Hi Katherine,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am always delighted to greet a fellow North Carolinian. Celebrating birthdays at the Walt Disney World Resort deserves some special dance moves!
Of course, I think 2-years old is a perfect age to take your son to the Walt Disney World Resort. He will be old enough to recognize his favorite characters and there are so many rides he can experience, especially at Magic Kingdom. There are a number of ways you can make your visit go more smoothly, so let me offer a few suggestions.
First, plan for afternoon naps. When our girls were younger, we would head to the parks early in the morning, eat lunch in the park, and then head back to the resort hotel for an afternoon nap. After a nap, we would head back out for dinner and, if time allowed, we would do a ride after dinner. We rarely stayed for the fireworks because our girls were accustomed to going to bed by 8:00 p.m. and we wanted to avoid meltdowns!
Second, make advanced dining reservations for character meals to avoid stand-by lines for character greetings. Some of our girls' favorites are The Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's, and Hollywood & Vine. Each of the characters will stop by your table, pose for photos and sign autographs.
Third, we make Fast Pass+ selections. Each theme park has an attractions list. Several of the attractions are suitable for any height. So, at Magic Kingdom, for example, your son could ride a number of rides including Peter Pan's Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Mad Tea Party, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Astro Orbiter.
Katherine, you have to celebrate your son's birthday - consider ordering one of the Mickey Mouse celebration
Cakes at Walt Disney World Resort!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell