Traveling to Disney with kids under 3
The number one question I get when people ask about taking a baby to Disney is “Is it even worth it? They won’t even remember”. My response is always “Of course! YOU will remember!” How much of the years from 5 to 10 do you really remember? Probably bits and pieces, mostly the big events. If you truly waited until your kids could remember every ride, meal, and experience, they’d be in high school. Some of my most precious memories are holding my babies for the first time on Winnie the Pooh. Seeing the sparkle in their eye as we watch fireworks, them pointing to all of the colors, clapping along to the songs – it’s truly priceless. If they won’t remember being a year or two old, we will have pictures and mommy and daddy gets to hold these memories forever.
I haven’t even touched on the best part, kids under 3 are free! It really makes a lot of sense to go before they are three just for the family vacation time alone. Ryan and I have so many wonderful moments of strolling along main street, Starbucks in hand while the babies nap and we are able to reconnect and talk about our day. Nothing is better than leaving your phone in your bag and being present in the moment. I love traveling with young kids to Disney so much, that I have made a list of my top 10 tips and reasons why.
10. There’s a full nursery complete with changing tables, private rocking chairs for nursing, kid’s tables and chairs with a little TV area, microwaves, formula, baby food, and diapers! This room has been a complete lifesaver on more than one occasions. As easy as it is to nurse in Small World (this is actually my number 1 reason for loving this ride), Southern California and Orlando can get pretty hot and taking a break in the air conditioner in a quiet space is the best thing for you and baby. The women who are working the nursery are more than helpful and very friendly. This service is completely free. When we took Emma for the first time, when she was 6 months, I could tell the sights and sounds were getting to be a bit much after a few hours. We went back to the nursery so she could eat and I could relax in the quiet. We both cooled down, I sipped some water and had a snack, and it was like these magical 20 minutes had rejuvenated the both of us.
I usually bring with us a little zip lock with a bottle brush and small travel dish soap and use the nursery stop as a way to wash any bottles we might have. If you wait until you’re back in the hotel, you might have a very stinky situation on your hands!
They have several things you can purchase from baby food to diaper cream. In fact, once we ran out of hydrocortisone cream and I just picked up another one right there. Just in case you didn’t know, there’s also first aid for adults as well where I have had to go several times for Tylenol!
9. They are free to eat at buffets as well! Anyone that knows me, knows I have loved Winnie the Pooh since I was a baby. It’s only natural that when we go to Disneyworld we eat at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom to meet Winnie the Pooh and friends. The breakfast buffet is $38.99 per adult and $23.99 per kid 3-12. I do realize kids under 3 don’t eat much, but that is a great little savings when we are already paying for a breakfast buffet with the characters. The kids usually just chewed on a mickey waffle and had some fruit, but it’s also a great time to fill up their sippy cups with milk if you need a refill. The food is a great perk, but if I’m being honest, it’s such a magical moment to see them interact with the characters one on one. If you pick to do one splurge on the trip, I highly recommend this. They don’t rush you out, you’re allowed to get refills on coffee and food, and Winnie the Pooh and friends come around several times. They come by about every 10 minutes, and then every 20-30 minutes they round up all of the children to do their “friendship celebration” which is a cute little marching dance around the restaurant. One of our favorite ways to spend a Disney morning is one of these breakfasts. The food is always top notch and having a moment to just sit with your family to eat before the rush of riding all the rides hits is wonderful.
8. Rider swap. A lot of friends I’ve talked to have hesitated bringing small kids to Disney because they think they won’t be able to do any rides. Welcome to rider swap! This is fantastic. What you do is have one adult go using their fast pass, as you get close to the front of the line ask the cast member for a rider swap ticket so the second adult can go right in through fast pass when you’re done. Emma was tall enough to ride more rides, so she ended up getting to go twice – once with Ryan and once with me. It really is an awesome system they have in place so everyone can get a chance to enjoy the big rides.
7. Use Max Pass when at Disneyland! This is an app that you can get on your phone that is $10 dollars per person per day. It might seem like a lot, but for basically a venti latte price, you can get unlimited fast passes to the rides AND all of your pictures for the day. With small kids, this is everything! I don’t know about you but I can rarely get a great picture because I’m always so distracted. When using Max Pass for the fast passes, you can already be in line for one ride and book your next one. It’s so efficient and we made it through all the big attractions in one day with plenty of time to spare. This is defiantly a win. With small kids, whatever makes your day less stressful is worth it.
