Disney World with Toddlers: Tips and Tricks for an Easier Trip
Headed to Disney World with toddlers? You’ll need these tips and tricks to make your vacation easy and stress-free.
As a mom of 2 kids who has been to Disney World more than 40 times, I know that Walt Disney World can be magical—and also stressful.
When you’re adding in toddler tantrums, nap times, and short attention spans, that vacation can quickly get even more complicated.
But, fear not!
It’s a wonderful place to take your little ones, as long as you’re willing to do a little extra planning.
Below, you’ll find my best tips and tricks on how to successfully navigate the entire Walt Disney World property with your toddler for a vacation you’ll never forget.
My 2-year-old daughter at the carousel in Magic Kingdom
Why Disney World is a Great Place to Travel with Toddlers
We’ve taken our kids to Walt Disney World at every age and stage.
My younger child was only 3 months when he visited for the first time, which was quite a challenge with his then-3-year-old sister.
Still, Disney World is about as kid-friendly as it comes, so no one will give you death glares if both your infant and the toddler have simultaneous meltdowns.
The Disney parks all have rides that kids—even tiny ones—can enjoy so the entire family can ride them together. (This is in stark contrast to nearby Universal Studios, which caters to older kids.)
There are kid-friendly meals and snacks, so even your pickiest toddler will find a new treat to obsess over.
And the cast members do such a good job helping out families. We’ve had preschoolers with busted knees, wailing babies, and everything in between, and the cast members are always happy to step in and provide directions, distractions, or whatever else we might need.
If you’ve never been to Disney World with a toddler, know that it’s easy to get overstimulated, but that there are many ways to combat that, which I’ll go into below.
Here’s what to pack, what to leave at the house, and how to rock your time at the parks when traveling with an toddler, or preschooler.
When is the Best Time to Visit Disney World with a Toddler?
Do you want to know what’s worse than a tired, cranky toddler?
A hot and sweaty, tired, cranky toddler.
I’m used to the Southern heat, having grown up in South Carolina (where I even lifeguarded for 6 years!), but I get completely drained by a full day in the heat at Walt Disney World.
If I, as a fully grown adult, am affected like that, I can only imagine what a toddler is going through.
For that reason, I recommend going to Disney World in the late fall to early spring as this is when the weather is the nicest. Your toddler is less likely to have heat-related meltdowns during this time of the year.
October, November, and early December are my favorite times to take the kids to Walt Disney World because the weather is perfect. Typically, you can expect breezy, sunny days in the low 70s with cooler nights, which is such nice weather for walking around the parks in.
Plus, the parks usually aren’t crazy crowded in the fall—barring the week of Thanksgiving, which you should avoid at all costs—so your child is less likely to have to deal with panic-inducing crowds, and you’re less likely to have to navigate a stroller through packed areas.
If you’re wondering what to bring, clothes-wise, I’d recommend checking out my guide on what to wear at Disney World. This will also help guide your overall packing strategy for yourself and your little one.
The Complete Disney World with Toddlers Tips: From the Room to the Rides
In the Hotel Room
Regardless of whether you stay on property at Disney World or off property, space is always at a premium.
Since toddlers tend to be highly affected by the space around them—and they tend to like routine—it’s important that you make the hotel room you’re calling home familiar and comfortable.
Exploring our hotel room
Over the years, I’ve found a couple easy ways to make that small space fit so many people, suitcases, and kid stuff while still being that familiar space your toddler needs.
Explore the room together.
If your toddler is anxious or curious, it is helpful to explore the entire room when you first arrive.
We would open all of the drawers and look inside, examine what was in the closet, check out the bathroom, and peek under the beds.
Not only does this familiarize your child with the basics of the room, but it will hopefully make this new space less scary.
It’s also a great opportunity to talk about safety rules with your child: we were firm about our little ones about not opening outside doors to hallways and balconies, and about them not turning on the water in the bathtub without an adult.
Bring a small cot.
For little kids who are too big for a pack and play but are too small to navigate a big bed all by themselves, a travel cot is perfect.
We've had a Regalo My Cot Deluxe for over 5 years now for our daughter, and it has been worth its weight in gold.
PIN ME!
When we travel to Walt Disney World, we like to stay on property whenever possible, however, on-property rooms tend to be much smaller than ones off property on average.
Every square foot counts, so bringing a travel cot like that one means we can stick that little bed in between the two standard double/queen beds without taking up much extra room.
Plus, buying a $34 cot that we can use on all of our trips is much less expensive than upgrading to an Art of Animation family suite or a cabin at Fort Wilderness.
I also love that the travel cot takes a lot of the guesswork out of safe sleeping for little kids. My older child often rolled out of bed as she transitioned into her big girl bed, and the cot’s low profile meant she didn’t hurt herself when she fell out of it.
