Tips for Going to Disney World with a 4 1/2 Year Old and 1 1/2 Year Old

I pulled an article from a magazine to keep for when we're ready to go. It's from Parents magazine, July 2007 issue. The article is called "The Keys to the Kingdom". Don't know if you can access the article still, or request it, or maybe find at the library, it had LOTS of great advice for going to Disney!

Have fun!

buy a sidebyside double stroller if you don't have one already. Buy the book "the Unoffical Guide to WDW" and use it's plans on how to get the most out of it for children of that age/gender. buy park hopper tickets in case you get in a park and you/your kids really don't like it--we didn't like the studios, so we left after lunch...dd was 5 at the time. Always leave and eat in your hotel/condo for lunch and take a nap/go to the pool to cool of and relax mid-day, then go back for the evening...we didn't miss anything and always took at least 2.5 hours of a break in the middle of the day...it was great and we had a much better time because of it.

A.,
Hello. I don't have tips for WDW, haven't been yet. However, I do have a few tips for flying. I would strongly suggest Dum-Dum suckers for the take off and landing for the older one. It really helps with ear pressure. I took our own straw cup (without anything in it through security) and then put water in it and had that on the plane right away. Basically, if they can suck on something, water bottle or a sucker, it really helps with ear pressure. I even had Twizzlers as a back up and was needed only once with four different flights. I also packed her usual snacks for when she was actually hungry on the plane. I would recommend quite activities, my daughter loves stickers and coloring. So, I went to the dollar store and got a new coloring book with new Princess glitter crayons. And I got several things of stickers at Wal-Mart (my daughter played with just new crayons & stickers the most). I also took a new toy that my daughter had only seen at a craft fair, it's felt dolls, where she dresses them and has accessories, but it's something that doesn't take up much room, quite, and yet fun to play with. And of course we took her 3 favorite small stuffed animals and her lovey that she sleeps with (along with our own blanket & small pillow) all on the plane. I had packed a few other things for the plane rides, but those items were the most needed/used. Hope that helps for the plane rides. Have a great trip.
~ J.

we did the same trip this summer with the same ages, and i have to say it was way too early for both of them. it was hot, they were both very overstimulated and both TERRIFIED of every character. we spent the day with the youngest in her backpack, hiding her face, and our oldest on dad's shoulders. for seven hours. most rides are too big for them, and my kids are really tall. i would take them to sea world again, but i hate to tell you disney was a bust. there were only about five rides they could do.

small dry erase boards and markers on the plane are my best flying tip!

One thing I read is to have your cell phone number somewhere on your child, in a pocket or shoe, in case they get lost, and also to make sure to point out the worker's badges so they know who to run to if they can't find you. There are lots of websites out there with tips to save time and money.

As for flying, I am really fond of our harness. Check out www.kidsflysafe.com. It's a 4 point harness that is FAA approved and crash tested. You carry it in your purse or diaper bag and attach it easily to their seat. Then, you don't have to worry about dragging a carseat onto the airplane. I always bring snacks, especially anything they can suck on, like a bottle or lollipop, to help relieve the pressure in their ears. Earplanes is another device which helps that. I try to have a small bag of little toys, some new, to keep them interested. Suction cup balls and mardi gras beads and stickers are great for decorating the windows and keeping them busy. Otherwise, we try to take a portable DVD player and that REALLY helps too. Have fun!

You have gotten some great advise. I completely agree with coming back to the room for a nap each day and then go back out with more energy. Also there is a baby center at Disney and some of the other parks too I think. You may find this helpful for your 1 1/2 yr old. They have rows of high chairs, rocking chairs, and changing tables. My baby was younger, so I nursed and fed her and let her crawl around a little before heading back out. She was much happier and the centers are not that well used (ie lots of room) AND they are air conditioned!

When you first get to the park in the morning I suggest you make your way to the back of the park first. And then continue in a anticlockwise direction. People are creatures of habit and tend to go into the park and immediately go right. If you start at the back you can hit some of the rides before the crowds do. Worked for us at Epccot - was a suggestion from one of the tourist information stops.

Also, take lots of drinks with you if you can. They tend to be really expensive in the park, and snacks that don't melt. And as always with kids - wet wipes - you can never have to many wet wipes.

I would e-mail Disney to send you a free plan your trip tape,I would also plan for some quite time each day so you do not wear your little ones and yourself out. On the plan I would take some new quite toys that you give them once the plane is up in the air hopeful these will kept them busy for the trip. Also ask to be seated before time if possible. IF it is a long plane trip you might want to also take a treat with you but not a sweet.

