Taken DC 2 + 4 to Disneyland Paris and they’re being nightmares

[Cheepcheepcheep]

Probably should have NC but sod it.

For Christmas we booked for DH, me, and DC 2 + 4 to go to Disneyland Paris. We don’t have stacks of spare cash and really prioritised this as they’re both in love with all things Disney. They’ve been talking about it all of Jan.

It’s been a bit of a disaster of a trip…

Arrived on the ferry lunchtime Monday, the kids were so good and loved the ferry. A smooth drive to an Airbnb near the park. Due to a few logistical issues with getting into the Airbnb they were late to bed (by an hour, adjusting for the time changes) but god. They were up for a further 2 hours, awful but put it down to holiday and over excitement.

Today, wake up, super excited for Disney. We get to the park and within 10m 2yo has a meltdown. Not unusual, I’ve had some concerns about ND but he was inconsolable. Then 4yo has one too. Very unusual for her. Screaming, crying, corpsing “I want to go home I don’t want to be here”. No amount of lovely chatting about Disney castle and meeting Mickey and Minnie could help. So we admitted defeat after all of 30m and went back to the Airbnb, have been here all day bar a quick trip to the supermarket for dinner (had planned to eat at the park).

They’re now “in bed” (8pm here) with a view to them sleeping nicely ready for an attempt to go back to the park tomorrow but up and down and shouting. They have their moments (which 4yo and 2yo don’t, potential ND issues aside) but I feel so defeated that we didn’t even manage to do anything, we literally walked two screaming kids up to the castle and back again. No rides, shows or even a meet with characters.

For the record I’m not a Disney adult, far from it. Frankly if they told me they wanted to go do a cultural city break I’d be delighted. I’m just gutted we’ve spent the best part of £1k (when costs are very tight) on something I know they’d love but tantrums and screaming have me on the RER in tears. DH and I being snappy with each other (albeit with appropriate apologies when it’s calmer) because we’re just so deflated and yelled out by the two kids.

4yo was apologetic about tantrum and appears to be trying to be better. 2yo doesn’t have a huge amount of language but accepts he needed to be kinder today.

Am I over optimistic? I’ve never bought into instagram parenting and accept there may be lows but god, I’d like to be one of the parents we saw today with kids of the same age who weren’t screaming so hard they had to leave.

Hiding in the Airbnb bedroom drinking a glass of wine while DH tries to settle them…

Aw, they're so so young. Would probably prefer a day at the park and need wide open spaces at that age.

Nevermind, I'd focus on doing what you can.

I hope you have a better day tomorrow!!

I'd leave the 2 year old with one of you to
go to a park and feed the ducks. The other takes the 4 year old to Disney. A day of regulation and potter around might mean he's more ready to try again the next day. Your 4 year old can get the hang of the park without her little brother losing the plot next to her. It was a huge gamble at their ages. I wouldn't dwell on it just find pockets of joy where you can.

This sort of is really helpful for my daughter. She is was more able to cope with transitions and new environments when she has a good idea of how the day will go, we're going away soon and have watched so many videos of where we're staying!

Mine loved Disneyland Paris at 2 and I took her own my own at 4 so it’s not necessarily they are too young.
On the bright side it may make a funny family story when they are older.

As Scarlett O Hara famously said “Tomorrow is another day” Please come back and tell us what a good time you’ve had 😀

all things Disney are the worst nightmare anyway
kids felt it

Overtired, overwhelmed definitely etc.

When my youngest was 2, and fresh outta the lockdowns, we did Paris minus any Disney. DS was so excited that first night he was a hard to settle for sleep, so didn't sleep as much as normal. We visited the Louvre around 11am the next day and he screamed the entire way through. It was so out of character, but I had older kids who wanted to see the museum. Luckily, we had enough adults to keep him away from the crowded areas/give him attention/try to get him nap/divide and conquer... he refused to sleep and still just screamed. But then, like magic, after screaming for 2+ hours, we walked outside into the sunshine and he magically calmed down. He wanted to walk everywhere. Was excited again. We settled and had an ice cream on a bridge, then walked to eat a late lunch, and then eventually got an Uber back to our apartment where he slept for the night. That was that in terms of the crying/screaming for that holiday.

We traveled to the US that same summer and he was a dream to travel with. We've fortunately been on a good amount of holidays since and we know how to manage him better (but tbh he's a dream to travel with generally).

Just giving you hope for a new day. Hopefully your DC will sleep well tonight, and ease themselves into Disney/your holiday. If possible, maybe divide and conquer will work if you have other adults and at least one kid is not tantruming.

I think they are too young. So sorry it hasn't worked .

