It’s hard to believe it has been almost a year since I traveled to Walt Disney World while pregnant with my second son. It’s been a big year of change and fun, especially for my first born son, Andrew. I wanted to do something special for being so kind and patient throughout transitioning to being a big brother and his 3rd birthday. We embarked on a fun “Mommy & Me” trip to Walt Disney World to explore and make unforgettable memories. Although he might not remember it, I will truly treasure every moment and memory we made during this trip.
Disney with a toddler by yourself sounds like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! Here are my Top 10 Tips & Tricks to guide you through navigating Disney with with a toddler:
Tip 1: Know your Height Requirements for Attractions
Prior to heading to your Disney trip, taking a height measurement of your child to get an idea of suitable rides and attractions is super helpful. This helps you plan out which parks may be easier and more enjoyable for you and your child to experience. A lot of Disney attractions are available for younger children, especially at Magic Kingdom. Andrew’s hope was to ride Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios. His height was SO close to the 38 inch requirement. He handled it like a Disney professional and said, “next time.” I guess he knows we already have a family trip planned in March 2025! I can imagine a toddler having a hard time being set on riding a certain attraction and not meeting the height, so reviewing prior to and knowing which ones they can enjoy is a must!
Tip 2: Private Transportation/Rental Car
Since I was traveling alone with Andrew, I selected a private car service complete with a car seat installed and ready to go for us at the airport. It was so helpful to have assistance with my luggage and stroller since I was on my own. I felt safe and comfortable traveling with our driver and knowing we were well taken care of to and from the airport! In the past, I’ve utilized a rental car equipped with a car seat to self-install. This is also a great option as well so you do not have to travel with your car seat. My family and I did this once – I do not recommend trying to carry that around. The $40-$50 is well worth it (and likely covers the cost of the car seat travel bag anyway!)
Tip 3: Selecting a Resort on Property Near Transportation
Staying on property to navigate the parks with your toddler is very helpful to get them to the parks and back to the resort in a timely manner. During this trip we stayed at Coronado Springs, which is a very large moderate resort on property. I requested a preferred room close to the bus stop to ensure we did not have far to walk to catch a bus for our park days. It was easy to walk to the bus stop every morning and luckily buses were timely for our mornings of early park entry.
Tip 4: Minnie Vans
Speaking of the timely nature of bus transportation, there are times your toddler may not be able to wait too long for a bus to take you to the park or resort. We encountered this situation after a long park day and I worried Andrew would struggle to wait too long for another bus as the first one was full. I requested a Minnie Van via Lyft to secure a ride directly to our resort. Minnie Vans are a form of Lyft services that utilize Cast Members employed by Disney. This service is great, complete with a car seat pre-installed and fun video entertainment for your child as you head to your destination. Definitely something to have in your back pocket if you need to get back to your resort quickly.
Tip 5: Playgrounds & Scavenger Hunts
Did you know many of the Disney Parks and Resorts have a lot of play areas and special events for toddlers? All Disney resorts have wonderful playgrounds to utilize as well as special activities including Movies Under the Stars, campfire activities, and arcades. This is helpful for a rest day at your resort for you to find activities within walking distance. Many of the parks have play areas or special walkthroughs. Andrew loved the Boneyard Playground at Animal Kingdom and was so happy throughout experiencing Moana, Journey of Water at Epcot. There are also a lot of special fun activities within the parks to complete with your toddler. During our trip, the Epcot Festival of the Holidays was occurring. A fun activity for purchase during this festival is the Olaf Holiday Tradition Expedition in which you look for a hidden Olaf holding a holiday tradition to match to your map of countries around the world. Andrew and I had a blast hunting and searching for Olaf. Following your completion, you can turn in your completed map for a prize. It was a fun memory for us to complete together!
Tip 6: Stroller Markers
Now if you want to know the TRUE scavenger hunt of a Disney trip, it’s trying to find your stroller in a sea of strollers. The majority of attractions require you to leave your stroller parked in a designated stroller parking area. One key tip to know is that a cast member is always moving strollers to ensure proper placement. This means your original stroller parking spot might not be where you left it prior to an attraction. Most strollers look alike, so it’s great to add an identifier to your stroller to help you spot it more quickly. I always use a colored band on the stroller handle to help me spot it easily. You can also purchase a sign to hang on your stroller to identify it.
Tip 7: Character Meet & Greets & Character Dining
Planning out your park days by pre-identifying characters your child would love to meet is necessary. Not every park has every character to experience a meet and greet, so it’s important to review which character is found where to help plan your park itinerary. We were able to visit all 4 parks, but I knew Andrew’s favorite characters he wanted to see included his Toy Story favorites and Figment. This helped me plan out our Hollywood Studios and Epcot days after Lightning Lane selections to ensure he saw his buddies with little to no wait time. Character Dining is a great selection for your toddler to meet multiple characters while enjoying a meal. During this trip, we experienced Tusker House and it was amazing. Great food and seeing Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy was a perfect memory and lunch with just the two of us.
Tip 8: Photo Pass/Memory Maker
With just the two of us (and as a FIRST TIME Annual Passholder), I used Photopass a lot. This allowed me to save time without asking guests or Cast Members to take our photos together on my phone. I was able to pick out locations and character meet and greets to capture some really great special photos with Cast Member assistance to get Andrew to smile and participate! These are linked directly back to your My Disney Experience app and available for download instantly.
Tip 9: Kindness is Found Everywhere in Disney Parks
Traveling on my own with Andrew, I knew it would be difficult to break down a stroller plus help him on a bus or attraction. I truly was moved by the kindness everyone showed myself and Andrew during this trip. I lost count how many times a Cast Member or guest offered help with our stroller, a seat on the bus, or making sure I needed anything. At one point Andrew fell asleep on the bus and, without hesitation, the Cast Member came over and told me he was going to set up my stroller outside and wait for me to get settled. It was nice to see everyone being so kind!
Tip 10: Use a Firefly Travel Advisor!
Without my knowledge or experience as a Disney Travel Advisor, I can’t imagine going into a trip without a plan or itinerary just on my own with my toddler. It’s so important to use our services to help plan out these trips to ensure magical memories are made with ease and no stress!
As sad as we were to leave the Disney bubble, these memories I will cherish in my heart forever. I look forward to continuing those memories, including Andrew finally riding Slinky Dog on our next trip. As always, I’m happy to help you plan your Mommy and Me or family trip with your toddler to make it one to remember forever!
Are you ready to plan your next vacation? Schedule a complimentary consultation with Emily to learn more. Or for more from Emily, you might enjoy:
- Magical Disney Trip During Pregnancy: Tips and Advice
- Where Horror Lives: A 2024 Guide to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort
