Disney with an 8 Month Old and Toddler???

In all honesty it would be nuts. Just came back and
could not believe the crying little ones. Three year old
children actually tend to be frightened by the characters.
When my kids were young we usually did things that they
would really enjoy. I know you would love to see the joy
on their faces, but they won't reme ber a thing and the
three year old will be tired. Now if you have relatives
who live by Disney and you would just go for a day, that
would work. But if you are planning a week at Disney,
I would think twice. I feel that when the youngest of the
family is 7 yo that is the perfect time to go. Sorry to
be a downer, just being honest.

Hi! I grew up near Disneyland in CA. I don't remember going there until I was six years old. I wouldn't take my son there until he is at least that old, even though I can get in for free. I think it's a very overwhelming place for little ones. Sincerely, J.

I got the same itch you are getting at the same time my boys were 9 months and 2 yrs old. We went to an all inclusive in Florida and it was BY FAR the WORST vaca of my life!! I would not recom a vaca until they are a bit older. If you can bring an extra pair of hands with you...ie a nanny/babysitter, that would be the only way I would do it at that age!! All I can say is IT WAS AWFUL!! and it still makes me shiver when I think of that trip and now my boys are 3 1/2 and 5 1/2!!

i went when my twins were almost 3 (3 months shy from turning three).
it was awful
i still remember the crying, the impatience, the exhaustion.
we stayed at the contemporary hotel, had the meal plans, fast passes. i def. recommend the meal plan. i def. recommend the fast pass, and i definitely recommend you wait until your kids are able to pay :) meaning wayyyyy older.
now, my kids are 5 and a half and they speak fondly of their trip to disney. yes, they remember the biggest awesomest dessert ever, the breakfast with mickey, the all of it. i can't understand why they have such great memories when i remember after returning home i thought my kids were crying at all times. i was scarred for life :)
we take our kids on vacations about 4-5 times a year. we have taken them overseas twice, been to our florida home every year (which is about 2 hrs from disney and we STILL refuse to visit disney even on a day trip).
i believe the lights, the crowds, all the work that happens on their senses was too much. you know we ended up playing at the hotel pool the last few days. we just didn't want to go through the parks again. we didn't have a nanny or a family member or any of the sort. i honestly think the child wants the mom and the dad to provide the comfort so i don't think my kids would have been ok if i made some family member take them off my hands for a 2 min break.
that said, find a beach spot you like, that is the best. kids love to play in sand, you'll relax, you and hubby can take turns staying nearby while the other goes for a swim or whatever.
this year we're taking the kids to aruba. i can't go wrong with the beach and the pool.
yes, my kids still ask about going to disney. they even want to go on a disney cruise. i do everything for my kids, they have my heart and soul on a platter, yet i REFUSE to go back to disney.
PS. yes, i keep editing my post to make you understand IT is NOT worth it. make sure you understand your older one won't be able to go on a lot of rides. so you'll deal with i want to go on that one. no, you can't, and then brace yourself for the crying :). gosh, can't you tell i hated our disney trip. but if you do decide to go, feb. and march is too cool. late april and first part of maya re the best, otherwise the heat is unbearable.

I think it is all personal choice and what you consider fun. To me that would not be a vacation it would be more like work LOL!!. I didn't take my kids to Disney until they were much older and I even waited until they were out of strollers. I can remember parents with young children struggling to get on the monorails and shuttle buses with babies, strollers, crying babies, etc. If that type of thing does not bother you then I say go for it. One the other hand I have another family vacation suggestion that we loved. It was at Smugglers Notch in Vermont. It is just like taking a cruise on land. They have day camps with great camp counselors and activities for children of all ages, even babies. My kids loved it and my husband and I really had time to relax because the kids were entertained all day long. So you won't need a babysitter to go out because you can have a great portion of the day to relax by the pool. The camp is rain or shine. They have wonderful water parks, soccer, basketball, video arcades, game rooms, etc. My kids would go to camp every day from around 9-4 and then meet up with us in the late afternoon. Each day they couldn't wait to go to camp and at the end of the day they hated to leave. We went of course in the summer but they also have winter camp for skiing. Even when the kids become teens they have teen dances it is really great. They have time shares you can buy but you don't have to you can just rent a beautiful condo with all of the amenities you will need for a family. I can't say enough about the place. The kids were never bored, there were no lines to wait in, and my husband and I also had a chance to reconnect and relax. They have pools for just adults, that are heated as well. You can check on your children anytime of the day and most days you can see them going from one activity to another. Just a suggestion, check out the website. www.smugglersnotch.com they will send you a dvd of the activities. Good luck!!

