5 Reasons to definitely Do Disney with a Toddler

You hear it all the time. Don’t take your kids to Disney when they are too young, wait until they can remember. Now they can remember, but you should wait to take them until they can ride everything.

Next thing you know, you have teenagers on your hands, and they tell you they aren’t into Mickey Mouse and princesses anymore.

People have good intentions, but the people that give the advice of “wait to go to Disney,” are not Disney people, and they don’t understand why when you have a toddler is the perfect time to go to Disney!

So here are five reasons to definitely do Disney with a toddler.

1) FREE!

Disney vacations are expensive. There is no denying that. You want to say, it won’t be worth it because they won’t remember, or be able to do as much, etc. etc. WRONG! You child is free when they are under three. Free admission to the parks. Free when you go to buffets (including character meals). Free in your stateroom (meaning, if you have five people over three, you have to get a room for five. With a toddler, Disney doesn’t count them, and they can still join the party without making you upgrade your room.

For a typical trip that we recommend, that is one free character meal, and three free park days. That is a savings of $300-$500. You can’t deny that is a good chunk of change.

2) They will LOVE it!

I don’t know about your house, but every one of my kids has had some kind of Mickey/Minnie themed 2nd birthday. What toys did my daughter get at her 2nd birthday? Disney Princess dolls.

Kids, especially toddlers love Mickey, Minnie, and the whole gang. Mickey Mouse clubhouse has been a staple in my house for going on a decade now. Maybe Disney movies are more your speed. There are plenty of princesses to choose from, but don’t forget classics like Lion King, Toy Story, Peter Pan, Coco, Zootopia, Aladdin, and Winnie the Pooh. Well guess what, you can meet all the beloved characters from these movies at the parks, and so many more.

The joy on your kids face, and in their hearts, when they get to meet one of these characters in real life…priceless.

3) Too Short=No Problem

What will happen though if they can’t ride all the rides? Rock "‘N’ Roller Coaster, Slinky Dog Dash, Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance are all big time headline rides. Your child will be so disappointed if they miss them. But…will they really be disappointed? Those rides have very long waits if you don’t get a pass or them or pay for them. Guess who doesn’t know anything about them, or what they are missing out on? Your kids. I know that the adults in the group might feel like they are missing out, but it isn’t the kids that will miss out.

It’s a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan’s Flight, Journey of the Little Mermaid, Toy Story Mania, Spaceship Earth, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Nemo, Mad Hatters Tea Party, The Peoplemover, etc. These are just a few of the fun rides for kids that they are going to want to ride over and over again. They will love it, and won’t have any idea what they are missing out on.

4) Memories for Parents/Grandparents

We’ve talked about how it s a fact the kids probably won’t remember a trip at this age. There will be plenty of pictures taken though, and there will be people that remember. The parents and grandparents that go on the trip.

Using that logic, why are you having a birthday party for a toddler? Ever see a 1-year-old, 2-year-old, or 3-year-old birthday party? They are the most elaborate of all birthday parties! Why? Parents want them to have a great party, and they want to make them happy in the moment. They don’t care that they won’t remember.

Children’s museums, zoos, aquariums, and even the movies are things they won’t remember that you took them to when they were little. But we still do these things too. Why? It will make them happy, and we will see the smile on their faces, and we will remember it forever.

5) Forced to Relax

Disney isn’t for the faint of heart. Disney vacations are very busy. They are very intense. When you get home, you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation. This isn’t quite as true when you go with a toddler.

Toddlers need naps. Toddlers need snacks. Toddlers need decent bedtimes. None of these things usually happen when you go to Disney. However, with a toddler in tow, you will be forced to slow down just enough to consider these trips more of a vacation than an adventure.

Disney can be extremely exhausting between Early wake ups for rope drop, and the late nights to watch fireworks. Add in the go go go during the day, every day, and it is easy to go really hard, and worry about the consequences later.

Toddlers force us to make responsible decisions, that keep us well fed, well rested, and actually relaxed on vacation.

Your friends may think you’re crazy, but who cares? You’re going to go on a memory making trip for yourself, your kids are going to have an amazing time, and DDWK Travel will be there for you every step of the way.