Tips for Disney with Young Kids

Updated on July 05, 2008
A.B. asks from Ada, MI
28 answers

Hi There,

My parents are taking my whole family to Disney in a few weeks. This is awesome, except that my kids are little young for it. They are 4, 2 and 10 months. I am hoping for any suggestions that worked for you that might make it easier for us. We will probably try to do some things together as a group, which will be somewhat complicated. My kids also have food allergies, so if anyone has experience with that, I would also love to hear about it. Any tips for plane rides and enjoying Disney World with toddlers.
Thanks

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J.R.

answers from Detroit on

I would recommend bringing those spraybottle fans for everyone, it will be hot. Also, skip the fireworks! We stayed for the fireworks, had the kids up way past bedtime, they were cranky and scared of them so we tried to get out of the park as soon as possible but there are wall to wall people standing around watching the fireworks and not real happy to let us through... come on, we got two screaming kids, let us through!!! Disney is the happiest place on earth, but there are some very cranky travelers there. But you will love it and so will the kids. Oh! And you must go to the character meetings at the town hall in Magic Kingdom. My 3 year old is obsessed with Cinderella, wore a dress up Cinderella outfit and everything, we went to meet Cinderella and they were wonderful! When they saw my daughter, each princess spent a good amount of time with her, dancing and talking with her. It brought tears to my eyes!

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K.V.

answers from Detroit on

My sister just took a trip in May to Disney with her 2-1/2 year old (with severe food allergies to milk, egg, peanut - and other food sensitivities) and her 5 month old.

Definitely agree to make the reservations NOW to dine with characters, if you're interested - they book up early. (Some have a 6 month waiting list for popular characters!)

My son also has food allergies, and my sister RAVED about Disney. Said with food allergies, it's the place to be. They offered safe choices at vending carts (fruit, juice) and the restaurants were very accommodating. She said they just cater to the food allergy kids and it was a wonderful experience.

Look online at Disney's website, too, they have lists of rides available for young kids and also have tips on enjoying Disney with toddlers.

I'm sure you'll have a fabulous trip - enjoy it! If you have access to a portable dvd player, that may be fun for the older kids to watch on the plane (bring a couple favorite movies). Occupy them for a good part of the trip, anyway! Coloring books can be fun, or puzzles, too (put puzzles in a zip top bag so they don't take up much space). Suckers and snacks are a must have for my child.

Best wishes - have fun!

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M.L.

answers from Detroit on

go to this great website for tips on your trip to DisneyWorld
http://www.allearsnet.com/
I found this site so helpful when we were planning a trip there - they have info on everything you can imagine.

Good Luck!

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S.W.

answers from Detroit on

Hello,
We just got back from a trip to Disney in early June. We had my husbands parents with us as well. It was a wonderful trip! Our kids are 18 months and almost 3. We tried to stay somewhat consistent with their normal schedules, and that helped prevent major meltdowns. My advice--don't try to do too much every day. With our kids as young as they are, we didn't try to cram too much in. We would go to a park (we only made it to magic and animal kingdom) early in the morning, and then get back to our room in time for naps. After naps, we'd usually stick around the hotel in the pools. We did go back to the park one of the days, but that was almost too much for my kids. In fact, they enjoyed the pools just as much or more than the actual park!

With your parents there, I would suggest doing what we did. We had adjacent rooms, so after the kids were in bed (by 8:00), we would put the bolt on their main door, and made sure they couldn't lock the adjacent door. Then, we brought baby monitors, so we could hear them, but still talk or watch tv in the other room. Also, we would take turns going out. I had never been to Disney, so one night my husband and I went back to Magic Kingdom to ride all the adult roller coasters--it was great!

For the plane, I went to Target and bought a bunch of toys/books/etc that my kids had never seen. That helped them stay busy. My kids don't have trouble with their ears, but I always offer them a pacifier or sippy cup during takeoff and landing.

I think that you can have an awesome time--we did. We are already planning our next trip! Have fun!

