We love theme parks. LOVE them. Not for everyone, I know, but our family can't wait until the next trip to Orlando to see our favorite princesses, ride that ride we're finally big enough to ride, get a hug from Mickey, or watch the Harry Potter dragon breathe flame. And that's just me and my husband! ;-)
But a theme park trip can be overwhelming if you haven't done it before, especially with small children. Having taken this style trip 10+ times with kids from infant to 6+ years, here’s what we’ve learned you can (should) bring with you to make your trip seamless. For the purposes of this blog, assume you’re headed to Orlando/Disney, but this information should work for any theme park destination – you can tailor the length of stay accordingly.
Note: my husband jokes that I pack like a hermit crab, but no one complains when I have everything they need (including him!). So Yay Me.
I’m not going to cover car seats here, so if you have questions, please check out my Travel Gear blog.
When to Go
If your child is not yet really bound by a school schedule, you have the flexibility of traveling to theme parks on "off" weeks. This means smaller crowds, shorter lines, and generally more fun for everyone. We always check out the crowd calendars to see when is the best time to visit the parks. These are the best ones we trust: Undercover Tourist, WDW PrepSchool, and MagicGuides. I would read them all, compare, and plan accordingly. Many parks now require reservations so you have to know in advance which park on which day.
We find the week after Labor Day through early October is pretty light (except weekends), as is early-mid January and early March (around Ash Wednesday). The lightest traffic holiday to visit is Labor Day, and the worst are Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years. Just don't.
Where to Stay
This is a tough one. There's a lot of allure to stay at the theme park resorts. You get extra hours, there are buses or walking paths to the parks. And the resort themes are pretty great, too! And if you use the Disney shuttles, you don't have to worry about car seats, which is one less thing to carry around and install. Plus, Disney offers Minnie Van Service (currently suspended), which has up to 2 car seats for shuttle rides between parks, resorts and airports. Still limited, but some freedom there. Universal's resorts also have walking paths to the parks, which is a nice plus.
There are some resort hotels that offer suites, if you want your kid to stay in a separate room from the adults, so you can watch TV, have a drink (wine, coffee...) after they turn in pretty early. Our favorite of the Disney Resorts that offered this suite option was Art of Animation, which also has the biggest pool of the resorts, and was the most affordable. Suites at most of the other resorts will run you a fair amount of $$. Otherwise, traditional rooms are available pretty much everywhere and range from economy to luxury at both Disney and Universal.
My opinion is the following: Stay at these places when they're older. These places tend to be very expensive. You have to wait around for buses (more lines!), then drag your whole stroller and gear kit on board while people wait behind you in line. You're pretty much tied to resort or park and can't go anywhere else without calling a rideshare (and they don't all have car seats).
Plus, for very small children, you'll need resources on-hand in your room that are either incredibly costly to access, or they just don't have (kitchen, sinks, larger refrigerators, dining table, etc.). Consider AirBnB or VRBO. You can find properties with multiple rooms (great for letting kids sleep and adults separate having lounge space), fully equipped kitchens (easy for washing, prepping breakfasts and snacks, storing food/drink, etc.) and many have pools or patios. And free wifi and parking. These are the most affordable options for larger families (5+). Most of these are within 15-20 minutes of the parks.
There are lots of resorts by the major chains that have timeshare style apartments, and we've tried them. But the two best places we've ever stayed for a roomy, clean, well-equipped and extremely affordable apartment (2 or 3 bedroom/bath) are Worldquest Resort (near Disney) and Floridays (near Sea World/Universal). These places have RAVE reviews on TripAdvisor, so I'm not discovering anything new. But after we tried these places out, we'll unlikely ever go back a regular hotel.
These larger apartments are equal to or less than standard rooms at a resort, offer free parking, afford you a full kitchen to make a nice morning pot of coffee (you'll need this!), prep breakfast, and pack snacks for your day. When the kids go to sleep, you can chill and watch TV without disturbing them. It's way less claustrophobic (especially with strollers and gear everywhere), and feels much more like coming home at the end of a long day at a theme park. Both places are also super close to the parks, grocery stores, have decent pools, small gyms, and a sundry shop on site. And if you don't want to drive to the parks, they often offer free shuttle services to some locations on a schedule. Plus, these hotels often offer discounts or bundles, so check that out for a money saver.
The great thing about these houses and apartment hotels is that you can order Shipt/Instacart or visit a local grocery and stock up on waters (which you can freeze!), snacks, fruits, and breakfast foods/coffee (even adult beverages for post-park wind-down!). This saves you lots of money (park waters and snacks can be $5+), and lets you manage your breakfast time in peace while you get yourself and kiddos ready for your day at the park.
Renting a Car
If you're staying at a theme park resort, many offer airport transportation. And I've already discussed the pros and cons above.
But if you prefer the freedom of having a vehicle, and are comfortable driving around in a different city, we like to rent. Check for good discounts on the travel sites, but the best prices we find are usually through Costco. Small SUVs through Minivans are likely the best options here because of strollers and suitcases. And Orlando airport is great because the rental cars are just outside of baggage claim, so no shuttles! You can rent car seats, or bring your own.
Tickets
Most of the resorts (if you stay there) have bundle packages. So do the apartment hotels I mentioned above. But before you buy anything on the park websites, be sure to check out AAA and Costco too – they have great discounts for Universal and multi-day Disney tickets. You get the tickets right away by email and can link these to your Universal and Disney apps. It’s worth the savings.
Most younger kids won't be able to do two parks in one day, so probably skip the park-hopper style passes (with the exception of Universal/Islands of Adventure). If they have tickets for special events, be sure you check out what times you can enter the park. For example, the Halloween event might be from 9-12, but you can enter as early as 7pm sometimes. Again, you might not want to spend the extra $$ on these events if you're traveling with younger kids.
