Top 5 Things We Did to make our Disney Trip Easier with a 4 and 1 Year Old
Top 5 Things We Did to make our Disney Trip Easier with a 4 and 1 Year Old
We Finally Did Disney!!
We traveled to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida back in February 2022 and I’ve had some time to digest it all. I swear I could write about 15 blogs on this visit. First, I will start with my top 5 favorite things that we did visiting Walt Disney World Resort in Florida to make our trip with our 4 and 1 year old easier.
1. Splurged on a Deluxe Villa Resort near Magic Kingdom and Stayed in our dream hotel: Disney’s Polynesian Resort
We stayed in the Villas and Bungalows section at the Polynesian Resort for a little extra space during our stay. We used the second bathroom as a makeshift bedroom for our 1-year-old and his crib. We absolutely LOOOOOVED this resort. You can read all about our thoughts on the resort overall by clicking HERE! I’ve always wanted to stay at the Polynesian so we splurged and I’ll never regret it. It was worth every penny in my mind. From the extra space we had, the extra beds, the refrigerator, microwave, and utensils in our room, the amazing pools, food, and activities - we really had an amazing time here. The only thing I wish we had access to was the DIsney dining plan but COVID put a wrench in that; at least for this trip.
2. Got the Genie+ service.
I’ve heard SO many mixed reviews on this and I believe that experiences are totally relative to the person. But for our family getting the park hopper ticket and Genie+ service was totally worth it. By staying on the property we were able to log in to our Disney Experience app at 7am and choose our Lightning Lane choices for the day before other regular ticket guests were able to. Also, staying on property gave us extra early arrival times in the parks.
3.Using Disney transportation services including options not run by Disney.
We stayed at the Polynesian for its proximity to Magic Kingdom but surprisingly we didn’t spend as much time there as I thought we would. Having access to the monorail loop was incredible and life-saving with little ones. We were able to get to Magic Kingdom and Epcot easily via monorail - these were our two main parks. We used the buses to get to other locations. Where the Polynesian is located there’s a short walking trail directly over to the transportation and ticket center that can get you wherever you need to be quite quickly! If we wanted to get to places way faster without waiting 20-30 min for a bus - if we weren’t able to use the monorail - we would use Uber! You can order an UberX with car seats! Totally amazing for kiddos who need a car seat and you don’t feel like lugging one all over creation. For our airport pickup and drop off we used Mears private transportation and couldn't be happier with their service. The only transportation we did not utilize was the Skyliner.
4. Only doing 1 sit-down Character Meal
Our kids are so young that it’s hard for them to sit for too long. Gimme an amen!? We decided that it was best for us to just get quick service meals or order out for most of our stay. The character meal we chose was Chef Mickeys and I’d do it all over again. The meal was brought out family style (usually a buffet) but if you like something they’ll bring you more. All while you’re eating, the kids get to enjoy seeing the Mouse and his friends! Due to COVID, we weren’t able to hug or high-five the characters. We just smiled from afar and waved. Which was actually totally fine for my kids. It was a little intimidating for my oldest but my youngest was so enamored by them all. Each character was very friendly and spent quite a. few moments at our table so that we could get a few images of the kids interacting with them. It was wonderful.
Disney now offers Mobile Order and pick up which is great if you don’t feel like leaving the area you are to make the order. You just order in-app then get a notification when your food is ready and head over to grab your meal. We also preordered some small snacks and groceries to be delivered to our hotel room for quick breakfasts, snacks for our bags for the parks, and bottled water, you can also order alcohol to save on drink costs.
5. Didn’t overdo it
We somehow felt rested and nearly got to do EVERYTHING on our list. That never happens at Disney for me hahaha. And who would think with a 4-year-old and 1-year-old in tow we’d feel that way? I think it’s because we went in with a plan, ate lots of snacks, took breaks, knew each of our limits, and were back at the hotel before or after dinner to watch the fireworks from the Polynesian beach. We were in bed by 8:30 each night. Of course, our little ones can’t stay up too late anyway so we kept their bedtimes relatively close to normal. I think most of the time, at Disney, families push it way past bedtime for their kids for one too many nights and everyone gets cranky and overtired. We only did 1 night of actual lateness. When we watched the fireworks from the Polynesian beach we only had a short walk back to our room for bedtime. We also took a day midweek to just spend at the pool and beach relaxing and enjoying the resort. Truly, I would have spent WAY more time at the resort, there was so much to do, loads of activities, so much to eat, fun walking paths, bars, stores, nighttime dance parties on the lawn, and even a smores party by the fire!
BONUS! The other thing I’m glad that we did was bring a double stroller. Kids get tired and Disney is HUGE! I truly wish the stroller fit me inside of it! HAH! We purchased a CityMini GT double stroller right before we left and it was great. Easy to maneuver, easy to fold, not too heavy, had enough space to put our bags under the seats, sun covers, reclining seats for the kids if they got tired, and was great on all terrains! I did a ton of research on it before we left on which one to get and I ended up getting the CityMini and I wouldn’t look back. It was perfect. I purchased it used in case something happened during travel or if it was stolen. But if this is your first time purchasing a stroller for both kids go with this. You won’t regret it. If you’d like to purchase it on Amazon click HERE
All in all, we truly enjoyed our 1st stay as a family of 4 at the Walt Disney World Resort. I’m so glad I was able to experience this with my boys. We made so many great memories that I’ll hold on to forever. I’ll also be able to take this experience and relay it back to you all! So if you have any questions at all let me know!
Are you ready to plan your Disney Vacation? Need some help? Contact us by clicking the button below to get a FREE quote today!
(Notice: I may get a small commission if you click the Amazon link and purchase.) But please know that all opinions are mine and I wouldn’t suggest an item if I didn’t wholly love it!