Hi friends! Have you ever wanted to take a family trip to Disney World with your toddlers but aren’t quite sure what to expect? Well, my family and I took our first family vacation to Disney world and our kids are all in the toddler stage of time. It was a whirlwind of a time but it was so much fun. Here are a few tips to consider when planning your first Disney World trip with toddlers.
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Our First family Disney trip with toddlers
On August 22, 2017, my family and I boarded an airplane with the destination set to Orlando, Florida.This was our first vacation as a family! It was also our first family Disney trip with our 3 toddlers. My boys are 4, 2, & 1 years old. My oldest will start pre-k this fall. As of right now he is the only potty trained one. We decided to take the boys to Disney even at these young ages and let me tell you, they loved their first Disney trip! Don’t let anyone tell you that your kids at these ages aren’t worth taking on vacations because they won’t remember it. This maybe true in the long run but they will have built lasting experiences that have helped them grow into the adults they will become.
We all had so much fun plus we were able to find a great deal on the hotel and flights too. First of all, the flights were on sale. Southwest Airlines was having one of their lowest prices of the season sale. Southwest airlines is our favorite airline to travel with. We love that they offer 2 check in bags free. It also happens to be the closest airport to us in Houston. The flight lasted about 2 hours or so which wasn’t too long. The boys were so excited to fly on an airplane for the first time.
How to Find Budget Flight Tickets
For the 5 of us to go to Florida it was $500 approximately. Insane right? My baby was free since he was under 2. This price included the 4 of us. Since our kids are little and aren’t in school right now we were able to vacation in Disney World the first week school started. This was considered the start of the off/low season. Each year, a few times a year Southwest Airlines will have a sale on their flights.
Secondly, I found a great deal for a hotel off of Groupon. I have always been a little bit skeptical about booking a vacation through them but it turned out great. I am so thankful that I found this hotel deal because it was perfect for our kids. One of the main factors to look at is the reviews. The reviews plus the amenities and location is was the ultimate deciding factor for our family. It was very family friendly hotel with a lot of amenities geared towards kids. We were able to pick the dates that matched our flight dates so it was a win win.
Hotel Clarion Inn at Lake Buena Vista
Location: 8442 Palm Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32836
Our Hotel was The Clarion Inn at Lake Buena Vista. It is one of the hotels in the Good Neighbor Hotel Program with Disney. It was about 2 miles away from the parks. The reason I picked this hotel was for the amenities which included, several pools, a playground, an arcade, a splash pad, an on site restaurant and shuttle options to the parks. We stayed here for 6 days.
Hotel amenities
- 2 Swimming pools
- Splash pad
- Playground
- Game/Arcade room
- Bar Lounge area
- Gift shop
- The Boardwalk Buffet Restaurant
- Guest Laundry area
The Clarion Inn at Lake Buena Vista was a great place to stay because their was so much to do on site. On the days, we were not at the parks, we stayed here and swam, played in the arcade area and the park. In the evenings we would hang out outside in the lounge areas while the kids ran around and played. Since toddlers tend to get bored quickly, we were lucky to have a playground on site. Anytime the kids needed to burn energy, we would head to the playground and let them work off some steam.
Check in time is 4pm and check out time is 11am.
At the Clarion Inn at Lake Buena Vista, they offer a free shuttle service to the Disney World parks. The only con the shuttle to Disney only runs twice a day, once in the morning and at 11pm. Keep this in mind if you aren’t planning on renting a vehicle.
We rented a vehicle on the day we went to Lego Land since it was 40 minutes away. Other times we used Uber or Lyft.
Unexpected extended stay
For our Disney trip we planned to stay for 6 days but that quickly changed as Hurricane Harvey hit our hometown Houston. We had an extended vacation to say the least. Actually, it was a lot of fun but the extended part made it stressful. Especially since we didn’t plan for extra stay.
We also were very worried about out home, family, friends, and hometown. It was devastating to watch my Facebook feed with so many friends and family experiencing flooding in their homes and cars.
We had a lot of run around during our extended stay, we had to find a new hotel to stay at. We were so extremely lucky because my husband’s cousin lives in Florida and her in-laws happened to be visiting the same time we were. They so graciously opened up their timeshare with us.
Marriot Vacation Club Florida
We were able to stay at a Marriott Vacation Club resort in Florida. The place was so nice! They had new events daily and so many activities to do! We were even able to experience a Polynesian night which was very similar to the Polynesian night we’ve experienced in Hawaii. By the main pool, there was a flame thrower who put on a show for us. They also had hula dancer preform for us. It was a dream come true and a great edition to our family Disney trip.
Although, I don’t know much about how the Marriott Vacation Club works, It might be something to consider for your family if you travel a lot. This hotel was truly amazing and every experience here was way above the bar.
During our stay, we went to Magic Kingdom and also Lego Land. I was really surprised at how much fun we had a Lego Land. They had a lot to do for young kids like mine.
We also visited Disney Springs. I had never been since it has been so long since I have been to Disney World. The last time I was there it was called Downtown Disney and it didn’t have nearly as much attractions as it does now… at least I don’t recall.. I was 15. ha! See the picture below.
List of what to bring to Disney World:
- Sunscreen
- Hat to keep sun off face
- Sunglasses
- Stroller or rent one
- Snacks
- Water bottles
- Small cooler
- Neck fans
- Ponchos (it rains daily for a short while)
- Portable charger
- Wear breathable clothes
- Comfortable shoes
- Diapers & wipes
- Antibacterial wipes
- Change of clothes for kids
XO,
Jenni
Top: Francescas similar in a dress here Bag: T&J Designs
Jeans: Old from Pacsun
This link will take you to my hindsight view of Disney with Toddlers: What I wish I had done & how to plan your Disney Family Trip efficiently.
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