Walt Disney World is a travel destination that prides itself on catering to families. But most of the questions I get asked deal with how to take small children to Disney. There are a lot of considerations to think about when bringing your small kids with you to a hot and busy theme park. Well let me help! Here’s a photo of my family:
As you can see from the picture, there are quite a few small people in my family. My husband and I have been taking our kids to Disney ever since we only had 2 kids. We have taken kids as young as 7 months all the way to 8 years old and everything in between. Although we have gone on a few vacations with extended family, most of the time we have taken our four crazy ones to Disney all on our own. We have learned a thing or two over the years that we can now share with you to make your vacation with children easy and fun!
1. Baby care centers are your friends!
Every park at WDW has a baby care center. Each center has nursing rooms, a large sanitary changing room, and an open area for children and parents to take a break from the heat (while watching a Disney movie!). Baby care centers also offer purified water, bottle warmers, and the ability to buy baby care items in a pinch (formula, diapers, bottles, etc.). As a mother of 4 children, I can’t tell you how nice it’s been to nurse my baby in a quiet/clean/private room, while my husband takes the other kids to watch Moana and bust out some snacks in the air conditioning.
Even after my children passed the nursing age, we still visit the baby care center often. While we enjoy dining in the parks, we often brown bag one meal and bring plenty of snacks. One of our favorite mid-day breaks is to visit the baby care center and let the kids enjoy lunch or snacks at a small table right in front of one of their favorite movies. It’s the perfect break from the heat, noise, and sensory overload. Not only do we go to the baby care centers when necessary, we plan for it!
2. Take advantage of rider swap.
Unlike some theme parks, children too small for a ride are not allowed to enter the queue. Disney does this as a safety precaution, but unfortunately, this means you can’t take your child in the line, get to the front, one parent ride, hand the kid off, and the other parent ride. With the rider swap program, one parent enters the ride and requests a rider swap, while the other parent takes the kid to do something else while they wait. The waiting parent would later use the rider swap to enter the queue via the FastPass lane to avoid a long wait.
One perk of the rider swap program is that some lucky kids will get to ride twice! Say you have a 5-year-old and an infant. The first parent can enter the queue with the older child while the other parent waits with the baby. The “waiting parent” can take the 5-year-old on again with the rider swap (it’s actually good for up to three people).
Recently, WDW switched from a paper rider swap system to a digital one. Now, once a rider swap is requested, the cast member will ask who is riding and who is staying back. He or she will then scan passes or magic bands for the full party, and those who stay behind will be able to scan back in through the FastPass queue. Perhaps the most significant change here is that the digital fastpass now has a 1 hour window to be used once it is handed out. Previously, you could hang on to the paper pass and use it any time for the remainder of your trip to WDW. Now, you need to hang out close by.
3. Take a stroller, and make it a comfortable one.
Listen, I know what some of you are saying, “My 3-year-old refuses to sit in a stroller. It’s just gonna take up space, and get in the way.” Well fictional dissenter, lemme ‘splain something to you. A full day in a WDW park is basically walking a half marathon in 90 degree heat. You, your 3-year-old, and everyone else in Disney World are gonna get tired. In fact, my 8-year-old still begs to sit down in the stroller every now and again. Heck, if I could fit in the stroller, I would be whining to sit in it and be pushed around the park too!
In fact if you have two children, ages 5 or younger, I recommend a double stroller, even if one is not likely to use it. The reason for this is that your stroller provides utility beyond your children getting to sit down. For small families, your stroller is your “stuff vessel.” It can hold your backpack, shopping bags, lunch/snacks, so you aren’t lugging it on your person all day as you complete your half marathon.
We recommend the City Mini Double Stroller (you’ll see a ton of them there) as it is easy to maneuver, comfortable for the kids, and still fits through shops and doors with ease.
