WDW - would you go?

[Mali]

We live in CA and will be going on a cruise in March 2015 with my entire family (different thread). It was brought up that my sisters are considering going to WDW since we'll all be in Florida already.

DH and I are looking into it and pricing (without hotels or food would be $1500-1600 (depending on if we included a day at Universal Studios to see the Harry Potter stuff). We'd love to do it if money works out, but DD will be 26 months at that point. The other 3 kids are 4-5 years old, plus a 23 month old.

Is it worth it to take a toddler? We'd spend 4 days at the parks with a hopper pass. It makes so much sense on paper to go since we're already on that side of the country, but I don't know that I'd take DD to DL right now due to her age (not remembering the trip) and the cost and that's only a 4-5 hour drive away from us. As an adult, I'd love to go, but I know we'll need to work around DD's schedule/naps and that will affect how much we can see and what we can do.

What would you do? Anything I'm not considering?

[acmom]

I would totally go! IMO, those are great ages to take kids bc they will enjoy in, but won't have too many expectations/requests about what to do so you can just take it at your family's pace and enjoy watching them have fun! We took DD at 17 months bc DH had a conference - we debated whether it was worth it, but went and loved it! And then we took both kids back when DD was 3 and DS was 17 months, and then again when DD was 4 and DS was 2.5. We have always gotten there close to rope drop in the am, did the parks until about lunch time and then headed back to the hotel for some rest/pool time. Then at night we headed back to the park for dinner/parades or did a character meal. Honestly, DH and I liked the afternoon break too! That was usually when the crowds were getting worse, it was getting hotter and a break was nice and we still felt like we did and saw a lot!

Would you be staying onsite? If so, I think it is totally do-able. I haven't tried offsite since before we had kids, so not sure how that would work for naps- seems like it might be a lot harder. I would probably look at the transportation from the resorts you are interested in as well as pick a resort that has appealing pool, grounds, quick service food for your family since you know at least some of you will be there in the afternoons for nap time. We used to have a little rest for the whole family in the room when we got back from the parks and then DH and I took turns taking DD to the pool and other things around the resort when DS was taking a longer nap. I also might try to get a room with a balcony so you and DH (or older kids) could be out there some too when kids are napping.

If you have extended family with a napper too, maybe you could take turns staying with the nappers and doing things with the older kids? I would also try to get a good idea of what your older kids want to see/do the most (favorite characters, rides they really want, etc.) and make those your priority and then have some flexibility in other things depending on rides, kids needs to sleep/eat, etc. Even though there is SO much to see or do, you don't have to try to do it all to enjoy yourselves!!

[123LuckyMom]

DEFINITELY go!!! We took DD at 11 months (her brother was 4.5), and she loved it!!! Really, Disney is for "kids" of all ages. It was my husband's first trip, and he's as bad as the kids asking about when we can go back. Your toddler will have a blast. Do carry emergency snacks with you and bring a stroller so the kids can nap. You can use swap tickets so all the grownups can ride while the toddler naps. You'll have a blast!

[Chitowngirl]

Do they have rides a 1 or 2 year old can ride or are the toddlers just watching the bigger kids do everything?

[OKKiddo]

There are rides and events for all ages. And the bonus is that your DD is free (because tickets have gotten very $$).

[TwinFoxes]

Age wise, I think that's a great age. My DDs went for the first time at 26 months old. They talked about it and remembered it for a long time (basically until we went again two years later!) And they were non-verbal, so clearly it made an impression! There is so much for them to do. And it is so magical for kids that age, you really see the magic too. Watching them meet Mickey Mouse was so adorable my heart just about burst. Fantasyland is made for littles, plus things like the train, the parades, meeting the character. And as PP mentioned, they get in for free, and they get to eat for free to...hit a lot of buffets. Every park has a play area, shows, things to look at. Simple things that you'd miss with older kids are super fun with littles...like the horse drawn carriage on Main St. USA, or the ride in Mexico at Epcot that stars Donald Duck, or the Dinosaur area at AK.

My one concern is after a week on a cruise, will WDW be too much for your little ones? The last time we went, we were there for 10 days, and the girls were 4. Toward the end of the stay they were asking for "regular dinners" because they were sick of restaurants. We were in a condo, so it was no problem to cook dinner, and then head back to the park.

