As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
We have a trip planned for June to WDW. This will be the first trip for our son who will be 18 months when we go. I have a couple of questions for those of you that have taken toddlers to WDW.
1) Did you use a carrier (like and Ergo or Tula) or a stroller? Or some combo of the two?
2) What attractions are Must Do?
3) What FastPass+ should I make sure to get?
4) What should I make sure is in my backpack for the day?
Any other advice would also be appreciated. I've read (and watched on YouTube) a lot of advice about going back to resort in the middle of the day for a nap/rest. I've also read about making sure to use the Baby Care centers.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
PassPorter Guide Author PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Navigator
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Ohio & Florida
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 6,129
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 73
Likes (Received): 284
Thanks (Given): 7
Thanks (Received): 146
Pixie Dust (Given): 25
Pixie Dust (Received): 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by PamelaK
We have a trip planned for June to WDW. This will be the first trip for our son who will be 18 months when we go. I have a couple of questions for those of you that have taken toddlers to WDW.
1) Did you use a carrier (like and Ergo or Tula) or a stroller? Or some combo of the two?
2) What attractions are Must Do?
3) What FastPass+ should I make sure to get?
4) What should I make sure is in my backpack for the day?
Any other advice would also be appreciated. I've read (and watched on YouTube) a lot of advice about going back to resort in the middle of the day for a nap/rest. I've also read about making sure to use the Baby Care centers.
It's been many years now, but DS22 was about 22 months old when we first took him to WDW.
A stroller is a must! If it's comfy enough, your son may even take his nap in the stroller, and you can just relax in the shade with him--or trade off with your husband to go ride the fast rides!
Unsolicited advice: be sure you have an agreement that you're not the sole baby-keeper, so you can do some fun things, too. And take advantage of the Baby Swap options, so you can get away from Fantasyland every now and again!
If you're hoping to do some character meet-and-greets, you'll want to know how he reacts to giant characters. Maybe try to get a picture with the Easter Bunny and see how he does.
And watch some Disney movies. Even that young, he'll remember one or two characters and be delighted when he sees them, or rides based on them. Disney Junior (or did it change its name?) would be a must-do, I would think. Let him watch those shows, if he's not already seeing them.
Have fun!
Ginger
PS: I would avoid Peter Pan--it's dark and a little scary. Winnie the Pooh is much more fun, and has shorter lines, too.
My youngest DD was 18 months on her first trip. She was so well behaved and we had a great time.
Definitely bring a stroller with a shade. We bought a smaller than our "at home" stroller to make it easier to get around by my DD could still sleep in it. She would take naps in the park in the stroller and was just happy looking around at everything while we pushed her along.
We never went back to the room for breaks. She was an early enough riser on her own that we could be a the parks for opening. We typically stayed until around 4 or 5. Then we would spend the evening at the hotel. We never went back to the parks at night because we wanted to stick to normal bed times and wake up times. Think about what will work best for your family.
Be sure to have snacks with you. So easy for them to have a snack and a drink while strolling around.
I did some research on the attractions before hand to know what might be too loud or scary for her and made a plan for the attractions we wanted to go to.
It was so fun to experience Disney with my kids on their first trip. Have fun!!
It's been many years now, but DS22 was about 22 months old when we first took him to WDW.
A stroller is a must! If it's comfy enough, your son may even take his nap in the stroller, and you can just relax in the shade with him--or trade off with your husband to go ride the fast rides!
Unsolicited advice: be sure you have an agreement that you're not the sole baby-keeper, so you can do some fun things, too. And take advantage of the Baby Swap options, so you can get away from Fantasyland every now and again!
If you're hoping to do some character meet-and-greets, you'll want to know how he reacts to giant characters. Maybe try to get a picture with the Easter Bunny and see how he does.
And watch some Disney movies. Even that young, he'll remember one or two characters and be delighted when he sees them, or rides based on them. Disney Junior (or did it change its name?) would be a must-do, I would think. Let him watch those shows, if he's not already seeing them.
Have fun!
Ginger
PS: I would avoid Peter Pan--it's dark and a little scary. Winnie the Pooh is much more fun, and has shorter lines, too.
Thank you for the insights. Due to a bad back, I may be the sole baby carrier, but hubby will push the stroller, or run after the kiddo if needed.
He does well with the high school mascot (head characters) and CHick-Fil-A cow when we see them around town. SInce I teach high school, he is around these characters fairly often.
