Memories and Magic - Navigating Disney with Young Children
For many families, a trip to Disney has become a rite of passage due to the convenience and wide range of activities it offers for people of all ages.
If you've read any of my previous blogs, you may have noticed that I emphasize the importance of having a plan to maximize your Disney vacation. One crucial aspect of planning a successful and enjoyable trip with your family is to strike a balance between having a structured itinerary to ensure you don't miss out on important moments and maintaining enough flexibility to navigate the challenges that come with traveling with children.
Five Steps to Creating a Family Friendly Itinerary
Be Strategic About Timelines
A well-designed itinerary begins by considering the amount of time that the person in your group with the highest needs can truly enjoy themselves in the park each day. It's important to prioritize their enjoyment. While it may be tempting to try and do everything in a short trip, this approach can often lead to problems. Remember that you will likely have several action-packed days in a row, with lots of intense emotions (happiness, anticipation, excitement, wonder) that can be draining for young bodies and minds to process. Even with the excitement and occasional stroller breaks, young children may not be able to handle as much time in the park as you might expect, especially if you have multiple consecutive days. When planning an itinerary with my own children, I consider their usual energy levels and stimulation tolerance on a "normal" day, and then add a little extra time for Disney. This serves as a baseline for planning our park activities. As a general guideline, children aged 4 and up typically need a rest break after every hour of park time, based on their age.
Build in Rest Breaks
When traveling with children under 6, I have found that starting early and taking a substantial break at the hotel in the afternoon, before returning to the parks in the evening, provides the best experiences. This strategy allows you to escape the elements in the afternoon and gives you the opportunity to stretch bedtime so you can enjoy the nighttime spectaculars. A break or rest doesn't necessarily mean taking a nap. During hotel breaks, you can recharge your family's energy by leisurely visiting the pool or watching some Disney resort TV. Alternatively, a knowledgeable Disney planner can guide you to low-stimulus activities or quiet, cool areas in each park where you can park the stroller for a nap or enjoy a snack in peace. In-park breaks are suitable for families with pre-teens and older children, or for families whose young children still nap in the stroller.
Select Attractions
Once you have established the time limits for your park visit, select attractions that will meet the wants and needs of your group. Identify the attractions that are a priority for everyone, and consider the rest as negotiable. This approach will alleviate pressure from your group and help manage expectations. If there are members of your group who have non-negotiable attractions that others cannot participate in, try to have alternatives for those who cannot or do not wish to participate. If you have children who do not handle changes in plans well, it is recommended to keep your itinerary private to avoid disappointment if you miss an attraction that is not on your "can't miss" list.
Eat and Hydrate
There are many problems in life that can easily be solved with a good snack. Both children and adults need plenty of fuel to get through a busy day at Disney. Your plan should include carrying snacks and water for the group, as well as pre-identifying dining times and locations. There are some must-try snacks, like the Dole Whip and Cheeseburger Eggrolls, that are always on our family's list when we travel to Disney. So, we plan stops for those snacks in our itinerary to ensure we don't miss them. When we find that the group is lagging a bit, we take a break in the shade, have a treat (and probably a Coke, if we're being honest), regroup, and continue on with the journey!
Be Flexible
Flexibility is the most vital ingredient for a successful Disney day. This is particularly important for the person or people who have planned and paid for the trip. The memories your family will cherish from your Disney vacation won't be solely based on rushing to every attraction and checking off every single thing on your list (trust me, I've been there and it's exhausting). Instead, what you will all remember are the connections you made with each other while experiencing the right amount of magic tailored to the ages and interests of your family.
A Word on Managing Your Own Expectations as a Parent at Disney
A perfect Disney trip starts with you. If you're reading this, you're probably the type of person who has already put in a lot of effort (and likely money) to take your family on a magical trip. This can create high expectations to either make the trip perfect or do everything. If you don't feel this pressure, then great for you! But if you do, remember that you're investing in memories and magic. Your children may not want to ride every ride on the list, even if they chose it. You'll need to be flexible. The show they wanted to see the most may be too loud and overstimulating, so they might need a break. They may be so excited that they're bouncing around in the queue, so you may need to provide a distraction. They may see an attraction that's not on your list and absolutely "have" to do it, so you may need to make time. All of this is to say that even the best-planned days may turn out differently than expected, but that doesn't make them any less special!
Regardless of how many things you do or don't get done from your list on the trip, if you set the expectation that all your family needs to have a memorable and magical vacation is to be there with you, everything else will magically fall into place.
Planning a Disney trip and need an expert to help you craft the perfect adventure for your family? Let’s Chat!