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P.R.

answers from Grand Rapids on

We took my daughter when she was 3 and it was fun but way 2 hot. Pack as many water bottles you can unless you want to buy them because the tap water at disney and the resorts taste very very gross,even when we put the crystal light packet in. Im not sure why other than I know they conserve alot of water.
Also if you dont already have one of those fans that mist water buy one BEOFRE you go because they are more expensive there.If you stay at a disney resort(we stayed at pop century, and loved it) if they offer a cup to buy and you get free refills 24/7 buy it that is soooo worth it.We would use it all the time. Just bring a dvd player for the plane ride and Im sure that will be fine for the older 2, good luck with the baby maybe bring alot of snacks for the baby to keep him/her occupied.
Most important..Have fun and enjoy your FAMILY!

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J.B.

answers from Detroit on

There's a book called something to the effect of "The best of disney for families with kids 2008" It's at Border's or Barnes and Noble and I'm pretty sure the library has a copy. Not 100% sure of the title but it has all sorts of tips and ideas for families with young kids including a guide as to what rides are appropriate, best attractions for young kids, info about the baby station, food restruants that talk about what is best for young families and the such! GREAT book! Enjoy your trip!

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J.B.

answers from Detroit on

Hi A.,

What a wonderful opportunity for you with your family. We just did the same thing....my entire family went to Disney for the first time....17 of us!It was wonderful. We were a little concerned, our little guy is only 3 and the youngest in my family. It made it a little tough for us but we tried to manage our expectations as well as his. We took him to the park and then back to the condo for a nap....Disney is very stimulating and a wonderful place. You can take snacks, water, we took our own stroller so we had it in the airport and everywhere we went. The kids get tired fast.....map out your days and branch off from your famil so you clear more ground too....trying to please everyone can make the trip tough. Take lots of pictures so you can show the kids later on.
Also, plan ahead, pack things you need, sunscreen, bandaids, extra shoes while at the park, anything to make your life easier.
We stayed in a condo so we shopped once we got there. That was great, we had breakfast before we left and came back for lunch since it was nap time....dinner we usually ate out or planned ahead for the condo.
We also took turns watching the kids for each other so we could have some adult time...maybe a dinner alone. That is nice too.
The adults and the older kids went to the water park, that was nice and less worry for the babies. Just something to consider. The water parks can be hectic with little ones.
Have fun and make lots of memories.

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K.V.

answers from Detroit on

Just a few things that I didn't see mentioned,

1)if you stay off site, the people movers from the parking lots are crowded and large strollers don't fit, make sure you drop off someone with the strollers close to the gate, then go park.

2)With kids, you can all get in line with the strollers and then they will usher the "stoller" person to a waiting area and the others ride, when they get off the "stroller" person gets right on, so that the parents can both ride and wait in line only once. We love our backpack for baby, you can get them for pretty cheap at second hand stores and for a trip like this a Gerry one will do fine, one with a storage pocket works great, we did the whole water bladder pack (walmart or hiking stores) and put them in our backpacks which saved us a ton on buying water.

3)Take polaroids of the kids (or digital) before you leave the hotel so you have pictures of them and their outfits (jsut in case)

4)gummy bears work great on ascent and descent on the plane ride (tip, pack lots, the parents will eat them all)

5) we traveled right before nap/eating for baby, and gave a bottle on the airplane. the flight staff will give you all the bottled water you want to mix formula, the minute you get on the plane. formula and bottles of water won't make it through security, but you can take all of the powdered formula that you want on the plane.

6)buy the snack pack ont he plane for $5, the kids think that it is so cool to get an airplane lunch and you don't have to lug snacks onboard (we took ours for down and bought one on the way back)

7)be realistic and take lots of breaks, for whatever treats.