The cot is much more lightweight and portable than a bed rail.
Since buying that cot, it’s been beloved by both of my children, who look forward to using “their bed” when we travel. There have been actual fights over the cot when space in an actual bed was available!
If you have to use a travel cot for your toddler at Disney World, play up how special it is. Make a big deal out of tucking his or her stuffed animals in the special little bed.
And position the cot so that kiddo is right next to your bed in case of any middle of the night emergencies or worries.
Bring all the comfort items that will fit.
While it might be tempting to leave all of the stuffies and lovies home for vacation, this isn’t the time to try and save space in your suitcase.
My kids always slept terribly the first night or two we were on vacation, and it was always a thousand times worse if I didn’t have their stuff with me.
We made sure to bring their favorite blanket, a familiar stuffed animal or two, their pillow, and the softest, coziest pajamas that they owned.
Make your bedtime routine cozy.
I didn’t realize until I had kids that little ones can get so tired that they can’t fall asleep.
Given that the parks are designed to keep you riding, exploring, and eating from rope drop to the final show, it’s easy to push your kids until they are beyond miserable.
Instead, end the day early and head back to the room before the meltdown starts.
I always have my kids complete the same nighttime routine at home as we do when we’re traveling so they’re already in a routine.
After a warm bath, I use this lavender relaxation lotion to help calm them down before we change into those comfy pjs.
Then, I put on their favorite Moshi Kids app, which has soothing songs and ambient music, and they’re usually out like a light in no time.
In the Parks
Make sure your stroller is easy to collapse
A stroller is essential when you're doing the rounds at the parks, but you want to ensure that you can quickly fold it up.
If you're staying on property, the Disney buses require you to collapse your stroller before you can board.
While I understand the reasoning behind the policy, it can still be annoying when you're trying to juggle a baby, a stroller, a diaper bag, and all of the other stuff that inevitably ends up on your person.
So, keep things as simple as possible and get a stroller that opens and closes very easily.
We have the GB Pockit and the Graco Verb Travel System, both of which have been around our house for several years at this point.
While they are both easy to maneuver, the GB Pockit definitely wins because it's so small when its folded.
>> Read my full review of the GB Pockit stroller here. <<
Give yourself options with a toddler carrier.
While a stroller might be your go-to item for the parks, don’t forget the toddler carrier.
I have a Tula toddler carrier that has been a lifesaver in the parks when the kids were sleepy or extra clingy.
I loved the back support that the Tula gives you for the incredible amount of walking you'll be doing in the parks.
Plus, the mesh allows for plenty of airflow, which is always a great feature for the Florida sun.
The carrier is also great for keeping your toddler out of the crowds or for holding them during parades or fireworks shows.
While I don’t know that I’d kid carry all day every day in Walt Disney World, it is a great item to have between rides in the stroller.
Don't forget to bring your own juice boxes/ water bottles.
Everyone loves a Mickey ice cream!
Did you know that the Disney parks will allow you to bring in your own food and drinks?
This comes in handy when you realize that there are basically 3 options for drinks in the parks: overpriced soft drinks, expensive bottled water, and funky tasting water from the tap.
On our last few trips to Walt Disney World, we've brought in a case of Capri Sun pouches and several bottles of water.
We saved money, and we made sure that we had something that our daughter would drink. (I'm not kidding when I tell you the water from the fountains is weird tasting.)
Pack plenty of healthy snacks.
If your kid loves chicken nuggets and ice cream, he or she will love the food offerings at the Disney parks. However, if you'd rather your kid eat something more nutritious on occasion during your vacation, you'll want to bring your own fruit and snacks.
There are some stands that sell fruit (bananas and apples, in particular), and you can choose to get veggies as a side on kids' meals, so that's a good start.
But, your kid will likely get tired of eating just apples and green beans and will want all of those caramel apples and ice creams he or she keeps seeing.
Pack those Cheddar Bunnies and apple sauce pouches as a great alternative.
Save money on your Walt Disney World family vacation with authentic discounted park hopper tickets!
In General
Utilize the Baby Care Centers!
Each park has one of these magical places, so you should use them.
They're free for anyone with park admission, and they're a quiet, peaceful oasis in the midst of the chaos.
Despite the name, they’re not just for babies. Anyone with little kids who needs a minute to feed, diaper, soothe, or comfort their child is welcome to use them.
There are comfy chairs for nursing, and microwaves to heat up food.
The changing tables are also a million times better than the ones in the regular bathrooms.
If you happen to forget an extra diaper or sunscreen, you can purchase them on-site, which is pricey but much more convenient than trekking back to your resort.
