Top FIVE Tips for Bringing Toddlers to Disney World from a Twin Mama

You have decided to bring your toddler(s) to Disney World. Congratulations that is SO exciting! There are so many wonderful reasons, and you will remember every magical moment. I am an advocate for traveling with your twins or anyone as soon as possible. I only advise you to be prepared and well-planned. With twins especially a very well-planned vacation is the best way because anything can happen when there are two. 

Here are my top FIVE tips from an experienced twin mama!

1. Keep visits to the park short with a lot of breaks.

A break is a time to stop and move away from things that can be stimulating. You can find some enjoyable breaks right within each park or in your own hotel room. 

• Babycare Center.
• There are Baby Care Centers located in each park. Even if your child isn't technically a baby or even in diapers this can be a great place to use. 
• In each Baby Care Center, there is a place to feed your baby complete with a microwave and highchair. There are private chairs to nurse in or take a break from all the stimulation of the park outside. 
• There is one Baby Care Center located in each of the four parks so make sure you know where they are and plan ahead for a break. 
• Table Service Dining
• Disney dining is great; quick service, buffets, and characters, it is always delicious. But a great way to take a break is to schedule a midday table service reservation at a quiet dimly lit air-conditioned restaurant. 
• Skip the buffets and characters for a chance to take a break from it all for a few hours. Put your feet up and let the wait staff bring you what you need while your little ones take a rest. 
• Here are some recommendations for a calm dining experience in each park.
• Magic Kingdom: Liberty Tree Tavern
• Hollywood Studios: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
• Epcot: San Angel Inn Restaurante 
• Animal Kingdom: Tiffins
• Midday Break at your Resort
• I highly recommend staying onsite, meaning at one of the many Disney World Resorts, because it will allow you to more easily get back for a midday rest. 
• Even if you can't get your little one to nap it is so nice for littles and their parents to decompress. Remember you are going to be the ones pushing the stroller 10k steps each and every day.
• Take a shower, lie in the comfort of your hotel room, and soak up the air conditioning. It is also a great time to swap shoes and restock your snacks. 
• Sometimes after a long break at your hotel room, you realize that you don't want to head back to the theme park. That is OK. It is your vacation and if that means laying around the pool after a long morning do it and have fun! The Disney magic can be found everywhere. 
• Resort Day
• Don't forget to plan for a break day. A break day is a whole day NOT at a theme park.
• Sleep in, hang out, lounge in the pool, go for a walk, schedule a spa treatment.
• This should be planned in the middle of your trip so if you have four-day tickets plan this for your third day. 

2. Bring or rent the right stroller.

• Wagons are not allowed nor are any strollers greater than 31" in width and 52" in length. So if you are bringing your own stroller please be sure they fit this requirement. 
• If you don't want to fly with your stroller there are two options for you to rent a stroller. 
• Renting one at Disney World. You can rent a double stroller for $31 per day (or a single $15). You are not able to take it out of the park so you would pick it up and return them to guest services. 
• Private rental services are also available, we have used Kingdom Strollers in the past. These are delivered to your resort room and you have them for the length of your stay. 
• No matter what stroller you choose make sure it is lightweight and has attachments such as cupholders, storage, and rain cover. 
• It should also be noted that you aren't able to bring your stroller everywhere. You will have to park your stroller in designated areas that are centrally located or nearby entrances to attractions. So even the best stroller will need to be left behind regularly. Be prepared to do a little walking/ carrying of your littles. I have held many toddlers through lines up to two hours and it is not always fun. One of my sons notoriously fell asleep immediately upon entering a line and awoke at the entrance of the attraction. In his mind, it was truly magical not so much for the carriers of the toddler. 
• A stroller tag is also a good idea. When 500 strollers are lined up in a parking area they can all look the same. A simple bow, sign, or tag goes a long way in pinpointing your own stroller among the crowd. 

3. Bring lots of snacks.

• Yes, there is food everywhere but you never know when you'll need a snack. A hangry toddler is not to be ignored especially if you expect them to be patient in a line. Disney World allows outside food and even coolers within these restrictions. 
• No coolers larger than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high are allowed.
• I encourage you to bring a small cooler with an ice pack even if it's just for granola bars since they can melt pretty quickly in the heat. 
• I actually use my refillable popcorn bucket too. I throw some snacks in there and when we run out I fill it with popcorn. 

4. Know which attractions your toddler can ride. 

• Magic Kingdom has the most attractions that have no height restrictions. There are over 15 popular rides that you can bring your little one on. Usually, sitting right on your lap or even in a carrier (note the exact rules at each individual attraction.
• Here are a list of our favorites at each park:
• Magic Kingdom: Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean
• Epcot: Frozen Ever After, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
• Hollywood Studios: Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway and Toy Story Mania
• Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris and Triceratop Spin
• Some attractions have very low height requirements that most 2-year-olds can reach (such as Alien Spinning Saucers at 32 inches). I recommend measuring your kiddos before you enter the parks no matter what age so you know which rides they will be allowed to ride. 
• If there is a ride that an older child or adult would like to ride but the little one doesn't make the cut you can use the rider switch program. This is a program that many attractions use throughout Disney World. You would go to the ride attendant before entering the line and let them know you would like to use a rider switch. One adult stays with the under-height child while the riders stay in line (the adult not in the line would get a ticket). Once the riders return the adult that stayed with the child can now skip the line and ride the attraction (even with one of the previous riders as long as an adult stays with the smaller child). This works great with larger groups or when there is an older child involved. 

5. Take advantage of things being free! 

• Kids under the age of three years old are free at Disney parks. This adds up quickly when you have two (or more!) So take advantage and make the most out of it. Here are some things that are free at Disney for your littles.
• Entry tickets to all theme parks and water parks are completely free. This includes special events like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. 
• Buffet and family-style meals are free for kids to eat at. This includes character dining where everyone is usually: 
• Genie+ is also free they can just tag along into the Lightening Lanes with paying adults.

If you would like more professional help planning a perfect vacation with a twin mama with first-hand experience take advantage of my free services. When you purchase your tickets or resorts through Disney you pay the same price whether you use a travel planner or not. You might as well get some help because we all know it takes a village!