A Guide to Visiting (and Surviving) Disneyland With a Toddler

Walt Disney once said, “Doing the impossible is fun.” He likely didn’t mean navigating his legendary theme park with a toddler, but that became my mantra when I brought my nearly three-year-old to Disneyland.

As a proud Disney, I have already made two multi-day trips to Disneyland with my son and am planning to do many more. He is in love with many characters (Mickey and Woody are top ones) and always tries to try something new.

While a trip to Disneyland with a toddler may not be everyone’s dream, with a little preparation, planning, and patience, you can turn it into a magical experience that at least one of you will remember forever.

When to go

My best advice for toddlers at Disneyland is to come before they are 3 years old – perhaps shortly before they are 3 years old. Any guest under 3 years old doesn’t need a ticket, so definitely take advantage of the savings (around $ 100 a day!) While you can. This was part of our last trip.

The most frequent visitors to Disneyland know that there is no longer a “slow” time of year, but in January and February the crowds are usually smaller. Keep in mind, however, that this is also the time of year when Disneyland completes most of its maintenance work, so chances are your favorite ride might get cut off during your late winter visit. Peak times are during most of the summer, around spring break and around Christmas and New Years.

As for the days of the week, it is best to place your bets on weekdays (just keep an eye out for the popular 3-day weekend). And, if you can, start your day early and get to the park about 30 minutes before it opens. The crowd and heat will be minimal in the morning, allowing you to maximize your magic.

Okay, a little bit of controversy here. If you’re reading this and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is already open, consider skipping the trip to Disneyland with your toddler. I know who would like to miss out on this amazing new experience? However, your child will most likely not meet the height requirements to ride any of the rides and the rest of the park will be packed .

What to bring

Now, this won’t be an exhaustive packing list, but rather a short list of must-haves or “must-have plans” for your first trip to Disneyland with your toddler. (Mind you, we’re only focusing on Disneyland, not its younger, much larger East Coast cousin – a different monster altogether.)

Snacks. If you are staying at a nearby hotel, check out my tips later on how to get through the night in your hotel room and how to get the most economical food and snacks at the hotel, but here are a few snacks for the day trip. I recommend collecting things to make life easier (and save a little on buying treats in the park):

• Light fresh fruits such as apples and bananas. (One banana can cost about $ 2 at the park.)
• Applesauce or other squeeze bags and granola bars are easy to carry and are a quick bite to eat.
• Reusable Water Bottles – Ice water is free at all fast food restaurants in the park, and a bottle of water will set you back $ 4.

Good bag. You can bring a bulky diaper bag with you to carry your essentials to the park, but I found a small sling bag to work fine. I took this with me and was able to cram three diapers, wipes, baby powder, applesauce bags, fruit snacks and granola bars, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and a small medicine cabinet. This is actually my everyday bag with my little boyfriend, which holds more than you need for a day at Disneyland.

A budget for souvenirs or a pre-purchased wallet. A note about souvenirs. Disney expects you to buy shirts, toys, and other goodies to celebrate your trip. I find this to be a good motivator for a toddler to earn at the end of the day as a reward for (overall) good behavior. My son gets three tokens at the start of the day, and if he has at least one left when it’s time to leave, I’ll let him pick a souvenir (within my chosen budget, of course) before leaving the park. (Older children may love the pre-loaded gift card, which they can spend as they please.)

Another option for souvenirs for the budget conscious who do not mind a heavier load during the day is to buy souvenirs in advance. You can easily find stuffed animals and other Disney merchandise at stores near you or online for less than what they sell in parks. If you like planning ahead, this is a good way to do it.

Stroller or not?

This is where controversy arises again. I’ll tell you not to take the stroller. One day we brought in a fantastic reclining stroller with an umbrella, and my son sat in it for about 15 minutes, and the rest of the day we drove it empty. YMMV, but I found that if you time the day correctly and take an afternoon break with a parade, or better yet, a relaxing show, you probably don’t need to take a stroller with you as your little one can pretty much get electricity from excitement and a little sugar. (Watch the live show Mickey and the Magic Card in Fantasyland for at least 25 minutes in shade and seating.) Of course, if you need it, it’s easy to rent it for a day in the park.

Note: Disney recently changed its rules regarding the types and sizes of strollers allowed in parks, so check the official rules before you go and make sure your stroller is allowed if you choose to take it with you. (Wagons are no longer allowed.)

Travel through the park

One easy solution: download the official Disneyland app . Not only does it offer current park waiting times, you can also reserve tables and reservations at many fast food restaurants, which cuts the line for you and your little one by one. Bonus App: The Play Disney Parks app offers themed games, many of which interact with ride queues and can help your toddler be happy rather than grumpy when queuing up.

