Disney World the First time: 10 tips for taking little kids

My family recently got back from our first trip to Disney World...and now I feel like I'm one of those Disney experts...everyone knows one, right?!  Anyway, I thought a Disney tips series might be beneficial so here goes my first one...

We basically had no plans to go to Disney despite our four year old princess' pleas because our son was only 20 months at the time.  However, when my husband had to go to Orlando for business, we decided we'd at least save on his airfare by the rest of us joining him on the last day of his business meeting.  We only booked our trip about 3 months out because that's when we learned of the business trip so I was a little behind the eight ball to start.

I did a lot of research for our first Disney trip with the kids including reading The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids 2013 which I found extremely helpful and talking over tips with friends who frequent WDW.

Here are my top 10 tips for Disney World first timers.

1) Go off season: Disney World's off season varies, but any time during the summer, long holiday weekends (MLK, Presidents Day, etc), and holiday weeks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Spring Break) are by far the busiest. We just so happen to pick one of the least busy weeks of the year -- the first week in February. The crowds were minimial -- relatively speaking.  We waited no more than 5 or 10 minutes in line for any rides and we got to go on all the kids rides and even some of the headliner adult rides like Rock & Roll Roller Coaster and Soarin' in Epcot.  This site has a great visual graphic of the crowds during each week to see what part of the year is the best time to visit Disney World. 

Easter craft with peeps...my take on the popular peeps topiary

So as I said I'm on an Easter Pinterest hunt and one of the things I kept seeing when I searched for Easter Kids crafts was this Peeps Topiary.  Woman's Day Magazine published the original story/idea and it's super cute. It's been repinned a bunch of times and I totally understand why.  I mean, I'm not a huge fan of eating Peeps, but decorating with them...why, yes, I could do that!

Like I mentioned in my post about the Easter 2-for-1 dessert, I went on a little (okay, BIG) Easter shopping spree at Walmart the other day...oh, and I might just have also happened to swing by AC Moore for a few crafting supplies. Anyway, I had four boxes of peeps, spray paint, and the easter grass that was needed.   I knew I had a little clay planter pot in the garage, but I was still on the hunt for a dow needed as the "stem."  (I got a few old cross stitching rings from my mom.)

I'm in the middle of potty training my 22 month old son, so running around looking for this dow was not my top priority.  However, when I get an idea in my head - look out because it consumes my thoughts...keeps me up at night and drives me basically crazy until I do it!  To say I was being a bit inpatient about getting this thing on my mantle might be an understatement so I went hunting for a stick in my front yard.  Basically that means I stepped out the front door and picked up the first one that looked long and strong enough. But I almost underestimated the power of peeps.

Easter desserts: Two kid-friendly treats (to make and eat) from just one recipe

Easter desserts: Robins Nests Rice Crispy Treats

I'm in the middle of planning in Easter Egg Hunt/potluck dinner for the day before Easter so of course you know I hit up Pinterest.   I found a bunch of ideas including some adorable Easter desserts, but I always like to give party ideas a test run.  Tonight we're going to my in-laws to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday so I figured I'd let them be the guinea pigs (they don't know this yet!).

I hope they like rice crispy treats...because for the party I decided I'd try to make stuff that's fast, easy and appealing to both kids and adults.  That's not an easy thing to do.  Since my husband is a huge fans of RCT I figured I'd put an Easter spin on them.  Earlier in the week I went to Walmart and bought a bunch of supplies for the party so I already had the marshmallows and rice crispies on hand.

3 Day Potty Training for boys (Day 2)

Potty training on the go...a must for the second child

Well, we're on Day 2 of Potty Training Boot Camp for my almost-22 month old son.  Since we made it to day 2 you can safely presume Day 1 went well.  Actually it went better than I expected.  You can read about it here...

As for today...Blake woke up this morning with a very full diaper, which I expected.  I put him on the potty almost immediately, but he was pretty resistant.  As I mentioned, I'm going with the nude approach so I took off the diaper and left it off.   It was almost an hour later when he finally peed for the first time.  I think he forgot how it all worked or something b/c he sat on the potty then got up and went behind my daughter's doll house and peed.

