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Thread: Disneyland with a 19 month old

  1. #1

    Disneyland with a 19 month old

    I'm in pre-planning stages for a Disneyland trip hopefully in September or October 2018. My little guy will be about 19 months.
    I've read alot of tips from planning websites but I want to hear tips from real people.

    Any tips on how to make the trip easier(car ride, waiting in line, anything really)?
    Any cant miss rides or attractions you would recommened?
    What were your kids favorite rides at that age?
    How can I get him prepared for the rides and meeting characters?
    Any other advice?

    Please dont tell me not to do it because its going to happen! (Hes free until hes 3 and I know he won't remember but his dad and I will. )

    I have done disney with little ones its just been a really long time and they werent my kids.

    Thanks!


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  3. #2
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    You won't hear "don't take him" around here. We love babies and Disneyland around here.
    Best way to prepare him is to start watching youtube videos of rides. You can get a feel for what he likes but he will be less scared with familiar sounding rides.


  4. #3

    Thanks! I've posted in other forums before and people kept telling me not to take him. I'm excited to take him. It'll be fun. Thanks for the youtube tip.


  5. #4

    Hmm, 19 months is a tough age for Disneyland. Which is NOT me trying to talk you out of it - my kids are 9 & 11 now and we had annual passes until just a couple years ago so they were along for the ride for a long, long time.

    I can't give you any too specific advise because it will really depend on YOUR kid. Each of mine were very different. My son happily took pictures of all of the Disney characters. My daughter wanted nothing to do with them and clung on to a mom or dad for dear life while brother took his photos. I don't know if it helped or not, but as a Disney family we had various character stuffed animals and we sometimes enjoyed taking a picture with Chip and stuffed Chip; Mickey and stuffed Mickey; etc.

    Things that will make life easier are managing your expectations. This probably won't be a get at the part when it opens and stay until they kick us out trip, unless you plan on taking a lot of breaks during the day. Depending on how many adults are going, you can do rider (aka baby) swap for the rides that have height restrictions. At 19 months, he will be sitting up by himself so that shouldn't be an issue for any of the rides without height restrictions. Even if he is somehow tall enough for any of the height restricted rides, I wouldn't recommend going on them at his age (my oldest was tall enough for Matterhorn [pre-refurbishment and height increase] a bit before age 2).

    When my kids were learning to walk, they liked to practice - everywhere. This meant that we planned down-time in less crowded theaters (Muppets was a favorite back before they converted it to the movie preview theater) This is why I say that this is a tough age. They are old enough to no longer be quite as content to just hang out in the stroller, but still too young to fully appreciate waiting in lines.

    As you get closer to your trip, pay attention to what you do on outings to your local mall or Target/Walmart. The same distraction, diversion techniques you use there will likely be what you want at Disneyland. If he has a favorite stroller toy, bedtime stuffed animal, blanket for nap, bring them! Things like whether your kid can/will sleep in a stroller will also affect how you plan your day. If the kid can sleep in a stroller that stops and starts, then you can use nap-time and rider switch to go on some of the height-restricted rides. If he can't do that easily, then you are probably looking at a trip back to your hotel room or finding a quiet(ish) or shady spot and having one person with the stroller while the other(s) go on rides. Or use nap time for a longer meal for adults.

    Both parks have Baby Centers that can be used to warm up food and feed kids, so take advantage. They also have/had a few jars of overpriced baby food for parents in a pinch. Most of the quick casual restaurants also have/had toddler meals.


  6. #5

    OK so I have posted this is the past but I don't think it hurts to restate things. I took my daughter at 18 months and guess what it was magical. But I think it was magical because I knew my disney experience was going to be different going in. Before her I would stay open to close going from ride to ride. With her I knew it's not important to be at rope drop or stay till close. I think I went on a couple of "BIG" rides but other than that it was small rides and I had so much fun. She wasn't too interested in meeting characters so we basically skipped that (except for mickey in toontown). She loved it's a small world so we rode that 3 times in a row. Priorities are different but that made it more fun for the adults to be honest. I will also say we made great use of the nursery station (I think that's what it's called). Changing diapers there made me feel a lot more relaxed with the atmosphere. We went in September and one thing I wasn't counting on was the heat. Triple digits on one day. Being from Seattle we are not used to that at all so making her comfortable was key, unfortunately not too many shady parts in fantasyland so taking a long lunch indoors was a cooling break. So my advice. Go slow and enjoy. It truly is a wonderful experience seeing disney through your kids eyes.

