Disney made Affordable!

Recently, I have had a few people ask me to share our ‘secrets’ when it comes to being able to afford several Walt Disney World vacations per year. Honestly, there are so many variables, and so I can’t really tell you how you can do this- in my family, we don’t have to send our child to daycare even though my husband and I both work full-time (edit: I work part-time at my job at the hospital, and the rest of the time I work as a Travel Agent), which saves us thousands of dollars per year, as we simply work opposite days of the week. We don’t have weekends off together unless we are on vacation, as one of us is ALWAYS working on the weekend, and so the traditional ‘entertainment budget’ that other families may reserve for weekends at the zoo, the beach, the museum, and other fun locations goes straight to our ‘Disney budget’, and when I pick up extra shifts at the hospital, that money also goes into our Disney account.

(At the entrance to the Magic Kingdom in the fall season)

Despite every family having a different budget and financial situation, I CAN offer some tips that may help make your dream of going to Walt Disney World a reality. The first thing to consider is the time of year you will be visiting. I would recommend comparing different times of the year to see when is cheapest- if you have flexibility in your schedule, you are much more likely to score a deal. We have found that January (after Marathon weekend) and early February are some of the best months to visit in terms of price. The week after Thanksgiving through the week before Christmas may offer some good discounts as well. I HIGHLY recommend staying on-property. Recently, I was looking at prices for the value resorts in January, and I found All-Star Sports for just over $100 per night- for 5 nights (this was back in 2017- the costs have risen a bit, but there are still great prices to be found!), the total was just a few cents over $600 with tax (you can read more about the Disney Value Resorts here). This is a great price, as you get all of the benefits of staying at a Disney resort, including free transportation to and from the airport, free transportation to all of the parks during your stay, Extra Magic Hours (extra hours at the parks reserved specifically for Disney resort guests)- and my favorite, being right in the middle of all the Disney magic 24/7!

(Staying in the Lion King section of Disney's Art of Animation Resort means that you never have to leave the Disney magic during your stay!)

Since my family knows that we always have a trip to Disney on the horizon, a common gift that we receive for birthdays and Christmas is a Disney Gift Card from multiple family members. I would suggest you start telling family that if they are looking to purchase a gift for you and/or your kids, that you would really love a Disney Gift Card. My parents also gift us with Southwest Gift Cards from time to time, as they know that this is the airline we always use to fly to Orlando.

(My son enjoying his Southwest flight)

And speaking of Southwest Airlines- a few weeks ago, I scored a $69 fare from Indianapolis to Orlando, and a $69 fare back home in February (edit: This was back in 2017, but last week I scored $79 fares each way, and so this pricing definitely still exists!). You HAVE to be quick with these, however. I had told my dad that we were looking to go back to Disney in January or early February to celebrate our son’s 4^th birthday, and he checked the Southwest website every day for me to see if fares for this time of year had been released yet. The day they finally were released, he called me and told me to get on and book. For the three of us (my husband, son and I), it was just over $400 round-trip- this is a VERY good price! I booked these flights a little over two weeks ago- today, these SAME FLIGHTS are over $1000 for the three of us. This is why I say that you have to be quick when purchasing these flights- Southwest only offers a limited number of seats at the low price that is shown when the flights are released, and once these seats are booked up, the price continues to go up- though at times, Southwest will offer a sale, and I am sometimes able to get a credit for a future flight (which I have to use within a year of booking). Due to the (Southwest-only) money I frequently receive back, I often do have some sort of credit to apply, making the price we pay to fly to Orlando even lower.  We also rack up Southwest frequent flyer points- in November, my husband is flying free, having used his frequent flyer points for free flights (this is where using the same airline every time you fly comes in handy).

(My son's first flight- on Southwest Airlines- at 8 months of age)

On our last trip, we stayed at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa in a Studio. This is a Disney Vacation Club resort, and the studios have small kitchenettes with a sink, toaster, refrigerator, and plastic utensils and paper plates (there are also one-through-three bedroom villas, which all contain full kitchens). To save some money on breakfast, I brought pop-tarts for the family to share and applesauce packs for our son, and we bought a carton of milk at the resort upon check-in. Even though we only stayed two nights, as this visit was before we set sail on our Disney Cruise, we probably saved close to $60 bringing our own food, as I estimate we probably would have spent about $10 per person, per day on a ‘Disney’ breakfast. Even if you are in a regular resort hotel room, you still will have a refrigerator in your room (please call to confirm this before arrival!)- you could bring granola bars, cereal bars, cereal with milk after purchasing some milk in the resort gift shop, etc. Disney also allows you to bring soft-sided coolers into the parks- you could pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies, and drinks, which would, on average, save you about $15 per person, per meal.