He quickly got the hang of it again and didn't have any more accidents in the morning.  I noticed two things today that are different from yesterday and are certain signs, at least in my mind, that he's "getting it."

1. He is going longer between potty breaks...about an hour
2. He is recognizing the feeling and running to the potty on his own.  He seems to realize he has to go, stops before he does, then looks around for the potty. 

We did have a little accident when I went out to pick up my daughter from school (he wears underwear and pants for this).  Going out is definitely not ideal, but I don't really have much choice with my older one in school 9-12 everyday.  He did make it out and back dry when we dropped her off, but had a little accident on the way back home. It's only a 30 minute outing, but he's only learning so what can you expect.

I'm still waiting for him to poop ... he's going on a day and a half without a #2 so we'll see how it goes this afternoon. I can tell, he definitely has to go but doesn't want to sit on the potty to do it.  I thought maybe he'd do it in his diaper when I put him down for a nap, but like yesterday, that's a big NO.

To be continued...

UPDATE:

So would you believe it if I told you my little guy woke up from his nap dry? I barely believe it myself.   He's starting to get into this thing where he's very resistant if I make him sit on the potty and he doesn't have to go so I just kinda held off a few minutes and let him think he's running this show.  (Oh, boys!)

He peed in the potty fine the rest of the night, however he kept crying that his belly hurt. I could tell he really had to poop but he just wouldn't do it on the potty.  I tried everything I could think of to get him to go.

Finally, I committed the biggest potty training cardinal sin known to moms...I put a diaper on him.  I nearly cried when I did it, but honestly it was only on for about two minutes.   I knew as soon as I did it he would poop and he did.  I immediately took it off and took him and the diaper into the bathroom where I dumped that nasty thing's contents into the toilet.  He waved bye-bye as he flushed it down the toilet and I explained THAT's where poop goes.  About five minutes later....he finished the job all over the floor.  You know what happens after the constipation plug comes out...yeah, that's what was all over my floor and my daughter's favorite Build a Bear.

Oh the joys of potty training....

More on our potty training success story:

• Day 1: This is Potty Training Boot Camp: Meet my Cadet
• Potty Training Boot Camp: Days 3, 4, 5 and beyond
• Potty Training Tips: 10 ways I trained my 22 month old in less than a week

  

3 Day Potty Training Boot Camp for boys....meet my cadet (Day 1)

Yup, I did it...jumped right in and decided Potty Training Boot Camp was to start today.  I decided this, oh, this morning...at about 7:04.  By 7:05 my cadet was wandering around commando...and that's how he was to remain the rest of the day (except for the two quick trips we had to make to pick up big sissy from pre-school...but more on that in a minute.)

Let me back up a minute here. It's not like I just decided today was the day with no planning.  No, about 3 months ago, when he was 18 months he started telling me "poop" whenever he'd pee or poop in his diaper.   I kinda half-heartedly tried at the time to potty train him, but seriously the kid was 18 months and I was just too lazy to really do it.  I did, however, go out and buy three potties along with a portable foldable potty seat that I could throw in the diaper bag for when we're out and about -- which is a lot! (At the very end of the post I explain which potty seats I've tried and which I like and dislike..I feel like we've pretty much been through every single one on the market.)

Our busy schedule is what really had me delaying the potty training thing because let's be honest here people, who wants to just around the house for 3 days and watch their kid's wee wee..waiting for them to show the signs (oh yes, there are signs) they have to pee.  Certainly not me...plus my Lenten promise is to hit the gym three days of the week and here it is Thursday and I've only been once thanks to a school program one day and a service man giving me a 5 hour window the other day.    But today, when he practically pulled off his diaper as he peed in it I figured I better take advantage or I may be buying diapers for the next two years when I could be saving for my next trip to Hawaii...one can dream, right?

Anyway, off the diaper went at 7:04.  He didn't get it back on until 1 pm when he went down for nap.  At first, it wasn't going so well.  He had an accident and then another and then another.  Since we have all hardwood floors it's not a huge deal to clean up.  Just so happens my kid has good aim and he likes to aim at the few area rugs that I do have....greeeaaatt.    I kept promising if he went pee in the potty he could have that lollipop he was just dying to have.

