Tips for making your highly anticipated Disney trip less stressful
I don't claim to know everything, or to have been everywhere, but one thing I am pretty familiar with is Walt Disney World. Growing up in Florida, I visited the parks a time or two in every age bracket, and in my twenties I even worked there. I made some of my fondest memories as a Cast Member, met some lifelong friends, and learned a tip or too about visiting Disney.
One thing my previous experience as a Cast Member did not teach me was how to plan a trip to Disney with kids. Toddlers to be even more specific. Now as a mom of two toddlers, I've got some first hand experience that I can share with others who are about to visit, but may feel overwhelmed with how their toddler may do.
The beauty about visiting Walt Disney World is there is so much to do and see, you can visit multiple times and not ever do the same thing twice. But that also means that you will not do and see everything in one trip.
I found it was helpful to brief my husband with this information ahead of time (his first trip as an adult) and to make sure I didn't overshare with my two year old (who remembers everything) about things we *may possibly* do while in the parks. I was careful to share about who we *may* meet or what rides we *may* ride, so that when we needed to slip out for the day, we could avoid a meltdown because we had not met so and so yet.
Pick 2 or 3 top priority items each day.
I found that having a list of 2 or 3 top priority must do's each day makes the day seem more manageable and you are able to leave with less disappointment. If you have a long list, it can be difficult to know where to start, but with 2-3 goals it's easier to get a game plan in place.
With our toddlers, our 3 must do items were meet princesses (luckily she does not have a favorite- she loves them all- which made checking this off the list easy), meeting Minnie Mouse, and riding Dumbo. Since I knew ahead of time these were our top must do's, I was able to check them off pretty quickly by meeting Ariel in her Grotto (and BONUS, Riding Under the Sea), meeting Minnie Mouse (and BONUS Daisy, Goofy, and Donald) at Pete's Silly Slideshow, and ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant all within two hours. Once our must do's were done, we could be a little more relaxed knowing that anytime we needed to leave, we had done the absolute must do things.
If you're an open to close park goer, hey, I love that for you. In my mind, I'm one too. But my one and two year old are far from it. And my husband? After lunch his mind is on the pool.
With our toddlers, missing a nap can be detrimental to the rest of our day. They are routine babies who love sleep- just like their mama. Don't feel forced to stay in the park all day just to feel like you are getting your money's worth. Sometimes, the extra sleep (whether its sleeping in or leaving for a nap), can help maximize the time you spend actually ENJOYING the park. I will choose to spend eight hours in Magic Kingdom with well rested toddlers over twelve hours with cranky toddlers EVERY TIME. Know your family's limits and don't be afraid that you're missing the fun. Quality over quantity, my friend.
I know, I know. But hear me out. You've spent the money to be in the park. You've spent the money to travel by plane or by car and you've spent the money either for a Disney resort or to stay somewhere off site. Do not force yourself and your family to wait in hour+ lines with toddlers who are inevitably going to stress you out because they do not understand the concept of being still, not touching strangers, why its so hot out here, or why they have to wait in the first place. To keep the peace for your trip, please just budget for Lightning Lane Multi Pass, I cannot stress enough how important this is with toddlers for improving the quality of your day.
Some lines are inevitable, even with Genie +, so come prepared. I can usually keep my toddlers entertained with stickers or lollipops. Lollipops are a great go to for us, because it's a special treat they do not get often. I hide these in the back pouch of the diaper bag and pull them out just as they start to get antsy, and it wins (almost) every time.
My husband and I will also utilize rider swap, which means our toddlers may be waiting for their next activity for a little longer than normal. In these circumstances, we love the bubble wand! It keeps them entertained and allows them to play while we take turns with the bigger rides.
PRO TIP: Order a bubble wand off Amazon and bring it with you. Bubble wands sell for $35+ in the parks, we ordered ours for about $15. Your kids WILL see them in the parks and they WILL want one, I promise. Stay one step ahead of them.