We took our twins on their first visit to Walt Disney World just before their third birthday. YES we figured it was the year to skip the party and also save on Park admission in case they conked out early. Children ages 2 and under are guests of Mickey but once they turn three it’s around $100 per child – sure making memories but OUCH! My husband and I have both have been to Magic Kingdom Park many times so it was easy to plan a trip that was entirely about the children. Our overarching strategy for enjoying one mind-blowing and very long day with little ones was simply to avoid waiting in any lines. Ultimately I dream of a Disney VIP Tour
We utilized a Fast Pass for the rides and character Meet & Greets that were must-see for our kids and otherwise enjoyed street entertainment and any rides we stumbled upon that had no wait. And we were able to stick to our plan! There was no waiting in lines so we could keep the day moving and give them a taste of the magic without any meltdowns! It truly was an amazing day and they stayed happy even with skipping their nap!! We can’t wait to go back and are sharing the details with you in hopes it may help with your plans:
Before you begin planning consider these TWO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS > 1) Does your toddler need a nap? and 2) Can he or she sleep well in the stroller? If you are lucky enough to have a “stroller napper” simply find a shady spot in the Park and let them doze. If not, you’ll want a conveniently located hotel so you can scoot home for nap time and return to the Park for the evening festivities. Or, you can do what we did; skip the nap and be in the car heading home by their bedtime. Tired, overwhelmed toddlers is a risky scenario and we did have a few rough spots but we managed to keep them happy and get back to our car right around their bedtime. We travel with potty seats in the back of our mini van so we freshened them up, brushed their teeth, changed them into pajamas and were headed home by 6:30pm. Their normal bedtime is 7:30pm but with no nap and the excitement of a first Disney Day we wanted to be ahead of schedule!! A few minutes after we got on the highway they were conked out entirely and we transferred them into their beds without a peep!!
WHEN TO TRAVEL > Weekdays in January or September will be the least crowded. We visited in mid-February and pretty much every ride had a wait of at least 20 minutes, some as long as 80 minutes. Since we had decided not to wait in lines for fear of our kiddos getting antsy at times I felt that we had no options beyond what we had booked with Fast Pass. But as we strolled around we realized it truly didn’t impede our fun! Toddlers at Magic Kingdom are mesmerized by everything they see even a water fountain and there are surprises around every corner. Just keep in mind that your first visit to Magic Kingdom with a toddler doesn’t need to be about how many rides you do.
TICKETS > For sure buy tickets in advance and register the entire family online; even though age 2 and under are guests of Mickey you’ll want them linked to you.
PLANNING YOUR DAY > Start early! The golden hours for our toddlers are 8:00am to 12 noon so get to the parking lot an hour before the Park opens and be first through the gates. It will take you 30 minutes to an hour to get to the front of the Park from your car and you’ll have more than an hour before it starts to fill up.
Create a toddler-friendly itinerary that doesn’t include waiting in lines. With Fast Pass you can reserve 3 experiences 30 days in advance, 60 days if you’re staying on Disney property. Be sure to download the new, free Walt Disney World app. It’s fabulous! And once you’re at the park you can modify the Fast Pass reservations. We were able to change our Fast Pass for the Tea Cups ride to a meet and greet with Tinker Belle once we realized how important it was for our daughter to meet her!
- Fast Pass – Dumbo ride
- Fast Pass – Tinker Belle Meet and Greet
- Fast Pass – Mickey Mouse Meet and Greet
- Street Entertainment
- Walk on Attractions – It’s a Small World, Astro Orbiter, Disney Railroad, People Mover (we rode this 3 times!)
To recap, my advice is determine what your top 3 priorities are and book Fast Passes for those. Beyond that go toward experiences that do not have a wait such as the Railroad Train, the Riverboat or the People Mover in Tomorrowland. Rides don’t have to be a huge priority. Be content with stumbling around.
CHARACTERS > For our family the character meet and greet with Mickey Mouse and Tinker Belle were the highlight of our day. We used two of our Fast Passes to avoid waiting in line (up to 50 minutes) and it was truly magical. Did you know that Mickey talks!?? Yes! He sang Happy Birthday to our little ones and did the hot dog dance! It’s a magical moment that is worth everything it takes to get you there! Don’t miss this…whichever character will make your child glow is the one to get a Fast Pass for!
Another wonderful way we saw the main characters was when we stumbled upon a Dance Party that took place in the Castle Courtyard. It’s almost like a parade with Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy up on top of tall parade floats so the children can get a great view of all the characters. In between the floats are brightly dressed, urban entertainers who lead dances with the kiddos. It’s high-energy fun and a total release where they can move around on their own. Our toddlers absolutely loved this!
The Parade was also a fantastic opportunity to see characters. Although I wish I had planned for a better spot because I nearly broke my back holding them up in the air to get a good view! Next time I will be on the curb at least 30 minutes prior to the parade, maybe having an ice cream break while we wait!
PREPARING THEM > We watched videos of each Magic Kingdom ride on DisneyWorld.com so they would have an idea of what to expect. We read Golden Books about all the Disney characters and Disney Princesses so they would be familiar (we haven’t done movies yet as they tend to have scary parts!). It’s such an overwhelming experience that I highly recommend this to avoid initial shock that may cause them to be less than calm and happy.
WHAT TO BRING > Though we fully intended to snack our way through Magic Kingdom treats (ice cream, popcorn, caramel apples) we also packed waters, our own special treats (gummies) and our usual, portable snacks (nuts and fruit). It was helpful to have our own snacks handy. Be sure to bring cash for snack cart foods. Your own stroller. Change of clothes. prone to accidents due to distractions.
PHOTOS > Pics of your day are so important and while my husband and I both love to capture the moment we had our hands full and not much time for taking pictures. That’s why I was so grateful for the Disney photographers who are there to capture everything for you. They scan your ticket and you can look at the photos online for up to x days. I don’t usually like to pay for those photos but if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t have these great shots of our day together. OH and yes I recommend stopping at the entrance of the Park to get your “Castle” photo with the entire family and looking fresh! We cruised by and missed that opportunity.
ARRIVING > When you’re excited even waiting 10 minutes can seem like an hour! Well it’s a long drive into the Park, a long drive to park you car, a fairly long ride or walk to get to the Ticket and Transportation Center, then a ride on either a monorail or ferry boat before you get to the Magic Kingdom Park. Then you have to get a bag check and finally pass through the gates into. It’s up to an hour from your car to the front of the Park. This is where it’s super handy to have your own water and snacks.
BONUS > Since we were celebrating their birthdays we stopped by guest relations and got a birthday button for each of them. This got them special attention all day! Cast members wished them happy birthday everywhere we went and Mickey Mouse sang to them! They offer celebration buttons for birthdays, anniversaries and first visit to Disney World so be sure to ask!
DEPARTING > As you’re heading back to the car the kids get to ride a boat or the monorail back to the car so they didn’t realize we were heading home until. Our little girl was so sad and didn’t want to leave. It’s so much fun Ours did not want to
This Walt Disney World experience was covered by our Florida mom, Lisa, Mommy to boy/girl toddler twins.