Trying to do too much with toddler?

[Boo Bear]

I think no matter what you do, what he does or does not remember, you are very blessed to have each other and double blessed that you know it

Now stop tweaking your plans, relax, you'll be here before you know it

We are incredibly blessed :good vibes I'll post updates with photos so you can put faces to our plans! I am sad that our plans are almost complete, but somewhat relieved. This is the final stage of our plans. I've been home from work for the past 2 weeks so it's been nice to have something to do!

ok I'm going to speak bluntly please don't take it any way as bad just a friendly warning

don't make such a tight schedule planning what when and where. things will slap up, rides will be down, child will get cranky. i know your wanting to get the most out of the trip, but with the younger ones it can wear them out so much. take time and let some time to just explore. if you go missile mode and something goes wrong, well what happens when a missile misfires lol

all in all have an idea of what you want just be flexible! I've seen many families trips ruined due to plans getting slightly messed up or even massively messed up

I appreciate polite bluntness very much! I'm a very joyfully blunt person. No worries, my schedule appears tight on "paper" but it's really not. I build things with wiggle room.... a lot of it. Flexibility is my middle name.

We took my daughter last year, just after her 2nd bday and are taking her again in early December - she's now 3yo. Lessons learned:
- Have a plan, then be flexible. We were so shocked that our daughter wanted to ride the carousel over and over. We wouldn't let her b/c we wanted her to see other things, but on this trip we decided it's all about her and if she wants to do the carousel a dozen times, we'll do it.
- Once you find out what your lo likes, adjust to do more of it. Some kids are terrified of the characters. Our DD can't get enough of them, so we have skipped some rides in favor of more meet & greets.
- Hollywood Studios totally surprised us. Other than MK, it was her favorite park. They've done a great job with all the Disney Jr. stuff and kiddie-centric shows.
- Build in rest and "free play" time. She loved the little playgrounds and time to run around.
- If you can book a meal around nap time, Disney is pretty good about letting you bring a stroller with a sleeping baby right up to your table. We did this a few times and it was awesome!
- A park day PLUS MVMCP is really tiring. Our DD has a ton of energy and she fell asleep right after the fireworks, missing a lot of the party. Also, we were exhausted after getting up early that day.

Our itinerary this year is geared totally to her and this is it -
Day 1: Arrive, spend day at hotel, early dinner at 1900 Park Fare (GF)
Day 2: Magic Kingdom, which closes early due to MVMCP (have heard that the day of a xmas party is a great day to visit MK), dinner at Chef Mickey's on the way back to our hotel.
Day 3: Hollywood Studios
Day 4: Sleep in, relax/pool in the morning, afternoon nap, MVMCP at night
Day 5: Sleep in & depart

I'm happy to answer any specific questions you might have about toddlers at WDW. You're going to have a great time!!!

Thank you for your perspective. I'll remember to PM you if I have any very specific toddler related questions!

If you are there at rope drop, adventureland is pretty empty. We just did RD at MK yesterday and getting to adventureland around 9:30 (we first tried the a&e stampede, then decided it would take too long and got out of line). Jingle Cruise was a walk on, we walked past POC after JC (had ridden it a previous day) and POC was appx a 5 min wait. Aladdin was closed with walls up around it for refurb, so I can't judge how long that wait would have been. Even thunder was pretty much a walk on, and I think we probably got there around 9:50/9:55ish

Eta: just saw OP would be there over Christmas...so higher crowds. I still think, of you are there before RD, adventureland can go more quickly than other places, but it may not be walk on.

Op - be aware they may do RD early. We had a 9am open yesterday, no morning EMH and they were doing RD show at 8:40am, with RD itself at appx 8:45

We are going Nov 30-Dec 5th so crowds are projected to be 3s & 4s. I can handle Disney crowds though... I was at DLR for 4th of July one year. Never again! I'm planning on being at the parks 30-45 min before scheduled RD on our RD days.

