Going to Disney World with a 2 Year Old

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We recently took a family trip to Florida and last minute added a few days in Disney World. I wasn’t sure about going to Disney World with a 2 year old. I was worried if my son would even remember the trip, or if it would be worth going for just 3 days. Our short time at Disney World was the absolute best and I’m so glad we made it work into our trip! Here are a few extra tips that helped make our trip magical!

hollywood hotel in hollywood studios at walt disney world floridaChoosing your parks

We chose Magic Kingdom for the full Disney experience. Magic Kingdom had the most attractions that my 2-year-old and I (13 weeks pregnant) could enjoy. My husband loves Star Wars and my son loves Toy Story, so for our second park, we chose Hollywood Studios. This park was fun and had lots of little experiences (shows, short movies, etc…) which was a fun way to break up the long lines for rides, and take a break from the Florida heat. This park has more rides for bigger kids that we couldn’t ride yet, but we can’t wait to return when my kids are older!

Use a travel agent

We don’t do Disney often so I opted to consult with a travel agent. There’s no cost to you, and they are the experts! From advising on what hotels would work for our family, to the best parks to visit for my son’s age, and any questions in between, it truly made the trip less stressful for me.

Don’t overdo it

I’ve heard time and again that the worst part of Disney is the meltdowns, or how tired they got. I was 13 weeks pregnant during our trip, so I didn’t want to push anyone’s limits. We woke up at our normal times, ate breakfast, and took our time heading into the parks. We just let go of all routine and followed our son’s moods and let that determine our plans. This meant he skipped naps. But it was great to spend time at the park without trekking back to the hotel in the middle of the day. We were all pretty tired by dinner time, so we opted to head back to the hotel and turn in early.

What to bring in and out of the parks

We used a small umbrella stroller for our park days, and packed that with all of our necessities. I purchased a stroller pocket organizer and stored our items in packing cubes.

Our must-haves:

  • reusable water bottles
  • snacks for everyone
  • sunscreen
  • power banks to charge phones
  • diapers/wipes
  • change of clothes for my son

I did pack ponchos but we didn’t use them. Obviously, this will differ by family, but less is more when it comes to packing.

Security Tip

You have to go through security to get into the parks. I packed everything in a tote bag for security to search. Then after security, I put everything away in the stroller organizer. Back at the hotel at the end of the day, I emptied out the stroller and re-packed the tote bag for the next day. This saved so much hassle and made security a breeze.

Ways to save

Kids are free under 3 years old, so that saves on park admission! We stopped at a Target right before checking into our hotel and picked up snacks, bottles of water, and a few souvenirs. You can also schedule deliveries right to your hotel. With our trip being so short, we did quick service dining vs. any meal reservations. This saved us money and time.

Our trip was short, but it was just enough time for us in this season of life. We do plan to go back when our kids are older for a “full Disney” experience, but I loved this special trip for just the three of us before we add a new baby to our family.

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