should I go to MK with 4 and 2 year old under the following circumstances?

[kymom79]

Our two youngest children, who will be ages 4 1/2 and 2 1/4, will be accompanying my husband and me in February to a work conference he has at the Contemporary for three nights. Although I think the little ones and I could have a great time enjoying each other while exploring the Contemporary, other nearby hotels, the pool, and walking paths, I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to purchase tickets for me to take the littles to the Magic Kingdom for at least a day? Am I crazy to consider spending over $300 just for one day (or $600 if we wanted to take it easy over two days), given their young ages and that I would be managing them with no other adult, thereby limiting what the four year old would be able to experience? What would you advise -- just enjoy our chance to chill in a hotel that would normally be beyond our price range, or spring for the Magic Kingdom? I can't remember how much overlap there is between what an infant and a preschooler can do at MK, and I haven't theme parked by myself with the littles before either, so advice from those of you with more current experience would be appreciated!

 

[loves to dive]

There is a pretty good bit the little one can do, it really depends on their height. Google MK with toddlers and you will find a number of blogs addressing it. I was a single mom so I did take my just shy of 3 year old there by myself. It wasn't easy as two parents but as a single mom, I had the rules pretty well in his head so he knew what he couldn't and could do. I'm assuming you would have a stroller for the smallest one so the older one could hold onto that and that would help with herding them. I found most of rides weren't as big an issue as when it came time to eat. This was before mobile order. He knew he always had to be holding some part of me so if he couldn't hold my hand he would hold my shirt or shorts. That way I could feel him at all times so when I was holding a tray or standing in line I knew where he was. You can't take strollers into the restaurants so that might be an issue. You could always go back to the resort for lunch. It certainly can be done but only you knows how your kids behave. Take them to the grocery store or the mall a couple of times solo first to see if you can handle them.

 

[Princesca]

There's a fair lot to do with kids of those ages. We're taking our son and he will be 2.5 years old. Going by height, at least, he'll be capable of doing a lot, not that we're going only by that. I don't think we'll take him on Haunted Mansion, for instance. But there's:

-Teacups
-Dumbo
-Magic Carpet
-Carrousel
-Little Mermaid
-Character meet and greets
-Jungle cruise
-Peoplemover
-Steamboat/railroad
-Country Bears
-Parade/fireworks
-Small World
-Tiki Room

And more... but I feel like this stuff alone could easily keep you busy for a day.

 

[RoseGold]

The late night hours might be in play, right now Weds night for MK. If that's true, GO!!! My 18 month old loved the late night hours. They just let us sit on Barnstormer and Dumbo. It was magical.

A 2 year old can do a surprising amount.

And maybe your husband can at least make a couple late night hours work in the schedule. It's not hot, everything is walk on, it's pretty neat...

 

[kymom79]

There is a pretty good bit the little one can do, it really depends on their height. Google MK with toddlers and you will find a number of blogs addressing it. I was a single mom so I did take my just shy of 3 year old there by myself. It wasn't easy as two parents but as a single mom, I had the rules pretty well in his head so he knew what he couldn't and could do. I'm assuming you would have a stroller for the smallest one so the older one could hold onto that and that would help with herding them. I found most of rides weren't as big an issue as when it came time to eat. This was before mobile order. He knew he always had to be holding some part of me so if he couldn't hold my hand he would hold my shirt or shorts. That way I could feel him at all times so when I was holding a tray or standing in line I knew where he was. You can't take strollers into the restaurants so that might be an issue. You could always go back to the resort for lunch. It certainly can be done but only you knows how your kids behave. Take them to the grocery store or the mall a couple of times solo first to see if you can handle them.

They are pretty good kids, so I'm not really worried about that -- but I appreciate your reminder about the restaurant logistics! I had forgotten you couldn't take a stroller in.

 

[kymom79]

The late night hours might be in play, right now Weds night for MK. If that's true, GO!!! My 18 month old loved the late night hours. They just let us sit on Barnstormer and Dumbo. It was magical.

A 2 year old can do a surprising amount.

And maybe your husband can at least make a couple late night hours work in the schedule. It's not hot, everything is walk on, it's pretty neat...

