Disney World with Two Toddlers

We just got back from a week in Disney with our two children (3.5 and 23 months). It was the BEST of times, and it was also the worst (at times). There were several things that made this adventure run smoothly, allowing us to stay at the parks longer and have a generally enjoyable travel experience. Also, this post contains affiliate links. I appreciate you using these links if you feel inclined to do so. Thank you so much. :)

The Plane:

My two children have been on airplanes before. However, we all know how much of a difference just a few months makes in their maturity, development and overall demeanor. Last year when we flew, my youngest was ten months old and was happier than ever to sit on my lap, have a milky snack (boobs) and take a nap. This year, she no longer breastfeeds and likes to MOVE. So I tried to be prepared for anything. 

My tips:

1. The diaper bag does NOT count as a personal item, so load it up with essentials you may need in the airport. Snacks, water bottles, diapers, wipes, extra clothes, and medicine: specifically Motrin and Tylenol for the kids. 

2. I kept a fanny pack (do we still call them Fanny packs? Or are they "belt bags" now? cross body bags? I'll call them fanny packs. #90sbaby) with a diaper, baggie of wipes, tissues and hand sanitizer in my personal item OR on my body in case there was a diaper emergency, and so I didn't need to bring a whole diaper bag into the bathrooms. This way I can store the diaper bag above our heads on the plane and have room by my feet for my (smaller) bag. The fanny pack is also a something I used throughout the trip, get off a ride in Disney and see a bathroom? No need to find your stroller to get the job done! Disney cast members notoriously move strollers to make them look 'nicer' and to put them in the right spots near the rides.

   1. ‘Belt bag’ links: https://amzn.to/3Eth3rp

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   2. Hand sanitizer link: https://amzn.to/3RgjlgA 

3. Snacks. All of the snacks. Think you have enough? Think again. Teddy grahams, belvita bars, gummies (esp for landing and take off), lollipops, chocolate bars. You can take any unopened food through security, and you can even take water bottles/Apple juices if they are for the kids! 

   1. Lollipops: https://amzn.to/4iiBa9I 

4. Corded headphones. We flew JetBlue for several reasons (we have a credit card and had POINTS) but one of the major reasons is the tv/entertainment screen on EVERY seat. Last time we had headphones for my oldest- which were Bluetooth compatible and connected to our iPad- but she was adamant she wanted to watch Spidey and his Amazing Friends on the seat screen...she used her headphones but heard nothing. I didn't tell her, she didn't notice, she was happy and content the whole ride. She actually was upset she didn't get to finish an episode when we landed...she was two, it was easy. This time she was old enough to know- so I made sure to get her and her sister CORDED headphones so they could plug in and watch their movies/shows without telling us/crying they couldn't hear it. They were happy, we were happy, all was well. 

   1. Link: https://amzn.to/3Re3jnt

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5. New toys/activities: I packed a variety of new things I bought over the last few weeks to pull out when desperate. While they didn't necessarily use them on the airplane, it did help to keep them entertained even in the hotel room. Some examples are as follows: Melissa And Doug Sticker wow, magnetic puzzle, reusable sticker sheets, Eye Found It game, markers/crayons, coloring sheets/books, water wow books. 

   1. Magnetic puzzle: https://amzn.to/3XY5WO1 

   2. Sticker Wows: https://amzn.to/43RBqcd

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   3. Reusable Sticker Pad: https://amzn.to/42d5T3o 

   4. Eye Found It game: https://amzn.to/43SCU63 

      
      

Transportation:

For this trip we booked Away We Go through our travel agent to pick us up from the airport and bring us straight to our hotel. It was truly seamless, they had two car seats installed for our kids, the driver was friendly and talkative, and the trip was quick and easy! My tips for arrival/transportation include:

1. Having easy access to a change of weather appropriate clothes (we went from Buffalo 30* weather to Orlando 85*). We got to the bathroom and changed into shorts and packed our jackets away! 

2. Gate Check the stroller: You can get it back right as you deboard the plane. You can throw the kids in and get to where you need to go without the frustration of tiny toddler steps and wandering bodies. 

   1. Gate check stroller bag: https://amzn.to/42HbnTX 

3. Noise Cancelling Headphones:Once you’re on Disney property, they provide transportation to the parks, resorts and Disney Springs. The buses are LOUD - noise cancelling headphones helped my eldest keep her cool when they arrived. 

   1. Headphones: https://amzn.to/429yw1k 

4. Reusable bag: to keep in the bottom of the stroller to throw everything in when folding the stroller for the bus (think water bottles, souvenirs, sunscreen that got left out, popcorn bucket).

5. Stroller accessories helped make life easier. 

   1. stroller organizer (to hold water bottles, keep diapers/wipes/sanitizer easy access) https://amzn.to/4jApzUK 

   2. stroller hooks (to clip bags and water bottles too) https://amzn.to/4jvDWti 

   3. additional side organizer bag to hold bubble wands to keep them easy access as well https://amzn.to/3Gjvvmo 

   4. Stroller fan: https://amzn.to/4jjFjLK 

6. While I mention it: buy bubble wands BEFORE you go (and don’t forget to open before and put batteries in, but save putting bubble solution in until you arrive…they can leak…trust me on this one). Bubble wands at the park go for $34.99. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather buy a nutella waffle with berries at Sleepy Hollow, or a big cinnamon bun from Gaston’s (maybe 2 or 3) for that price. 

