Any good tips or suggestions for taking young children to Disney

[War Eagle]

Podpeople,

Any suggestions such as great places for photo opportunities, how long we should stay, or just any general tips for taking young kids. Great many thanks for the help.

[Kellie19891992]

Kids love Mickey's toontown because of the larger than life houses.

They also have a Winnie the Pooh are in Magic Kingdom

Try going back to the resort/hotel in the afternoon and let the kids go in the pool or nap in the air conditioned rooms

[War Eagle]

Great idea thanks. Maybe I can get a nap too...

[disneydame2004]

How young are the kids, War Eagle?

Character Meals are great because you are guaranteed time to get a picture with the characters and you don't have to wait in line, plus you get to sit and eat. Other good places are the Character Connection in Epcot, or on Mickey Avenue in MGM Studios. I've seen the shortest lines there.

Definitely plan on taking more time and seeing less than you would without kids, and that mid-day break is practically a must. And as great as Disney transportation is, I have found it easier to have my own car with an infant or toddler in tow. The Baby Care centers in each park are great for any small kid needs you may have.

[mini-V]

Podpeople,

Any suggestions such as great places for photo opportunities, how long we should stay, or just any general tips for taking young kids. Great many thanks for the help.

I'm sure you'll get some really helpful responses to your question, but my dh and I have found that if you wait till they are old enough to take YOU, it becomes a really great trip. (Turtle Talk with Crush is a must!)

[disneydreamer98]

If you have really young ones I would highly suggest that you take your own stroller. The ones at the park are made of hard plastic and do not recline. It's nice to be able to recline the seat so the little one can take a cat nap comfortably. Plus it nice for those long days or late nights when you are heading back to your room from either Disney transportation or your own vehicle. Which btw...I completely agree with DisneyDame on the using your own vehicle with babies and toddlers. It is awful waiting in long line with little ones to get back to your hotel and it's much easier to cart all the necessary parifinallia in your own vehicle!

Head to Fantasyland first as soon as the MK opens and get in the Dumbo line immediately. This line is insane as the day goes on!

[War Eagle]

disneydame2004, she's 8.5 months.

Awesome. Many thanks to all of you for the advice!! Great call on taking our own vehicle. I didn't even think of that.

[disneydame2004]

I love the little ones at that age
You might find some of the advice in this article helpful: http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/art...er.php?aid=123

[mechurchlady]

Make sure your stroller is clearly marked in hidden place like the undercarriage with your name and a number to be reached. You have to make sure people KNOW it is your stroller as they all look a like and some people will take any stroller even those not of the park. Make sure you know where to leave your stroller as cast members can and will move strollers to places you would never think to look. This is especially true of parade and high traffic areas.

I would recommend you bring something disposable for changing tables in bathrooms as not everyone is as clean as you are. Disney cast members are very good at cleaning but still you need to bring wet wipes and/or sanitizers. Some people flush the toilets with their feet, gross.

Cast members and characters are not allowed to hold or pick up anyone. You can set the kid on a trash can or other object and set up a pose. If you are really dextrous you can make it look like Pooh is holding your child. Character greetings can be squish time with people pushing and getting grumpy because other people "cut in line". Parents are worst of course.

I have noticed in parks that parents sometimes get so wrapped up with the Disney experience that they forget they have other people with them. Watch for heat and sun. There are baby areas for changing and caring for babies that are really a blessing for moms. Take baggies with you as they come in handy for storing snacks and messes. There are stores in the area but otherwise expect to pay a lot in the parks for food, drinks, film, batteries and other things. It is better to take extra film and batteries for a camera than to pay in park for the new stuff.

Digital cameras are best and plan to take lots of pictures. Check online the day before you go and check at the guest relations in the hotel and parks. Check the daily brochures as there are lots to see and do.

Favorite photos spots with a kid depends on you but character dining and characters are my favorite. Toon Town, Fantasyland and shops are great for photo ops. Take a picture of your kid in a shop with an over sized hat for example.

Good luck and remember to not over do it. When it is time to rest you done passed the point of needing rest. Been there and know that you always think you can go longer and then crash you are too tired to care. Do not get to the zombie point where you drag from place to place avoiding lines and unpleasant stuff.

[War Eagle]

Great points. Since this is my first child I had no idea about many of your points. I'm printing these as well and keeping them in our planning book. Thanks again.

[War Eagle]

Thanks for the article disneydame04

[mechurchlady]

I read the article and what I and others posted here to see what might be missing.

I agree that if you can, use and infant carrier of the type that you wear with the child in front of you. People can get very pushy and not even care that they are shoving your kid's face into your back. Some people will also want to touch your kid like when you go to the mall so you want your kid in a stroller or in front of you. The on body carriers make it easy to run from show to show and walk around.

When traveling I cannot seem to find the comfort of home. I agree that you should take those things that are your family cannot live without like a specific brand of baby wipes, special foods, or even sun block. When packing ask yourself how long you can go without something. What if your nose starts to run, how long will it be before you can find tissues for example.

The problem with sun is the the rays can be very small and you can burn if there is a hole in clothing or if a hat is loosely woven. Babies will not be able to tell you that their stroller is scalding hot, that their are being pinched by something or that bugs are eating at them.

Study online guides about WDW so you know ahead of time what rides you can baby swap or ride single rider. Know which rides are kid friendly. Most important is to go with the flow of things in WDW or any park. You are at Dumbo when you see a character, so, go do the character greeting and skip Dumbo. Baby is worn out so quit early. Do not push yourself as parks involve miles of walking and movements like climbing, running jumping, bending, and kneeling which your body is not used to.

If you can walk 5 miles then you do not walk 5 miles into the woods, do you? Many people go until they are ready to drop from exhaustion. they then have to get to their room and do other things like feed kids and change clothes.

I am glad someone has written such a good article. Sorry if I am redundant, tried to not copy what i said earlier.