(A quick breakfast option- Pop Tarts and the coffee provided in the room- in a Disney Vacation Club studio)

The food at Walt Disney World is so good that I would recommend splurging on dinner at the park or a nearby resort. Quick-service eateries are going to be your best bet, and all of the theme parks have several that we love- listed below are our favorites in each of the theme parks. Please keep in mind that the option to visit a nearby resort’s quick service eatery is also an option!

Magic Kingdom

Pecos Bills Tall Tale Inn & Café (burritos, fajitas, nachos)- Frontierland

Columbia Harbour House (chicken, salmon, fried shrimp)- Liberty Square

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café (BBQ, burgers, salads)- Tomorrowland

Epcot

Sunshine Seasons (sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, Mongolian beef)- Future World, in the Land pavilion

(The strawberry shortcake at Sunshine Seasons is out of this world!)

Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie (quiches, sandwiches, salads)- World Showcase, France

Tangierine Café (chicken, beef and lamb combination platters)- World Showcase, Morocco

(A chicken Shawarma platter at Tangierine Cafe in Morocco in Epcot)

Lotus Blossom Café (orange chicken, pot stickers, fried rice)- World Showcase, China

 Hollywood Studios

ABC Commissary (fish and chips, burgers, steak)- Commissary Lane, near the Chinese Theater

Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner (foot-long chili cheese dogs, sausage in pretzel rolls)- Echo Lake

Woody's Lunchbox (Sandwiches)- Toy Story Land

Animal Kingdom

Flame Tree Barbeque (ribs, chicken, pulled pork)- Discovery Island

Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes (stir fry BBQ chicken, teriyaki beef bowl, honey chicken with rice)- Asia

(We love the honey chicken with rice at Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes)

Please also note that at any quick service location, you may feel free to ask for a cold cup of ice water for free at any time, alleviating the need to purchase pricey bottled water in the parks.

The park tickets into the 4 theme parks are, more often than not, the most expensive part of a Walt Disney World vacation. My family does not do the theme parks every day, which saves us HUNDREDS of dollars every trip. If you are doing a five-day trip or longer, I suggest taking a day in the middle of your trip to check out everything else that Walt Disney World has to offer. Every resort on property is fun to walk around and explore- for instance, if you are staying at the value resort Pop Century, you can walk over to Art of Animation across the lake and check out the Cars, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid theming, before coming back to the pool at Pop Century to cool off! 

(The main pool- the Hippy Dippy Pool- at Disney's Pop Century Resort)

What else is there to do in the World? You can take a bus over to Disney Springs to check out this fun and newly redesigned shopping and entertainment district. You can go miniature golfing at one of the two mini golf courses, Winter Summerland and Fantasia Gardens. You can hop a bus over to Fort Wilderness and enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride in the evening, or a campfire sing-a-long with Chip and Dale. You can take a monorail tour of the three Magic Kingdom-area monorail resorts to check out the fun theming, and maybe grab a small treat or drink at one of the quick-service spots or lounges at these resorts. You can visit one of the water parks. You can visit the Boardwalk Resort, which is especially fun at night, where you can always catch a free ‘street performer’ or grab ice cream at Ample Hills Creamery. Every Disney resort has a free ‘Movies Under the Stars’ outdoor movie night. You can rent a surrey bike, or a boat, which the whole family can enjoy for an hour or so (available at select Disney resorts). You can enjoy a character breakfast or brunch at one of the Disney resorts, and enjoy taking your time and not feeling like you have to rush out to maximize your park time. Truly, there are countless ways to enjoy Walt Disney World without stepping foot in a theme park!