I hadn't thought about the late night idea -- thanks.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I think you should not spend money for theme park tickets.
Okay you are in line one has to go to the bathroom , the other doesn’t. Back in line , now the other needs to go urgently… long lines even for the bathrooms.
Staying at TheContemporary . Incredibles theming firework views ,
sunsets and sunrises watching the boats going back & forth .. waiting for the nightly ElectricalWater Pageant.
Watching a storm over BLT form is even exciting .And the moon too.
Jumping on monorail to visit the other resort lobbies . Be sure to read the Resort Daily Activity Guides from the front desk when you check in. Nightly outdoor campfire roasting marshmallows plus movie under the stars.
You can also have fun on busses or the water transport , Skyliner , .
The monorail from TTC to Epcot actually enters and circles above Spaceship Earth and you will see the new theming of the Cosmic Rewind Starship built in front and even better to view at night.
Walking around Wilderness Lodge is incredible.
Disney Springs has that giant air balloon that goes straight up & back down with view of the entire area. It’s called the Aerophile.
I would rather wait until next trip when husband can join in for the fun and the memories with the family together with the tickets for theme parks $$$

 

[jo-jo]

Since you'll have a stroller, why not pack a lunch? PB and Jelly sandwich, applesauce pouches, gold fish, etc. It seems to me there are a few CS that you are outside to order.

 

[Pooh2]

I could not be that close to the Magic Kingdom and NOT take the kids over!! What a great opportunity!

The Contemporary has a really nice splash pad that my granddaughter played in for hours when she was 2 1/2.

Check with his company to see if there are any discounted tickets as part of the conference.

 

[kymom79]

Good ideas. I had forgotten about the EWP and that we could actually take the monorail by Epcot.

 

[RoseGold]

If your kids are pretty well behaved, you should be able to do the Epcot fireworks also, and monorail back. Even a two day ticket you could make work. The double stroller is a tough part on the bus, but plenty of us have done it.

You know your kids. You can balance nap time and pool and exploring. It would be a shame not to go at all.

Check the extended hours as you get closer. If they're in play, definitely worth doing. My kid was a champ napper and loved the night hours.

 

[DeeBee3]

I have taken my kids when they were those ages. I did have another set of adult hands to help. I think there is a ton of stuff for them to do. I would say the same rides and experiences apply to the 4 and 2 year old. To do the big rides you have to be a certain height, so it depends on if the 4 year old is tall.

I would have a hard time telling my kids no to the MK when they can see it from the hotel. If you can afford it, I would do 1 day. You can't do 1/4 of the park in that time, but it's still worth walking down Main St and seeing the castle.

 

[sponica]

After being alone with my kids for 2 hours in Epcot, I'm a hard pass on taking them by myself until they're older. They were hot, cranky and tired and my older one refused to do anything and pushing that double by myself was AWFUL. Let's just say I was really happy to get to Germany and get a pretzel and beer.

 

[westie55]

Do YOU want to do MK? Or are you doing it for them? I think you could do it but I wouldn’t if it’s something you don’t think you’d enjoy or you are uncomfortable with the idea of being alone. I’ve done this when my boys were similar ages but I love the parks myself and am very familiar with navigating them. There’s lots the 3 of you can do together— any ride without a height restriction. The big rides are off the table even though your 4 year old could do most if not all of them since no one will be there to do rider swap with you. You would need to do rides with short waits. The first hour the park is open is the best for that. After 10:00 or so you will either want to be using lightning lane or doing shows like Mickey’s Philharmagic, Tiki Room, or Country Bears which never have an awful wait. It’s really all about your comfort level. The kids will be fine no matter what you decide. If you don’t want to brave the parks you can always do Chef Mickeys and the pool instead.

 

[mom22boys]

My first ever trip to MK as a parent was with my best friend and her two littles. My poor DH missed it. Disney wasn't even on our radar at that point. I just happened to be visiting my BF who lived in FL at the time, and she asked if I wanted to go to Disney and I said "Why not?" My DSs were 22 months and 4. Hers were 5 and 3. We had a blast!!! I rented a double stroller and do not remember any issues. My DSs loved it more than I could have imagined. It was absolutely magical. The People Mover, IASW, Tea Cups, the train and Dumbo were huge hits which we rode multiple times. Jungle Cruise was also a favorite. They enjoyed the parade and seeing the characters from afar (neither were brave enough for the character meet and greets). It was truly the most magical visit that sparked a love for Disney. Fast forward 17 years and we have now made many, many more trips with the kids at different ages and have enjoyed the different stages of park visiting. It was so much fun to see them progress up to BTMR then SM and then onto all of the bigger rides at other parks too (EE, RnRC, etc).