There is stroller parking everywhere at Disney, and it’s generally pretty safe to leave out. We keep valuables in a backpack and take that with us on rides and attractions, but we have never had an issue leaving lunch boxes, water bottles, baby supplies, etc. in our stroller while we went to enjoy a ride or have dinner.
A few stroller accessories are essential. I find that the basket under most strollers are not large enough. If you agree, go buy yourself one or two LARGE carabiner hooks to attach to the handlebar. These are a lifesaver, as you can attach your backpack and bags. Make sure you have a rain cover that goes all the way down to the front (keeps your kids feet dry). With the almost daily afternoon rain showers in Florida, you most likely will be needing this.
The one downside about strollers is getting them on Disney transportation, particularly buses. Collapsing your miniature RV to get on a bus is a chore especially if your children are dead asleep after fireworks (ask me how I know). Where possible, use the monorail, as you can take your stroller on without having to collapse it.
<—Me, on a bus after approximately 14 hours at Magic Kingdom. Not pictured: my husband, standing, with all the bags and the stroller
4. Bring your own snacks.
Did you know that Walt Disney World allows you to bring in your own food? They totally do, and I definitely recommend bringing snacks in the park if you have small children. Even if you plan on paying for food in the park, the right snack at the right time is kinda like a get-out-of-jail-free-card when your kid is having a “moment.” The ability to have snacks on hand at all times and to know they are things your children enjoy is a big plus for us. Bringing snacks in the park does not mean you have to brown bag everything. We usually enjoy one meal at a restaurant, maybe a special Disney snack (Dole Whip anyone?), and then we supplement everything else with what we bring in the park. You might find that you want your snacks to be a little more substantial than some crackers and fruit snacks. Some of our favorites are beef jerky, uncrustables, cheese sticks, hummus, applesauce squeezies, yogurt (that we freeze the night before), and fruit.
As far as holding your snacks is concerned, I recommend an insulated soft-sided* bag with handles you can use to hang from your hooks. To keep your food cool, pick up some of those hard plastic flat square ice packs. They work very well, and will not soak through your bag like ice.
For drink vessels, we cannot say enough good things about our stainless steel Contigo bottles. They keep drinks cold all day (I’ve gotten back to our hotel at night with the same ice I left that morning with, despite the Florida heat). You can ask for free ice water at any restaurant, and we usually fill our bottles up with those.
*While it is permitted to take food in the park, no hard plastic coolers or glass containers are allowed.
5. Take breaks.
This is admittedly a difficult one for my family. We tend to go all day in the park, and from time to time, we’ve paid the price. Many families swear by getting to the park first thing (while it’s not as crowded or hot), take a midday break back at the hotel (nap anyone?), and then come back at night and stay late (also while it’s not as crowded and hot).
Depending on where you are staying, heading back to the hotel may not be an option for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t take a break though! If you are at Magic Kingdom or Epcot, you can hop on the monorail and go visit the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, or Contemporary Resort and hang out for a while on a comfy couch, or eat at one of the resort restaurants. If you wish to stay in the park, consider planning some indoor attractions (preferably longer ones like Hall of Presidents) or a reservation at a table-service restaurant during the hottest parts of the day.
The other thing to remember with breaks is rather than a mid-day cool down, you may elect to sleep in one morning or retire early another night. I know “be early” is tip #1 on every Disney tip list created (and rightfully so), but if you are staying for a few days, maybe take one or two a little easier, especially if you know you are having a big day tomorrow. For many clients, I have built detailed itineraries for each day in the park, with breaks included. Knowing how to spread out your trip with super awesome hard core fun vs. cool and calm relaxation is definitely an art form I’ve come to master.
I hope these tips will inspire you and help you feel confident to take your family on your magical vacation. Don’t be scared of the thought of taking your young children to Walt Disney World! There is truly nothing like seeing the magic of Disney reflected in the eyes of a child! If you would like personalized help in planning the perfect Disney vacation with your family, contact us today for a quote!
