I realize it won't be anything like any other trip I've had before (you know, cram in as many e-tickets as you can. LOL).

I can't believe it, but I haven't been in a little over 3 years. I am SO excited (as well as freaked out b/c Dh thinks Ds is going to be able to take a nap in the stroller, but that is another story).

Thank you.
8=)

Is your child potty trained? If not, get familiar with the location of the Baby Center on main street...they have training potties you can use if you need to.

Originally posted by Melaniee
I realize it won't be anything like any other trip I've had before (you know, cram in as many e-tickets as you can. LOL).

I can't believe it, but I haven't been in a little over 3 years. I am SO excited (as well as freaked out b/c Dh thinks Ds is going to be able to take a nap in the stroller, but that is another story).

Thank you.
8=)

Just take it easy - eventually the little one will run out of steam and want to take a nap. Force it, and you're liable to get a "Terrible 2s" stubborn "NO!" reaction.

Time to get yourselves Annual Passes, so you don't have that "got to get my money's worth today!" urgency. If Junior wants to take a nap, you can go out to the car and read a book while he snoozes...

Junior won't need one till next year (though IMHO they realy should offer a discounted AP for ages 3 to 10)

And don't force him to do anything - that's how fears and phobias get started. Take him to the kid shows like Snow (when it opens), Buzz Lightyear "Calling all space scouts" and Playhouse Disney Live, and see how he likes them. Hang out with Rod at the Coke Corner piano(*), the Billies, Royal St. Bachelors and the other musicians, you might kindle an interest in good music. Interact with the characters. Let HIM decide whether he's having fun.

:fez: --<< Bruce >>--

(* - I was about to make a true but "not very complimentary" comment and mention another name, but upon further reflection {"If you can't say anything nice..."} I'll save the Moderators the trouble of deleting it. Let's just leave it at "there are other pianists also playing that piano." They can figure it out. :rolleyes: )

Is all about size...at 2 1/3 my boy was going on Matterhorn (36") and 2 3/4 Space Mountain (40") Once they hit 40" the only "E" ticket ride he can't go on is INDY. (at Disneyland)

A nap durring the day doen't happen with mine but the day does end about 8pm.

Its all about what vibe he is getting before you ride. If your pushing for him to ride and mom doesn't feel its a good idea your kid to ride, he will get mix signs and not want to ride.

Don't forget the baby swap (no you dont give up your kid) that way one person can ride then the person who is wating with the kid get to use the exit (on most rides) and not have to wate

Ap is a great idea so you can take it slow. The Anti disney logic says you can still get him/her in for free well after the 3rd birthday and just get him his first pass when it is time to renew yours.

Based on taking my two boys (now 5 and 2.5), I think the best thing is to know your kid.

Babies are actually easier than 2-year-olds. Many rides you think they're going to like, might freak them out- such as the Fantasyland Dark Rides. I suggest you start with Peter Pan because it's the least scary. Snow White and Pinocchio are the scariest rides- don't try those until you've tested others. After PP, you might try Alice in Wonderland and/or Toad. If those go well, try Pirates, but know your kid about Haunted Mansion. Oh! Another easy dark ride, as much as I hate the character, is the Pooh ride in Critter Country.

Our sons looooooove trains. If yours does, be sure to hit the trains! They love Casey Jr and the DL RR.

Bring snacks with you and juice boxes/water bottles/sippy cups. I keep goldfish and fruit snacks. If I buy snacks, I go for pretzels before sugary foods. The second half of this column (http://www.mouseplanet.com/akrock/ak010829.htm) is tips for packing a diaper bag for DL, and the first half of this column (http://www.mouseplanet.com/akrock/ak010921.htm) has more reader tips for packing backpacks & diaper bags.

Bring your own stroller (http://www.mouseplanet.com/akrock/akrock3.htm). You'll be able to take it out of the park with you and to help carry your diaper bag/snacks/sweatshirts. Be sure you take your wallet, camera and valuables with you, however, whenever you leave it alone.

Most of the Disneyland bathrooms have good sized changing tables, but the best changing tables in the park are in the Baby Care Center. (http://www.mouseplanet.com/akrock/hello.htm) They're cushioned and large.

I could go on and on ;) But I love to tell parents taking little ones for the first time: Have a GREAT trip, I know you will!

Adrienne

Thank you thank you thank you! All of these are wonderful suggestions.

Thanks for the links Adrienne, I actually scoured your pages a year ago or so but my memory definitely needs a boost.

edited to add: As I've been told, the plan is to stay at Paradise Pier tomorrow, then do Downtown Disney that night and Disneyland the next day. Any tips about the hotel and shopping? And, no, apparently the plan is not up for modifications. LOL.

Can't recommend the mid-day break highly enough. Get out of the Park for a bit and de-stress. Wander around DD before the evening crowds, explore the koi fish ponds and other wonders at the DLH hotel, maybe lunch at the uncrowded, good food, and relatively cheap(for Disney) Whitewater Snacks at the GCH.


Have a great time!

All kids are going to be different.

My observation (pre-parent) was that kids can be scared of the
dark. Take them into one dark ride and they'll never want to go
on another 'ride' again...

