Surviving Disney World with Little Kids

Well, we’re back from Disney, and I survived…barely.  Going to the parks is so much fun, but so much work when you have little kids.  When I was planning our first family trip to Disney World when Greenleigh was 15 months old, I looked everywhere for tips and tricks to successfully navigating Disney with a toddler.  Now that we’ve been there a few times with both girls, here are my tips and tricks to survive Disney with 2 little kids:

1.  Baby Care Centers – Find them, use them, love them.  Each of the Disney parks has a baby care center with several changing tables, high chairs, a play room, and baby products for sale (just in case you didn’t pack enough).  They also have several private rooms available for nursing moms or if you just need a quiet space to get your child to relax a little.  Animal Kingdom’s rooms have gliders and lights that dim, making it by far the nicest Baby Care Center, in my opinion.  No matter how old your kids are, Baby Care Centers are a great place to stop, catch your breath, and soak up some air conditioning.

2.  If possible, stay at a hotel on Disney property.  Disney hotels are expensive, and often you will save a bundle by staying off-site, but the perks can often make it worth the extra money.  Disney hotels often offer transportation to the parks, which will save you money on parking.  By staying close we are also able to return to our room for the (incredibly necessary) mid-day nap, then go back to the park.  By staying at a Disney hotel, I feel that we get more “happy” hours at the park, as opposed to trying to do too much and fighting the impending meltdown all day.

3. Bring a stroller with lots of storage space and cup holders.  The first time we went to Disney we decided to bring our lightweight stroller.  We thought it would be great for collapsing when we had to get on/off of trams, buses, etc. and easy to maneuver through the park.  We quickly learned that this was a mistake.  We had no cup holders, no storage space, and it didn’t fully recline if she fell asleep while we were in the park.  The next time around we brought our bigger travel system stroller and had plenty of room for all our beverages, souvenirs, and extra kid stuff you just have to have with you.  It also came in handy when she wanted to take a nap at the park, because it would fully recline.  Now that we have both girls we bring our twin stroller, because you just never know when toddler is going to want to walk and when they aren’t.   A big shout out to my Bumbleride Indie Twin on this one.  Love, love, love it in a theme park.

Perhaps a follow up tip to #3 would be not to overload your stroller if you are going to have to get on a tram and collapse it – I often forget things I have stuffed into the parent consoles and stroller basket.  As I try to collapse it to get on a tram, they scatter everywhere.  If I’m really lucky they won’t actually fall under the tram.

4.  Don’t skip the parade.  With the exception of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, I find parades terribly boring.  My toddler, on the other hand, loves parades.  A lot.  The idea of standing out in the sun and waiting for a parade to start makes me want to claw my own eyes out  is unappealing to me.  I would rather be doing anything else.  Maybe we have just been lucky, but we have always been able to find a spot to watch a parade without having to camp out and wait for it to begin.  This past weekend we stumbled on a parade as we entered the park and Greenleigh was able to dance about 2 feet away from Minnie Mouse, which made her day.  Naturally, Minnie’s security wouldn’t let my crazed toddler any closer.

5. If you are driving to Disney World, I highly recommend buying a portable DVD player (or iPod with screen).  Best $100 we ever spent, and includes a warranty for when she breaks it…which is definitely going to happen.  If you are against tv in general, this might not apply, but maybe you could bend the rule a little and play some educational stuff?  Seriously, it makes the 3 hours in the car pass so much easier.  Greenleigh is normally asleep after 45 minutes of Elmo in the car.  It’s a beautiful thing.  Sometimes I love that little red ball of fur.

6.  You will forget something.  Relax, it’s okay!  It’s Disney World, a world unto it’s own, but not really a foreign country.  You can buy diapers, pull-ups, wipes, and formula at Baby Care Centers.  Their gift shops span entire city blocks (literally) and contain all the clothes, snacks, and accessories you could ever want.  If you forget something, which isn’t impossible considering all the stuff you have to bring with you, you can always buy a replacement there.

Have tips on how you survive Disney?  Please share, I would love to add to this list!