Yesterday I spent hours on the computer making car rental reservations, agendas and itineraries, and crunching numbers for my banker husband for our upcoming trip to Disney World. I am trying to bring all the of the Magic to my girls while still keeping within my budget for him.

Lucky for me I have connected with some women online that have some great Disney insight and they have been sharing it with me. Today Amber from Dixon Dialogue is sharing about her last trip to Disney World with her 11 month old son. I really appreciate her insight. My girls are a little older, but she has some great advice that I am adding into my plan.

Walt Disney World (WDW) is one of my favorite places in the entire world – it truly is magical! I have been several times as an adult and had so much fun! I always wondered why people would bring their small children to WDW. Sure, it is meant for kids (and kids at heart) but crowds, lines, heat and long days don’t usually equal happy kids or parents.  For these reasons, I said that I would not take my son to WDW one day before he turned 10 years old!

Well, that plan changed when my husband’s parents treated us to a Disney vacation last October. My son was a mere 11 months old! We traveled with my husband’s family which consisted of 6 adults and 3 kids (7 months, 11 months, and 3 years old). We had a great time and it was magical to see WDW through the eyes of a child. I almost cried when my niece met a princess for the first time – the wonder and awe on her face was priceless. And it will be fun to tell my son about the time we took him to WDW before he could even walk.

I have found that this tips really made our vacation relaxing and fun! I hope they work for you too.

Have a Plan

WDW is a huge place – 4 parks, 2 water parks, mini-golf, Downtown Disney and the list goes on and on. If you like to wander around aimlessly for several hours each day trying to decide what to do – don’t make an itinerary. But if you prefer to make the most out of every minute of your vacation – make an itinerary. I made an itinerary for each of the four parks. I listed attractions I wanted to make sure we got to, food options that my family would eat and show times for the shows we were interested in.

It takes a little time compiling your list before you leave for vacation but it will save you so much time once you get there.  The point is not to have every minute of your vacation scheduled but to have an idea of the things you want to fit in so you can prioritize. And if you’re an overachiever like me you can print and laminate your itinerary so that a spilt drink or a sudden rain doesn’t ruin your planning.

Take a Good Stroller

When traveling with small children and preschoolers it is absolutely necessary to have a good stroller. “Good” can be defined several ways but I define it as lightweight and fully reclining with a small basket underneath to hold any purchases. My son can sleep just about anywhere so a fully reclining stroller was a must for us – we could stay at the park all day without him missing his afternoon nap.  Our stroller happens to be lightweight but I would go with your full size/travel system over a cheap umbrella stroller. You and your child will be more comfortable. And there are designated places to park your stroller while you enjoy an attraction or restaurant.

Stay in a WDW Resort

Staying in a WDW resort is the most convenient accommodation. WDW offers several modes of transportation from their hotels so all you have to do is hop on a bus or ferry each morning to get to your destination. WDW resorts have a wide range of price points from tent camping to elaborate 5 star hotels. My family has stayed in the All Star Sports hotel which is very budget friendly.

Eat Good and Bring Snacks

Eating in the parks can be costly and it is tempting to eat burgers and fries for every meal. But be good to your body and schedule a few good meals during your vacation. Many of the restaurants offer healthy options and it can also be a chance to sit down, relax and recharge.

Pack healthy snacks for your little ones. The parks do not offer too many healthy snack options and they are priced astronomically. Some snacks that we took were goldfish crackers, juice boxes, fruit strips, cheerios, and apples.

Use Fast Passes and Single Rider Lines

Using these options will save you many hours of waiting in line. This is especially important if only 1 or a few in your party want to ride a roller coaster. Fast Passes allow you to get a ticket to come back and ride the ride during a certain time frame. These are great because they are FREE and allow you to use that time to do other things. But, these can run out especially on the most popular rides.

WDW is, in my opinion, genius for implementing Single Rider Lines – on some of their most popular roller coasters you can wait in this considerably shorter line if you don’t care who you ride with – they fill in the empty spaces on the ride. I am the only one who rides roller coasters in my family so this is what I did all week. I rode a roller coaster 3 times in about 15 minutes!

Be Flexible and Have Fun

And this is the most important tip! Even the most well planned trip can run into a few bumps! Being flexible is the key when traveling with small children – go with the flow, enjoy the magical moments, dance in the street parade, and take a gazillion pictures!

Amber Dixon is a Christian, wife, mommy, avid reader and social worker. She blogs about her family and life at www.DixonDialogue.com. You can also follow Amber on Twitter: @DixonDialogue.

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