Surviving Disney when kids outnumber adults!

There are a bunch of strategies to surviving Disney, but for this article I think it’s best to create a list of things my top tips to prioritize and plan for.

1. Snacks

2. Sips on drinks

3. Snacks

4. More Snacks

5. Strolling

6. Sacrifice (experiences or sleep)

7. Snacks

Surprised, amazed, and excited. This picture took a lot of effort, a bit of a line, and 2 attempts, due to a missing toy we had to backtrack to retrieve (good news, it was found!)…this is the perfect way to capture the end of our day at Animal Kingdom.

Ok, so I listed snacks a bunch because they are pure gold in these parks! You’ll plan a meal or 2, grab those mobile orders, reserve table service, and you will still need innumerable snacks! And a hungry toddler = chaos in lines and strolling through the park. Yes, strolling, bring that stroller, even 10-year-olds will want it! 20,000 steps is a lot even for us adults.

I have been to Disney World numerous times, and we recently returned from the busiest trip I’ve ever experienced. I’ve traveled with anywhere between 1 and 8 kids all 10 and under, and this time around it was 6. So here is how we made the park days smoother!

This is where the magic happens. The awe, wonder and surprise at a beloved character jumping off screen and into real life!

Plan food first! Bring snacks, yes it is allowed as of the writing of this post. And refillable water bottles! Quick service locations and water fountains are free! Pro Tip: if you don’t like the taste of Florida water ( think salty and murky) bring flavor packets/drops. An example you could borrow from is planning a table service around nap time, the kids don’t have to eat, but they’ll likely have a bench they can lay on while you sit down in a nice Air Conditioned room that’s well-themed with more to offer than the standard quick service options. Second Pro Tip: it’s the only place in Magic Kingdom that you can get an adult beverage. Whoop, Whoop! That’s winning!

Happy Bignet to celebrate a completed 1/2 marathon!

For us, Genie+ and Lightning Lanes were the only way to go. As a large party of mostly impatient toddlers we needed in and out of lines as fast as possible. We brought entertainment and played games, but our kids had a hard time grasping the loading, waiting, watching the ride run, and repeat multiple times. They couldn’t grasp why they weren’t done waiting. And considering this generation of kids is 100% instant gratification, it’s no wonder that was so hard. It also begs the question of how do we teach that sense of waiting, suspense, and excitement as a positive thing worth waiting for….maybe a post on that later!

We consistently had plans for the next food stop, took food in lines, and constantly filled up water bottles, while rotating the kids in the strollers. At one point we had all 6 loaded into them! That made for some interesting pictures, tired stroller operators, and fun comments from passersby! (we only had 2 double strollers, so imagine 6 kids in them!)

And when it is all said and done you’re spending a lot of money to be in these parks, and while I am not affiliated with Disney in any way, I know as a parent how much you want to experience as much as you possibly can, in every park. And the cool thing is you can open and close the parks but it requires sacrifice. Typically, sleep. You’ll have to get up early and getting to bed after park closing is a process. How we remedied that was forced mid-day downtime. We rode things like the train around Magic Kingdom and to Rafaki’s outpost and back. We also used rides like Carosel of Progress, Living with the Lands, the Peoplemover and shows like The Hall of Presidents, Mickey’s Philharmonic, Beauty and the Beast to chill, sit, relax and get out of the sun and off our feet. That seemed to work mid-day! Which is when everyone else was trying to get food, and we had our snacks prepared, mobile orders ready & plenty of coffee.

2 Loonies in the Canadian section of Epcot during the 5k on Marathon Weekend 2024.

No trip will be perfect, and IMO each one is unique because of the ages of our kids when we go. This time around we didn’t plan to attend the nighttime shows, but we rope dropped (aka opened) the park for non-Disney hotel guests and we were able to get into lines that would have been much longer later in the day.

So is it possible to have a great time and build memories at Disney? Yup, I believe it totally is! I also believe it may take multiple trips for us to build the type of memories I have from going so much, earlier in my life. Present day Disney is much different than Disney for me growing up. It takes a lot more effort to get on rides, and all the activities you want to do, so this time around we sacrificed experiences and prioritized sleep and family time over park time and I believe we still got the vacation I had hoped for. It’s especially apparent, when I ask my kids what their favorite memories are…they have a different answer each time I ask!

Our last moments in the parks for this trip, and this Disney magic captured our memories perfectly. Especially, since I will never buy a balloon there, it’s not our jam. This was an exhausting and exhilarating trip for our family!

I’d love to hear your tips, or answer your questions, please comment below with your question or tip!