10 Ways to make visiting Walt Disney World easier with Toddlers or Preschoolers
I grew up in Florida and every year our family would make at least one trip to Walt Disney World. I’ve been so blessed to have been able to visit this awesome theme park more than a dozen times in my life.
On a recent trip to visit my mom we were able to take my boys to Disney. It was their very first time and I had a wonderful time experiencing Disney again through their eyes! Full disclosure: Disney provided me with two free one day passes in exchange for an article about our trip on HappyandBlessedHome.com. My mom treated us to three day passes which was an upgrade, and all four of us were able to visit Walt Disney World for two days and Disney’s Animal Kingdom one day. Here I’ll share some 10 Ways to make visiting Walt Disney World easier with toddlers or preschoolers.
This post also includes FREE stroller labels you can attach to your stroller while at Disney. It will help you identify and locate your stroller from a sea of strollers parked near almost every attraction. Scroll down to learn more.
1. Plan ahead – FastPass+ is a free and easy way to plan your day in advance of your trip you can sign up for up to three attractions before you arrive. As long as you show up for the attraction during the specified time you’ll have almost no wait to get into the attraction. You’ll need to set this up via your “My Disney Experience” account which you can set up online. More links for FastPass+ at the end of this post.
2. Pack accordingly – Tropical climates mean tropical temperatures and weather – bring light rain jackets or compact umbrellas in case it rains. You’ll also need sunscreen and sunglasses or a sun hat on warmer days. Every visitor goes through a check in point at the entrance of the park. I wore a backpack on our visit so I could have a place for our valuables. Give the security personnel easy access to your bags and belongings to make check in easier. Security checkpoints ensure a safe visit for everyone.
3. Bring a stroller – You won’t be alone. When we visited Walt Disney World we saw tons of strollers everywhere – it also helps to label your stroller since you can’t take your stroller into the attractions. Toddlers and preschoolers can eat and sleep in the stroller which makes it easier to keep everyone calm and relaxed during your visit to Disney.
I’ve owned six strollers already and by far my favorite to date, and the one we used for our trip to Disney is the Combi Double Stroller. It made it easily on the flight and through the airport and was an absolute dream to use at the Walt Disney World theme park. If you need a stroller for your next trip, Shop Amazon Premium Stroller Store
I’ve included some fun free stroller labels with this post. Feel free to download and print out your favorite.
Just click the blue “Download Now” to get your free stroller labels.
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There are so many ways to use your stroller to make touring Disney even easier. Here are some fun ideas to help you carry in some much needed items as you tour the Disney theme park.
4. Drink lots of water – We packed water bottles and apple juice boxes in our stroller and were able to take them into the park. Water bottles are also available inside the park as are free drinking fountains.
5. Take your child’s favorite snacks – Some kids are picky about what they eat – it helps to have favorite snacks on hand.
6. Take an autograph book to capture character’s signatures – You can also buy one in the park. This is a great way to capture the memories of meeting characters as well as get some great opportunities for photos.
7. Grab a map as soon as you get there – Grab a map and plan your day. Make note of the places you’ve reserved to see via FastPass and plan your touring route accordingly. Make special note of things like bathrooms and eateries as well as show times. Once you’ve attended all three reserved attractions via FastPass – visit a FastPass kiosk again and sign up for more FastPass attractions – it will save you loads of time waiting in line.
8. Be on the lookout for character sightings – We saw a line going up a hill on our way to our next attraction and learned it was a photo op with Donald Duck! It was unplanned stop, but well worth the wait and the photos!
9. Make time for frequent breaks – Traveling with small children means slowing down and taking frequent breaks. Whether its a rest stop or a quick stop to ride Aladin’s magic carpet ride – allow enough flexibility in your schedule to make it fun for young and old kids alike.
10. Take your camera – Make sure to charge your camera battery and bring extra memory cards to capture all of the memory making fun! I even got my two boys a fun Squish Camera for the trip. They could take their own pictures. This kept them busy and it gave our family some unique photographs of Disney from their perspective!
Here you can see my eldest holding his squish camera as he chats with Donal Duck.
Disney also offers a service where they take the photos and you can pick them up at the park enterence before departing the park. The pictures are a bit more expensive but may be well worth it if you like professional quality photos of your trip.
Love Disney? Check out some other Disney Posts
Check out some of my other fun-loving Walt Disney World inspired posts!
- A Mickey Mouse Cake you Can Make
- Planning A Mickey Mouse Party
- Disney Cars Cakes
- Planning and Princess Party with free Princess Printables
- Doc McStuffins Slumber Party and FREE printables
- Disney Planes with FREE Planes Printables
More Details on FastPass+
Walt Disney World ticket holders now have the ability to reserve access to some must-do experiences with Disney FastPass+ service including select attractions, shows, parades, Disney Character Experiences and more. Disney FastPass+ service at Walt Disney World® Resort is included at no extra charge with Theme Park admission.
To use the Disney FastPass+ service, you must link your Walt Disney World® Vacation Package Reservation Confirmation# or Valid Theme Park Passes to your My Disney Experience account to be able to set up FastPass+ Selections
- You can choose up to Three Disney’s Fast Pass+ Selections for one theme park each day through your My Disney Experience account. Certain restrictions apply.
- Walt Disney World® Resort guests should make FastPass+ Selections at midnight ET 60 days prior to arrival. If service is unavailable, keep trying every few hours until it works.
Our family used the FastPass system and it saved us loads of time waiting in line and made our visit to Walt Disney World even more enjoyable. I highly recommend the FastPass+ service to anyone with young children.
Have a tip to share?
Have a tip to share to make visiting Walt Disney World easier with toddlers or preschoolers? What’s your favorite way to plan or pack for a family vacation? Please leave a comment below and join the conversation. I love hearing from my readers!
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More practical choices to help you on your next visit to a Disney theme park. 🙂
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