It is definately a vacation, just not a very relaxing vacation. I am assuming though you already knew that. I think you should absolutely go. It was one of the best vacations I had. I just went this past July with my two sons- 3 years and 7 months. We had a blast. Your younger one is going to live in the moment, smiling at lights, colors, characters, etc. My 3 year old talks about this trip constantly. He loved it. At three he was young enough to still believe the characters were real, etc. We intend to go back again when the youngest is 3 and the oldest is 6 but I know my six year old will have a different take. Also note, my 3 year old is tall so he was 41" which got him on adult rides to such as splash mountain and thunder mountain. He had a blast. So overall, yes, go. That said, here are some things I recommend:

1. Double stroller...they rent them at Disney but they are uncomfortable and do not recline so bring your own. I had a large 3 year old so I invested in a used Bobs double stroller which was cheaper then renting a double for the trip. Both my kids fit in there were able to nap in there because it fully reclined, etc. In fact, the disney rentals done recline at all so your 8 month old would not be able to use it. You can also bring two strollers of your own if you have enough hands...justs bring ones the kids are comfortable in and they can nap in.
2. get the unofficial guide to walt disney and read it cover to cover...great tips. It will tell you how to work the lines, fast pass, etc. I never waited more then 10 min and in July! I wound making a spreadsheet that I carried with me that told me (based off of the book) best rides to go on at what time, if it took fast pass, how to work the line etc. It really helped. Leverage fast pass which means check your watch and as soon as you are able to get another fast pass, get one.
3. Confirm it is still the case but Fast Passes done expire although they give you expiration times. You can not go any earlier then the first time but you can go after the expiration. One of those 'unsaid' things. But double check when you are there.
4. go to the park early and then afternoon go for a swim and then go back to the parks in evening. I will say we did this some of the times, other times we just stayed and kids slept in stroller at park.
5. bring rain shields for strollers
6. invest in the stroller fans...i bought them online before i went. It really kept the kids cool during the day...I just hooked them to stroller
7. i highly recommend the meal plan
8. make your reservations as SOON as you book your trip. restaurants book quickly. Otherwise you will face a 2 hour wait to eat...with reservations you walk right in. we never waited. This does mean you have ot plan out alittle what parks you will be at when. If you are eating at epcot one evening for dinner, then you would plan on visiting epcot end of day that day.
9. Have fun but dont stress. you may not see everything. We were there 10 days and did epcot, magic kingdom, animal kingdom and hollywood. thats it...we just kept going back to different parks. magic kingdom will most likely be their favorite.
10. Yes, take turns on adult rides. they have something where you dont rewait...one adult goes on and stays with kids while one rides and then you do a switch and the other adult gets right on. the line people will tell you how to do it, just say you have two kids and need to do a switch.
11. One more thing about strollers. Infant car seats are allowed on a lot of rides. If your child is still in one (mine was at 7 months) then bring it with snap and go. at that age they nap a lot. that way you can just bring them on ride as they nap.

hope this helps and enjoy! take pictures!

bottomline, prep ahead and you will have a blast.

I've gone two years in a row -- once when my daughter was 3.5 months, and then the next year when she was 15 months and my son was 3 months. We went with my sister in law's family, who has two kids (which were 26 months and 4 years this last trip), as well as mother/father-in-laws, who helped IMMENSELY with the kids.