Then it was time to take my daughter to school.  School's about 5 minutes away, but you know how it is...you get to school, you put the little bro in the stroller, you take them in, you wait for the door to the classroom to open, you chat with your mom friends, you drive home and low and behold it's a 30 minute trip.  Anyway, I wasn't about to put the diaper back on so....I dug through my 4 year old daughter's bin of 2T clothes and found some Elmo "undies." Okay, okay I admit they're pink and purple panties, but whatever.  My kid requests I put a "pincess" dress and crown on him and then takes selfies....are you kidding me, he was thrilled with Elmo and Zoey!

I armed myself with an extra pair of Elmo undies  panties and off we went to school.  As soon as I pulled into the parking spot "oh dear mommy...." Seriously, this is how this kid talks!  I knew before I even got around to his side of the car what I would find.  So I stripped him down and put the new pair of Elmos on and in we went. He stayed dry til we got home.  I put him back on the potty, but he wasn't having it.  He popped right up and starting playing.  You know what happens here right - so cliche.  Of course, he peed on the floor in front of the potty.

By this point I texted my friend who's been encouraging me after successfully pottying training her two boys before they were two.  I said "uhhh I forgot how frustrating this is."  A few minutes later, I noticed the sign she said to look for...his little penis seeming to "fill up." Does it seriously work like that???  What do I know, I don't have those parts.  Anyway, I put him on and low and behold the kid peed in the potty!! I was so excited I think I scared him into stopping early.  We danced around. We sang the pee pee song. We ate lollipops.   Here is his eating his first "pop." >>>

If there's one thing I know it's that in order to get good at something you have to practice.  The only way to practice on the potty is to have to pee a lot...so I was seriously pushing the milk, juice, whatever.  Poor thing peed about 4 more times on the potty before we had to leave again to get my daughter three hours later.  The second time he went he was so proud of himself he finished peeing, stood up and yelled "Ta da" with his little arms outstretched and the first lollipop reward still in one hand!!! Then he ran over to me and gave me a hug and promptly asked for another "teat." That's Blake-speak for treat.

He stayed dry the entire time we left the house to get my daughter.  As soon as we got home I put him on the potty and he peed.  He ate lunch in the nude, played in the nude, and read a story in the nude.  This is 3 day potty training boot camp and if he doesn't get it in 3 days I'm bagging it....so let's just say he better get it.  We're all in here and I'm of the school that nude is the way to go...and I'll tell you why.  At one point I saw him start to pee only to realize it b/c he could either see or feel it on his leg.  He stopped himself and ran to the potty where he finished peeing.

I put a diaper on him for nap, which is, I think what most would agree is the way to go.  The kid took a 4 hour nap, there's no way he's gonna hold it for that long.  When he woke up his diaper was soaked so can you imagine what the crib would have looked/smelled like? Ew!

I immediately took the diaper off and put him on the potty when he woke up and my little cadet was back to being commando for the rest of the night.  He had an accident or two, but for the most part peed when I put him on the potty -- about ever 20-30 minutes.  At one point he was really fighting it when I tried to put him on there, and I realize I guess he just doesn't have to go b/c every other time he was happy to sit there.

Finally, what made staying home all day worth it was as I walked him up the stairs to bed tonight he looked at me "mommy potty." I said " you have to go potty?" And he said "yes!" I put him on there and there he went!

Hopefully Day 2 will bring a #2...but that's a whole different beast I can tell you that from round 1 of Potty Training Boot Camp with my daughter.

More on our potty training success story:

• Day 2: Making serious progress...already
• Potty Training Boot Camp: Days 3, 4, 5 and beyond
• Potty Training Tips: 10 ways I trained my 22 month old in less than a week

For the record...of all the potty seats I've had this little $6 plastic Bebe stages potty that I picked up at Kmart has been his favorite. It's small, doesn't hurt his bum, and his feet touch the floor.  It seems more like a chair to him I think.  Plus, it's the only one that has a pee guard that actually seems to guard me from getting pee all over me!

Bebe Stages Potty seat

The "comfy" insert on the Safety 1st seat gets nasty with pee and can't be cleaned

Portable/foldable potty seat that's good for when we're out and about. When we're home I keep it in one of the bathrooms

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Summer Infant 3-in-one potty is easy to clean, but pee guard isn't high enough