My Disney World Advice: What I Wish I Knew Before Our Trip
After months of planning and a full week at Walt Disney World in Orlando, I have officially learned A LOT.
Disney with little kids is magical, exhausting, expensive, exciting, overwhelming… basically all the things at once. After doing it with our 2-year-old and 4-year-old, I wanted to put together all of my best tips and things I wish I had known before we went!
🎢 Tips for the Parks
🚗 Know Your Transportation Options
If you're bringing a stroller, there are a few things to know. Strollers can stay open on the monorail and larger boat transportation, but you will need to fold your stroller when riding the buses.
One transportation option I didn't know much about before our trip was Minnie Van rides through Lyft. These were SO cool! They had car seats for the kids, and some even had iPads playing Disney shows. With little ones, having the car seats already there was such a huge bonus. We used one to take us to Hollywood Studios.
💙 Don't Be Afraid to Ask Guest Services for Help
If you have a problem, question, or something goes wrong, talk to Guest Services!
We had really great experiences with the Disney Cast Members and found them to be incredibly helpful.
There are also health services throughout the parks. I unfortunately got to test this out on our very first day when I had panic attack after panic attack, and the health services team was wonderful and helped me through it. (So embarrassing, haha).
🧾 ALWAYS GET A RECEIPT
This is one of those little Disney tips I definitely want to pass along. Keep your receipts!
If something happens to an item you purchased, Disney may be able to help replace it. For example, someone took our popcorn off our stroller, and we were able to get it replaced.
This also applies to things like Disney balloons. If your balloon deflates or accidentally flies away, having your receipt can help when you go back to the shop. So when in doubt: KEEP THE RECEIPT!
⚡ Lightning Lanes Are Worth It
If you can fit Lightning Lanes into your budget, I highly recommend them, especially at Magic Kingdom.
With little kids and limited time, being able to spend less time waiting in long lines made such a difference for us.
🎟️ You DO NOT Need to Buy a MagicBand
This was one of my favorite money-saving tips! You do not have to buy a MagicBand.
We used our room cards instead, and I put mine on a little retractable keychain so it was easy to access. It worked perfectly for us and was a whole lot cheaper than buying MagicBands for everyone. You can also use your room key to buy stuff; it charges to your room.
🍽️ Make Your Dining Reservations
If there are restaurants you really want to try, make your reservations ahead of time! Don't wait until you're already at Disney and assume you'll be able to walk into the restaurant you want. Popular restaurants can fill up quickly. Planning your meals ahead of time can also make your park days SO much easier. Keep in mind if you cancel your reservation, you may have to pay a fee of $10 per head.
👨👩👧👦 Tips for Families With Little Kids
✨ Go With the Flow
Between running into characters, discovering random activities throughout the parks, and stumbling upon little moments you didn't plan for, be open to stopping and making memories along the way. Sometimes those unplanned moments end up being some of your favorite memories!
👂 Try Mickey Ear Clips
If you have a toddler who refuses to wear a traditional Mickey ear headband… welcome to the
club. Olivia would NOT wear the headbands, but the Mickey ear clips worked much better for her.
If your little one doesn't love things on their head, I'd definitely give the clips a try!
👟 COMFY SHOES. PERIOD.
You are going to walk. And then you're going to walk some more. And then you're probably going to stand in line for a while. 😂 Bring comfortable shoes that you already know you can walk in for hours. This is not the time to break in a new pair of shoes.
🌧️ Buy Rain Gear Before You Go
If there's even a chance of rain, buy your ponchos before you get to Disney!
I found a pack of 5 ponchos on Amazon for around $10, while a single poncho at Disney was around $10.
I also bought shoe covers for about $6 for a pack of 12. Did we absolutely need the shoe covers? No. Did I like having them? Yes! They worked really well some days and not quite as well on others, but for the price, I was happy to have them.
🫧 Bring Your Own Bubble Machines & Stroller Fans
We brought our own bubble machines and stroller fans, and I'm SO glad we did.
The kids loved the bubbles, and the stroller fans were especially nice during those hot park days.
Anything that keeps your kids entertained or comfortable while you're walking around is a win in my book!
📍 AirTags = AMAZING
If you're traveling with little kids, I highly recommend AirTags. Between the crowds, strollers, rides, restaurants, and everything happening around you, having that extra layer of peace of mind was amazing.
🩹 Temporary Tattoos
I had the idea of getting temporary tattoos with our information on them for the kids.
Great idea in theory. 😂 They were much harder to get off than I expected! I still think they're a good idea for a crowded place like Disney, but just know you'll probably be scrubbing them off for a while afterward.
🛒 Renting a Stroller
Renting a stroller is definitely a convenient option, especially if you don't want to travel with your own.
We rented through ScooterBug. We had a couple of hiccups at first because they overbooked, which was frustrating, but overall, I really liked having a stroller delivered rather than bringing one from home.
If you're traveling with little ones, having a stroller for the parks is something I would definitely recommend considering.
✨ My Biggest Disney Takeaway
Disney takes a LOT of planning, especially when you're traveling with little kids.
But don't let the planning make you forget to enjoy it.
There were definitely moments that were chaotic, stressful, exhausting, and not exactly magical. But there were also so many moments where I looked at my kids and thought, "This is why we did this."
