Toddler Alarm for Disney World Vacation

Hey L.! Have a GREAT time at Disney! I grew up in Orlando, and my mother worked at Disney, so I've spent a lot of time there. It truly is the greatest place on earth! I don't have much advice on the toddler alarm, but I think that's a great idea! I just thought I'd give you my general "Disney World with Toddlers" advice. ;-)

First of all, stay on property at the park - I wouldn't try to go out to Kissimmee and get a cheaper place to stay. At this age, naps are crucial, and staying on property will allow you to travel back and forth to your hotel for nap time or clothing changes very easily. I have found that the best schedule is getting to the park early, going to Magic Kingdom until lunchtime, then coming back to the room for lunch and naps. After naps, we usually swim a bit, then go back to the parks for late afternoon. We bring our own food for most meals and snacks, which not only saves a ton but helps with picky toddler eaters.

If you do stay on property, try to sign up for one of the character breakfasts. Even if your son doesn't want to venture near the characters, they usually get a kick out of seeing them.

The hotels on property will allow you to buy passes that by-pass the longer lines. These are worth every penny on some of the rides.

Keep in mind that some of the rides in Fantasy Land may be scary for young kids. I would ask your concierge for advice on this, but I do remember that the Snow White ride seemed scary for my son, and we chose to skip it.

All in all, have a wonderful time! I consider the parks like a second home, and I get a thrill every time someone else gets to experience the magic!

L.,
We took our daughter to Disney for the first time when she was 18 months old. She LOVED it. We didn't use an alarm, but I did buy one of those backpack things with the strap (the toddler wears the backpack and you have the strap on your arm). I didn't use it b/c it was too hot for her to wear the backpack. I have to say, I never ever felt that she would get out of our sight while we were at Disney, and she didn't. However, our daughter is kind of shy and sticks close to us anyway. If your son is more adventurous, you might want to get something.

I also printed our name, the hotel we were staying at, our cell phones and our daughter's first name on large address labels, and put one of those on the inside of the back of her shirt every day. I figured if she were lost, our contact info was on her. However, again, I never felt like she would have gotten away from us while we were there.

These bands might also come in handy:
http://www.mabel.ca/mabel.php?n=my%20411%20wristbands

We stayed at one of the Disney resorts and used the Disney bus transportation. We took our own stroller (I bought a $50 Chicco stroller at Babies R Us, which worked GREAT!). I figured it was cheaper than renting a stroller from Disney and then we had it with us if we needed it when we weren't in the parks (and we did). The resorts are large so it came in handy when walking around our resort.

I also brought a lot of snacks so we didnt have to keep spending money on snacks and I'm really glad we did! I brought Teddy Grahams, fruit bars, etc. Those came in handy.

If you have any other questions about your vacation, send me an email, I'd be glad to send you some more information. We had a wonderful time and I'm sure you will too!!

L.-

I have never used either alarm but recommend the one that goes off automatically as a mom who has "misplaced" a child at Disney World. You will also see alot of parents that have their kids on a leash that attachs to the wrist. Depending on the time of year you go Disney is a madhouse and you need somthing besides a stroller.

We have gone to Disney several times but the time my daughter was lost my enitre family went - 7 adults and 6 kids ages 8 to 1. The one who got lost was 4 - we had just entered Epcot with a huge flow of people I was ahead with my 1 yr old in a stroller and thought my husband had the other 2 ages 8 & 4 with him behind me - not even 5 minutes in the park and my sister runs up asking if I have Sydney - which I didn't. Thank god Sydney stayed calm and we had talked about what to do if any of them were seperated from the group and she walked up to an employee and told them she had lost her mommy. It was December so I had put her in a hot pink jacket that stood out and as the adults fanned out to find her it was my father who saw her jacket and retrieved her from employee. She was only gone for a total of 15 minutes but it was scary. We also had walkie talkies with us because we were such a large group and that made the search easier.
The Disney employees are trained what to do if a child is lost and the employee did a good job of keeping her calm. So - which ever you decide be sure to dress your child in a color that will stand out if you should need to look for him in a crowd.

