Disney World... The SCARIEST Place on Earth??

Although in my mind, Disney World is most certainly NOT a scary place, there are some scary elements to be aware of if you're heading there with small children.  

There are some obvious scary things that parents are prepared for like thrill rides intended for adults.  A few off the top of my head are the Tower of Terror, Mission: SPACE, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster...  

But there are a few rides that you think of as family friendly that just might make smaller ones a bit nervous.  I love the Haunted Mansion, but as a kid that one can be a little spooky.  Check out one of my favorite videos of Luke's reaction when he was 3.

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And it's not just my goofy little kids that have been known to be nervous on this ride.  I love this picture while on Haunted Mansion - Ryan looks a little nervous.  But check out the kid in the Doom Buggy next to us.  His Dad just decided it was too much and covered the kid's face.  Hilarious! (Maybe not to the kid).  I would still recommend this ride to families, but just know it's dark and spooky and think about if your child could handle that.

Another potentially scary part of the parks is the noise of the fireworks shows and parades.  Andrew hid from us once (causing ME to be terrified) during a parade because he didn't like the noise.  And he likes looking at fireworks but the noise bothers him.  Wish I'd have thought back then to take ear plugs along to help him enjoy these parts more.  If you have one that is nervous with loud noises, plan ahead and take those ear plugs.

Dark areas, even those that have no scary elements, can bother a lot of kids.  We let the boys take tiny flashlights with them the first time they went and if they got nervous in a dark part of the park, they could turn them on for a minute to calm their nerves.  I would also recommend taking a nightlight for your hotel room as those are either pitch dark at night or you have to leave the bathroom light on which seems super bright!

Security can also be an issue for some children.  Something about the officers in uniform and everyone crowding around can cause anxiety.  Mention it to your child ahead of time so that they are prepared for it.  And once in a while, there will be a security dog on duty.  If your child is afraid of dogs, letting them know that one may be nearby may help.

Of course, I've seen tons of kids that have a complete meltdown when approached by Characters.  The good news is that most characters now have Meet-and-Greets and are rarely just out wondering in the parks.  But once again, just prepare the child in advance.  The characters are awesome though about realizing that the child doesn't want to be approached and you'll probably not have any problems in this area!

Please give me a call if you're thinking about a Disney trip.  I have a list of rides and how my kids handle them that can certainly help when you're planning.  And remember my services are always FREE to plan and book your trip!!

How to Travel to Disney with Babies or Young Kids

It's no secret that babies can make the worst travelers.  But I'm here to tell you that we successfully took Luke to Disney World when he was 9 months old.  Going into the trip, I would have said that just surviving it would be a success but it was so much easier than I expected.  And I'm shocked when I think back on it, because not only did we take this trip with a baby, we had 2 preschoolers also.  Surely you didn't think I left Ryan and Andrew home!

To make the trip even more exciting, we decided to drive.  And we don't live anywhere near Florida.  We began our trip in Oklahoma.  Disney World is over 1200 miles from here - if you drove straight through, it would take around 19 hours.  

We're not that crazy though.  We did stop overnight in Memphis and Atlanta.  

So before you say you'd be crazy to take little kids to Disney, it can be done and it can be an amazing time with some of the best memories of your life!  

Tips from past trips with little ones:

There are a lot of excellent places to rest and nurse or give a bottle.  There are nursing stations at each park.  I found that the People Mover at Magic Kingdom is one of the best places to relax out of the sun and give a bottle.

Take a small flashlight for young kids to use in the evenings if they are afraid of the dark.  My kids wore a small one around their necks on a lanyard.

Make use of the playground areas for crawlers.  Sitting in a stroller or being held all day leads to a lot of pent-up energy!

Order diapers and groceries you may need ahead of time from GardenGrocer.com.  They will deliver it to your resort and have it waiting for you when you arrive.  You can even order refrigerated items and the resorts will hold those items in cold storage for you.

If you have kids that are bothered by loud noises, consider taking headphones or some sort of noise canceling item.  Andrew was not a fan of a lot of the fireworks shows and parades due to noise.

Order tags ahead of time that you can attach to kids' shoes with your contact info in case they get lost.  

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!  And hats!  If you go in the summer, you're going to be hot and a hot baby is an unhappy baby for sure.

Take advantage of the free water cups offered at Quick-Service locations.  I always pack a backpack of water bottles and flavor packets and that helps reduce the amount of drinks you have to buy.  Since you can reseal and place back in backpack, you can always hydrate while waiting in line for a ride.

Strollers are a must with small kids.  A few things will make it easier:  1) Mark your stroller in some way to distinguish it from others and be easily spotted.  Cast members move them out of the way often and it's not always where you left it.  2) Take a poncho or something to keep it dry in a rain storm.  3) Take your own stroller instead of a rental.  The rentals don't lay flat and you want to be able to let baby nap in it while you shop or stop for a meal.  4) Make sure it folds up.  You can take the open stroller on the monorail but the buses between parks and resorts require them to be folded.  

There are only a handful of rides that small children aren't allowed to ride so plan on taking them on all that you can.  

Take advantage of the baby care centers in the parks.  In a pinch, you can purchase diapers, wipes and formula.  It's at a premium price though so pack as much as you can to take in with you.  I always carry a large backpack with food and drinks with a small ice pack - Disney allows you to bring all of that in.

Take plenty of pictures - one thing is true about a baby at Disney - they won't remember it.  But trust me when I say that as parents, you will never forget the first time your baby smiles at Mickey Mouse!