5 Tips for Taking Toddlers to Disney

Hey, friends! If you follow along with our family over on Instagram, then you know that we are huge Disney lovers who frequent to the parks as much as we can. I’ve shared about our experiences on Disney Cruises, Disneyland at Halloweentime, and even my first partnership with Disney Parks for their Celebrate Soulfully events. I love to bring you all along with us on trips, share what we are packing, and be a resource when it comes to planning your own trips. One of the questions I get asked most is what best age to take kids, or how do I go with such young kiddos (Raegan-6, Zarie-4, Xander-1).

My personal belief is that any age is the best age to take your children. Raegan wasn’t even 2 during her first trip, and Xander went for the first time at 10 months old. Even if you don’t think your children will remember, YOU WILL. Do it for you. Do it for the memories of them being tiny and believing in magic. There’s something so special about seeing Disney, favorite characters, the castle and fun through their eyes. Plus, you’ll take plenty of photos to share later. Did I mention that they’re free before age 3?

As for conquering a trip with tiny babes, here are 5 tips that Mark and I put together.

1. Manage Your Expectations

I think my number one tip for doing a family trip to Disney with younger kids is to go into it with realistic expectations. You as a parent are going to have a much better time if you go into your trip knowing that every single moment of the day won’t be magical. It’s unrealistic to think otherwise. Disney means being off schedule, hot, eating differently, and high stimulation–which is a recipe of toddler chaos. That’s okay. There will be magic, but there also may be some exhaustion, complaining, and a slower paced trip. In my opinion, its still worth it.

Going into the trip expecting that your kiddo will have to pee every five minutes (most likely right as you get to the end of the line), or with the knowledge at the forefront of your mind that your 2-year-old doesn’t have the developmental capability yet for being “patient” means that you’ll be more flexible, and more likely to extend grace to yourself and your kids.

If you know your little needs a nap, consider a midday break to the hotel, or deciding ahead of time a designated parent to chill during a stroller nap/rest, while the other parent (or friend or family member) heads to rides with the rest of your party.

Hydrate, build in rest periods, prepare as much as you can, take the expectation of perfection off the table, and be intentional with your joy.

2. Bring (or rent) a Stroller

Even if your kids don’t regularly ride in strollers. Bring. The. Stroller. Okay, so maybe your grade school aged kiddo will be fine walking all day long, but maybe not…it’s a ton of walking/waiting/standing, and having the option for a break is nice….especially if you’re under age five.

During our most recent trips, we’ve brought our single jogging stroller (which is AMAZING BTW..and we also had the double version) for Xander, but there have been plenty of times that one of the girls has wanted a ride on the end of it for a break. Disney World and Disneyland are very stroller friendly. Stroller parking is plentiful, secure, and easy to navigate.

Having a stroller is also a great way to have something to store all of your stuff (i.e. water bottles, bags, snacks), and while Disney parks do offer lockers, I love the convenience of having everything I need with me. I have the BEST Mickey stroller hooks, stroller organizer and stroller fan linked in my Amazon storefront HERE.

Arriving via airplane, and dont want to lug your stroller with you? Just rent one at Guest Services before entering the parks. We’ve rented these strollers and they’re great. You can choose between a single or double, and one day or multiple. Pricing: Disney World HERE Disneyland HERE.

3. Know Your Way Around the App

Y’all. The Disneyland Mobile App and the My Disney Experience App will be your best friend. Seriously, the app is where you’ll link your tickets, make dining reservations. mobile order food and drinks, check wait times, find show schedules, and literally everything else you can think of when it comes to your trip.

I highly suggest taking some time to get familiar with the app BEFORE the trip…well before. The better you are with the app, the more you can plan ahead, the better you’ll be able to navigate the parks, and optimize your time. I personally love the new Genie+ feature which helps you create a simple plan that lays out when to see and do your must-haves.

Also, you can make dining reservations up to 60 days prior to your park reservation. I highly suggest doing this as early as possible, as dining fills quickly. Don’t worry if you don’t have the greatest luck booking that character dining (Storytellers Cafe breakfast is my fav) or lunch of your choice…slots open often. Check daily…I’ve had so muck luck booking things just a day or two before my trip. More on dining can be found HERE.

4. Utilize Rider Switch

With a grade schooler, preschooler, and toddler, Rider Switch is a game changer for our family. It’s a way for us to ensure that all 5 of us get to ride and do things we’re most interested in. Mark and I love riding rides, especially the roller coasters, and sometimes Raegan and Zarie aren’t tall enough (or interested enough) to ride our favorites with us. Xander still isn’t tall enough for most rides, so there always has to be a parent that sits out with him. That’s when Rider Switch comes in handy.

According to the Disneyland website (they have it at Walt Disney World too) “If a Guest doesn’t meet the boarding requirements or doesn’t wish to experience a particular attraction, it’s not a problem for family and friends who do!

With Rider Switch, one adult or supervising Guest (14 years or older) can wait with non-riders while the rest of the party enjoys the attraction. Then, they simply switch roles to allow the supervising Guest to experience the attraction without waiting in the regular queue again.”

So, I’ll usually sit with Xander, Mark and the girls go ride, then they come off, and I’ll hop on with the girls. We also make it a point to get on the rides together that welcome family members of all ages.

Below is a list of rides that are great for babies and toddlers:

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• It’s a Small World
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Jungle Cruise
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Disneyland Railroad
• Alice in Wonderland
• King Arthur’s Carousel
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• The Enchanted Tiki Room

5. Making Waiting More Fun

I think we all can agree, waiting in line is no fun. It is especially not fun when you have a whiney little person who doesn’t understand why they cant just get on already. Lines are inevitable at Disney (though keep an eye on those times via your app and utilizing Genie+ helps) and so Mark and I try to make the best of it. We play games in line…like good ole Rock Paper Scissors and Eye Spy…but we’ve also had a lot of fun lately with the free Charades! app. You can choose from a ton of categories, but we typically set it to Disney characters/movies and it’s so much fun to play, and really does pass the time. We usually see other families in line who download it while waiting. Have a non-reader? Use the version that uses pictures instead of words called Charades! Pictures Free.

Mark and I also stash starburst or skittles in our fanny packs to delve out during particularly trying waits. I would also considering bringing a few themed pop-it toys and/or bubble wands. We purchased our bubble wands ahead of time, so as not to fall victim to the inevitable crying for the more expensive versions inside the parks (though I hear they do give free bubble refills for those purchased inside).

Did you know that you can bring your own snacks and drinks into the parks? We always pack a few items (like dry cereal, Mickey and Star Wars goldfish) and rotate between those and the iconic snacks that we’ve grown to love. Saves us some cash, and it’s always nice to have something the kids are familiar with immediately on hand when their bellies start to rumble. Raegan and Zarie always have some kind of snack in their little backpacks.

I hope this post will serve as a resource for those families trying to plan a trip with tiny ones in tow. I know one day we will miss these chaotic toddler years, but lets focus on the memories we’re making right now while we are in it. If you have any questions, please leave them below! You can also reference my Instagram trip highlights for a peek inside our most recent trips. I am happy to help!