Welcome to your playbook on how to tackle Disney with a toddler.
Now I'll be honest, before our trip, I was excited but also terrified.
The last time I was at Disney World was about 10 years ago (did I just age myself?) and I basically have no recent knowledge of anything Disney related. Because of this, I try to prepare as much as I can and control what I can as well.
Let's start with the basics.
HOTEL
We stayed at a hotel on the monorail which connects 3 hotels to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The convenience of this was unmatched. We'd put our toddler in the stroller, hop on the monorail and be at our destination (which was only Magic Kingdom) within minutes. If you can do this, I'd highly highly recommend it! We spent one full day at Magic Kingdom and made our mid-day hotel nap incredibly easy to access. Trust me, when your toddler is slightly overstimulated and tired, you do whatever you can to make the situation hassle-free.
GEAR
A few things that made the weekend much easier.
1) Stroller - You do A LOT of walking. Even if your toddler fights the stroller, trust me, they will need it.
2) SlumberPod - The greatest invention for hotel sleeping with infants & toddlers. Essentially, this is like a big black-out tent that fits over a pack n play. It's extremely easy to set up and take down. And I promise it'll give you a laugh. Our toddler goes to bed much earlier than us, so it was nice being able to leave the lights on and not worry about waking her.
3) Sound Machine - Again, makes hotel sleeping much easier.
4) Mask - Yes, anyone over the age of 2 had to wear one. Some rides were stricter than others, but we always had it on hand.
5) Mask Chain - You'll find yourself taking your mask on and off frequently and this mask chain was extremely convenient.
6) Proper Clothing - Sounds funny, but check the weather! I wish I had brought our hats and coats it was so cold the weekend we went. That's not the norm, but you'd rather over prepare. This could mean bringing a stroller fan too.
SCHEDULE
The park opens at 8:30, but if your toddler is already up early, I'd suggest getting there as early as possible! We were at Magic Kingdom by 8am and because of this, were able to do a bunch of rides early on. We ate lunch at the park and then headed back to our hotel for a mid-day nap. Then we headed back to the park in the afternoon for a few hours. *Your toddler will be overstimulated. Provide them the opportunity to rest!
OTHER
Disney uses their app for almost everything: digital hotel room keys, food ordering, ride scheduling, etc. Make sure your phone is charged and bring an extra charger along.
Hope this helped! If you have any other specific questions, please feel free to reach out!
