I LOVE Disney! The magic, the food, the rides, and of course…..the Princesses! I recently went with my family, and am so excited to be going back in a few weeks. Now, Disney used to be a place where you could just show up, but this is not the Disney from our childhood. So much planning is involved. Let me share with you how to survive your trip if you are bringing kids, toddlers, babies…..or all of the above!!
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1. A stroller is a must
Now, Disney has a service where you can rent a stroller through them. If you are driving or don’t want to deal with the hassle of bringing your own, this is a great option. Many families do this and I’m sure it’s a life saver for them.
But, I suggest bringing your own. I love being able to have mine in the airport, as I can keep the kids contained. Also, you can keep it with you the entire time, add storage to it, and personalize it so you won’t lose it at the park. Disney has “parking” spaces for all of the strollers, and there will be hundreds of strollers in those spots. I suggest putting a balloon or ribbon on yours for identification. This is the one I use, and LOVE it. It has ample storage and the kids can lay down to nap if needed. Your kids WILL need a nap at some point during the day.
2. A large Diaper Bag
There are a ton of opinions about the “Disney Bag”. Some people prefer backpacks, some prefer fanny packs, some prefer lunch boxes. Whatever you prefer, just make sure that it is large enough to hold a ton of items, but small enough to fit in the stroller. I chose to bring my diaper bag, because I’m familiar with it and its a great size. What do I put in it? A change of clothes for each kid, dry snacks, straws (Disney doesn’t carry them anymore), bandaids, refillable water bottles, diapers, sunscreen, their favorite lovey, bubbles and glowsticks, whatever you will use for character signings, ziplock bags, Tylenol, baby wipes, and hand sanitizer.
I also carry a fanny pack, with my phone charger, money, ID, and anything else I need to keep on me. I don’t keep anything of value in the diaper bag, just in case it were to go missing.
3. Make a plan.
Like I said before, this is NOT the Disney of your childhood. You need to plan in advance in order to maximize your time. Fastpasses, dining reservations, which park to visit, staying on site or not, etc. I suggest staying on site if you can afford it, because then you won’t have need for a rental car or car seats. If staying on site, you can make your fast passes 60 days in advance. I usually try to make mine all for the early morning. We enjoy doing rope drop and getting to the park early. Then by about lunch time, we are ready to go back to the hotel for a nap/break. We usually will come back mid-afternoon feeling refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. If your kids can last the whole time, the fireworks are one of the best parts of the park!
4. Be flexible
Even at Disney, your kids are still just that….kids. There will be crying. There will be melt-downs. Your kid will not want to eat the expensive Disney food. Things will happen. Just remember that you are there for the experience. We tried to just be flexible and remember that whatever we did for the day was better than not being there. We didn’t ride very many rides, we took multiple breaks, and we only saw a few characters. BUT, the kids had the best time. They still talk about it almost daily, and that’s where the magic is.
I hope that you are able to plan a trip with your family soon and that these survival tips will help you have a great time at Disney.
I’ve listed some items below that are absolute life savers for me and my family! Do you Disney with your kids? How did you survive?