Bringing kids to Disney World? How to make most of your trip
Theme park prices are high, and they show no sign of coming down anytime soon. If you’re spending money on a trip to the largest attraction in Florida, Walt Disney World, how do get the most for your buck?
As an Orlando native who just recently started bringing her twin toddlers to the parks, I have lots of thoughts on how to execute an efficient, worthwhile Disney trip. Here are some tips for making the most of a Disney trip with kids.
Brave the crowds
Bringing children to the Disney parks is a magical experience. It can also be a nightmarish one if you’re unprepared. Set yourself up for success by doing some planning ahead of time: Identify priority attractions for your family, make sure you bring plenty of water and sunscreen, and always don your most comfortable shoes/pants/ hat/stroller. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
When you go is crucial: The most affordable way to visit a park if you plan on going multiple times per year is to buy an annual pass. Kids under 3 do not require a ticket, so annual passes can be a particularly good deal if your kids are in the sweet spot of being old enough to enjoy Disney but young enough to not need a ticket. If you’re just going for a day and have some flexibility, look at the ticket calendar and figure out when tickets are the most affordable. This usually aligns with when the parks are less in demand, which means less crowds. Prices (and crowd sizes) can vary wildly depending on the time of year you go.
Plan your food: One of the quickest ways to waste money is to forget the essentials for a long day at Disney. The parks allow outside food and drink, so be sure to load up a backpack with snacks, especially if you have little ones in tow. Everyone will want more food than you think. With the pressure off, you can choose wisely when it comes to where to eat in the park. Ordering from a quick-service restaurant? Check the Disney World app to see if there’s an option to order food ahead of time — it’s an easy way to
have the food waiting for you when you arrive. For sit-down restaurants, reservations ahead of time are encouraged, but there are often day-of reservations available on the app at even the busiest spots.
Look beyond rides: If you’re really adamant about riding a particular ride, consider paying for the Genie+ service or individual Lighting Lane passes. But if you’re flexible, hit up the ride you most want to ride first, then spend your time elsewhere. (Epcot’s “Finding Nemo” ride is always a hit with our toddlers, and the line is usually a breeze.) Depending on the park, there are things to do for kids that don’t involve waiting in a 90-minute queue. At Epcot, look for the Kidcot Fun Stops offered at countries around World Showcase, where kids can collect activity cards and learn facts about each country. Over at Animal Kingdom, Pandora — The World of Avatar provides a fun playground for smaller kids to marvel at.
Skip the parks
One of the best parts of not going to a theme park is that you actually have time to explore the vast networks of restaurants, hotels and outdoor spaces on Walt Disney World property. Depending on the time of year, a handful of Disney hotels can be found for $200 per night or less. Book a night at one of these and enjoy the amenities: large swimming pools, themed food halls, outdoor walking paths. Some hotels even have playgrounds. And all of them are just a Disney bus ride away from Disney Springs, the large entertainment complex with restaurants, shops and a movie theater.
Take the Skyliner: On a recent trip to Disney, my 2-year-old son’s favorite ride by far was the Disney Skyliner, and it was easy to see why. The transportation system that opened in 2019 connects Epcot, Hollywood Studios and four hotels: the Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach and Riviera resorts. It’s a great way to access the parks if you’re staying at one of these hotels, but it’s also a fun time on its own. You don’t need to be going to a park to enjoy the free, scenic, breezy ride.
Character dining: Our toddlers were looking forward to seeing Mickey Mouse on a holiday trip to Disney this past December, but with no park tickets, we did the next best thing: character meals at various hotels. Breakfast at Ohana at the Polynesian Resort offers a prix fixe menu of breakfast items served family-style ($45 per adult and yes, it’s allyou-can-eat, just ask for more!) and characters who visit the tables: Lilo, Stitch, Pluto and, most importantly, Mickey. Over at the woodsy Wilderness Lodge, Story Book Dining at Artist Point offers a prix fixe dinner ($65 per adult) in a forest-themed restaurant that brings out the characters from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Both meals are a flat rate per person, but kids under 3 eat free.