Ah, one of our favorite places!

When our kids were young, we didn't fly with them, so I can't help you there. I can give some WDW tips, though. One of them is one I've seen other families doing - wear the same color shirts (preferably an odd color), so it's easier to spot each other in a crowd.

First of all, go to the customer service desk when you first get there, and get them a free "first visit" button. You might not want the little one to actually wear it, because of the pin, but it will make a fun souvenir.
For very young children, Magic Kingdom has the best rides and shows. Unfortunately, MK also has the longest and slowest lines since it is one of the older parks. The newer parks have incorporated fun things to do and see, along with a bit of shade, into their waits.

There are character meets at MK, but you have to stand in a long line unless you are going in early June, and it is definately hot. Your older one will want autographs from the characters. There is a kids area in MK where the kids can go into Mickey and company's homes and do all kinds of activities. MK also has the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Carribean, and all of the "classic" Disney rides.

Every park has wonderful parades, but the crowds line up really, really early for them. If you want to get a great seat, find out from a cast member (what they call their employees), where the parade route is, sit down, and try not to leave your spot. Grab some ice cream or a snack before you get there so you can keep the kids occupied - for a little bit. It won't be long before they will be bored to tears. Or, don't worry about the perfect spot. You can still find a place to see the parade, though you may have to hold the kids so they can see, and the characters won't interact with them like they would if they were sitting on the curb. There are huge advantages and disadvantages either way.

At Disney's Hollywood Studios, the kids would enjoy the Muppet Show Theator. The wait for that one is indoors and in A/C, and you get to watch TV during the wait! Have your older daughter try to spot "hidden Mickeys", and look for fun things like the net full of jello (Annette Funicello... however you spell her name - the old Mouseketeer!)

Animal Kingdom has a lot of great shows (don't miss the Lion King show!), and a wonderful safari ride where you can see real animals up close. There is also a trail, like a zoo, where you can watch the animals and see gorgeous tigers in beautiful surroundings and huge bats! It is semi-shaded.

There are quite a few rides just inside of Epcot they will enjoy, and many of them are indoors, along with the line for them, and if you and your husband don't mind pushing the stroller in the heat, you can stroll around the different countries - I think the adults enjoy that part more.

Speaking of the adults, if your husband and you like to ride the rides that the kids are too young for (I highly recommend Rockin' Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, and a couple of Epcot "big kid" rides), do a baby swap. Every single older child ride that I know of has a baby swap area. Just ask a cast member for that ride how to do that particular baby swap. You stand in line together, then when you get to the loading area, you hand the kids to one of the parents and that parent waits to the side or in a little room. When the first parent comes back, you swap the kids, and the other parent immediately rides without having to wait in line again. It's awesome!

Speaking of not waiting in line. Take advantage of Fast Passes. You can only have one at a time, but you go by the ride you want and get your four fast passes for the family, take note of the time to come back, then go ride other rides. During the appropriate time (on your fast pass), go back and ride that ride. It gives you like a 15 to 30 minute window to be there. You get to walk right past all of the other people waiting in the heat. Resist the urge to stick your tongue out...

Most importantly, especially with young children, is time management. The kids are going to be crying in the Happiest Place on Earth if you try to cram everything in. I'm hoping you plan to be there for at least 5 days, and hopefully more! Look at some literature (you can find all kinds of WDW literature in book stores, including travelling with kids), and decide what rides you want to ride, and which ones you'd rather pass on, so you'll know when you get there. Go back to your hotel in the middle of the day for a swim and nap if you have time.

Have an absolute blast! We usually go every three years, and this is the third year but we have to skip for the first time this year and it's breaking our hearts, lol!

Not sure if we are allowed to put links on here, but look up Intercot Walt Disney message board. You can find out everything there is to know there. My husband is on there daily - whether we are vacationing there that year or not! *grin*

Baylee is probably too young to really get it, but Abigail will have an awesome time! There are lots of families with young ones in strollers so I think you'll be fine. We took our kids at ages 4 & 7 and they both loved it. A few suggestions... Stay on property. Transportation is so easy via the rail or the buses and it will make things so much smoother. Plan to go to only one park per day and try to have a day in between parks if at all possible. We went to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and MGM...all were awesome. Having a day in between each park makes a huge difference because there is so much to see and do and you just come home exhausted...so it is nice to sleep in the next morning and just hang by the pool before attacking another park the next day. Try to get a reservation for lunch in Cinderella's Castle. The girls will get to meet the princesses personally and it is cool to be in the castle- the meal was good too. The luncheon at the Winnie the Pooh place is very nice too. You have to have a reservation for some of the restaurants... Bring refillable water bottles from home (the kind with a fan perhaps) or be prepared to spend about $15.00 for one there. They will come in very handy in the summer temps. I let my daughter wear her "Belle" dress which made it extra special for her as everyone in the park called her "Princess" and curtsied to her and tried to treat her as if she were a real one. That really thrilled her. Also, a great collectible for the kids are the autograph books. There are lots of opportunities for the kids to get characters' autographs and they make a great keepsake and great photo opps. Just bring your wallet...:-)...but it is worth every penny. Enjoy!!

I absolutely have to recommend a book called " The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2009 (Unofficial Guides)" by Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa. (It's available at Amoazon for about $14.) We just went over Thanksgiving with a 10 year old, a 9 year old, 2 5 year olds and a 3 year old. This book is great! It gives lots of tips on when and how to ride the most popular rides without waiting. We never waited more than 30 minutes and yet we rode all the roller coasters, the safari ride at Animal Kingdom, Buzz Lightyear (super-cool!) at Magic Kingdom - we missed nothing! The book has a schedule to use for each park and even for multiple days in one park. I can't say enough about how great it was.

It is a bit overwhelming when you first open it up - there is a lot of information. But reading it and planning your trip will be worth it in the end.

I would also advise that each adult carry a large fanny pack or backpack. The park lets you bring in food (no coolers) so we packed in snacks, water and even sandwiches on some days so that we didn't have to stand in line and pay every time someone needed a little something to eat.

We have only went to DW with one Child but at various ages. My advice is to take your own buggy and a sling for your younger child just in case your eldest needs a break. It is easier to travel around with your own buggy and you ca not take a rental on the train around the park. Try to stick to a single buggy with a large basket for drinks and snacks, yes you can take a small coolor into the parks. With our daughter we took comfortable shoes that could get wet and she could walk long distances in, we also took extra clothes for when she would get wet. We always have a blast and FYI if you get the park hopper and more option the water parks are a must, they are cheaper this way.

Have fun!! I have 4 kids, and we love to do theme parks. The first time we went to Disney, we had 3 kids, ages 5, 4, and 2. Take or rent a stroller there. A sling is wonderful for the baby - I didn't discover the wonder of slings till child #4, but we used our Maya Wrap with her in theme parks even when she was 3. We used the stroller too, but the sling was great for when she wanted to be carried. Works great in the airport, too.
Conventional wisdom says to eat at the "cheaper" food stands. However, we found it worked great for us to bring snacks, and then eat a nice meal at a sit-down restaurant in the theme park, about mid-afternoon, after the rush. It's great to time it where you can feed the kids, then let them nap in the stroller or your lap while you enjoy finishing your meal. We ate at Magic Kingdom's Italian place right on the parade route, so we just walked outside after eating to watch the parade. The prices aren't really much more in the restaurants than in the food stands, and a couple of times, we've found kids meals to actually be cheaper. The time to sit down in the air-conditioning and just relax is great, too.
Magic Kingdom will be the most crowded of the parks, but it is the most oriented toward little children. MGM Studios (I think the name may have changed) and the Animal Kingdom are great, too. Epcot is not really that fun for little ones.
Friday, Sat, and Sun are the busiest days, but it really is less crowded on Mon through Wed.
If it rains, (and Florida has its share of afternoon showers), duck into an inside attraction or store and wait it out - the crowds are definately less after it rains! It's worth staying. And they sell rain capes everywhere.
The shows are amazing, and most of the time, little ones do enjoy them. You certainly will!
You will probably be exhausted at the end of the day, and young tempers can flare. This is one time that bribery may be an appropriate parenting tool. A wonderful little toy can sometimes calm a meltdown. Enjoy your kids, have fun, and make some wonderful memories. I was 6 the first time I went, and I certainly remember it! I loved the Dumbo ride.
Don't forget your camera and extra batteries.
T., mom of 4 amazing kids (and 3 of them are teenagers!)

