DISNEY TIPS FOR PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN
HEY HEY FRIDAY & HAPPY COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS HALLMARK MOVIE DAY!
Eeeeek! Where are all my Christmas movie lovers at!?!
When Dan gets home from work, we are hooking up the camper & going camping one last time this season. I CAN'T WAIT!
Last week, I shared ALL about our Disney World vacation. And as if I didn't already use the word enough, IT WAS MAGICAL! I am already planning our next trip!
You can read all about it here ...
While on our vacation ... or trip because mama needs a vacation AFTER all that, I kept a list of things that I thought would help y'all if you are planning a trip with small kiddos. Two in which were toddlers!
Okay, so here are some things I want you to know ...
1. DISNEY GIFT CARDS
Give each child a Disney gift card with a certain amount to use as their own spending money. Once it's gone, it's gone. This worked so well for us! We weren't constantly hearing them beg for everything either. And all the parents said AMEN! We gave Cooper & Millie Jo each a $100 gift card as their spending money. And by the way, that was PLENTY! They could buy whatever they wanted BUT, once the gift card was empty, they were done & couldn't ask us for anything. Best idea ever! It made them think about what they really wanted & at the end of the trip, both were very happy with what they had bought themselves. Plus, they love to pretend they are big & swipe their own Disney card.
2. SHARE MEALS/DESSERTS
Because they're huge.
Unfortunately, we missed the free dining meal plan by one week & after much research, we decided that we weren't going to buy the meal plan either. Honestly, it's so much food & we would have never ate that much! I mean, if it's free, I say go for it but when you have to pay for it, I just felt like we wouldn't have bought all that anyway. We always only ordered two kids meals for FOUR babes. Dan & I even shared an entree most of the time! They are very gracious with their meals.
3. TAKE A COOLER
Yes, yes & yes! I'm sure this isn't the first time you're hearing this tip, but it's a good one. You are allowed to take in a soft sided cooler. And it can be fully packed! Pack you some snacks, drinks, sandwiches, etc. You'll be so glad you did!
4. SPLIT UP YOUR PARK DAYS
Rookie mistake. We did three parks in three days. It was A LOT! Next time we will know to do a park day, resort day, park day, etc. That was so exhausting for the kiddos. And even us adults! I think I'm still trying to catch up on sleep. HA!
If it were up to me, I would have LOVED to have two full days at Magic Kingdom.
5. MICKEY'S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY
Speaking of Magic Kingdom, if you ever go to Disney from the end of September to the first of November, you HAVE to do Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It was wonderful! It cost extra but is so worth it! Different attractions have trick or treating & it was just so much fun for everyone.
6. DOUBLE STROLLER
Rent or take a double stroller. Millie Jo is almost seven years old but rode in the stroller more times than not. It was so convenient for us! It is SO much walking!
7. HARNESS
Okay, I have no shame. This girl walked around with her harness on anytime she was out of the stroller. I wasn't trying to lose a baby & sitting in the stroller all day for hours at a time was hard! My mother-in-love found THIS HARNESS & it was the best $15 spent! If I heard "mama walk" one time, I heard it 406 times.
8. STAY ON SITE
Enough said. There are so many incentives when you stay on site at a Disney Resort. The shuttle buses, the Minnie vans, the fast passes. We stayed at THE ART OF ANIMATION & we will definitely be going back!
9. EXTRA MAGIC HOURS
Another incentive, Disney's Extra Magic Hours! Each day, all the parks will have either a one hour early entry or one hour after the park closes when ONLY those who are staying at a Disney resort get to take advantage of! With these extra hours, NOW is the time to ride those popular rides that fill up so quickly!
10. RIDERS PASS
Do it & thank me later.
We had no idea this even existed until we were all standing in line waiting for a ride in Star Wars : Galaxy Edge. A cast member came up to us & asked if we wanted to do the riders pass & not having a clue what it was, he explained it to us. Holy cow, we used it every time. Since we had toddlers that couldn't ride everything, a few of us would wait in line for the ride, ride it & then the rest of us would get to skip the line & go get straight on after they were finished. I mean, Disney truly thinks of everything! Who wants to wait in line for an hour & then another hour waiting for the other half of your party to ride!?! Not us! The riders pass is AMAZING! Millie Jo & I quickly learned that we would let the boys go first so they had to wait in the long lines & then when they were done we got to go get right on. 😉
11. Memory Maker
I asked the week before we left if the Memory Maker photo package was worth it & every single person said YES! So, I listened & I'm here to tell you THANK YOU! I didn't even have to worry about having my phone out most of the time because there were photographers everywhere. After they take your picture, they scan your magic wristband & it automatically uploads to your Disney app! Same for the pictures they take of you while on a ride! Those pictures were some of my most favorites!
NOW, it's your turn. Tell me what tips you have!?! Tell me what I missed! We are going back so I need to know ALL the things!
I hope y'all have such a fun weekend! I can't believe it's the last one of October! Almost time to start decking the halls, friends!
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