Traveling with 3-year-old twins to a place like Disney park is both fun and intimidating at the same time. I remember suffering from obsessive Googling disorder from the day I found my pregnancy results positive.
It’s like I wanted to soak up all the information the world had to offer about babies and parenting, in general.
My husband and I were nothing short of nomads until we had the boys. When the kids turned 3, we randomly came up with the plan of Disney tour. Our primary concern was to avoid the massive crowd, so we both agreed to set out in mid January.
Now that the date was set, the next big step was planning the trip. Now that’s when the real fun (and chaos) began. We booked the hotel, made restaurant reservations and all about 2 months prior to the trip. Luckily, we didn’t face any major trouble during the whole trip. Everything went smoothly and we all had the time of our lives.
If you too are planning to take your twin toddlers to Disney, here’s a summary of what we did to stay organized and make the most of our holiday:
Plan Ahead Everything Down to the Last Detail
Since we had a good budget (it was our first proper trip since we had babies), we decided to stay on the Disney property for the ease of transportation. We opted for Grand Floridian Resort which is connected to the park via monorail. Our room had plenty of space for two cribs and offered all the facilities we could ask for.
If you want more value, there are plenty of offsite options as well. Just run a quick web search and you will find all the hotel details. You will find many crib rental agencies there that will deliver the crib to your hotel both on and offsite. Accommodation will be the least of your worries at Disney, I can guarantee this much.
Just make sure to avoid visiting the theme park during major holidays, especially summer breaks. Also, do all the crazy stuff you have been planning to do as early in the day as possible. Being an early bird will help you avoid those annoying long queues as well the notorious heat of Florida.
Hovering around the park all day with two kids can suck the living daylight out of anyone. So visiting early will also allow you to take a mid-day break. Head off to your hotel, relax in the pool with a cocktail, order some food and unwind!
All about Transportation
Ours was a 2.5 hour flight to Disney and I didn’t want to make two 3-year-olds sit on my lap throughout the flight. So we booked individual seats for them. If you will be on a long haul flight with infants and your husband is with you, no need to get an extra seat.
Since we were staying at a monorail resort, getting to/from the hotel to the park was a breeze. We also carried a single stroller for easy navigation around the park. While you can use double strollers, the good strollers for Disney are the single ones as they are easier to move through the crowd.
Getting the stroller on and off on the monorail was a cakewalk. Apart from monorails, Friendship boats also let you easily park hop from one stop to another with a stroller.
You can also rent a 7-seater minivan if you are traveling with a big family. The van has lots of room and will allow you to store the stroller without folding. Nonetheless, having a car with you is probably the best option of the lot.
Under any circumstances, don’t take the bus. They are painfully crowded which makes loading the stroller ridiculously difficult. If you still have to take the bus, at least carry a backpack with you. Put all the contents of the stroller basket into the backpack and fold the stroller a few minutes before the bus arrives.
Dining Reservations
Finding high chairs at Disney restaurants won’t be a problem. If your kids are breastfeeding, there are plenty of Baby Care Centers around the park for privacy. You should always carry a nursing cover with you in case your twinfants get hunger pangs in a public transport.
Those who are visiting the park with toddlers shouldn’t miss out on the character meals. Apart from the oodles of fun with popular Disney characters, you will also get to gorge on a delicious lunch buffet spread. Believe me when I say that it’s totally worth it.
An Idiot-proof Packing List
Now that you have got a rough idea of when to go, how to go, where to stay and eat, it’s time to start packing for the big day. Florida’s weather can be really finicky. So make sure you have a stroller fan as well as a couple of light winter clothes with you, just to be safe.
You don’t have to overload your bag with a gazillion diapers and wipes as you will find plenty of stores around both on and offsite. For emergency diaper supply while touring the park, simply head to the nearest Baby Care Centre. They have diapers as well as table space for diaper changing. However, you should always keep a changing pad in your bag to ensure optimal hygiene for your babies.
The Bottom Line
I hope you got all the information you needed to get going. Managing twinfants or toddlers at Disney is not as difficult as you’re imagining right now. There might be a couple of goof ups here and there but it will all be worth it at the end of the day. You just need to plan everything beforehand. Stay calm, hydrated, organized and most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy. You will at Disney park, for crying out loud. Go nuts!