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H.I.

answers from Detroit on

Hi Angle. I have plenty of tips for you. I have a son who just turned 4 in June and a daughter who will be 2 in July. We just went to Disney in May. This was my sons 5th time and my daughters 2nd. To start with, the plane ride there- I give my kids a dose of motrin or tylenol to help make them sleepy on the ride there. I suggest a flight first thing in the morning where you leave the airport at like 7 but have to be to the airport at 5. That way they want to sleep on the flight there cause they are so tired. Or try to make it around a nap time where you keep them up past their nap time so they crash once you get calmed down on the flight. Bring a bag of tricks, coloring, books, portable DVD player if you have one. And definately lots of different snacks. As far as the hotels go, most provide a portable play crib. We go to the parks first thing in the morning. Bring snacks and drinks to keep you expenses down and then you know you will always have something for the ones with the allergies. Plan the activities the night before if possible. That way you know what is age appropriate. I am not sure how big your 4 year old is, but my son was able to go on a ton of rides some including Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain,Soaring- his favorite ride. Usually you can find out what the height restrictions are from someone at the hotel. I suggest going hard in the morning, going back to the hotel for a nap and then going hard in the afternoon. To make it last all day is too h*** o* the children and to be honest, they don't enjoy it. If they get a break to refresh it will make the entire experience so much better. If you want to go to a water park, I suggest Blizzard Beach. They have an area called Tikes Peak and it is a mini water park for little ones. They have mini water slides and things like that. Both my 4 and 2 year LOVED it. Good luck to you! If I can be of any more help just shoot me an email. I can provide you lots of insight on the parks and the features that kids love.

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A.O.

answers from Kalamazoo on

There are a couple of books that I found really helpful when I traveled to Disney. One is The Unofficial Guide to Disney World and the other is Traveling to Disney with Young Children. They both break down every ride in every park and also all of the restaurants in the parks and what they have to eat in each one. The second book also has Sea World and Universal in it. I hope that this helps and have a good time.
P.S. For the 4 and 2 year olds, I would really recommend an autograph book for each. There are places that the characters do signings and the kids have such a great time.

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S.H.

answers from Grand Rapids on

If you are staying at the park, I recommend taking advantage of the early park hours. Only the overnight guests can get in during this time and last time I went, not too many took advantage of it. We had no wait to get onto the most popular rides (including It's A Small World). Then you can just relax and do what you want the rest of the day, like go take naps if needed.

Also, I don't know if this will work with the allergies, but we had the best time at the 50's Prime Time Cafe at MGM. The servers act like your babysitter! They asked my uptight uncle what color the soap was after he had used the bathroom and he didn't know, so they made him go "try again!" You really have to have a good sense of humor, but it was hysterical. You also should have a reservation, so if you need it for this restaurant or any other sit down restaurant, the # is (407) WDW-DINE. Have fun and remember, if you don't get to everything, it will be okay!

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M.L.

answers from Detroit on

Hi A.,
Disney World is the happiest place on Earth and I would go back every month if I could afford it and so would be my kids. We went in December with my 2 yr old and 6 week old, the crowds were minimal and we had such a relaxing time hitting only the Magic Kingdom on two different days. I used a double stroller and a baby wrap thingy I bought from Target to breast feed and carry my infant son. We went again with all five of my children in February, ages 11, 9, 6, 2, and 3 months and stayed at Saratoga Springs in a two bedroom villa, definitely the way to go with our large family. We went with the Disney Dining plan and made advance reservations according to our plan for our trip. We mapped out exactly where we would go each day and where we would eat, which is a saving grace. And so long as you did not make a reservation at a restaurant that required your credit card number for the reservation such as the Luau at the Polynesian or Cinderella's Palace, then if you miss a reservation, no big deal, just go with the flow. But I did feel as though having the reservations kept us moving throughout they day, plus the older ones knew when we were going to eat so they were not asking and bugging for something to eat as they knew when we were going to stop. The dining plans allow for snacks for each person and there is always fresh fruit available. I loved all of the parks and felt they had something to offer for everyone. Be sure to check out Epcot kids, there is something special for the little ones at each location. If you go online and check out each park indvidually you can see what is available for the little little ones and for the older ones in each section of the parks and you can plan accordingly. As for the plane ride, the same rules apply for the car, if they are in a car seat in the car, take it in the plane, don't let them move around as it will just lead to problems for you, them, and other passengers. I don't let them get up unless they have to use the bathroom and make them keep their seatbelt on at all times. I am so jealous, have a great time!!!

