Planning Your Toddlers Very First Disney Trip

Planning Your Toddlers Very First Disney Trip

 

Cara's first trip to Disney :)

If I have convinced you that taking your toddler to Disney is not only the wisest choice, it is a must do than where do you go next. Walt Disney World is huge and not cheap. I get that. I agree with that. You need to plan down to the smallest details. As they get older you can relax those plans a bit but when they are small you need to be prepared. 

Once you have decided to go, when to go, your next task is where to stay. Toddler means short people. Which means their little legs can’t walk as much as you. Staying on property is a time saver which in the end saves you money! I could throw in it’s a hassle saver saving your sanity and causing you fewer meltdowns but I won’t. I strongly recommend staying on property whenever you can. There are 4 categories of resorts to choose from and picking the right one can make or break your hard earned trip. With a toddler in tow or rather being pushed in a stroller, you would be money ahead to stay on the monorail ring. These resorts are the deluxe and you pay for the convenience of hopping off a train when you get to the park and then hop back on to go to bed. Now there are tricks I can teach you if you stay at other deluxe resorts and want that same hop on and off, but we’ll do that later.

The resort choice is as important as when to go, so take your time. A good resource is a travel agent who is a Disney expert and can guide you through the mountains of choices and help you understand why spending that extra $100 will be worth it in the end. Once you have the resort and the time to go you need to understand tickets, which parks to visit, should we park hop, should we go early and rest or sleep in and stay late. Again, your travel agent is your best resource.

Family Picture

I want to talk more about what to expect with your toddler. Expect them to set your pace. If you try to rush a toddler you might as well be pushing a wet noodle. If you toddler decides it’s time to rest, rest! If your toddler is hungry, eat! The longer you can keep them on their schedule the better off you will be when you get home. Plus you can gauge when to make dining reservations and plan on naps. Naps! They are very important and a must with a toddler. You need to consider this when planning where to stay too. You need to know if the resort is loud during the day, if you can make it as dark as night, if you can play his favorite go to sleep music, lots to consider! We don’t have a toddler but still take that mid-day break most days.

Consider food, will they eat just anywhere; can they eat big people food? Take their favorite snacks for standing in long lines, their favorite juice for dinner that helps them finish their peas. One of my favorite tricks is shipping these items ahead of time! You can have diapers, snacks, clothes whatever you need but don’t want to drag with you shipped directly to your resort. Once I found this out I saved my achy back a lot of trouble!

How do you survive Disney with a toddler? You plan, you check that plan and you plan again. You even have a back-up plan just in case! Disney is the most amazing place to experience with your little ones. Making sure it goes like clockwork takes time, patience and practice. Our daughter is 10 and been 16 times and our son is 4 and been 5 times. Some would say we are crazy but others out there have us beat! Don’t decide Disney is too hard for your family right now, come on join the rest of us nuts and jump right on in!

Happy Traveling!!

Mia