Going to Disneyland!

[Fire]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

those who went to Universal Studios, talk to be about the Walking Dead ride. Will it be too much for my 9 and 7 year olds?

I went to it. It's not a ride, you walk through an indoor area made to look like something you would see in The Walking Dead. People dressed up as walkers try to scare you. I'm not making it sound very good, but it was cool to go through, but it wasn't something I would do more than once. Hard to say if it would scare your kids, but it definitely a possibility. Some adults near me were freaking out a bit, so I'd imagine some children would find it too much. Personally I think they would be too young.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

I think the Walking Dead had a sign that said 13+, IIRC.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

those who went to Universal Studios, talk to be about the Walking Dead ride. Will it be too much for my 9 and 7 year olds?

At 5 and 7 mine didn't make it through the blood filled dark hallway that makes up the line. So they turned around and I went in. If they can handle the line they can handle the walk through.

[wooohooo]

Yeah I'm not sure I would bring my kids there lots of blood spatters and people that will just reach out to scare you. I wasn't scared at all, but the couple in front of us left when they walked through the front doors. My wife didn't open her eyes at all. So I guess it depends on you, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with my kids going through that.

[killer_carlson]

Thanks for the advice.

My 9 year old wants to go, but she's a nervous little thing.

[rocketgirl]

Anyone ever been to Disney with really young kids? Mine are 4 and 18 months....can't decide if it would be fun or sheer torture.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by rocketgirl

Anyone ever been to Disney with really young kids? Mine are 4 and 18 months....can't decide if it would be fun or sheer torture.

I'm in the same boat headed in about 4 weeks. I'll let you know

[firebug]

Originally Posted by rocketgirl

Anyone ever been to Disney with really young kids? Mine are 4 and 18 months....can't decide if it would be fun or sheer torture.

Are you staying near the park? I found with young kids the secret was to do a couple shorter visits during the day with a break back to the hotel to refresh/sleep etc.

The other issue is all the walking. Having a stroller will make the 4 yr-olds trip that much more enjoyable.

A 4-yr-old should love the park, the bigger challenge that you may have is that what they are interested in may become boring for the adults involved (you may only be able to handle so many rides on dumbo before the novelty wears off for you).

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by rocketgirl

Anyone ever been to Disney with really young kids? Mine are 4 and 18 months....can't decide if it would be fun or sheer torture.

The first time we went with our kids I think they were 4 & 2, the older one could get on most of the rides but our younger one was only tall enough to get on about half of them. I wasn't a fan, one of us had to stay behind with her as the rest went on the rides. We only went because my whole family was going, I personally wouldn't take them that young, but that's just me.

[killer_carlson]

4 years old is the best time to go to Disney with kids. Yeah, they can't do the Indiana Jones ride, but how excited they get to see Mickey Mouse, or to see Stormtroopers, or Cinderella. That's the best

Stay at a hotel that includes breakfast and is walking distance. Go early and take some time off during the heat of the day. Go back at night.

Strollers are essential at that age. You can bring yours or rent (we've done both). There are stroler parking areas at every ride and there are thousands of strollers in the park.

Peter Pan ride and dumbo fill up fast (not sure why...Peter Pan ride is mediocre).

Best way to meet characters is the goofy breakfast.

[Tilley]

We did DisneyWorld when my kids were 3.5 & 1. They loved it, although my 3.5 year old was too short for Splash Mountain and was crushed. We are going to Disneyland in a couple weeks with my kids being 9, 6, & 3.5 as well as another 3.5 & 6 months.

If you plan to go to Disney once with your kids I would suggest waiting until they are all tall enough (48+ inches) to go on all the rides. If you plan on going more than once or have been there before, I don't think it is an issue if you expect to spend most of your time riding Dumbo or the teacups. Firebug's advice to go back to the hotel for a mid-day break is great. Typically that is when the park is busiest, so we either to go California Adventure or back to the hotel for a swim or nap. Then when the park starts to empty we head back and the kids can handle being out later.

[sketchyt]

Originally Posted by rocketgirl

Anyone ever been to Disney with really young kids? Mine are 4 and 18 months....can't decide if it would be fun or sheer torture.

I went with my 3 year old in January. He had a blast and so did I. He's interested in Cars and Toy Story so that made it easy.