(Ample Hills Creamery- a new spot for delicious ice cream- at Disney's Boardwalk Resort)

(Enjoying the Christmas store, Days of Christmas, at Disney Springs)

It should be no surprise to you at this point that I spend a lot of time looking for ways to stretch my vacation dollar. Just last week, I was checking to make sure the price of our hotel room for an upcoming stay hadn’t gone down, and I realized that a cheaper view was now available. Let me explain, using Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort as an example. There are multiple room ‘views’ that you can purchase at this resort- standard view, garden view, pool view, and river view. The layout of these rooms is EXACTLY the same. The only difference is the view out of the window (this resort doesn’t have balconies)- honestly, we don’t spend any time looking out of our window, so this does not matter to us in the least. When I booked this resort, I had to book a garden view, as standard was not available at that time. I hated to pay extra, but this is where we wanted to stay, and this was what was available. However, less than 2 weeks after booking, I found that the standard room was now available, and would save us over $60 for five nights. It’s little things like this that you can do to decrease the price of your Disney vacation (oftentimes I am able to change my clients into a less expensive room type as well after initially booking their trip if they do so choose).

(A king bed room at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort)

I hope that some of these tips will help you make your dream trip to Walt Disney World a reality. If you have any Disney-related travel questions, please feel free to email me at dana_w@WishingOnAStarTravel.com. Happy Travels!

Walt Disney World with Toddlers- Part 2

Hello!

I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer! Here in the Midwest, we’ve been enjoying cooler summer weather- perfect weather for my 3-year old son to play outdoors in! And speaking of my toddler- this month, I am going to review his favorite attractions at each theme park and the Disney Water Parks. Let’s go!

(My son in line for the Tomorrowland Speedway- they sometimes hand out paper Driver's Licenses for kids, which he is holding in this photo)

The Magic Kingdom is the theme park which contains most of my son’s favorite attractions- if you’ve got young children and you have some extra time, I would suggest two days at the Magic Kingdom, as it does take some time to experience all that this incredible park has to offer!

(Holding his new balloon on Main Street USA)

I will begin with the Tomorrowland Speedway, as this is my son’s absolute favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World. Last fall, I want to say he rode it 5 times in one day. I do want to offer a tip, which we found useful- the wait for quick-service restaurants can be quite significant at times (~20 minutes). If you are planning to dine at a busy time (11am-1pm or 5pm-7pm), it may be beneficial for one family member to wait in line for food while another takes the kiddos to a nearby ride- my husband took Camden on the Tomorrowland Speedway last fall while I waited in line for dinner at Cosmic Ray’s, and the timing worked out perfectly- they showed up just as I was sitting down with our meal! Also located in Tomorrowland, my son has always enjoyed Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. He likes that he gets his own blaster, but oftentimes, he just wants to be in charge of spinning the ride vehicle!

(Waiting to ride the Tomorrowland Speedway)

(In his car on the Tomorrowland Speedway with his dad- he was so excited that he was allowed to drive!)

Next we'll move to Fantasyland, where the rest of his favorites are located (we honestly could spend one full day in Fantasyland alone). I’ll begin by mentioning the Barnstormer, which does have a height requirement of 35 inches. The Barnstormer was my son’s very first roller coaster, which he first rode a few months before his third birthday. This ride is pretty short, and so if you find that your child does not enjoy roller coasters, at least you aren’t on for very long! Located near the Barnstormer exit, the Casey Jr. Splash ‘n’ Soak Station provides relief on hot days to your warm child! This is not a ride, but simply a water play area where your child can cool off and play with other kids.

(His very first roller coaster- The Barnstormer in Fantasyland)

As I sit here asking my son to point out his favorite attractions by picture in the Disney guidebook I am using, he points to the photos of Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and says to me, “let’s do Pooh and Dumbo”. There you have it, folks! He loves to watch ‘My Friends Tigger and Pooh’ on the Disney Junior channel, and so this ride brings some of his favorite characters to life! On Dumbo, he gets to control how high we go in our Dumbo ride vehicle. I want to point out that these two rides, along with Peter Pan’s Flight, have some of the best queues at Walt Disney World. The best, in my son’s opinion, is Dumbo- here he is allowed to play in a circus-themed play area, complete with slides and a play fire truck! You are given a pager, and your child can play until your pager goes off. Once it buzzes, you are directed to a short line which leads you straight to your very own Dumbo ride vehicle.

(With our good friend's daughter in the queue area of Dumbo playing)

Moving on to Peter Pan’s Flight- which adults enjoy just as much as toddlers, partly in thanks to the nostalgia of this ride, and the fact that the track is suspended above you to make you feel like you are flying like Peter Pan. This is a ride that I do not recommend missing (unless your tot is very scared of the dark- this is indeed one of the darker rides in Fantasyland), and one that I would HIGHLY recommend getting a Fastpass+ for! After flying through Neverland, I would not miss It’s a Small World- this is definitely a favorite of children young and old!