First, let me say that 3 is an AWESOME time to take a little one to WDW. Our DS turned 3 this year and we've been twice so far and have another trip planned THIS WEEK. It has been AMAZING!!!

I would say (depending on the dates of your trip), your plans seem pretty reasonable to me. If your DS is an early riser, and you'll be there at rope drop, you should be able to get A LOT done in those first few hours of the day. Others will say don't structure things so much with a toddler, but for me, it really helped having a plan. I could always adjust it as needed, but I like knowing where I'm headed and what I'm trying to accomplish. BUT I would suggest for Day 2 having a contingency plan. If you lose some time with an extra bathroom break, toddler meltdown, etc. - what are you willing to skip in your schedule? That way, if you get behind, you can easily adjust to get back on track. (On the flip side, it might help to know what things you'd like to add if you happen to be running ahead of schedule as well. Not as likely, but you never know).

Regarding the park in the morning / MVMCP at night dilemma, I will just say this. You know your child and their schedule better than anyone. All toddlers are different. My 3 year old is up at 6 am regardless, so it wouldn't make any sense to sit around in our room all day waiting for the party. He wouldn't get rest either way, so we might as well have fun. But my 3 yr old absolutely won't last past about 9 pm. So for us, the party is out of the cards. You've had other experiences with your child, so go with what your instinct is. Again, I'd have a contingency plan if your child does happen to fall asleep in the party, though. It's the end of several big days, so if they give out on you, are there still some things you can do if he's asleep?

Also, just be sure you allot enough time for the transportation to / from resort. During mid-day, it can take up to an hour to get from the park to your room. That MVMCP day, I think might be a bit tight. If you're Chef Mickey's res is at 11:25, that means you won't be done until 12:30 - 1 pm. Then allot an hour to get back to your room, that's 2 pm. If you're planning on being back in MK by 4:20 pm, you'd probably need to leave your room by 3:30 pm. So you're really only getting an hour long break. That's not going to feel very long, especially if you've had an early morning and are planning on a late night. You might want to consider pushing back your arrival time for the party so you both get rested up for the long night

Have SO MUCH fun. You won't get to do everything, but what you do experience will be AWESOME

My thought behind the MVMCP day is that he will nap so much better and longer if he has a busy morning, which will help the late night. I'm going to bring a blanket at night and if he does fall asleep there are definitely things that I could do. Thanks for your advice about the break after CM. I thought it would take about 45 min to an hour. Does it really take up to 1 1/2 hours for character dining?

Laughingplace199, the morning plans aren't concrete.... well nothing really is. The closest things to priorities are the ADR's and even then, I know that as a mother, stuff happens. I do have my lists of priorities as far as attractions are concerned. I also know that DS will probably want to go on some of the same things over and over again. I have all of the touring apps. I am prepared to change a bunch of stuff on the fly if needed.

As far as the Epcot day is concerned, I considered it and haven't fully ruled it out. I just thought he'd really like Tom Sawyer Island. That's our really flexible morning after our 'Ohana ADR at 9:45. We'll already be by MK. It doesn't seem like there is as much to do for toddlers at Epcot. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[msmama]

The one thing that struck me is that you're doing a lot of park crossing.

I know you said you're used to walking, but passing a bunch of cool looking stuff with a little one isn't easy. My general strategy for 3 mornings at MK is - one day start right, one day start left, one day start in the middle.

Also make sure to have time to walk through gift shops at the end of every ride. My son loves to do that (he's a champion window shopper).

I'll be honest, when my son was 3, depending on time of year (I usually go at slow times) I had a list of 3-5 things to accomplish and if we did that, I considered our day a success. There were days we didn't accomplish those 5 things. He still had a fantastic time though and didn't know what we missed. It was only me that knew we could have done more!!

 

[ktlm]

I've scheduled certain attractions 2x in a row because I know what he loves and want to avoid potential meltdowns from wanting to go again. I'll ask him if he wants to go again or do something else. He's very smart and understands those kinds of things.

Thank you for your time! I'll give back with reports during days when DS naps!!

