If you’re planning your first trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida with young children, then it’s likely that you’ve got plenty of questions. Which is why we’ve put together this easy guide with some useful planning advice to help you have the trip of a lifetime.
Whether you’re wondering where you can take a pushchair, how long attractions will keep the little ones entertained, or whether there’s any childcare available, we’ve got you covered in this article.
Here are some of our top tips for young families going to Walt Disney World Resort.
H2: What is the youngest age for Walt Disney World Resort?
There is no official youngest age for Walt Disney World Resort – everyone is welcome here! It’s really up to you to decide when you want to take your children. Have a think about how much they’ll enjoy it and how much you’ll enjoy taking them.
Children under three years old can enter the theme parks for free, while children aged between three and nine can enter on a discounted child’s ticket. Anyone over 10 years of age will need an adult ticket.
H2: 9 top tips for visiting Walt Disney World Resort with young children
Summary – 9 top tips for visiting Walt Disney World Resort with young children:
- Make use of the Baby Care Centres
- Breastfeed wherever you feel comfortable
- Hire a pushchair or bring your own
- Use Disney Childcare Services
- Where to go for medical help
- Where to eat with children
- Use the Rider Switch service
- Take note of height requirements
- Plan for some downtime
Make use of the Baby Care Centres
There is a Baby Care Centre in all four of the Disney theme parks. Each has changing areas for little ones, private rooms for breastfeeding, and kitchens where you can prepare bottles or food. They’re completely free to use, and they’re also a good spot to take a little break if you feel you need one.
Breastfeeding at Walt Disney World Resort
Of course, there are Baby Care Centres with private spaces for breastfeeding, but you don’t need to find one to feed your child. Feel free to breastfeed wherever you feel comfortable.
Top tip: You may want to time your feed to coincide with a show. Indoor shows are air-conditioned and have comfortable seating – a welcome respite from the Floridian heat.
Pushchairs at Walt Disney World Resort
Instead of bringing your own pushchair (or stroller in the US) to the theme parks, you can hire one once you get there. You can hire one per day or for the entire length of your stay, and both single and double pushchairs are available.
You can find pushchair rental centres at:
- Magic Kingdom Park
- EPCOT
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Disney Springs.
You can also bring your own pushchair to Walt Disney World Resort. However, it must fit the size regulations. Pushchairs can be no larger than 79cm (31 inches) in width and 132cm (52 inches) in length.
Pushchairs are not allowed in the attraction queues, including most indoor Disney Character meet and greets. There are designated parking areas outside most restaurants, shows, and attractions.
Guests with physical or cognitive disabilities who need to remain in their stroller in queues can get a stroller as a wheelchair tag from Guest Services.
Top tip: You may wish to use a pushchair for your small child, even if you don’t usually use one at home. The days are long, and you’ll be covering a lot of ground, which can make little legs very tired.
Use Disney Childcare Services
If you want some time to yourself during your trip (after all, it’s a holiday for you as well as the kids!), then there is a Walt Disney World Resort babysitting service available to any guests who are staying on-site in one of the Disney Resort hotels.
Kids Nite Out offers in-room babysitting for children aged between 6 months and 18 years old. The team member will bring age-appropriate toys, books, and games to keep your children entertained all evening – perfect for date nights! You can make reservations up to three months in advance.
Many hotels also feature activity centres. These are fully supervised and suitable for 3–12 year-olds. Activities include movie screenings, playing games, and drawing. They’ll get to have fun and meet new friends while you have some me-time.
Where to go for medical help
Hopefully, you won’t need it, but we know that a big concern when you have small children is what to do if a medical emergency arises. Disney has designated first aid centres in all the theme parks and water parks. These are staffed with professional nurses who are able to help if your child gets injured.
In-room medical services are also available 24 hours a day to anyone staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.
Top tip: Make sure you purchase travel insurance as soon as you book your trip so you’re prepared. Don’t forget to keep your insurance documents with you in case of an emergency.