(My son and nephew in line for Peter Pan's Flight- we used a FastPass+ and still had a bit of a wait, but it sure beat the standby line with a wait of over an hour!)

(Intrigued by all of the dolls at It's A Small World)

My son adores the Mad Tea Party, and he LOVES how fast his dad spins our teacup. For those prone to motion sickness (like myself), you may want to get your own teacup, or even bypass the ride- but it certainly is a favorite of many children (I enjoy seeing the joy in my child’s face so much that I do suck it up and share a teacup with my family).

(Ready to spin the teacup on Mad Tea Party)

Lastly, Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid is another Fantasyland favorite. The music is fun, many scenes, especially the ‘Under the Sea’ scene are bright and colorful, and who doesn’t enjoy getting into their very clamshell ride vehicle?

(Camden's 1st birthday trip- aboard our clamshell ride vehicle)

At Epcot, Frozen Ever After in the Norway Pavilion of World Showcase is an attraction that you should definitely try to obtain a FastPass+ for. This is a cute ride in a Viking ship through scenes of the fan favorite movie- please be aware that there is a small drop in this ride, but my son, who rode at 2 years old, tolerated this drop just fine. Next door to Norway in the Mexico pavilion is a cute, colorful boat ride called the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. There is rarely a wait for this attraction, and the Mexico pavilion provides great relief from the elements (plus it’s fun just to stroll through this indoor pavilion!). Please also note that here in World Showcase, you can find some of your child’s favorite Disney characters in their natural countries (such as Snow White in Germany and Belle in France)- see the Epcot times guide, available in the park for exact times of character appearances, and be sure to show up early if you are wanting to meet a character!

(Olaf and Sven in Frozen Ever After)

Over in Future World at Epcot, my son loves the Living with the Land boat ride. He is a fan of any ride in a boat, and he just adores seeing the farm scenes, as these scenes remind him of back home in Indiana. There are two segments to this ride- the first is through different settings, such as a tropical rainforest and a family farm, and the second is through a greenhouse which houses many different living plants. Please note that there is rarely a wait for this continuous journey through the Land.

(My son and our friend's daughter on Living with the Land)

My son’s final Epcot favorite is The Seas with Nemo and Friends, in which we board a clamshell, and are taken through different scenes through one of Camden’s favorite movies! The neat thing about this ride is that even though the Finding Nemo characters are on a screen, behind them are aquariums showcasing real ocean-life. We have done a FastPass+ for this ride several times, as during popular times, there can be a wait for this cute ride.

(Camden was too busy looking at all of the fish to find his way into our photo here on The Seas with Nemo and Friends)

Over at Hollywood Studios, my son has two definite favorites- Toy Story Midway Mania and Disney Junior Live on Stage. Toy Story Midway Mania is another ride that I would highly recommend using a FastPass+ for. This ride in an interactive, 3-D adventure through different scenes featuring virtual Midway-style games. This ride also happens to be one of my husband and I’s favorite Walt Disney World attractions! Disney Junior Live on Stage is a cute show featuring characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates- 4 of the most popular Disney Junior channel shows.

(Our little family waiting for our turn on Toy Story Midway Mania)

(Watching the show at Disney Junior Live on Stage)

I want to mention that even though we’ve never done it, as my son has not expressed interest, there is a Frozen sing-a-long show called For the First Time in Forever- A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. I’ve heard good things about this show, and so if you have children who love Frozen, this may be a must-see!

Over at Animal Kingdom, my son always has a roaring good time playing in The Boneyard, located in Dinoland U.S.A. This area is basically a playground with a giant sandbox for digging up dinosaur fossils- it provides a great break for parents, while kids can use up some of that never-ending energy they seem to have! He also enjoys Triceratop Spin, which is pretty much the same ride as Dumbo over in the Magic Kingdom, only you are in a dinosaur rather than an elephant.

(In Dinoland U.S.A. on my son's 1st birthday trip)

My son also loves Kilimanjaro Safaris over in Africa. This 20-minute ride in an open-air safari vehicle allows you to see lions, giraffes, rhinos, and more! My family always used to do this ride first thing in the morning, as we thought this would be the best time to see the most animals, but last February we made it the last ride of our day at Animal Kingdom around 5:00pm, and we saw tons of animals at that time (keep in mind that in the winter, the sun sets early- I wouldn’t think that at 5:00pm in the middle of the summer, you’d get to see as many animals, as it’d still be very sunny at this time). This is a good ride to use a FastPass+ for.

