Traveling with Toddlers

[Wilderness_Explorer]

Any suggestions on traveling to the parks with children under 3? My son is 15 months old, and the thought of packing up and getting on a plane with him is daunting. Parents, how do you do it?

[Gary]

I would like to no this too

When we go out twins will be 14 months old

[Liquid Ice]

Any suggestions on traveling to the parks with children under 3? My son is 15 months old, and the thought of packing up and getting on a plane with him is daunting. Parents, how do you do it?

We brought my son when he was almost 2 years old and daughter who was nearly 5 to Disney for a 10-day trip. We stayed at the Swan hotel with 2 standard rooms (there were 8 of us), but I think I'd choose a different hotel if we had to do it again - one with a full kitchen and more space.

For the plane, we bought 2x Amazon Fire HD Tablets (the 8" ones), they were on sale and I didn't pay too much for them. I also bought a 64GB SDCard and loaded them up with videos from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. More recently, I paid for YouTube Premium and download YouTube videos for them too. My wife brought new toys for them open and lots of games and books too - so they could entertain themselves on the plane and have the Tablets as a last resort when they get stir crazy. Our flight to Orlando is only 2 hours, so it isn't too bad - but we've also done much longer flights (6 hrs to Seattle was a longer one). Also each kid packed some of their favorite toys to bring with them.

We had 1 checked suitcase per person along with a carry on per person and packed enough diapers for a few days along with snacks, and other necessities for the kids like clothes, etc.

We used Amazon Prime Now delivery to the hotel to do 1 big delivery the first day we were there, including diapers, milk, cereal etc. Built the list of what we needed before we left (had it in our cart) and then bought it when we got to the hotel. It was 2-hour delivery so we stayed in the hotel to wait for the driver to arrive.

We made due with a mini-fridge, but you might consider staying at an offsite hotel with a full kitchen near Disney (Residence Inn for example usually has a full kitchen) so you'll have a larger fridge OR you can stay in a 1 bedroom or larger DVC Villa (renting points might be an option) which will be on-site and have a full kitchen.

The hotel provided a pack and play, so we used that - but brought our own sheets for the pack and play. We did check a stroller on the plane, but did not bring a car seat. For transportation, we used a Mears Taxi from the airport and then Disney Transportation for everything else.

This was in early May, so it wasn't outrageously hot (low to mid 80's everyday). Some days we let my son nap in the stroller - but a few days (the ones where the park are close by like HS and Epcot) we left the park midday to let them nap and then came back to the parks in the evening. We did go to the parks pretty much every day except the first day and last day. But we did everything really slowly, did not force the kids to go on any rides they didn't want and did more shows / character meet and greets than rides and lots of sit down meals in air conditioning.

This was all pre-covid so we did not have to deal with masks and there were a lot more options than there are right now. We most recently went on a trip in January and the kids were still fine, but we go at a much slower pace and tend to ride a lot more of the kids rides in the early morning when the lines are short and then spend the afternoon doing other things like sitting around waiting for the Cavalcades or watching one of the shows that are running (Carousel of Progress is a favorite).

Happy to answer any other questions you might have. It is doable though, just need to realize you may not be able to always get everything you want done. Take things slow, have lots of patience and remember you're in Disney and to try to take it all in and enjoy!

Oh! And if your child likes to wander everywhere a backpack leash was really helpful, we didn't use it that often (most of the time he was in the stroller) - but it helped a lot when you were waiting in line and couldn't have a stroller.

[kclark0637]

We've been twice with a toddler. Went when our middle child was 1 1/2 and again when our youngest was 1 1/2. Our next trip he'll be 4, so not too long ago.

For the plane, we packed a backpack with toys, snacks, and a tablet. We also talked to them about airplanes a LOT in preparation for the trip. We even played little games where we had to be "quiet" and "sit still." It was just behavior training, but it did help. We had no trouble out of either on the plane rides.


At the parks we made sure to have plenty of snacks on hand, as well as juice boxes/pacifier/small toys.

I made sure to do some basic planning around their usual nap/sleep schedules.

[amy_k]

I actually think 1.5 years is a perfect time as they are tiny enough to still carry in a backpack carrier if needed. I was to go to a conference end of March 2020 in Orlando. My son has some minor medical conditions so we decided we'd all go along so I could take care of him at night and others during the day and extend the trip so we could do 4 days at Disney. It was going to be exactly around 15 months, but then pandemic.

We had non-refundable conference tickets that got extended through the end of the year, a lot of money in gift cards, and the airline only gave us "credit" through September 2021 instead of money back. We made the tough decision to go right when my son was under 2 due to being free for flying and unfortunately him refusing to wear a mask. We made sure to take all the precautions and did the 14-day quarantine. The list below is what we had outside of normal clothing / toiletries and takes in consideration the pandemic and a just under 2 year old who climbs out of his crib (he's tall).

I know a few people have asked if they check if children are under two and for our experience they did (which I 100% understand and safety is key - I truly tried my best to get him to wear a mask). We had copies of his birth certificate to show (one laminated for rain purposes) and a cast member said to take a picture of it to and favorite it on your phone so you can show quickly which was a good tip too. For the plane, I was surprised that the Philadelphia and Orlando airports were pretty empty and our airline boarded 10 people max at a time and had middle seats empty / not bought. We headed to the back of the plane and had like 6 rows to ourselves (which I'm sure have changed). I was afraid he would cry with the air pressure, but as a toddler who sleeps in car rides he totally fell asleep during take-off both times and slept pretty much the entire time.