All of that being said, though, that first trip was back in February 2005 and a lot has changed since 2005. I am pretty sure the price of admission was around $58 back then (don't quote me on that though, I could be wrong) and the parks were not as crowded. I do not remember having any issues maneuvering the double stroller, and I do not remember any super long lines. There was not Genie+, just paper FP. Heck, I might not have even had a cell phone (I was a holdout and one of the last ones to get one), so no distractions there looking down at my phone to book my next Genie+. The bottom line, the park has changed since then. Even the closure of the train right now makes a huge difference. The train was a great way to keep them both in one spot, happy, entertained, and resting for a little while. I am pretty sure we road that one multiple times too.

Soooo, as magical as my first trip was, I think I would hesitate before recommending that you do MK solo right now. Would it be your littles first trip to MK? If so, I am not sure you would want DH to miss it. That accidentally happened to us because for that trip in back in 2005 I thought I was just going to any other amusement park. I had no idea that that trip would be so magical. Next question, how recently have you been to MK? How familiar are you with the rides, restaurants, where the bathrooms are, etc.? When I went on that first trip, I was with my BF who was very familiar with the park so that helped a ton. Lastly, I also hesitate because I do think your littles could just have a blast at the pool, splash pad, riding the monorail, riding the boats to other resorts, playing on the different playgrounds, chilling out on the beach at the Poly, going in the different gift shops, heading over to the Tri-Circle-D ranch, visiting AKL, etc. There are so many ways to keep the little ones happy. Heck, mine just loved riding the Disney buses!

I honestly think your trip will be magical with whatever decision you make! Have fun and enjoy those little ones while they are little. You blink and all of a sudden they are all grown up and in college.

 

[kymom79]

My first ever trip to MK as a parent was with my best friend and her two littles. My poor DH missed it. Disney wasn't even on our radar at that point. I just happened to be visiting my BF who lived in FL at the time, and she asked if I wanted to go to Disney and I said "Why not?" My DSs were 22 months and 4. Hers were 5 and 3. We had a blast!!! I rented a double stroller and do not remember any issues. My DSs loved it more than I could have imagined. It was absolutely magical. The People Mover, IASW, Tea Cups, the train and Dumbo were huge hits which we rode multiple times. Jungle Cruise was also a favorite. They enjoyed the parade and seeing the characters from afar (neither were brave enough for the character meet and greets). It was truly the most magical visit that sparked a love for Disney. Fast forward 17 years and we have now made many, many more trips with the kids at different ages and have enjoyed the different stages of park visiting. It was so much fun to see them progress up to BTMR then SM and then onto all of the bigger rides at other parks too (EE, RnRC, etc).

All of that being said, though, that first trip was back in February 2005 and a lot has changed since 2005. I am pretty sure the price of admission was around $58 back then (don't quote me on that though, I could be wrong) and the parks were not as crowded. I do not remember having any issues maneuvering the double stroller, and I do not remember any super long lines. There was not Genie+, just paper FP. Heck, I might not have even had a cell phone (I was a holdout and one of the last ones to get one), so no distractions there looking down at my phone to book my next Genie+. The bottom line, the park has changed since then. Even the closure of the train right now makes a huge difference. The train was a great way to keep them both in one spot, happy, entertained, and resting for a little while. I am pretty sure we road that one multiple times too.

Soooo, as magical as my first trip was, I think I would hesitate before recommending that you do MK solo right now. Would it be your littles first trip to MK? If so, I am not sure you would want DH to miss it. That accidentally happened to us because for that trip in back in 2005 I thought I was just going to any other amusement park. I had no idea that that trip would be so magical. Next question, how recently have you been to MK? How familiar are you with the rides, restaurants, where the bathrooms are, etc.? When I went on that first trip, I was with my BF who was very familiar with the park so that helped a ton. Lastly, I also hesitate because I do think your littles could just have a blast at the pool, splash pad, riding the monorail, riding the boats to other resorts, playing on the different playgrounds, chilling out on the beach at the Poly, going in the different gift shops, heading over to the Tri-Circle-D ranch, visiting AKL, etc. There are so many ways to keep the little ones happy. Heck, mine just loved riding the Disney buses!

I honestly think your trip will be magical with whatever decision you make! Have fun and enjoy those little ones while they are little. You blink and all of a sudden they are all grown up and in college.

