I took my toddler on a trip to Disney World, and I made some BIG mistakes! I don’t want you to make the same mistakes, which is why I’m sharing my experience with YOU!

Since my son was born, we’ve done some park days here and there, but this was our first full-scale Disney World trip as a family of three. I learned a lot along the way, and I’m here to share my mistakes so that you can avoid the same pitfalls! But don’t worry, I did some things RIGHT as well, so keep those in mind, too!

The Mistakes I Made

First on the list of mistakes? Doing a split stay! This is a popular option for many Disney fans, and our trip was actually split into three parts — staying two nights with friends, two nights at a Value Resort in Disney World, and three nights at a Deluxe Resort. I got a great deal on our Value Resort with a Passholder discount, which saved us enough money to do a nice room at the end, but it was a LOT of transitioning for my toddler. Packing and unpacking four separate times in a week and a half was chaotic and disorienting for him, and he never really got to settle into one place. Older children might be able to handle the moving around better, but for the next few years, we’ll be picking one resort and sticking to it…even if it means staying somewhere budget-friendly.

The next mistake was something we kept doing over and over throughout the trip — I simply could not remember to grab my hip sling out of the stroller when it was time to wait in lines! A hip sling or a hip seat carrier can be a huge help when waiting in line for rides with older babies or toddlers because you can’t bring your stroller with you in nearly all queues. I packed it for our trip and even had it in the basket of the stroller most days, but when it was time to park the stroller and head inside, I kept forgetting to grab it. Don’t be like me, unwinding at home with sore hips and knees from carrying an extra 30 pounds through every line.

It had been a few months since we went to the parks with my son, and he’s much more mobile and active now than he used to be. So, a new thing that I’ll have to think about in the future is planning more time for him to run around and burn energy. Each day, we got to a point where he got fussy and just wanted to be out of the stroller (it’s hard when toddlers aren’t used to being contained all day at home!), and we would have to find a spot somewhere to let him run free. You’ll likely be able to find spaces that fit that mold somewhere in each park, but I would add them to the game plan in the future to minimize meltdowns.

I think this next mistake is one that many parents make in Disney World…I accidentally spooked him with an attraction he wasn’t ready for! We went to Blizzard Beach and visited Tike’s Peak, which is the area of the water park designed for young children. We tried going down one of the water slides, not realizing there were smaller, more toddler-friendly options available. Some water splashed in his face at the end, and it took quite a while after that for him to be comfortable with going near the water again. Lesson to all — don’t try and get your child to do something they’re not comfortable doing!

The last big mistake we made during our trip? Not prioritizing bedtime enough! We made sure to stick to the nap schedule all week, going back to the hotel midday to rest, but we didn’t leave the park early enough each night to keep bedtime. That ended up with my toddler going to bed an hour and a half too late every night and waking up an hour early every day…weird, right?! By the end of the week, he was STRUGGLING because he was sleep-deprived. So, a word to the wise: if your child isn’t very flexible about sleep at home, they’re not suddenly going to be flexible about it on vacation. Cutting park time for bedtime will ultimately keep everyone happier for longer!

The Things I Did Right

Thankfully, it wasn’t a week made entirely of mistakes. There are a few things I did absolutely RIGHT! The first thing I was really grateful that I did was bring detergent pods, stain remover, and dryer sheets (as well as a bag for dirty clothes) so I could do laundry partway through the week. I wasn’t sure if I would need to, but it was so hot and humid that we ended up doing midday showers every day during nap time and wearing two outfits a day. Disney’s BoardWalk Inn offered a complimentary laundry room (no charge to use the machines), but I would’ve had to purchase generic soap from their vending machine if I didn’t bring my own.

I already mentioned this above, but I’m SO grateful that we decided to come back to the hotel room each day for naptime. I truly don’t think we would’ve survived to the end of the week without it! My child isn’t exactly a flexible sleeper (I know some of you out there can relate), and stroller naps weren’t an option for us. Those solid two hours of sleep midday were what kept him going despite the rough sleep at night. It also gave us adults some time to unwind in the air conditioning.

My third big win? Hitting up Sam’s Club before our trip to prepurchase snacks and breakfast items in bulk. We brought individually packaged items as well as large containers that we could empty into sandwich bags or snack cups (we road tripped, so you might need to pack differently if you fly). There were SO many times throughout the week where those Sam’s Club snacks saved us in long lines, between meals, or while stuck waiting for the next thing to happen. Snacks are a MUST when traveling with small kids.

Don’t have time to hit up the grocery store before your trip? No worries — there’s another way to get food to your hotel without the hassle! Amazon Fresh offers so many things, like food, drinks, diapers, essentials, and more, with delivery straight to your resort! They offer same-day delivery, or you can reserve a window up to three days in advance! There is a $9.95 fee for orders under $50, $6.95 for orders over $50, and FREE delivery for orders over $100! Be sure to keep this in mind for your next trip!

So, if you’re going to Disney World with a toddler soon, you can use these mistakes and successes to learn and have the best trip possible! For more tips and tricks, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.

I’m Taking My Toddler to Disney World and My To-Do List Exploded

Have you ever made these mistakes in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!