Pack in Luggage
Epsom Salt and Moleskin – for adults who carry toddlers and have swollen feet hahaha
Small kleenex / tissues
Food - Breakfast Bars, Dried Fruit, Applesauce and/or Costco Veggie fruit packets (forget the name, but it’s right near the applesauce but has veggies too), veggie straws
Toddler Milk (Horizon Organic Milk doesn’t have to be refrigerated and we kept in the room and took one for the first milk in the park each day)
Toddler style Washcloths as the ones in hotels can be a bit harsh
Swim Diapers
Blow up Twin Bed (was able to fit in Carribean Beach and Art of Animation - Little Mermaid rooms)
Baby Nail Clippers
Shirt/Bib for Eating
Fan for Stroller
Rain cover for stroller (when in doubt put it on before you go in a ride line)
Outlet Covers Baby
Toys/books (not all on plane)
Cleanser wipes
Disposable placemats (We had about 10 extra from Chick-Fil-A / McDonald’s pre-pandemic)
Tile (for stroller to track if it was stolen as Disney is not liable for stolen items)

Plane / Parks
Baby Birth Certificate
Deft Stain Remover
Baby Tylenol
Small kleenex / tissues (1)
Emergency Kit / Bandaids
Two Cups
Baby iPad, Charger, Headphones (only for plane)
Cleanser wipes
Hand sanitizer
Zip lock bags (dirty clothes or anything else)
First aid kit
Extra face masks
Rain cover
Shirt/Bib for Eating
Disposable placemats (We had about 10 extra from Chick-Fil-A / McDonald’s pre-pandemic)
Tile for stroller (for stroller to track if it was stolen as Disney is not liable for stolen items, we didn't leave hardly anything in the stroller though too)
Toys/Books
Food
Toddler Milk (Horizon Organic Milk – only one as we didn’t want to deal with keeping them cold so we bought milk in the parks the rest of the day)
Fan for Stroller
Rain cover for stroller

For toys / books we took a variety of what I read would be perfect for toddlers (which I can add if you want), but since we've been on side of staying home / not even grocery shopping / he didn't use any toys and just wanted to look at people / things / outside world life hahaha.

[lauradoesdisney_x]

Our daughter was a few months shy of 2 when we first went. I was dreading the 9 hour flight but she was an absolute angel. We had packed so many activities (including the iPad) and snacks for her but she was more interested in watching the inflight entertainment

We hired a stroller from Kingdom Strollers for the 2 weeks we were there and it was perfect. They use the city mini joggers, it was so roomy and pretty much reclined flat so it was ideal for naps.

She napped really well the whole time, I don’t know why I was so worried! We were usually up and out early, and would either come back to the hotel for her afternoon nap or would park hop and she would nap whilst we were on the go.

She was in awe of everything around her, loved the rides and (eventually!) loved character meets. We had the dining plan so had quite a few character meals (mainly buffets) booked which worked well for us as with the buffets we could grab her a small plate of food rather than ordering something from the menu for her. I think California Grill was the only place we ordered off the menu for her. Of course this is different now with COVID.

It really was a fun first trip with her, just try to relax and take it easy You’ll have a great time!

[Gary]

Good to no we are planning in going with twins at 13 or 20 months old and hope it goes as well

[Sunshine_Elli]

This is such a great thread!

We are going in May with our almost 2-year-old and I was also wondering if they would ask about his age. He's very tall and gets mistaken for older than he is most of the time, so it is good to know we will need to have proof of his age handy.

We did Disneyland Paris with him last summer and he did great but I am also a bit concerned about the sheer size of WDW compared to Disneyland and how we will manage naps plus "commuting time" to the parks (we are staying at CBR) since we could walk to and from our hotel in Paris.

I would also like to add a question (sorry if this was addressed somewhere and I missed it!): I know that we can reserve a pack and play, but does anyone know offhand if the ones Disney provide include a little mattress or if they only have that foldable base that has padding on it (I am not sure if I described this well, but we were lent one by relatives once and had to buy a mattress to go with it, because the built-in padding on the part that lies at the bottom and can be folded around the frame when it is packed up was too thin for our son and he could not sleep on it). I would hate to waste luggage space bringing a travel mattress if they include a mattress!

[WisconsinDisneyDad]

Take video. Tons of it. I make a movie every day of our stay, and upload it to our private YouTube channel. My daughter still talks about her trip at 2 years old. The videos help keep the trip fresh, and she brings up other things that happened, totally unprompted. It's a great way to hold those memories forever.

[Liquid Ice]

This is such a great thread!

We are going in May with our almost 2-year-old and I was also wondering if they would ask about his age. He's very tall and gets mistaken for older than he is most of the time, so it is good to know we will need to have proof of his age handy.

We did Disneyland Paris with him last summer and he did great but I am also a bit concerned about the sheer size of WDW compared to Disneyland and how we will manage naps plus "commuting time" to the parks (we are staying at CBR) since we could walk to and from our hotel in Paris.

I would also like to add a question (sorry if this was addressed somewhere and I missed it!): I know that we can reserve a pack and play, but does anyone know offhand if the ones Disney provide include a little mattress or if they only have that foldable base that has padding on it (I am not sure if I described this well, but we were lent one by relatives once and had to buy a mattress to go with it, because the built-in padding on the part that lies at the bottom and can be folded around the frame when it is packed up was too thin for our son and he could not sleep on it). I would hate to waste luggage space bringing a travel mattress if they include a mattress!

I think you only get the hard piece that folds and wraps around the frame when it is packed up - at least the ones we had when we needed one in 2018 did not have an actual mattress.

As far as naps, we let our son nap in the stroller if he got tired. A few days he was over-tired and we had to take him back to the hotel midday. It wasn't too bad, but it just so happened those days were our Epcot / Hollywood Studios days and we were closer to the hotel. If it were Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom, I think we may have just tried to get him to nap in the stroller.