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N.W.

answers from Detroit on

I would worry too much about the 4 and 2 year olds. We went when my son was 2 1/2. We went in October and the weather was perfect and the park wasn't as crowded as I'm sure it will be in July. I pinned a tag on my son that said "My name is Brendan. If I'm lost please call ______" and had our cell number on him.

I brought lots of snacks, juice and applesauce (laid on the bottoms of the suitcases). The flight is only about 3 hours and we didn't have any problems. We took the Disney shuttle straight from the airport to the hotel and other than being kind of hard to find...it was easy enough. Our bags were picked up from the airport and taken straight to our room.

There are several baby areas through the park for diaper changes/nursing and supplies. Everything is VERY expensive so try not to need anything.

We tried to go back and take naps but that didn't work. I recommend being flexible and just going with the day. There is SOOOO much to do. My son especially loved the parades. Bring your OWN stoller for the baby. The strollers there are these big plastic things and don't have a lot of storage space.

HAVE FUN!

Added: if you want to do character lunches, dinners, breakfasts make reservations NOW. It was very hard to schedule these things once we got there.

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J.H.

answers from Detroit on

This past March, a friend and I took our two 18 month olds to Disney without our husbands. We had a blast but only due to major preperation...
Obviously, make sure to bring snacks (a few different options) and books/toys for the plane. And if your younger kids use pacifiers, this really helps for the take-off and landing pressure changes.
For the parks, we actually did one really full day - Magic Kingdom in the morning and Epcot in the afternoon. We arrived at the Magic Kingdome at opening - the crowds really start to get bad just before lunch - and then had lunch at that park. We then took the monorail over to Epcot and our kids fell asleep in their strollers for a nap while my friend and I walked through the world showcase. We brought towels to cover up their strollers while they slept and that worked really well to keep the sun and noise out. Then when they woke up, we did some rides and had dinner at Epcot. I know it's much different because we each only had one child and both were the same age...
I would suggest only planning on doing half days at the parks. And then if the kids are doing really well, you can always choose to stay longer. But if they're struggling, you won't feel let down if you have to head back around lunch time. Remember, you can always go back to your hotel (or wherever you're staying) for naps and then return to the parks later in the evening if you want. That's what we did - we had a very loose plan and just kind of went with the flow.
One thing that worked really well for me was that I downloaded the songs that play on the rides to my iPod and played them for my daughter constantly during the month before we left... This allowed her to ride some of the darker rides (like Pirates of the Carribean) without being frightened. Because she was familiar with the song ("Yo Ho Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life for me!"), the dark ride wasn't scary for her - but when we went on Pooh's Great Adventure and it got dark (during a spring rain scene), she was scared because she wasn't familiar with it.
My best advice is to not go in with too many expectations. This worked well for us and we had a great time. The only expectation I had was that my daughter would love the character dinner that we scheduled... And she was more scared than I've ever seen her in my life!
Good luck and have fun!

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C.J.

answers from Lansing on

A.,

Our family went with my husbands parents three years ago and we are still talking about our son's allergy chef T.J. He was great! Our son has 7 food intolerances, so he couldn't eat or drink most of the foods in the park, except at the sit-down restaurants.

Breakfast was the most difficult time, so when I contacted Disney about his food intolerances, they made sure we had a fridge in our room (we stayed on property).

The lines will be horrible, especially with three young children. I would suggest to plan on not going on any rides. Take them to Mickey's Toontown Fair. This is where all of the fun children's houses are. There are no lines, and the kids can do almost anything. Water, games, climbing, etc. It's basically a big jungle gym.

Otherwise you might want to go to the park right when it opens if you want to do any of the rides. This way you beat the lines and your kids won't be too fussy waiting. My son and I waited 45 minutes to get on the Dumbo ride. Definitely a long wait for a 3 year-old!