The only way it is going to be manageable for you is if you went with more than just two parents and two kids. There is NO way we would have been able to handle it if that's all we had going to FL. As it was, we had 6 parents at one time, and the 4 kids.

Rides:
Your 3 year old is going to be pretty limited with rides. She won't want to sit for some of the longer things, although she will be able to go through rides where the whole family can go (Its a Small World, Pooh, etc) and there is Mickey's Toontown (but you'll end up having to hold the 8 month old as strollers need to be parked before going into mickey/minnie's houses.

Sleep:
You can try to have them sleep in the stroller -- some have good success with that, but it isn't always the best. And when that child is sleeping, you have no choice but one person to stay with the baby sleeping and the other go off on their own.

Its tough. I wouldn't do it unless you can get some extra helpers to go with you, or wait until they are older. Otherwise, yes, you are nuts :) Any other questions, feel free to msg me :)

I wouldnt do it. Kids are too young and Disney is very expensive. You'll end up spending money and wont be able to do much. I know it sounds exciting but it will be much more fun when your youngest is at least 3 or 4.

We did this when my children were exactly the same age. GO! It was a lot of fun and we were pleasantly surprised how much our baby son loved it. Yes, we took turns and we didn't get to go on many adult rides, but it was a blast for all. Get the meal plan, it's worth the ease and the park-hopper is worth it, because you can change the scene when the kids are getting bored. Epcot has a princess breakfast, lunch or dinner. I highly recommend it for your daughter, but book it as soon as you book the trip (call Disney dining ASAP). I also recommend either breakfast or lunch (preferably breakfast before the park opens), because the kids are too out of it by dinnertime. Our kids were falling asleep in their dinner and the baby was out before the first princess came over to the table.

Email me offline if you have any other questions at ____@____.com.

Although Disney is sooo much FUN, i am wondering what the definiton of vacation is to you. Disney is fun yet to me NOT a vacation. I have been there with my kids at different ages a few times. We did have a blast BUT SO NOT a vacation. (The older the better in age)
When my kids were small like yours we did disney one year, I came home exhausted, feeling like I needed a "vacation".
The next year we did a family oriented Cruise with "Kid time programs" and evening baby sitting. So we had our family time together, their time with other kids and activities. At night I got some so much needed Husband and Wife time and by this I mean just to have an uninterupted conversation, a drink, we did see a show that was not G rated and it was relaxing. I have to say this was a "Vacation" not to mention 1/2 the price of Dinsey.
I just re read your post. At the end you did ask if anyone got a sitter so you can go out alone. You are so tired at the end of the day, I am not sure you would want to go out.
Check out cruises or maybe even the Disney cruise that might be just a happy compromise. I never did the disney crise.
Enjoy your "vacation" no matter what you decide.
-Dawn

Yes, I'd hold off, too. We went the summer before last, when our daughter was 2.5. She could not go on a lot of the rides, it was hard for her to wait in line for the ones she could go on, and she was too shy to go pose with any of the characters for pictures. Also, the sun was brutal-not all of the lines are shaded. We got a lot out of the trip, but I am not sure that she did.

With such young ages, I think a beach vacation would be much more enjoyable, kids love water play, besides have you checked the height requirement on the rides, plus the lines are a bear,,,yuck. Also if you wish to spend time out with your husband I would pay a sitter/traveling nanny to come with you on the trip.

Oh, A.! You're getting some conflicting advice here. I have to side with anyone who has said wait a couple of years. I think it will be more enjoyable for everyone when they're a little older. Disney is a BIG trip and if it's memories you're looking to make, why not try someplace smaller and closer to home? Dutch Wonderland in PA was a good suggestion. Also, I highly recommend the quaint Storybook Land near Atlantic City, NJ. Everyone will have a magical time and it won't cost you thousands of dollars. Stay over and make it even more fun by driving down a little further to the Cape May Zoo. Disney will always be there. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Hi A.,
OH - Disney will Be SO much fun - but I would suggest you wait one more year - bringing a 4 and a 2 year old would probably be better, perhaps even the 2 year old will get something out of it, you know?
If you would like to try a nice, clean amusement park - for starters try Hershey/Dutch Wonderland (I am assuming that you are in the tri-state area?) Also, if you go - check out the Holiday Inn's - they have great rates within 15 minutes of the park, the Hershey Lodge is WAY too much money (save that kind of cash for your big Disney trip).
oh - and the other option is Sesame Place! (also in PA)
Have a great time!
Celia