Tips:

• Bring a stroller unless you like carrying around a 30-40 pound paperweight. We were never big on strollers but I went straight to a Walgreens that night and bought one $30US later and dead arms.
• Food sucks at and around Disneyland. Well, for you. Unless you want chicken fingers, pizza, churros, and constipation for the next few days. Hit up a grocery store.
• Learn the Fastpass system. I noticed people don't really take advantage of it. Your 4 year old will go, "again!". Always grab a pass and at least have the option to come back later, skip the lines, and get those dirty jealous looks.
• Learn which rides your 4 year old isn't tall enough for. Avoid walking towards those rides that you think he/she'll be interested in.
• Don't line up to meet Mickey Mouse in Toon Town. The line looks short but IT NEVER ENDS. You will end up with a blinding murderous rage by the time you get there.
• Don't buy plush toys at the store for $20 or whatever. Go to the California boardwalk and play the games there when it's empty and 'win' one for $5-10. Selection is limited but your kid is 4.
• I don't what it was but I think pollution down there is pretty bad. My kid had red itchy eyes the whole time. Bring eye drops.

[snootchiebootchies]

If your child is over 40" tall, they will get on most rides. There are rides with taller height thresholds but we found those rides tend to be too scary for pre-schoolers anyway. I think a child at 40" tall will really enjoy the park.

We went to Disneyland with a 4 and 3 year old. We purchased a double stroller at Walmart and it was a great investment. We purchased instead of renting because we also wanted to go to other theme parks and stroll on beaches and boardwalks so it was great to have one with us all the time. You can get a Jeep Brand Scout Double Stroller for $100 at the Walmart or Target on Euclid St. You can purchase it ahead of time and just pick it up at the store when you arrive. This way, you can make sure you have it and do not have to worry about whether they have the stroller in stock. It's always easy to walk in a store to buy a single stroller -- double strollers are more subject to inventory availability so this is why we buy online ahead of our trip. Target will hold your online purchases for 3 days before cancelling the order while Walmart will hold up to seven days (we actually ordered from both as you will be fully refunded if you don't pick up the superfluous one). The last time were were there, we sold the stroller for $30 on Craiglist the night before our departure so net cost was about $70.

Also, since you have an 18-month old, make sure to take advantage of the rider switch service. A rider switch pass is better than a FastPass because there are no time restrictions on them. The pass will get you front-of-the-line access anytime on the same day as the rider switch pass was issued.

Also, I would recommend going to Legoland. That is still my kids' favourite theme park. That park targets younger kids, so I think that's why they love it so much. As they get older, I expect they will find Disneyland and Universal Studios to be much more fun but right now, Legoland is the bomb.

[killer_carlson]

if your hotel has a fridge or a small kitchenette, you can get groceries delivered if you order online. We ordered from Ralphs and got some bottled water, some fruit, snacks, etc. Way easier that trying to find a grocery store and great way to save a few bucks for lunches or snacks.

[BigNumbers]

So we are planning to take the kids in a month. The smallest just turned 3yrs old and is about 38 inches. Wondering a few things:

-How strict are they that the kids are 40 inches ?

- I assume the kids are measured with shoes on? So if my kids had nice thick shoes that got them to 40 inches would they be okay?

-Do they have age requirements or just height requirements?

- we have three kids 5 and under, can one parent take two kids on a ride? I assume so but want to be sure.

[snootchiebootchies]

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

-How strict are they that the kids are 40 inches ?

Very strict. This is a safety and liability issue so they do not give kids a break here, even if they're close to the threshold height.

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

- I assume the kids are measured with shoes on? So if my kids had nice thick shoes that got them to 40 inches would they be okay?

I've seen cast members ask kids to remove their shoes if they look extra thick. You may get away with it sometimes, but likely not most of the time.

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

-Do they have age requirements or just height requirements?

Mostly height requirements. Some attractions have age requirements, like Jedi Training.

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

- we have three kids 5 and under, can one parent take two kids on a ride? I assume so but want to be sure.

Some rides can accommodate three people, some can only accommodate two. Depends on the ride. But if you have a younger one who is too small to go on the ride at all, you are eligible to get a rider switch pass. So if the ride only accommodates two people, one parent can go with one child, while the other parent stays back with the other two children. When the first parent/child completes their ride, the second parent/child can use the rider switch pass to get to the front of the line and take their turn.

[curves2000]

I don't have any children but I wanted to chime in on this thread and give a big props to all you parents out there who have traveled to DisneyLand/World etc or are planning a trip.

I have excellent memories of going there with my parents and brother and have been a few times since with a girlfriend and some other friends during a Flames road trip.

