Disney with a 1 year old -- need advice
 

my husband and I want to take a trip to disney. our son will be 19 months or so when we want to go.

any advice on where we should stay?

should we book it through a particular website? Does AAA offer the best prices?

should we get a package that includes dining?

any special things we need to sign up for in advance?

any advice is appreciated.

thanks!

If cost is not an issue my advice is to stay on the monorail line. We usually stay at the Polynesian as we believe it has the best combination of theme, location and pool. We pay extra for Conceirge level rooms as we believe it makes for far easier mornings.

If budget is an issue, stay at one of the other Disney hotels. There is an advantage in terms of access to the parks. If you don't want to rent a car, the Disney Magic Express is free from the airport.

In terms of the advance bookings, any character meal will require that. With an almost 2 year old, not sure I'd spend the money,

Some will say "don't take a 2 year old they won't remember it." Hogwash. If you have the money and want to go - go!

I will suggest you plan your day to get to the park when it first opens. If on the monorail, take a break early afternoon for a nap or swim, then go back later in the day.

Disney- land or world?

With a 19 month-old, I suggest you stay as close in as possible, even better if they have a direct monorail transportation. You will want to get back to the room for naps, and then return later.

sorry i didn't specify --- we want to go to disney in florida -- i think that is disneyworld, right?

Mid day breaks are essential with toddlers. Possibly one, limited time visit per day. As a result, closer is better.

If you can afford a Disney property and access to the Disney transportation system, very important.

AAA packages are as good as any, not necessarily better. Testing booking direct and learning all your options is worth the time.

Dining packages liberate you to go over the top at every meal. The packages tend to equal prices of middle range full meals at Disney properties, so if you buy the option and live it up; it's a good deal. If you are prone to be conservative and compare to the packages, not a bargain.

There are several web sites referenced on other threads here. One is disboards another might be allearsnet. You can make a job out of reading about and planning a Disney trip.

We took our son to animal kingdom and sea world in Sept. 07. He turned one on our trip. We actually stayed at a timeshare property very close to Disney. We rented strollers at both parks and made sure to pack plenty of snacks and drinks for him. We had no problems at all. Each day he took about a 45 minute nap and then he was ready to go. I know this is not a lot of detail, but if you hae any further questions feel free to contact me at [email protected]

2.5 tears ago my wife and I went to DW with our 23 month old boy; we stayed at a rental house in Davenport with a pool. Rates were reasonable and the house was very clean. There are lots of agencies online that rent the places and all you have to do is leave the garbage by the curb and start the 1st load of sheets. Its very nice to have a place to relax and a separate place to be after the child is asleep.
our boy loved the character meetings and the rides; don't bother with the fancy restaurants it will be lost on your child.

The Magic Kindgom is the best park for toddlers. Animal Kingdom is good, too, but I think there's more for toddlers at the Magic Kingdom.

My daughter first went at about 13 months old, and she enjoyed all of the noise and excitement. We took her back at around 20 months, and she really had a great time then.

Stay at one of the Disney hotels, so you can get back easily for naps. If you can get to the park via monorail or boat, take your own stroller. If you have to go by bus, or are driving your own car, rent a stroller inside. I learned by experience not to try to take a stroller on the parking shuttle.

Get to the park when it first opens, so you can see a lot before naptime.

I would avoid the light parade. It gets really crowded, and our daughter started to get scared as so many people crowded around her. And trying to move with a stroller afterward was impossible. It's actually a great time to go on rides as everyone is at the parade.

They do sell diapers, wipes, etc., in the park, but they are expensive. There is a great baby care center in the Magic Kingdom where in addition to having changing facilities, they also have high chairs and a room where babies can play and crawl/walk around.

If you want to do character meals, you'll need to make reservations, but most toddlers that age are scared of the characters. It just depends on your son. We did a princess dinner with her cousins when she was 2, and she was terrified of the princesses until the very end of the meal.

I wouldn't bother with the dining package, unless your son is a really big eater. Particularly if you go back to your hotel for a nap, you'll only eat one meal in the park.

I know it's not Disney, but in case you were thinking about Universal, don't go! There isn't much there for toddlers. There is an area especially for little ones, but it's really more for 3 years and up. Sea World is a good park for toddlers. There's a good Marriott timeshare near there--Cypress Gardens or Cypress Woods. Something like that. You can rent rooms without having a timeshare there. We stayed there once, and while it was great having two bedrooms, I wish we had stayed in Disney.

Here's a good article with information on visiting Epcot with little ones: http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com...-children.html

We booked our trip through Build a Better Mouse Trip. They only handle Florida vacations and were very knowlegeable and helpful.

Staying on Disney property is nice if you won't have a rental car. You can only get the dining packages when you stay at a Disney resort.

AAA offers the best deal on rack rates. Disney may release promotions that are better and they only allow one discount per reservation so AAA won't be an advantage in that situation.

For all the discount info you could ask for about WDW accomodations and more, including AAA rates, go to www.mousesavers.com.

Most important advice before your kids hit school age is to go offseason--basically anytime that is not a school holiday.

The monorail resorts (Polynesian, Contemporary and Grand Floridian) and the Wilderness Lodge are convenient to Magic Kingdom, as stated above. If those are too much for the budget, check out the "Moderate" category of Disney hotels--our favorite is Coronado Springs.

For a staggering amount of WDW info, try www.allearsnet.com and www.wdwinfo.com.

We stayed at the Contemporary with the monorail service. My advice (I grew up in Fla and took my kids to disney alot) plan during off season when it is not too hot. Trying to see the Magic Kingdom with a cranky toddler in 90+ heat and humidity is stressful.

We went mostly in Feb., before spring break and after the winter rush. Having quick access to the hotel via the monorail for a quick nap/downtime is worth the extra money.