I never went to disney with a baby but I took my daughter when she was 3 and she wasn't allowed on certain baby rides because of the height restrictions. It ended up just disappointing her. You may want to check the height requirements and make sure the 3 year old "measures up" before booking anything.

Hey A.!! Well, I wanted to go also to disney.
I have a 2.5 year old girl and a 8 month old girl also.
I have had several people tell me to wait and don't bring them to disney until at least 4 years old so they can remember it and enjoy it. So, we are saving up for disney. We are having our 2.5 year old put change in her jar for disney.. every time her poppa comes home she asks for change so she can go see mickey mouse. ahahaaah
So, i would hold off.. and maybe just stay home and spend time w/ the 4 of you like go to the park together or go on liparentsource.com.. there are free things as a family you can check out.. Good Luck
Barb G.

Hi A.,
Happy New Year!
We just got back from Orlando with my 2 boys, 6 and 8 and our 16 month old nephew. To tell you the truth, it is going to be a little trying like you imagine coz, yes, many rides have height restrictions - majority required at least 44" - 46" height. Our nephew couldn't do a lot. His parents carried him around when he got cranky from sitting in his stroller. Also strollers are not allowed in many places, they have special stroller parkings though.
My boss told me she had gone twice to Disney with her little ones and they went to the Animal Kingdom Park. So, I guess if you go to that park, Magic Kingdom and Blizzard beach, you'll be fine.
What really makes the whole visit with little ones tiring are the lines to get to rides. Like I waited for 1 hr to get photos with Mickey and Co. The Test Track (a huge hit for adults at Epcot Center) we waited on line for about 2hrs to ride the fast cars. That kind of wait is hard on kids under 6. But then again, we went when it was busy, during the holidays and school break.
All in all, it was worth it. It was magical!.... :)
Good luck.

L..
Helping Moms Work From Home.

Hi A.. I brought my son to Disney for 2 days last year while I was in Fl. visiting relatives. I wish we made it longer! My son was 1 1/2 and I expected there wouldn't be too much for him to do. I was totally wrong. He loved the rides. For your 3 year old, there's Dumbo, Magic carpet, a whole kids area with jumping water (bring a couple of sets of clothes) and characters and so much more I can't even remember. There's plenty you can all ride together too. The train ride around Magic Kingdom, Country bear jamboree, Its A Small World, etc. You can do a kid exchange with your husband if you want to go on a roller coaster so you don't have to wait on line twice, which is nice. We did one day in Epcot - loved that also. The first night we got there, we walked at Marketplace, which had music and stuff going on as well. I wish we had planned a day or two just to stay at the hotel. The pool was wonderful and we didn't really get to enjoy it. (We stayed at a moderate level Disney hotel - which also allowed us to travel on the disney bus system. My son loved riding the buses almost as much as the rides in the park.) The buses can get crowded, but most people are in a good mood and very helpful with getting your stuff on and off. Everyone has kids, so they 'get it'.
If you go on the disney website, there's a way to map out what is appropriate by age group. If you just kind of go with the flow, you'll have a great time. No matter how much planning you do, it won't matter. There's too much going on to predict what will be the most popular with your kids. have a great time!

Hi A.,

I personally would wait. I was in almost the same position with my daughter. She was 20 months old this summer and we went to Hershey Park. There were only about 7 rides she could go on, but only 2 rides that adults could accompany her, and because there were so few like that, the lines were way too long to wait in with a toddler. It seemed that most of the kiddie rides were meant for siblings to go on together if they meet the height/size requirement.

Just make sure you research the rides to the fullest extent possible. We only made a daytrip to Hershey, so it was not a big deal. An entire vacation to Disneyworld could be a waste if the kids are too young.