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  7. #6
    Disneyphiles Janis and Aaron's Avatar
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    Follow your kid's lead. Be flexible. Yes, you spent a lot of money to go but don't hesitate to throw in the towel if necessary. Look for the small magical moments. Take lots of pictures. What she loves and what she fears might surprise you, so pay close attention to her reactions. (Some of the Fantasyland dark rides can be too intense for some kids. *cough* Snow White *cough*) Find out-of-the-way places where she can burn off steam.

    We took our oldest child for the first time when she was about 1. We practically drove from the hospital to Disneyland with kid #2. There is so much that is magical about the park, especially when you see it through your kid's eyes like others have said. I hope you make many happy memories on your trip.

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  8. #7

    I think my son was around 23 months on his first visit. I've really come to believe that a lot of what they get excited about is because we get excited about that thing and they pick up the vibe. I had been living overseas and there was very little Disney culture there as opposed to living in the US, so I let my son watch a tonne of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes and got him a few books and colouring books, etc so he would even get an idea of who Mickey Mouse is. So by the time we went, he just about worshipped this mouse (can we all relate?) that we were going to see. So much so that he would happily walk up to most characters, but not Mickey. I think it was a case of being starstruck, seriously!

    Here are a couple of things that worked for us although, as you know, children are all different.

    -Letting go of "I've spent hundreds to get here and my child is just chasing the sparrows" and embracing taking pictures of my child chasing the sparrows...with the castle in the background ;-) Also, like someone else said, expect it to be different simply because the pace is slower and just soak in all those luscious parenting moments. I think I took a million photos on my son's first trip.

    -Sticking to nap times so you don't head into meltdown mode. You suddenly realise how loud the entire park is! There is a great child care room at the hub end of main street (they have supplies for sale too!), and the quietest place we found for a nap in the stroller was a little garden in New Orleans Square. But I think it's pretty quiet just beyond the Pooh Bear ride, too, if there are benches. If you are staying nearby, though, I'd opt for the hotel.

    -If he is used to babywearing, switch up stroller riding, baby wearing, and toddling along. He may have a nap or two on your back! Are you catching the sleep thing here? It's such a long day of overstimulation!

    -If they still make them, we had a snack cup that had a rubbery cover with a slot in it so his little hand could fish out snacks while in the stroller without dumping the whole thing, raisins, cereal, etc. I had this great set of plastic chain links to attach it to the stroller so it wouldn't go far if dropped. Also, small sized juice boxes are great, especially if you can have them in the freezer before you take off so they are cold for a while. Just get everyone in your party to carry one so one person isn't carrying all the extra weight.

    -Changes of clothes, nappies/diapers, a hat and sunscreen. One thing that caught us out was trying to buy pants in the park when my son was around 5, I believe, and ended up soaked. T shirts galore in the shops but very difficult to buy pants if they get cold or wet so plan for that.

    -Make a beeline for Small World in the morning because that queue is seemingly always long, or seems it with a toddler! Heck, it seems like it with my now 8 year old!

    -Apart from the obvious ones, avoid Pinocchio's Daring Journey. By the time we came out my son was crying and the baby behind us was crying too. Fantasyland's not all fun and games!

    All these things are flooding back to me now! So excited for you! Have a lovely trip


    P.S. You may already know this but there is a Dumbo "plane" behind the ride so you can take photos in it without trying to get one on the actual ride. Carousel photos are also such a cute souvenir!

