17 Helpful Tips For Disney World With Kids

Are you planning a trip to Disney World? How exciting!

These helpful tips are for you.

My family got to experience Disney magic in March.

It was amazing!

Here is a quick recap.

The weather was perfection. It could not have been any better. I, being the worrier I am, was super concerned about rain. It ended up only raining for 1 hour the entire time we were there. Thank you mother nature.

The castle at the Magic Kingdom did not disappoint.

We drove straight through on the way there! About 17 hours! OH BOY! That was a GIANT learning experience right there.

On the way home, we made the choice to split the trip over two days and stay at a hotel overnight. This turned out to be more our style. Our family can handle about 8 or 9 hours in the car and then it turns ugly.

The food. So much food. We got the meal plan. I got an iced coffee every day. We got desserts each day. Even all the walking did not balance out the amount of food I ate.

My hair did not agree with the Florida humidity.

And even with a few disagreements and meltdowns, we can’t wait to go back.

No trip will ever go perfectly. But I feel like I learned a thing or two on this trip. I am sure the next time we go I will learn something else.

These tips will make your trip go as smoothly as possible. They are simple but they make all the difference.

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Here are 17 Tips For Visiting Disney World With Kids

1) Don’t rush

There is no possible way to see everything you want to see. And rushing around will just result in you not REALLY seeing anything. Take your time. And take it all in.

This is a vacation. Slow down and treat it like one.

You will probably need to remind yourself of this. So, write yourself a positive little note and stick it to the mirror. Or even the door. That way you will see it when you are leaving.

Something along the lines of being grateful to be there is a good one. Or it could just be a reminder to have an amazing day.

2) Don’t let anyone get hangry

Decide where to eat before people start getting snappy. A hungry kid is nothing to be messed with. A hungry adult isn’t either.

I did a lot of planning when it came to food. You can look up the menu for all the restaurants on the My Disney Experience app. Please do this!

3) Getting to bed early 

We are very routine at home. Brooklyn is in bed by 7:30 most nights. This means she is an early riser which worked out perfectly for this trip.

Our first full day there, we went to the Magic Kingdom and there were extra magic hours. We had been there since 8:30 in the morning and I somehow thought my kid would make it to see the fireworks. She could not have cared less. My husband and I watched them for a few minutes and then she was done and ready to go.

Based on how many people were there watching, I know these are a favorite among families. My squad was just beyond sleepy.

And it’s ok if you don’t love everything. Even the things everyone says you have to see.

We were in bed early every night. Do not underestimate the power of being well rested!

4) Fastpass is awesome

Use it. Once you get the hang of it you will love it.

I may have gotten a little too obsessed with it. But it feels so good to never have to wait in line. Even when the wait time is only 5 minutes. Like I said, I was a big fan of the Fastpass.

I watched a few videos to really familiarize myself with how it all works. Do this and you will be a pro in no time.

5) Eat lunch early

The first day we ate lunch at 12:30. It was chaos. From then on, we ate lunch at around 11. We decided where we were going to eat, looked at the menu and got there as soon as they opened. You can find a seat easily. You get your food quickly. And you get to eat in peace!

It is amazing what a 30-minute difference will do.

I still have flashbacks of trying to push a stroller through a giant crowd of people in search of a seat. Not fun at all!

6) Accept that you won’t see everything

There is no possible way you will see all the things you want to see and do all the things you want to do. I felt like I had to fill every minute with something. Because there is just so much to do and see. It can become overwhelming.

Kids are pretty chill. I think the most fun Brooklyn had the entire trip was swimming in the pool on our free day. There was no need to pack everything in.

Have everyone choose some things that they absolutely have to see. Prioritize those things.

And everything else is the icing on the cake.

7) Planning

I love to plan. And I know I am not the only one.

Look at the parks. Look at the restaurants.

Disney is a big trip. You don’t want to go in completely blind.

8) Don’t overplan

Piggybacking right on from #7!

There needs to be a healthy balance. Overplanning can make you more like a drill sergeant. I am talking from experience.

Do not push anyone past their limits just because you had something planned. I know it can be hard. But try to be somewhat flexible. We all know how it is with kids. You never know what to expect.

It can be fun to go go go. But make sure there is some downtime as well.

9) Pack snacks

Make sure you have some snacks.

Simple things like granola bars and trail mix work really well.

Even if you end up doing the meal plan, snacks are a necessity.

Food. Make sure not to drop the ball when it comes to food.

10) Park bag

Ok, there are a million different things about what to put in your park bag.

Some things say to pack a list a mile long and some will say to go minimalist.

Here is my advice. Do some research. Write down everything you see.

And now for the most important part.

Take the time to actually pack a bag. Is it exploding at the seams? Is someone going to have a backache every day from carrying it? This can help you make some choices on what you really need to pack for the day.

Another important tip is to invest in a good backpack. We did not do this. But we learned our lesson and will be ready next time.

11) Sunscreen

That Florida sun is no joke! Put it on before you get to the parks. Then set a timer on your phone to reapply. Sunburn can be miserable. I am very serious about sunscreen. My little lady has fair skin and she can turn red in a matter of minutes.

Hats and sunglasses are great too.

12) Ponchos

It did not rain much on our trip. Lucky us.

But you bet we had ponchos and busted them out when the rain started coming down.

Wet clothes are a bummer. Do you know what else is a bummer? A wet stroller. We put a poncho over the stroller and checked out some indoor things.

My daughter would not have been too happy to sit down and get a wet butt.

13) Dress comfortably

Make sure you are comfortable from head to toe. Especially those toes. You will be doing a lot of walking. So much walking. Wear shoes that will keep your feet happy all day long.

14) Bring a stroller

Even if you think your kiddo is a little too old. Maybe they don’t normally use one.

Disney is not a normal day. Little legs will get tired.

A stroller will save the day!

15) Have a free day

If your trip allows, plan a day that you have no plans.

A day where you can just go with the flow and see where the day takes you.

16) Pack for all kinds of weather

This all really depends on when you are going.

You won’t need jackets in the Summer. But it can get cool some months.

Check the weather before you go. It can be chilly in the mornings or at night.

My suggestion is to pack more t-shirts and light pants. And then a sweater or hoodie that can be thrown over anything.

It can be so easy to overpack. I am guilty of always overpacking.

My idea is I rather have more than not enough. But packing 4 different outfit options for my 5-year-old was a little much!

17) Have FUN

And now for the most important one. Have so so so much fun!

This seems like an obvious one, right?

Make sure you are having real honest to goodness fun.

There may be meltdowns. Everything will not go perfectly. Your plans may get derailed.

Have fun through it all!

Have any more helpful tips for Disney World with kids?

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