, plus rider swap on Splash and Jungle Cruise before our ADR at LTT at 1. It can be done! My toddler is great at Disney though. She gets really excited there and wants to go go go until she crashes.

 

[DSNY4ever]

I tried to post this on your original video thanking you, but not sure you saw it. I had remembered seeing this video from when DS was an infant, and looked for it again once we booked our trip. I thought it might help him to get an idea of character sizes, the rides, etc. He LOVES this video. He wants to watch it at least once a week. DH and I joke that twenty years from now he's going to claim to have certain WDW memories and we're going to be like, "Errrr....that wasn't you, that was on YouTube."

So another thank you. It's been such a great tool for helping to prepare him!

Oh my goodness, that is so sweet and funny. We re happy to share our memories and make them "his" memories, haha. I am sure you guys will have a blast and then he can watch his own video over and over like my son does. You might be surprised on the stroller naps too. DS was down to just an afternoon nap at age 2 when we went, but he would get so tired that he would fall asleep at his old morning nap time too, we would just park the stroller ready to get out and realize he was asleep in it. Once we were on Kilimanjaro Safaris and he was looking at the lions and then just leaned into my husbands lap and fell asleep on the ride! We had to carry him off. This was completely out of the norm for him. Some things like that surprised us...and his obsession with Spaceship Earth, I didn't see that one coming.

Enjoy every minute! We are headed back in May to take our DD on her first trip

 

[NicholeB630]

We went past December my son was 2.5 and my daughter just about to turn 6. We had a great time all of us. My son literally only missed out on 6 things total from all the parks. My husband did go on like 2 other things by himself but that didn't matter. He was able to do so much and had a great time. I think we only took breaks 1 or 2 days the other days he fell asleep in the stroller and we just took breaks in the park. It was really fun seeing him at that age there and he loved the characters! I am hoping he is 40" by next September so we can go again and he'll be able to ride everything daughter did this past trip.

 

[sweetmama17]

We've gone several times this past year with my 2 year old. I always say we are going to slow down but he likes to keep moving.

Trip 1 with 5 year old niece for a full day (got there 930ish stayed through electric parade) we did...
Haunted Mansion
Pirates
aladins carpets
jungle cruise
thunder mountain (FP+, me and 2 year old played at playground by splash)
lunch (cosmic rays)
speedway (FP+)
buzz (FP+)
monster's laugh floor
Fantasy parade (2 year old slept through it in stroller)
Dumbo (4th FP+)
Train
dinner (pinochio's)
IASW
Anna and Elsa (FP+)
Cinderella and R
Carousel
Electric Parade

(I split FP that only 1 adult needs to ride with 2 year old to spread out FP+)

On a random day we 2 year old (and 6 week old) (mom with us, not all rode all rides) (we were only there from 10-2)
ETWB (FP)
Pooh (FP)
Barnstormer (FP)
Speedway (FP)
Dumbo (FP)
lunch
Buzz (FP)
Pirates (4th FP)

And we are going this weekend with our 2 year old and now 6 month old (just us no extra grandparent fastpasses) and I am hoping to do the following:
Buzz
speedway x 2 (FP with rider swap)
dumbo
barnstormer x 2 (FP with riderswap)
BOG res
7MDT x 2 (FP with riderswap)
Peterpan (FP)
I hope to leave by 2pm again

So I have found success in strategically scheduling my FPs, keep moving, not waiting in lines (we'd have major meltdown issues) and not having a potty trained kid...Now THAT might slow us down this time...lol

Anyway, hope that helps!

 

[ElenaRN]

We have so many great memories from our trip when ODD was 2 1/2. At that age there is such wonder in their eyes when they look around. It is so enjoyable to watch. It really makes you look at things differently too.

 

[pwrflpills]

This is all great info! We'll be taking our 5 days shy of a 3 y/o and his 15 m/o brother to MK for 1 day this weekend. It's their first trip and a birthday trip! I've never had a TP, but since I'm older, the proliferation of FP, and since it's been years since my last visit, I came up with a "guide" to try to knock out as much as possible, but take it easy at the same time. Basically we have 2 morning FP and one for the afternoon. Beyond being there for rope drop, that's as rigid as the schedule gets. I'm aiming for 11:45 quittin' time and back to the hotel (Dolphin), but if they both pass out in MK at the same time we may try to stick it out in the park all day. Otherwise we'll come back in the afternoon. Never done that and it will probably be painful for me to leave midday, but I've got to accept it! Totally playing it by ear.

 

[PurpleKomodo]

We just went with our DS (2 almost 3) and I would say we slowed considerably. Between diaper changes and stroller parking, it seemed to eat up a lot of time somehow. He did stroller nap, so that was helpful, but our first day in MK, we managed to do most of fantasyland and a couple of things in storybook circus. We were also there during peak season. I honestly think stroller parking ate up more time than anything else. Your plan seems a bit ambitious. I didn't try a touring plan this trip because toddlers are unpredictable. I had no idea what he would tolerate or get interested in so aside from ADRs and FP we kind of winged it in the parks. For example, on our second day in MK, I think we spent the entire afternoon/evening meeting characters. We would come out from one and he would say, "who are we going to meet next?" Good luck. Planning ahead when you have little kids is probably one of the hardest things ever!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

to OP one thing to remember that you have down time on way back to resort. you will have to keep your toddler awake during the ride back to resort car or bus. our toddler grandson fell asleep on way back and woke up as got back to resort and would not go back to sleep. just be prepared for this to happen

 

[smiths02]

I agree with Purple Komodo. In/out of stroller and bathroom breaks were a pain. Rope drop (if possible), pick good ADRs and good FP+, and you'll be fine...