    "Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Alice, Alice in Wonderland

  9. #8
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Stroller, don't leave anything you'd be unhappy if it walked away but we left lots of stuff on it without any issues. $10 Walmart sweatshirt got left, $50 Disneyland one did not. Our lunches? Someone must need it more than us. Be aware CMs move strollers constantly to keep them organized and out of the way.


  10. #9

    I used to be pretty firmly in the camp of waiting till a child was 5 or 6. That changed a few years ago when I visited DL with my brother, his wife, and their 2 year old daughter. She had a blast, and went on almost everything. When she got tired we pulled into some shade, tipped the stroller back, and let her sleep for 30 minutes or so while the adults people watched. A really fun day!

    The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
    - James Taylor

  11. #10

    Just set your expectations that you're not going to be doing everything and at the pace you want and you'll be fine. I've taken an 18 month old and a 4 year old who's on the spectrum by myself and we still had an amazing time. The thing is, you just have to let it go and do what the kids want and make sure they nap and eat. If you do that you're golden. If they want to ride small world 3 times in a row, awesome! If they don't want to ride your favorite ride, too bad, but it'll be there next time. The only issue I had was my 18 month old wanted to run away while in line, so I used my ergo and the stroller a whole lot more since I had two kids and I was alone. One kid with two parents should be fine, you can even ride swap if the little one is sleeping. Have a wonderful trip!


  12. #11
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Eat. Nap. Also fluids. More crankiness from dehydration than anything else.


  13. #12
    Registered User
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    I have to say this is really the last place you will hear people tell someone not to take their young child. I know others can be down right cruel over it all but not here. I will say I have 3 kids (19 yrs, 15 yrs and 11 yrs). I have been taking the oldest since he was about 2 yrs old. The middle one since he was 2 months old and the youngest 1 month old.

    I agree about each one being different with things they are ok with and like. My boys are the older 2 and youngest is the princess. She is so opposite her brothers. She doesn't care for super loud noises and would get startled easily when young so we kept her from rides like POTC and HM...along with the loud dark rides. We wanted to be respectful of others there and didn't want to risk a chance she might have started crying on the rides. It took her a long time to do many rides even though she say videos but now she all those rides and some. Haven't touched Space or Matterhorn yet and a few in DCA though and it took her until the last year to get her on Thunder, Indy, POTC. She loves them now. There are a few spots in some rides that do get to loud for her still and she is not a fan of fireworks. Now as for your little ones age, as long as the loud noises aren't an issue, Fantasyland rides are great to do. Small World will probably be one of the best ones with the music and dolls in it. I would recommend trying to go with Sept over Oct if you can because of how much more crowded Oct gets. With a stroller its harder the more people there are to get around. Don't over pack. Take what you know you will need with a few extras. Can always keep some more in the car if you don't mind going back for it or in a locker but most seem to pack to much that never ends up needed. With the time of year make sure lots of water for you all and sunscreen. Take breaks in a shady spot at times where it might be a little quieter and your little one can rest some. Baby center-use them as much as you need. I would go out of the way to do so because its less hectic for changing diapers and feedings when they are small. Be aware that he either will love the characters or be scared of them. Or even just be scared of some and not others. My oldest loved Buzz but first time he saw him was in awe and scared. Buzz even got on the ground to be more at his level but he was still not sure so we thanked Buzz and moved on. My daughter loved all the ones like Mickey but when it came to the Princesses she was unsure...that was until a wonderful Snow White came up to talk to her. I will never forget that one and she made our day. Let him see them from a safe distance and go from there with him. As was said go at his pace. Break for naps. Which is really a great time for parents to switch off on some rides he can't go on. Make sure to bring snacks he likes so you have them on hand when you need. A blanket is great to have around too to shade him in the stroller during naps and keep everything from view too.

    Someone suggested already but am going to repeat it as well...let him watch youtube videos of the rides he can go on.

    Another reminder to always watch what you leave in the strollers. We had never had problems with them being touched but we just would leave snacks/waters and whatever jackets in them. And to lessen what was carried around I always used the diaper bag as a purse as well. So it was always on me like my purse would be.

