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8 Perks of Disney With a Toddler or Preschooler

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It’s Disney Daddy, and I am here to share with you the perks of going to Disney with a toddler or preschooler. See, I had a lot of fun going to Disney as an adult pre-kid, and while my visits have changed since having a toddler (riding the same ride in Fantasyland over and over) and I miss some things about going pre-kid I have to admit there are definitely perks of going to Disney with a toddler/young child.

Perks of Disney with a toddler

Excuse to hang out in the “kiddie areas”

Yes, prior to my son, we would still do all the rides, including those that are considered kiddie rides, but with a son, I can hang out in these areas more, and not seem like the weird adult male who enjoys riding the carousel. Especially since Becca gets motion sickness on things like the carousel and Dumbo so I used to have to ride alone.

More snack stops

When we went pre-kid, we ran around and barely stopped for snacks. We might stop for meals, but snacks, heck no. With a toddler, we have a bag full of snacks on hand and we stop at least every couple of hours to dish some out. When he was a baby or a young toddler, the snacks weren’t necessarily my favorites- cheerios and puffs- but now that he is older, that kid has the good stuff. We are talking fruit snacks, granola bars, chips, popcorn, gold fish, and more. It is great!

Character Meet and Greets

We did these pre-kid, but they are just so much fun with a kid. Plus the characters seem more into it with a kid around. You also don’t feel foolish hanging out to meet the Disney Junior characters or Pooh and his friends. It is great to be able to meet all the characters with your child.

 

Shows

Pre-kid we did some shows, but there are others we rarely did pre-kid. It is nice to have a kid to use as a reason to go to shows like Disney Junior Live on Stage and sit in the air conditioning for 30 minutes or so. Same with Muppets 3D Vision and It’s Tough to be a Bug.

 

Mid-Day Naps

Adults don’t want to admit they are getting tired in the park. So it is great when you have a toddler that needs that mid-day nap. Even if the nap is in the stroller, it gives you a reason to find a shaded spot and sit and relax for a while, but even better if you are able to use it as an excuse to go back to the hotel for a mid-day nap in your room. Let’s be honest, as adults we all miss naps and it is great to have one mid-day while on vacation.

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Strollers

Before you moan- either because you dislike strollers because you don’t have one, or you hate using strollers because you have to try and get through the crowds- let me explain. Prior to our son, we had to carry everything ourselves. If we went during fall/winter that meant a sweatshirt for when it cooled down at night, water bottles, sun screen, cameras, and anything else we had for the day.

Where did all that stuff go, in a back pack on my back. With the sun beating down on you, it doesn’t take long for that backpack to be very hot and heavy. With a stroller, we have a basket, parent console, and heck, we can take our son out of the seat, carry him or let him walk, and put stuff in his seat. Becca agrees and says she dreads the day we no longer need a stroller at the park and have to carry everything ourselves.

Reason to souvenir shop in the toy section

Pre-kid I rarely got to go check out all the cool toy souvenirs. Now, when we souvenir shop I can spend all my time in this area. Want to check out the build a light saber, go for it. Want to check out the Buzz Lightyear toys, take the kid and it is perfectly fine. I can spend my time looking at all the cool toys and maybe even bring some home for “the Goof” to play with.

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Getting to see Disney through their eyes

As an adult, we understand certain things about Disney. We know some of the “behind the scenes” stuff, even though we may still play the part of believing 100% in the magic. When your child is at Disney though, and they see their favorite character in real life, or they feel like they have walked into the movie Cars in Cars Land, it is a magical moment you will never forget.  That is the real perk of going to Disney with a young child.

What other perks to Disney with a toddler or preschooler can you think of?

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