If he's the type that stays in a stroller, don't leave home without it!

I had a leash for my little girl when she whining about being in the stroller at about that age. The kind with a harness, of course, not a wrist one. They don't cost much and you can get them at Babies r Us.

([chuckle] You've made me think of Robin Williams, when he says he took his 3 yr old to Disneyland. To paraphrase, "I'll take my son to see Micky Mouse, that will be nice, he'll love that right? [no] Mickey Mouse to at three year old is a six foot f**** RAT!" Just make sure he's not likely to freak! If he doesn't want to go near it, don't make him.)

Good luck and have fun! -S

L.,

I hope you are taking advantage of Disney's salute to the troops tickets for 2009. Your husband can get in free and purchase a 5 day companion ticket for you for only $99. Since your son is under 3, he is free also. My husband is a retired AF pilot and we will be taking our 1.5 year old son in the Fall (yes, we are "older" parents :)). Check out the Disney website for more info. Rooms on the resort are also 40% off for military during 2009. This is an amazing benefit that Disney is offering the military.
Have fun and enjoy -- don't try to do / see everything on the first trip.

We went when my youngest son was almost 2. The trip was really intended for his older sisters. Since my parents were with us, we didn't take him to the park everyday, but on the days we had him with us, Disney was great. Make sure you rent one of their strollers, they are really easy to push around the park. The baby facilities are very nice and well thought out. There is an area for nursing, quiet time - a comfortable room with toys and books, if your child just needs to get away from the crowds, and diapering facilities. If your child is into characters, try to book at least one character meal. Also know that you don't really see characters walking around the parks that much. They have designated photo opportunities scheduled, but there are usually lines to wait through. I was very anxious before my trip, but found it to be a very fun and pleasant experience. Sorry, I don't have any experience with the toddler alarms. Good luck!

I used to live in FLA and took my boys there two years ago when they were 18 months and 2-1/2 (yes they are close in age!) and I was 8 months pregnant at the time!!

STROLLER: They have ones you can rent, which could save you packing the car FYI. If you don't rent one, bring one, he'll need it. Disney is HUGE and 2 year olds get worn out quickly and it's a good place to strap him in for snacks and maybe even a nap.

BOOK / TOY: Bring something new with you that you can give him if he gets bored waiting in line! A great thing is those Color Wonder booklets (invisible type ink so he won't get messy). It's small, lightweight and fascinating for little guys to color. Check it out at Target.

CLOTHING: Put him in a BRIGHT colored shirt so you can easily spot him. If you are really worried you might get separated, put a sticker on his back with your name & cell number so if he gets away, security can call you. A bright orange shirt always works for me, it's easy to spot.

TIMING: Go early. These little guys usually are wound up early and he'll be in a good mood. At Disney World itself, there is a kiddie play area in the Toon Town section for them to run around and burn off energy, good place for you to sit and take a break during the long day of walking!

RESTING: If you stay in a Disney hotel, they have free buses to/from Disney, you can go back to your hotel for a nap/rest (if you think he'll rest) and then go back for the afternoon/evening.

KID CARE: Disney has a babysitting service we used, I think called Kids Nite Out and they will come to your hotel, or even accompany you at Disney (don't have to buy them a ticket) to keep an eye on and help you out. We had a girl college age come to our room for 2 hours so we could rest in the hot tub of the hotel, reasonable charge and very responsible.

I could go on and on and on... so if you need more info, email me at bvdorder at yahoo dot com

HAVE A BLAST!!! He will never forget it!

V.

L.,
Last August my husband and I took our (then) 2 yr, 4yr, and 7yr old children to Disney. We are planning to return this June! I have spent considerable amount of time researching and planning for both trips, so if you have other specific questions feel free to email me directly!
here are my suggestions:

Instead of those kid leashes or other safety devices, we had personalized temporary tattoos made (safetytat.com). The tattoos said, If lost please call... and I put my cell phone number on it. That way my kids couldn't remove a bracelet (or whatever else contained important info) and we didn't have to worry about a stranger calling them by name and confusing them. The kids were excited to put them on and they made us feel better. We didn't lose anyone... but also took the time before to explain to them what to do if we were separated (find a cast member and wait for us to find them).

take a photo every morning of your kid and your parking section. If you lose your child, you won't have to try to remember what he/she was wearing that day. And... you'd be surprised to find how hard it is to remember if you parked in Goofy, Grumpy, or Dopey, Aisle F =)

Bring your own stroller. The ones you can rent are hard plastic strollers that don't recline and $15 a day. Additionally, you can't leave the parks with them so you have to get back to your car on foot!