I would really suggest you contact the park (you'll need your reservation number and the dates you will be staying) and talk with one of their food people; they will be able to send you ingredient lists for the foods in the park and give you an idea of what restaurants will be able to cater to your kids.

Here is a good website that you can use to ask a Disney customer service employee your questions:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/contact/contactUs?i...

Otherwise I would suggest your whole family get together for one or two things during the day. Like the African safari would be a fun "ride" for the whole family. And if you get the express pass you don't have to wait in line too long, just get the pass, go somewhere else, and then come back at the appointed time.

This way you can do one group ride a day and meet for dinner every night and talk about your adventures.

Good luck!

-C..

p.s. We found there were not many things to do at Epcot for younger children so we went back to the Disney park for the day.

Also, take a small stroller, the crowds will be really heavy so a big stroller will be too much. But if you have one where another child can stand up (or sit-down on a bench) to rest this would be great. Or plan on lots of rest stops for the kids.

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

Hi A.,

We just went to Disney with our 3 1/2 year old daughter on 5/23. She has multiple food allergies - wheat, egg, gluten, barley, and peanut. Disney is well-known for their ability to cater to those with food allergies, and knowing this I allowed them to give my daughter a cookie that they said was free of the top 8 allergens. It wasn't. It contained wheat. There was some miscommunication among the staff during their training. Abby (my daughter) had a reaction and we ended up spending over an hour at the first aid clinic. Luckily, she recovered within that time and Mickey Mouse came and visited her and our experience for the rest of the day was absolutely amazing. It was a great experience before her reaction too. The chefs and waitstaff at Disney are great ~ all of her food was wonderful, but if they're offering you a pre-packaged cookie make sure they bring out the package so that you can read the label and don't take anything for granted. I took other peoples' words who have been to Disney with food allergies and I trusted that everything would be good. I shouldn't have. They have menu books in the restaurant ~ please read all the ingredients. The chefs will come out to speak with you about the food allergies. We ate at one of the Disney Resort Restaurants without incident and then we had an incident at the Magic Kingdom. I would recommend making reservations at a restaurant at the park you're going to. Overall, my daughter's at Disney was memorable and it wasn't just because of her reaction. Disney more than made up for the mistake and I believe through my conversations with the restaurant manager for the Magic Kingdom since our trip that some extra preventative measures have been put in place. Okay, this was long and I hope I didn't scare you, but please enjoy yourself.

For the plane trip I would recommend getting the toddlers a small new toy ~ maybe a coloring book and crayons or a mini etch-a-sketch ~ something that they can do on the plane. It worked for my daughter. Benadryl worked for my husband (he's always anxious about flying).

Hope this helps! If you want to know anything else, please feel free to e-mail me. Have a wonderful trip!!

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M.W.

answers from Detroit on

Hi A., My recommendation is to put the trip off until your children are 2 to 3 years older. I was just there last summer and the majority of children under 5 or 6 were crying because they didn't get naps, had to be carried and were exhausted due to the extreme temperatures. I was very thankful that I was not one of the parents having to drag little ones around when they are too little to ever remember the experience at all. Many parents were pushing around in strollers crying, sunburned, tired kids from little babies on up thru toddlers. Good luck on your decision and trip if you so decide to go.

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S.C.

answers from Detroit on

We just returned from Disney with our 5 1/2 year old and 2 1/2 year old. I'm not gonna lie, it was exhausting. My advice - pace yourself. Don't feel like you have to get everything done. It is going to be hot and crowded and the kids can only take so much at once. We would go to the parks early in the morning and then leave just after lunch when it gets really hot to go back to our hotel and enjoy the pool. Then we would head back to the parks after dinner. My 2 year old was exhausted and overwhelmed for most of the trip. As for the plane ride - take a DVD player if you have one. To keep my 2 year old occupied on the plane, I packed two sticker books and a couple of small toys that were new, so she hadn't seen them before. That worked pretty well. Good luck!

