Why You Should Take Your Toddler to Disney World (No, Seriously)
If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they're waiting until their kids are "old enough to remember it," I could probably cover a Premier Pass for Magic Kingdom.
I get it. Taking a toddler to Disney World sounds like a very expensive way to be hot, tired, and negotiating with a small person about shoes. But it is not as crazy as it seems. In fact, I would argue the toddler years are one of the best windows you'll ever get.
Here's why.
Reason #1: FREE, FREE, FREE
Children under 3 do not need a park ticket at Walt Disney World. They are free.
And it isn't just park tickets. It's Lightning Lanes too, including Premier Pass. You are saving hundreds of dollars before you've bought a single Mickey pretzel!
What you actually pay for is food, and even that comes with major savings. Kids meals go a long way (plus kids under 3 can eat off a parent’s plate for free), you're allowed to bring your own snacks into the parks, and under 3 they eat free at any “all you care to eat” restaurants like the buffets and character meals! They're also free for holiday parties and special events, which is a huge perk when you look at those ticket prices.
Let me show you the math:
I took my daughter on a solo trip when she was 2. Four park days. I did three days of Multi Pass and one day of Premier Pass. Plus dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table. She cost me zero dollars for those things. Not a discount. Zero.
I'm taking her again this year and she's 3 now. Park tickets with Park Hopper, three days of Multi Pass, one day of Premier Pass at Epcot (I'll explain another time why I always do Premier at Epcot specifically), and a Character Meal will run me around $1,200.
Same trip. Same kid. One year apart. $1,200 (at least) price difference.
That’s $1,200 I can put toward a Deluxe Resort room, another trip, or back in savings.
I also took my son at that age, but it was during Covid, which was a strange time for pricing and not a useful comparison for anybody.
One note: I have an Annual Pass, so I'm usually not buying resort+ticket packages. That's its own way to save: Ask Mindy for details.
Oh, and if you're flying, your under-2 can be usually be a free lap child, if that's something you're comfortable doing.
My son, age 2, blowing kisses with Mickey at Tusker House (distance was because this was a Covid era trip). Kids under 3 are free at buffets, even character breakfasts like this one!
My daughter, age 2, playing with a sword she was given at Cinderella’s Royal Table! Another free meal plus views and Princesses!
Reason #2: The Magic.
Everything is new. Maybe not for tiny babies, but especially as they get closer to 3, the potential for magic is enormous.
I took both of my kids at 2 and they absolutely loved it.
Mickey is real at that age. So are the princesses. There is no skepticism, no side-eye, no "is that a costume." Just belief.
Their faces the first time they see a parade? That alone is worth it.
If you're doing screen time (no judgment either way because we do a lot), your kid probably already knows Mickey and friends. There's so much character driven activity for little ones now, including Bluey at Animal Kingdom. My daughter was obsessed with Rapunzel and meeting her was the highlight of the whole trip.
It's also a chance to go slower. A toddler focused trip isn't about thrill rides. It's characters, slow rides, and actually looking at things. I will die on the hill that you can have an incredible day at Epcot with a toddler, and that the grown-ups can have a drink while doing it.
Also, both of my kids could ride 38 inch rides before they turned 3. They might be able to do more than you think.
You can take naps. You can spend a day at the water park. You are allowed to have a trip that isn't a forced march.
One of my favorite pre-trip traditions is showing my kids the old 1990 Disneyland video to get them hyped. It is super outdated and shot at Disneyland but the songs are iconic and my kids will watch it on loop. I really wish they'd make a new version, partly kids keep asking me where Roger Rabbit is, because he's in that thing constantly.
And yes, they won't remember a trip when they are a toddler.
But you will.
And don’t worry about your older kids if you have a toddler with you! My brother, Alex, is 8 years younger than me and my family started going to Disney frequently (thanks DVC) when he was a toddler in the late 90s. So the take a nap and go slow times were how I spent a lot of Disney trips. I have found memories of swimming with my dad while Alex took a nap and getting to ride my favorite rides back to back with Rider Swap! Alex also had to adapt to being out later and doing big kid things to accommodate me. You absolutely can make Disney work for both age groups (more on this in future posts).
Absolute core memory of my daughter meeting Rapunzel and Flynn.
My parents somehow survived toddlers at Disney before screens.
My son in his '“I want to push the stroller phase.” Might as well be at Disney since he did this in our neighborhood too.
Reason #3: Toddlers will Toddler anywhere. Might as well be at Disney.
Look, this whole page is called Magic Without Misery. I know how a toddler at Disney sounds. I promise that I don’t have magically well-behaved kids either.
But here's the thing. Your toddler is going to have a meltdown this week regardless. It's going to happen in Costco, or in your kitchen, or in the car outside a birthday party. The meltdown is, usually, not caused by Disney. The meltdown is a developmental stage with a very loud volume knob.
Might as well have it happen somewhere with Dole Whip.
I say this as someone whose kids both had diaper blowouts of epic proportion at Disney too.
If you plan it well and adjust your expectations, it can be genuinely amazing. We're going to cover a lot of those tips, like the best playgrounds and rides and what to pack if you follow along here.
And you're not sacrificing your own trip either. Rider Swap means the adults still get to ride the big stuff. Disney Babysitters, or a willing grandparent or uncle, can buy you an evening. You can absolutely have a good time as a grown-up.