(Riding the Safari at 1-year, 8-months old)

Pandora- The World of Avatar has recently opened here at Animal Kingdom! I don’t know much about the two attractions here, but I do know that the next time we visit, I’ll be trying to obtain a FastPass+ for the Na’vi River Journey. This is the one new Pandora attraction without a height restriction.

If your kids love Mickey and Minnie Mouse, may I also recommend obtaining a FastPass+ for Adventurer’s Outpost, where you can meet the main mice themselves in their cute safari gear? Don’t mind if I do!

(He loved the characters when he was 8 months old!)

I also want to mention that my son loves the Disney Water Parks! At Typhoon Lagoon, Ketchakiddee Creek is full of water fun, made especially for his age group! He especially loves the mini-rapids ride and the water slides made especially for kids under 48 inches tall! Castaway Creek is another favorite- this is the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon, and while they do have rafts especially for kids, he prefers to sit on his daddy while enjoying the ride! The Surf Pool can be fun for small kids, but I would recommend staying near the shore, as the waves here can get pretty high!

(Castaway Creek at Typhoon Lagoon- photo from www.Pinterest.com)

At Blizzard Beach, Cross Country Creek is the lazy river here, which is always fun for kids of all ages! Tike’s Peak provides watery fun for kids under 48 inches, and features, among other things, a snow-castle fountain to play in. Melt-Away Bay is not as spectacular as the Surf Pool over at Typhoon Lagoon, but is still a lot of fun. My favorite attraction at Blizzard Beach is the chairlift up to Mount Gushmore.

Located below is simply a list of my 3-year old son’s favorite attractions, by park:

Magic Kingdom

The Barnstormer

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station

Dumbo

It’s a Small World
Mad Tea Party

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Peter Pan’s Flight (FastPass+)

Tomorrowland Speedway

Under the Sea- Journey of The Little Mermaid

(My nephew in line for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin)

Epcot

Frozen Ever After (FastPass+)

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros

Living with the Land

The Seas with Nemo and Friends (may want to use a FastPass+)

(Camden testing out the cars outside of Test Track in the Chevy Showroom)

Hollywood Studios

Disney Junior Live on Stage

Toy Story Midway Mania (FastPass+)

**For the First Time in Forever- A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration (We have not done this, but your family may want to)

(Getting ready to ride Toy Story Midway Mania)

Animal Kingdom

Adventurer’s Outpost (FastPass+)

Kilimanjaro Safaris (FastPass+)

The Boneyard

Triceratop Spin

** Na’vi River Journey (FastPass+ if interested in this brand new attraction here at Animal Kingdom)

(The Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom)

Water Parks

Castaway Creek- Typhoon Lagoon

Ketchakiddee Creek- Typhoon Lagoon

Surf Pool- Typhoon Lagoon

Cross Country Creek- Blizzard Beach

Melt-Away Bay- Blizzard Beach

Tike’s Peak- Blizzard Beach

I hope that this post has helped those of you headed to the World with your precious little ones! As always, feel free to contact me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com with any Disney questions! Happy Travels!

Walt Disney World with Toddlers- Part 1

If you are visiting Walt Disney World with your toddler, my number one piece of advice would to pack your patience! A trip to the World with your child/ children is so much fun, but it’s important to be prepared! Please let me help you make your trip to Walt Disney World as fun and special as possible with some tips and must-do’s regarding your vacation. Let’s go!

(Sitting at Outer Rim Lounge at the Contemporary Resort)

(At Be Our Guest restaurant)

Resort

If your budget allows, I would recommend choosing a monorail resort when traveling with toddlers. The three Magic Kingdom resorts on the monorail line are Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Being on the monorail is a big advantage because you do not have to fold up your stroller to get on the monorail, as you do on the buses (and bonus- kids LOVE the monorail!). This means that if your child is asleep in her stroller, you do not ever have to wake sleeping beauty to fold up the stroller, but instead, you get to enjoy a quiet monorail ride home! You can even walk to and from the Contemporary Resort on a designated path, it is that close!

(It's about a 10-minute walk over the The Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower Resorts)

(The entrance to Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort- we had a beautiful view overlooking the Magic Kingdom when we stayed here)

(Camden LOVES riding the monorail!)

