Disney World is totally doable with toddlers and babies and in fact, my all time best experiences at Disney World have been as a mother with small children.  I think it’s common for parents to be nervous to travel with little ones, but it can be a very special trip to take.  These are some of my favorite tips for planning a trip to Disney World with littles ones.

These are my general tips for visiting the Walt Disney World with toddlers.

Strollers:  Hands down, I recommend having a stroller available for each child ages six and below.  Even if your child has outgrown a stroller at home, they will most definitely need one at Disney World.  I personally use a City Mini Double and LOVE it.  It folds up pretty well, reclines well, has large sun shades, and storage behind and under seats.

Stay on Property:  Yes, it’s more expensive than staying offsite, but it’s totally worth it.  Staying so close to the theme parks plus being surrounded by Disney magic 24/7 absolutely makes up for any savings for staying offsite.  You also need to remember that if you stay offsite, you need to pay for parking plus the amount of time needed to commute back and forth from the parks to your resort can add up if you’re hoping to return to your resort for naps or a midday break.

 

Start Early:  There are two options here for this tip.  You should either arrive for a pre park opening breaking or arrive for rope drop.  Either way, take advantage of the fact that your kids wake up early.  Crowds are at their lowest first thing in the morning.

Mid-Day Break:  This is crucial!  Whether your children still nap or not, you need to take a mid day break.  For my family, this means leaving the park by noon and going back to our hotel where the toddlers take a nap.  We try to get back to the parks around 4pm.  You know your kids.  Whatever schedule they’re on at home is what you should try to keep at Disney.  I’ve been on trips with one child taking two naps per day and another taking one nap each day.  I’ve also been with two kids taking one nap and a newborn napping randomly all day.  My advice is to focus on those taking one nap.  Get back to the hotel for the child taking one nap.  Anyone else can nap in the stroller in the parks and then have a parent find an alternative.  I find that my husband and I enjoy these breaks as well.  It can get unbearably hot mid day and this break can help you escape the heat.  It also helps us to chunk our day into manageable parts of 3-4 hours.

Use Fastpass+ and Lower Your Expectations:  Make Fastpass+ reservations 60 days in advance if you’re staying on property (30 days if you’re off property).  You can make three Fastpass+ reservations for each day of your ticket.  Go into each day with the mentality that these are the three attractions that you’re going to experience.  Anything else you do is bonus.  If you have been to Disney before having kids, you need to realize that you won’t be able to the same amount of attractions with kids.

Plan Your Dining Smartly:  Whether you’re doing the dining plan or not, you need to at least think about dining beforehand.  I do want to note that you can absolutely bring in your own food to the parks.  The only real restrictions are no glass and no alcohol.  Soft coolers of a certain size are also allowed.  Check the official Disney site for restrictions.  If you’re doing the Dining Plan, it’s crucial that you have all of your meals and snacks planned in advance to make sure to maximize the cost effectiveness of the DDP.  If you’re not doing the DDP, you should still have a general idea of where and when you want to eat so you don’t end up wasting precious touring time trying to figure it out.  Other tips on smart dining include splitting entrees, don’t order ‘meals’, get free ice water, and never ordering kids meals.

My Husband’s Tip:  Have an open mind and be patient–  My husband is a guy’s guy who doesn’t do any vacation planning.  He just packs his bags and hops in the passenger seat when we go to Disney.  His tip is not to stress.  If you need something, Disney will take care of it.  Don’t be afraid to ask!  On our last trip, he needed a quiet space to make a work call while we were staying at Kidani Village.  He asked the front desk and they provided him with a private room on the spot, no questions asked.  Also, kids will be kids so just roll with it sometimes.