Our proper good guide to Walt Disney World, Florida

Parents

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Look, you know what we’re about to say, but we’re going to say it anyway: when it comes to travelling with your kids, organisation is key. Keep on reading to find out what you can actually do to keep on track at Walt Disney World.

Sit back with a cup of tea and take a deep breath - we’ve got you.

Genie+

You might already be familiar with FastPass+ which when bought in advance allowed you to reserve up to 3 FastPass+ experiences per day.

This has now been replaced by a paid service, Genie+. Essentially the same as FastPass+, it allows guests to enter 2 - 3 select attractions or experiences per day using the new Lightning Lane, bypassing those pesky stand-by lines. Use them wisely!

To keep track of your planned Genie+ experiences you can use the My Disney Experience mobile app – there’s an app for everything these days, don’t you know?

Disney Genie Service

Alongside Genie+, also new is the free Disney Genie Service, found within the My Disney Experience App. Described as a digital friend, this service will save you bucket loads of time by planning your itinerary for you, inspired by your family's interests! Not only does it do all the planning for you, it'll also update you throughout the day.

Rider Switch

Rider Switch is a nifty little thing for families with small children.

If one of your children is too small for a particular ride then you can queue together as a family and then one parent will ride. Once the ride is over you can then skip to the front of the queue to take of your child whilst your partner gets their fun.

Which park?

If your children are on the younger side, Magic Kingdom Park is the park for you with 27 rides perfect for toddlers, like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Astro Orbiter, Jungle Cruise, and Peter Pan's Flight. The water parks Typoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are also a good shout for water-based fun.

But if your kids are older and have a little bit more of an active interest in the world around them, then you’re probably better off at EPCOT where they can appreciate the interactive learning. Who said education can’t be fun?

Childcare

If you want to – whisper – spend a little bit of time away from the kids, the good news is you can thanks to a whole load of childcare options. Each of the four parks has its own Childcare Activity Centre for those aged 3 – 12, where they can play, eat, and make new mates. Some of the hotel resorts have children’s activity centres too, like Camp Dolphin at Swan & Dolphin Resort, or Simba’s Clubhouse at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Take it a step further with in-room babysitting, available through independent childcare provider Kid’s Nite Out, who can look after 1 – 4 children. If you’d just like a bit of a helping hand steering your kids through the park, Disney even offers In-Park Assistance where a childcare specialist will accompany you for the day and help you out when needed – even look after your kids if you want to try a ride that’s strictly adults only.

Don't get lost

Disney, as usual, are one step ahead when it comes to getting around. Throughout the Parks there are designated meeting points you can point out to your kids if you decide to split up, and if that’s not enough, Cast Members are always around to lend a helping hand in case anybody loses their way. Feel safe knowing that lost children will immediately be escorted to the safety of the Baby Care Centre where they will be well looked after until you can pick them up.

In the same way that designated meeting points for peace of mind are designed right into the Park itself, so too are conveniences like being able to hire a pram on the day (with discounts for multi-day hire), along with plenty of pram parking spaces, so there’s always somewhere to leave it when it’s not needed. Hired prams are also a great way to store things like coats and bags so you’re not dragging them around all day.

It’s the little things.

Oh, and before we forget the most important part: just have fun.

There's so much to see and do. Plan before you go and you'll have the holiday of a lifetime. Oh, we can't wait to see their little faces!






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