6. Take advantage of the photo pass – They have these at both coasts. If you are at Disneyland and using Max pass as stated above, this is free! The photo pass people are fantastic! They take their time and take so many pictures at many different angles. The can edit in tinkerbell by the castle so a great souvenir. There are many of them standing around with a big camera and another great perk is that they will also take pictures with your phone if you ask them! If you get the Memory Maker at Walt Disney World, this is a separate charge but it includes all pictures and videos from the rides. I always think pictures are the best investment for a vacation. Can we all just have an “lol” and both kids clearly thinking that Florida sun is too bright?
5. Pack lunches – even the value resorts at Walt Disney World have refrigerators so if you’re trying to budget you can easily pack lunches. Either cost as Amazon prime now which you can get deli meat, bread, yogurt, etc. Pack a sack lunch and a few weeks before your trip start stock piling baby food pouches, granola bars, baby teething crackers, and whatever else your kids like to munch on. It will save you a lot of money in the long run and at least you know for sure which snacks your kids will like. There’s nothing worse than spending $7 on a pretzel only to find out this is the one day your kid stops eating pretzels.
4. Portable fans for strollers, blankets for evening naps. If you have to bring a stroller, make it as comfortable as possible. Think about it as an oasis for your kids, and a carry all for you. We have a giant “mommy hook” or carribeaner on the big handlebar which can hold all of our hydro flasks and whatever shopping bags we have. We bought a few portable fans that clip on to the stroller so that when they’re napping and have the shades down, the air can keep moving. You can also find some on amazon that have the squirt bottle attached, which make the afternoons much more enjoyable. The ones in the parks run about $30, so better to be prepared. We also bring our double BOB stroller with us because it’s the most comfortable for both kids. We bought the attachment that has two cup holders and space for our sunglasses and small items if we need more storage.
Here are some links to our favorite portable fans:
3. Dollar store souvenirs – When your kids are in this age range, they really have no concept of money or the difference in toys. Before we go, I usually stock up at the Dollar Tree or the dollar section at Target for any Disney toys or coloring books I can find. I save them and as the journey to Disney gets a little restless, I pull one out like a surprise. They know that they are only allowed one toy to purchase when we get there so having inexpensive little surprises help keep their attention without spending a ton of money.
2. Find matching shirts at target before you go: Target, Kohl’s and JC Penny all have Disney licensed clothes that are pretty budget friendly. There’s nothing I hate more than the thought of spending $50 on a shirt they’ll outgrow in 6 months. I figure when they’re in high school, then I can splurge for the official Disneyland or Walt Disney World logo sweatshirts. We usually get several matching shirts from target beforehand which cost about $6. What’s great is they make them for adults too, so all four of us usually can go in looking coordinated. Another great source is Amazon. In fact, before we went the last time, I bought Emma and I some matching mouse ears for a few dollars. They’re of course pretty simple, but she never knew the difference. I’d rather spend money on more expireneces than an accessory she’ll let sit in her closet.
1. Their first ears! Maybe this one is a little personal to me, but isn’t this the cutest reason? I never got to go to Disney as a kid, so when Emma had her first glimpse of Disneyland, I had to go over and buy her some baby ears right away. We carried on the tradition with Maxwell and hope to again in the future! We display them on our bookshelf, and I hope it’s a little keepsake they can treasure and do the same with their babies. (Let’s hope they invite grandma on that trip!)
I hope these tips have helped you as much as they have helped me! A lot of travel with kids is trial and error (and blood, sweat and tears). I encourage people to travel as much as possible with their kids. Not only does it come with loving stories and funny memories, but I have noticed a significant change in my children’s vocabulary and skills when we’ve come home. Putting them in new environments, talking to them one on one instead of during the hussle and bussle of home life has helped me be their teacher more than I could have ever dreamed. Even though it can be expensive, I find value in taking them somewhere (far or a quick day trip). Leave a comment below of your favorite Disney memory or if you have any travel questions!