Disney World and Young Kids :: Tips and Tricks
Any vacation or trip with young kids can be challenging. Taking preschoolers or younger to Disney World is a totally different ballgame. We recently took our 2 and 5 year old to Disney World. It was a more laid back adventure and we went in without much of a plan. Here are some of the things we learned as we planned and experienced Disney.
There are some great benefits to taking the kids when they’re younger: under 3 years old they get in for free, they don’t know what to expect, so in turn they don’t know what they’re missing. Typically, younger kids aren’t tall enough for the “most popular” rides, so there’s no need to purchase extra lightening lane passes or wait in 2hr+ lines. Planning a Disney trip can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
Logistics
We prefer to stay on property. It allows us to sleep a bit later, avoid finding parking and extra travel time to the parks. We drove to Orlando, but driving or flying you typically have minimal space in packing and little people come with a lot of stuff.
- Tip 1: utilize the “extras” offered by your hotel. You can request a mini-crib/portable crib to be delivered to your room. Do it! Likewise, if you have a toddler who is used to a toddler bed or bed with rails, you can request that too! I had no idea that bed rails were available until I read it in a Facebook group.
- Tip 2: Join a group specific to your hotel. The seasoned Disney-goers are a great source of information.
- Tip 3: Rent a stroller from a 3rd party company. A co-worker told me about this and it was a game-changer. We didn’t have to worry about packing our giant stroller, and we would have a stroller that we could take out of the park. The 3rd party companies typically deliver and pick up the stroller to your hotel. They provide rain covers, name tags and other accessories. The strollers are also much more comfortable that the ones available in the park. They can recline for a nap and your kids can remain in them as you walk to transportation at the end of the day.
- Tip 4: If you’re taking kids that are not yet in school, consider going in an off season. Rates will be lower and so will the crowds. Think mid-January, or after Mardi Gras but before Spring break, or after Thanksgiving, but before Christmas. Another option is to use a Disney Planner. They will know what events are happening and can help to guide you and plan your trip.
Caring For Kids
Taking an infant or toddler to Disney World is not for the weak. The youngest of us have their own set of needs.
- Tip 1: The Baby Care Center is your friend. Each park has a space that allows for nursing, feeding and changing your baby or toddler. Also, if you ever lose you child in a park, a cast member will bring the kiddo to the baby care center so you can be reunited.
- Tip 2: Bring a reusable water bottle and take advantage of bottle filling stations/water fountains. The water fountains in the parks aren’t the best for bottle filling, but we were able to locate bottle filling stations in each of the parks. If I had known ahead of time, we could have been a bit more prepared and avoided the time it took to try to get the angle right to fill at a water fountain.
In the Parks
One thing to consider is if you want to experience all of the parks or not. It may be a better option to do multiple days in Magic Kingdom and skip Disney’s Hollywood Studios if you have young kids and are limited on rides. Or consider the park hopper option and split days for parks that have fewer things for the smallest guests. This is another thing a Disney planner can help with.
- Tip 1: Paper park maps are your friend. Having a map for each park gave my kid something tangible to hold on to. We were able to show him on the map where we were and where we were going. It provided him with more understanding of the time it would take to cross the park.
- Tip 2: Think about park days a bit differently. You may not be able to ride Space Mountain as a family, but there are rider switch options. Or you may skip that ride this time and check out the Tomorrowland People Mover instead. “Any Height” rides are going to be your friend, and they usually have shorter waits. Also this visit may be more about shows and character greetings than roller coasters and “mountain” rides.
- Tip 3: Check out the specific kid adventures in EPCOT or Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We did the find Pluto’s Pumpkin search in October and it was a huge hit! EPCOT also has a Ratatouille Hide & Squeak adventure during Food and Wine fest. If not there in the fall, look for the KidCOT fun stations around World Showcase. Animal Kingdom has a Wilderness Explorer adventure that teaches kids about the environment, animals and conservation and they can collect stickers along the way. The specialty EPCOT adventures did have a cost, but in the end you were awarded a prize for completing the adventure.
