Disney World Packing for a Toddler

March 27, 2011

Panic temporarily set in last week when my husband gleefully reminded me that our family’s Walt Disney World vacation was just six weeks out. You may think that being a Walt Disney World veteran I would take it all in stride and share his unrestrained jubilee. Wrong. Yes, I was beyond excited that our long-awaited vacation was just around the corner but planning and packing for the kids falls under my area of responsibility and I knew it would not be as simple as throwing everything into a suitcase the night before. Getting everything together that my five-year old would need for the trip wouldn’t be too difficult but my toddler was a different story. Research had to be done and retail purchase would need to be made.

Although I’ve visited Walt Disney World with a toddler before and have some necessities, experience has taught me to look at every trip with fresh eyes. My toddler has a different personality that my older son and with that comes new challenges that would require new solutions; I couldn’t assume the exact same strategies and items would work for both children.

Summer Clothes Check
The realization that our trip was around the corner immediately spurred me into action. First up was a clothing check. Luckily, my two-year old has enough new (well new to him, anyways) clothes that shopping for summer clothes for him was unnecessary except for a new hat and sandals since they are not so easily handed down due to wear and tear. My five-year old was a different story. I dutifully made a list of the clothes he would need and knocked it out in one shopping trip which is easy enough since almost anything goes with khaki, gray, and navy blue!

Mickey Gifts
The Disney store at our local outlets was the next stop. Every day, “Mickey” visits our room while we are in the theme parks and leaves a small gift on each child’s pillow. There must be something about the Florida sunshine that makes me forgetful or tardy. I almost always have to return to the room for something I “forgot” shortly after we all leave or am running behind and need to catch up with my family as soon as I finish my makeup. I carefully stocked up on T-shirts, Disney placemats, Mickey and Minnie crazy straws, sunglasses, bouncy balls, and more.

Now that my soon-to-be kindergartener was squared away, it was time to focus on my two-year old. There are four main areas I look at with an eye towards his personality and how each area would be affected by a trip to Walt Disney World. Eating, sleeping, diapering, and safety all got a close look.

Eating
What a difference a year makes! Last year, my son could not use a straw so packing sippy cups was a necessity along with disposable bibs, disposable placemats to place finger foods, and special snacks that would be easy to eat for a one-year old without a full set of teeth.

Snack Trap; Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Added to my packing list were disposable toddler utensils, his snack trap which allows him to easily munch on small items like goldfish and cheerios without spilling them, and a travel high-chair cover.

Sleeping

Photo Credit: One Step Ahead

As a toddler, my older, more reserved son would sleep in a Pack ‘N Play if need be. With my little guy, all bets are off. I think there is a greater than 50% chance that he will climb out as a show of protest. I’m not sure the child-sized air mattress we have will work any better at keeping him in one place, but it will be safer than him practicing his latest climbing moves in an attempt to escape the Pack ‘N Play. We’ve decided to bring it as backup.

We’ll also be packing a night-light and his blanket since Disney doesn’t provide one with the Pack ‘N Play.

Between the lion, monkey, giraffe, puppy, piggy, and Cookie Monster, he sleeps with a veritable zoo every night. Now, my dilemma is, do I pack them all up or take a chance and pick two?

Diapering
There’s nothing I can do about the need for diapers and wipes but I will be purchasing disposable changing pads. The ones I brought last year are larger than the changing pad in my diaper bag which is helpful in covering more surface area for a larger child to lie on.

Safety
I did it. I purchased a harness backpack and will ignore any judgmental looks I receive. My son’s safety is paramount. Whereas my five-year old wouldn’t wander six inches from my side when he was a toddler, my two-year old will squirm and try to break free of my tight hold of his hand if the mood strikes or something interesting catches his eye. Given the crowds, the many exciting things that will capture his attention, and his speech delay, I need to take every step possible to ensure we won’t be separated and using a harness backpacks is one tool in my kit.

Photo Credit: Safety Tat

In addition to the harness backpack, I’ll be using safety tattoos for the children. I’ll affix the temporary tattoos to their back and write our contact information on them.

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Unfortunately, we live many miles from the Mouse House so we fly. Last year, we brought my son’s car seat for the plane but it was bulky and difficult to lug through the airport when we already had our hands full with children, a stroller, and carry-ons. I purchased the CARES harness which is an aviation safety restraint approved by the FAA. I haven’t decided whether to use it or not, primarily because my son is very comfortable in his car seat and familiarity may ease his discomfort with flying.

The last thing I have to pick-up in the safety category is sunburn detection patches. With all the hustle and bustle of a day touring Magic Kingdom, it’s easy to forget to reapply sunscreen.

Window Guards; Photo Credit: One Step Ahead

Medicine Safe; Photo Credit: One Step Ahead

My packing wouldn’t be complete without a medicine lock box, outlet plug covers, a lever lock for the resort room door, and safety locks for the sliding door to the balcony.

It takes some advance planning to travel to Walt Disney World with toddlers but it’s well worth the effort.

Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You can follow her on Twitter @DisneyExplorer or become a fan of Beyond the Attractions on Facebook.

4 Responses to Disney World Packing for a Toddler

saundra on March 27, 2011 at 5:11 pm

Just used CARES for the first time last month, marvelous invention and so easy to use.

We found flying during an afternoon nap was way better than 7 am in the morning when he was wide awake.

Best thing we did was rent a stroller from a local stroller rental company. We brought our tinier travel stroller for the airports, but having a good bigger stroller made life easier in the parks.

Lisa Battista on March 27, 2011 at 6:26 pm

Saundra, thanks for the feedback on CARES. I was a little nervous about how easy or difficult it would be to install on the plane but it sure beats lugging a car seat through the airport.

I’ve placed my order with Orlando Stroller Rentals for the theme parks and we’ll bring the umbrella stroller to help us maneuver through the airports, just as you did.

Thanks for reading!

Lynn (lynnsc08) on March 28, 2011 at 8:27 am

Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out!! I still get anxiety packing for each trip we take and my husband laughs with my lists and crazy-ness. I’ve never heard of the sunburn patches though. I’ll have to check those out since my little one burns so easily.

Lisa Battista on March 28, 2011 at 8:42 am

Hi Lynn. One Step Ahead sells wristbands that you apply sunscreen to. When they change color, it means it’s time to apply more sunscreen. Thank you for reading.