Top 5 Tips for Parents When Visiting Disney

For parents planning a Disney trip, there are countless experiences that the parks have to offer for families and only so much time to do it all! While every Disney vacation is bound to have its ups and downs, there are certain things that parents can do to make the most of the experience when touring with kids.

We will cover the top 5 tips that parents visiting Disneyland or Disney World will want to consider!

1) Don’t skip breaks! While there is undoubtedly a lot of pressure to make the most of your money and squeeze in all of the experiences you can, it shouldn’t come at the expense of your family’s enjoyment. Remember, you’re at Disney to have fun! While many parents can feel tempted to power through when exhaustion or hunger hits, this can end up resulting in a meltdown or an unhappy time altogether. Neglecting breaks is arguably the biggest mistake that parents can make at Disney.

Especially if you are planning on arriving at the parks for rope drop, make sure you carve out time for a midday break, whether it’s returning to your hotel for a quick nap or dip in the pool, or simply finding a quiet spot or slower attraction away from the crowds for some downtime. See some of our favorite secret spots at Disneyland. Table-service meals are a great way to ensure you have a built-in break during your day.

2) Consider your kids’ fears and aversions. It’s understandable that as parents, you may feel very excited about your favorite rides and sharing these experiences with your kids. However, make sure you consider what your kids may be afraid of or adverse to so that these don’t end up being a negative experience. If you’re unsure about what your child can handle, it’s helpful to do some prep like watching ride-through videos on YouTube ahead of time to see how they react.

Even if your child meets the height requirements for a ride, they may not be ready or excited to experience it. Be sure to check out the Disney World height requirements and Disneyland height requirements ahead of your trip so that you know which rides your child will be able to go on.

On a related note, some parents may be tempted to try certain hacks to get around the height requirements on rides, but this is very dangerous, as these restrictions exist for the safety of your children.

3) Make sure you pack the essentials you’ll need during your Disney park day. Coming prepared can make a huge difference in your experience! Make sure you don’t forget items that can come in handy, like sunscreen, snacks, tissues, Wet Ones, and travel games for waiting in line. Packing a small first aid kit can be helpful when traveling with kids so that you have items to clean and cover any scrapes/wounds quickly on hand in case your child takes a tumble. You can see all of the essential items we recommend bringing to the parks, including items that are helpful when traveling with kids, in our Disneyland packing list and Disney World packing list.

4) Pre-purchasing souvenirs and using Disney gift cards can be a good way to save money when visiting with kids. For any items you know your kids will gravitate towards, like plushies or glow-in-the-dark toys that are brought out at nighttime spectaculars, you can often find these at a much lower price ahead of your trip. See some of the inexpensive Disney items you’ll want to consider ordering via Amazon ahead of your trip.

While buying certain items ahead of time is smart so you have something on hand for your child when they’re tempted by the more expensive parks merchandise, there are also many unique items at the parks that are worth buying. See our recommended Disneyland souvenirs that are memorable and worth the money. To enforce a souvenir budget, it’s a good idea to put your kids’ spending money on a Disney gift card so that they understand how much they have to spend and when it will be gone!

5) Book a character dining meal for quality time with characters! This can be a great way for your kids to get some great interactions with favorite characters without having to deal with the long waits and rushed nature of meet-and-greet lines in the parks. Each Disney character dining meal offers its own unique theming and characters, and there are a variety of experiences across the Disney resorts and inside the parks. See our favorite Disney World character dining experiences and best Disneyland character dining experiences.

You can read more about the biggest mistakes parents make at Disney, as well as our top tips for touring the parks for families.

At Mickey Visit, we share the most important tips for planning your trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Universal, and beyond. Each week, we’ll share some of our top tips here on Laughing Place.