Is this his first trip? If it is, no offense, but this makes me giggle based on our experience. We took DD on her 1st trip at 2 years 10 months. It was probably my favorite trip. Everything was new and magical to her. BUT- my No. 1 piece of advice to you is be flexible! I do not think we ever know how a kid is going to react to WDW until their first trip there. It is nice that you have a plan, but I would bet that plan is going to be thrown out the window when you get there. Let him stop and smell the roses, if the most important thing to him turns out to be Small World and he begs to ride it again- let him even though it doesn't fit in your schedule. Be prepared to go from his cues. Your plan to go back to the resort for a nice break and nap might work, or it might be a total disaster. DD surprised us in many ways. The best was that DD had far fewer meltdowns at WDW and was much better behaved at WDW than she was at home. I had determined based on the boards that we needed to leave the park and go back to the room for an afternoon nap. This was the biggest mistake I made. It was an absolute disaster. It was the only major meltdown of the week. She did not want to leave the park and had a giant fit. Then, when we got to the resort she was furious with us, refused to nap, and mostly stood behind the window curtain and sulked...for over 2 hours until we finally gave up and went back to MK. The minute we walked into MK, she got a huge smile on her face, got in her stroller and took an hour long nap. After that we learned that stroller naps in the park were what worked for her. We could be in the parks from open to close and she would just get in the stroller and sleep for a while when she was tired. So resort naps might work for you, or you might find that they don't. Just roll with whatever works for him.

DD did just fine at MVMCP at that age. You said he has done well with late nights before, if so he likely will be fine.

As for knowing what he likes, unless he has been before, I bet he surprises you somewhere- maybe lots of places. I thought DD would walk into MK and be absolutely in awe of the castle- she did not give it a 2nd glance. She walked into the park- saw Pluto there for a meet and greet and nothing else mattered. All she wanted was to get in line to see Pluto and my high energy impatient child waited happily for about 20 minutes in line to see him with no complaints. Our plans to book it to Fantasyland while the lines were short at rope drop went out the window. She threw herself at Pluto like he was her long lost best friend and about knocked him over. She hugged him tight for a long time with a look of absolute joy on her face. That is not what I planned for our first 20 minutes at MK, but I would not give it up for the world. Be sure you follow his lead and don't miss those kind of moments because you are worried about your plan.

Dumbo? Of course she is going to love Dumbo, right? What little kid wouldn't? Yeah- no. She took one look pointed and said "I'm not riding him". Did not get her on Dumbo at all that trip, although she loved Aladdin's magic carpets and rode it multiple times.

I don't see the Dream Along with Mickey castle show on your list. I'm sure it probably wasn't on my radar either for DD's first trip. That was DD's absolute obsession on that trip. We watched it once and she was in love. If we were anywhere near the castle when it was playing and she saw it going, or heard any part of it, she immediately wanted to go over there and watch the rest of it. I don't even know how many times we saw pieces of it that trip, but I remember her happy face screaming "Dreams Come True", and I also remember her giving Maleficent the hand when she came out, which cracked us all up. It may not be your son's thing, but it very well might.

Also characters were HUGE for her. They turned out to be the most important thing to her- more important than rides or shows. So, we spent way more time in character lines than I thought we would.

I think the activities you have planned are good. He might be a little young to enjoy the Swiss Family Treehouse or Tom Sawyer's island, but other than that I think you have some good things on your list. Just be prepared to throw your plans out the window if it turns out what he likes or wants to do is not what you expected!

 

[ktlm]

As far as the Epcot day is concerned, I considered it and haven't fully ruled it out. I just thought he'd really like Tom Sawyer Island. That's our really flexible morning after our 'Ohana ADR at 9:45. We'll already be by MK. It doesn't seem like there is as much to do for toddlers at Epcot. Maybe I'm wrong.

