Kilimanjaro Safaris; Animal Kingdom; AA
  • On May 20, 2010
    Katie from UT Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Hi Joel! I see you have little ones! What should I do to prepare my DD18 months for our trip in Sept.? I want her to have fun with characters, etc.! We are also traveling with 9yo boy and 8yo girl, any prep needed for them?

    Hi, Katie! Thanks for the question! We brought our youngest when he was 18 mo. old too!

    First, think about how you'll move your 18 mo. daughter around the parks. A good stroller (with recline/nap potential) is a good start, but you may need to have more methods. Our littlest guy has a 5 minute shelf life with strollers. After riding a few minutes, he's ready to take matters into his own hands (or feet) and go bipedal. We would let him strut his stuff in low traffic areas, but it wasn't an option when walking down places like Mainstreet.

    Before our trip, we found a hiking backpack I could wear and he could ride like Prince Ali on Abu as an elephant (I realize I just made myself an elephant, but I'm standing by my simile.) He LOVED the backpack way more than the stroller. (I didn't have the strength of an elephant, but that's okay!) To get him used to it, we would take walks after dinner with mom and his older brother. And this is where my biggest tip for your two older kids comes in: practice taking walks at incrementally longer distances to get them accustomed to walking. You'll do a lot of walking in the parks.

    For the well being of everyone, take a midday break to recollect yourselves. Other ways to prep your little girl:

    Characters. There are some great Disney sing-along DVDs with the characters. Put these on a number of times for her to become familiar with the characters, their size and the music.

    Meals. Work on getting her to spend more time in her high chair. Also think about ways to keep her entertained for sit down dinners. Our littlest guy liked play-doh and having a sucker from time to time.

    Fireworks. Make sure you expose her to fireworks on July 4. It will help not get taken off guard at the parks. We also bring earplugs to the parks. Plus, after seeing fireworks at Disney World, fireworks elsewhere will never satisfy you again!

thumbnail image for Joel

Meet the Panelist: Joel, Wisconsin

I’m the proud papa of two little pirates or princes (depending on the day!) I enjoy sharing information to help beginners with little ones - including naps, strollers, rider swaps, height restrictions, scary rides, touring plans, characters and dining. Learn More About Joel

Didn't find what you were looking for? Click the Ask a Question button to open the Ask a Question dialogue box. If you are not logged in a dialogue box will appear to signin in order to ask a question.

To submit your question, please log in now if you have not already done so.

Ask a QuestionOpens the Ask a Question dialog box.
x

Update Browser

For a better experience browsing this website, please download an updated version of Internet Explorer.


Or you can continue browsing without updating.