5 Tips from a Mom

1. Bring your own stroller. Not only does it help in schlepping your kid through the airport, it gives you a place to store stuff underneath if it’s got a basket like mine. (Snacks and juice boxes are key here) It also helps you find it easily when exiting a ride if you put something noticeable to distinguish it from the others. We used a bright orange luggage tag with our name on it dangling from the stroller handle.

2. Don’t force your kid onto rides they are skittish of. If you drag your kid onto “Snow White’s Scary Adventure” then they’ll be scarred for the rest of the trip and won’t want to ride anything that has cart that goes into tunnels. The Evil Witch is all through it and terrifying for little kids. Be patient, they’ll be so over stimulated and tired that you want to remember to not “force” them to have a good time.

3. Have your toddler/child wear their bathing suit underneath their clothes. Magic Kingdom and Epcot both have fountains where kids can run through and get wet. Winnie the Pooh’s play yard is a good place to sit back and relax while your child has a blast with the squirting fountain.

4. Napping helps, but your child may surprise you with how well they can stay up to see fireworks. We were lucky to never have any meltdowns. Best plan is to do the Fantasyland and Mickey’s Toon Town Fair early in the day so you get it out of the way and can head back to the hotel for some quiet time in the afternoon.

5. Be patient. See how your child reacts the first time they see a character. If they act frightened, it’s not a big deal, don’t force it. Our little one ran right up and gave Pluto a giant hug the first time she saw him. She got a little nervous before seeing the Big Mouse himself…but the look of sheer joy on her face when she finally came around the corner and saw him was worth the bit of butterflies.