Disneyland; the happiest place on Earth, right? Then why does it elicit so much stress for parents with young children?
We have been Magic Key Holders (Disneyland’s new name for annual pass holders) for a few years now. When talking to other parents about our Disney trips I often get met with comments like, “Wow you’re brave!” At first I didn’t really think anything of it. The more I received those types of comments and the more I got asked for advice about taking small children to Disneyland I realized the anxiety that taking your small kids on to these overly crowded, sensory rich, sugar filled places gives many parents.
We are a very on the go, let’s take the kids there, adventurous family. Most the time it’s great, but parents sometimes it is just not your day. We try not to let that stop us from going on adventures and making memories with our family though. So we work around it, try to go prepared and make the most of everything.
I’ve compiled a short list of things I have found helpful while taking our small children (3 and 1) to Disneyland. Depending on the ages and stages of your children the list will change. This is what works best for us. We started taking our youngest baby to Disney when she was only 2 months old. We really have gone through quite a fews stages with the kids and have been able to narrow down what is best to bring with us so that we are prepared, but not over packed.
List of Items to bring besides your normal diaper bag stash
- Stroller (we prefer our Burley D’lite 2 Seat Bike Trailer with the Stroller Wheels attached or the Jogger attachment)
- Snack Bag (We like our Yeti Daytrip Lunch Box)
- Hydroflasks or water bottles for each member of the family (there are many refill stations throughout the park)
- Baby wearing device – Shane likes the Ergo baby and I prefer the wrap style when they are little
- Nursing cover (if needed) – My favorite is the Milk Snob because it’s not see through, stretches/compacts, and can stretch to cover the car seat
- Extra change of clothes for each child
- Pajamas and night diaper
- Blankets and/or jackets if staying late for fireworks. You have to see the Barefoot Dreams Mickey Blankets!
- Stroller fan and/or water bottle fan (summer)
- Sunscreen (summer)
- Hats (summer)
- My lululemon fanny pack
- Clothing and shoes that are comfortable for everyone to walk in all day
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So now that we’ve gone over the list, lets go over the why’s of most the items.
First let me start off by saying, put on your walking shoes people! There are a few things that will instantly make any Disney trip less enjoyable. The first is that dang tram and breaking down your stroller. Disney can we do better? There are very large compartments at the front of every tram that would not require you to fold the stroller to enter, however, those are reserved for those with special tags on their strollers or wheelchairs. To get on the tram, you have to take your kids and all their crap out of the stroller, fold it up, wrangle your kids load up onto the tram for a short ride and then get everyone and everything off of the tram set your stroller back up and repack all of your things and your kids. Are you sweating just thinking about it? Because it’s terrible. That brings me to my second thing that will put a damper on any Disney trip and that’s being not wearing the right clothing and shoes and being uncomfortable. We avoid the tram at all costs and get those extra steps in and by walking from the structure through Downtown Disney. Park in the Mickey and Friends or Pixar Parking structures (they connect) make your way to Pixar level 2 and take the walkway to Downtown Disney to avoid the tram. I wear my Hokas and make sure to wear appropriate clothing. Hello sweating and chaffing in the summer and being too cold in the winter.
For the stroller we have taken a few different ones. We prefer our Burley D’lite bike trailer with the stroller wheels attached. There are a few reasons for this, but Disney does not allow wagons (unless they are approved for special needs). This is such a bummer because wagons are awesome at fitting your kids and all your stuff. The bike trailer is our work around. It is super light weight, easy to push, fits all your things and the kids plus it offers full enclosure in case the its too hot or cold, or even if it starts raining.
Snacks, I mean if you’re a parent you know that your kids want 10 million snack all day long. This not only saves money, but also keeps them eating a little healthier. Hello sugar crashes and meltdowns, am i right? We love to pack things like bars, fruit, pouches and even sandwiches cut up into pieces small enough for the kids to snack on.
Baby wearing at Disney is a must IMO. When you have a really little one that isn’t walking yet baby wearing is a lifesaver. With Olivia I would wear her, and Shane would wrangle Maverick. It’s a great way to encourage baby to nap and take your older ones on rides at the same time. Sometimes we park the stroller in a shaded area, wear baby and hit a few rides in a row. This is where my lulu fanny pack comes in handy. I take my personal items (wallet, phone, keys etc) and leave the diaper bag in the stroller. If you’re a nursing mom and it’s about time to nurse I recommend to bring your nursing cover as well. I loved to head to “Its a Small World” to nurse. The ride is dark, cool and a bit of a longer ride so you have more time. Sometimes I would even sit near the carousel while Shane took Maverick on it so I could watch him and see him as he excitedly waved hi to me. There is also a baby center located in the park with a changing area and nursing room, but I found it such a drag to stop what I was doing to go nurse and then meet back up with the family.
The pajamas and diaper trick have been a life saving hack we have done since Maverick was little. We bring a night diaper and pajamas with us if we know we will be out around bedtime. At Disney specifically we walk to the car, change their clothes and diapers (nurse if needed) put them in the car and when they fall asleep we just transfer them to their beds when we get home. No need to wake them up to change their clothes and diapers. This works 99% of the time. They are usually exhausted from all the festivities and don’t even wake long (if at all) at the transfer! Whew because the last thing you need after a long day at Disney is to wrangle your kids to try and get them to sleep!
We love Disney and all of the wonderful memories we have made going to the parks. Being prepared and going with the flow helps make the experience of Disney so much more enjoyable. I hope this post helps with any anxiety you have around taking your littles to the parks.