That's a really helpful breakdown. One of our motivations to consider taking them was that although we had always expected a big, whole-family, multi-day all-parks trip to be their first Disney vacation (as it was for our much older other children), we don't see that happening logistically anytime at all in the near future. So putting it off to have all of us together might mean not a delay of months but years. The real issue was feasibility and whether it would be worth the financial outlay. We do know the parks pretty well. Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[PinkPixel]

Our two youngest children, who will be ages 4 1/2 and 2 1/4, will be accompanying my husband and me in February to a work conference he has at the Contemporary for three nights. Although I think the little ones and I could have a great time enjoying each other while exploring the Contemporary, other nearby hotels, the pool, and walking paths, I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to purchase tickets for me to take the littles to the Magic Kingdom for at least a day? Am I crazy to consider spending over $300 just for one day (or $600 if we wanted to take it easy over two days), given their young ages and that I would be managing them with no other adult, thereby limiting what the four year old would be able to experience? What would you advise -- just enjoy our chance to chill in a hotel that would normally be beyond our price range, or spring for the Magic Kingdom? I can't remember how much overlap there is between what an infant and a preschooler can do at MK, and I haven't theme parked by myself with the littles before either, so advice from those of you with more current experience would be appreciated!

Spring for the MK, absolutely if doable. You're flying all the way there, might as well make the most of it. Bring a double stroller, and go enjoy the Friendship Faire stage show at Cinderella's Castle and the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Ride It's a Small World, Peter Pan early in (Fantasyland), or go to Country Bears, Tiki Room in Frontier/Adventure Land in afternoon. Get a treat and head back for rest and pool time. If your husband has a ticket included then you can go back in for a short night cap before fireworks and ride the carousel, people mover, and take one each on Dumbo.

I would plan early and get reservations at Chef Mickey's character dining in the Contemporary lobby at 60 days from the reservation and make your own MDE account linked with your husbands hotel reservation number , your kids are perfect age!

 

[k5xs]

Our two youngest children, who will be ages 4 1/2 and 2 1/4, will be accompanying my husband and me in February to a work conference he has at the Contemporary for three nights. Although I think the little ones and I could have a great time enjoying each other while exploring the Contemporary, other nearby hotels, the pool, and walking paths, I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to purchase tickets for me to take the littles to the Magic Kingdom for at least a day? Am I crazy to consider spending over $300 just for one day (or $600 if we wanted to take it easy over two days), given their young ages and that I would be managing them with no other adult, thereby limiting what the four year old would be able to experience? What would you advise -- just enjoy our chance to chill in a hotel that would normally be beyond our price range, or spring for the Magic Kingdom? I can't remember how much overlap there is between what an infant and a preschooler can do at MK, and I haven't theme parked by myself with the littles before either, so advice from those of you with more current experience would be appreciated!

Only you can decide, of course. But I promise you that 20 or 30 years from now, the photos of you and your two "littles" in MK on their first trip will be priceless.

I speak from experience.

 

[danceintherain]

I would do it. Your 2 year old will still be "free," so tickets will be cheaper now than they ever will be in the future. But, I also think you could have plenty of fun without entering the parks, so there's that. My kids literally only care if they have access to a swimming pool.
My DD refused to ride almost anything, during our last trip. She was 4, and when Test Track was down at park opening on our first day, I made the mistake of detouring to Mission:SPACE. She panicked as soon as we stepped into the simulator. After that, she didn't trust me anymore, and would only do the stuff her baby brother could also do until the last day. There's plenty to do without the rides with height restrictions.
Definitely check into the conference tickets. Sometimes they offer discounted multi-day tickets, or after 5PM tickets.
I'd also consider adding a day to the trip to enjoy with your husband.
We went with my Dad on a work conference trip, and did 3 days with him and 2 without (or something like that). He always had networking dinners after the regular day of meetings and presentations, so he couldn't come in with us until the conference was entirely over. We did switch hotels after the first few nights at the conference hotel to save some money.

 

[Rory607]

I would absolutely go. I wouldn’t be able to stand being so close to MK and not going! The great thing about the Contemporary is that you can walk. So you could even head back and eat lunch at the hotel if you didn’t want to deal with it at the park. There is a lot both kids could do, even the little one, and character meets are back if they would enjoy that. I would get a double stroller so you could move easily through a crowd knowing both kids are buckled in safely.