Advice please :)

[sashadog]

Hi we're off to Orlando for the first 2 weeks in October
It'll be my little boys first visit and he will be 2 1/2. I've got a few questions that are mainly toddler related hope someone can help and offer advice! Here goes... !
1. Can I still take food on our outbound flight!? Pretty sure my boy won't like plane food and would like to be prepared if he doesn't
2. We plan on taking his stroller right up to the gate when we get our flight. When will this be returned?
3. We're staying at port Orleans riverside and the room I've booked is one of the ones with a pull down bed, is this guaranteed now? Also do they do beg guards?
4. When I'm booking my dining plan meals, will I book a table for 2 or 3 people? This probably sounds a stupid question but because my boy is under 3 he's not on the plan?!?!
5. Never done a Disney water park... is one or the other better for a toddler and do people take water wings or do Disney provide such things?

Hope these aren't the most ridiculous questions ever written and that someone can help lol thanks for reading! X

[Hevfev]

Sorry I can only answer a few...
We took 2 year old and we added him to the number of people when booking an ADR.
We found both water parks fab and had loads to do with our 2 year old. Plus they seem more laid back there than here in the U.K. Some things he was allowed on and we were like are you sure lol
Sorry I can't help With the other questions x

[mick]

The days of toddlers are a long forgotten memory I'm afraid but Q1 we can manage.

You can basically take your own food on to the plane but you must leave behind any uneaten stuff before you disembark.

Obviously you can only buy drinks airside at Boots, W H Smith etc.

EDITED before I'm criticised by any pedants out there . If it's "long forgotten" it can't be a "memory" can it?

Mick

[loves2plan]

Not taken a toddler, but can help with some questions.

It's fine to take your own food and snacks on the plane. When you land you'll need to leave behind any fresh fruit, things with meats in etc, but if you've got crops, chocolate, snack type good then you're okay with that. Just make sure you declare it and then they'll advise you if any of it is prohibited. As a tip, we always take the mini variety boxes of cereal for our children to have as snacks or breakfast in the room. We just buy milk from the resort shop and there's a fridge in the room. You'll need to take some bowls and spoons though as they're not provided.

With regards to the room at POR, the only way to guarantee a room with the pull down Murphy bed is to either book a preferred room are be a party if 5. Have you booked a preferred room? If not, you can put in a request for the alligator bayou area as that's were all the rooms with Murphy beds are. If you don't get one and end up in magnolia bend, then you'll have 2 double beds, so he'll still have a bed if his own. Guards can be request from mouse keeping and there's a direct button on your room phone to them.

Book your adrs for 3 so they have a suitable table for you and they'll provide a high chair if he needs one.

The water park and hotel pools provide free life jackets to use, but take your own water wings/ring too as you might find he prefers one over the other.

[ukman]

We were in florida for august 2016 for 3 weeks, and our youngest was 2 1/2 and we would like to say she had an amazing time, not like we weren't expecting her to, as her older siblings and us have been going for numerous years now. But every child is different.

1. Can I still take food on our outbound flight!? Pretty sure my boy won't like plane food and would like to be prepared if he doesn't.

If the food is packaged and was the kids food in the jars were ok, the milk, some people can be ok with and some can be a little difficult. But we were surprised how the holiday mode probably got to her and enjoyed the airline food. We flew with Delta and they even supplied milk or warm ours up.

2. We plan on taking his stroller right up to the gate when we get our flight. When will this be returned?

That was something that is very straight forward. Take stroller to gate a label is place on it, then you can push child in stroller up to the airline door and stroller left in a corner by the airline door. Was worried when we first did it, but surprisingly went smooth all the way, considering we had stopovers. Stroller was always at the other end, again next to the door of airline.

3. We're staying at port Orleans riverside and the room I've booked is one of the ones with a pull down bed, is this guaranteed now? Also do they do beg guards?

Never done this, so no idea, but im sure someone will pop alone soon to respond.

4. When I'm booking my dining plan meals, will I book a table for 2 or 3 people? This probably sounds a stupid question but because my boy is under 3 he's not on the plan?!?!

Again, not done recently but im sure its for 3.

5. Never done a Disney water park... is one or the other better for a toddler and do people take water wings or do Disney provide such things?

Again no answer for that one

[grinner82]

1.When DS was 22 months we just got some snacks for him once through security, there was plenty of choice for him from the shops there

2. It may depend on the airline but with Virgin coming back we used the pushchair up to the gate, and it was returned at the baggage collection. Going out it went with out main luggage and appeared in the main check in hall in a separate pile. If using Disney transport it needs to be a one piece type.

