4 Ways to Prepare Going to Disney with Your Toddler

Prepare your kids for a magical Disney vacation

We all know a ton of time and money go into the planning of a memorable Disney vacation. Yet we all know our kids are still learning to manage their big emotions, and if that parade doesn’t come fast enough down Main Street chances are my little is going to let everyone from Adventureland to Frontierland know that they are not happy! So how do we prevent these meltdowns, or at least try to avoid them?

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4. Involve them

Let them know what to expect

Planning a trip to Disney is exciting, especially if it is you or your kids first time! It can be fun to completely surprise your kids but I would highly suggest involving them in the process of the planning.

Our favorite way of doing this with our kids is watching YouTube videos of the rides, parades, character dining and what not. Ask them what rides and entertainment they want to do and make a point to include it on your plans.

We also love to pump them up to see the characters at parades and meet + greets by watching ALLLLL the Disney movies on our beloved Disney+!

3. Have food readily available

SNACKS, SNACKS, SNACKS

Snacks – need I say more? Ok, I will. Depending on ride wait times, dining reservations you were able to snag, and how long those quick service waits are, you might have some hungry monsters on your hands.

Make sure to have snack on snacks packed in your park bag but don’t forget to have a stockpile back at your hotel room to replenish for. the next day.

To offset the surge of dole whips, churros, and premium Mickey bars serve your littles with snacks that have healthy ingredients. Below are some of our favorites, that are not only semi-healthy but also convenient and a hit with the toddler taste buds.

2. Bring filler for the down time

no, Not the frilly stuff you put in gift baskets

You’re going to have down time with all the waits, whether it’s waiting for the monorail or waiting for Peter Pan’s Flight. Unless your toddler happens to have conked out for a nap you’re going to need some entertainment to fill that time.

In your park bag you need a handful of open-ended toys. Popular among the littles are:

1. Be transparent with them

Seriously, talk to them!

As a previous kindergarten teacher and current toddler mom, I have to say my TOP TIP to avoiding those meltdowns is talking to my kiddo and explaining what we’re doing and what to expect.

It sounds so intuitive, and it is! But in the moment we often forget that these littles want to be independent and when WE have spent so much effort planning out the perfect day we forget to prime them on what to expect and what is coming next.

These littles thrive on routine and we have taken them out of their normal routine. Pair that with so much visual and mental stimulation, not to mention you might be in a different time zone and their nap time was technically 2 hours ago – trigger a full on meltdown.

Some talking points you don’t want to miss:

Upon waking up – go over the main plans for the day
Tell them what park you’re going to and the transportation you’re taking to get there
Share what attractions/entertainment you plan to do within the first 3 hours, and so on
DON’T FORGET – Remind them that you don’t have control over everything. The ride might shut down, the parade might get cancelled, you might have to do another ride first & it just might rain at some point.
Always talk about what is coming next and what to expect

You can also use tip #4 here by giving them the power of choice: let them choose from the lunch menu, let them choose which route to walk, let them choose what toy to play with, what snack to eat and so on. There are so many ways you can make it look like they are in control and independent by just giving them small options through out the day.

While not all meltdowns can be avoided, this should make you feel prepared and your little one feel in control among the excitement of your Disney trip.

Also, bonus tip, not sure it actually counts, but know you know your child best. Know their limits and remind yourself it is ok (and sometimes encouraged) to take a mid-day break to head back to the room, take a nap and regroup. After all, it’s better to take 2 hours to take a break than to spend the rest of the night battling an upset little.