Disneyworld in late May -- am I crazy??
 

Had hoped to take our 2 and 4 yr old to Disneyworld in the fall, when the weather is cooler and the crowds lower. However, life has intervened (doesn't it always?) and it may make better sense for us to go the last week in May (19-28). Would we be crazy? Will it be insanely hot? Will it be insanely crowded?

Would it be better to wait until next yr when the 2 yr old is 3 -- or do we run the risk that the then-5 yr old can do older stuff, but the then-3 yr old is stuck in kiddieland?

The parks will be moderately crowded. The crowds start up when school is out. May is a good time to do tourist things in FL. It will probably be warm. It has been my experience that children enjoy Disney more when they are five or six. I would not be inclined to take 2 and 3 year olds. Obviously lots of people do take little ones, but it is very costly and they won't have any memory of it at all.

2 and 4 are the perfect ages for WDW. At that age, they believe those princesses and other characters are real. (BTW, before you go, check out some of the classic Disney stories from the library and read them with your kids so they know who the characters are.)

Height is the determining factor on what rides the kids can do. There are far more rides they can both do than there are rides with a height limit. Each park has only 4-5 rides with height limits. Don't worry about the little one being stuck in kiddieland.

As for tampatwo's view that kids shouldn't go to WDW until they are old enough to remember it is silly IMHO. In that line of thinking, you shouldn't do anything with your kids until they are school age because they won't remember it. Take them to grandma's as babies and toddlers? Forget it, they won't remember her.

WDW is such an easy trip to take with young children because it is so family friendly. We first took our kids to WDW when they were 1.5 and 3.5. By travelling with them at a young age, they are growing into excellent travellers.

Take lots of pictures and video. Your kids will love looking at them when they are older. Also, you will always have precious memories of your kids' trip to WDW.

It won't be insanely hot or crowded in late May because school is not out yet.

Kids like Disney from the time they are 2 till they are 92.
We took our kids when they were very young and they loved it. We took them again when they were older and they loved it.
I think mid May would be a great time to go weather and crowd-wise. School is still in session and people aren't usually pulling them out so late in the year.
We are all a little crazy to go to Disney, but it is fun. Just remember to schedule some downtime at the hotel pool.

You asked, so I'll answer: I think 2 is too young, so I'd wait a year or maybe even two. The reasons are many, including the fact that I can guarantee that the 2-year-old will have no memories of the trip.

But if you're set on going, the crowds will be moderate and it will be hot. Some people get around the heat by spending the afternoon at a hotel pool and then staying at the park till late at night.

Oh, you say you can't stay late with a 2-year-old? There's another reason not to go.

We did Disney the last week of May (before Memorial Day) last year and the crowds weren't bad at all. The only park that felt crowded was Magic Kingdom, but that was only in certain sections. Space Mountain was pratcially a walk-on. We hope to go back again this year.

The temps that week were above normal, in the 90s. Had to be close to 100* one day, ugh. Just take a lot of water with you -- Disney allows you to carry in your own.

PAAdams. My point was that it is expensive to take children to Disney. Usually trips to Grandma's house are not. I have often been to Disney and watched people with little ones who are crying their eyes out because of the heat and because they are overwhelmed and they are tired. We always traveled with our children and now with our grandchildren. There are lots of places you can can take little ones, I just would not take little ones to Disney

As was mentioned, before memorial day weekend in May would be okay. I think that weekend is a zoo at WDW.

Tampatoo- I agree with your views on the crying kids in the heat at WDW. I've seen many families that I thought needed to go back to their hotel rooms for a nap or a swim. However, just because some kids have difficult moments while at WDW doesn't mean they all will and no one under 5 should go.

There are posters here who think young children should stay home until they can remember it. I apologize for putting you in that category.

My perspective is that WDW is good place for young families to travel because it is so family friendly. If your child has a meltdown in line to see Mickey, you can easily walk away and get ice cream. If your child has a meltdown while visiting the vatican, that's a different situation. If your toddler throws his peas on the floor at Cinderella's Castle restaurnt, the waitperson is far more likely to clean it up with a smile than you would find in a 4* Manhattan restaurant.

I'm all for taking kids on any trip - makes them better travellers. My tips for WDW with toddlers:

1. Stay somewhere on the monorail if at all in the budget. When the kids are hot and tired getting back to the hotel quickly is critical for your sanity.

2. Go early and take a break by noon. Have some lunch, take a nap, go to the pool. The kids will love the pool more than anything else.