[klwa]

Do they have rides a 1 or 2 year old can ride or are the toddlers just watching the bigger kids do everything?

Little ones can do almost everything, especially in Magic Kingdom. (Obviously, not the mountains or Barnstormer.) All Ears has a good list of the attractions with any sort of restriction (including heart warnings, etc.) http://allears.net/tp/rr.htm

This from a mom who took both of her oldest 2 at 27 months and her youngest at 18 months. :)

[Mali]

I should clarify, the kids are spread across me and my two sisters. :) I only have the 26m/o toddler, another will have a 4y/o and a 23m/o, and the third will have a 4y/o and a 5y/o. All the older kids have been to Disneyland multiple times and LOVE it. So I'm sure they'll love WDW if my sisters can swing the time off and the expense. It's more of a question of if it's a worthwhile trip for DH, DD, and myself. :) I mean, sans DD, we'd for sure try to make it work if other family is going because we'd have a great time as adults. It's taking a toddler and knowing that means allowances for nap times and more strict meal times and bed times that makes me question if it's worth taking DD now.

As for DD being able/willing to handle WDW and a cruise, the timing depends on who is able to go from the family. We could be doing WDW prior to the cruise, but if the grandparents come it would be after the cruise. DD is super happy and resilient though (currently, who knows if she'll turn 2 and have an aboutface! ;) ) so as long as we make sure she still gets an opportunity for naps and goes to sleep at a reasonable time most nights, she'll be okay.

The way things currently stand, we have to wait until the first of the year to book for a variety of reasons (lower price park tickets aren't available/possible until then, checking if time off is approved, and for us, seeing if bonuses are on the table at year end this year). If we do go, is booking the first week of January going to be okay for park hotels and airfare? Or will we be shooting ourselves in the foot by booking so "late" even though the earliest we'd be hitting WDW would be March 9-12, 2015? We definitely want to stay at a park hotel since we're all trying to avoid needing to have carseats in FL.

Would you say that a stroller is a requirement? We weren't planning on bringing a stroller on the cruise (we have a Tula that is super comfortable and DD loves being worn) and I certainly don't want to check our BJCM GT.

[TwinFoxes]

It's taking a toddler and knowing that means allowances for nap times and more strict meal times and bed times that makes me question if it's worth taking DD now.



in a word, yes. We had two 26 month olds, and it wasn't rough because of them at all. It was awesome seeing the park through there eyes.. And you HAVE to have a stroller for a two year old. For one thing, she will nap in the stroller. It's also a great place to hold snacks, as well as any purchases. :) It was great DDs napped for hours in the stroller while DH and I did stuff. We have pics of them in various places out like a light. It was very funny. But they had a blast. When I look at photos of our trip I just get all happy. :)

[SnuggleBuggles]

If do it and employ the ride swap option so parents can both ride the rides dd will be too young for.

[ckso]

I would totally go. Personally I would let your DC nap on the go (in the stroller or in your baby carrier) so you don't have to worry about carving a time out to go back to the hotel to nap. We started going to DL when DD2 was about 26 months and she napped just fine in the stroller.

Strollers are definitely a must in my opinion. If nothing else it stores all our drinks, jackets, diapers, etc

[123LuckyMom]

You must have a stroller, and it is worth going with the toddler! She'll love it, and so will both of you. Rent a stroller from Apple strollers or another outfit. Apple is very inexpensive. I think it's under $40 for a week rental. The only rides she won't be able to do are those with height requirements. If you and your DH enjoy roller coasters, you can take turns riding using baby swap, and you're allowed to take others with you, so your nieces and nephews will be able to ride twice in a row!

When we did Disney with our 5 and 11 month old, we got there at rope drop each day, are lunch early, and went back to the hotel for nap in the middle of the day. Then we returned to the park at about 3:30-4pm and stayed through the fireworks. We did not keep a regular bedtime, and though that usually would have been a serious problem for our kids, at Disney it was fine.

You can certainly book in January for a trip in March, but you may have trouble getting the room/hotel you want, and you probably won't be able to do character or sit down restaurants. We booked within a similar time frame, and the Contemporary was sold out, and all the character meals were booked. We did do a couple of restaurants, but we were fine with counter service for most meals, and we were thrilled with our rooms at the Poly, but they were expensive. If you're on a smaller budget, you may have trouble booking late.