DH and I each rode our favorite non-toddler friendly mountain (DH Space, me Thunder) and we did 7DMT (there were a few days in MK on our trip), but while Rider Swap is awesome, I'd rather go on the tea cups and Dumbo 4 times each with giggling toddlers than ride Space alone. We are doing an adult trip in Feb so our trip next June with two 3 year olds and a 10 year old ( who doesn't like rollercoasters) can just be about what they want to do.

 

[momto2js]

When touring with a 2 year old I found one thing TOTALLY necessary. More important than sleep was FOOD. Have something for them to eat and drink EVERYTIME they get in stroller. Do not wait until they are hungry. I can track more family meltdowns to not having enough food than any other single things. The walking and stimulation use a lot of calories even for the little ones.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Just got back from a trip with a kid exactly the same age as yours. On our MK day, we ate at Crystal Palace before park opening, rode about five rides, did a Mickey meet and greet, had lunch at BOG, and then headed back to the resort for about a 2-2.5 hour break. Then we ate dinner at Ohana, went back to MK, did about another five or six rides, and saw the fireworks. Five of those rides we used FP+ (scheduling the additional rotating FP after we used our original three); the others we waited in line.

That was probably the most we got done in one day; the other days of this trip and our trip last fall, we probably did slightly less. Feel free to PM me or reply if you have any questions!

 

[baseballnut]

This is our first trip with a child, our DS will be 2y2mos. I think I need a reality check. In theory I know to take it easy, don't over plan. We're doing mornings, afternoon hotel breaks/naps (my kiddo refuses to stroller nap). A few nights in the parks, but it being slow part of November, we'll still be in our room by 9 pm.

But I start fiddling with Touring Plans personalized plans, and even though I select the "Very Relaxed" walking pace option, I find myself filling every moment with something. It's hard not to do that since our longest stretches of "in park" time are about four hours. But, for instance, you read a trip report by someone with a toddler and it looks like they've managed like 3 rides in 4 hours!! Our first morning at MK (on a 3 crowd day) has us using FP+ and RS to do:

8:20 am Crystal Palace
Winnie Pooh
Dumbo
Barnstormer
Pete's Side Show Donald/Goofy
Under the Sea
Mad Tea Party
Speedway
Mine Train (W/RS)
Carousel
Peter Pan
IaSW

And TP has us done with these by 12:15 pm! Even my inexperienced self considers this highly unlikely even with a relatively easy going toddler.

So give it to me straight. What were your days like? What were you really able to do?

I just wanted to say that just because it is scheduled doesn't mean you have to do it! Better to have a full itinerary and decide to skip some stuff as the day progresses than to waste time wondering what to do next.

Have fun!

 

[pwrflpills]

Just got back from a trip with a kid exactly the same age as yours. On our MK day, we ate at Crystal Palace before park opening, rode about five rides, did a Mickey meet and greet, had lunch at BOG, and then headed back to the resort for about a 2-2.5 hour break. Then we ate dinner at Ohana, went back to MK, did about another five or six rides, and saw the fireworks. Five of those rides we used FP+ (scheduling the additional rotating FP after we used our original three); the others we waited in line.

That was probably the most we got done in one day; the other days of this trip and our trip last fall, we probably did slightly less. Feel free to PM me or reply if you have any questions!

You nailed it, my friend.

 

[kboo]

Going to post first and then go back and read - last year we took my then-almost-3-year old, who NEVER naps in the stroller, so we had to go back to the Contemporary for naps. Here's a busy but not hectic day - there was definitely time spent getting her into the stroller to get to different parts of the park, etc. (The year before, DD was about 20 months old and we stayed offsite, so it wasn't a good comparison.)

First Magic Kingdom day - in the park by 9:04 am:
Carousel
Carousel
Carousel
Goofy Barnstormer (kids roller coaster)...
(Crying)
Dumbo
Dumbo
Dumbo
Enchanted Tales With Belle (played Philippe, the horse) (FP)
(Foot dragging, stalling and refusal to move from the exit area)
Enchanted Tales With Belle (moved up to starring role as The Beast)
Winnie the Pooh (FP)
(Whining as mommy explains that we only had one "special ticket" for the Pooh ride... Inspiration as we convince her to get in stroller for a run back to hotel room to see if I can find another "special ticket"; DH gets Pinocchio pizza to go)
Pizza picnic in room
2.5 hour nap
Back to MK at 4:30 PM
Watch a show at the castle
(Whining to ride carousel again)
Distract with ... Small World
Negotiate use of Peter Pan fast pass with promise of another small world ride
Peter Pan (FP)
Small world
Bribe her to get in stroller with the promise of juice at dinner
Dinner (quick service, not an ADR)
Aladdin's magic carpet ride
bribe into stroller with promise of ice cream
Dictator changes demand from ice cream to cotton candy
Dole whips for adults, cotton candy for K
Leftover pasta for second dinner in hotel room
Bath
In bed by 9pm, asleep by 9:40.
I'm beat.