Many parents express hesitance about bringing their young children to Disney, fearing they may be too young to appreciate it. However, this couldn't be further from the truth! Disney offers a wealth of experiences tailored specifically for infants and toddlers, ensuring a memorable journey for both parents and little ones alike. Join me as I share invaluable tips for navigating Disney with your youngest travelers, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable adventure for the whole family.
1. Your Child Gets in For Free!
The number one perk of taking your young one to Disney is that they can get into the parks for free. Any child under three is a guest of Mickey and does not need a ticket.
If your child turns 3 on your trip, there is conflicting information about when they start to need a ticket. It seems like the guidance used to be that they were considered free until the end of the trip if they turned 3 on the trip, but that has recently changed such that kids now require a ticket from the day they turn 3.
2. Make use of those Splash Pads
There are a handful of splash pads across the Walt Disney World resort that little ones typically love! They're the perfect spot to cool off on a hot day and to give your child some freedom to run around and play.
The water play/splash pads in Magic Kingdom are:
In Adventureland, near the entrance to Jungle Cruise, there is a set of tiki statues that serve as misters.
Also in Adventureland, the camel outside of the Magic Carpets of Aladdin attraction has been known to spit water at unassuming Guests
In Frontierland, you used to be able to stand on the bridge in front of the drop for Splash Mountain to get splashed. We will have to wait and see if this is still the case for Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
Not really a "splash pad", but still may be fun - after the fireworks, you will note that the ground around the carousel in Fantasyland is wet. Disney closes and waters this area before the fireworks in case of stray ashes, but of course, it stays wet afterward. It might be fun to let your little one splash around here if you wind up in the area.
In the Storybook Circus area of Fantasyland, there is a water play area called Casey Jr's Splash and Soak Station. It is themed to the Casey Jr. train, one of the original Disneyland attractions, and features several train cars that spray water.
In Tomorrowland, there is a spaceship mister near a popcorn and soda stand.
In Epcot:
The entire Moana Journey of Water attraction in World Nature was an absolute highlight for my 2-year-old nephew. There are tons of areas in here for your little to run and play with water in a magical way. As a bonus, there is a bathroom in the middle of the attraction if all that water makes you have to go!
In World Celebration by the Figment ride, you will find the famous jumping fountains. Your toddler may enjoy chasing the water from fountain to fountain.
In the center of the World Discovery area, there is a vaguely space-themed splash pad. Be warned that your kids will get soaked at this area.
And don't forget that your hotel is likely to have at least one, if not multiple pools! Most hotels have a main pool area and 1-2 smaller areas which are typically less crowded. It might work best for your family to go back to the hotel to nap or swim around midday - which leads me to my next point!
3. Take the Breaks Your Family Needs
This is going to look different for every family. Maybe your family would benefit from a midday nap break back at the hotel. Or maybe your kid needs to go burn off energy at the hotel playground for while. Maybe you feel it's too complicated to go back, but you still need a break - don't be afraid to find a comfortable spot and just sit for a while.
Honestly, traveling with my husband or even by myself, this is my favorite thing to do - just sit down, relax, and enjoy the ambiance. If it's raining or hot, the Hall of Presidents attraction in Magic Kingdom is indoors, in air conditioning, and 25 minutes long. My other top break attractions are:
Epcot: The American Adventure in the America pavilion; indoors, A/C, 28.5 minutes
Hollywood Studios: One Man's Dream in Hollywood Studios is a walk-through museum, but it's always cool and quiet. There is no seating, but you will frequently see people camping out on the floor. Sometimes, there are short films or previews in the theater, which is always a great break spot.
Animal Kingdom: Rafiki's Planet Watch and the Wildlife Express Train to get there can be a good place to take a break. The main building at Rafiki's Planet Watch is usually sparsely populated and once again, is indoors with A/C.
4. Make a Plan for Attractions Ahead of Time
Disney keeps an updated list of each attraction and its height requirements, here. Each park has several any-height attractions, and these will be the rides to look for for your toddler. A person of any height can ride these attractions, even lap infants.
Magic Kingdom clocks in with the greatest number of any-height attractions, at 28 total. Epcot has a total of 15; Hollywood Studios has 3; and Animal Kingdom has 12. Keep in mind that these totals include anything you would interact with directly. That means rides (like Winnie the Pooh or Figment); walk-through exhibits (like Discovery Island Trails or Swiss Family Treehouse); shows with animatronics or movies (such as O Canada!, the Enchanted Tiki Room, etc.); and play areas (like the Boneyard or Advanced Training Lab). It does not include stage shows, like Beauty and the Beast Live, the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, or the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
Keep your little's ones preferences in mind when selecting attractions. If they're scared of the dark, maybe avoid the dark rides like It's a Small World. If loud noises are too much, Minnie and Mickey's Runaway Railway may not be a good choice. Check out some videos on YouTube with your toddler ahead of your trip, so they have an idea of what to expect on an attraction and you have an idea of how they will react to an attraction.
My nephew's favorite rides were any that had a boat, or a train... or literally any other form of transportation.
5. Make Use of Rider Switch for the Attractions They Can't Go On
Rider Switch (or rider swap or child swap, you'll see it called a number of things) can be a lifesaver for parents with young children - or anyone who has someone in their party who doesn't want to or can't go on an attraction; it can be used by anyone!
Children who are not tall enough for an attraction cannot go in the queue for that attraction. This is for their safety, as it reduces the risk that they will make it up to an attraction that is not safe for them to ride. But the child, unless over age 7, cannot wait alone either. Rider switch ensures that, in a party of two or more adults, one or more adults can go through the queue to ride that attraction while 1-2 adults wait with the nonrider. When it is time to switch, the adults who were unable to ride previously will be allowed through the Lightning Lane queue, cutting down on the group's wait time.
For example, if Mom, Dad, and Baby Jimmy are in Disney, and Mom and Dad want to go on the new Guardians of the Galaxy Coaster, Baby Jimmy obviously cannot go. So Mom and Dad will go to the attraction, find a cast member and ask for Rider Switch. Mom will go on the ride and Dad will wait with Jimmy. When Mom is done, Dad will go through the Lightning Lane for the ride while Mom waits with Jimmy.
So there you have it! My top tips for tackling Disney with a toddler from someone who just did it. Would I do it again? Absolutely! We all had a blast. Everyone was willing to go with the flow (to the extent possible), allowing the trip to really be focused on the baby and his wants and needs. But the adults were able to use things like the rider switch so that we got to do everything we wanted to too.
Overwhelmed with the idea of traveling with a toddler? I've got your back! I can put together a guide that is personally tailored for you and your family, working in breaks and height-appropriate attractions as needed. You can trust me to plan any and every aspect of your vacation, making the trip relaxing for everyone! Ready to discuss your trip ideas? Looking for some more support? Email me today at s.mattoon@keytotheworldtravel.com or click the button below to get started!
Comentarios