Five Useful Must Haves For Happy Toddlers At Disney World
- May 11, 2024
- Family, Toddler, Travel
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so you’ve finally saved up enough disney dollars (rip) and decided to take the family to see the mouse. congratulations! its no easy task saving and planning for such an occasion. earlier this year we took our (3) year old to disney world, and the experience was nothing short of both amazing and stressful! but with thoughtful planning, i made sure to keep the potential temperaments of my toddler in mind, and i packed accordingly. all that to say, here are my tested and most effective five useful must haves for happy toddlers at disney world.
DISNEY TODDLER MUST HAVE: STROLLER
first up, a reliable stroller is an essential piece of equipment to keep those toddlers close by when navigating busy airports and amusements parks. i prefer to travel light, and with only (1) child, a simple umbrella stroller is all we need. i use the Summer Infant Convenient Stroller and it gets the job done. since it is the #1 selling umbrella stroller on amazon, and lots of other families were using the same model around the disney parks, i recommend adding a brightly colored identifier to easily spot your stroller.
quick tip: add an empty oversized reusable tote bag to the bottom basket of your stroller. the stroller no doubt becomes the dumping ground to store everyone’s backpacks, souvenirs, snacks, and even layers of clothes. after a long day in the park, having one giant bag to throw everything into makes a huge difference when trying to also wrangle an overtired toddler. keep your hands free, and all the inevitable things you’ve collected over the day together, with this simple hack.
DISNEY TODDLER MUST HAVE: wireless headphones
next, wireless headphones will keep your toddler content as you travel, wait in long lines, and even attempt to survive a sit down meal. did my child stand on a chair and scream at the top of his lungs, “I AM MOANAAAAA!” while listening to his disney playlist at a popular restaurant? umm maybe!?! but did i in turn get to peacefully enjoy the wood fired neopolitian pizza and specialty martinis that i had been dreaming about for months? umm yes! and don’t worry, no other families were even phased by this since there is a mutual agreement shared amongst all parents in this kind of chaotic environment.
Midola Wireless Headphones allowed our toddler to listen to his favorite music, dive down a YouTube wormhole, and even stream content already downloaded to our devices, without bothering anyone else around us. toddler screen will certainly vary family to family, but this worked really well for our family. quick tip: don’t forget the charger!
DISNEY TODDLER MUST HAVE: A DAY AT THE POOL
interested in learning what an actual day at a disney park looks like? let me enlighten you: walk. sweat. wait. make decisions. get hangry. walk some more. lose your patience. smile for a happy family photo. stay up way too late. wake up way too early. and then rinse and repeat it again and again for (5) days straight.
as a reminder, i truly love a disney vacation, and i have been fortunate enough to visit many times in my life. yet, no matter how much planning or experience you think you have navigating the beast that is this trip, with or without kids, it is always such an exhausting experience. physically and mentally exhausting!
the place is just too damn big, and too damn crowded to do it all. as i planned our trip, i knew keeping everyone’s emotions in check would be a vital part of everyone’s enjoyment. so i made sure we had time to physically, and mentally, take some time away from the parks, and relax by the pool. whether we opted to only do a park for the first half of the day, or dedicated an entire day to no plans at all, it was a reset that none of regretting taking.
quick tip: when staying at a wdw resort, children’s life vests can be found at all pools in an array of sizes. my kid can’t swim for sh***t, so this was welcomed surprise accommodation. all pools are also monitored by teams of trained life guards, and unlimited towels are always provided
DISNEY TODDLER MUST HAVE: SNACKLEBOX
shoutout to the internet for this toddler travel hack! i have a picky eater. he has a body built by frozen pancakes, cheese cracker, and chicken nugs. so when i saw the snacklebox taking over my algorithm, i knew this box of customizable treats would keep my toddler equally entertained and fed while we explored disney world. so i grabbed a small tackle box from my local Dollar Tree and built a custom snacking experience for my child to enjoy each day.
and if taking a trip to dollar tree isn’t in your near future, definitely check out this elevated snacklebox dupe i found on amazon. for under $12 it includes double the compartment space, and it even has a removable tray. ::adds to cart::
quick tip: in the future i recommend leaving the candies behind since the florida sun is so unforgiving. however, lollipops are very soothing on their little ears during takeoffs and landings when traveling by plane. so i’d still bring those, but just store them in your carry-on.
DISNEY TODDLER MUST HAVE: an extra set of hands
finally, at some point you’re gonna want your vacation to actually feel like a vacation. bringing along another person on your next family vacation, especially a disney vacation, will definitely allow you more time to drink around the world, opposed to wishing for a lobotomy while sitting through its a small world.
whether its hired help, a grandparent, or other, you’re allowing yourself so much more flexibility, and even freedom, with a third person present. and duh, of course my husband and i want to spend a couple of hours to do what we want on a vacation that we’ve spent thousand of dollars on. all that to say, help helps.
with grandma in tow, my husband and i got to enjoy a day at the disney parks alone, an overdue sushi date night, uninterrupted workouts, and some extra peace of mind knowing that our little guy was always being safely watched by a responsible adult. they say it takes a village, and they ain’t wrong.
final thoughts . . .
i’m no disney adult, but i’ve enjoyed every visit to disney world i’ve been fortunate enough to experience. and on this trip, i got the unforgettable memories of experiencing all its wonders through my toddler’s eyes. i truly cannot wait to take him again, and when i do, i will absolutely be packing the items listed above.
leave a comment below letting me know how these toddler travel must haves helped you and your family! or share any other travel hacks that have worked for your family! as parents, we’re all looking for any insight when it comes to raising these tiny humans!
CHEERS BABES!
jenna
MADAME PRESIDENT AT DEPARTMENT OF DEPENDENTS
