Bring Your Kidz

Planning a trip to Disney World with kids can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. One of the biggest concerns for parents is fitting everything in during the trip, packing, and carrying all the necessary items for their little ones. But, with some careful planning and preparation, it is possible to bring minimal items and still have a stress-free and enjoyable experience.

Even before you start packing, you’ll want to decide if you’re planning this trip on your own or with a travel agent. Regardless, decide which parks you want to visit based on your children’s age, height, interests, and even weather during the time you’re visiting Orlando. If you’re not working with a travel agent it’s important to remember that Disney dining reservations open 60 days in advance of your arrival!

Create a list of the essential items you need to pack for your kids. This always helps with over packing. Consider the age of your children, the weather, and the activities you have planned. It’s important to pack multipurpose items. For example, our double stroller was used as transportation for our children as well as carrying our bags and other items.

Our Recommendations

We visited Disney World in late January for four days after researching the most affordable time to visit based on ticket and hotel costs. We tackled two parks (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom) with sufficient time. The Disney Experience App helped with planning our daily park routes and mobile food/drink orders in advance – it was very useful! Below are some tips for going to Disney World with kids:

Where to Stay

• Definitely stay at a Disney World Resort Hotel as there are multiple benefits including complimentary transportation to the parks, character visits to the property, entry to the parks 30 minutes in advance, and more.
• We stayed at Disney’s Beach Club Resort which had an amazing pool and was perfect for kids. It also has easy access to Disney’s Boardwalk, EPCOT (walking distance), and is next to Disney’s Yacht Club Resort in case you have family/friends staying there.
• When we checked in at our hotel we were given our room keys which also serve as the park passes. We were told our children didn’t need one but when we arrived at the Magic Kingdom the next day we were told that anyone over the age of 2 years old needs a piece of “media,” aka a park pass.

Dining

• As noted above, make dining reservations as early as possible. The dates and time available for the restaurants become very limited. We were able to eat at the following locations with our kids:
  • Cape May Cafe (Beach Club Resort): dinner buffet ($47+tax and gratuity per adult & $27+tax and gratuity per child).
  • Tiffins Restaurant (Animal Kingdom): lunch ($35 to $59.99 per adult). This restaurant was delicious but definitely upscale and not the best option for children.
• Disney Springs is a great option for dining. There are also plenty of shopping options for kids including the World of Disney store with the world’s largest collection of Disney merchandise. We ate at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant which had a kid’s menu, live Irish step dancers, and an overall great atmosphere. The dinner reservation for Raglan Road was made more than 60 days in advance.
• You’re able to bring your own snacks and drinks into the parks, which save you money and reduce the number of stops. Plus, having snacks and drinks on hand can help keep the kids happy and hydrated throughout the day. You can also send snacks and drinks (diapers and wipes too!) ahead of your arrival to the hotel. The hotels receive many, many Instacart and package deliveries daily. I would suggest calling the hotel ahead of time about what the fees are for receiving packages because we ended up getting charged for some of our deliveries due to a specific carrier.

Tips for a Successful Trip with Kids

• Children under the age of 3 do not require a ticket or theme park reservation. However, they should be included in any advance dining reservations.
• Bring a stroller! I was very much against packing one but the double stroller came in very handy throughout our entire trip for the kids as well as our belongings.
• There are Disney workers who actively move strollers at the parks if the strollers are not in the designated stroller parking areas. We panicked the first time our stroller was moved but this would have been helpful to understand in advance.
• This is not groundbreaking but arrive at the parks as early as you can as there are lines for transportation, lines to enter the parks, and lines for the rides. Make the most of your time!
• Bring a poncho in case rain is in the forecast. We spent a lot of money on ponchos at Animal Kingdom due to rain.

There are so many Disney experts out there and many sites with further tips, tricks, and details but we hope our recommendations help with your planning. Disney will be tiring no matter what but it’s truly a magical experience and one that you’ll never forget!