Good luck, and I am sure there are other moms that have been there with little ones to give you advice.

Have fun where ever you decide to go,
L.

We've been twice, once with a 3 month old and a 5 year old, and then this past summer with a just turned 4 year old and a 9 year old. Had a lot of fun both times. It doesn't have to be overwhelming or exhausting if you take your time and don't expect to do everything - just prioritise and plan your day in advance. Buy one of those "unofficial guide" books which gives you lots of detailed info, including height limits on rides, and detailed touring plans.

If you can stay at a Disney hotel it makes such a big difference as you can get into the parks easily first thing before the crowds get too big. Also it makes it much easier to have a break in the middle of the day back at the hotel.

The child swap facility is very useful for being able to get onto rides where one/both of the children are too small.
Definitely bring your own stroller.

We didn't use a babysitter, but we stayed at the Polynesian resort which has the Neverland Club, which provides evening childcare and food for the kids. I think it may be possible to use the club even if you don't stay at the hotel.
We used that one night so my husband and I could go out for a nice meal alone, and the children had a lovley time too. Definitely recommend that.
Have a great time!

what about something like dutch wonderland? much more kid friendly for the little ones.

we have gone every year in january for the past 7 years. i have a 5-1/2 yr, 3-1/2 yr and and 10 month old. so i have done it pregnant and with kids!!! it is work and yes you have to take turns doing certain things. we have spent the entire day at the parks and also have gone back for naps. really, we wing it and do what is needed at the time but i would not trade one memory and special time we've had there simply because it was too much to do. it is manageable. we have not used the "fairy godmothers" to go out since we always have gone with my in laws and husband's siblings who gave us some assistance. i say go and enjoy and go with the flow! good luck!!!

Hi A.,
We have done Disney the last two years. Last year our daughter was 15 months and one of our sons was 4. This year our daughter was 28 months. I would say the biggest key to really having a great trip worth the money is to wait until your older child is 42" tall. At that point they can go on almost everything if they are willing. When our son was four he met this height requirment and he had a great time. He went on things that I would not have thought he was old enough for and loved them. My daughter had a lot of things she could go on as well, and many that she couldn't, but we took advantage of the babyswap passes. If your 3 year old is at the 42" height then I say go and have a really great time. But if he will be at the height sometime in the next year I would wait until then. It really makes such a difference when they have the choice to go on everything.

Here's my advice, just go. You're not nuts! I took my oldest when he was 1 years old, and again my second son when he was 1 and my oldest 3. I even went pregnant with my third son (brothers being 2 and 4) and the youngest officially toured Disney at 6 months. Each time we went we did everything we "wanted" to do and went with the flow of what the kids could handle. Bit of advice, map out some rides that you really want to go on as an "adult". You're better off staying on the property and taking advantage of the shuttles that are provided. Also if you travel by plane, they offer you the free shuttle service, together with the privilege of claiming your bags for you and taking them straight to your room. The only thing we never did was a get a sitter bc we had so much fun with the kids but each hotel provides something. So go, have fun, and go with the flow. Take advantage of all that Disney offers from the meal plans, early/evening extended hours, head back for some pool time and just tell yourself what you can't get to you can always come back for. That's what we did and we went 6 years straight.

Hi A.,
I think it would depend on what you consider being fun and what you would consider to be getting your money's worth.
Personally, I never would have gone with babies/toddlers and wouldn't have found that fun or worth the money, but many, many people do go with kids that young. We intentionally waited til we didn't have to deal with strollers, naps and diapering in Disney. We first went when the kids were 5 1/2 and 9 1/2. It was great! We did it extreme Disney style, in the park around 8:30 or 9:00, stayed all day til about 10pm.
I'm not sure how much of a family vacation it'll seem like if you and hubby are going on rides separately from each other, or how much fun that will be. Check the height requirements ahead of time. Will it be fun to wait 30-45 minutes for a ride? Will it still be fun when it's nearly your turn and the 3 year old says he needs the bathroom? Many people take a break during the day, go back to the hotel for a swim and nap, but for us, that would have seemed like a waste of money, we didn't need to pay thousands to swim in the hotel pool. Your 3 year old may have fun, but is it really that much more fun than going to Sesame Place, Hershey or Cocoa Key for the weekend? Your 3 year old may not think so, and they cost differential is huge.
Good luck in making your decision!