Start with Small World. It's bright and non threatening. And the
other benefit is that the lines are usually short.

Since we're here, I have to share a story. We're APers from
NorCal and get down about once a quarter....

My daughter is a big fan of iasw and we watch an old Vault Disney
tape of the ride...

So we take her in the Spring, and she's a little more than 2. As
we go through the ride, they have removed the bagpiper boy
from Scotland. My daughter (w/o any input from us) pointed to
the empty castle and said:
"Missing Boy! Missing Boy!"

During summer, she was excited to see if they had 'fixed missing
boy!' Sure enough he was back in the ride...

We went during Christmas and this time she says, "Missing duck!"
Pointing to the Holland scene. The middle of three ducks is
missing. I didn't believe her (hey, two looked 'balanced') until
I got home and reviewed the tape...

So the point (beyond being proud of my daughter) is that even
little ones can notice the details and the magic.

Another pieces of advice...

Get an autograph book. If your child likes characters, it'll extend
your time with them.

Take the nap.

Just being in DL is a lot of stimulation for a 2-year-old. A mid-day break at the hotel keeps the kids from being tired and cranky. It keeps the parents rested and more patient. It also allows you to extend your evening a little, letting your children experience DL after dark. Mine always loved the lights.

Be careful if your there for the fireworks. They can be very loud and scary for small children. Take your time and have fun. Experiencing DL through your children's eyes is really magical.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions. Of course my husband had more surprises up his sleeve that I didn't know about. The reason we could not switch the days was because we had friends meeting us there to join us and to help get us in for free. So, we didn't 'upgrade' to an AP this time, but I definitely think it's worth it next time. I am so SPOILED by these wonderful February trips (my whole childhood), I can't imagine waiting in the long summer lines or navigating the crowds with strollers. It was so lovely yesterday. We didn't have to wait longer than 10 minutes for a ride (of course most of the big 'uns were closed).

We didn't do the mid-day break b/c we had no where to break to, but surprise of all surprises, my husband was right and our son took a nap in his stroller for over an hour and a half!

Our son really liked the Jungle Cruise, Small World, the Train, Casey Jr., Autopia (of course)...I think that is all he went on. He HATED and was FRIGHTENED of the characters b/c the moron who plays Max at the hotel that morning scared him, on freakin' purpose. You'd think that before someone gets that job llike that they get a short lesson on interacting with specific age groups of children. Still trying to decide if I should complain or not. He was scared out of his mind and we had to hastily ditch our $40 breakfast. That ruined characters for him the rest of the trip and he would say, "no mickey! no mickey!" even though we never saw him. I think he thought all characters were "mickey."

It was a great time and we did get to enjoy Rod at the piano. My husband bought his Cd after. I wish we'd had more time just to sit, but the hours slipped by amazingly fast.

I feel so bad I didn't give you my character tips before you left!! :(

First of all, I don't mean at all to discourage you from your letter because it does sound like Max might need a reminder about how to approach little ones.

That said, many 2-y/o's just don't do characters well. My older son FREAKED OUT when he saw characters from the time he was about 1 to about 3 or 4-y/o! Our younger son is a lot more comfortable with characters but the first time we approach them during a visit, we are very careful to hold them and approach the characters slowly.

Of course, if Max scared your son, that could totally undo any positive interaction you'd had earlier in the day. I'm sorry that happened, but do know that this is common with that age group. I promise, he'll warm up to characters! Today we have great photos with my older son- heck, he asks to stand in line to see the characters I could just as well do without.... (Honey, do you REALLY need to see POOH???)

Adrienne

The "no mickey! no mickey!" story reminds me of a trip my son took to the zoo when he was newly-verbal. This zoo lets their peacocks roam free, which is usually great. Except that a male put himself on display literally right in front of my son, strapped into his stroller, and completely freaked him out.

For the next three months, whenever he would meet anyone new, he would be sure to tell them "Go away, peacock!"

(Well, technically it was "Doe away, pea-tot", but you get the idea.)

This zoo lets their peacocks roam free

Which zoo? I know the Cincinnati zoo lets their peacocks roam free, but, that's not near Ann Arbor. Whenever we go to the Cincinnati zoo (which is several times a year--it is much nicer than the Indianapolis zoo), we don't consider our trip complete until we have seen at least one peacock.

The Toledo Zoo. Both Toledo and Detroit are about an hour from us, but Toledo's layout is a bit more young-child-friendly.

http://www.toledozoo.org/

I'm sorry I didn't see your post sooner.

I was going to say that my daugter was terrified of the characters when she was 2 1/2.

For anyone else who might be reading this post and going with small kids, before we went when she was 3, we bought all of the live action Disney sing alongs (like "Campout at DisneyWorld" "Beach Party at Disneyland"). These videos have the characters singing and dancing with a whole lot of kids. We watched them over and over again so that all of the characters were her friends (and she could also see that the "big" kids had lots of fun with the characters).

Six months after the first trip, she was running up to all of the characters, hugging them and getting their autographs. I really think the tapes made a HUGE difference.