This May I am taking my first trip to WDW with toddlers. My ~3 yr old neice and nephew and 6 mo old nephew. My question is...how much time should I allow for touring the parks with toddlers? All of my previous trips have been with adults and I have always been able to tour any park in one day and AK and MGM in half a day. I realize I will not be able to make that kind of time with the munchkin's. Do you suggest I adjust my usual schedule to 1/2 speed or even 1/3 speed? Ride choice is not an issue as I am an overgrown toddler and would normally ride all of the kiddie rides that my neice and nephew are looking forward to. No thrill rides here! Our preliminary days in the park are as follows:
Mon 5/22 - EPCOT
Tue 5/23 - MK
Wed 5/24 - AK/MGM
Thu - MK
If anyone has specific experiences (ie - we really need to ride Dumbo first) please chime in. I really need your help as I have been deligated to do all of the planning and scheduling. Thx.

I strongly suggest that you divide the day into sections, and not try to stay in any park for more than about four hours at a time. With kids that young, I would not spend that much time in Epcot. Go early in the day, when they are well-rested, and do whatever rides you can get to. Don't even think about standing in any long lines-if there's a long wait and no fastpass, forget it. Note that there are, sometimes, alternative rides that don't have as long a wait. If there is a 40 minute wait for Dumbo, head for Alladin's Magic Carpet ride-it's basically the same movement. Fortunately, most of the really little kid rides are basically line-free. IASM, the merry-go-round, etc. Most very young children will "hit the wall" after a few hours of park stimulation. They may do a little better at AK, which is not as noisy and "busy." If you sense even the slightest sign of meltdown, after a few hours, trust me, it won't get better. Plan to leave the park, and head back to the hotel, for a rest and swim, or, at least, a much quieter activity or walk, away from the crowds. The baby will need naptime, anyway. Then head back to the same or a different park late in the afternoon. Strollers for all the kids are also strongly advised. Also, be very aware of the child's tolerance for noise or darkness. My four-year-old still doesn't like any rides that are in the dark, even if they are not scary, and this also applied to some of the attractions at Epcot, which are mostly just a slow ride. They may also not care for the 3-D presentations, which may scare them. Also, be very aware of the child's "stomach clock." We actually find restaurant meals to be much more successful if they kids are not really starving, and we usually plan our dinners way on the early side. If the restaurant starts serving at 5, we are there. On our last trip, we ended up with an AR at nearly 7, and, even though we had given the kids a snack, they had a very hard time waiting for the table. Always keep some simple snack food, such as crackers and water available. You can have a wonderful time with the kids, if you pace yourself to their needs.

Once the kids get to the MK and go to Fantasyland, you may not get out! Small kids love the rides. Toontown is also a big hit, if they like characters. Be prepared to ride It's a Small World 5 or more times durring your vacation (We did! And survived!). I would plan more time for MK. Epcot may not be such a big hit. If they will sleep in the stroller, then I would just keep walking or try to ride adult rides and baby swap. Bring lots of sunscreen and buy lots of water, and watch that they don't overheat. Have fun! My daughter has been there 3 times (soon to be 4) and she is 3 (soon to be 4 as well).

IASM - yeah, I usually ride that 5 times myself. Like I said, ride selection should not be a problem as I am right on their level. My munchkins have watched all of the disney planning videos and they have been telling their mommy (my sister) the rides they want to ride. My neice is a little daredevil, so I don't think she will be a problem. But my nephew (yes, the 3 yr old one) is a scaredy cat. So we will have to be very careful with him. Thanks for the great tip about dinner times. I usually like to eat pretty early anyways (to avoid the rush). I am starting to think we might just be able to do this.

NAPS will be your best friend. I highly recommend that you take a nap when the kids do also. It can be a great stress reliever. Going to WDW with kids will increase your stress level even if you don't realize it. Just go slow and realize that the ones in the stroller will probably want some down time to get out and stretch their legs. Also, most characters will get down on the toddler's level if they sense the concern. I have numerous pictures of the characters on the floor playing with my son. Also, snacks are great. We normally have little boxes of cereal with us for the kids. But realize if you leave the stroller with cereal on the tray, birds will find it and eat it.