(All this time, when you are traveling and playing in the parks on your phone, it can drain your battery, so I recommend bringing a small portable charger for your phone with you. Alternatively, Disneyland offers fuel rods for sale throughout the park. They are cost a one-time fee of $ 30, but can be changed an unlimited number of times at any fuel rod kiosk in the US)

Now that you’re in the park, here’s what I can and can’t do with the baby in tow.

Make these rides

• Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s soft enough not to be too scary for most kids, and a couple of small sprays kicks off the ride with laughter (plus, with the 16-minute ride, it’s a great way for adults to get some rest).
• Jungle cruise. Toddlers love to check out all the animals in their “natural” habitat aboard a short river voyage, and the trite but adorable skippers help the adults.
• Disneyland Railroad. Who doesn’t love a leisurely train ride with lots of scenery and people-watching? And almost 20 minutes to get around the park is another good way to relax.
• In search of scuba diving “Nemo”. This is another relaxing ride that little ones love, but skip it if you’re claustrophobic.
• Tarzan’s tree house and Tom Sawyer’s island. If your toddler needs some energy to burn, these are both good options to explore.
• Autopia. Kids love cars – what else can we say?
• Flying elephant Dumbo. Classic.

Skip these trips

• Most of the dark attractions in Fantasyland. I know this is blasphemous, but some of these rides are loud and may intimidate young children. The exception to this is the Peter Pan flight, although waiting times can exceed 45 minutes, so plan first. Also check out Winnie the Pooh’s Many Adventures in the Land of Monsters, one of the best dark attractions for toddlers.

Symbols

Without a doubt, meeting your favorite characters is the highlight of a trip to Disneyland for many children. When the characters eat, meet, and greet in the park, it’s hard to know what to plan. If you need downtime and easy access to characters, schedule one of the character breakfasts. If you want to be judicious about who you are dating, I would say pick the top three characters to work with throughout the day using the Disneyland Park Time and Location app. Bonus tip: if you have no preference and just want to get to know a couple of characters for the experience, there are often members of the Great Five (Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto) at the start of Main. The US street welcomes guests, and the lines are often short. (My son met and photographed Pluto and Donald Duck about 20 minutes later on our last trip.)

Parades

If you want to catch a glimpse of many of the characters, but keep at arm’s length (some kids can get a little frustrated with Goofy’s six feet), then parade is your best bet. Disneyland currently only offers one parade twice a day – Mickey’s Sound Parade. Saving parade sites is strictly prohibited, so schedule your family’s paddock 30-60 minutes before the parade starts and settle there. This is a great opportunity to relax and have a snack. The actors keep the park so clean that I wouldn’t even recommend lugging a blanket with you, but if you are particularly hermaphobic, sit on a light jacket or sweater.

Bonus tips

• While this guide is geared towards a toddler-focused day, you might want to spend some time with your big baby. If so, be sure to use the Rider Switch . This service allows an adult in your group to queue and ride the attraction while you wait and play with the toddler, and when that rider is done, you can jump right onto the attraction.
• Free diapers . Free is always a good thing, and if you need diapers in the park, Huggies will provide them for free at the Child Care Center at the end of Main Street USA. It also houses the first aid service, which offers guests everything from refrigerated medicine storage to plasters and over-the-counter medicines.
• Quiet areas. A visit to Disneyland can be overwhelming for anyone, and if you are traveling with a family member who may have mental retardation, Disneyland has places for you. Just ask an actor and he will direct your family to one of these quiet places.
• If you are not traveling with an older child who is not restricted in height, give up the new digital MaxPass. Since most of the rides on display have height restrictions that many toddlers won’t encounter, you’d be better off saving that $ 10 per day (per person) on food or souvenir.

Tips for families staying at a nearby hotel

Amazon Prime Now is your friend when you stay at a hotel near Disneyland with your toddler. You already carry a car seat, a few bags and carry-on luggage and an energetic toddler, so why not take a light one with you? Instead of packing everything I need, I order Prime Now before my trip to have it delivered to our hotel. Diapers are a must for our toddler who hasn’t been potty trained yet (you’ll save so much luggage space by shipping a pack) and I include many of the snacks listed above (including fresh fruit).

For the hotel, I also recommend bringing your Command Light Rope and Hooks . No, this is not for something strange, but in order to create a “room” for your little one, if he is still sleeping in the crib. By securing the rope to a small section of the room between the hooks and placing a flat sheet on top of it, my son gained little sleeping space and minimized the distractions that might arise when sleeping in a new location.

And the best advice I can give when going to the parks is to just enjoy the time. With so much to see and do, it’s definitely overwhelming, so just trust that you won’t experience it all in one trip. Once you succumb to it, all you have to do is to experience the magic, both as a parent and as a big child himself.