Trip Reports

Time of Year: Fall
Travel Method: Plane
Resort: Offsite (Isle of Bali)
Accommodations
Ages Represented in Group: Infant, Toddler, Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Rookie
Comments: Though not a full-blown trip report, Ted provides some helpful information and opinions on visiting WDW with a toddler and infant. I know that I've always appreciated the suggestions and input from others when I first planned a trip with our son. Likewise, these comments will be helpful to anyone that is planning a future trip.


10/31-11/7 1998

My wife had written earlier thanking you for the great website on WDW tips. In response to your invitation to contribute some tips, here are a few to add to your already comprehensive and extremely helpful list.

Context:

both parents, two kids, one 2 yrs 11 mos, other 7 mos.
Arrived Saturday, rested Wednesday (the only day Hurricane Mitch rained, woohoo!), left following Saturday.
5 Day hopper pass.
Would have brought both kids all over again.
Overall highlight:

Getting signatures from CMs into daughter's autograph book. We left a blank page next to each signature, and added corresponding pictures after development. We planned each park's route according to CM location and appearance times. Filled up the whole autograph book. Daughter totally opened up whenever she saw a CM.
MGM:

For the Mulan Parade, a great place to sit is on the steps of the Theater, just above Echo Lake on the map. Strollers aren't permitted there; park them by the busts of Hollywood greats just further left.
Epcot:

This park is not as toddler friendly. Most rides and shows are oriented toward the older audience.
Animal Kingdom:

Lion King Show: great, highlight of AK. It's loud.
Pocahontas: so so, live animals.
MK:

Crystal Palace was great, had excellent food, reasonable price for all you can eat buffet (~$15/adult, under 3 free). CMs great (Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger).
Guest Relations:

We waited for Mulan and her friends to show up at Epcot at their appointed times twice, and no one showed up, even though Disney employees said they would. We approached Guest Relations, and they offered to have a private room meeting for our child with Mulan, with a personalized signed picture. We weren't pushy or belligerent, just honest and focused on our child's disappointment (which she truly was).
5 Day Hopper Pass:

This was a great deal for us (we stayed 8 days, 7 nites). We spent one day at each major park (A/K, Epcot, MGM, M/K), rested one day in between, and on the last day we decided which one park we wanted to return to.
Stroller Charges:

Magic Kingdom, $5, no Disney Dollar for return
Epcot $6, $1 Disney Dollar for return
MGM $6, $1 Disney Dollar for return
Hope this helps someone's trip to WDW be more enjoyable and less stressful.

Theodore & Christina Kau

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