Toddlerdom & Disney: How to Make Your Trip More Enjoyable

Dis­clo­sure: My fam­ily was invited to the 2015 Dis­ney Social Media Moms Cel­e­bra­tion. I paid a con­fer­ence fee to attend and received discounted and com­pli­men­tary items from Walt Dis­ney World as part of the expe­ri­ence. I was not asked to write about the con­fer­ence or our fam­ily trip. All opin­ions and expe­ri­ences are entirely my own.

For the past 10 years, I have had a hard rule about taking small humans who are still in diapers to Disney. If it hadn’t been for our amazing invitation to the Disney Social Media Celebration, I definitely wouldn’t be writing this post. Despite my normal fears, I was pleasantly surprised with how well Ez did on this crazy adventure.

Here are some tips on how we survived Disney World with a toddler:

• Bring a full size, comfortable stroller! I know that this is not possible for everyone but having a “pack” mule basket, cup holders and a snack tray was very helpful. High chairs were not always accessible, so the snack try was perfect for little fingers. The ability to lay down the seat to a full sleeping position was a life saver. Ez had several “naps” in his stroller, allowing us to stay in the park longer with the big kids.
• Babywearing! Florida is hot and I am not a huge fan of babywearing in the heat, however, my Toddler Tula was a life saver! Especially while navigating transportation. Strollers are required to be folded on Disney transportation. In order to keep little man from running up and down the aisles, I would put him up in the carrier on our way and he was none the wiser when we boarded the buses, boats and monorails. Babywearing was also perfect for watching parades and fireworks. It kept Ez above the crowds and he could see everything clearly. It was also great for standing in lines that were a tad bit long. When getting ready to board I just popped off the straps and flipped him forward facing (which is a requirement on Disney rides.)
  
• Wetbags! Even if you are not a cloth diapering mother, wetbags come in handy for a variety of things. First the are water resistant so they keep dry things dry and wet things wet in your diaper bag (we used a back pack for hands free porting) and they make organization a cinch. I packed one full of snacks and the other two with a change of clothes. I also brought along an empty one for emergencies. I love my Smart Bottoms Wet Bags. They are perfect for traveling everywhere.
• Emergency Contact Information! I highly recommend using some type of label or identification tag on each of your children. We chose the Mabel’s Labels but what ever works best for your family. Especially the toddler. Hearing or Deaf, a toddler is unable to express themselves. Make sure pertinent information (first name, phone number and allergies) is in an easy to find location.
• Snacks! In our extra suitcase, I packed a ton of toddler (allergy) friendly snacks. Fruit & Veggie pouches, Horizon fruit snacks, graham crackers ect. While there are lots of options in Disney for food, finding toddler sized affordable goodies can be difficult. Small snack bags let me have healthy on hand options for the little one.
• Playgrounds! If your little on is anything like mine, constant holding and sitting creates a tiny little Tasmanian devil. Finding one of the many in park playgrounds is a great way to let a little one burn off some energy. Just 10-15 minutes of “free” time, really made a huge difference in Ez’s overall demeanor. Plus almost all the playgrounds are shaded and have some type of a water feature which was great for cooling off in the heat. If you are traveling with older kids, you can also use this time to take in some of the height requirement rides.
• Muslin Blankets! I am a HUGE fan of the Aden&Anias muslin blankets. These are go to gift for almost all my friends and have wonderful uses way past the swaddle stage. The blankets are light way and offer a nice sun shade for the stroller. If they get wet, they dry quickly. They are light weight so easy to travel with and large enough to tie on to the stroller so they don’t fall off. Use as a sunshade, light blanket, or a towel.

These are just a few things that really made our trip a success. What are some ways that you made traveling to Disney with a Toddler successful?