tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post3647339599778458290..comments2024-03-28T04:51:33.910-07:00Comments on Preschool Activity Ideas | Toddler Activity Ideas | Mommy With Selective Memory: The Secrets to Enjoying Disney World with Little KidsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04352845939412218638noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-36215015427546331022012-05-17T05:28:31.173-07:002012-05-17T05:28:31.173-07:00Great tips! The first time we went to Disney we st...Great tips! The first time we went to Disney we stayed in Orlando, but DIDN'T do Disney everyday. I think we actually only made it to the park once. Part of it was to to save money and part of it was to save our sanity. <br /><br />I also think sometime parents hype the Disney Experience in their own brains - some of the worst parenting (adult behavior) I've ever seen was in Disney World!<br /><br />One Disney tip for little ones - Kids under the age of 3/4 think Downtown Disney is quite magical!Kristenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03464533320882327093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-66489680846840370542012-05-16T22:58:27.673-07:002012-05-16T22:58:27.673-07:00It was pretty funny actually because during its a ...It was pretty funny actually because during its a small world ride the older couple eople behind us said to each other "this is scary". They were kidding about how terrible it was but don't worry I stayed positive with the kids and kept saying "how cool! Look at those dolls dancing!" :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352845939412218638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-26841173281115101432012-05-16T21:33:10.901-07:002012-05-16T21:33:10.901-07:00Hi Trout Family! I would love to know what your bo...Hi Trout Family! I would love to know what your bog is so I can check it out. Looking to take my 28 month old son in the fall or winter and I am always looking for tips and tales of their tot adventure. Thanks!Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01008779098261026544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-44348235613159772962012-05-16T21:30:39.471-07:002012-05-16T21:30:39.471-07:00It isn't that I didn't think you didn'...It isn't that I didn't think you didn't have a good time at all, I do think you had times that were extremely enjoyable. You had mentioned the princesses with your daughter and the character meal with the princesses both being very thrilling. I guess it just seemed with the "tone" of your post, that it wasn't a very enjoyable trip to the park overall. Everyone is entitled to their express their thoughts and doing so through text can be extremely difficult so I guess it is the way you wrote your post that lead me, and it seems others, to have the feeling that it wasn't a "magical" adventure but more of a hassle. For example, regarding your comment about the It's a Small World ride you wrote: "This ride was one of the originals from when it was built in the 50s and it shows. The dolls were a little weird looking and the kids had no idea what they were looking at...". Which is fine as it is your thoughts regarding the ride but you could have written it with more of a positive spin like, "This ride was one of the originals from when the park was built in the 50s and could benefit from some updating but it is a neat way to introduce children to cultures around the world. The dolls representing the different countries are a bit unusual looking but the cheery music, costumes and cooler temperatures make it a worth wild ride. Try to explain to children what the ride is about prior to the vacation and/or while waiting in line so they better understand the same ride that many of our parents and grandparents enjoyed as children". I know it is a little longer but I don't think it is as harsh as "if you need a break from the weather..." then this is the best this ride has to offer type thing. As for the cost of a WDW vacation, it is no secret that is can cost some serious $$$($$) and not everyone has the money to do it up in grand scale. I have seen some of the value resorts under $100 per night during certain times of the year. And I believe that they are currently running a special until May 18th (don't hold me to the date) that if you book a disney resort and ticket package for the month of September then you get the family dining plan for free, HUGE savings and the park food is actually good! There are better deals to be had out there, it just takes a little leg work. One blog that you might find interesting is "Couponing to Disney" where this frugal mom saves for her family disney trips via sales and couponing. She also has some really interesting tips for visiting the parks, resorts, dining, ect... totally worth checking it out! Hope you have a good night!Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01008779098261026544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-44769087729373832562012-05-16T21:21:26.351-07:002012-05-16T21:21:26.351-07:00We just got back from Disney last week and took ou...We just got back from Disney last week and took our two girls 3 and 18 months and we had a great time! We stayed 8 days and spent everyday at the parks, but also took time to go back to our hotel to swim and take naps. By the way- our hotel was a little over $100 a night. Next time use a Disney vacation specialist. They don't charge fees for planning your vacation and can get you some great deals! I also shopped around for best deals and found that United.com had some great rates too! I do have a Disney blog and will be blogging very soon about our trip with toddlers. Hopefully next time you will be able to experience more of the magic that Disney has to offer! It truly is a magical place that both my girls loved. Not to say we didn't have our low points, but they didn't outweigh all the high points! sharingthedisneylove.blogspot.comAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15777241417529340956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-19311804574141528192012-05-16T19:42:57.745-07:002012-05-16T19:42:57.745-07:00Jordan, I am happy you found my site and I am not ...Jordan, I am happy you found my site and I am not at all offended by your comments! The ones I deleted and that I was referring to really were very nasty. I truly wanted other opinions and I hope you'll come back after your experience and share. For us, we really couldn't afford to stay on site for a week or two. Our place at the beach was really cheap (Around $1200 for the entire week) and that's about all we could do for now. I think the Disney resorts are several hundred per night, plus the entry fee per day over $200, but hopefully someday when the kids are bigger we will be able to afford that. I hope you have a wonderful time!! :-) The only thing that I would have to politely disagree with you on, is that I believe I mentioned several times that we did have a good time and were happy we made the trip. I'm curious about how you came to the opinion that I didn't have a good time?