Disney – Tips from a Toddler

Oh, wait – did you have some questions from yesterday’s post that you wanted me to clear up first? I am going to be a big brother! My little brother or sister will be joining the family in January…

For my last Disney post, I thought I’d share a few tips from our trip.

1. That silly airport rule about liquids? Totally doesn’t apply to babies and little kids, so if you need to bring milk, formula, juice, water, whatever, you don’t need to worry – you just need to declare it to a TSA agent. They ask that you bring only as much as you’ll need to reach your destination; we brought a small bottle of juice and a sippy cup of water and didn’t have a problem.
2. You don’t need an airline ticket for a child under 2… but you DO need a boarding pass so make sure they are on your reservation. Also, depending on their activity level, you may *want* a seat for your toddler. Some airlines offer baby tickets at reduced fares. I didn’t have my own seat for this trip, but Mommy would seriously consider it if we were flying again before I’m 2.
3. Leave the extra gear at home. We were lucky enough to be staying on Disney property, and taking the Magical Express to and from the airport, so we had no need for a car seat. One less bulky item to drag through the airport!
4. Consider what you really use at home. Mommy got reactions of disbelief when she shared that she didn’t plan to bring a stroller. Despite almost every packing list setting the stroller up as an essential (although you can rent them while you are in the park if you wish), we almost never use one at home, so we left it behind and didn’t miss it one bit! Mommy brought a pouch for the airport (no buckles or metal parts – we passed right through security, no problem), a light ring sling for the evenings, and a soft structured carrier for the parks. We never had to wrangle our way through stroller parking, and I was calm on lines up on Daddy’s back.
5. Pack light and get groceries delivered. I drink organic milk, so Mommy knew we’d have to get *some* groceries delivered any way and, since the delivery rate is a flat fee for any order under $200, we added as much as we could to the order rather than lugging it in our suitcase – diapers, wipes, some snacks, bottled water. It was all waiting when we checked in and worked out perfectly – especially since packing “light” is something of an impossibility for Mommy.
6. Don’t run yourselves into the ground. We only had 2 days in the parks and we could easily have filled them from sunrise until well past sunset if we wanted. I, however, would have been a miserable, crumpled mess if we did that. Mommy stuck to my schedule (well mostly; she did get me up a *little* early) and the time we spent in the parks was more enjoyable that way. We made a list ahead of time of the things we *really* wanted to see and do (Mickey, Jungle Cruise, Country Bear Jamboree), and everything else was icing on the cake. We got to the parks early and beat some of the crowds, so that by the time I was ready for a nap, we’d done a lot! Again, we stayed in a Disney resort, so it was a short trip back to the room for some quiet time, and then I was refreshed for dinner. Mommy took me back to the room on Tuesday, while Daddy stayed out with Grammy Boo and Coach and Uncle Matt, and they switched on Wednesday. After dinner on Tuesday, Grammy Boo and Coach stayed with me while Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Matt took advantage of late night magic hours in Epcot. On Wednesday, Mommy wandered around Epcot with me while everyone else had a late dinner.

I can’t wait to go back!