Tips
for Parents visiting Walt Disney World with little ones
- Have a strategic plan before your trip; Disney is not the place to wing it, as I’ve often said. Research the attractions, layout & meet & greets ahead of time. I promise the proactive approach is the only way to see WDW efficiently & will cause less headaches & aggravation. Trust me….
- Minimize those meltdowns by NOT Park hopping on your first trip. Try to concentrate on one park a day. Disney World is too large & getting to & fro is more time consuming than you might think. Take breaks & rest. Keep your routine as close to normal even on vacay.
- Adults can ride big rides, even if the little kids can’t- Disney has a system called “Rider Switch” that will allow the older members of your family to ride while the younger riders wait. You simply tell the Cast Member at any ride that has a height requirement that you’d like to do a Rider Switch. They’ll give you a Rider Switch pass (which works like a FastPass) so that after you ride, you can hand it to the other half of your party and they can ride without waiting in line.
- Nursing mothers or parents of small children; WDW has baby care centers available at all four theme parks. Open during regular park hours, each full-service facility is complimentary to use. Also a comfortable setting for a child who’s misplaced his parents, lost children will be looked after until a parent arrives.
- Bring snacks that they can snack on such as fruit snacks, apples or gold fish to keep their energy going or NOT, lol. You are allowed to bring food items; such as light snacks or foods that do not require heating into Disney theme parks. The Security Cast Member at the initial bag check will allow or disallow your food items when you enter the park. I’m sure they’ve seen it all, I bet it would be quite funny to hear all of the things peeps thought they could bring into the parks & a little scary too.
- Waterproof Sunscreen & please reapply.
- Make sure if your child has disabilities you have proper identification Walt Disney World provides Guests with disabilities -the Disability Access Service Card. It helps the guest and a number of people from his or her party—to schedule a return time at a specific attraction. For more information-guests should visit the Guest Relations Lobby located at the entrance of each theme park.
- Safety, please watch your children closely. It’s a new exciting environment & they’re more prone to venture off- check into http://www.safetytat.com/or a dog-tag type necklace with parents name & number for security.
- Make sure you have proper medicines & prescriptions with doctor’s name & phone numbers with you while traveling.
- Be patient & enjoy your kids at their very age~ soon, very soon, they’ll be at a new stage in life & might not have the same likes & dislikes as before, so enjoy them in the moment. Originally published on http://theadultsideofdisney.com/.
Check
out this information and much, much more on http://dawnsdorkydiary.com/ & http://www.mqpodcast.com/.
Such great and practical tips! It just goes to show you that with a little bit of preplanning, your vacation can be worry free!
ReplyDeleteThank you~ Gayle!
DeleteHere's another tip...Parents of children under age 2 should consider a baby carrier. There are lots of places that strollers can't go, including ride queues. Baby carriers make it easier to hold small children (especially if they are sleeping) in long lines. Find one that's right for you and test it out on a trip to the park or mall before your trip.
ReplyDeleteLottie,
DeleteGreat tip!
Very useful and practical tips! This blog post is really helpful for travelers who are interested to visit Walt Disney World first time. Dawn Gosdin! I have visited Disney World many times but this time I am interested to go there with my son (Emmy) and I was confused about my Emmy’s safety. I was looking for some tips about child care and things to do with children at Disney World. This blog post solved my problem and now I can enjoy my tour with son by following your suggestion. I must follow your tips. Dawn Gosdin! Can you guide me about the best orlando package deals?
ReplyDeleteHi David! How exciting to hear that you will be coming to Orlando and enjoy all it has to offer. There are so many incredible and memorable things to do and will certainly be creating memories to last a lifetime for you and your family. We are very fortunate to work with Destinations In Florida when we ourselves are ready to experience the magic of Orlando. Their link is http://destinationsinflorida.com/request-a-quote/ and be sure to ask for Jenn Greene. As a California person who only able to visit Orlando once or twice a year, she has made it an effortless trip. You are very wise in exploring your child care options before your trip. I do not know of any parent who doesn't worry about the safety of their child and who puts their well being as their utmost priority. Luckily, DIsney feels the same way as you do, and every parent or grandparent does where your safety and that of your family is of paramount importance and they leave nothing to chance. There are many top rated child care services both on property in the Walt Disney World Resort as well as agencies that can provide support to you during your stay. I am sure we will be able to get you all the answers you need to make your trip perfectly perfect in every way. You can send me an email at DisneyGalsGayle@gmail.com or TheDisneyGalTeam@gmail.com and we will certainly try to answer all of your trip planning questions! We look forward to hearing from you!
ReplyDeleteI am happy to see the good response and found this blog a good platform to discuss my problem. Dawn! I have read your suggested blog and found this http://theadultsideofdisney.com/child-safety-lost-at-walt-disney-world-by-dawn-gosdin/ very helpful. I think these child care suggestions are very useful for all parents who are going to Walt Disney world.
ReplyDelete