The 3 Disney World Tips I Wish All Parents Knew

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4 days ago

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My daughter has been absolutely begging to go to Disney World ever since she found out about this magical land with roller coasters, real-life princesses, and Doc McStuffins. So my husband and I decided to plan a trip for her fourth birthday present. We told her on her birthday in February that we'd be going for her spring break in March — she told every person she met about the trip for those five weeks in between ('On the fourth day, I'm having breakfast with Goofy!').
The only hitch in our plan is that we were also traveling with our nine-month-old son. I was excited to take the trip, but also really nervous about balancing both of their needs — I feel like I'm still learning how to do this on a normal, low-key weekend at home, let alone in the midst of her dream come true. The stakes felt high.
In the end, it was a magical trip for all of us. Disney World is an easy place to have two kids — in some ways it was even simpler than at home because every single environmental detail is planned with kids of all ages in mind. My husband and I pushed the two of them in our rented double stroller more than 50 miles over the course of the six-day trip (I do recommend a 'rest day' with no park plans in the middle if you can swing it).
But here are three things we figured out along the way that made the trip with a preschooler and a baby feel more doable.
1. Rider Switch will be your new best friend.
My 4-year-old is a ride fanatic (truly, she came home from Disney saying she wants to be a 'roller coaster engineer' when she grows up). I knew she'd want to ride every ride she was tall enough to ride and she'd want both of her parents to experience the joy with her. (I still remember her devastation when she found out I couldn't ride a roller coaster at a different park while I was pregnant the year before.)
I was prepared to talk her through the disappointment, but then we found out there's a little extra Disney magic: Rider Switch. If you are traveling with a baby or toddler who isn't tall enough for a given attraction, you can sign up for Rider Switch at the ride entrance. Rider switch meant each of the grown ups could take turns riding while the other stayed with the baby. But here's the kicker — not only did my husband and I each get to ride separately without waiting in line twice, but she got to go with each of us. So this meant she could ride every ride twice without any extra time in lines. Now having a baby brother was a serious upgrade, not a hindrance.
Rider Switch is available on a handful of attractions in each park — we used it for The Barnstormer, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and the Slinky Dog Dash, among others (check out the full list and instructions here). While the first parent rode each ride with her, the other was able to take our baby for a walk, feed him, or step inside somewhere for a little AC. Then we swapped places.
The only downside? I'm absolutely terrified of big drops, and this meant I no longer had an excuse to sit them out. But I'll never forget the pep talk my daughter gave me walking into Tiana's Bayou Adventure: 'Here's a squeeze for good luck. You'll get through this.' Worth it.
2. Get the family photo package (but prepay!).
My husband did a lot of the planning for the trip, and when he asked me if we should pre-pay $185 for Disney's Memory Maker, a package where you get all of the Disney Photo Pass photos, I said I didn't think we needed it. My daughter is notoriously difficult at smiling for the camera — I thought I'd be more likely to catch her at exactly the right moment than a stranger.
But when we got to the parks, I realized they have photographers set up all over the place, not just at the character meet-and-greets and on the rides. That meant we had many chances to try to get a photo where all four of us are smiling and looking at the camera, and it felt low-pressure to try any time we were walking by a good location while everyone was awake and relatively happy. We ended up getting a great family photo in front of Cinderella's castle that I really treasure.
A photographer also captured an absolutely iconic photo of my daughter running toward her hero, Doc McStuffins at Hollywood Studios. And, of course, I'm happy to have the photo of my absolute terror on that big drop from Tiana's Bayou Adventure (even if I would never post it anywhere). Paying for the photo package after the trip started was a little more expensive, and in hindsight I wish we had prepaid.
3. A Lightening Lane Multi-Pass is totally worth it.
Listen, a Disney World trip is really expensive. We saved and planned for it for close to a year, and I still had sticker shock a few times. But the best money spent was anything we did to minimize time in lines. My four-year-old isn't the most patient (surprise, surprise) and the truth is that neither am I. Plus, it was really difficult to have my active nine-month-old stuck in the carrier for long times in the beating sun.
We paid to upgrade one of our days in Magic Kingdom to a Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, which lets you book three attractions at a time where you can skip the line. Once you ride one of the rides, you can book another, pending availability — and you can book every ride in the park once. We rode every single ride our daughter was tall enough for that day (and you can combine Lightning Pass and Rider Switch!).
It was unbelievably fun, though I did feel like I had my nose in my phone a lot that day trying to maximize the next booking instead of being truly present. But once I got the rhythm down (as soon as you scan into the ride, it releases your spot for the next one — so I'd book that before we even took off).
We also booked a few princess and character breakfasts (cheaper than dinner!). While they were spendier, it was a shortcut to meeting her favorites without waiting in long lines. And it felt like a lower pressure environment for meeting them, which suits her personality. I did have to remind her to stop eating and chewing to say hello! All that walking really works up an appetite.
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