    Go by City Hall to get him a 1st Visit button.

    With that I hope you all have the best time ever! It is a whole different experience with your own child and watching them in Disneyland. With each age comes something new as well. You will love watching his face as he takes things in and how he reacts to everything.

    A crowded day at Disneyland beats a busy day of housework!!

    According to my princess, its not Star Wars land its "You stole my goats away from me!!......in progress land"

  14. #13
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Berry Princess try foam earplugs for her. She can still hear, just less volume. My youngest hates loud noise. The music is too loud on some rides, she doesn't like fireworks or the chainsaw when we are wood cutting. You can get them at stores in the earcare department or at Home Depot near the power tools.


  15. #14
    Registered User
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    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    Berry Princess try foam earplugs for her. She can still hear, just less volume. My youngest hates loud noise. The music is too loud on some rides, she doesn't like fireworks or the chainsaw when we are wood cutting. You can get them at stores in the earcare department or at Home Depot near the power tools.
    Thanks for that but she won't put anything in her ears. We had thought about them years ago because my husband had ones around for when he was playing with a band. She does usually have her pair of regular headphones along with her though in her purse if she needs them. It cuts it down some sounds. Some of the noises on rides she just deals with though. I had warned her about it at the end of Thunder Mtn and the first few rides I helped cover her ears. This last time she said she would be ok. The only time of year we really ever watch fireworks is this time of year and we do it once. Otherwise if we are there we try to be on a ride (we have found the sound isn't so hard to take by Autopia) or in the stores shopping for the most part. I have to say that I so appreciate that you can understand this. Thank you.
    A crowded day at Disneyland beats a busy day of housework!!

    According to my princess, its not Star Wars land its "You stole my goats away from me!!......in progress land"

  16. #15
    Registered User Tinker44's Avatar
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    Ear plugs were 100% essential for our lil guy (11). I think its one of the best parenting in the parks tips ever! There were a lot of times he would keep them in long after the ride just because of the ambient noise of thousands of people, nearby attractions, younger kids screaming/crying etc. It helped him cope, and as a result we were all much happier!

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  17. #16
    Registered User cactusgirl's Avatar
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    For years we would joke that Fantasmic automatically put our child to sleep. It probably was just that she was tired at the end of the day and the snuggling just put her straight to sleep. It was the same for fireworks...obviously she didn't have a problem with noise. Honestly, 19 months can be easier than 3-4 as they tend to go along with the flow.

    To prep for our first visit, I would pop in old Disney vacation planning videos. Specifically, we watched the parts where kids ran up to characters and hugged them. We watched these. A lot. All kids are different, but I think seeing these "taught" her what to do and she was never afraid. Plus, since we started so early, she wasn't afraid of characters at 3 and 4.

    My biggest tip is to bring your personal stroller. It's a pain, but it is comfortable and will probably let your little one take naps. The second one is to have snacks. Lots and lots of snacks that he is used to. It's tempting to just nosh on all of the Disneyland goodness, but that sometimes can upset tummies. You can enjoy the churro. At that age, I think we one spent like 5 hours in Flick's Fun Fair. The hubs was ready to slit his wrists, but our girl had fun.

    This will be great.


  18. #17
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Seeing pictures of the new Disney strollers....bring yours!


  19. #18
    Registered User missm's Avatar
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    Washington State

    I love all the advice here. The advice I have received mad allnof my trips with my little one so much easier.

    There are a ton of old threads in the baby center that are full of good advice.

    The most used thing for us on my daughter's first two trips was the Baby Centers. We liked to pop in for diaper changes, then potty breaks, feeding time, etc.

    The one thing I have stuck to on all of our trips into not break routine. My husband and I went from parkstormers to going at a slower pace and taking a huge break everyday back at the hotel. The afternoon time can still be hard for my girl and she is 5.

    We love Bugs Land and spend a lot of time there. Same with Fantasyland. We carry snacks and water for lines and don't go on rides if the line is too long.

    I've never loved Disneyland as much as I do now that I get to go with my daughter.


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