Originally Posted By dllovinrn Hi, I'm asking all of you LP-ers out there who have visited DL with a child under 2 (mine will be having her first birthday while we're there) for your top 3 tips! Thank you so much!
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt 1. Use a stroller! If not for the tot then for all the stuff you have to lug around. 2. SLOW DOWN! Kiddies take naps. 3. Visit The Haunted Mansion! Yes, no joke! On our first Park visit DD, then under 1, LOVED The HM! ENJOY!!
Originally Posted By TXDISNEYNERD 1. Use Baby swap so the adults will be able to ride the bigger rides. 2. Around nap time, take a stroll around the park. My kid slept great in the stroller and I was able to just enjoy the park and do some people watching. 3. Don't leave any valuables on the stroller when parking to ride rides as strollers have been known to disappear. The one time I rented a DL one, it disappeared twice. Both times I was able to go and get another one with my receipt, but it was a pain. When I brought an umbrella stroller, it never disappeared. I don't know if people know that you can just get another with a receipt so they feel like they can just take it or what.
Originally Posted By PetesDraggin 1. Take time to appreciate the parks from your child's perspective. Some of my current favorite rides (Mad Tea Party, Winnie the Pooh, Golden Zephyr) are ones that I never took time to ride before. But now, since my 3 year old daughter loves them and gets excited about them, so do I. 2. Go at their pace, not yours. Kids expend lots of energy in bursts, then need to rest. Take advantage of this and do as much as you can when they have energy. Then you can rest while they do. Just don't push too much because meltdowns are not fun for anyone. 3. Just have fun. It truly is a great place to let loose and have a great time. Your kid will love it and you will never forget the look in your child's eyes the first time they walk through the turnstiles. Some additional thoughts - There are some hidden gems that you can discover when you take a young child for the first time. Some of them include Disney Junior Live, Flik's Fun Fair (the atmosphere more than the rides), the back corner of Critter Country where all of the Winnie the Pooh decor is located, and many other things you will discover on your own. Have a wonderful time!
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan My major tip is to not start off with the Fantasyland dark rides! I've seen it so many times where a parent takes a little one onto Mr. Toad or Peter Pan, and the poor kid is freaked out. I'd suggest outdoor stuff first -- the Mark Twain, Flik's Fun Fair, Storybookland Canal Boats, Casey Jr. Dumbo. Then move up to It's a Small World, Winnie the Pooh -- ease them into the dark rides and they'll love them. And be prepared to be surprised. My son's favorite ride for our first few trips was... the parking tram!
Originally Posted By MerryMouseWife As this is a one-year-old, you can pretty much go on anything and she will not notice much except perhaps loud noises; think the thunder in The Tiki Room. If she is in your lap, then pretty much everything will be fine to go on. We took our youngest DD when she was just shy of her 1-year birthday and she was just fine with everything. 1. Have a stroller that reclines for naps and a hood for shade. 2. Use the baby swap so the adults can have a little fun as well. 3. Take lots of pictures with you and your hubs and the baby. People are generally happy to snap a few pics for you. Extra tip: It is quite possible that the characters will be overwhelming for your little tot. Watch her reactions to the characters and go with her cues as to whether the characters are too much for her. Last of all: Take your time, take a break from the park if needed due to stimulation overload, enjoy watching her watch everything around her.
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 Use the Baby Care Stations in DL or DCA at least once. It was like heaven being in a calm, airconditioned place to change our granson on a hot August day. Get familiar with Baby Swap and Single Rider availability before you go. The professional photographers in DL and DCA will take your picture with your own camera. To be polite, I always use the photopass AND our camera. Typically the pictures turn out similar but not always and it's good to have that backup.
Originally Posted By dllovinrn Thanks for all the wonderful tips, everyone! We are really looking forward to taking our baby....I am happy just BEING there and soaking in the atmosphere. I hope to relax a little this trip. She will give me an excuse to slow down and stop being so "get-on-the-most-possible-rides-in-a-day" oriented. Thanks again, I appreciate them all.
Originally Posted By dlkozy 1) My kids were never afraid of the dark rides. There were a couple of things that we did to avoid this: A) Don't make a big deal of the ride ahead of time. I have seen parents freak their own kids out by going overboard on saying things like "You might get scared" "There's a witch in Snow White", etc. Just get in line saying how much fun this ride will be. B) Buy a black light pen and color the tips of everyone's ears and draw a Mickey Mouse happy face on their hands. It totally distracts them and everyone is looking for their "magic" Mickey's! 2) Especially with real little ones-cover their feet and heads. That skin is so delicate and I always see barefooted babes in strollers that you know by the end of the day are sunburned. Use baby block on any other exposed skin. 3) Try very hard to not become a human totem pole at parades and fireworks. Putting you child on your shoulders will block the view of someone standing behind you. Instead, hold them in your arms and enjoy that magical closeness. AND your new Disneyland "neighbors" will appreciate it.
Originally Posted By ComeAndGoByBubble Bring a small front baby carrier (stroller too of coarse). When I took my 11 month old, the front pack was a life saver! During her nap time, I would "wear her", and we would ride the train around ( 5 or 6 times), she would sleep and I would actually sleep too! I felt comfortable doing it because she was attached to me. My older kids would go around with my Parents and Husband, while baby girl and I took a nice snooze without having to trek it all the way back and fourth to the hotel I put some cotton in her ears to muffle the noise of the train announcements, and it worked like a charm! Good luck!
Originally Posted By KJ1197 Sunscreen and covering is a great idea, but don't forget their eyes too! Sunglasses that wrap around their head so they can't get them off. At 15 months my son was terrified of Pirates, but wanted to ride Winnie the Pooh and SMALL WORLD over and over and over... I thought my husband was going to jump ship during the 100th ride on the "small world cruise" ;-) My FAVORITE pics of my son are the ones I took just of him watching the parade. His eyes were as big as saucers as he took it all in. Have fun!
Originally Posted By LVBelle I bought glow sticks from the dollar store to bring on some of the dark rides so it wasn't quite so dark! Also bring some cheerios to feed the ducks! When my son was little, he was fascinated by the ducks. On one of our trips we met a security CM who was known as the "duck guy" who gets called in for any duck related situations. He knew all their names and shared some cheerios with us so we could feed them! Like others said, be prepared to go slowly and use the Baby Center, it's wonderful and the ladies in there are so sweet and helpful!
Originally Posted By ncnike7 1) Make sure to pack her favorite snacks in the bag you bring into the park, also sippies/bottles 2) A stroller is a must, as well as sunscreen 3) Ask for baby swap passes for the 'big rides', and make good use of the baby centers on Mainstreet and in California Adventure by the tortilla factory. It's air conditioned and you can change diapers, feed her, and they have refrigerated drinking fountains in there.