Disney Junior channel is a constant in our house. He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and has even begun "singing" along to the theme song. He also loves his Pooh Bear. We watch Disney movies quite often. Lately Moana and Inside Out have been the movies of choice.
PassPorter Guide Author PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Navigator
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Ohio & Florida
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 6,129
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 73
Likes (Received): 284
Thanks (Given): 7
Thanks (Received): 146
Pixie Dust (Given): 25
Pixie Dust (Received): 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by PamelaK
Thank you for the insights. Due to a bad back, I may be the sole baby carrier, but hubby will push the stroller, or run after the kiddo if needed.
He does well with the high school mascot (head characters) and CHick-Fil-A cow when we see them around town. SInce I teach high school, he is around these characters fairly often.
Disney Junior channel is a constant in our house. He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and has even begun "singing" along to the theme song. He also loves his Pooh Bear. We watch Disney movies quite often. Lately Moana and Inside Out have been the movies of choice.
We also took our DD for her first trip when she was 18 mos old. We have a nice umbrella stroller we used. I wouldn't take a large heavy stroller. They're too bulky and heavy getting on and off the buses. Stroller parking tends to be centrally located like in Fantasyland. You can park the stroller and walk short distances from one attraction to the next pretty easily. Boats are nice because most of them you can just roll the stroller right on without having to fold it up.
She was one of those kids who needed to go back to the hotel for a nap. She napped one day in the stroller at Epcot but I think it was too hot for her to really be comfortable and she was crabby that afternoon. Going back to the hotel worked much better for us. It's so hot during the middle of the day in the summer. She napped with one adult (who also usually took a nap ) while the second adult either hung out in the room or went to the pool with DS. Once she was up, we headed back to the parks. By that time it was later and not so blazing hot.
In our bag, we had wipes, diapers, little swimmers for water play areas (Disney requires non-potty trained children to be in a swim diaper for the water play areas), snacks that won't melt in the heat, band aids and first aid supplies for those scraped knees, a change of clothes, and a large ziploc bag in case we needed to put wet/messy clothes in something.
There weren't really any rides she was scared of at that age. We avoided rides that we knew had really loud parts like Journey into Imagination. Loud noises were the only thing that bothered her at that age. Take advantage of the rider swap where available along with single rider lines. It's a different kind of trip for sure but I have no regrets taking an 18 mo.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
1) Did you use a carrier (like and Ergo or Tula) or a stroller? Or some combo of the two? - I never baby wore with her, so I didn't use a carrier, but a lot of people do so if this is something you are used to doing, then go for it! (Keep in mind it might make you very hot if this is during a warm month!). We took a nice umbrella stroller (a Chicco Echo) and it was great. Big enough to store stuff underneath, reclined, had a canopy and cup holder (for parent), but still was small enough to maneuver around and was able to fold up easily and have one person hold it on the buses.
2) What attractions are Must Do? - pretty much anything without a height requirement is great for kids. Our daughter was just shy of 2 years old on our recent trip. She loved the Disney Jr. at DHS, and rides like Small World, Peter Pan, etc. Pretty much anything!
3) What FastPass+ should I make sure to get? - if you have 2 adults that want to ride rides with height requirements, make sure that you utilize rider swap and split your FPs (ex: you get a FP for Big Thunder, spouse gets a FP for Splash Mountain, you can do rider swap on both so this only costs you 1 FP each). We used a FP for the afternoon parade at MK which I had never done before and I thought it was a great use - great seating location and we didn't have to wait forever to have a good seat.
4) What should I make sure is in my backpack for the day? - extra change of clothes, sippie cup, snacks, garbage bag to cover stroller in case of rain. I found we did NOT need toys, books, etc... we never waited very long in any lines and there is so much going on we didn't need any additional distractions. We did buy one of those light up spinner toys and that kept her busy.
We never took an afternoon break, but I know many people do. Each afternoon, she just fell asleep in the stroller and we continued to take turns seeing things/ riding things and the other one would push the stroller.
If you're making TS reservations, I would suggest maybe making them around lunch time, that way you have the rest of your day free for an afternoon break if needed, and do whatever you want in the evenings based on how things are going; you won't be tied down to being at a dinner reservation at a certain time or place.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
) while the second adult either hung out in the room or went to the pool with DS. Once she was up, we headed back to the parks. By that time it was later and not so blazing hot.
Linear Mode
