When Should I Take My Kids to Disney?

Having the opportunity to work with many different families often provides me a glimpse into some of the most common questions people have regarding trips to Disney World.  In fact, I've noticed that there are a handful of questions folks are consistently curious about, and I've decided to do my best to answer some of them in blog form over the next few weeks.

One of the initial things I'm often asked is: "What's the best age for children to visit the parks?"  Now, I'll be honest: I think the answer to that question depends on the flexibility of the child & family, the vacation goals of the family, and the willingness of the family to plan around the child's needs throughout the trip.  It's actually a pretty subjective answer, but it's one that I'm more than willing to talk through with families seriously attempting to make a decision.  And I've got lots of experience: I've taken kiddos as young as six weeks and as old as ten years, and even made multiple trips with no kids at all! All of have been very different, but all have been tons of fun!

From a financial aspect, however, I think there are definitely a few "concrete" pieces of information that are helpful in planning:

First and foremost, children under the age of three (so between the ages of 0-2) can visit the parks for free.  Yep, FREE.  They don't need a ticket, it costs nothing for them to stay in a resort room, and they can even share meals on the dining plan for no fee whatsoever.  As long as they are under three on the day a family checks-in to a resort, they are free for the duration of the trip.

Additionally, children between the ages of 3-9 can enter the parks with a "child's ticket" and are also able to purchase a "child's dining plan," which is quite a significant savings from the adult plan. Once a kiddo turns ten, however, adult prices will apply to both tickets and dining plans.  The same rules apply with check-in dates here...as long as child is under 10 on the day of check-in, the child's rates apply for the duration of the trip.

Based on this information, I often recommend that families consider traveling before their children "age out" of these two groups.  The older the kids are, the more expensive the trip becomes.

Another thing to consider is height requirements.  The vast majority of attractions (especially at Magic Kingdom) have no height requirement at all!  Disney World is one of those places that was definitely built with the entire family in mind.  There are a few popular attractions, however, that do have height requirements, and it's important to keep this in mind when setting expectations for a trip.

While smaller children are permitted to ride almost everything, there are about 7-8 of the more "thrilling" rides that become options once kiddos are forty inches tall.  These include (but aren't limited to) Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Soarin', and Test Track.   Some of the most thrilling roller coasters, such as Space Mountain and Rock n'Roller Coaster, require that children be 44 or 48 inches, respectively, but hitting that 40 inch mark really opens up just about every other attraction on property.

Defining the "right age" for a Disney trip will be different for every family, but I definitely think cost and height are two of the major factors that play into this decision!

Feel free to message me if you'd like to discuss this--or any aspect of planning a Disney trip--further. I'd love to help any way I can!

Quick Packing Tips.

My household is currently gearing up for a trip to Disney World.  While packing for a family of six is always a cumbersome task, I thought I'd throw out a few of my "grab & go" essentials for a successful Disney experience, both at the parks as well as at the resorts.  Heads up, though: this won't be your typical "comfortable shoes, sunscreen, poncho, autograph book, & good attitude" post, although those are certainly important.  In this quick list, you'll find more off-the-wall, random type essentials that make our trips easier.

1.  Desitin.  Yep, I said it.  And yes, I'm referring to the diaper rash cream.  We always pick up a tube at our local grocery store and/or CVS when packing, especially when we're visiting the parks in the summer. I'm hoping I don't have to say much more than this for you to get the picture: long, hot, sweaty days and lots & lots of walking. Trust me; it's a game changer for kids (and adults) of all ages. A bottle of Advil (for both children & grown-ups) can make a big difference, too.

2.  A bottle brush.  Even though our children gave up bottles long ago, we've found that a bottle brush is the perfect design for thoroughly cleaning the resort refillable drink mugs that come as part of the dining plan (and are also available for purchase).  While there is a sink area in the food court at each resort, I'm a fan of actually washing my dishes every couple of days or so, and a bottle brush and a small bottle of dish soap go a long way in a resort room sink!

3.  A sharpie marker.  Now, sharpies are great for character autographs in the parks, but they come in super handy at the resorts, too.  My kiddos are notorious for always choosing the same color refillable mugs, even when there are more than enough options for our family!  It never fails that three of the four will choose pink mugs, or that my husband & son will want red, or whatever.  In theory, the different color choices are a great way for family members to distinguish which drink/mug belongs to which person, but my family tends to defy the odds at every turn.  I started to write names on the tops of refillable mugs and we haven't had an issue since.

4.  A pre-loaded Peach Pass.  This one won't work for everyone, but for those of you who live in Georgia, purchasing a Peach Pass (and/or putting a few dollars on your current account) will save you a ton of time on the Florida turnpike.  There are multiple toll booths on the way to Disney World, and because Peach Passes are also valid on Florida's toll roads, having one on your vehicle will allow you to pass right through the pre-paid line (no stopping!).

5.  Breakfast foods.  We ALWAYS bring breakfast foods that can be eaten in our room and/or on the go.  Cereal bars, bananas, protein bars, cold pop tarts, dry cereal, etc. are within reach and simply make life easier.  We stock the mini fridge with milk and bottled water as well!  Rooms aren't always located close to the food court, and with kiddos waking up and/or being ready at different times, it helps to have some healthy choices on hand to start the day.  We also know that the first hour a park is open is typically when you'll find the shortest lines, so spending time eating breakfast in the food court simply isn't on our priority list.

This certainly isn't a complete list, but it does include five of my "must have" items for any and every Disney trip we take.  I'm a light packer and prefer not to have lots of extraneous stuff, but I've found that the items mentioned above definitely help me keep my sanity when traveling with my family. Please don't hesitate to reach out and let me know how I can help your family plan and prepare for a fantastic Disney vacation of your own!

Character Autographs.

In addition to giving lots of hugs and posing for pictures, most characters at Disney also sign autographs.  Collecting character autographs has become a favorite family activity for my crew, and over the years we have tried a variety of ways to store these special signatures.

One of our favorite methods so far has been to use the Junior Encyclopedia of Animated Characters, which dedicates a full of page of fun facts, trivia questions, and pictures to over 150 beloved Disney characters.  

The book is lightweight and fits easily into a backpack or cinch bag.  Sharpie markers work perfectly for signing, and finding the correct page and/or reading up on whomever we're about to meet provides great entertainment for my kiddos while waiting in line.  We have a family goal of collecting as many character signatures as possible, and the book definitely helps us keep track of which signatures we have and don't have, not to mention the fact that its placement on our coffee table gives the book some life and purpose in between trips.  It's always fun to look through and is a great conversation starter!

My FAVORITE feature of the encyclopedia, however, has been the character interactions it creates each time we visit.  The pictures and/or fun facts almost always cause the characters to remember stories and share "memories" with us, and I don't think anyone in our family will forget Buzz Lightyear's reaction to seeing a picture of Jessie on his page; Buzz went out of his way to show everyone in the room the picture he found of the love of his life, which resulted in hysterics from my crazy crew. :)

There are so many ways to collect and store character autographs, but if you've been looking for a simply, easy, fun way to do so, be sure to check out Disney's Junior Encyclopedia of Characters.  It typically sells for under $10 over on Amazon. :)

I am more than happy to share other tips and tricks we've learned over the years.  Don't hesitate to let me know how I can help your family today!