   1. Minnie Mouse bubble wand: https://amzn.to/4luLtu4

   2. Frozen bubble wand: https://amzn.to/3G6wiXX 

Disney World:

The happiest place on Earth! But it can also be the most overstimulating. I highly recommend NOT starting with Magic Kingdom - this is for several reasons. It’s easily the park with the MOST for toddlers to do (ride-wise), however it also can feel chaotic and overwhelming. I suggest starting out with EPCOT or Animal Kingdom to sort of ‘ease your way’ into the magic. EPCOT is nice because it has a lot of open spaces for the kids, the Moana water area is so fun and the Finding Nemo ride with the aquarium is a must. My girls loved doing the scavenger hunt and still use their booklets to play with at home. Honestly, we spent the first half of the day (8:30-1) in front of the park and didn’t even hit the countries’ area until after our midday break. Frozen and Ratatouille were not a HAVE to do for us this trip - and I opted out of doing Lightning Lane at this park, with the exception of buying an Individual Lighting Lane for Guardians for my husband to ride. While he did that, the girls played in the splash pad outside of Connections Eatery. There is also a playground in this area that the kids can enjoy as well! 

Animal Kingdom is a nice ‘starter’ park as well, since it also is less ‘overwhelming’ in its atmosphere. There is still so much to do for little ones- the Boneyard is my eldest’s favorite place, specifically the ‘dinosaur excavation’ part (however this entire playground area is closing at the end of this year -2025), the safari is a classic, and there is a train to the ‘conservation station’ to see more animals and you can pet some as well. This trip we did the Finding Nemo show (which was a GREAT place to rest our legs and enjoy some A/C). We didn’t make it to the safari this trip. The wait was over an hour all day, and I didn't want to spend the money on lightning lanes for this ONE ride the girls could go on. Also, they’re still young and don’t know what they’re missing. And, we went on the safari last year. AND, they were hot, tired, and grumpy by 1 pm so we decided to cut our losses and go back to the hotel to enjoy the pool. 

Magic Kingdom is…a lot. It’s my favorite park, but it’s important to go in with realistic expectations for the little ones. While my youngest LOVES characters, she seemed to be intimidated by the ‘costumed’ characters (Mickey, Minnie, anything with a giant head) but enjoyed the ‘face’ characters (princesses, Mirabel, etc). This park is LOUD (specifically in Fantasy Land) and crowded (esp. on main street and fantasy land). A stroller with a canopy that pulls down all the way was helpful for my eldest to reduce the noise/stress of seeing the colors, people, rides, etc. Headphones were also necessary here for the fireworks, shows, and parades! Know your child, know when they are in ‘fight or flight’ mode, and find quiet areas to re-center them (and yourself). Get the ice cream, get the popcorn refill (actually get this the WHOLE trip because it keeps the kids occupied and helps prevent them from becoming hangry), sit back in a shady spot and people watch. My eldest did not want to ride Dumbo or Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, but loved Pirates and Tiana’s. Kids don’t make sense. I’m not going to try and figure them out - they’re honestly terrifying if you think too hard about it. It’s best to just take it a step at a time, follow their lead and watch their cues for when they are hungry, tired, need to pee, or need a little break. Also watch their faces light up when they see their favorite princess go by on a parade float. Watch them eat a Mickey Bar and get chocolate all over their faces while it melts in the 90 degree heat. It will make your heart full.

Hollywood Studios is the same as Magic Kingdom - overstimulating, busy and has less shady areas. BUT if you plan it right, you'll be able to have an enjoyable day. There are some shows to get out of the heat (Frozen Sing Along, Walt Disney Presents) as well as many different character meet and greets.

For every park, the key is to pick 3-4 things that are HAVE to-do’s, go with what interests you and your kids and accept that you won’t be able to do EVERYTHING. For example, my kids are not interested in Star Wars (yet) or Avatar. So we really didn’t spend much time, if any, in these areas. They do love Frozen, so we spent time watching the Frozen sing along and meeting Olaf. We began to wait to meet Anna and Elsa in EPCOT (the only place to meet them) however it was a 55 minute wait and I had just gotten my frozen margarita. I was not allowed to bring my drink into the line to wait, so I sat on a bench looking out at the water while my husband brought the girls in line. They lasted about 10 minutes before he offered them ice cream to leave. 

ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING (okay everything is important, but stay with me): bring a portable charger into the parks with you. You WILL be on the app often, and if you aren’t - you should be. The app is a beautiful place where you can see what characters are near you, check the wait times, mobile order food, book lightning lanes, see the bus times, find out the time of the shows, see your PhotoPass pictures. Many complain about ‘needing to be on the phone all day’, but let’s be real - you’re probably on your phone anyways taking pictures or googling “best food in Hollywood Studios for a picky eater”. A charger is essential for when your phone inevitably warns you that you have ‘10% battery left’ and one child is screaming for a grilled cheese and the other wants to know when the fireworks start, while your husband is asking if he can get to Aerosmith and then can eat at the Backlot because they are next to each other. You can’t, they are not next to each other. Please look at your app. Also, the Aerosmith lightning lane isn’t for another hour. Check your app. 

1. Portable charger: https://amzn.to/3EfJppd

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2. Fuel Rod: Disney has areas to ‘swap’ one fuel rod and get a new one - https://amzn.to/43SRg6y 

Misc. items to remember to pack:

• Sunscreen

• Bathing suits

• Hats

• Comfortable shoes

• Flip flops/crocs for going to the pool or around resort

• Any medications you or your family take daily

• Misc. medications such as Tylenol, Motrin, allergy meds, Zofran, dramamine

• Lotion (specifically chafing lotion if you suffer from the chafe)

• Wall Chargers 

• Portable chargers!!!

• Kindle

• Corded headphones for YOU on the plane

• Autograph books: https://amzn.to/43XHqjT 

• Stroller rain cover: https://amzn.to/42J4Yrw