Book character dining as early as you can. Disney allows bookings 90 days out now (used to be 180). I would suggest Chef Mickeys. All three of my kids L-O-V-E-D it. We purchased autograph books for a couple of bucks prior to our trip and avoided the over-priced ones you can buy there. Bring a pen (or marker) that is oversized so it will be easier for the characters to use.
Kids under 3 eat free.... even at the character meals!

Bring water and snacks. Lines can get long and the last thing you want is a hunger-induced melt down.

Definitely break for mid-day naps. We entered the parks as soon as they opened. We stayed until lunch time when crowds began to thicken. After lunch in our hotel followed by a nap for my younger two and a swim for the oldest, we returned to a less crowded, cooler evening with well-rested kids! We were even able to stay for fireworks. The kids really need the down time and you might too!

There are tons of helpful planning websites out there. Last year I subscribed to touringplans.com and this year I'm trying tourguidemike.com. They both give you info on the crowd levels at each park for any given day. They also have tools to help you plot a path to avoid long waits. I followed the touring plans created for my trip and the longest line I waited in was 5 minutes for the Magic Carpet ride at Magic Kingdom. Really... 5 minutes and only one ride!!!! (**which reminds me, take advantage of the fast passes for the popular rides when available). Allears.net, mousesavers.com, wdwinfo.com, and ourlaughingplace.com are some of the useful sites.

We didn't buy the park hoppers and I'm so glad we didn't. With kids so young, there was no need for hopping! One park per day was more than enough... even with a mid-day break!

I had a very slim fanny pack (the "presto"-style from Gwen Stefani's line, Harajuku Lovers)that held my id, park tickets, money, keys, and cell phone. It was small and thin, so I barely noticed it and it didn't interfere with the restraints on rides. I also had a cheap (free from hospital)diaper bag with an extra set of clothes, bandaids, neosporin, moleskin (for blisters), ponchos, etc. I carried my camera with me and I didn't put anything of value in the bag, so I was able to leave it with the stroller when we went on rides without worrying about someone stealing it!

Have you taken him to a place like Chuck E Cheese or a local amusement park? How did he react. Chuck E Cheese is a good measure of how your child may react at Disney Characters - Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, etc - walking around the park.

Perhaps rent some costumes or dress up like a character or two so that he will see that its just a person in a costume.

You don't say if you are staying in a hotel or with family, but try to stay somewhere with a pool. That way if he doesn't do well with Disney or it rains, etc., you'll at least have an activity to keep him occupied.
M.

I have been to Disney with a 22 month old. Make sure you take a stroller with a big basket and tie something bright to the handle to recognize it easier among the masses. Take plenty of water and when he inevitably crashes and naps in the afternoon take in one of the more adult shows and relax. When my son was little we were back in our room every night by 7 to get him bathed and relaxed and in bed and then up early and out all day each day. We saved the nighttime fun for when he was older.

We just went to Disney this past August with a 4 1/2, 2 1/2 and a 6 month old. I'm not sure you would hear the alarm. It was really loud and crowded. I would recommend bringing or renting a stroller. If you rent and have the park hopper you can get a stroller at every park for the same day. I brought my single stroller and a baby wrap and still ended up renting a double so they could all ride and nap.
We also stayed at the military hotel the Shades of Green which is considered on property. Very nice and just renovated. Our patio doors opened to a pool(I requested poolside) the girls loved it.
We also went to SeaWorld using the the Salute to Heros.
Feel free to contact me.
L.