Strollers
Resorts require a lot of walking. So strollers are key, even when you have older kids (5-7yo) who still get tired. When we hit the parks, we take our City Mini GT Double. It’s a monster truck, but it's easy to push and steer, has full recline seats for naps, great shade coverage for kiddos in the sun, an amazing fitted rain cover, and I can attach 1000 things to it. It also has a Glider Board so the third kid can catch a free ride when tired of walking and little 'sis is sleeping.
If you’re traveling with only one kiddo that uses a stroller, be sure to take something that’s easy to push all day, with plenty of sunshade, a good recline, under cart storage, and a rain cover.
Wagons: If you are thinking about this, I would reconsider. Unless you have a wagon you can push, pulling a heavy wagon behind you all day is brutal on your shoulder. Most don’t have reclines either. Finally, many parks now have limits on the size of wagons, so be sure to check that out first!
Stroller Attachments/Accoutrement
No matter how big your stroller is, you’ll want to organize your stuff. Here are some stroller items I recommend to keep things easy to find throughout the day.
Handlebar Organizer/Console: For single or doubles, these organizer/consoles are great for sunglasses, hand sanitizer, drinks, phones, or anything you want to have at hand. We like this style for our double, but be sure to pick one that fits your stroller. Insulated cup holders are a plus!
Stroller Cooler: Most theme parks don’t let you bring in big coolers, and they have to be soft sided. I like this kind that straps to the side or back of the stroller, keeping the center of gravity low which prevents tipping and leaves room at the handle bar for your organizer. I like to freeze my water bottles the day before and use them as ice packs instead of buying separate ice packs that take up valuable space.
Stroller Bags: I like the side sling styles, again because they don’t take up handle bar space and they keep gravity low. These JL Childress bags are mesh and are great for wet items like clothes or ponchos, or sunscreens, waterproof phone cases, etc.
Extra Cup Holders: If your console only has two cup holders, and you have more than two people in your party, I recommend adding a few! Here’s an example of grip-style cup holders that attach to the handle bar (or lower down for kid access). Tip: When packing, just put these inside the regular console cup holders for space.
Stroller Fan: You can buy these at the park for $30, or you can get one or two of these baby-safe kind or these adjustable kind. It’s hot at the park and strollers don’t circulate air very well. You can store these in the console when you pack. TIP: buy yourself a set of rechargeable batteries with a charger and a mini screwdriver. You can recharge every night for a fresh set of batteries each day you’re at the park.
Rain cover: This is critical, especially in Florida, when it rains almost every day. These fold up when not in use, but are great to cover the stroller your items when you park (if the weather seems iffy) or to cover up your passengers when it’s raining.
Foldable Extra Bag (Waterproof): This is a lifesaver! When you go to the parks, you have to take EVERYTHING out of your stroller. I always pack one of these with me (folded) and then use it to put all the loose items on the stroller to get through security (sweatshirts, extra clothes, shoes, sunscreens, etc.), then once in the parks, redistribute the items around the stroller. I keep dry clothes, dry shoes, souvenirs, etc, in a foldable bag like this one. Because waterproof is key. It rains A LOT in Florida.
Other Stuff I Highly Recommend Bringing
Potable potty. My ABSOLUTE favorite travel potty is the Pack n' Potty by Tottigo. This is a lifesaver, and we take it everywhere that has public bathrooms (not just when traveling), even for my older daughter. So much easier than hovering over a toilet seat, or wiping them down, or covering them up. Kids don't have to touch anything and sit comfortably. You don't have to touch anything or freak out about your kids. There's a great little compartment for wipes or sanitizer. It's discreet. Everything is washable later. What's not to love?!
Hook on highchair (for kids 6mo-2yr). I highly recommend this! Restaurants, picnic tables, hotels, etc. These seats are good for 6mo+ to the weight limit, are comfortable, washable, portable and many come with a tray (no more wiping down tables!). We use our Inglesina chair and tray faithfully. They store pretty easily under the stroller.
Snacks: Be sure to read the park rules about outside drinks, but in a soft sided cooler you can bring water bottles (I like to freeze mine and use as ice packs), fruits and snacks/bars, PB&Js, etc. Snacks are expensive at the parks and bringing your own saves some money, helps get something healthy in your child at least once a day, and prevents meltdowns.
Checklist Items
Mini first aid kit (band aids, antiseptic wipes, etc.), you can get these for about $3-5
Rechargeable battery kit and mini screwdriver
Sunscreens
Baby/kid sunglasses (the kind you don’t mind losing LOL)
Hand towel or cooling towel (good to cool down infants/toddlers who can’t thermoregulate)
Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes
Masks (many parks are requiring them indoors) with lanyards
Rain parkas - the $1 store kind. Have one per person My older kids like this style (or similar), since they get tangled in the ponchos.
Change of shoes (if it rains, or you want to do water rides) consider bringing some lightweight flipflops in your spare bag
Baby/kid headphones (optional if sensory sensitive or loud noises like fireworks startle them)
Refillable water bottles, especially for kids
Baby Items:
Fully stocked diaper bag (if applicable) with change of clothes
Extra bottle and soap
Breast pump and kit (with extra pieces) and soap - if applicable.
Extra formula (if applicable)
Baby food pouches - just in case they don't sell any there
Baby hat (if applicable)
Paci-wipes (if applicable, good for bottles and spoons, too!)
Extra pacifiers (you don't want to lose your hotel ones or risk the apocalypse!)
Note: almost all the parks have a "baby area" where you can nurse/pump and buy extra baby supplies. And they have changing tables in every bathroom, plus companion/family bathrooms.
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