Lessons Learned From Visiting Disney World With Toddlers

 Taking our 2 toddlers ( 4 and 2 years old ) on our very first trip to Disney World was definitely exciting and magical, however, it was also hard and somewhat stressful. Here are some of the things I’ve learned from our trip.

1. Bring extra milk. One of our biggest mistake is not bringing extra milk. Waiting for almost an hour in line for the bus with a tired, cranky 1 year old who is begging for his milk was the worst experience ever! Don’t let it happen to you.
2. Having internet connection on your phone (or games) will save your sanity. Thank god for 3G and YouTube on my phone! When the kids are getting antsy from waiting in line, we played their favorite videos on my phone! Just make sure they’re fully charged everyday!
3. The kiddie pool in the resort is better than Epcot. I think the kids were a little bit too young to enjoy and appreciate the attractions at Epcot. I think the only thing they enjoyed the most is the Finding Nemo attraction and meeting the characters. They were actually more excited in going back to the resort to swim, which we did and they had a blast.
4. Leave really early and go home really late. We left our house at 4:30am in the morning while the kids are sleeping. They woke up at the airport but went back to sleep as soon as the plane took off! Sweet! We left Orlando around 7:30 pm, which is their bedtime back in Chicago time. So they slept again when we took off. Suhweet!
5. Posing for photos is almost impossible. Our son is the type of person who cannot sit or stand still. It was always a struggle to have him pose or even get close to the characters.
6. Your itinerary or touring plans does not work when you have toddlers. I spent months planning out the perfect itinerary and touring plan for each park! Did I use it??? Nope! The weather and my 2 kids had other plans….
7. Skip buying expensive bottled water! Just ask for ice in a cup and put it in your refillable mug or sippy cup. When the weather is hot,the ice melts right away and voila, you have cold ice water…for free!!
8. No matter how frustrated or stressed out you are, it all goes away when you see your kids laugh and smile!

Overall, we had an amazing, fun and magical trip! Just being there makes you feel like a kid all over again. And when you share that feeling and that moment with your kids, that makes it even more special. Every minute was a blast and an adventure! We can’t wait to go back!