Help Planning Spring Break Trip & Tips for Travelling With a Toddler

[jollygreen]

I'll be going to Disney World with my family from March 10-18. There will be 5 adults and 1 toddler. It is everyone's first trip except for me. We'll be driving there and staying onsite.

Okay, so I'm not exactly a noob when it comes to planning Disney trips, however this is the first time I'll be travelling with a toddler (and with more than one other person). I've only ever gone to Disney with my friend and we're both have a commando touring style. This time I will be going with my parents (in their 50s, the get around just fine), by older brother, and his daughter. My niece is 2 but will be turning 3 during the trip (yay!). She's an independent little thing who often refuses to take naps... I know about taking breaks and my mom has said she has no problem taking my niece back to the hotel or something in the middle of the day so that everyone else can stay in the parks if they want. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be getting her a stroller for Christmas but she's never been in one before, so I don't know how that will go over. But we still have a couple months for her to get used to it. Any tips you have would be great!

We'll be there from March 10-18 and I know we'll be dealing with spring break crowds. I haven't really been during a heavy crowd period. I'm not sure what time I want to schedule FP+ for either. I don't even know what rides. I can make FP+ on Jan. 9th and I don't really know where to start. My mom doesn't like rides with drops, so roller coasters have always been out when we went to Six Flags or anything. But I think she could handle 7DMT, I don't recall there being any drops? I'm trying to pick things that we can mostly do together since this is the first family vacation we've had since 2002. There will be some things like ToT or RnR that I know everyone else will want to ride except my mom, but I was thinking about scheduling shows or something for her to do with my niece while we do those. I need to find out how tall she is...

And then I'm torn on whether or not I want to do 3 days at MK or 2 days at MK & 2 days at Epcot. We'll have 6-day tickets. My brother will have 5 since he has to leave a couple days before us. I want to hit the 4 parks during the first 4 days since this is everyone's first trip. The order of those is flexible, though.

So far I have:

3/10: Arrival day, dinner at Sanaa
3/11: MK
3/12: AK
3/13: HS
3/14: Off day, breakfast at 'Ohana
3/15: Epcot
3/16: MK or Epcot (brother leaves later this day)
3/17: MK or Epcot
3/18: Departure day, leave early morning

Any help/tips are appreciated! Thanks!

 

[5stljayhawks]

JG - you are right on track.... getting a stroller is key. Also plan some down time 13/14. Check out disney store and you can buy a 1-2 princess dress after xmas, once upon a time sale(jan??) call and ask. they are cheap, compared to at parks. quality is great, buy dress, so length is just above the floor/ankles reducing tripping hazard and prolonging ability to wear. Also check out Bippity bop botequice BBB. if you can make ressie into park before rope drop do it. Its an experience the entire party will enjoy, early park before open, clean and empty.. Its a different type of magic and makes for great pictures. w/o crowds. your niece should already have dress on when she arrives for a few castle pics!!

Now back to planning -
I would build yourself spread sheet - lay out opening and closing times an EMH, if staying onsite, parade times, fireworks sunrise and sunset. if you plan a late night at the parks, AKA WAY past bed time for the little person, plan on late start next day. Maybe pool or nap time. If your group has a good zoo then AK may just be like 1/2 day. safari/Everest maybe a show and we are gone. With remodel not sure how much is open in march, last I read there were some long term closures.

seeing it looks like spring break time frame , things wont be fast. with six days I am getting this -
MK 2 days.
Epcot 2 days - I enjoy taking my kids there during the day for the sights and sounds different activities. I also think fireworks are best here. Look over by canada and stair case going up for seating on steps.
HS 1
AK 1