Hey there! It’s been a minute since I last shared a blog post. I have so much to fill you in on (which I’ll share in future blog posts), but for now, I’m recapping our first family trip to Disney World!
Nori turned three on April 20th (time is flying!) and as her big birthday gift, we decided to take a trip to Orlando for her to experience Disney World. I’ve been looking forward to this moment since Nori was born but wanted to wait until she was old enough to talk and get excited for the characters. The timing of our trip couldn’t have been more perfect as character interactions recently returned meaning Nori would be able to hug all her favorite characters!
Below I’m covering all the details from what we packed to where we stayed, tips for navigating the Disney parks with a toddler and how to make the most out of your trip. Be sure to check out my Disney highlight on Instagram for more photos and videos from our trip!
What we packed
I had so much fun shopping for all the cute family outfits and accessories! I had planned matching outfits for all of us, but unfortunately they didn’t arrive in time. I’ve linked most of the items that we did end up packing along with other cute finds that I recently discovered! To shop any of these items, click the highlighted number that corresponds to the image above it.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12
Where we stayed
Because this trip was so last minute, I tried to make it as cost effective as possible. Disney Resorts were pretty pricey, so we decided to stay at The Grove Resort which was about a 10-15 minute drive from the Disney parks.
We booked a two-bedroom suite which offered the following:
- Master Bedroom with a King Bed
- Second Bedroom with Two Full Beds
- Fully Equipped Kitchen with a Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave, Dishes and Silverware
- Full-size Washer/Dryer
- Dining Room
- Separate Living Room with a Sofa Bed that Sleeps 2
- Master Bathroom with a Soaking Tub and Separate Shower
- Screened-in Balcony
Overall, the resort was spacious and offered several pool options throughout the property, but I don’t feel that the rooms were the cleanest for the price you pay. I most likely would not return to this resort in the future.
Tips for Navigating Disney With a Toddler
Research Ahead of Time
Disney parks are huge and pre-planning your day and how to navigate the parks will save you a ton of time (and stress). I made a list of all the rides, character experiences, and food options I wanted us to experience each day and then utilized a park map to determine the best plan of action.
Our Favorite Rides for Toddlers
During our trip to Disney, we visited both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Below are a list of our favorites rides from both parks.
Magic Kingdom
- Mad Tea Party
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Astro Orbiter
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- It’s a Small World
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Jungle Cruise
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
- A Pirate’s Adventure – Treasures of the Seven Seas
Animal Kingdom
Note: Animal Kingdom has less rides than many of the other parks as the highlight of this park are the animal exhibits and trails.
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Na’Vi River*
- TriceraTop Spin
*This experience books up fast! If using Genie+, I highly recommend making this your first option when reservations open at 7:00 am
Download the MyDisney Experience App
This app literally makes the Disney Experience so seamless! If staying at a Disney Resort, it allows you to check in and out of your hotel, you can link your Disney tickets through the app, make dining reservations, mobile order food and drinks, shop inside the Disney stores, check wait times, utilize Genie Service to reserve a spot on rides, and so much more! Take some time to play around with the app before visiting the parks so that you can familiarize yourself with all the different options and how to navigate through them.
Bring/Rent a Stroller
A stroller is a must when visiting with a toddler! I wasn’t sure how much we’d use Nori’s stroller and almost didn’t bring it, but I’m so glad we did! Disney makes it super easy by offering single stroller rentals for $15/per day and double stroller rentals at $31/per day. This is the stroller we brought and I love how lightweight, portable and affordable it is! Not only does a stroller allow for your little one to have a break from walking and a spot for napping on the go, it also offers somewhere to store your belongings such as bags, drinks, fans, etc.
Pack Your Own Snacks and Drinks
I was so surprised to learn that Disney allows you to bring outside food and drinks into the park. This is a perk that many amusement parks don’t offer, so definitely take advantage of it! Portable snacks help make long wait lines more bearable. Disney also offers free iced water throughout the park, so no need to spend money on overpriced water bottles!
Buy a Disney Costume in Advance
We ordered this costume from Amazon for Nori to wear at Magic Kingdom and I’m so glad we did! Many of the princess costumes throughout the gift shops ranged in price from $50-$100! Do yourself a favor and purchase one ahead of time rather than buying it at Disney.
Below are some princess costumes (and matching accessories) from Target, all under $20 each!
Princess Tiana Dress | Princess Tiana Accessories Set | Princess Belle Dress | Princess Bell Accessories Set | Princess Rapunzel Dress | Princess Rapunzel Accessories | Princess Ariel Dress | Princess Ariel Accessories Set | Queen Elsa Dress | Moana Dress
Make Dining Reservations in Advance
Make dining reservations as soon as possible as they go quickly. If your favorite restaurant is fully booked, don’t worry! Check daily as slots become available often. Also, be sure to check 24-48 hours before your park visit as often times many people make dining reservations as “place holders” end up canceling to avoid no-show fees. You can make dining reservations 60 days in advance.
Bring a Portable Charger
Although you may enter the park with a fully charged phone, between snapping photos and videos and utilizing the MyDisney Experience app, you battery will quickly drain. I highly highly recommend bringing along a portable charger so that you don’t have to worry about navigating the park with a dead device. I’ve linked a great option here for iPhones and one here for Androids. Both options are wire free!
