This summer, we took our kids to Disneyland for the first time. It was quite the adventure! With three kids under four, I knew there would be challenges and I am so grateful we found ways to keep things simple and fun. 

As a family photographer, I had planned to take lots of photos, but things were so go-go-go, I ended up putting away the camera and focusing on the moment. Luckily, we booked a session with @katherinerosephotography, so we still got some sweet moments captured! It really was a magical experience, and seeing the excitement in my babies’ eyes made it completely worth it! If you’re planning a trip to Disney with toddlers, here are five tips to get the most out of your adventure. 

Five Tips for Mamas Visiting Disney with Toddlers

Be in the Moment

Like I said, I wasn’t able to capture a lot of photos because of how busy things were, and that really was okay. Choosing to be in the moment was the best option for everyone, because it allowed me to focus on what my kids’ needed. There’s nothing quite like a meltdown in the Magic Kingdom! But by taking things moment by moment, I could relax, knowing the hard moments would pass. I simply tried to focus on helping my kids sort through all the big feelings that come with a trip to Disney. At first, I was stressed about their sleep schedules, worried we’d mess up their bedtimes if we skipped naps. But, by the last day, I told myself it was okay to let go of the routine for this short amount of time. Like with any vacation, we couldn’t follow our schedules exactly. I knew we’d get back to our routine once we were home. I was able to enjoy the trip more when I let go of those expectations, and my kids were happier because I was in the moment with them!

Pack. Those. Snacks.

Disney restaurants are notoriously expensive, so we made the decision to pack most of our snacks and lunches. This was a game-changer when it came to waiting in line. If my kids started to get fussy or anxious during the long wait, I handed them a snack or a boxed lunch and they immediately calmed down. It was great for my husband and I to have a few protein snacks too, because walking all day IS a workout. With lunch packed in the stroller, we didn’t have to worry about waiting at a restaurant when it was time to eat, which helped us get the most out of each day and avoid hangry kiddos.

Airtag for the Kids

My kids love to run. When we decided to go to Disney, I knew immediately we needed a way to keep track of them even if they bolted. I didn’t want to turn my back for one second and lose my baby in a crowd! We had the boys’ wear Airtags on their wrists and baby girl wore hers on her ankle so she couldn’t pull it off. Thankfully, we didn’t ever need to use the GPS tracking, but the Airtags provided peace of mind throughout the whole trip. The kids honestly loved wearing them because they thought they were cool watches, and we told them they would make sure we all went home with the right family. My four-year-old was so cute, reminding his little siblings to wear their Airtags so they didn’t go home with a new family. 

Organize Your Day

You can probably find hundreds of blogs on strategizing your time at Disney, but I didn’t have the mental space to plan every ride down to the minute. Plus, I knew that plans always change when you have toddlers. Instead, we made a list each morning of top rides for the day and made sure to at least hit those. We also found that the very first hour of the day and the last hour before the park closes are the least busy, so we capitalized on those hours by going as early as possible and, sometimes, staying later in the evenings. We also decided to purchase the Genie pass, which allows you to skip the line for a ride every two hours. When it comes to Disney, waiting is unavoidable, but organizing our day, while keeping things flexible, really helped make it manageable. 

Plan Some Time For You

Obviously, you go to Disney for the kids, but you deserve to have fun too! Each day when we were planning out our rides, my husband and I each chose one we wanted to go on that the kids were too small to ride. While he went on his, I’d take the kids to see an easy attraction and when I went on mine he’d do the same or feed the kids lunch. Not only did this let us get the most out of Disney, but it also gave each of us a nice little break from parenting during the day. While the days were busy and exhausting, these little breaks helped Chris and I feel less burned out by the end of the trip. 

Our trip to Disney was such a magical way to end the summer. I’m a believer in taking those big, fun trips even when the kids are little because those memories will last a lifetime! Have you done Disney with toddlers? What are your tips for making the most out of your trip?