Disney World is a great family vacation place. However, children of those ages will not remember a thing in a few years from their trip. You will of course have wonderful pictures. Other friends suggested to us that we wait until our children were between 6-10 to go and it was perfect for both. They both remember the trip fondly and didn't tire easily. You will be be holding your young children a lot because the heat and lines will be in full strength. My brother/sister-in-law took their 3 yr. old and wished they had waited afterwards. You and your husband could have lots of fun too if you have others in your family/group going that could stay for a few hours at the hotel with them. If not, don't try to do too much in a day and enjoy the pool area and beautiful sunshine at your resort.

The number one thing to remember is that the kids, especially the 1 1/2 year old, are going to get tired, so don't try to cram too much in. Start early, and end when the little one is pooped. Or maybe let one parent take her back to the hotel while you do a couple of bigger kid things with the older one.
We went when my son was 2 and my daughter 5. My son's favorite activity of the trip was a little pull it yourself shower by the pool at our hotel. So one day my husband went to the park with my daughter, and I stayed at the pool so my son could pull the shower on himself over and over. It was very relaxing, and I was glad I did it.

I myself do not travel much. But, my nephew ( who will be two next month and has more frequent flyer miles than I will ever have!) flew with his parents alot his first year.
A trick my sister uses for the flight. Buy some toys and books ( maybe at the dollar store ) and keep them solely for the plane ride. That way it is all "new" stuff to them on the plane. She also carries a portable DVD player ( if you are into that )
Just info I am passing along!!
T. S

Hi sarah,
When my daughter was 18 months old we moved to England. With 2 lay overs and yes I thought the same thing, how will I ever do this? But it was great.

I learned something from the ticket agent that I didn't know to ask, which was, ask for "Bulkhead" seats. These seats are the first in the aisle and have more leg room, what made this great was there was no one in front of us and allowed my daughter to get down to stand up some and not have to sit for the whole 16 hour flight.

When we moved back to the states we had a 10 month old daughter and we requested the same seating and in that plane they gave us a bassinet that fastened into the wall. It was the best thing that I could ever pass on to anyone flying with children.
This also limited how many people could come in contact with, which I was afraid of because I know people like to play with kids but this causes the kids to get louder, (in my experience anyway). LOL.

I hope this helped.

K.

A.,

I love Walt Disney World, and I am taking my 6-year old on his first trip to WDW from June 3 - 10. I highly recommend the website www.allears.net - it has the best information on Disney from all kinds of people, especially experienced travelers. It has all kinds of info and tips! I found the website when I was planning my upcoming trip. I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip!!!

You are going to have a blast!! We went last year with my then 3 (almost 4)year old and my 2 1/2 year old. We also traveled with my in-laws and that was awesome! We got adjoining rooms at the hotel which was great because when we were there we could just leave the door open and the kids could run for room to room. We didn't do many rides because the kids were more in awe of just seeing everything. My daughter is in love with Cinderella so that was the most important thing to her and my son was just taking it all in. We had dinner in Cinderella's castle one night which was a blast. We did the dining plan which I highly recommend because you can not eat for that cheap while you are there and we had plenty of food to share with my son since he was under 3. The only thing we ran into is that they charge 18% gratuity of parties of 6 or more and they count the kiddos even if they are not old enough to get their own meal plan. It was not a big deal just unexpected. We took a stroller on the plane with us and just had them check it at the gate which came in handy while on layovers at airports and at the park. I think they are like $20 per day to rent which adds up pretty quick so I would recommend taking your own. There is so much to do and see. We were there for six days and still didn't see half of the stuff. My advice take your time and let your little ones tell you when they have had enough. There was one day that we were at Magic Kingdom and around noon my daughter asked if we could just go back to the hotel and swim so we did. They know when they are getting worn out so just listen to them. I don't know what hotel you are staying at but if it is one of the all star ones all three share buses which is not bad unless you stay for fireworks at night at one of the parks. We waited in line for over an hour one night leaving Epcot until we got on a bus. The other resorts have their own so the lines move much quicker. And everyone will tell you that your kids won't remember anything because they are so young but I totally disagree!! My kids ask almost everyday when we are going back and just yesterday they were pretending they were on their way to Cinderella's Castle. We are currently planning our next trip towards the end of the year. The plane ride was not bad at all either. My kiddos loved it. They each took a backpack that they had packed with stuff to do, coloring books, stickers, snacks, etc. It was enough to keep them busy while on the plane and if you let them chew gum it helps with the ear popping thing. Then when we were on layovers we just tried to find places in the airports where there were not many people and let them walk around and play to get some of their energy out. Well we had a wonderful time and you will too! If you have more questions feel free to email me. Have a wonderful time!! :)