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S.G.

answers from Detroit on

Hi A.,
We just took our kids to Disney in January. They were 4, 3, and 16 mos. They absolutely loved it! I don't know if you are staying in one of Disney's hotels, but if you are that's the best way to do it. We would go to a park in the morning, come back to our room for naps and lunch, then go back to the park for the rest of the day. We rented a stroller at the park for the time we were there and we did the food plan. We are lucky enough to not have food allergies, but I know that the staff were very accomadating to some people who were.

We might not have gotten to see and do everything, but we took our cues from the kids and we all had a great time and came home with some special memories.

Have a great trip!

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

We went to Magic Kingdom:
My 4yr old was scared to death of the Lilo and Stich ride in future land. They strap you in, the lights go off, and you think the alien is on the loose in the dark. It took me half of the day to get him to enjoy the other rides! The pinnochio Hauss restaurant has the best food for the best deal. Kids lunches were less than $5 I think and came with mac and cheese, carrot sticks and grapes and a drink! We liked it so much that we went back and had pizza there for dinner! Same cost as fast food, but at least they got fruit and veggies. It's about half way around the park if you start at future land and work your way around, so the location and timing was good for lunch too. Get a map before you go. You can print one off disney web site. Take a small backpack, so when you have to leave the stroller for a ride or show, you can take your stuff with you and still have your arms free. Try to fill up water cups for the kids at the rest during lunch, that way you don't have to buy water for them later. Try to keep on the same snack/lunch sched as home. We did Magic Kingdon in one day. From morning till night and watched the fireworks. There are places for down time there - watch shows, ride the train around the park to give everyone's feet a rest, watch the parade.

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D.H.

answers from Detroit on

A. ~
I haven't taken any little ones to Disney yet (mine were 14 when we took them), but we will next February. There are a few books you can get at the library that will help alot. You can also find them all on Amazon for decent prices and then you can keep them.
The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger is one. Alot of hints about when to go to the different parks, places to eat, best times to meet characters, etc.

Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2006 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World) by Birnbaum is another good one.

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids by Bob Sehlinger (Author), Liliane Opsomer (Author), Len Testa (Contributor)

Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids 2008

If you are driving down - Along Interstate-75: "local Knowledge" For Those Driving The Popular Interstate Between Detroit And The Florida Border (Along Interstate 75) (Spiral-bound) - this is a great book, fun to read during the drive. It has 25 miles per page and you read it up (from your lap to the top of the page, like you're driving). Tells you places to stop to eat, stay, things to see along the road, side trips, where speed traps tend to be, ways around some traffic tie-ups, etc.
Have fun!
D.

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J.C.

answers from Detroit on

Hi I went to Disney when my girls were 4 and 1. I brought lots of snacks and drinks. I did bring a stroller for my little one, but rented a double stroller for my older daughter and things. It was a big help after walking for a while she got super tired. We went in January the weather was great and the line were, well there were no lines. When we went we went with my sister and parents. It was very hard to get everyone out of the condo at a normal hour in the morning so the earliest we got to the park was 11 ish. Too late to enjoy the part when it closed at 6 pm. (That are the January hours) With that many people and the 3 little ones I would just enjoy it minute by minute because if you try to plan ahead you may not make it to that, lunch or breakfast you wanted to go to. One good thing about having lots of people is if your oldest want autographs instead of standing in lots of lines, have your husband, mom and dad all stand in different lines and you bring your daughter to whoever gets to the front of the line first. That saved us LOTS of time. No matter what you will have a great time you are with your family and that is all that matters. Hope you have a great time.

J. SAHM of 9 yr old and 5 yr old daughters.

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B.V.

answers from Detroit on

We took my daughter to Disney for the first time in March (she was 11 months). She was able to go on a lot of rides at the Magic Kingdom and loved it. What worked the best for us was going right when the park opened and start at the back of the Magic Kingdom and work your way towards the front. Definitely take advantage of the fast passes that many of the rides offer. This way you can stand in line for one ride and by the time you get off it will be time to use your fast pass for the next.