EPCOT was by far DD's favorite park other than MK when she was 2. There is a ton of stuff to do for toddlers. Nemo ride, aquariums, Turtle Talk with Crush, Journey Into Imagination, the play area after Journey into Imagination (a bit run down now, but still kind of fun), Innovations, the Donald Duck boat ride in Mexico, bands, drummers, jugglers, balancing acts, the Living with the Land ride (for some reason every 2 year old I know that has ridden it has absolutely loved it- that one surprised us when DD was 2), a ton of characters to meet and greet. I'm sure there is a lot more that I am forgetting. We were there open to close when DD was 2, and did not feel like we had enough time. Since then, we have spent 2 days there on our trips. Many of the characters to meet there are Princesses, so he might not be quite as impressed as DD, but it is still a lot of fun.

If you are already at Ohana- you might want some more MK time though- but I would not assume that EPCOT would not entertain a toddler.


OH- and have a fabulous trip!!! I wouldn't give up seeing WDW through the eyes of a 2 year old for anything! I hope he loves it!!!

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Just speaking from my own experience, our attempt at morning EMH to midnight closing with a 3.5 year old was too much for him. He decided on our first day that midday breaks at the resort were not for us and made that day miserable. On our second day he crashed in his stroller midday for a few hours and was awesome through Fantasmic! He did that everyday after and was completely delightful....till our EMH till Midnight day. He took a 2 hour stroller nap so we figured he'd be OK. He was great through the MSEP, but then a few minutes before Wishes, he decided he was done for the day and had a meltdown I had never experienced before or since. We ended up leaving before the show. You may be OK if the midday break works for you, but if it doesn't that last day could be rough. Hopefully since its your last day, you'll get a good sense of what it takes to keep your lil one very happy through a long day.

Good luck, have a blast!

 

[Fratthouse]

Regarding the character meals, you asked if they really take an hour and a half. I guess it depends. I've never gotten through one in less than an hour. When we were at Chef Mickey's last time, we waited half an hour to get seated, then an hour and a half for the characters to make their way around. I think that was unusual, but it was a really long night With 5 characters to meet, I think you should plan on this being at least an hour, and an hour and a half wouldn't be unusual.

A lot of others have commented that your morning plans don't seem doable, or that your schedule seems unreasonable. I would just say to each their own. We've had lots of mornings in MK where I had a schedule and we were able to knock out a lot of attractions by lunch time. It's not for everyone, which is fine. And sometimes the plans get thrown away and you wing it based on your child's unexpected interest. But I've never regretted having a plan - even if it didn't get used. I have, however, regretted not having a plan; showing up and thinking I'd wing it and then being completely blindsided by lines, crowds, and just the general feeling of being overwhelmed and having no direction. Just know you're plan is more like a general idea that will probably change, and you'll be fine

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We just returned from a week at WDW with my just turned 3yo ds. My son is a good stroller napper so we did not return to the resort, I used that time to get a bite to eat and sit and relax (and have a champagne in France!).

My son's favorites at MK were Buzz, the Speedway, teacups, IASW, Flying Carpets, Great Goofini, Jungle Cruise and most especially and surprisingly SDMT. He also really enjoyed Talking Mickey. He LOVED the parades. He couldn't care less about the castle shows.

I had planned 45 minutes at Tom Sawyer's Island but he decided to nap instead.

He had a great time at both Chef Mickey's and the Crystal Palace.

The parade at MVMCP was a huge hit but the various shows were not. He much preferred to go on rides.

In Epcot his favorites were Turtle Talk, Nemo, Journey into Imagination, the Mexican boat ride and the train in Germany.

I had a general plan and also went by the current wait times. We had a great time and I'm sure you both will as well.

 

[ophelia2002]

The first time I went to WDW my youngest wasn't quite 2 years old yet. I am a BIG planner so I totally get your plan you have laid out.

That said, my biggest piece of advice would be to be okay with getting OFF your script. When we went, I had an idea of what things I wanted to hit but made myself be okay with last minute changes, based on how my kids were doing. Also, we made it a point to go back to the hotel for naptime in the early afternoon and that was a lifesaver for us. Our kids got much better rest in the room than they would have trying to nap in a stroller- plus, we missed out on the most crowded and hot part of the day! By getting to the parks at rope drop and coming back after naptime, we still got in a LOT at each park.

