Hi, I’m Ella, the family dog and the last one to complete our blended family of 7. My mom must really miss travelling since it is her 3rd time talking about memorable trips this month. The whole family had the chance to travel to Florida in January 2019. For any vacation that includes children, planning before leaving is the key to a successful Disney trip. Here is what you need to know for a successful Disney trip with children.
Deciding where to Stay
First, one of the biggest challenges while travelling with a large family (more than 4 people) is to find a place to stay that accommodates everyone. Most hotels can accommodate up to 4 people in a room, but my big family of 6 had a hard time finding a place to stay. So, staying at one of the Disney resorts was not an option unless they wanted an adjoining room, double the price.
Also, our grandparents were travelling with them for this Disney trip. So, the best way for my family to enjoy their stay was to rent a house. There are a lot of them located near most of Disney Parks. Before they started looking at houses, they knew they wanted a place with a minimum of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a gated and safe neighbourhood. They also wanted a screened outdoor pool to enjoy and relax in between Disney Park visits.
My Grandparents found a house on the Airbnb website within a 15-minute drive to most Disney Parks. It included 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a screened-in outdoor pool, and a hot tub. Do your due diligence when you book on a vacation rental website. Read the host/past guest’s reviews and make sure there is a way to contact them if needed. Any travel agency could also guide you through this process.
For my family, it was the best option. Renting was less expensive, and they enjoyed being able to make breakfast at the house before leaving for those exciting Disney theme Parks. They also had enough space, so no one stepped in each others’ feet the entire trip.
What Disney Theme Park to visit
There is 4 magical themes park and 2 water parks in Disney World, Florida. Check them here:
Theme Park
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: The home of the Avatar Flight of Passage
- Epcot: A visit around the world
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: The home of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Magic Kingdom: Castle, fairies, and princesses
Water Parks
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon: Prepare to get wet where the water comes from every direction.
- Disney’s Blizzard Beach: What’s more refreshing than a blizzard during the hot summer months?
Firstly, depending on how long you are staying, you might have to choose between a few of the 6 parks listed above. Unless you love to be on the go every single day, by all means, visit all 6. They all have a unique experience to offer. But if you are travelling with children, I recommend having 1 or 2 days to relax.
The vacation was 8 days in length for my family. Living in Canada, 2 of those days were travel days. My parents are remarkably busy and wanted a few days to relax beside the pool at the rental house. Because of this, they decided to visit two Disney World Theme Parks and one Universal studio park. It was perfect! No one was overtired. TIP: Including a day to rest between each Disney World Theme Park visit makes everything much more enjoyable for everyone.
List of shows and attractions
Secondly, after choosing which parks you will be visiting, make a list of each attraction and/or ride you do not want to miss. Some shows and parades have a specific schedule, and if you skip this important step, chances are you might miss one or more events that you really would have enjoyed seeing. All the parks are huge and full of visitors. It can take up to an hour to get from one attraction to another.
TIP: Once you have purchased your park tickets, Sign-up on the Disney website, https://disneyland.disney.go.com/, and register for the “Fast Pass.” You get to select some of your times before you go. This way, you don’t have to wait in line for the most popular rides. Do this as soon as possible as the fast pass times slots fill up fast.
My family decided to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
This was the 1st park they visited on day 3. My family did not want to miss the Avatar Flight of Passage, so they went directly to that ride as soon as they arrived on site. It was 3 hours wait, but wow, it was so worth it. The walk-through to get to the ride was incredible and very immersive. They all felt like they were in the movie.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
All 4 boys and including my dad, are big fans of Star Wars. Nicholas was right in his element. Check him out at his Jedi training.
Universal Studio
My mom is a big fan of Harry Potter, so they could not go to Florida without planning a day at Universal Studios to visit The Wizarding World.
Conclusion
Between the adventure days at the park, they spent some quality time beside the pool and played board games at night. My parents were delighted they took the time to plan their vacation properly. It was the key to a successful Disney trip with children. Maybe one day they will be able to go on a Disney Cruise. They could bring you more tips for a successful Disney Cruise Trip with children.
Do you have any tips or comments to share about your family trip to Disney? Please leave us a message; we cannot wait to hear from you.
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Great advice for traveling to Disney with kids. I prefer to stay in a home too, with a full kitchen. It’s so much easier to prep and eat good meals.
We love visiting Disney but haven’t stayed overnight before so when we do, I’m going to have to really do some research on the best place to stay!
Magic Kingdom is my favorite park with kids!
I never really thought about Disney World. I’ve never been, nor could I afford to take my kids. I was a single mom putting my way through college and grad school. This is great information for those thinking about going.
Thank Alicia. Single mom life is not easy. I was there too before I met Frank. ❤️
Looks like you all had a fabulous time! Thank you for sharing.
Having time to recover in between parks would make all the difference! We went from open to close each day and we’re exhausted! Lol
We love taking family trips to Disney… but they are definitely difficult to plan! It takes a lot of work to make the plans perfectly tailored for your family, but the reward is a memorable family vacation !
Planning is the key for a great vacation 🤗
You’re my hero for going to Disney with seven kids! Lol. What a fun vacation. I would love to go back again someday.
I hope we get to go back someday too. Or maybe a Disney Cruise would be fun.
I needed this post. I’m secretly planning a Disney trip for next year 🤞.
Glad you like it! If you have any questions, I’d be happy to help.
Animal Kingdom has been on my list of trips for a while. These are great trips for traveling with a group/family.
Animal Kingdom is my personal favourite.
We are headed to Disney with the grandchildren this fall, it’s been a few years since we have visited with little ones. Looking forward to visiting the Magic Kingdom. Thanks for all the great ideas.
Have a great vacation and enjoy the little ones 🤗
You’ve got some wonderful suggestions for those planning to visit Disney! I remember planning our trip when my daughter was 4 years old. It did take some effort. We too, chose to rent a home close by & found it a wonderful and cost effective alternative to staying on the property.
It was definitely cost-effective. We really enjoyed our time staying at the property too.
Looks like a fun time, forsure!
We had a fantastic time!
It’s so easy to pack too much into a vacation, as you want to take full advantage of the time you spend in a new place. We have learned that planning some downtime is vital.
Absolutely. Sometime a little less, is more. 🤗
Disney with seven kids? You are a truly brave woman. It looks like everyone had fun, and you have great tips for families here!
Haha! We had a blast and have created so many memories for years to come.
Great tips! I find even the thought of planning a trip to Disney can be overwhelming so any advice like this is very helpful!
Thanks Terra! Glad you like it.
Love Disney. These are some great tips. Planning a trip next year so I will bookmark to circle back for some of these tips. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Sabrina, let me know if you have any question. I’ll be glad to help 🤗
Disneyworld is overwhelming for me as a family with 2 kids. I can’t even imagine it with a large family. These are great tips!!
Haha! Planning was the key and a few days to rest in between made it perfect 🙂
Lots of useful info for planning ahead for Disney trip!
Thank you Debbie 🙂
It sounds like you guys had a great time! I’m not sure I have enough patience to wait in line for 3 hours (haha!), but that Avatar Flight of Passage ride sounds amazing!
We had so much fun! I’m hoping to go back some day.
Loving the blogs!! And I want to go to Disney haha
We had so much fun!