If a deluxe resort on the monorail line is not quite within your budget (these are Walt Disney World’s three most expensive resorts, due to their amenities and popularity with guests, as well as their proximity to the most popular theme park, the Magic Kingdom), then have no fear- there is something that appeals to children at EVERY Walt Disney World resort! The value resorts, Disney’s least expensive resorts, feature large, colorful icons which children LOVE. Every WDW resort features fun pools, movies under the stars, and lots of tasty food options for kids! Please click on the links below to read my three previous resort posts and to see some photos of these resorts.

Value Resort Post

Moderate Resort/ Campground Post

Deluxe/ Deluxe Villas Post

(Visiting the Cars section at Art of Animation Resort- Cars is my son's favorite movie, and he was in heaven here!)

(All Disney resorts have fun activities for kids- here is my son having fun on the playground at Caribbean Beach Resort)

Food

Once you have secured your resort, it’s time to start thinking about where to eat! My toddler does not love the characters (he likes looking at them from afar, but he doesn’t want them getting close like they do at character meals), and so we have been skipping character meals, but if your toddler enjoys the characters, then there are a few places I would recommend over the others. Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is one of my favorites. I love the fun atmosphere, and the fact that the main mouse himself comes to your table to personally greet you (along with the other Fab 5 characters- Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy). If you have a Princess-lover, then Cinderella’s Royal Table, which is actually located inside of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom is a favorite, as multiple princesses come to your table to say hello and take photos- but please be aware, this restaurant is extremely difficult to get reservations for! An alternative (which honestly, I hear mixed reviews about food-wise) is Akershus in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot. If you are interested in this Princess meal, please be sure to check out the menu before making reservations to make sure that the food is appealing to your family. A few other restaurants which are a lot of fun for toddlers are Biergarten in Germany at Epcot, in which an oom-pah band plays a show hourly, and children are invited up on stage to dance; ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Village Resort which features a character breakfast with Lilo & Stitch in the morning, and a family-style dinner offering coconut races and hula lessons for the children in the evening (no characters at dinner); Whispering Canyon Café at Wilderness Lodge Resort which offers lots of ‘hoopla’ and fun (watch what happens when you ask for ketchup!); and Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club Resort, which serves up some of the best ice cream sundaes in all of Walt Disney World!

Remember- if you are traveling with a toddler UNDER the age of 3, they eat for FREE at the buffets!

(After breakfast at Be Our Guest restaurant)

(My nephew loving his experience at Chef Mickey's character breakfast)

When I asked my husband what tips he had for those traveling with toddlers, he mentioned bringing lots of snacks! Our son is ALWAYS asking for snacks, and so we try to always have some grapes, breakfast bars/ kids protein bars, and cookies (Teddy Grahams work well!) on hand. Of course, there are kid-friendly snacks around every corner at Walt Disney World- and while we do treat Camden to some, it’s nice to also have a stash on-hand. My three-year old Camden’s favorite WDW snacks include the Dole Whip Float (pineapple ice cream and pineapple juice) at Aloha Isle in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom; the large donuts served at the various Joffrey’s Coffee carts in the theme parks; the chocolate croissant at the Patisserie in France at Epcot; the caramel treats at Karamel Kuche in Germany at Epcot; and the giant cupcakes located at every resort, and at multiple places in the theme parks. 

(Enjoying some snacks at Animal Kingdom park)

(Snacking at breakfast when he was 1)

Breaks

I think it’s important to mention that breaks are VERY necessary when traveling with toddlers at Disney. My family typically does several park days, and while we do these park days from open to close, we spend the rest of our vacation days swimming, checking out our resort, visiting Disney Springs, and relaxing at the water parks- we get plenty of breaks on these days. I think, however, the majority of people spend most or all of their days at the parks, but come back to the resort for lunch, a nap, and/ or a quiet swim at their resort pool. This gives everyone a chance to take a break from the heat, and then return in the late afternoon or early evening when it’s cooler.

Relaxing in the room at Bay Lake Tower

(Enjoying a cookie and a pool break at Caribbean Beach Resort on a hot September day!)

Baby Care Centers

I also want to mention the Baby Care Centers, which are located in each of the four theme parks. We have always utilized these centers- my husband enjoys sitting in the air conditioning, while I have utilized the changing tables, bottle warming stations, and nursing rooms. High chairs for feeding are also available, and a small store sells sunscreen, over-the-counter medications, formula and baby food, diapers, wipes, and a few other essentials that you may need. The cast members in these centers have always been very friendly, making this a nice, quiet place to come with your child.