A lot of my friends who I grew up with in our cultural background, never had a chance to go and I sometimes see their disappointment when I have talked about my trips there. I really thank my mom for it as it was an amazing time and something I hope I may be able to experience one day with children of my own.

I will admit I am not as up to date on some of the latest Disney movie and cultural hits but I feel as a 32 year old I may have grown up during the golden age of Disney. Just some of the classic's that came out as I grew up on VHS were just amazing. I loved Chip and Dale Rescue Ranger's and some of the other character's were great.

The only advice I can offer is so stay the hell away from the dam jellybean section of the candy store. I vividly recall hitting up my parents for jellybeans at some sort of stupid price back in 1995. When I went with a girlfriend years ago, she was all excited for the Disney themed jellybeans and I warned her, she struck up a nice little
$35 USD tab for them and looked over and I told her I wasn't paying for it.

I know the financial costs for these trips isn't easy when taking the entire family and the little ones with all the added little things but just remember that money comes and goes but the memories will always last a lifetime.

A few posters mentioned how excited the little ones are when meeting Mickey Mouse and everything and I concur. I was in my 20's and 30's and I was smiles ear to ear meeting him!

[spetch]

Originally Posted by rocketgirl

Anyone ever been to Disney with really young kids? Mine are 4 and 18 months....can't decide if it would be fun or sheer torture.

Fun! We went started when our daughter was 18 months and now we keep finding excuses to go again (heading again on April 30). Nothing better than seeing your kids reaction the the characters. Even the small rides seem grand and exciting to them. The 18month old may get scared on some of the dark rides even if they are slow and short, just depends on the kid.

Like everyone has said bring a double stroller. The little ones will get tired and power naps in the stroller work great. When that does happen me and the wife head to a larger ride, grab a rider switch and take turns going on it.

There are some great places to watch the parade that usually aren't as busy as Main Street. Head over to it's a small world area and get on the area between it and the nemo sub ride. There is a raised area that doesn't get too busy too fast and has easy views for everyone plus lots of room for your stroller. You can watch the fireworks from there too, however you will miss some of the castle fireworks (they do project onto it's a small world though).

If you are headed to California Adventure and your little ones watch Disney junior, Sophia, Doc and Jake make appearances there. They don't stay too long when they show up but I believe they come around a fair amount. Grab the free Disneyland app as it gives you the time and place to find character meets and estimated ride times

[bizaro86]

We went with a 2.5 year old and a 10 month old last year, and loved it. We are going again in December. The 2.5 year old loved the characters, and the smaller rides.

I had tons of people ask me why do it since they won't remember at that age. I have two answers. The first is I'll remember, and it really was magical. The second is they don't remember anything else, but that doesn't mean they don't get value out of reading, singing, playing etc.

We got a great price on a 2 bedroom suite with a kitchen, which helped a lot. My wife and I could make real food for lunch while the kids napped. The only people I saw unhappy the whole time were those with tired kids.

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

We went with a 2.5 year old and a 10 month old last year, and loved it. We are going again in December. The 2.5 year old loved the characters, and the smaller rides.

I had tons of people ask me why do it since they won't remember at that age. I have two answers. The first is I'll remember, and it really was magical. The second is they don't remember anything else, but that doesn't mean they don't get value out of reading, singing, playing etc.

We got a great price on a 2 bedroom suite with a kitchen, which helped a lot. My wife and I could make real food for lunch while the kids napped. The only people I saw unhappy the whole time were those with tired kids.

I went when I was 3 and I have some great memories of that time. They will retain a few important memories that will stay with them forever, so it is absolutely worth it.

Like you said though the stimulation through song and dance, the parades and the inspiration to follow up with books and mickey related games is a pay off in its own.. both for you and Disney

I also went back as part of our honeymoon, nearly 30 years later, and it was every bit as magical as the first time! That place is amazing, makes you feel like a kid again. In the heat of the day when its at its peak, head over to the Wharf by the roller coaster in DCA, grab a pint of their IPA and some slushe drinks for the kids with a few giant Mickey pretzels. Then go sit on a bench in the shade looking out over the water, that was a real life saver for us.

Edit I looked it up for you: Bayside Brews – Bayside Brews is located near the Silly Symphony Swings, Golden Zephyr, and Goofy’s Sky School.
There are other beer vendors but they server crappy beer like Coors or Budweiser, stick to Bayside, preppy, for a great selection.