If you’re planning to bring your little one to Disney World, you must consider some aspects to have a great time as a family. This post presents you with The Ultimate Guide to Disney World With Kids.
If you have already been to Disney World you must know this kind of trip requires a ton of organization. If you’re planning to go with your little ones, you may need some different tips than the ones you have read before.
Here is the Ultimate Planning Guide for Disney World with Kids.
Disney World with Kids: The Ultimate Planning Guide
Before your Visit
Kids Under 3
Some people may not know this, but children under three do not require a park ticket to access. They can also eat and drink for free in family-style or buffet dining locations and will not be required to order at table service restaurants. They may even get some activities to enjoy while they wait for the food.
What to Pack
Both children and adults should wear comfortable clothing for the entire stay. You will be walking many miles a day, and no one wants children (or adults) to be uncomfortable or in pain. If you’re traveling with a little one who likes to dress up, let them do it! They can go to the parks with their gala clothes, just take some extra outfits just in case they get too hot or want to take off the princess dress.
For further details please refer to this article from the blog:
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Stay – Park – Eat
The place you choose for your stay depends on your plans for the trip.
Sometimes families with children prefer to have a kitchen, a microwave, or separate rooms available. The pro of this option is being able to have breakfast as a family before going to the parks, and not having to go out to dinner every night. You will save a lot of money thanks to this. The con is that it would mean staying outside of Walt Disney World resort, thus generating the need to commute every day with a rental car and pay for parking.
If you don’t plan to drive, you would need to find out if the hotel or apartment complex has transportation to the parks. Always check with your place of stay (or research on Trip Advisor) how transportation works. It can be a round trip service once a day, or continuous service. Continuous is much better if you’re traveling to Disney World with kids, as they’ll probably want to come back at 3 PM one day, and they could do it without needing an Uber or Lyft.
In the following map you can explore different rates and options:
Note: if you are not able to see the map you can access booking through this link.
If the plan is to stay in Walt Disney World Resort, the transportation service will no longer be a concern. It works just fine, you can see wait times in the app, and there would be no daily parking costs. If you go by car, the hotel will charge parking for the entire stay. Disney Springs has free parking, but the parks do not.
[IMPORTANT] If you pay for parking when you access the park, save your ticket. You pay only once a day, so if you park hop, you just show the ticket at the entrance.
Disney Resorts have joint room request options and suites. Suites may be a good option for families, as they have microwave, coffee maker, and a separate room.
Food options in WDW are so great, you won’t even need to leave your hotel for dinner if your kids are too tired after a whole day. The refillable mug that you can purchase has unlimited reffils during your stay and you can choose from soda, water, coffee, and hot chocolate.
In order to save extra money, I recommend Garden Grocer. This is an online supermarket service that will deliver groceries to WDW resorts. You can buy a few months in advance and the items will be delivered to your hotel on the day of your choice. I have used the service to purchase really inexpensive water bottles, potato chips, raisins, sunscreen, and even pudding! I highly recommend it.
Attractions
Before accessing an attraction, make sure your little one will be allowed in. Here are the minimum height requirements for every ride:
Characters – Meet and Greet
Children always have their favorite characters, and they may get the opportunity to meet them in person. Research which food spot suits better for your kid, and make a reservation to go there. For example, in Ohana you can meet Stitch, in Hollywood and Vine, Vampirina. In Crystal Palace, you can greet Winnie the Pooh characters and in Garden Grill you will see Chip and Dale. There are so many options!
Keep in mind that in this COVID times the options are limited, so you should check the dining section of the official Disney website to see if the characters will be available during your stay.
Souvenirs and toys at official stores can be pricey. A good tip is to anticipate some expenses by previously buying toys or board games related to the characters you will see there, and giving them to your kiddo during your visit. This will avoid costs from adding up!
Strollers
Your kid may have outgrown their stroller, but you will definitely use it while visiting Walt Disney World. Even if the child is 5 or 6, they will get tired, they may be sleepy, and you will thank me later. You can rent one inside every park, but that is quite expensive. You can purchase a lightweight umbrella stroller from Amazon and have it delivered to the hotel (or your house if you live in the US). You can even buy one from Walmart as soon as you get there!
It may even come in handy when your child is not using it, as you can put all your heavy backpacks there. Here are some options:
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Comprar en AmazonDuring Your Visit
Always bear in mind that your times aren’t their times. Always plan keeping that in mind, if you have a tight schedule you may get frustrated. Kids can get distracted with even a hole on the wall, and they are in a magical place and overstimulated. Be patient.
Expenses
A great tip for older kids is budgeting through gift cards. You can purchase one at every official store and hand them one every day. You can limit their expenses that way, by giving them 5, 10, 15, or 25 dollars in a card per day and letting them know they can use that money for their snacks or souvenirs.
Hotel Day and Days Off
Your little ones will get tired of walking and may need some days to rest (and you too!). If your stay is long enough, you should plan two park days and one day off. During your day off, you can go shopping, visit Disney Springs or stay at the hotel pool.
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Healthy Snacks
Do not let your kids get extra sugar on the first few days, they can have a bad time later if they are not used to that. Bring your own snacks to the park and you can mix some candy with healthy bites. Most children love dried fruits, they eat them like candy. You can find versions with candy-like packaging, and they won’t even tell the difference.
You can give them water during the day and only drink soda during meals, and leave the candy and ice cream for the afternoon.
If they like savory snacks, cheese strings are very tasty and children have a lot of fun while eating them. I also recommend nuts, peanuts, or a sandwich.
Lost Children
Cast Members are trained for this situations. You never want this to happen, but it is a possibility. Luckily, we are in the 21st century and technology is awesome. Here are some products that can be used for your own peace of mind:
- Personalized tattoo or bracelet with the information of the parents. This is very useful for children who still do not speak, or that are too young to say what their names are or who their parents are:
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- If you have an Apple Tag, there is the option to add a bracelet to it so you can track exactly where your little one is at all times. Tags are also great for suitcases during your flight, and even to find your car in the parking lot.
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- GPS watch: There exist watches for children with built-in GPS. This will entail paying for a data monthly bill, but it is also useful when they start going to some places by themselves.
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Rider Switch
This is a great (and free) service that Disney Parks have. You will be able to avoid waiting for an attraction twice if your child cannot ride due to height requirements. You just need to let the Cast Member at the attraction entrance know that you will need rider switch. They will let you know how to proceed. The whole group should be together as they may scan your ticket or band.
