Tips for Toddlers and Infants

Disney was designed for families and you can have the most memorable vacation of your lifetime there.  Let me help you make those memories positive for you and your little one with 10 helpful tips that I learned the hard way:

1. Disney's strollers are not infant-friendly.  I deem them appropriate only for babies about ages 20 months+ since they are hard and don't have a very secure way to buckle your child.  They're not really budget-friendly, either ($15/day for a single stroller or $31/day for a double stroller).  I highly recommend you either rent from a 3rd party company and let them deliver it to your hotel, buy one there, or bring your own stroller on your trip with you.
2. Your children will be begging to ride in the stroller within the first 3 hours.  Even if they seem like they're too old (5-6) for a stroller to be necessary all day, I've neglected to bring mine and ultimately shelled out a lot of cash to get one for my sweet daughter whose feet were killing her before the 3:00 parade. Disney has stroller parking attendants and cast members all over the park, so don't be afraid to park your stroller in the morning (maybe even leave a small cooler with some cold drinks in it) and come back to grab it later in the day when your children have walked 5 miles and can't keep up any more.
3. Baby Care Centers are great for diaper changing, nursing babies, or even letting your little one get a quick nap without heading all the way back to the hotel.  They have high chairs and even a kitchen with a microwave where you can prepare whatever you need to keep your kiddo happy in the happiest place on earth!
4. Disney's cast members are authorized to invoke the "no sad kids rule" at all the theme parks.  This means that if your little one drops their ice cream, spills the drink you just paid a pretty penny for, they'll happily replace it for you if you just let them know what happened.
5. You can maximize your time in the parks by being there 10 minutes before the park is going to open and riding as many rides as you can in the first 2 hours of the park day. Insider tip: if you're not staying at one of Disney's resorts, try not to go the park that has Extra Magic Hours that day.  If you get to the park that opened at 8am for Disney's resort guests and 9am for you and everyone else, the park will already be semi-crowded and the lines will start out longer.  Instead, aim for a day that the park you want to visit does not have extra magic hours that day.
6. If you arrived for the park opening and got to ride rides before the heat of the day (and it does get hot hot hot around lunchtime in Orlando) then head home when it gets really hot.  Let the little ones take a nap in their quiet bed (if you want to save a little money, you can even stop at a drive-thru on your way back to the hotel for a cheap lunch). Then head back to the theme park two hours later, feeling refreshed for fireworks and energized enough to stay till park closing when the evening hours are so much cooler than those lunchtime hours!
7. Make realistic goals for what you want to accomplish in the park that day.  For example, I let everyone in the family pick one thing that I will guarantee them.  Last time we were at Epcot, the list was Soarin', Finding Nemo, and the Journey into the Imagination attraction, and they were all dying to meet Anna and Elsa (yes, I was one of the crazy people in line for 3.5 hours).  After that, we did whatever we thought sounded fun.  By making a realistic goal and limiting promises to toddlers, you can cut the disappointment meltdowns out of the picture.
8. Speaking of meltdowns, if you don't want to spend upwards of $50 on souvenirs, don't take your toddler into any stores.  When I want to shop, my hubby takes the kids into a play area or on a ride and then I meet back up with them.  It is near impossible for toddlers to play in a toy store and then be told to leave all those toys behind.
9. Make sure you get that child in front of videos of the costumed characters before you leave for your trip! Youtube has lots of great videos of character shows (hint: type in "dream along with mickey show") and the FREE Disney vacation planning DVD has great footage of the characters, too.  This pre-trip exposure will help avoid some unnecessary tears for your child since they will already have an idea of what to expect.
10. Write a list of what you want to have in your diaper bag and check it before you leave the hotel in the morning.  If you want to see what I keep in my diaper bag when I head to the theme parks, check out my Comprehensive Packing List.  And I also have a few essential items I bring with me no matter where I go in Disney on my Essential Items list.