Florida with child under 2 years
 

Looking for some age appropriate suggestions regarding specific sites/attractions in the Orlando/Disney etc.. area for a child just under 2 years of age and her 2 parents. Obviously(?) I have no intention of bringing her on any thrill rides....so what are the few spots in the parks to bring a toddler to?

Sea World!! Great shows, you can get up close & personal while animals are being fed. The attendants at many attractions are terrific about talking to little kids (& parents) to answer questions about the animals. Many opportunities to touch rays, starfish, etc. Take your own stroller & little one can nap when she gets tired. Magic Kingdom & Animal Kingdom will be best at disney. Be sure to do safari ride & take her to conservation Station at AK. Also the Lego Store at downtown Disney Marketplace has a FREE outdoor play area kids love, & there is a small playground near the Disney ticket / travel center there. I would not go to Universal with a child this age, and only thing she will be able to enjoy at Islands of Adventure is Dr. Seuss Land - wait a few more years & she will be able to ride most everything at Universal & IOA. One more thing - the play park at the McDonald's on Sand Lake Road (there are LOTS of signs!) is free and I spent 4 hours there one day with my then 4 year old while my hubby & older child went to Universal.

Both Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom have sections devoted just to young children (Camp Minnie and Mickey at AK; I'm drawing a blank on the one at Magic Kingdom). You can also take your child on several rides in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom - Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh. Make sure when you get to the Parks, you get a schedule of character appearances. Your child, while young, may still enjoy having a character breakfast. The one at Crystal Palace in MK with Winnie the Pooh and friends is wonderful. If you want to go on a thrill ride, you can do the child swap with your husband where one person rides while the other waits with the child, and then you switch (this is all done without having to go through the line again). At MGM, she may enjoy climbing on the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground. The Muppets show is cute, but it is 3-D which she might not be ready for. The Beauty and the Beast show is wonderful. At AK, the Lion King show is also a must. And, of course, there are always the parades. Whatever you choose to do, listen to your daughter. If she is tired, don't push her. Make sure you schedule plenty of nap and relaxing time. I'm not saying you didn't consider that, but when my husband and I were at Disney in October, we were shocked at all the parents who were dragging their toddlers and infants through the park when the kids clearly were upset and and tired. Please email me if you have any questions regarding Disney; I've been there 18 times and may be going back in the summer for my 19th trip (my daughter's first).

Hello. We live in England and have been to Florida 6 times. The 2 most recent trips we took our Baby son , he was just under 2years old on the last trip. <BR>To be honest there are only a few activities at the theme parks to recommend. <BR>I would say of the Disney Parks only the Magic Kingdom is suitable for very young children, our son loved Toontown where Mickey and Minnie's houses are and also liked the nearby racetrack where he watched the cars going by for ages. Maybe It's a small world is worth a go. <BR>Universal is not suitable for young children at all, however, my boy loved Barney's indoor Playground which is well worth a visit if you go. <BR>The main advice i would give ( i am not sure if you have been to Orlando before) <BR>is to be very aware that a) The parks are always busy ,b)It will be very hot <BR>and c) At the end of the day you will be very tired! <BR>Make sure you take your own Stroller as the ones provided are not very comfortable and no good for sleeping. <BR>We always bring our own with us, even though we live in England. <BR>Drink plenty of liquids and try to keep baby as cool as possible. <BR>Arrive early in the morning, take a break around 12:00 and return refreshed around 16:00. <BR>I also agree with one of the other replies about Disney Marketplace, there is a Lego play-area near McDonalds which is good and also the water-fountains outside the Disney Store are good too, well my son thinks so! <BR>Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions.

I don't feel that any of the Theme Parks are appropriate, so I'd seek out other avenues.

Florida is much too dangerous for bringing children two years or under. None of the theme parks are intended for small children that young. Furthermore, with all the sexual promiscuity that is prevalent in Florida such as half nude models and prostitutes frequenting the streets, Florida is not the proper place for a small child in need of a solid upbringing. Even the theme parks such as Disney's oftentimes promote immoral ideologies such as racism or fear of native Americans that will not promote openmindedness in children.

Hey AMS: <BR> <BR>Get a LIFE!!

I totally disagree with all the negative words used by AMS to describe Florida for kids. We spent two fantastic weeks there last winter, and our daughter of ten months really enjoyed the beaches, swimming pools and parts of the theme parks. I would especially recommend Animal Kingdom (be sure to make a stop at the dinosaur digging site) and of course Sea World. For accommodations, I would recommend the "kids' suite" at some of the Holiday Inns in Orlando. <BR>Even coming from Norway, we felt safe at all times in Florida!

Good people, <BR>I do not understand why you keep responding to a reactionary like AMS. It's not worth it. Ignore him. Please.

To the prior comment: <BR>Now look, Karyn. I expressed my point of view and Kjell expressed his. Obviously we disagree but we respect each other enough to know the exchange of insults is unwarranted. To Karyn and others like you, I ask, when will you begin to recognize that just because someone disagrees with your point of view does not justify you insulting that person. <BR> <BR>And to Kjell, two messages up, I just like to clarify I did not use negative words but rather was merely decribing what I regard to be a negative situation.

Karyn, I don't know about you, but for sometime now I have been developing a picture of what this AMS person looks like and does. I picture AMS standing on a street corner day in and day out handing out brochures and chanting like Chicken Little in the "the sky is falling" fashion..."go home tourist the boogie man will get you". You would think that he would take his own advice and "get the Hell out of Dodge".

To Mustang 81, one message up: <BR>Somehow your pseudoname looks familiar. I once refuted you on my forum "Florida Is Still Unsafe". Sorry for damaging your ego but you deserved it. <BR> <BR>Your idea would have been an excellent idea for distrubuting informative brochures to the public, (I'm not referring to Chicken Little or Boogie man nonsense but truly informative brochures on safety),that is, if the street corners were available. Unfortunately, the street corners in Florida are reserved for pimps, and prostitutes and other street vendors protected by the mafia. <BR>

Am planning a trip to WDW in November,2000 w/a 2.5 year old. Besides Magic/Animal Kingdoms, is Disney-MGM Studios and/or Epcot a good idea?

I have to agree wholeheartedly about SeaWorld. We've been to Orlando twice and spent days there with our son without setting foot in Disney. We took him at 17 mos. in the month of May to Magic Kingdom and he hated it. He was hot and terrified of the characters walking around--which surprised us because he's never been a timid child. <BR> <BR>We're going next month--our son is now 4--and a 1 yr old daughter, and plan on visiting the Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Magic Kingdom--in that order, or he'll expect everything to look like MK, as well as our usual 2-3 days at SeaWorld. <BR>Some suggestions I have for your trip (based on experience): <BR>1. Do NOT go during May-September due to the heat and humidity. <BR>2. Get a suite to provide separate sleeping area for your son--the privacy will help him sleep better, and give you space while he's napping. Condos are great because you can make a quick breakfast and get an early start. <BR>3. Plan to do activities early, then head back to hotel for a nap. Overtired children make for cranky kids and adults. <BR>4. Don't try to conquer the whole park--you will not succeed with a 2 yr old and will only aggravate everyone trying to do it. <BR>5. Some of the non-ride attractions are too loud for a small child's ears. <BR>6. Take a towel in a plastic bag, because when it rains you will need something to dry the stroller with. <BR> <BR>I also have to agree that Universal--even Barney--doesn't work for young children. Our son loved Barney, so we went there for that purpose alone and he was terrified--it's the only picture I have of my son crying his eyes out in 4 years!