Well hi there, hope you've been well! It’s been awhile!
A lot has happened since I last did a blog post! Lots of family trips, the start of my podcast “The Wonders of Women” which is on most podcast platforms, keeping busy with my church voluntary calling, content creating, mom life, and all in between!
I’m hoping to fill you more in on that but wanted to do a blog on visiting Disney World with a 1-2 year old for now and our experience and tips! We have gone a few times over the past year! Which I’m super thankful for!
Now I normally don’t go to Disney parks as much as I have been but I’m soaking it in and appreciative I’ve been able to go! It helps when JJ still flies free, enters the parks for free, and I have an annual pass! So definitely recommend taking advantage of flying and park entry when your baby is still a baby!
Let me start off by also saying if you are ever needing tips or have questions I am more than happy to talk about Disney and do my best helping you the best I can!
So questions I have gotten regarding taking JJ to Disney have been, “Is it worth it taking him there? What can you do there? Any tips? What rides can he go on?”
Things along those lines and to sum it up, yes yes yes! It’s so worth it! It’s so special in its own way. The memories you make and pictures you take are so special too. JJ feels the love and the energy of being there. He feels my happiness and excitement and also has so much fun! Each time he’s gone too he’s developed more so it’s like going with him for the first time each time! There’s plenty to do as we stroll the parks, go on the rides he can go on, watch a show, enjoy snacks or a meal, shop, and let him play in areas he can play!
It’s nice to take parks slower, stop for his needs, and do things that I normally would have passed up on before because I was so focused on getting a ton of the major rides and roller coasters in. Unless of course you have family or friends there you can ride swap with and can still enjoy some of those coasters/rides!
This blog post offers a lot of advise if you go just as as family and don’t have anyone to ride swap with. Of course I will also share some considerations on how waiting until their 1-2 at least might be more worth it, especially if you are saving and on a tight budget. You still don’t have to pay for your kiddo to get in at that point, they eat free at buffets, and I personally think you’d enjoy the parks more if your baby was older than 6 months. However, I do see plenty of newborns whenever I go so I don’t think anything can stop you from going to Disney or still having a great experience. You might just have to take it slow, take lots of breaks, utilize the baby care centers in every park (they are free to use), and modify your day!
Some general tips I have for going with a toddler or child under 2:
-Bring plenty of water! You can bring your own, love having it in the bottom of stroller!
-Bring plenty of puree, fruit, snacks, etc.
-Bring a stroller! I know you could baby carry or rent but it’s really nice to have a place for your little one to sit and bring all your goodies! I love this stroller it’s less than $60 and has cup holders and a reasonable storage (kinda small) but you can fit all you need! I linked it here to shop with my commissionable link. https://liketk.it/3ADtC .
-Having a compact diaper bag helps for the extra clothes, diapers, wipes, sanitizer, etc.
-Bring a baby carrier if you think you'll use it! I loved having it in lines and just keeping it in the stroller!
-Know that you can get free water at quick services! Just ask for water cups!
-Use the baby centers! They are in each park! Free to visit as mentioned. They have changing tables, lactation rooms, places to relax, usually a child’s playroom/tv, and are great for breaks! They also usually have emergency items needed for baby!
-Try to be ready for anything but also don’t stress. You can improvise! (One time I forgot wipes one day and the baby center didn’t have any. But what’s awesome is I just used damp paper towels) it worked out! Otherwise, I’ve been thankful for spare outfits or was just thankful I could buy some at the parks!
Regarding the parks and what I recommend to do. I wanted to share that I think the best park for little ones would be Magic Kingdom! It just has the most rides for them, the greenery in front of the castle to sit or for them to roam, as well as the castle itself!
Some rides I have loved taking JJ on are: The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Pirates of the Caribbean
Haunted Mansion
Jungle Cruise
It’s a Small World
Under The Sea
Carousel in Fantasy Land
Mickey’s PhilharMagic (show)
Dumbo (love this one has a kids play area inside)
People Mover in Tomorrowland
Carousel of Progress (show kinda)
As well as seeing characters if we can! We often don’t get them all done depending on the lines and because we don’t stay a full day but it is possible depending on wait times! I may have a missed a few too you can do with little ones but we just haven’t yet due to time or the wait times when we went.(like the Tea Cups and Speedway to Tomorrowland).
Second park I’d recommend would be Epcot. It’s my favorite park actually because of the world showcase and seeing all the different countries! But it still has a decent amount of things to do for little ones!
The Frozen ride is wonderful and the new Ratatouille ride (keep in mind those are popular and wait times can be high) I recommend genie plus that day if you can! And/Or to go as soon as the park opens and head to one of them first!
There is also the ride inside the pyramid in Mexico (Gran Fiesta Tour), The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Living with the Land, and Spaceship Earth! Characters are also there in various places! We love the food and walking the showcase as well with him! They also have a nice kids playground by the Creations shop! There is another ride (Figment)too, but JJ didn’t like the loud noises during the ride so some kids might not like that I think.
Regarding Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom! I love them both for different reasons! I do feel like my kids will enjoy them more as they grow up though!
Hollywood Studios does have Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge if you are a Star Wars fan! They have a lot of amazing attractions for adults and older kids. If you have other people with you I recommend doing child swap that day! But as for what JJ could do we loved the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, character visits, Walt Disney Presents, and the Frozen sing a long (if available or other shows).
Animal Kingdom is so beautiful and great for kids to see the animals! I used to work there and it has a special place in my heart! I absolutely love the Kilimanjaro Safari, JJ has enjoyed it so far but I know when he is more aware of animals it’ll be more special! The Na’vi River Journey is stunning too and fun for JJ. But otherwise we enjoy strolling around, eating, and taking pictures there. It closes the earliest of all the parks so we like to go early and than end the day even earlier! Also, the Lion King show was wonderful for him to see! And I’m looking forward to when they open up more shows again in the parks. Some have still not been open due to COVID!
They do have Genie plus that is basically what they replaced fast pass with, you pay extra and can skip the lines for the rides but there are limits to booking one at a time. I liked using that on days we got it especially Magic Kingdom and Epcot! Keep in mind you can pick your first selection at 7 am!
If you can also stay on property you can get into the parks earlier! I highly recommend that but also do what’s best for your family and budget !
I hope this helps! This is up to how things are now! I know things are constantly changing. Right now Epcot has the Flower and Garden Festival and that’s beautiful to see! Regardless Disney is magical in different ways! We love dressing up and just being there! You can definitely save money bringing your own food and water, shopping for Disney before hand, etc. Your trip is really what you make of it!
Let me know if you need any other tips and hope you can enjoy! Thanks for reading!
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