Honest Thoughts on Disney World with 2 under 5

just book the trip

You may be thinking to yourself “Hey, I thought this newsletter was about books…” and finding yourself a little surprised that today’s post is about Disney. It has taken me a total of 8 months to finally type out all the things swirling around in my head to recap our trip. This newsletter was highly requested so if it’s not meant for you, feel free to smash that trash button in your inbox!

Why Disney World?

My main motivation for going to Disney World when we did was a) my son would still be free of charge and b) my daughter was starting Kindergarten and our vacation schedules for the next 13 years will now revolve around a school schedule.

The Room

We booked our May trip to Disney World last January, taking advantage of one of the hotel package discounts at the All-Star Movies Resort. We had all previously stayed at an All-Star resort and the accommodations are comfortable, especially if you don’t plan on spending much time in your room aside from sleeping while at the parks. Our room was tiny but one of the full beds was a Murphy bed that gave us a small dining and staging area. Our double stroller barely fit in the room with our pack and play but we made it work even if it was a bit tight.

Transportation

After two days of dragging our double stroller, bags, and kids on and off the bus, we decided it made more sense and was less of a hassle to just drive to the parks. We were still able to take advantage of the free parking and not be late for early entry.

Weather Woes

Because we went in late Spring, we got all of Florida’s typical daily thunderstorms. It did put a little bit of a damper on our plans so we missed out on some rides, especially on our day at Magic Kingdom. We were prepared with our rain parkas but Disney will temporarily close rides for the weather. A lot of our Lightning Lane reservations were canceled as a result. If we get to go again with the kids, I might split that one park up over two days. My only real regret from our trip is that we didn’t see much of Adventureland. That and not getting enough photos of my mom with the kids. On the plus side, both kids seemed to catch a quick nap during the rainstorms. It’s a long day in the heat when you’re not used to walking a lot and it took a toll on my feet (and mood) too! Snacks were our redeemer in those moody moments.

Travel with a Pro

The kids seemed to best enjoy the two parks with the fewest rides (in my opinion)— Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. I actually enjoyed those two days with them a lot because we were able to take the day at a slower pace. There’s so much ground to cover at Epcot and Magic Kingdom that I think we all felt more flustered trying to get to where we needed to be and maximize the number of rides. At the end of the trip, we did A LOT. It’s impossible to do everything at Disney World and I think that’s where they get you to plan your next trip back. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank my younger sister for all her help in planning our trip. She went in January and was our resident expert on Genie+ and Lightning Lane. While we were waiting in line for food in Animal Kingdom she managed to book Expedition Everest and make sure my husband and daughter got to ride with her before our table was ready. I can’t tell you how much it helps to have a designated person with a phone to book the experiences while the rest of your party has their eyes glued to the kids. We wouldn’t have had such a positive experience or even been able to ride half of the rides we did without her help!

The Disney Hug Rule

To be honest, character experiences were not my #1 priority. They take up so much time and most of them you have to either reserve or wait in line for now. With that being said, I felt like we still saw a decent amount of characters and the kids were so great during their interactions. I was a little nervous with my almost 2-year-old but he was so friendly and loving and not at all afraid.

Everything we did in Epcot

• Nemo x2

• Bruce’s Shark World

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival

• Frozen Ever After

• Guardians of the Galaxy x2

• Journey Into Imagination with Figment

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

• Soarin’

• Kidcot Fun Stops

Characters we saw in Epcot

• Mickey Mouse

• Donald Duck

• Vanellope

• Joy

• Pluto

• Winnie the Pooh

• Rafiki

Everything we did in Hollywood Studios

• For the First Time in Forever Frozen Singalong

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Train

• Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run

• Slinky Dog Dash

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

• Toy Story Mania

• Tower of Terror

• The Little Mermaid Movie Preview

Characters we saw in Hollywood Studios

• Edna Mode

• Frozone

• Woody and Jessie

• Green Army Drum Corps

Everything we did in Magic Kingdom

• The Barnstormer

• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

• Dumbo

• It’s a Small World

• Mad Tea Party

• Peter Pan’s Flight

• Seven Dwarves Mine Train

• Tron

• Under the Sea

• Festival of Fantasy Parade

Characters we saw in Magic Kingdom

• Merida

• Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore

Everything we did in Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Flight of Passage

• Animal Encounters: the Kingdom takes flight

• Expedition Everest

• Festival of the Lion King

• Kilimanjaro Safari

• Na’vi River Journey

• Viva Gaia Street Band

• Wilderness Explorers

Characters we saw in Animal Kingdom

• Mickey and Minnie

At almost 2 and almost 5, my kids were the perfect ages for Disney. You could just see the magic through their eyes. Will they remember it? Probably not. But I’d do it again and again. If you’re on the fence, just book the trip.

I’m planning separate newsletters all about food and what we packed for our 5-day trip so be on the lookout for those to come soon.

See ya real soon!