Top Tips for Traveling with Toddlers

As a couple who began going to Disney together on weekend trips and a shoestring budget. To now a family of four with 2 kids under 5 the change was dramatic. Over the years we have learned several things that have made traveling with kids as easy as possible.

The trip to Disney begins way before you step foot inside of a park. The travel journey begins before you even leave the house. When flying to Orlando with kids booking a direct flight if possible is a life saver. I know that the price can be an issue and that some airports do not offer a direct flight, but if ever possible Direct is the way to go. Saving yourself from multiple boardings and any extra time inside of an airport is insanely beneficial.

Snacks are a crucial ingredient when heading to the airport. For both children and parents alike. The prices at airports are ridiculous and I’d much rather be saving that money for an All-American sundae on Main street. My wife and I swear by containers that make the snacks easily accessible for the kiddos to serve themselves. It makes them feel slightly independent and also keeps them occupied, even if it’s just for a minute.

Another Lifesaver in the airport is the tablets. We personally don’t use tablets inside of the house, but once we are at the airport all bets are off. Movies, Tv shows, and games all accessible with a touch makes the travel significantly smoother. If you have something in you family that the kids don’t get access to at all times and then give them access to it at the airport. The attention they pay to that item can keep them entertained the whole travel day.

As someone who has experienced the entire roster of hotels Disney world has to offer choosing the right hotel with toddlers is can make the entire trip much easier. The best tip I have for choosing a hotel is choosing one that has transportation available other than the buses. As a financial choice I know that this will not be possible for everyone, but if you are choosing between hotels and one of them has access to the skyliner, boats or monorail I would implore you to make that choice. There is one main reason for this and that is…….STROLLERS. Packing up the stroller to get on the bus, taking the kids out of the stroller (especially late at night if they are asleep), pulling the stroller on to the bus and then standing there with it the whole ride at 1130 pm after walking a half marathon earlier in the day. All of these problems disappear if your hotel has access to the skyliner or monorail especially. From the skyliner alone you can reach 3 different parks without ever packing up the stroller ( if you walk through EPCOT to get to the monorail).

Obviously, transportation is not the only thing to focus on when picking a hotel. Price, Theme, Restaurant options are all very important things to consider as well. One thing we as a family try to decide before choosing a hotel is how much time we will be spending there on each particular trip. As a family with 2 boys who love swimming in the pools this can very wildly based on the time of year that we plan on going. A trip in August will consist of lots of pool time and mid-day rests… while a trip in January will certainly restrict the pool time. Think about what your family values the most when it comes to the hotel and you will be able to find one that fits your style.

One thing that I struggled with in my transition from Disney child to Disney Adult to Disney Dad was turning down my Disney fandom to help my kids have the best trip they can have. I was always a ride everything, see everything, and eat everything kind of Disney parks fan( In many ways I still am). But that is just not a feasible plan to accomplish with 2 kids in tow. So my first major tip is accepting that you most likely will not see and do everything Disney World has to offer on a single trip with Toddlers… and that is OKAY. One of my absolutely favorite memories with my oldest is a day where it rained so much that the park cleared out and he just ran around Adventureland jumping in puddles. He did this for 30 minutes. We didn’t ride any rides and my Disney fan brain was thinking about the wasted time, but then I watched him smile and play and realized this was what it was all bout for him. He will never remember that moment, but I will never forget it.

Now for the more obvious tips, BRING A STROLLER or rent a stroller from the various offsite companies you can rent from. The Disney strollers are fine, but you can’t take them out of the park and believe me you will want them outside of the parks. The resorts are big, the walk to the buses is long, Disney springs doesn’t have stroller rentals. Your stroller will act as a mobile dining room table, a mobile nap palace and even a solid storage area for anything you may have brought with you into the parks.

For everyone’s sanity bring spare outfits anytime you head out. Accidents happen, Food happens, rain happens. You never want to be stuck with the decision of having to buy new clothes or head back to the hotel. Especially now since we have the stroller with us it’s easy to just throw it in the bottom and move along. You could even just choose an outfit and leave it there as a , just in case, for your whole trip.

Another huge tip for all aspects of the parks is to pack snacks, a lot of snacks. Food is expensive inside the Disney parks and with all the fantastic choices your don’t want to be spending money and stomach space on little things while in line. Bring fruit snacks, crackers, anything your little ones will snack on. We especially like small suckers while in line… though they can get sticky if we aren’t careful.

Finally, and I can’t stress this one enough. Take the midday rest. Whether it’s back to the hotel or a cool place to hide indoors. The parks are generally the most busy during those midday hours you will not miss much by taking the rest. Especially if this means you can bring a slightly more cheerful child back to the parks in the evening it’s a huge win. Also, you will find that those last 3 hours of the parks operating hours you can jump around rides with ease. Generally, you will be able to ride double the amount of rides in the evening hours as opposed to the midday hours.

This is obviously not an extensive list, and these tips may be obvious to some, but they are tips I wish I knew earlier on in my Disney Dad life. There will be many more tips to come that will dive into each of these topics more directly. But, if I could leave you with just one main piece of advice it would be this. Just enjoy the time. You will not ride everything, eat everything , or see everything and that is OKAY. Your kids won’t remember the stuff they didn’t do. They will remember the things you all did together.