Five Days in Disney with Toddlers – SPEND IT LIKE STANFORD

Planning Disney World with toddlers can feel wildly overwhelming. And, if it’s your first time entering into the world of Disney? Phew, it’s crazy. For those who need “just give me the basics” of Disney: start here first. I break down everything you need to know before you even begin planning! 

Between park strategy, nap schedules, dining reservations, transportation and trying to make it feel magical without completely exhausting everyone, there’s a lot to figure out. We recently spent five days at Disney World celebrating our son’s 3rd birthday with our two little boys (ages 2 and newly 3), and after months of planning, tweaking and overthinking every detail, I can honestly say: it ended up being even better than we expected.

This wasn’t a “do everything” trip. That’s nearly impossible to do unless you stay longer than a week. If you’re planning your first Disney trip with little kids, here’s exactly how we structured our five days, what worked really well and what I’d absolutely do again.

OUR FIVE DAY DISNEY STRATEGY

Before I jump into the itinerary, here are the four things that made this trip work:

• One park per day: I don’t recommend park hopping with only five days in Disney. You’ll want to spend a full day at each park soaking in all its got.  Trying to squeeze too much into one day with toddlers is almost always a recipe for disaster.
• Early entry: If you read my first timers guide to Disney, you know that on-site resort guests get early entry hours. We had only planned to take advantage of this at Magic Kingdom, but we ended up using it at every single park. Worth it? Absolutely! In order for it to work to your advantage, though, you have to have toddlers who like early mornings. Both of mine are early risers so it was natural for us to take advantage of it.
• Mid-day breaks: Nearly every day, we headed back for naps at the hotel and I would say it’s so worth it rather than trying to force a stroller nap or skipping one altogether. Disney is loud and overstimulating, and it can affect kids more than you realize in the moment. If your kids can nap on the go, great. You know them best. If they struggle with stimulation at home, they likely will at Disney too. A reset also makes those late nights at the park much more enjoyable for everyone.
• Focus on experience over doing it all: We skipped plenty. Trust me, there were so many things that I still wanted to do, but the reality is that you can’t do it all. Accepting that it’s more about the experience than getting to all the best rides or meeting all the characters, will make your trip feel so much more seamless and easy.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL

CHECK-IN TO BEACH CLUB VILLAS

We landed in Orlando in the early afternoon and got to our hotel (Beach Club Villas) around 3 PM. Instead of trying to force a park day, we intentionally kept our first afternoon low-key. This was one of the best decisions we made. Travel days are already a lot for little kids And starting with something easy helped everyone settle in.

EXPLORE THE BOARDWALK

We spent the afternoon exploring the Beach Club and Boardwalk letting the kids stretch their legs and easing into vacation mode before our dinner reservation.

DINNER AT ALE & COMPASS

This was the perfect first-night dinner. It’s technically at the Yacht Club resort but it’s all connected. And, the food? Great! Do not underestimate the power of a calm first day.

DAY 2: MAGIC KINGDOM

If it’s your first Disney trip with toddlers, this is the day they’ll probably remember most. Mgic Kingdom is well, magical. We arrived for early entry, snapped a few pictures in front of the castle and focused almost entirely on Fantasyland. One important note for us: Magic Kingdom had just reopened the Buzz Lightyear ride, and my oldest is obsessed with Buzz, so we made that our rope drop priority. Not sure what rope drop is? Check out my beginners guide to Disney. Take a look at everything else we did.

For our toddlers, these rides and characters hit the sweet spot and they all don’t have a height requirement!

WHERE WE ATE AT MAGIC KINGDOM

MAGIC KINGDOM FIREWORKS

After a quick reset back at the hotel, we headed back to Magic Kingdom for dinner and ended the night with the Happily Ever After Fireworks show and pre-show dessert party. If seeing the Magic Kingdom fireworks are a must for you and your family, then I would strongly recommend booking the Pre-Fireworks dessert package. It was SO worth it for us. This is a part of Disney’s “Enchanting Extras” so you’ll book this 60 days in advance with your other dining reservations. There are three options when booking (pre, post and during the fireworks).

The pre-show dessert party is best if you have smaller children. It made the experience so much easier and more enjoyable for our whole family. You get access to a dedicated viewing area for both the fireworks and the new skylight parade, which means you won’t be staking out a spot for hours while trying to entertain overtired little ones.

Before the show, the kids will love loading up on all-you-can-eat desserts and parents will love the all-you-can-drink options. It’s the perfect setup for families. Plenty of room, no shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and a much more relaxed way to experience the magic.

DAY 3: ANIMAL KINGDOM & DISNEY SPRINGS

Animal Kingdom with toddlers only needs to be a half day. There I said it. I know everyone has their opinions on Animal Kingdom, but there isn’t a ton to do like there is at Magic Kingdom. You only have five days in Disney (four and a half once you factor in travel) so your time is valuable. Even so, it’s still a must-visit park. It’s spacious, slower paced and has a handful of must-do things for you and the family to do.

ANIMAL KINGDOM RIDES FOR TODDLERS:

• Kilimanjaro Safari: A safari inside the park! It was a huge hit with our boys. They loved seeing all the animals up close.
• Finding Nemo: Perfect toddler-friendly show. Great chance to sit down and cool off.
• Zootopia: This is one that surprisingly the boys loved and I did not. I was shocked that the boys weren’t more scared because there were quite a few jump scares, random water squirting and lots of crying babies agreed with me. Still a cute show, just be prepared!
• Festival of the Lion King: An absolute must. If I could only recommend one show at Animal Kingdom, this would be it.
• Na’vi River Journey: Beautiful, calm and ideal for toddlers.
• Characters: One of the most underrated places to meet Disney characters with short lines is Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They recently moved Mickey’s friends (Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Goofy) to a new location right in front of the train station. If you want to meet these characters without long waits, Animal Kingdom is a great place to do it and can save you a lot of time.