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V.S.

answers from Lansing on

The Chefs at Disney were wonderful about working with my daughters multiple food allergies (milk, egg and peanut). It is better to go to the sit down resturants where there is more interaction. Just besure to ask the wait staff for an ingredient list and explain. Also make sure you have your epipen.

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K.F.

answers from Saginaw on

A., First, the plane ride, make sure your children have NO congestion, if you have to, give them a decongestant for a couple of days in advance. On the plane if they are having trouble with pressure, make silly faces, open your mouth really wide to open to ear canal. Take small new toys, magnetic? Next, Each of you (except the baby) will need a back pack, with lunch or snacks, water, and baby supplies of course. I would freeze a water for each of you and put it in a ziplock. It will keep your bodies and your lunch cooler. Plan on going early in the day and leaving half way through the day. Take a stroller for the 2 younger ones, maybe for all 3! Take it slow, have a great time. K.
(mom of 5 grown, been to disney too many times, childcare provider for 30 years!)

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J.S.

answers from Detroit on

One thing my mom did with the 4 of us when we were young and went to disney is have us kids all wear matching outfits. That way if one wandered off, we were easier to spot in a crowd.

What I do with my son is take a digital picture of him before we leave, either with my camera or phone. That way if he were to wander off I would have an up to date pic of him to show police what he looks like and was wearing.

Hope you have fun on your trip!

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N.L.

answers from Detroit on

A.,

You are going to have a GREAT time and so are your kids. We went last summer with our 3 children (ages 2,3,5) at the time and they loved it. We watched lots of Disney movies and read lots of disney books ahead of time to prep and they really got into it because they recognized all the characters.

Here are some tips I learned:

1. If you are staying on property - great - we did. Take advantage of the early entry hours. Your 2 and 4 year old will love the rides. We would get them when it opened with a plan (scope out the map and plan your day). We would stay until lunch and leave to go back to the hotel for a long nap. We would than head back to the parks and eat dinner and get ready for a parade or fireworks for another show. They LOVED the evening shows / parades. Balance your day at the park with indoor and outdoor attractions - ride a few rides than hit a show in a nice air conditioned building.

2. Take snacks - we bought water at the park but I brought snacks to save $$$.

3. Rent the double stroller for 2 of your kids and take a small single umbrella stroller for the younger one. Don't try to haul stroller for 3 to the park. Your 4 year old will want and need one and the park ones are great.

4. Forget long dinners

5. Even before we went we talked about how everything at Disney is PRETEND. It really helped on rides. Even my 2 year old rode pirates of the carabben (3 times) because she knew it was pretend.

6. When you go to Animal Kingdom head to the back first and ride the safari - the animals are most active in the morning. Also while there a must see show is the lion king - my kids loved it. Sit in front row and your 4 year old may be picked to dance.

7. Plane tip - invest $90 in a portable DVD player. Get a splitter for the head phones and pop in a DVD for the flight. Also hit the $1 store and pick up new toys. I bought each kid a cute Disney backpack and packed new toys and and lots of snacks for the plane. I hid the backpacks in a large shopping bag until we got inteh air so they were entertained. Chewy fruit snacks help pop ears.

Please feel free to email me with any questions. We are going to Universal Flordia and Sea World for a week this summer. Thraveling with 3 young children can be a challenge but if you plan your day you will be fine. The last thing you want to do is jsut walk around in the hot Flordia sun.

Nicole

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S.M.

answers from Saginaw on

Hello A., My father took my family there for a christmas present one time. The kids were 1 1/2, 3, and my oldest had her 5th birthday while we where there. What worked so well for us is we stayed in the campgrounds in a very nice trailer with a kitchen. Every other day we went into the park, the off days we stayed in the campgrounds. On the days in the park, we went back to the trailer for lunch and a nap, then went back to the park. The only meal that we ate in the park was dinner. We had a canteen of water so that there were less trips for drinks. Keep a spray bottle to cool them off if it's hot. Lots of sunscreen. If you can take a couple of jogging strollers it will help going over all of the rails in the roads. Keep snacks in your bags. On the off days keep the activities more low key so they can rest up. Have a great time. Good luck.

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