We’ve used all of the baby care centers over the years, and they were often empty. Make use of this free resource within the park!
The Magic Kingdom baby center is near the restrooms next to Casey’s Corner hot dogs.
The EPCOT baby center is in an octagonal building on the walkway between Future World and the World Showcase. It’s almost directly underneath the monorail tracks in this part of the park.
The Animal Kingdom baby care center is behind Creature Comforts to the left of the Tree of Life, nearly at the foot of the bridge over to the Africa section.
The Hollywood Studios baby care center is to the left of the main entrance gates on Hollywood Boulevard near the DVC sales hut.
Plan ahead for your snacks and groceries.
If you've got your own car, head to the Walmart on Vineland Road in Kissimmee for snacks, bottled water, and juices (and really cheap Mickey ponchos).
There are other grocery stores who will deliver to your hotel if you'd rather order ahead.
You can also place an order on Amazon and have it shipped to your hotel, too.
Just call ahead and let your hotel know to expect an arrival.
Don’t push the meet and greets.
If you think your child will be intimidated by the meet-and-greets, I would suggest doing a face character first. Face characters are ones like Rapunzel or Cinderella, where the character isn’t wearing a mask.
I remember when my daughter was about 2 and obsessed with Pooh Bear. Meeting him was ALL she wanted to do—until she got into the park and saw that Pooh was about 6 feet tall.
If your kid has a similar reaction, don’t push them.
The characters and their handlers are trained for these situations, and they are happy to wave, blow kisses, and otherwise interact with your toddler while you hold him or her.
By the time we went back a year later, she’d lost all fear of the characters. It was the perfect time to try out the Winnie the Pooh character dining at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom, which is my go-to recommendation for character dining with toddlers.
The best parks for toddlers are Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.
While I love Epcot and Hollywood Studios, you'll get a lot more bang for your buck at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom has very few rides that little kids can't go on--primarily the Mountains (Space and Big Thunder), Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Everything else from the Pirates of the Caribbean to Monsters Laugh Floor is for all ages, making this park is most toddler-friendly.
There are also some incredible meet and greets at Magic Kingdom, including Merida, Peter Pan, Pooh Bear, Elsa and Anna, and Buzz Lightyear.
Making a new feathered friend at Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom has the best of a zoo and the best of an amusement park.
Your tiny ones will this park as it has both animals to learn about and rides they can enjoy.
Our favorite things to do with toddlers in Animal Kingdom are:
seeing the tigers on the Maharaja Jungle Trek,
spotting their favorite animals on Kilimanjaro Safaris (there are no age restrictions!), and
watching the tamarins leap through their (fake) ruins.
watching the Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond! musical,
going on the Triceratops Spin,
playing in the Boneyard dig site, and
riding the train out to Rafiki’s Planet Watch.
If you have bigger kids, I’d do all 4 of the parks, but you could have a great trip with just a toddler at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.
[Just don’t attempt the 4 parks in 1 day challenge like I did with my sister! This would be really hard with a toddler.]
Plan off-days from the parks.
While it is tempting to hit up all 4 parks in succession, I highly recommend breaking up your time at Walt Disney World.
An ideal Walt Disney World with a toddler itinerary would include a relaxing day at the resort or elsewhere in Orlando to give your toddler a break from the overstimulation of the parks.
That being said, I know that no everyone has the time or budget for a full week at Disney.
If possible, add in a day or two mid-vacation. This will build in breathing room to your overall trip, and will help you relax (which is hard to do at Disney World!).
On this off days, you can visit Disney Springs, or go to one of the water parks. We loved doing Blizzard Beach with our toddler!
You can also enjoy the resort where you’re staying. The on-property hotels at Disney have great pools and over-the-top theming, which is perfect for exploring with little kids.
If you need even more ideas on what to do on your off days, check out my list of what to do at Walt Disney World when you’re not in the parks.
Don’t be afraid to take a breather.
I am the world’s worst at wanting to get my money’s worth out of every second at Disney World.
But that’s not really how toddlers work.
Instead of pushing them—and you—until you’re all so tired that you’re crying, give yourself permission to take a mid-day nap, hang out on a shady bench eating an ice cream, or have an early night.
We didn’t see the evening fireworks show for years because our toddlers and preschoolers just weren’t night owls. That was a sad compromise for me as I love the fireworks show, but missing it was worth it to have a well-rested family who was ready for more fun the next day.
You won’t get to see and do everything in Disney with a toddler, and that’s just fine. They are only tiny like that for such a short amount of time, so follow whatever causes those little eyes to light up in wonder!
Get even more Disney World family travel tips:
Have you visited Walt Disney World or Disneyland with little kids? What's your best tip for making the experience fun for everyone?
