How to Rock Disney World with a Toddler
By: Lindsey Moreland
The thought of going to Disney World with a two or three year old gives me anxiety. But having never gone as a child, I wanted to give my daughter those memories. Oh who am I kidding? She’s not even two. It’s about my memories and the pictures.
My husband and I have been to Disney World together three times but never with kids. We actually got engaged at the Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella’s Castle. Cliché? Yes indeed but I love our love story. Our daughter’s name is actually Aurora.
My sister invited us to visit right after Christmas. They have a condo near the park and we could crash there. Being the Disney obsessives we are, we decided to go. We stayed for a full seven days and had a blast, but there are some things I wish I had known beforehand.
Rori’s 1st haircut at Harmony Barber Shop at Magic Kingdom
1. Do NOT Go During Peak Times
I repeat, do NOT go during peak times. This includes Christmas and New Years. We went from December 27th to January 2nd. The crowds were HORRIBLE! The line to ride the teacups was 90 minutes long. The TEACUPS! We literally got to ride four rides at the Magic Kingdom. Let that sink in. Four rides.
Peak season includes the summer, fall and spring break, and the aforementioned Christmas/New Years combo. Instead, go during the slower times. I would highly suggest the first two weekends of December or the month of February. The weather will also be cooler and not blazing hot. You can wear short sleeves during the day and a light jacket at night.
Trust me… holding a screaming child for an hour and a half when you waiting 90 minutes+ for a ride is the actual worst. Oh, because you know, strollers aren’t allowed in the lines.
**Note: Before planning your trip, check the dates of any Disney marathons or races. The parks tend to draw a rather large crowd on those dates as the runners visit the parks after the marathon. Unless you’re planning your entire trip to actually go run…which is a thing people do I guess.
2. Stay at a Disney Resort
I know that the Disney Resorts can be on the pricey side but it’s totally worth it. If you stay at a Disney Resort you get complimentary bus and tram rides to and from the parks. It costs $25 per day to park your car at a Disney Park. Then you either have to walk or ride a small tram to the gate. Getting on the tram with a stroller, diaper bag and toddler is nearly impossible. You can also ride the Magic Express bus to and from the resort for an additional fee.
For Disney Resort guests, a Disney Park will open an hour early and another will close an hour later. So you extra time at the parks.
All the resorts have amazing (heated) pools and activities for the kids. They usually also have non-pool activities for free or a small fee. The All-Star Resorts are the least expensive and great for the kids.
3. Build in Rest Days
Rest days are for you as a parent just as much as they are for the kids. Getting up, getting yourself ready, your partner ready, and your child(ren) ready is a chore within itself. Not to mention getting to the park and walking an average of five miles a day. You will need days to rest for your own sanity.
Take the day and enjoy some of Disney’s less active amenities. The resort pools are amazing, and the higher-end resorts have amazing restaurants that will blow you away. A lot of them have other fun things to do as well. For instance, the Boardwalk Resort has a great ice cream place and atmosphere that really feels like you are in Atlantic City. Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge is essentially a resort in the middle of the African Safari region, but its hefty price tag does not allow for many to stay there. However, you can still visit. At night, use night vision goggles to see the animals. I also highly suggest you check out Sanaa for brunch, or if you can steal a date night away from the kids Jiko – The Cooking Place.
You can also take the resort bus (or a ferry if you stay on certain resorts) to Disney Springs. Disney Springs is an outdoor mall with a ton of restaurants. Be forewarned that it’s a very large mall so you could be walking a lot. They have some really fun stores, delicious food and yummy drinks. Not to mention they have the largest Disney store on Disney property.
4. Skip the Park Hopper
Trust me, I am all for the park hopper. When my husband and I went before kids, we would go from park to park daily. But now that thought of two parks in one day is completely overwhelming. Going to a park takes a lot longer with a child. They slow you up a bit. Instead, enjoy one park a day and do not rush it. The cost of a park hopper is around $60 for one day and it goes up each day. The more days you go, the less expensive the park hopper actually is. But it is a good way to cut costs. Plus if you get done early, you can go back to the resort and take a much needed break.
5. Splurge on a Character Dinner
You see all these adorable pictures on social media with amazing looking food and one-on-one interactions with characters. These are character dinners. Character dinners can be found at the Disney Parks as well as some Disney Resorts. A reservation is usually required. There are several to choose from so make sure you do your research before to see which characters are where.
We went to the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom. This is a buffet on Main Street where you can meet Pooh Bear, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. In order to meet all the characters, you must be there for an hour and a half. The buffet makes that very easy. Yeah, I know it’s a buffet but it’s absolutely delicious. From the gouda mac and cheese to the BLT deviled eggs, there is something for everyone. There is even a kid’s buffet. And let’s not forget the dessert bar! Also… Magic Kingdom is the only park that does not serve alcohol EXCEPT for the character dining experiences. Need I say more?
6. Pack for the Day Accordingly
Disney Parks will allow you to bring in drinks and food. Yep, that’s right! And you will need them if you bring a toddler. Imagine being in line forever (ahem… 90 minutes) and having a hungry screaming toddler. Just grab a snack and meltdown averted. Think peanut butter and crackers, granola bars and my favorite… Uncrustables. Throw one in your bag frozen and by the time your toddler gets hungry at the most inopportune time, it should be thawed out. Also the Gatorade and Pedialyte Powder packs are a lifesaver.
Secondly, it’s Florida. It is very likely to rain at least once a day, however, it rarely stays around all day. Pack a poncho or rain jacket. Trust me… they are overpriced at the parks. Also there are stroller ponchos! Yep, that’s right. Every single parent at Disney World knew about them except for me. Talk about feeling like a horrible mom when you walk out from a show to put your toddler in a soaking wet stroller when all the other strollers are dry.
Bring a light jacket or long sleeved shirt. If you go in the winter it can get nippy at night. Also some rides and shows can get a little cold too. Also your toddler will spill something on their adorable Disney outfit. Between the Dole Whips, churros, Mickey Mouse ice cream and turkey legs, you’ll be lucky if you only go through one outfit. Bring extra.
7. Get the Memory Maker
When you go to the Disney Parks, they have their very own photographers. They are lined up around the entrance and at all the character spots. They even do magic to the photos at random.
If you buy the Memory Maker while you are at the park, it’s $199. If you do it 15 days before you get to the park, it’s $169. The plus is that only one person in your entire family (or travel party) has to buy it. Just link your passes and whoever purchases the memory maker can send any and all pictures to the party. Disney is also installing automatic cameras in their character spots to take photos every few seconds. Also, if you have someone in your travel party that has an annual pass, they already have this feature and you can link your card without having to pay for it.
This blog topic was featured in Episode 52 of The Champagne Way Podcast.
The Big D’s
After taking a break for the holidays, the Champagne Way ladies are back to kick off 2020 to talk about how they have each enjoyed a "Big D" recently! Of Course, we mean Dallas for Jess, Disney for Lindsey, and a Delivery for Trina.
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