Tips for going with a lively toddler?

[disneyfan87]

Hi all!
We are heading to DLP in Feb, it will be my 18 months olds first trip. We went when my now 4 year old daughter was almost 2 and had a brilliant time so can’t wait to go back but am slightly nervous about taking my son.
When we took DD1 she was a little star, queued well (with a few snacks, little toy distractions etc), ate well and slept well. (Yes, I know we were very lucky!)
DS1 is a whole other ball game, he’s a bit of a wild child, bordering on feral sometimes... !
He doesn’t stand still, loves to run everywhere, doesn’t like being carried etc etc. I am worried about queues mainly and not losing him in the lines! Any tips at all? He doesn’t show interest in little toys or games except for balls but they won’t really be practical.
As we are going in Feb outside of holiday time I’m hoping it won’t be too busy, and we will use fast passes where possible. I’ll also get some reins!
But anyone been with a lively toddler that can share any tips? Thanks!

[BevS97]

Use fastpass a lot. Get up early and avoid the queues as much as possible.

Are there any apps on your phone that he likes? This might be a reasonable time to resort to some technology distractions.

[disneyfan87]

We haven’t really used our phones much with him (mainly because he likes to throw things!) but might be worth bringing one of our old handsets with some things loaded on 🤔 Thanks for the tip!

[Elly_LDN]

We were in the exact same situation when we went 2 weeks ago. Our daughter who is now 5 was an angel on days out like at DLP but our 20 month old son is a different story! Wants to run around touching everything. So i was also very nervous about queues but it wasn’t actually too bad. Use magic hours if you have that and make use of fast passes. Our son was actually ok in queues of up to 20 minutes as he was playing with other kids in the queue or busy staring at the ride we were queuing up for. Take snacks to always have on you. The first day might be a bit difficult but they will get used to it and also you learn what works best with your child in queues. We were there at peak time a few days before Xmas so it was very busy at times but using fast passes and the app we were able to do everything with max queues of 15-20 mins. Hope that helps. Just relax and enjoy your time there

[Lisa_Lollipop]

We went in May for the day with our little boy who was 18 months at the time... and he is also very lively! We had a rule that we didn't join queues that were any longer than 10-15 minutes, that was pretty much his limit! We always had snacks on us... raisins were our savior! We also find a little magnetic sketch board brilliant when out and about to distract him (we don't use phones/iPad as a rule and this is a good alternative!)

I did do a trip report for the day which gives much more detail (link in signature)

[disneyfan87]

Originally Posted by Elly_LDN

We were in the exact same situation when we went 2 weeks ago. Our daughter who is now 5 was an angel on days out like at DLP but our 20 month old son is a different story! Wants to run around touching everything. So i was also very nervous about queues but it wasn’t actually too bad. Use magic hours if you have that and make use of fast passes. Our son was actually ok in queues of up to 20 minutes as he was playing with other kids in the queue or busy staring at the ride we were queuing up for. Take snacks to always have on you. The first day might be a bit difficult but they will get used to it and also you learn what works best with your child in queues. We were there at peak time a few days before Xmas so it was very busy at times but using fast passes and the app we were able to do everything with max queues of 15-20 mins. Hope that helps. Just relax and enjoy your time there

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Thank you, that’s all very reassuring!
As we are going in Feb term time I’m hoping that most of the queues will be fairly manageable so it’s great to hear that 15-20 was doable for you!

[disneyfan87]

Originally Posted by Lisa_Lollipop

We went in May for the day with our little boy who was 18 months at the time... and he is also very lively! We had a rule that we didn't join queues that were any longer than 10-15 minutes, that was pretty much his limit! We always had snacks on us... raisins were our savior! We also find a little magnetic sketch board brilliant when out and about to distract him (we don't use phones/iPad as a rule and this is a good alternative!)

I did do a trip report for the day which gives much more detail (link in signature)

See more...

A mini magnetic sketch board is a great idea, thanks! And I will check out your report, thanks

[pennycrayon]

We went last Feb half term with a feral 18 month old and honestly she was fine! There’s so much going on to entertain them, She also ate her body weight in the buffets 😂

[princess allie]

I really recommend using the reins, or a backpack with a parent handle. Means they can have a little freedom, but you won’t lose them. Will you be taking a pushchair too? Even with a lively toddler, they still need a little rest from time to time. Also it may be freezing or raining, so they can get in and keep warm or stay dry. Also great for storing snacks and drinks and purchases.

[Elly_LDN]

I also recommend the reins. We bought reins specifically for this trip and so glad we did as crowds can get very big but also its such a big park with so much going on they are off in all directions 😆