1st. trip to Disney for a 1 and 2 year old- any must do's?

I know the 1 year old won't get too much out of trip.
So what the best things for the 2 year old (girl).
They will be in Orlando for 4 days.

We were thinking
1 day Disney
1 day Universal
1 day pool at resort + character meal ?

any suggestions would be great most helpful.

she is too young for Universal - so do the MK at WDW for both days.

besides the walk from the Universal parking lot to the them parks is a 1/2 miles - long time for you young one to wait to see anything....

Much of that lengthy expanse from the Universal/IoA parking garage to the theme park entrance is moving sidewalks, so I don't feel like that's much of an issue. I actually dislike the extra transportation leg from the ticketing area of Disney into the Magic Kingdom more than I do the Universal/IoA trek. Having said that, I don't know if I would do Universal with 1- and 2-year-olds. There are several fun activities that would appeal to that age group (most involve getting wet), but they are too young for the bulk of what Universal/IoA offers. Of course, on the other hand, your children would have free admission, so it's a relatively inexpensive day.

With such a short stay, you may want to do only one theme park and a character meal and just enjoy the resort amenities the rest of the time. When my 5-year-old was younger (and even now), we often spent an entire week in the Disney area without so much as setting foot into a theme park. It really doesn't take a lot to make toddlers happy, and most resorts (at least the better ones) can fully occupy them without all the extra exhaustion and expense.

Cindy

I would not do a character meal at 2 yrs old

I think 2 yrs old is too young and they still have to sit still thru the meal. I would save character meals for at least 3 years old.
Tips for MK with young kids----when you go in--go right up stairs and get on train, get off next stop at frontier land and go straight thru frontier land to dumbo, or It's a small world, and while waiting at dumbo, have someone go over and get a fast pass for winnie the pooh ride. Do dumbo, then It's a small world, then Pooh with the fast pass before most of the other crowd has walked thru the park (this only works if you are oging 1st thing in the AM).

yes but at WDW - you can at least see the MK.

you have to almost walk the entire thing to see any of the stuff at US.

what are her favorite characters? does she have any? what cartoon does she like to watch?

When my daughter was 2 she loved getting her haircut at the Main Street Barber Shop. They did her hair up like a princess with sparkles. It was $14.00, same price as a kid haircut most places I know of.

My 2 y.o. would have spent all day in Mickey's Toontown fair. The attractions there are more geared toward younger kids and you get to meet Mickey!

My granddaughter is a big into Dora the Explorer fan, but she knows who Mickey is.

i forgot about the haricuts--also, new princess place for hair-biddidi bobbidi

we are going to definitely do the $14 cuts--all mine need cuts and it's just 3 weeks away! Also, a new place biddidi bobbidi booutique is opening 4/5 for princess make-overs. From $35-100+ for make-up, nails, dresses, photos, etc. I think next to princess room.

My advice... don't skip their afternoon naps

With the ages of your kids, if they're used to napping in the afternoon I would advise not trying to "max out" your experience by skipping their naps. A much better time will be had by all if you count on a little down time during the afternoon. If you have/rent the type of stroller in which they can "crash out," you may be able to find a shady spot where Mom and Dad can relax for an hour or two while the kids nap rather than going back to the hotel, but be sure to fit in the naps somehow. I've seen too many miserable families in the late afternoon and early evening at the theme parks with the obviously overtired kids crying and whining and the parents looking very frustrated or disgusted. The time that you "lose" will be more than made up for in the quality of the rest of the time.

elaine said:

we are going to definitely do the $14 cuts--all mine need cuts and it's just 3 weeks away! Also, a new place biddidi bobbidi booutique is opening 4/5 for princess make-overs. From $35-100+ for make-up, nails, dresses, photos, etc. I think next to princess room.

Click to expand...

The boutique is in the World of Disney store at Downtown Disney. Here's the link - mods please delete if this is not allowed. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/moreMagic/shoppingDetail?id=WorldOfDisneyShopPage

I would also consider changing the Universal day to a Sea World day

Very few things at Sea World require lines... a big plus when you're bringing young children. It's a much more relaxed atmosphere, and there are some neat hands-on things that the kids will get a kick out of, like feeding dolphins. Bring an extra set or two of clothes if you do Sea World. They WILL get wet.

kids

We went when my kids were 2 and 4 for their first time. Dad had just paid the admission (a very tidy sum for 5 day park hoppers) and started into Cinderella's Castle when both of my kids started complaining "Can't we go back to the hotel and swim all day?" PLEASE!! This was not exactly the response I was looking for even after having talked up WDW for some time in advance. So, don't be surprised if what you want them to do is not what they want to do. Some time at the resort might be just the thing for them even if you think they should be enjoying WDW. I agree that MK is the place they would most enjoy. BTW I'd consider a stroller. That's the part that I will not miss.

You asked about a character meal- Chef Mickey's is at the Contemporary Resort, so park admission is not required. Also Grand Floridian Resort has character meals too. Check with Disney to see which characters are where and plan accordingly.

I would definitely do Magic Kingdom. Toontown, Pooh, Dumbo, Peter Pan, It's a small world, Ariel, Carousel, the parade and many more. But the best is the Fireworks over the Castle.

Universal is ok but if you want to visit another park, I might go with Sea World instead.Gotta love Shamu.

What it boils down to is it's really not for the kids but for the parents and grandparents. To see the kids' faces light up each time they see something wonderful is priceless. We have been going to WDW, Universal, Sea World and Busch Gardens at least once every year for the past 5 years, and I swear I can't beleve how many things I have missed but I remember my son's facial expressions especially his big brown eyes wide open. If only I knew what he is thinking. I spend most of my time watching him and taking his pictures.

Orlando is a great place. Have a great time!

Pooh Character Meal at WDW

When my kids were 2 1/2 and 10 mos we did one full day at WDW. We had a great time. We spent most of our time in Fantasyland, did Toontown, we got out of the heat for a while at the Country Bear Jamboree. They napped in their strollers and woke up just in time for the Main St. parade. We capped off the night with the Pooh Character dinner at the Crystal Palace. All in all a great day.

Good Luck.

John
Toledo, OH

We go to WDW every year with our grandchildren and their parents. You would be surprised how much even the really young ones get out of it. Each of our five grandkids have visited WDW early on in their lives and enjoyed it so much they couldn't wait to go back. This past Christmas was our most recent trip and the youngest who was just two then still is talking about it. He keeps saying, "Nana, Ian want MORE Disney World." I would take them to two days there - one day at Magic Kingdom (a must) and one day at Animal Kingdom. The day at Magic Kingdom schedule a meal at the Crystal Palace with the Winnie the Pooh Characters. The food there is pretty good and the characters are good with the kids. My favorite meal there is breakfast but the others are good too.

My best advice is play it by ear, plan your Magic Kingdom day, then if you hear "can we go back to the pool yet?" less than 3 times during the day, I would also vote for Sea World for another day.