Hi L.! I'm a former Cast Member of Walt Disney World and I can tell you that by the end of your vacation you'll be thinking how silly it was to have used a toddler alarm. Disney World is such a safe place and there is so much room that even on one of the most busy days you won't have to worry about your little one running off out of site. My 2 year old has been to WDW (all the parks) 10+ times in her little life and each time we have so much fun! I highly suggest bringing your own stroller (to avoid paying $20/day for Disneys) and because yours is familiar and more comfy. I also highly suggest staying at a Disney resort to save time on driving in each day (which can take up to an hour by the time you leave your Orlando hotel, park your car, and get through the park gate) plus parking at Disney is $12/day. Also, Disney resort guests get extra time in the parks and free park transportation (which is much quicker because your resort is within the 43 square miles of Disney World) and the buses/boats/monorails run all through the day. Disney resorts are higher priced but well worth the cost for all the perks and time savings you'll get. I also highly suggest booking a few restaurants in the parks prior to your visit. This not only helps you plan your days, but it's satisfying to know that you have a meal waiting for you at a sit-down location after a long day of running the parks. The last thing you want is to suddenly decide you're all hungry and not be able to find a quiet location that's got tables available. My experience as a Disney Vacation Planner is that if you wait to book your meals once you arrive to Disney (even if you try to book 1 or 2 days in advance) then you'll be stuck with 9pm dinner reservations or you'll find most restaurants are sold out for the evening. I'm not kidding! You'll of course be able to grab a sandwich or a burger someplace though. We used to book restaurants 180 days in advance and as soon as we opened the office for the day there were 100 people on hold waiting to book a dinner for their vacation that was 180 days away. So, call Disney and ask a ton of questions so that you're not overwhelmed when you get there. Have fun! Your daughter is a perfect age; be sure to bring her to Play House Disney at Disney's Hollywood Studios. :-) If you have more questions let me know!

We used a leash backpack for my daughter (we had year passes), she would lead us. She used it from 24 months till about 28 months when we went there.

Whatever you decide. Bring a stroller (or rent one $15 a day). Our kids took a afternoon nap every time and it is a ton of walking. Plus they allow you to bring in some drinks and snacks and that gives you a place to stash them. we never had anything stolen out of our stroller (nor the stroller-a $300 stroller). They have stroller parking outside of every thing. Oh and the some of the shows can be really scary for younger kids (loud)....Make sure she has watched some disney movies before going as well. (oh definetly try the mickey mouse shaped icecream popsicle that is dipped in chocolate--it is really good!). Food at the
'fast' food places on the parks is okay, nothing amazing...But the restaurants are said to be good. And there are some great outlets in that area for shopping as well.

Have fun! don't be surprised if she is afraid of the characters, especially the ones she is not familiar with.
R.

The first time we went to Disney my kids were 3.5 and 1.5. Everyone said they were way too young to go. They had a blast! It was magical to them. We stuck pretty close to our normal schedule and I think that helped us a lot. We went back to the hotel in the afternoon for naps and tried to be back within an hour of bedtime. We did stay out late to do fireworks one night. I highly recommend the Unofficial Guide to Disney World. It helped us plan our trip. Have fun.

Took son to Disney when he was 2. He tired quickly but at least we had a stroller. We took grandparents with us, so we were able to get a break at least once, but we didn't get to see too much of other nearby amusement parks. Son is now 10 and remembers nothing about that trip. Thank God we took pictures. We also came back more tired than when we left. We now have 5-yr-old daughter. We might try Disney again soon before our son is a teen.

L.-

We took our daughter at about the same age. I'm not normally in favor of harness devices, but Target carries a backpack animal with a clip-on leash. Lots of parents had them and it prevented escapes. I ended up clipping our camera strap to my daughter's belt loops one day. There were just too many people to take any chances. My best suggestion would be to go early in the morning when crowds are light. If you are staying at Shades of Green you will be able to get in early some days. My daughter was able to run wild through Tomorrowland for about an hour one morning before the crowds arrived. Also, start at the back of the park. Most guests get distracted by the sights near the entrance and the back areas stay quiet longer. Have a wonderful trip!!