DISNEY WORLD WITH OUR 2 YEAR OLD
We opted to take our then almost two year old to Disney World to celebrate her second birthday instead of a party! If you’re considering it… it was the SWEETEST! She likely won’t remember it, but we absolutely will. Seeing the magic through her eyes was truly so special.
THE TRANSPORTATION:
Since Disney doesn’t offer transportation to and from the airport anymore, we had a couple options for transportation:
1. Rent a car
2. Use a charter busline
3. Utilize rideshare
4. Book a private car
After lots of research, we ultimately decided to book a private car. We wanted something to get us there fast, as we didn’t think our toddler would have the patience for a long drop off like charter buslines (but it would have been the most cost efficient method). To rent a car meant we would have to navigate parking, and because we were staying on property, there really was no need to have a rental car. We would need a carseat, and had a lot of stuff, so we landed on the private car for a couple reasons.
1. Could add a carseat to the reservation, so we didn’t need to travel with one
2. For the size of our party and the amount of luggage we had, we would have needed multiple rideshares so the price difference wasn’t THAT much.
3. It would take us directly to our hotel.
We used Tiffany Towncare – and had no complaints – but if you’re using them for a carseat, make sure to call and confirm what kind of carseat you need. You submit a form, but on their end you click a box for a “carseat/booster seat”, so one time the driver came with the booster seat installed. Had the carseat in the back, so it was a non-issue, but did add some unnecessary travel time.
THE HOTEL:
We stayed at the Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Hotel. We landed on this one for a couple reasons:
1. Proximity to Magic Kingdom – it is about a 10-15 minute walk hotel to park gate. Knowing we wanted to attempt to take a midday break for naptime and most of our time would be spent at this park, it was nice to not have to worry about navigating transportation.
2. The dining options – Chef Mikey’s is here!
3. The size of the room – we landed on a 1 bedroom suite for us and our in laws, but it had two full bathrooms which was very nice!
4. If you don’t get a park view room, the Contemporary has a viewing spot on their balcony for the nighttime firework show!
OUR SCHEDULE:
SATURDAY: arrive to hotel & walk to Magic Kingdom
SUNDAY: EPCOT in the morning, Animal Kingdom after nap
MONDAY: EPCOT in the morning, Hollywood Studios after nap
TUESDAY: Magic Kingdom all day (before and after nap)
OUR RATINGS OF THE PARKS FOR 2 YEAR OLD:
1. Magic Kingdom
2. EPCOT
3. Animal Kingdom
4. Hollywood Studios
RIDES/ATTRACTIONS WE TOOK ASHBY ON:
Magic Kingdom:
1. “it’s a small world” – she loved
2. PeopleMover – she loved
3. Under the Sea – a favorite
4. Dumbo the Flying Elephant – a favorite
5. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – she loved
6. Peter Pan’s Flight – she loved
7. Mad Tea Party – a favorite
EPCOT:
1. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – she liked, but some parts made her a little scared
2. Frozen Ever After – she LOVED
3. The Seas with Nemo & Friends – she loved
4. Gran Fiesta Tour – she thought it was okay
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:
1. Mickey & Minnie Runaway Railway – she liked, but some parts made her a little scared
2. Frozen Show: she loved, but a little long for her personally
ANIMAL KINGDOM:
1. Kilimanjaro Safari – a favorite
2. Na’Vi River Journey – she thought it was okay
3. TriceraTop Spin – she loved
CHARACTER DINING WE DID:
- Chef Mikey’s: we loved this! Buffet style breakfast and we had plenty of time with the character
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall: we did this for breakfast and she absolutely LOVED! Truly so magical meeting the princesses. We personally met Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Tiana, Ariel, and Snow White.
- Cinderella’s Royal Table: we did this during their dinner window. The atmosphere was beautiful – and Ashby loved getting to go in the castle. You get to meet Cinderella as you walk in, and then the rest of the princesses come to your table. Since Ashby was under 3, they offered to bring her a side of mac and cheese or chicken tenders. The food is really good, especially for Disney, but not as “kid friendly” so I thought this was kind.
- Hollywood & Vine: this was probably our least favorite, but not bad. We truly did not need another Mickey & Minnie character dining, but we had the reservation so we went for it. It was not crowded at all, so I felt like the characters had a little more time. The food was also good!
we did do a dining plan! This was my first time personally doing one, and mainly did it for the ease of the party and not having to think about paying for everything separately while there, but I don’t think we “got our money’s worth” per se.
OUTFIT IDEAS
Styled some outfit ideas here and here!
SOME TIPS FOR GOING WITH A TODDLER:
We rented a crib from Babyquip, but a lot of hotels have that option too – so call yours ahead of time! 10/10 recommend Babyquip, though. Super easy to use!
Go to the Dollar Tree/dollar section at Target and pick up some little toys that they’ve never seen before and have them ready to use during wait times for rides/shows/meals!
They do have Baby Care Centers in the park! Check the map for locations.
We found Genie+ super helpful – that way our wait times were very low and we could also book an adult ride for all four adults – and have two watch Ashby, then swap within that hour window.
The Dumbo ride has an indoor playground in the wait queue!
BRING A STROLLER COVER!!!!
Lots of variety of snacks – we only brought a few, and by the end of it, snack bribery was no longer working – ha!
Added some of our toddler must haves here!
If you’re considering a trip to Disney World with your almost two year old/two year old – it was THE most magical experience!