Tips for going to Disney as a big family
*This post was originally written for Joovy Magazine, and my article can be found here*
If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, you totally should, but if you do, you’ll quickly notice that we love Disney. As our family has grown from 2 to now 6, we visit Disney World just as much. We love going because seeing the twinkle in their eyes when they see their favorite disney characters, or go on their favorite ride just just makes it all worth it.
Now I would be lying if I said that every trip is pure magic. The kids (and myself included) have had their fair share of Disney Meltodowns. But for the most part we avoid them! We know all the ins and outs, all the tips and tricks to make each Disney Trip as magical as the first visit, even with a zillion kids.
Wanna know how we afford going to Disney so much? Read my blog post on it here!
Tips for Going to Disney as A Big Family:
- Plan out meals:
- If you want to save money, eat before you go! Eat a hearty breakfast whether you’re at home, hotel or stopping by a fast food joint. Pack lunches and snacks! If my kids are having a meltdown, 90% chance, it’s because they’re hungry and 10% its because they’re sleepy. So packing tons of snacks and lunch, will prevent child meltdowns, and adult ones too. I personally eat breakfast before we go, pack the kids’ lunches (things we KNOW they’ll eat), my husband and I will buy a meal (sometimes we share it) and then eat dinner when we get home! We rarely spend over $25 at Disney!
- Do mobile order: THIS IS A GAME CHANGER!! You can plan your meals for the day, and prepay and preorder your meals, and when you’re ready to eat, just go to the app and hit prepare order, and within 5 minutes your food is ready and best part, No long lines with kids! You just walk up to the mobile order pick up counter when you get the notification in the My Disney Experience app!!
- If you don’t mind spending some $$$: Make Advance Dining Reservations! This will save you so much time. Most Disney restaurants are packed, all the time and you can rarely just walk up and be seated. Making reservations 180 prior to your trip, you avoid excessively long waits, and secure your spot!
- Also utilize Disney’s Dining Plan, I’m not entirely sure how it works out, but when you purchase your Disney tickets, there is an option to add on the dining plan! CLICK HERE to learn more about it.
- Figure out stroller situation: Disney changed their stroller policy stopping large and over-sized strollers (including wagons) into their parks. Strollers that are over 31″ in width, and 52″ in length are prohibited. Almost all of Joovy’s strollers are Disney approved! But having a stroller for your little one to sit in is key! It’s a spot for you to store all of your goodies, merchandise, and also contain the kids–if you have a runner like me. If you don’t want to bring a stroller, you can always rent one at the park!
- Plan for some down time: I understand being at Disney World is exciting, and who knows when you’ll ever be back! But plan for some downtime, to just relax whether that’s watching a parade, or going on some slower rides. A few of my slower rides are people mover, and Carousel of Progress–both at Magic Kingdom. My kiddos almost always fall asleep on those rides!
- Know when the busiest times are: Because I live here in Florida, and visit the parks pretty frequently, I see when it’s super packed, like at max capacity, and when it’s slow. Here is a helpful site that shares when it’s insanely busy, and when it’s slow. Nut I can tell you right now, summer time–when kids are out of school, its packed! And it slows down just after Labor day!
- Make Fastpasses for all your favorite rides: If you don’t know what fastpasses are, they are passes that let you skip the line. However, you can only make 3 pastpasses per day, and for only 1 park. But if you’re an annual passholder, they can be made 30 days in advance and if you’re staying at a Disney World Resort, up to 60 days in advance. If you forget to make fastpasses, you can make them at the park, so no worries!
Those are a few of my tips for going to Disney with a large family, and making the most of your day! No matter what, your family will have a great time, after all it’s Disney World “The Most Magical Place in the World”.