3. The pull down beds are only in the Alligator Bayou area of Riverside, and these are the only 5 person rooms. We have been twice and the first time ( 4 people) we were in his area, the second time we were in the mansion buildings which did not have them. I much prefer the Bayou area . The only was to be sure would be choosing a " preferred Room" which are all in this area ( due to their close proximity to the main dining hall) or 5 people.
You could send a request off to PORR around three weeks before you travel , but it wont give you this 100%

4. Book for three as some tables are only 2 people and there is not room for 3.

5. Both have great little areas for babies / toddlers. TL is a little bigger and has a few little slides and water squiring items. We used UV swim tops to protect his arms ( ginger child!)

[Kaz007]

We took our then 4 year old and 18 month old daughters two years ago ...

1. Can I still take food on our outbound flight!? Pretty sure my boy won't like plane food and would like to be prepared if he doesn't - yes no problem to take your own food. I'd suggest lots of snacks/things that take a little while to eat as it doubles as 'entertainment'! We took Apple bags, raisins, Cheerios etc as well as sandwiches. Just remember to either leave leftovers on the plane, or declare any food on your customs form that you take with you.


2. We plan on taking his stroller right up to the gate when we get our flight. When will this be returned? - we've always taken the pushchair to the gate. However at Orlando International pushchairs are retuned once you're through immigration. No great when you have tired/restless little ones!


3. We're staying at port Orleans riverside and the room I've booked is one of the ones with a pull down bed, is this guaranteed now? Also do they do beg guards? - you can definitely get bed guards, we did last time, just asked when we checked in and they bought one to our room.


4. When I'm booking my dining plan meals, will I book a table for 2 or 3 people? This probably sounds a stupid question but because my boy is under 3 he's not on the plan?!?! - book for 3. We had to book for 4 even when youngest was 18 months.


5. Never done a Disney water park... is one or the other better for a toddler and do people take water wings or do Disney provide such things? - yes all swimming pools/water parks on Disney property have life vests for little ones. Both our 4 year old and 18 month old used them no problem. Re water parks ... Both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have 'little tykes' areas with little water slides/play areas etc. our girls preferred Blizzard Beach, but both are fab.

We're off again in May ... Our girls will be 6 and 3 ... And 'bump' will be approx 8/10 weeks old! So a whole new challenge!

[VickyJ]

Originally Posted by sashadog

Hi we're off to Orlando for the first 2 weeks in October
It'll be my little boys first visit and he will be 2 1/2. I've got a few questions that are mainly toddler related hope someone can help and offer advice! Here goes... !
1. Can I still take food on our outbound flight!? Pretty sure my boy won't like plane food and would like to be prepared if he doesn't

You can take food but no liquids over 100ml. you can stop in boots airside though and pick up a meal deal that will please the little one or take your own choice of sandwich ect. you can absolutely bring home food with you but nothing with a mouldable consistency. maybe something like brioche rolls ect. any fruit must be consumed or binned before getting off of the plane though

2. We plan on taking his stroller right up to the gate when we get our flight. When will this be returned?

It will be returned at the gate also but this can be a bit of a wait. Have you thought about maybe a trunk instead that he can pack his favourite things in and then ride it through the airport.

3. We're staying at port Orleans riverside and the room I've booked is one of the ones with a pull down bed, is this guaranteed now? Also do they do beg guards?

POR is my personal favourite resort with lots to see and do, he will love lizard spotting. email guest services re bed guards sometimes they fulfil these requests but it can be hit and miss. Otherwise there are always travel cots available.

4. When I'm booking my dining plan meals, will I book a table for 2 or 3 people? This probably sounds a stupid question but because my boy is under 3 he's not on the plan?!?!
You have to book for three otherwise you will not be allocated a table with space for a high chair if this is required. You can request a high chair at time of booking also
5. Never done a Disney water park... is one or the other better for a toddler and do people take water wings or do Disney provide such things?


Both are pretty good but TL has katchakiddy creek which is aimed specifically at teenies at all dis pools and at waterparks little life jackets are supplied.

Hope these aren't the most ridiculous questions ever written and that someone can help lol thanks for reading! X

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not ridiculous at all, I have asked way more tenuous things!

[DOFFSTER]

You can take food on the Aircraft just be sure to check before you enter the us that you have "dumped" anything left or at least make sure it's allowed to be taken in.

You can keep the stroller until you get to the door of the aircraft and they will take it and put it in the hold.
When you get off the proceedure should be they have it outside the door as you get off the plane but this can be hit and miss - last time we had a stroller it had been sent to the "bulky items" carousel.

If you have booked the room with fold down bed that's what you will get, you will need to ask at reception for a bed guard

With the meals just book for 2 adults and a child no problem. If you don't pre-book for all of you they might not have a table for 3 available.

Never done waterpark so can't help with that.