In other words, have a plan but don't push it. Nothing ruins a trip more than a cranky toddler. Relax- enjoy yourself- even if you don't get to everything on your list.

 

[Boo Bear]

Thank you so much everyone! I think I'm going to forego our MK morning for Tom Sawyer Island and take the monorail to Epcot after our 'Ohana character breakfast! I'll post some reports while we're there. I've decided to make a Plan B with just a handful of priority attractions with lots of wiggle room. One includes completely skipping Adventureland altogether until our next trip. That way he won't know what he's missing. I'll just play it by ear... or mouse ear!

 

[Angel Ariel]

We are going Nov 30-Dec 5th so crowds are projected to be 3s & 4s. I can handle Disney crowds though... I was at DLR for 4th of July one year. Never again! I'm planning on being at the parks 30-45 min before scheduled RD on our RD days.

Ok, wow, I don't know where I got Dec 22nd from - sorry about that!

In that case, my original comments stand. We have generally found adventureland and tomorrowland to be pretty empty at RD. Over Spring Break in 2013, my brother and nephew rode BTMRR 6 times in a row, just walk off and walk back on at RD. This past weekend we walked right on Jungle Cruise, could have walked on Pirates if we wanted to. Pretty much all of the attractions in those areas were that way. With level 3-4 crowds, and arriving early before RD, you should have very little problems getting your adventureland and tomorrowland stuff done. Most everyone seems to head to Fantasyland at RD, and it takes a while for crowds to build up at AL and TL.

 

[Boo Bear]

Ok, wow, I don't know where I got Dec 22nd from - sorry about that!

In that case, my original comments stand. We have generally found adventureland and tomorrowland to be pretty empty at RD. Over Spring Break in 2013, my brother and nephew rode BTMRR 6 times in a row, just walk off and walk back on at RD. This past weekend we walked right on Jungle Cruise, could have walked on Pirates if we wanted to. Pretty much all of the attractions in those areas were that way. With level 3-4 crowds, and arriving early before RD, you should have very little problems getting your adventureland and tomorrowland stuff done. Most everyone seems to head to Fantasyland at RD, and it takes a while for crowds to build up at AL and TL.

Maybe because I posed somewhere that DS was turning 3 on Dec 22? Thanks for the input. I'll probably make a "final" plan the night before our Day 2. That way i'll have a better understanding of how DS handles the parks.

 

[kcount]

Wow, you certainly have a busy schedule. It is good to see it all mapped out like that. We are traveling with a 3 year old, a 2 year old, and a 9 month old. I've made a Trip Report as to our pre-trip ideas. I certainly picked up a few things looking through yours. Have fun and don't blink! (They don't stay little for long)

 

[Boo Bear]

Wow, you certainly have a busy schedule. It is good to see it all mapped out like that. We are traveling with a 3 year old, a 2 year old, and a 9 month old. I've made a Trip Report as to our pre-trip ideas. I certainly picked up a few things looking through yours. Have fun and don't blink! (They don't stay little for long)

I think I might make a Pre-Trip Report too. I'll probably laugh when I compare the final TR to the Pre, but it's good for me to have a few different versions of plans in mind because I don't really know how DS will react to everything. He'll probably have more fun making pressed pennies than anything else for all I know.

I can't wait to go read yours!

 

[fairy god aunt]

Just back from a trip with our toddler who is 2.5. Here is what we did:
First afternoon: BOG FP, ETWB with FP, JOTLM with FP, Ariel Grotto, Tea Cups, Pooh (only 20 minute wait) and A&E with FP. She loved everything. We also did 7dmt and used rider switch because she wasn't big enough. My theory was to get some of the longer rides out of the way so that we could spend the morning doing a lot of shorter lines with minimal wait.
8 am EMH (missed rope drop): Buzz, Astro Orbiter, Tomorrowland Speedway, Dumbo, Barnstormer, PP with FP-- all done by 10:15, then off to CP
After CP breakfast: IASW, Carousel, Country Bears, then Splash and BTMR with FP - she was too small so we played at the Splash playground; JC
Back to hotel for nap
Back to MK for Tinker Bell, JC, Elsa Castle Lighting, dinner and parades/fireworks- ended up leaving during parade and FW because she was just too tired.
As a family rule, we limit rides to once until we have done most rides. That way, everyone knows that we are going to get to their favorites and so we don't deal with whining. We usually travel with my sisters' families and grandmom so this works well for us. We then split so each of the kids can double up on the rides they like most.

 

[Boo Bear]

I was able to add a night to the beginning of our trip at Pop and change our flight for only $10, so we won't be doing the long Day 4 any longer. We will have a leisurely morning and head to Chef Mickey's then head back for a nap, then return to MK for MVMCP at 4. I'm so excited that there were rooms available that are affordable. I canceled our Illuminations dessert package so for the extra savings, I will have added a day to our trip for less than $100. I'm so excited! Oh and we got our Magic Bands in the mail yesterday!!!

 

[HatboxHaint]

I forgot that I have another FP+ for 7DMT on Day 4. I am going to cancel my ADR for Crystal Palace and grab a counter service meal somewhere else. Is 7DMT worth have FP+ for 2 days or should I pick something else?

It is fun. If you are a Disneynut it is like a religious experience when you get in the mine dark ride part. BUT it is super short, not worth the 2hr standby wait. FP it as many times as possible.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Ok I have been meeting you all over the boards, comparing hats, talking about your plans and now you can consider yourself adopted If I haven't already introduced myself properly my name is Ruthie and I am the BIGGEST Pluto fan you will ever meet * seriously love Mickey but would rename it Chef Pluto's if I could

So somehow someway make this your PTR and I am so looking forward to your report

yeah for the arrival of magicbands

 

[Boo Bear]

Ok I have been meeting you all over the boards, comparing hats, talking about your plans and now you can consider yourself adopted If I haven't already introduced myself properly my name is Ruthie and I am the BIGGEST Pluto fan you will ever meet * seriously love Mickey but would rename it Chef Pluto's if I could

So somehow someway make this your PTR and I am so looking forward to your report

yeah for the arrival of magicbands

Yay! My name is Bridgette and my DS is Liam. I'm a HUGE Walt Disney fan and I collect Disney vintage items/vintage style items. DS loves so many Disney things. His favorite Disney shows are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake & the Neverland Pirates, Doc McStuffins & Sheriff Callie. His favorite movies are Toy Story 2, Lilo & Stitch and Frozen. It's so nice to meet you!

If I make a Pre-Trip Report, I'll link this!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Hi Bridgette & Liam I will be watching with interest and so many memories of when we first brought my grandson to WDW at Liam's age I hope your son is as thrilled meeting the characters as Joey was ( he was quite in love with Minnie & Pluto ) Sooo many years ago he is now 14 I collect Pluto everything Of course what YOU consider " vintage" may actually be from my childhood

Love " talking " to you ...oh one more thing if Liam isn't shy Pluto will LOVE to do the Hotdog dance just ask him Gotta run have a bunch of real life Plutos here that have to be fed

 

[ttintagel]

The only caveat I have about ambitious plans with small children is this: It's great to have a plan - I prefer to myself - as long as you're prepared to monitor how the kid's handling it and change the plan on the fly. I've seen so many absolutely miserable toddlers and preschoolers in the park, whose parents are so focused on getting the next item checked off the itinerary that they can't see that the kid really needs a rest, a slower pace, or the leeway to explore some unexpected magical thing that crops up.

You know your kid best, and what he can and can't handle under normal circumstances, but a day at WDW isn't normal circumstances by a long shot! Your plan looks like a lot of fun, but you just never know how a little one is going to do and sometimes it needs to be thrown out the window without warning.