Hi, Itīs our first time to WDW, we will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge next week, and we have two boys 3 1/2 and 1, your suggestions and comments are welcome. How to handle Orlandoīs July weather?
thanks
Antonio

Antonio,

I am really not the best person to respond, as I went to WDW last summer with young kids, but others on this board have been 10 times or more.

That said, my best advice would be to get the book "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" by Bob Schlessinger (?). It will really spell things out for you. My second best piece of advice is give some major serious thought to whether you will really enjoy Disney with kids so young. Between the heat, crowds, lines and loud, scary attractions, you might really have your hands full. But if you go, take it very, very slowly and don't push yourselves or the kids. My third piece of advice is to do a search on this forum, as there have been a few questions recently about WDW, and much of the advice given would apply to you as well. My fourth piece of advice would be to go to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. They are a blast, even for very young kids.

Good luck!

Cindy's advice to take it easy is the best. Do not try to do the parks commando style. They are not going anywhere. If you miss something, well, then it's a good excuse to plan a future trip. Build in plenty of rest/pool time. I think it is possible to enjoy the parks with kids that young. My first trip was when I was 2, and we are going to take our daughter in November when she is 19 months. However, you have to keep in mind that they are the most important people on your trip. Listen to your kids. If they are tired or want to go back to the room, then do so, even if it means calling it a day at an early hour. I have seen too many parents drag their kids through WDW in order to satisfy their own personal desires, only to have the kids completely meltdown. Last time I was there, I spoke with a woman that had her 7 week old baby with her! That, to me, was inappropriate. Anyway, drink a lot of water and take advantage of any attraction that gets you wet (Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom is fabulous for that). Since you are staying on property, take advantage of early entry (if you can get the kids up and out at that hour) in order to avoid long lines in the heat. Incidentally, the Unofficial Guide is GREAT. Anyway, I've been there 18 times, so please do not hesitate to email me if you have more specific questions. Have a fabulous trip!!

You will have a great time! To prepare check out DEb Wills Unofficial guide website, at www.wdwig.com. It is one of the BEST & most current info sources of all. DEFINITELY buy your sunblock, personal fans, & film before you go. DO buy the little mickey hats for the kids when you get there, they are so cute. Write your name on the tag inside the hat in case it is lost, lost & found at WDW is great. DO bring your own folding stroller instead of renting one, saves $$. There are stroller parking lots outside attractions, I have never had any trouble finding my personal stroller after an attraction. DO take advantage of early admission to parks on certain days, guests at Disney hotels can get in an hour before the general public. DO let the kids wear bathing suits under clothes, carry dry underwear & small towel in backpack or fanny pack. there are areas scattered around parks with fountains from the sidewalk, or squirting water at play areas where kids can get wet & benches for parents to sit! At Magic Kingdom it's Ariel's Grotto, and also Donald's Boat across from Mickey's & Minnie's houses. DO take advantage of the Baby Swap on rides the kids are too little for: you all wait in line, at the ride entrance one person waits with kids while other rides, as soon as first person gets off attendants will let second person ride with no additional wait. at Animal kingdom, DO go to Conservation Station where the kids can pet animals & will love it, also don't misss Safari Ride & Lion King & tarzan shows. At MGM there is Bear in Big Blue house show, and Voyage of little Mermaid show, & Beauty & Beast show - my then 4-year old LOVED these! DO take it slow & allow kids to set pace, when they get too tired go back to hotel pool or find a quiet spot for a little nap. Each park has a Baby Station where they sell diapers & baby food, have breastfeeding rooms, kids can be fed, and it is QUIET and COOL. You can just go in to rest a while & stay as long as you like. DO find the locations of these in each park & check it out when you arrive, and take a break there when you need to. I have been to WDW at various times wth & without kids, & when youngest was 7 months I breastfed all over the parks (DISCREETLY - no one could tell, OK!) and it is GREAT with just a little advance preparation & respecting the schedule & needs of your child. HAVE a GREAT TIME! There is NOTHING like the look of wonder on those little faces when they see the WDW magic.

Great advice you've received so far. I just wanted to add that some children are really frightened by the characters. They are BIG and can sneak up on you sometimes. Let the kids warm up to them in their own time and keep in mind that they may never decide to "visit" with the characters.

I heard my elder son telling my younger son not to worry - the characters aren't real, they're just PEOPLE in the suits. At first I was disappointed that he had ruined the magic for the little one, but in retrospect I think it may have been a good thing, taking into consideration his meek nature. He didn't show any fear of the characters, and we have some really cute video of him looking WAAAY up at Donald Duck, and seeing that he was busy with someone else, sneaking a few pats on Donald's tummy. It's so great experiencing WDW through a child's eyes!

Antonio, you have a lot of great advice! One other thing that our kids really enjoyed were the Character Meals. There was singing, dancing, and lots of contact with the Characters (Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Chip and Dale were at the lunch we went to). Another website that might interest you is www.wdwinfo.com. There's tons of information about the Parks. Take a look at the Discussion Boards. There are many Trip Planning Forums. We find the most information from this site when planning WDW trips. Have Fun!