Disney Magic Bands: What to Know
When researching what to buy for Disney, I kept coming across Disney Magic Bands. Here’s what I learned:
- MagicBands are secure all-in-one devices that allow you to effortlessly access the plans and vacation choices that you’ve made with My Disney Experience.
- MagicBands are waterproof wristbands—resembling a watch or bracelet—that you can quickly and easily touch to a sensor called a touch point that allow you to travel lighter throughout your vacation.
- You can use your MagicBand to:
- Unlock the door of your Disney Resort room
- Enter theme and water parks
- Connect Disney PhotoPass images to your account
- Charge food and merchandise purchases to your Disney Resort hotel room
- Automatically associate your Disney PhotoPass attraction photos to the Photo Gallery on your Disney account at MyDisneyExperience
We ended up opting out of purchasing MagicBands as they’re useful but not a necessity. Most of what the MagicBands does, you’re able to do through your phone (just be sure to bring a portable charger in case your phone dies).
Disney Genie+: It’s Worth the Buy
Disney Genie+ (formally known as FastPass) is a paid service that allows you to jump the line for your favorite attractions using the Lightning Lane entrances. According to Disney’s website, “On average, guests can enter 2 to 3 attractions or experiences per day using the Lightning Lane entrance if the first selection is made early in the day.” In my experience, depending on how long you plan to be at the park and when you make your first selection, you can totally experience more than 2-3 attractions with Genie+.
Within the app, I recommend selecting “My Day” to get started. It’s a complementary service that will help plan your day by recommending attractions, entertainment and dining experiences for you based on your top interests. It even will even ask if you would like to see height requirements and accessibility displayed. Once this is completed, I recommend using the curated list to help plan out which attractions you should use the Genie+ on.
How it works:
At 7:00 AM on the day of your visit, you can select the your first experience. Once selected, it will display an “arrival window time” (ex: 8:30 am – 9:30 am). When you arrive to the experience, head straight to the Lightening Lane line.
A few things to know:
- Disney Genie+ service is $15 per ticket per day. You can purchase this service through the MyDisney Experience app.
- You can enjoy a Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane entrance once per day. If you’d like to re-ride an attraction or see a certain show again within the same day, you would need to use the regular standby line.
- Not all rides offer Lightning Lanes
- Once you’ve redeemed your initial selection, you can use the app to check your My Day itinerary or Tip Board to see when you’re eligible to make another selection. While the time may vary, I noticed that it was about a 1.5-2 hour wait before I could make my next experience selection. You can make selections up to regular park closing.
- Selecting an experience does not guarantee access for everyone. You will need to individually select the same experience for each guest at the same time. When arriving to the Lightening Lane, they will ask for you to scan each Disney ticket to ensure every person entering this lane made a Genie+ reservation.
- The biggest tip I can give to get the most out of Genie+ is to reserve the TOP RIDES first. The Tip Board on the app displays the forecasted wait times throughout the day based on the attraction. The most popular rides will show a longer wait line. At 7:00 am, I recommend making your first selection be an experience that normally has a long wait (ex: Character Meet + Greets). Once the time as lapsed and you’re able to make your next selection, again – I would select another experience that typically has a long wait.
The only downside to the Genie+ is the wait time between selecting your next attraction. I do however understand though as they want to make sure all guests are able to enjoy their favorite rides.
Utilize Rider Switch
This is an amazing options that Disney offers that allows both parents a chance to ride with their little ones without having to re-stand in line. With Rider Switch, one adult or supervising Guest (14 years or older) can wait with non-riders while the rest of the party enjoys the attraction. Then, they simply switch roles to allow the waiting adult or supervising guest to experience the attraction without waiting in the regular queue again. Note: Be sure to check with a Cast Member to see if Rider Switch is offered at the attraction you’d like to experience.
Parking
This isn’t really a tip, but just something I thought I’d share for first time visitors. There are two parking options available. The parking rate is good all day for all 4 theme parks:
- $25/per day for standard parking
- $45-$50 per day for preferred parking (less of a walk to the park)
With trams available to quickly transport you from your car to the park, standard parking is all you would need (in my opinion). We actually didn’t use the trams and walked to and from the park with a stroller and didn’t have any issues.
Build In a Day to Relax
We only visited the Disney Parks for two out of the five we were in Orlando and I’m so glad we did it this way. Disney does a lot on your body, from the walking to being in the sun. By Day 2 of Disney, our hearts were full, but our bodies were exhausted. It was nice to have time to relax by the pool, site see and just be lazy! Be sure to block out a day or two during your Disney trip to do nothing more than.. relax.
Give Yourself Grace
Between the heat, waiting in long lines, over stimulation and tired feet, it unrealistic to expect a perfect trip without meltdowns or tears when visiting the parks with little ones. Give yourself grace and have realistic expectations about how the day may go. If you know your little one may struggle with patience, make waiting in line fun! We brought a Minnie Mouse Pop-It for entertainment and also allowed Nori to play games on our phone while waiting in line (this is where the portable charger comes in handy). We also planned the day around nap time and gave ourselves a “ride cutoff time” to allow Nori time to nap in the stroller. Stay hydrated, rest when needed, and give yourself some much deserved grace!
I hope you found this post helpful and resourceful for families planning an upcoming trip to Disney with little ones! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me a message on Instagram!
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