DISNEY SPRINGS

After naps and pool time, we headed to Disney Springs for dinner at T-Rex Cafe. Disney Springs is a whole other experience that Disney has to offer. It has the largest Disney Store in the whole word so shopping there is a must. You will find way more than you need and so will your toddlers. There’s also Goofy’s Candy store you can’t miss, a carousel, and tons of other shopping here. You can spend a couple hours browsing before heading to dinner.

And, T-Rex Cafe? So kitschy in the most perfect way for the boys. They love dinosaurs so a whole restaurant dedicated to them had them in heaven. If your toddlers love dinos, head here.

DAY 4: HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS & CHARACTER BREAKFAST

We spent our son’s actual birthday at Hollywood Studios because he is such a huge Toy Story fan and surprise, Toy Story Land lives in Hollywood Studios. Honestly, we spent nearly our whole day just in Toy Story Land. Between the rides and meeting his favorite characters, this is the THE spot to be for any Toy Story fan. If any of your kids are into Star Wars this is another must as Star Wars land sits on property.

CAPE MAY CHARACTER BREAKFAST

Cape May Café was the perfect character breakfast for our Hollywood Studios day. Since Hollywood Studios typically opens later than the other parks, it gave us plenty of time to enjoy a relaxed breakfast before heading out. We booked the earliest reservation available (breakfast service starts at 7:30 AM), which worked perfectly for getting in and out without feeling rushed.

One of the biggest perks was the convenience. Since we were staying at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, it was right downstairs from our room, making it such an easy start to the morning with toddlers. The characters all come around in the cutest beach-themed outfits, and it was such a fun, laid-back way to kick off the day.

RIDES WE LOVED:

• Toy Story Mania: the boys loved this one so much that we rode it twice. It’s such a fun interactive ride and even little ones who can’t fully “play” yet still love all the movement and sounds.
• Alien Swirling Saucers: another one we loved in Toy Story Land but will totally depend on the height requirement. Meyer (3) easily cleared it, but Shiloh (18 months) just barely made it, so definitely measure your little ones before your trip so there are no surprises when you get there.
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway: A must. Try to book this as a lightning lane ahead of time. This was one of the biggest hits of the entire trip and the lines get long for this ride.
• Character meet and greets: There are a ton of characters to meet at Hollywood Studios. Aside from Woody, Buzz and Jesse, we also met Sully from Monsters Inc and Joy from Inside Out. You can also meet Olaf here and if you love Star Wars, there’s a ton of characters to find in Star Wars Land.
• Frozen Sing-Along One of Disney’s best toddler-friendly attractions. You’ll hear the story of Frozen and get to sing along to all the kiddos favorite songs from the movie.
• Disney Junior Dance Party Perfect for getting wiggles out and it’s air conditioned!

LUNCH AT ROUND-UP RODEO

DINNER AT BEACHES & CREAM

After getting our fill of rides and all of Hollywood Studios, it was time to head back to the hotel to celebrate Meyer’s birthday even more at Beaches & Cream. This restaurant is on property at Beach Club and it is such a cute diner. It has a very nostalgic ice cream shop vibe and known for their “kitchen sink” dessert so be sure to order it when you’re there.

And, no matter where you choose to celebrate your birthday, be sure to let the waiters know in advance and they’ll bring out a cute Mickey Ear cake to celebrate.

DAY 5: EPCOT

The last of the parks was Epcot. When you stay at the Beach Club, you are truly a five minute walk away. It is the best resort to stay at if you want to spend a lot of your time at Epcot. It’s such a game changer.

One thing to note about Epcot is that it really is designed more for adults. Yes, they have a few kids rides and its actually a great park to meet a lot of the characters, but the world showcase is designed to just eat and drink “around the world.” It’s fun but your kids won’t want to spend all day there.

RIDES WE DID:

• Frozen Ever After: A ride that is actually worth the hype! Be sure to book a lightning lane for this one, the lines get so long. And if your kids love Elsa and Anna be sure to meet them right after.
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: Another ride that we loved. My son wanted to go on it immediately after.
• The Seas with Nemo: This one while Bryan and I were not a fan of (sooo slow), but it was perfect for my kids age.
• Imagination with Figment: An interactive and surprisingly entertaining ride.
• Spaceship Earth: A slow ride inside the iconic Epcot sphere that you’ll see in the background of everyone’s photos. This ride takes you through the “time.” It’s not one the kids will fall in love with but it’s a must do at Epcot.
• Journey of Water: this is a fun and quick way to cool off with kids especially on a hot day. It’s actually one of the most-skipped at Epcot because it’s a bit hidden and not actually a ride. It’s beautiful and the kids will love it.

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK IN EPCOT:

+ Paris: Grab a glass of Champagne Malard Excellence Brut at Les Vins des Chefs de France and you need to get a pastry at Les Halles.
+ Mexico: margaritas and tacos at La Canatina de San Angel.
+ Germany: Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen and a jumbo pretzel at Sommerfest.

DINNER AT VIA NAPOLI

 We love Italy so it’s no surprise we gravitated there for dinner and Via Napoli did not disappoint. Grab a glass of vino, pizza and pasta and you’re set.

People say all the time that taking kids to Disney before they can remember isn’t worth it, but I don’t agree with that at all. Disney with babies and toddlers is absolutely worth it. Yes, you’ll move slower and skip more but seeing the magic through their eyes is so amazing. It sounds so cheesy but Disney offers such an unforgettable trip for both you and your kids.  

And if you’re planning your own first Disney trip with little kids, I hope this gives you a realistic look at what’s possible.

happy travels, liz stanford

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