Any tips for doing DisneyWorld with a 2-yr-old?

[mamicka]

We'll be going for a few days in a few weeks. DS is about 26 months.

What places should we avoid or make a point to see?

Thanks!

Allison

[kfcboston]

I have no tips, but if you haven't already check out the Disney forum in the Toddler Bargain Boards. And HAVE FUN!

[mamicka]

OOOH! I forgot about that forum!

Thanks!

[calebsmama03]

We went back in Nov (20 mos old) so I'll chat with you when I call :)
Lynne
Mommy to C 3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
And Miss Purple, 5/05

[dowlinal]

We're heading there in October with a 20 month old. There are a lot of great tips on the disboard for families. Merdith's mom from this board started a link a while ago with tips for under one but I think a lot of them are still applicable.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=718912

IF you do a search there should alos be alot of other threads

I think a lot depends on your specific child. Madeline is somewhat fearless so I'm planning on taking her on any ride that my pregnant butt is allowed on. My plan is to hit the parks at opening each day and then head back to our hotel at noon for naps and pool time. When DH and the rest of the family goes on the bigger rides, I'm planning on heading to the nearest playground.

One tip that I though was great was to bring a bathing suit to the parks. There are waterplay areas in Epcot and Magic Kingdom so you can throw a suit on a little kid, let them cool off, and then change them back into dry clothes.

LMK if you have any specific questions - I am somewhat of a disney freak LOL

A

[asha]

We were at Disneyland last weekend. DS had fun, but he is way too young (20.5 months) to really enjoy anything. May be DW has different rides, but if they are the same, here is what he enjoyed.

1. King Arthur's Carousel
2. Mad Tea Party (3 rounds)
3. Its a small world (2 rounds)
4. Casey's train ride
5. Riding in the horse carriage and petting the horse
6. Pictures with every character he could spot. He just found them very amusing, even though he has no idea about Mickey/ Donald etc (he does not watch TV).
7. Loved the train ride that goes in circles around the park.
8. We went on a boat ride that he really enjoyed (forget the name).
9. Loved the parade
10. Fireworks
11. Disney Monorail
12. Winnie the Pooh's ride (whatever it is called)

All our friends told us that Pirates of the carribean is not scary and it should be fine for him. So, we went on that ride and Boy!!was it a mistake!! He was not really scared of anything there, but we found out that he is totally scared of the dark. He screamed through out the ride. I am sure everyone around us hated us.

We also went to Disney's California adventure right next door. They had some bug's life inspired rides there. He loved all those.

Also, there they have some water fountains that go on and off. You know the kind kids run around and get water squirted all over themselves (sorry donno what they are called). I think this was the one thing he enjoyed the most.

We bought that bottle-fan thingy which sprays water on your face. This was a real life saver for all of us.

[Momof3Labs]

We took Colin at 27 months, and he loved the characters!! Every time we saw one, we had to stop and say hello. AK and MGM were great for short lines for the characters; MK was the worst.

DS loved a lot of things:

Lion King show
Country Bear Jamboree
Kilimanjaro Safari
Pirates of the Carribean
Tomorrowland Transportation Authority (lots of dark moments, though)
Buzz Lightyear ride
Triceratops Spin
Mickey's Philharmagic
Little Mermaid show
Muppets 4-D movie
Fountains at the Imagination pavillion
Train garden by Germany
Watching the Splash Mountain cars come over the hill and splash
Toontown playground
Lego store at Downtown Disney
Jungle Cruise
Tiki Bird Show
Winnie the Pooh ride

It's a Small World was closed when we were there last time. The Peter Pan ride wasn't much of a hit with him - but we'll try to talk more about it before riding it next time to help him understand it.

The only one that he wasn't sure about was Haunted Mansion. The guys popping up at you towards the end kinda did him in.

We're headed down there again in late September and can't wait to do things at a more leisurely pace (we only had 3 days last time and it was too crazy)!

Breakfast at Chef Mickey's was a big hit, too. Watching the monorail was apparently more fun than riding it, but riding the busses was a hit too.

The most important thing, IMO, is to be flexible and responsive to your DS's needs. If he is tired, skip dinner or the fireworks and head back to the hotel. Give him a break each afternoon for a nap or even a swim. Spend an hour at the fountains if he wants, even if you have plans to be somewhere else. Take a break from the parks for a day, even if it isn't in your plans. Let yourself see it through his eyes, at his pace. It can be a wondrous thing!!

Oh, and bring a good stroller - one that is comfy for him!

[jd11365]

You should try and plan a trip to the Green Meadows Petting farm, which is nearby. I've posted about it before. It's awesome for the toddler set. A choo-choo train ride, a pony ride, a hay ride, lots of animals to pet. http://www.greenmeadowsfarm.com/

HTH!

[MelissaTC]

I am trying to convince DH to go down in late September. Would love to meet up with you if I can!

[Momof3Labs]

Absolutely!! Keep working on him, and LMK if he breaks down, lol!