Stroller

My next tip is to bring or rent a decent stroller- I recommend a jogging stroller (don’t use the Disney rentals- they are hard, molded plastic). My 3-year old is a hearty kid, and I’ll be honest- for the past two trips, I debated not getting a stroller to save some money, only to end up ordering one at the last minute. We were only at the parks one day on our February trip before our 7-day Disney Cruise, and so I figured that we did not need to bother with a stroller. However, as I thought about it more and more, I realized that we’d be at the parks from 9am until after 1am, and there was no way that Camden would not want a break during that time. We rent our stroller from Kingdom Stroller Rental (www.kingdomstrollers.com), and I would highly recommend going this route. They deliver the stroller right to Bell Services at your resort, and so as soon as you arrive, it’s ready for pick-up. Then you simply deliver the stroller back to Bell Services before you board the Magical Express to the airport for your flight home. I have always gotten the City Mini stroller, which reclines back when Camden wants to nap, and folds up quickly and easily. I recommend getting the insurance, just in case- once in a while, strollers have gone missing at WDW (not common, but it can happen)- if this were to happen to you, you simply contact Kingdom Strollers, and they will bring you a new stroller, no matter where you are in Walt Disney World.

(Comfy in his City Mini stroller at the Magic Kingdom)

(Headed over to the Polynesian Village for lunch during an afternoon rainstorm- letting the kids stay in their strollers to nap while using the monorail is PRICELESS!)

(Enjoying a quiet lunch at the Patisserie in France at Epcot with friends while our children slept- as you can see, the canopy on the City Mini stroller extends very far down, creating some darkness for napping children)

When To Go

I want to suggest, when traveling with toddlers, that you travel during off-season if possible. I would avoid summer at all costs. If you must travel during the summer, I HIGHLY suggest leaving the theme parks in the afternoon and escaping back to your resort to cool off. It gets RIDICULOUSLY hot in the summer- I love the heat, but the one year we went to Disney in August, we were miserable. I would not count on my toddler to be in a good mood when it was this hot unless we were in the pool or the air conditioning. Also keep in mind that the week of Christmas and the following week, Easter week, and 4^th of July week often hit capacity in the parks- this means wall-to-wall people waiting in line with you for the Jungle Cruise (which, like many other Disney attractions, has an outdoor queue). We have found that October and February are among our favorite times to travel- the weather is typically perfect for little ones, and in October, you get to see the fall decorations at the parks!

(This was an October trip- the Magic Kingdom is lit up in Halloween colors for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party)

Flying

One final tip I have is one that I SWEAR on. I wear my kid out before we get on the plane, and I swear it works, because he has (knock on wood!) slept on every single flight since I started doing this. We are lucky, and Indianapolis International Airport where we fly out of has a small play area in the Southwest Terminal for children. Once we set our luggage down with my husband at the gate, I run (yes, physically run) over to the play area with Camden, and tell him to climb and run around this area. When it gets close to our flight time, we run again to the bathroom, then back to our gate. Going home, at Orlando International Airport, I simply have him run up and down the Southwest terminal multiple times until I feel that he is sufficiently worn out. If we are traveling at night, which we often do on our way home, I change him into his pajamas before we get on the plane so he is more comfortable, and I can just put him in bed when we arrive home without waking him.

(Enjoying an adult beverage on our way to WDW while my son slept)

(The play area in the Southwest terminal at Indy International)

One more thing that I want to mention- while this post talks about traveling to Walt Disney World with toddlers, I HIGHLY recommend taking your children earlier in their lives. My husband and I got a LOT of flack on one trip from the man sitting in front of us on the plane, and he continually asked us why we would 'waste' our money taking our baby to Walt Disney World. Camden's first trip was at 8 months, and to this day, I continue to look back on that trip with fond memories. It's A Small World and the fireworks MESMERIZED him. The character interactions we had were priceless. He LOVED splashing around the pools at the resort. My husband and I work very hard at our jobs, and Walt Disney World is our absolute favorite vacation spot in the world- why would we stop taking vacations just because we had a baby? Sure, he won't remember it. That's no reason to leave a baby back home on vacation or not go. Take your baby- you will not regret it!

(8-month-old Camden loving his vacation- all Disney resorts provide free life jackets in a variety of sizes)

(8 months old at Disney Springs)

Please stay tuned for next month’s blog post, where I review my toddler’s favorite rides and attractions at all of the parks. Thank you for reading, and Happy Travels!