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352845939412218638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-9420703302788971092012-05-16T19:15:33.802-07:002012-05-16T19:15:33.802-07:00I also found your post via Pintrest and felt that ...I also found your post via Pintrest and felt that it was way more negative then positive. I went to Disney many times as a child/young adult and even once with my husband for my 30th. We are now considering taking our now 28th month old son for him to see "the magic" for himself sometime this coming fall or winter. Because of the financial investment in a trip like this, I have also done a lot of research on taking children at this age. Almost every POSITIVE review or tip that I have read from other moms taking children at this age is that it works best if you stay on site at a disney resort and for a time period of 1-2 weeks. Many great reasons to stay on resort... direct transportation to the entrance, short commute between hotel and park, early and late magic hours (enter parks on certain days a hour early or three hours after closing to the general pubic), charge food and merchandise to your room and have merchandise purchase in the park delivered directly to your room instead of having to haul it with you, you don't have to wait in ticket lines, etc. The biggest advantage to having an extended stay for 1-2 weeks with tots in tow is that you don't have to rush to see everything in one or two days. Make a plan for what you want to see but if there is a pending melt down then you can simply go back to the hotel room, which is only moments away, for a nap or down time at the pool or play ground, then start back up that night or the next day. You can even take a day off from disney parks to enjoy the many fun things the hotel has to offer. Things are more flexible when you have more time and the family can go on their own pace instead of feeling like they have to pack in as much as possible in limited time. Something that you didn't mention was the "rider swap" option where a parent can rider with their older child while the other parent waits with the younger child, if the younger is not big enough or too scared, then the second parent can swap and ride with the older child. Great option! Most of the more negative WDW vacations with toddler that I have read about were where the family would stay off site and/or had a short 1-3 day trip... sadly, you did both so I'm not surprised that while you may have had a good time here and there, I wonder how different it would have been for you and your family if you had stayed on site and/or had more time there. I'm also sorry that you had other people cause you heartache with their comments and hopefully mine didn't do that but one of the big problems with expressing your thoughts about something so beloved as WDW in a simi-public setting is it opens the door for the angry that don't like what you say. Hopefully, you will take another trip with your family in the future and it will be much more magical!Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01008779098261026544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-61498535386346670292012-05-16T10:55:48.653-07:002012-05-16T10:55:48.653-07:00Thank you so much!! You have made my day!! ;-)Thank you so much!! You have made my day!! ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352845939412218638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-26166182198271681752012-05-16T10:54:43.971-07:002012-05-16T10:54:43.971-07:00Good point!! Now I'll just have to wait until...Good point!! Now I'll just have to wait until they release it from the vault lol! I wonder why they do that anyway!! ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352845939412218638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-24290707964962526972012-05-16T10:53:35.395-07:002012-05-16T10:53:35.395-07:00Great thanks!!Great thanks!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352845939412218638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-91403543286058192462012-05-16T10:17:54.094-07:002012-05-16T10:17:54.094-07:00This is just one mom's opinion, she's just...This is just one mom's opinion, she's just trying to help other moms out there! I lived in Orlando and went to Disney quite often, and she is really correct about a bunch of things. I found it very helpful and again, it's just her opinion!Katie A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13233650243162275492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-56936666582302137402012-05-16T05:48:27.082-07:002012-05-16T05:48:27.082-07:00Thanks for the post. I would add is that one of th...Thanks for the post. I would add is that one of the best times to go to Disney is in October. The weather has cooled off and, except for Columbus Day weekend, there are no school vacations or other traditional vacation periods during that time, so the lines are shorter.Kerriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714946106965247961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-49965860742903080922012-05-15T20:08:55.915-07:002012-05-15T20:08:55.915-07:00Great post! However, you shouldn't be so quick...Great post! However, you shouldn't be so quick to down the "dumbo" and "its a small world" rides. Those rides are classic and should forever remain in the park as a credit to Walt himself. Although kids of this generation will not truly understand who Dumbo is, the older generations do and the fact that they are there is a reminder of the grace of that time period! Maybe you could allow your kids to watch Dumbo before going next time? Then the wait in line would be worth it...just a suggestion!pint1234https://www.blogger.com/profile/04293063024463778992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-81829642973468247722012-05-15T18:46:18.240-07:002012-05-15T18:46:18.240-07:00What a great tip! My daughter HATES auto flush!! ...What a great tip! My daughter HATES auto flush!! :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352845939412218638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-374809008171055072012-05-15T18:40:54.423-07:002012-05-15T18:40:54.423-07:00Just want to point out that they are usually reall...Just want to point out that they are usually really strict on the ages for tickets. Kids 2 and under are free, but 3-9 is a child's ticket and 10+ is an adult. Plus, another great feature in the park that you didn't mention, but people may want to know about, is the Baby Care area near Casey's Corner on Main Street. There are changing tables, nursing rooms, and an area for the kiddos to just sit in the ac and relax while coloring or watching a movie. Plus, the potty's in there do not have the auto flush in case your kiddo is afraid of that.Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856498580073957231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-4279849793464548202012-05-15T10:38:11.581-07:002012-05-15T10:38:11.581-07:00Hello Anonymous! Yes, I would have loved to contac...Hello Anonymous! Yes, I would have loved to contact you privately before I deleted your comment, but unfortunately you posted as anonymous. Your previous comment went after me pretty ruthlessly and I thought maybe you were a bit confused. I believe your comment stated that my own poor experience was probably due to my lack of planning. I thought I made it pretty clear that we did have a good time and that I did research and plan, so I wasn't sure if you actually read my whole post. The truth is, this is a personal blog where I write about my experiences in the hopes that it will help others. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. I just truly wanted to help others and I found several things that I wish I'd known before we arrived. I welcome you to keep reading my blog if you are interested and I think you will find that I simply write about my life with my kids. I have been told that I help others occasionally by sharing my experiences. If this didn't help you, I welcome you to click off my blog and find something else that might be useful. Either way, it is very disheartening to receive negative comments on a personal blog. If you have a blog, I welcome you to write about Disney World and leave the link here!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352845939412218638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-47979652814998628432012-05-15T06:57:09.485-07:002012-05-15T06:57:09.485-07:00I see you removed my comment (and the other gal...I see you removed my comment (and the other gal's above, which was also spot on). I'm not trying to be rude or mean-spirited. I stumbled on your blog through Pinterest because we're heading back to Disney this summer. I just caution you to use your words wisely. There's a lot of power in blogs in how they influence people. Fairness, accuracy, and integrity are essential. I also noticed that you revised No. 5. I agree that it is fair to point out that WDW is free to children 2 and under. However, now all your readers know that you lied about your daughter's age during your visit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-82542092081654640932012-05-15T06:21:26.670-07:002012-05-15T06:21:26.670-07:00Lisa, I wish I would have talked to you before we ...Lisa, I wish I would have talked to you before we went!! :-) My little girl is way too scared for the Haunted Mansion or the rollercoaster so bravo that your kids are brave enough! The guidebooks list these rides as suitable for older kids so we didn't even try. I appreciate your comments!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352845939412218638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-5539756251390885812012-05-15T05:46:58.194-07:002012-05-15T05:46:58.194-07:00Oh, & the Tomorrowland Speedway! Little guys l...Oh, & the Tomorrowland Speedway! Little guys live that one. I know some of these rides don't seem like rides for little kids but my kids have always loves them all. One of my other kids is 12 but she is handicapped (mentally 2 years old) and she now rides everything!Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18065127701589237597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-59744749847099452892012-05-15T05:44:34.265-07:002012-05-15T05:44:34.265-07:00Have to say, I'm feeling a little negativity! ...Have to say, I'm feeling a little negativity! We go to Disney multiple times a year with our 3 kids - the youngest is 2 1/2 and his first trip was at 14 months. He loves it! There are many more rides that little kids can ride than the ones you mentioned. Honestly, I was surprised the first time we took him that there was SO<br />MUCH he could do with us. Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Riverboat, Pirates of the Caribbean, Aladdin, Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear, Peoplemover, & as of our last trip (2 1/2) he was tall enough for Goofy's Barnstormer!Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18065127701589237597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-55740198653656982782012-05-15T05:29:08.825-07:002012-05-15T05:29:08.825-07:00Thank you for letting us know. Of course, everyone...Thank you for letting us know. Of course, everyone expects (and pays for) an exceptional time - but long lines and heat can pay a toll. It's good to know what is appropriate for the little ones. I, too, know of adults who go and leave their kids at home! That seemed strange, but understandable the more you know about it. Thanks for the tips! No matter how much you research, it is a huge place with so much going on that I'm glad you narrowed it down to what works and what doesn't.Susan Casehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09108692712611674153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-54449870437050687492012-05-14T22:48:36.523-07:002012-05-14T22:48:36.523-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-64331180432982666852012-05-14T22:25:09.644-07:002012-05-14T22:25:09.644-07:00Or just go on a disney cruise!!Or just go on a disney cruise!!Rasmussen Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09344202825556569669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-26440022275276324302012-05-14T22:25:02.450-07:002012-05-14T22:25:02.450-07:00Or just go on a disney cruise!!Or just go on a disney cruise!!Rasmussen Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09344202825556569669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-59043737567347370512012-05-14T06:02:38.392-07:002012-05-14T06:02:38.392-07:00I just sent this to my husband. Ha! We are going...I just sent this to my husband. Ha! We are going to Disney in one month, but we are leaving my daughter at home with my mom. I'm a great parent, doncha know! :)Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05940369749048830429noreply@blogger.com