How we got there, where we stayed, how many days we were there, what we ate, what parks we went to, the attractions we rode, and more!
In October we braved Walt Disney World with our then one-and-a-half-year-old. My husband and I are Disney World pros with almost a dozen trips under our belts, so sharing our love and passion for the house of mouse with our son was a must.
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably a parent who is about to embark on a Disney vacation with your toddler, and you’re looking for information to help make your trip as smooth as possible.
Well, I am happy to oblige. Here are all of the details on our first Walt Disney World vacation as a family of three. Don’t worry, I will share a post later with all the things I learned about toting a toddler to Disney and will dole out all my best tips. If you want to be alerted via email when that post goes live, subscribe to the Dammit, Hali newsletter.
My biggest tip for Disney World with a toddler
Before I jump into all of the fun things we did, I want to talk about why I think our first Disney World trip with a toddler went as seamless as it did.
I’m a Disney junkie, right? I’ve written numerous posts over the years about our trips and I’ve shared countless planning tips on social media. I could plan a full Disney vacation in my sleep (and probably have).
All of that is to say, I have certain expectations when traveling to Disney World. I know where I want to eat, what rides I want to ride, where I want to stay, and how many days I want to go. When we decided to tackle Disney with our toddler, I knew I had to let go of every single expectation I had. If I didn’t, our trip was sure to be miserable.
So, that’s what I did.
I had absolutely no expectations or visions in my head of how this trip would go. And because of that, I was able to slow down and be in the moment each day, listen to my son’s hunger and sleep cues, and genuinely experience the magic of Disney World through his little eyes.
As you read on, please keep this in mind. There is no formula for making a perfect Disney trip when you have a toddler on board. But having a toddler isn’t a reason to not plan a Disney trip. Toddlers are unpredictable, they throw tantrums, and they have meltdowns. You should anticipate tantrums and meltdowns at the happiest place on earth. At the same time, don’t let it ruin your day. There can be so much more good than bad when you take your toddler to Disney World. You just have to be in the right mindset and be able to manage your own expectations.
OK, with that out of the way, let’s jump into the detail of our trip.
How we got there
We flew direct from Raleigh, NC to Orlando. At the time, Disney was still providing the Magical Express shuttle from MCO to Disney. That service has since been retired, though. Now, you can still reserve a shuttle from the airport to your Disney resort hotel through Mears at an additional cost. When I checked recently it was only $30 round trip, so definitely cheaper than an Uber or rental car.
The flight with Jack was incredibly easy, much to my surprise. I packed a ton of activities and his tablet to have on the plane. He sat in the seat between Justin and I and colored, played with stickers, snacked, and watched his tablet for the entire plane ride. I don’t even think he noticed we were flying.
Where we stayed
We stayed on property at the Port Orleans Riverside resort. It’s a moderate Disney resort hotel, and the grounds were beautiful. It’s themed to New Orleans garden district, so there is a ton of lush greenery, waterways, and walking paths. Our room had lovely updates, as well. No carpet (love that!), a comfortable king sized bed, and a fold out bed for older kids. Jack slept in bed with us.
How many nights we stayed and what it cost
I didn’t want to overdo it for our first family Disney trip, so we did four nights and three park days. And I did include Park Hopper in our reservation.
The total cost for our hotel and park tickets package was about $2,300. Disney packages right now don’t include dining plans, so we paid out of pocket for food and beverages. That was an additional cost of approximately $500. The thing I love about a Disney vacation is that the cost is completely dependent upon how you build your trip. Your resort hotel, how many days of park tickets you select, where you dine, and any extras you add on all factor in to how little or how much you pay; it’s completely customizable.
What parks we went to and the attractions we rode
We explored the four main parks — Magic Kingdom (MK), Epcot, Animal Kingdom (AK), and Hollywood Studios — and found MK and AK to be the most toddler friendly. MK, especially has the most rides and attractions for a kids Jack’s age to enjoy.
At MK we rode Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party, and Under the Seas – Journey of the Little Mermaid over and over because those seemed to be his favorites. We also rode, as a family, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
At AK, we rode Kilimanjaro Safaris and TriceraTop Spin, and we thoroughly enjoyed walking around looking at the animals. Justin and I were also able to rider swap Expedition Everest.
Rides at Epcot and Hollywood Studios were a little harder to come by because it was so busy, lines were long, and Genie+ hadn’t launched yet to replace the already retired FastPass. At Epcot, we did ride the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros, which Jack LOVED, and The Seas with Nemo & Friends. And at Hollywood Studios, Justin and I just rider swapped Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.
Like I mentioned above, lines were long while we were there, FastPass and Genie+ weren’t available, and we didn’t particularly want to wait in lines to ride rides. So, we didn’t prioritize bouncing from ride to ride. Again, this was me managing my own expectations.
Where we ate
Disney food isn’t your average theme park food. It is honestly very good, so we always enjoy Disney dining experiences. With Jack in tow this trip, I knew we would prioritize quick service and snacks over table service meals. Sit down eating is difficult enough at home, let alone at Disney. I planned accordingly.
On the day we arrived, we ate lunch at our resort hotel in the Riverside Mill Food Court. We actually ate here a lot during our vacation, and everything we had was very good. The large pizza was a great value for under $20, and it easily fed all three of us.
In MK we enjoyed an early lunch reservation at the Crystal Palace. It’s a beautiful buffet-style restaurant on Main Street, U.S.A., with delicious options such as carved prime rib and braised beef brisket, on the buffet line. We also enjoyed quick bites from Aloha Isle, Casey’s Corner, Sleepy Hollow, and Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe.
My absolute favorite dining experience during this trip was breakfast in AK at Tusker House. It’s a character meal served family style, and the food was some of the best I’ve ever had at Disney. Jack LOVED that the characters walk around the restaurant and interact with the guests at each table (from a safe distance during COVID times). Tusker House was truly a great way to start our AK day. In the afternoon we split a baked macaroni and cheese with pulled pork from Flame Tree Barbecue. Again, another must-try Disney dining experience.
In Epcot, we snacked around the World Showcase since the Food and Wine Festival was happening. We also grabbed a quick bite to split at La Cantina de San Angel.
On our last parks day we rope dropped Hollywood Studios and ate Woody’s Lunchbox for breakfast. This counter service spot stays BUSY so I recommend putting in your mobile order first thing in the morning. Justin and I split a breakfast bowl, Jack had his own breakfast bowl, and we all shared a raspberry lunchbox tart.
I think the trick to making dining at Disney a success with small kids is to utilize counter service dining as much as possible. Table service is nice, but quick service/counter service takes off a lot of the pressure that can come with sitting down to eat at a formal table during an already over-stimulating time.
I know planning a Disney vacation can be overwhelming, so I hope you found this overview of our trip educational and helpful. And I hope you will stay tuned for more Disney content to come!
