Disney Trip Itinerary

In October, we had our very first family trip to Disney! We weren't planning on taking Parker for another year or so, but with the smaller crowds due to COVID, it seemed like a great time to go! So, if you are reading this in a post-Covid time period, note that some of this might not be relevant. If you are interested in our full itinerary and our reviews of our hotel & restaurants, subscribe to our page with the subject "Disney Itinerary" and we will email it to you!

Tips for Traveling with a Toddler?

Since Parker is our first and only child, I was very nervous about how she would do on the plane and what not. Here are some of the tips and tricks we learned:

1. Rent a stroller rather than bringing one. We rented a stroller and rain cover from Scooter Bug a few weeks before our trip. This was the only stroller rental company (that I could find) that Disney would allow for the company to leave the stroller at Bell Services (meaning you DO NOT have to be present when the company drops it off or picks it up.) This was very important to me because I wasn’t sure exactly what time we would arrive and did not want to be constantly checking the time to see when I needed to pick the stroller up. This was extremely convenient and gave me more freedom to enjoy my family and our vacation.

2. Talk about the trip beforehand. Especially for young kids, we found that talking about it all the time seemed to help! Since we had talked about the plane, airport security, staying at a hotel, etc. beforehand, it wasn't so foreign to her. She felt like she knew what was going on and what to expect. Plus it made it more exciting for her when it was happening!

3. Bring snacks. On the plane and in the parks-- snacks are a must! Especially in the park when you sometimes can’t get food as quickly as your toddler needs it.

General Disney Tips and Tricks?

1. Buy Disney Gift Cards at Target! If you have the target redcard (FYI they have a debit version that doesn't run your credit) you can get 5% of your giftcards. It's not a huge savings, but every penny counts, right?!

2. Use a Disney Travel Agent. A lot of people don't realize that these agents are actually free! They are super helpful when it comes to booking your

3. Stay at a Resort. The biggest perk to staying at a Disney resort is the free transportation. The buses will take you to and from each park and there's also a complimentary shuttle to and from the airport.

4. Order groceries. We had an Amazon Fresh order deliver some groceries to us the first night we arrived and highly recommend it! Some times in Florida, the water is not great. We've been before when the water in the park was awful. So, we ordered waters to bring into the park so that we didn't have to pay for water bottles in the park. We also ordered snacks and a few breakfast items, which was a huge lifesaver.

5. Plan a Resort Day in between Park Days. With all the walking and sightseeing you do, it’s really nice to have a resort day to rest.

How was it different during COVID?

1. You have to reserve your park days. One thing that's very different with COVID is that there's no park hopping. You have to reserve your tickets for which day you want to go into each park.

2. You have to wear a mask everywhere. You have to wear a mask everywhere on property (including resort property) unless you're in your room, dining or swimming. Another rule is that you have to be stationary and socially distanced in order to eat or drink.

3. You have to pickup your own luggage. If you are staying at a Disney Resort, pre-COVID the Magical Express would pick up your luggage from the airport and take it directly to your hotel room (which was awesome!) But now, you have to pick it up yourself.

4. Temperature screenings. All of the parks and Disney Springs do temperature screenings before entering. We didn't feel like it slowed down entering the park at all!

5. Cavalcades vs. Parades and Character Meets. Cavalcades are what Disney is doing in replace of parades and character meet and greats currently. The schedules are not announced to the public in order to prevent large crowds from gathering, but if you hang out on the parade route you should be able to catch a Cavalcade every 15ish minutes or so.

6. Character Meals. Like the parades and character meets, you can't interact with the characters as much during character meals. But definitely recommend during COVID because there's more interaction than during the Cavalcades.

7. No fireworks. Like the parades and character meets, this is one big difference in Disney right now.

8. Social Distance. Lines on the ride look longer than they really are because of social distancing. The lines for the buses were longer as well and they would tell you where to sit in order to keep everyone distant.

9. Mobile Order for Quick Service. All quick service orders during COVID have to be made on your phone.

End of the day, would we still go again during COVID?

100% yes. I know this probably wouldn't be for everyone depending on the size and situation of your family, but for us the crowds were so small that you were able to do so much more! With COVID, parks are operating around 25% capacity. There are no fast passes, so you don't have to be at a ride at a certain time. The cavalcades are really nice because you see the characters randomly throughout the park without having to wait in a long line. A lot of shops and restaurants are still closed though, so certain areas are going to look/feel more crowded than others, because there’s not as much stuff open to filter people into.

If you are interested in our full itinerary and our reviews of our hotel & restaurants, subscribe to our page with the subject "Disney Itinerary" and we will email it to you!