Hi A.,

I felt compelled to respond to your request because I have been there with a 3 year old. She does not have any recollection of the trip and although it is a fun and happy place, I believe you will be overwhelmed by the crowds with such young children. (That being said, we were there in December but not during Christmas week). There isn't much for an infant to go on and you will have to wait on lines hoping that the baby won't need to eat or be changed while waiting for your turn. If you do decide to go, I would recommend staying on site as it makes it much easier to go back to your hotel and if the parking lots get filled, you will not be able to return if you drive your own car. It is always exciting to take your children to Disney but, from experience, I would wait until your youngest is at least 3 so that the older child is still young enough to enjoy the magic and the younger child will be able to participate more. Ideally 4 and 7 or 5 and 8 would be the minimum ages and from personal experience...8 and 11 was absolutely perfect! Also, with regard to the strollers, you can rent them there, they offer single and double strollers. It is a convenient way to travel and you don't have to worry about your personal stroller getting wet and having to wait for it to air dry which takes forever! Obviously, this is my opinion, and although the first trip was fun, there was little or no recollection for my 3 year old and our last trip was absolutely wonderful! They were older and we all had the time of our lives!

I think Disney with a child younger than 5 or 6 is a waste of time, energy, and money (and it is very expensive). Riding the adult rides alone is not fun...they're much more fun as shared experiences. They won't remember it and they might not even enjoy it (the characters and some rides are scary to young kids). We waited until my son was 6-1/2 to take him to Disney and Sea World and he NEEDED the stroller to get through the day. Now he's 11-1/2 and his sister (I was just pregnant with her at the time we took him) just turned 4. We MIGHT go next year...MAYBE! I'm very excited to take her/them, but I know everyone will enjoy it more if we wait. There are so many things you can do that are closer to home that are more your son's speed. check out kidburst.com for local parents ideas.

Hi Amamnda --

I wouldn't go till your kids are at least 6 years old -- old enough to walk for the full day and you don't need to lug a stroller/diaper bag/sippy cup/change of clothes, etc.

When our kids were real little we did Sesame Place, Santa's Workshop, Rye Playland and Storyland. All were within driving distance so we could spend one to two days at the park while staying in a hotel (with a pool, which the kids loved) and eating out. It was a relaxing few days for us, plus the kids could go on all the rides since the parks were geared toward their ages.

Try searching "Theme Parks in (Your State) young children"

Best of Health,
S.

You'd be surprised at the number of rides your 8 month old can go on. Anything without a height restriction (which is usually 40-42 inches and only for the roller coaster-y rides). And if both kiddos sit out a ride they have "rider swap" which cuts down on the waiting in line.

I took my DS at 10 months and he loved it - loved the characters, liked the rides, LOVED just looking around at everything.

If this is going to be a once in a lifetime trip, I'd say wait until the kids are a little older. If you think you'll make it back though, GO!!!

The great thing about Disney is it is so family friendly.. There will be plenty for your three year old. There are also baby care areas in each park with high chairs, nursing chairs, changing tables, etc. I think if you are looking for a great family vacation its a great place. We brought my daughter when she was 7 mos old and did the character breakfasts, and we also did many rides as a family.. You may have to take turns on some of the rides with the three year old if its something that the baby can't go on.. I have a friend with a 4.5 year old and a 2 month old and she just got back and had a great time. She has been going every year since her oldest was born. She usually brings her mother in law, but she has used the babysitting service and had no issues. We are expecting our next baby this year and plan on going back sometime when the baby is one and our daughter is 3. If you can avoid the summer so it is not as hot/crowded that would be great.
Good luck! Have fun :)