A lot of these tips come from what I’ve learned personally after trips with young children. We took our eldest to Disney World when she was six months old, and our most recent trip was with our 3 year old and 18 month old. Whilst they are based on experience mostly at Disney World, they also apply to other Disney Theme Parks.
All Disney restaurants provide an activity sheet and crayons for kids dining there. However, they are more suited to older kids. Print off some Disney coloring pages (easily found online) and / or take a blank coloring pad with you to keep the kids amused while waiting to be served and in between courses.
Disney restaurants aren’t permitted to heat baby food or bottles for guests (health and safety rules), so be aware of this and prepare accordingly. In-park Baby Care Centers have microwaves provided for this use. Most places will provide a complimentary small bowl of pasta for young ones old enough to eat it. More on the subject of dining in a future article.
When making Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) for breakfasts, bear in mind that you’re often up later at night on vacation, and although your toddler may get up bright and early while at home, they’re likely to be more tired while on vacation. Factor in the travel time to the park or resort and an 8am breakfast reservation might not be quite as good as it sounded when you booked it. We learned this the hard way on our last trip. Long days at the parks and later nights meant our kids were really too tired to be getting out of bed at 7am and were very cranky as a result. Breakfast ADRs can usually be made up to about 10:30-11am, so make the most of this and let the kids have a lie-in!
Similarly, don’t expect your kids to be able to stay awake to see IllumiNations at 9pm, or Wishes at 10pm. As much as they might want to see the fireworks, little ones find it very hard to stay awake when they are so tired, and if you try to keep them awake you’re likely to have a cranky child on your hands and possibly even tantrums.
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