I’m a native Floridian, so it goes without saying that I’ve been to Disney World a few times….okay a LOT of times. As a kid, we had annual passes for many years, it was an easy (and really fun) day trip for us. Some of my greatest memories growing up are from my times at Walt Disney World. (Don’t believe me? Check out tomorrow’s Wordless Wednesday post!)
This week I’m excited to attend the Disney Social Media Moms conference. While we’ve taken Maggie to Downtown Disney a few times, this will be her first experience at the parks. I’m very excited to see Disney World through both my daughter’s eyes. I’ve been thinking the last few days about things that my parents did when taking us to Disney World as kids that might also work well with Maggie and Molly on our own trip.
Here are some things to keep in mind when experiencing Walt Disney World with kids –
- Use sunscreen! It’s Florida, ya know?! Just because you’re hopping on and off rides all day, doesn’t mean you won’t get burned!
- Schedule rest time after lunch! Little ones need to regroup, nap and swim in the pool (and so do parents)! Having mid-day downtime allows you to stay out later at night for fireworks!
- Expect meltdowns! Sensory overload is bound to happen.
- Buy gifts on the way out of the park! While most shops within the parks will deliver your packages to your room (if you are staying on Disney property), save yourself the extra effort and get souvenirs as you near the end of the day.
- Meeting characters can be scary! Maggie was terrified of Santa this past year, so I can guarantee there won’t be any interacting with characters on this trip…unless it’s me!
- Be flexible! Have a rough draft of a plan and go from there! Don’t over-plan and don’t get upset when you switch to Plan B.
What things have worked for you when visiting Walt Disney World with kids? What works (and doesn’t) work for your family?
Comments
April
You mentioned our number #1 rule: take a mid-day break, go back to the hotel for pool time/naps, and then go out in the evening. It really helps with cutting back on meltdownsl.
–Realize that you are not going to ride every ride in the park. Pick out the important ones and then be flexible with the rest.
–Take advantage of extra magic hours.
–Make reservations for the same parks you plan on visiting that day to cut down on bus/monorail time.
–Take time to see some shows. They are funny and you can cool off. The Little Mermaid, It’s a Bug’s Life, the Muppets are some of my favorites.
–If your kids like characters, try to see them at Animal Kingdom. All of the characteres have their own little alcove and it isn’t busy at all.
–Use the rider-switch pass or if your kids are older, everyone go as single riders to get through the ride faster.
HAVE FUN!!
Carrie with Children
Awesome tips, April! Thanks for sharing! Extra magic hours are super helpful! I love the Muppets show…always makes me laugh!
Pam King
I highly recommend Breakfast with the Characters. Each character takes time to get a picture with each child and comes to your table. Ok the food isn’t all that but its the experience that’s all worth it.
Carrie with Children
Oh yes! I loved the breakfast with characters when I was a kid! I think we are going to skip them this trip, Maggie would probably freak out! 🙂
Bryon
I’ve got to refer my wife to this site, she would love it. She’s a stay at home mom and she is always planning our vacations down to the minute detail because of the “kids.” I think it’s just because she HAS to plan everything or her head will explode. No, seriously we all appreciate it in the end, and she’s probably going to see this if I refer her to this site. I hope you all don’t think I’m a bad father because I bought my kids iPhones so I can keep them from killing each other when we are in the car on a trip, (or any time for that matter). The good news it really works. I use my Sling adapter and connect it to my DISH Network employee DVR to send live or recorded TV to our iPhones.