3. Plan an entire day with no parks - save on the admission ticket - just relax around your hotel or enjoy some of the low key activities such as the campfire singalong at FT. Wilderness or a bike ride.

4. Dont feel compelled to spend every minute at the parks just to "get your money's worth" out of the tickets. The kids can't handle it.

5. Don't stay out late late at the parks - its just too much go go go for the kids.

6. Don't be surprised if the big Mickey and Minney and Goofie scare the bejeebers out of your kids. They'll most likely do better with the "face" characters like Cinderella, Snow White etc.

7. Take healthy snacks with you so you can give the kids something to eat if you get stuck in a long line.

And there are 3 websites to check out

1, Mousesavers - for tips on discounts
2. allearsnet.com - for lots of info on the hotels and restaurants - including menus and pictures.
3. disboards.com - Don't go here until you've done a bit of research and need to ask a question. It can be overwhelming otherwise.

Have a great time. Its a wonderful place for families so long as Mom and Dad stay relaxed. Hopefully you can avoid the mistakes I made.

I don't have a clue about how crowded DisneyWorld may be, but I do know that MOST Florida schools will be out by May 18. I have addressed the subject of Florida's school calendar many times on this site.

October is not guaranteed to be cooler.
The October we went it was in the mid 90's every day. Yes, it was unusual, but did that matter?

The crowds shouldn't be too bad in May and it will be completely manageable if you use a good touring plan w/ best days information like The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, www.tourguidemike.com, or www.buildabettermousetrip.com

One advantage to going now is that the 2 year old will be free.

Remember that Disney is a "theme" park, not a "thrill" park so there will be tons of stuff for you to all do together. Probably neither kid will be tall enough for Space Mountain but they can still get the experience by going on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority which passes through Space Mountain. They should be able to do Splash Mountain.

At Epcot, do Ellen's Energy Adventure in the middle of the day because it is 45 minutes of air conditioning and it has dinosaurs but isn't scary. My daughter used to fall asleep.

Animal kingdom can be very hot - thankfully, the "festival of the Lion King" and "Finding Nemo, the Musical" both have AC. Be forwarned that some kids find "Its Tough to Be a Bug" (animal kingdom's 3-D movie) overwelming.
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I'm always telling people about this but it is such a great thing and super cheap - the Campfire Sing-Along with Chip & Dale. It is free but you can buy a s'mores kit w/ 2 sticks for about $5. http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com...-campfire.html

According to the "Unofficial Guide to Disney's" crowd calender (you have to own the book to access this website), the days of May 18-23 look good as far as crowds go. It picks up fro the 24th on. They are usually very accurate. Let me know if you have questions, and I can check other days for you. I would recommend buying their book, it is very good.

I concur with Bob_KY - we used the Unofficial Guide and the tips were worth the price of the book.

We were in Disneyland Paris with our 1 and 3 year old this past summer during a heat wave. It is definitely doable and enjoyable for the kids if done properly. Our 3 year old still talks about how much he loved it.

The key is not trying to do too much. Take cues from your kids, take it slow, see and do fewer things. Get there early, take long snack and lunch breaks (stroller naps while browsing air conditioned stores). Don't stay late if youa rrived early (or don't get there too early, arrive late afternoon one day if you'll be there more a few days). Don't feel you have to get your money's worth by seeing everything - set a slow pace, relax, and your kids will have a ball.

We took our kids to three European countries this past summer and had a great time - our oldest want to go back ASAP!

I always remind people of this; just because children may not remember an experience when they get older, they still learn and benefit from having had the experience.

Your kids will never remember anything you do for them in their first two years - the care, affection, reading to them, etc. but I think we'd all agree that they are beneficial, to say the least. Anything you expose your kids to, positive or negative, has an effect on the person they will become. Travel (seeing and hearing new cultures, language, sights, etc.) is no exception.

Hope this helps,
John

Hey lissettemac -- I would avoid Memorial Day Weekend like the plague. But the 19th and 3-4 days afterward don't seem like they would be too crowded. Whomever told you to stay a short momorail ride away from the park gave you great advice. If there is a meltdown, you can quickly get back to your digs for a nap and/or swim. With a 2 year old, you always need to be prepared to leave.

As for your concern about your kids being too far apart in age to do the same things if you wait until next year....my sister and I are 4 years apart. When we were little, we would do some things (Small World, Teacups) as a family, then my parents would split up and each take one of us to the stuff more suited for our age. It actually helped prevent the "too much togetherness" symdrome that can happen on family vacations. We'd meet back for lunch and swap stories.