Where to eat with small children
There’s no shortage of places to eat at Walt Disney World Resort, with Quick Service and Table Service restaurants in the theme parks, Disney Resort hotels, and at Disney Springs, the entertainment complex. Choose a themed restaurant for something fun that the kids will love. Some of our favourites include:
- ‘Ohana
- Be Our Guest Restaurant
- Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Space 220 Restaurant
Character Dining is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You’ll never forget watching your children’s faces light up as they meet the Disney Princesses or get a hug from Mickey Mouse.
Remember: portions are large in America, so you may want to purchase one meal between two children or just give your child some of the food from your plate rather than ordering their own meal.
Look out for any meals with the Mickey Check symbol on menus, as these have been specifically created as a healthy but delicious option for kids. Meals featuring the Mickey Check must include at least three of the following: fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains or lean protein, beans, eggs, and nuts.
Top tip: You can bring snacks into Walt Disney World Resort, so it’s a good idea to pack some for when the kids start to feel peckish. This will save you spending too much money on food in the parks.
Use the Rider Switch Service
Rider Switch is one of the most useful services for young families visiting Walt Disney World Resort. It means you can take turns experiencing an attraction. One of you waits outside the queue while the others queue up, and then when they return, you can board the attraction without having to go back to the end of the queue, saving lots of time.
This works well if your child wants to ride an attraction more than once, and you can switch between adults or if the adults want to go on a ride where the child doesn’t meet the height requirements.
Rider Switch is available on selected attractions at each theme park.
Take note of rides without height requirements
Some of the attractions at the Disney theme parks and water parks have height restrictions for safety reasons. This means that your little ones might not be able to go on everything… and they might not want to go on a super-fast thrill ride anyway!
But don’t worry – the majority of the attractions at Walt Disney World Resort have no height restrictions and are suitable for families with small children. Magic Kingdom Park has the most, so it’s a great place to start your holiday!
Here are the rides without height restrictions at Walt Disney World Resort.
Magic Kingdom Park | EPCOT | Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park | Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park | Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park |
Astro Orbiter | The American Adventure | Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage | Affection Section | Castaway Creek | Cross Country Creek |
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin | Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360 | Disney Junior Play & Dance | The Boneyard Dig Site | Gangplank Falls | Melt-Away Bay |
Dumbo the Flying Elephant | Frozen Ever After | For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration | Conservation Station | Keelhaul Falls | Runoff Rapids |
Haunted Mansion | Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros | Indiana Jones™️ Epic Stunt Spectacular! | Discovery Island Trails | Mayday Falls | Ski Patrol Training Camp |
“it’s a small world” | Impressions de France | Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy | Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail | Miss Adventure Falls | Teamboat Springs |
Jungle Cruise | Journey Into Imagination With Figment | Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway | It’s Tough to be a Bug! | Storm Slides | Toboggan Racers |
Liberty Square Riverboat | Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana | Toy Story Mania! | Kilimanjaro Safaris | Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool | |
Mad Tea Party | Living with the Land Presented by Chiquita | Maharajah Jungle Trek | |||
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin | Reflections of China | Na’vi River Journey | |||
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure | TriceraTop Spin | |||
Peter Pan’s Flight | The Seas with Nemo & Friends | Wildlife Express Train | |||
Pirates of the Caribbean | Spaceship Earth | ||||
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel | Turtle Talk With Crush | ||||
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover | |||||
Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid | |||||
Walt Disney World Railroad |
Top tip: If you have children who are not quite tall enough for some of the bigger attractions, manage their expectations before you travel. There’s nothing more disappointing than seeing some incredible attractions only to be told you’re not tall enough to ride. Let them know what they’ll be able to go on before you arrive in the parks.
Have some downtime
A holiday to Orlando is an incredible experience, but all that fun can get a little tiring – especially for children. We recommend scheduling plenty of downtime into your trip to make sure you don’t get burnt out.
If you want to watch the fireworks in the evening, maybe plan to return to your hotel in the afternoon after spending a morning in the theme parks so your smalls can have a nap (and you might need one too!).
It’s also worth planning a couple of days of relaxing – whether that’s by the hotel pool, on a nearby beach, or exploring some of the other attractions that Florida has to offer.
We hope we’ve given you plenty of advice for your trip to Walt Disney World Resort as a young family. If you’re ready to plan an unforgettable holiday, take a look at our hotel and ticket packages now.