I had dreams of sitting by the beach watching them play and having nice meals out. Ha!
The reality was a lot of screaming, running away and spending far too much time in a hotel room watching rubbish TV. My poor oldest child pretty much got ignored as DH and I tacked a small child each so even he didn’t enjoy it.

Whenever someone asks if I’ll take them again the answer is absolutely not. Not until they are a fair bit older anyway 😄 I don’t know how people do it and enjoy it with small children but for me it was one of the most stressful and disappointing (and stupidly expensive!) experiences I’ve had as a parent so far. I now take all the Instagram and Facebook posts from others with a pinch of salt. Honestly a day out and home is much cheaper and easier!

😂I think with kids you genuinely can't have it all so if you have routine-loving kids they'll struggle with stuff like this but be easy to parent in other ways. My kids sleep very little - our six year old has never slept more than 9 hours in a night and still comes into our bed at 5am - but are really adaptable with food, late nights etc.

It sounds rough OP and I'm sorry. Crossing fingers for tomorrow.

We had a great time at DLP when ours were that sort of age but it wasn't without it's moments. 4-year-old DD doing a giant emergency shit into her littlest brother's (spare, clean) newborn nappy as we'd waited for 90 minutes for the Nemo ride and she refused to leave the queue being one of them....

I’m probably in the minority but I really think there’s no point spending money on trips like this with little kids.. they often get over stimulated and out of sorts, and the 2 year old won’t even remember it! I would have waited until 4 and 6.

Tiredness can affect everyone's feelings and mood, all ages. Get a good sleep and hopefully things will turn around tomorrow! Good luck

I think that's too young for Disney parks

I remember taking both my boys when they were 6 and 3 and distinctly remember thinking that the 3 year old wax just far too young for it all. The 6 year old perfect

Poor little munchkins.
You had distorted expectations, sorry, it is a tough realisation.

Oh OP 😢 I’d be gutted too

But, in 20 years time, you WILL laugh about it. I promise x

I sympethise! The price seems to have skyrocketed though. I used to work there and I would love to take my DC but tickets to the park would cost as much as I earned that entire summer 😔

I’m a Disney adult (hate that term) and I don’t think they are too young especially if they have enjoyed Butlins etc. But like anything it depends on the child.

There is a small play area in Frontierland up by the Cowboy Cookout as well as the Pirates one. I would avoid Snow White and Pinocchio rides. Small World is usually a winner. There were lots of ducks by the Alice in Wonderful Teacups / Old Windmill when I was there a few weeks ago which most kids seem to like as much as the rides!

Ignore all of the unhelpful advice.

Ignore the price vultures.

Ignore the people who would NEVER take their DC to DL

Ignore all those whose children would NEVER have a meltdown.

It comes to this. You are there. You need to work out the best way to navigate the holiday. Take it one step at a time. There are no expectations. Go at the pace which suits you all. If you need to stop, eat, whatever, do that. The world continues to turn.

Best of luck x

I hope you have a much better day tomorrow. It’s horrible when nice plans go awry and no wonder you’re feeling frustrated and annoyed.

(Fwiw, I have a photo of me and my then three year old DD who had insisted loudly and insistently that she wanted to meet Mickey. In the photo, after lining up for 30 minutes, I am grinning stoically, while she looks like I have introduced her to Beelzebub himself…)

lI want to go home I don’t want to be here”

She may be overtired but I’d feel the same, so maybe she just has taste?

I appreciate this isn't much help now, but I think your big mistake was to make a big deal about it with them and get them really excited about it. I've found over the years that small children just can't handle that level of excitement and hype and it all goes horribly wrong as they don't know how to handle all the big feelings. I've taken to not making a big deal about these things at all in advance, and then they seem much more able to enjoy themselves.

Tomorrow I'd keep it low key. Quiet and relaxed breakfast, don't make a big thing about where you're going at all. Treat it like a trip to a normal park. Breezy enthusiasm but not full on excitement and going on about how much fun it will be or how exciting it is. Then take it one step at a time.

I'm sorry, it sucks.

Choose something you think you will all enjoy to do first (train, playground, small small world?) I might be wary of taking them immediately on a more immersive ride like Peter pan in case they find it too impressive. Dumbo is perhaps more like something they have been on before and you can see what it is in the que.
Hope tomorrow is fun for you all.

To the PP who said I’d stressed the price element - its not that I resent spending the money - but I’m sad I got it wrong to an expensive degree when we are paying £2.5k a month on nursery. Live and learn but they’re been so good with Butlin’s and Peppa Pig World I’m sad to have made the wrong call.

First family holiday with three children. Hideous journey (ferry to a eurocamp place we’d been to before). The two who could speak just said they wanted to go home. None of them slept. It was hideous.

top tip… Efteling when they’re a bit older…