Happy New Year everyone!
Over the holiday break, we visited our family in Orlando and decided to take advantage of this opportunity to visit Disney World for the first time with our 2-year old toddler.
It was exhausting to say the least, but we had a blast! We made many amazing memories from this trip that will last a lifetime. Our toddler may not remember this trip, but we sure will.
After reflecting on this trip and our first Disney World experience as a family, there are a few key takeaways and tips that may be useful for any family considering taking their toddler and/or kids to Disney World for the first time.
#1 Research the four Disney World theme parks ahead of time and decide on which parks to reserve.
We decided to limit ourselves to two Disney parks, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios because we didn’t think we could handle more than two days of Disney World with our toddler. We decided on Magic Kingdom because it is the main theme park with all the classic characters and rides. It also has the most toddler-friendly rides and attractions. We chose Hollywood Studios as our second park because our son loves Toy Story and Cars. Hollywood Studios also has the new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride which we wanted to experience!
#2 Avoid Disney Magic Kingdom park near and during the holidays.
All Disney World parks are the most busiest during peak season. However, the Magic Kingdom park is always going to be the most busiest park because it’s the main park that all families take their toddlers since it contains the most kid-friendly rides and classic characters. If you can avoid it and plan a trip to Magic Kingdom during off-peak season, I would strongly recommend it to make the most out of your experience. For a calendar of when peak season is, check out this the Disney World 2024 Crowd Calendar.
We’ve been going to Disneyland every year before the pandemic and our time at Magic Kingdom was the worst experience we’ve had at any Disney theme park. We arrived a little after opening time and the line was wrapped around the parking lot. It took us an hour to get into the park and an hour to get out of the park due to the ferry / train ride that you have to take to and from the parking lot to the park entrance. (Yes, there’s a line to get onto a ferry boat ride or train transit).
#3 Bring an adult friend or family member who can help chaperone your toddler while you and your partner go on adult rides.
We were fortunate to have our cousin and her husband with us when we went to Hollywood Studios and let me tell you, it was a game-changer! My cousin did not care for rollercoaster rides at all so was happy to stay back with our toddler when we all went on the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride and the Rock & Roll Aerosmith Ride. It was so nice to be able to step away and wait in line without a rambunctious toddler running around everywhere. If we go to Disneyland or Disney World again in the future, we’ll be sure to bring a grandparent or other family member with us so we can take breaks during the day!
#4 Take advantage of Rider Switch at Disney for select adult rides.
If you won’t have another family adult or friend with you to help chaperone your toddler and don’t want to miss out on the fun adult rollercoaster rides, take advantage of the rider switch program! Here is a list of all the Rider Switch rides at Disney World and how to use it. We didn’t get the chance to use the Rider Switch during our trip this time around, but we will definitely be using it on our next Disney experience!
#5 Genie Pass is well worth the extra cost.
In all honesty, we did not think we would spend extra money on the Genie+ pass before heading to Disney World. But once we got there, we impulsively decided to purchase it after seeing how long the average wait was for all the rides and it wasn’t feasible for us to wait in 1+ hour lines with an active toddler. We spent $31 per person for the Genie+ pass at Magic Kingdom and $28 per person for the Genie+ pass at Hollywood Studios. It was well worth it for us! We didn’t get much rides out of the Genie+ pass but it was still worth it to save us the time waiting in line with our toddler! We couldn’t imagine our toddler being patient enough waiting in 1+ hour long lines.
#6 Each Park hours vary by day. Check park hours beforehand and plan accordingly.
Certain theme parks close earlier depending on the day due to special evening events. Unfortunately, on the day we went to Hollywood Studios, they closed at 8pm due to a special holiday evening event. And on some days, Magic Kingdom closed as early as 6pm. Thankfully, the day we went to Magic Kingdom they closed at 9pm. The park hours vary each day so make sure to check their hours ahead of time if you’re planning to maximize your time there.
#7 Lower your expectations and stay flexible with your plans.
Going into our Disney World experience, my husband and I had very low expectations in regards to how many rides and shows we would be able to experience. Knowing that we had our toddler with us, who also had to nap in the middle of the day, we prioritized all of the characters and rides we knew our son would love first. Although we didn’t get to visit all the characters on our list and ride on all the rides we wanted, it was really the magical experience of seeing our son’s reaction that made it all so worth it in the end. Even though how tiring it can be, try to soak up all the joy-filled moments with your toddler. Your toddler has no expectations so the entire day will be magical to them and they won’t know any different if they missed a ride on your list.
#8 Don’t forget to take a lot of photos!
It will be one of the most exhausting days you’ve had but don’t forget to take lots of photos and videos of your little ones because you’ll be looking at those memories for years to come! Soon after our trip when we returned back home, my husband and I reminisced on all the fun times we had at Disney World even though we were so tired and exhausted.
#9 Grab a free first visit pin.
Make sure to grab a free first visit pin located at any Disney World theme park at the Guest Relations office, ticket booth or front desks of the Disney resort hotels. It’s a nice souvenir to take back home for your toddler so you can share stories with them one day about their first visit to Disney World.
#10 Order your food ahead of time on the Disney World mobile app.
The Disney World mobile app is very convenient and one of the things we used the app for was ordering our food in advance so we could skip the long lines. It was super efficient and easy to use. You can also make reservations directly on their app if you’re looking for more of a dining experience! A few of our favorite eateries were 50’s Prime Time Cafe and Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Hollywood Studios and Columbia Harbour House and Aloha Isle for their Dole Whip at Magic Kingdom.
#11 Avoid back to back days at Disney World parks if you plan on attending more than one theme park.
When you reserve more than one Disney theme park, Disney World allows you to reserve days within a certain period. It is strongly recommended to reserve your theme park days a couple days apart so you can recover in between park days. We really appreciated our recovery day in between our park days, which allowed us to recharge and have energy for the second theme park.
Overall, we had an amazing first Disney World experience and we’re excited to go back again to Disneyland in the near future, which is a lot closer to home. Seeing our son’s face light up when meeting his favorite characters was a special moment for us, and something we look forward to in our future Disney experiences. Now that we’ve gone once with our toddler, we’ll be much better prepared for our next Disney trip.
I hope this post was helpful in preparing you for your family Disney trip!
If you’re planning an upcoming Disney World trip, I would love to hear what you are most looking forward to! And if you’ve been to Disney World with a toddler, what are your best tips on making the most out of the experience?
