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Last week we took a trip down to Florida and spent three days at Disney World. I was hesitant to visit during the pandemic, but when your husband offers to take a trip to Walt’s Place, you don’t turn him down!

Several people I know are going to Disney World in the next few weeks and months so I thought it would be helpful to write a post answering the question “What is Disney World like during COVID-19?”.

Whether you’re going to Disney World without kids, or you’ve got your little ones in tow, this post is for you!

There were several things that would’ve been helpful to know that were kind of a surprise to me when we got there. And of course, there were obvious things that I expected, like temperature screenings before entering the park.

Here’s a helpful list of everything I could think of that made Disney World different during the pandemic.

What is Disney World like during COVID-19?

You have to choose what park you’re visiting each day through the app or website. They call it the Disney Park Pass System. All the parks were open on all three days, so I didn’t really have a problem with this.

Temperature screenings before entering security at each park.

Park Hoppers are only available after 2pm. For the first part of the day, you have to stay at the park you reserved.

No Fast Passes. This was a huge bummer, because we always use it for the big rides and it saves us a lot of time waiting in line. Because there are currently no Fast Passes in use, we had to wait in lines up to an hour long. Boo.

There’s extra spacing in lines, which means markers on the ground every six feet that tell you where to stand. In places where the lines curve too close to be six-feet-apart, there markers are spaced even further apart.

This makes the lines extra long, even with the reduced capacity. Lots of the lines wrap around outside of their regular queues, and there are cast members out holding signs for the ends of these long lines.

You have to wear masks at all times, except when eating or drinking while stationary. And yes, even during pictures. This actually wasn’t a big deal for me, except for when I got hot. Also, I started breaking out along my mask line.

Some dining locations require you to order on the mobile app before coming inside or up to the counter.

Some also require you to make a reservation. If it’s a sit-down place, I highly recommend making reservations far in advance. We booked our trip three days before we left and weren’t able to get reservations for any restaurants inside the park.

There are no character meetings or character dining right now. If meeting characters is a big part of Disney for you and your kids, this is going to be a bummer. Especially if there’s one character in particular that your child wants to meet. We were only able to see a fraction of the characters we normally do in the parks.

There are however, random parades/drive-bys with one-four characters. Unfortunately, they aren’t listed on an schedule, so you just sort of have to stumble upon them. We were able to catch the end of a three-car drive-by with Donald, Minnie, and Mickey at the front. Seeing Mickey for those ten seconds he drove by was my three-year-old’s favorite part of the trip.

Most shows are cancelled. I think the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration was the only one still happening.

The parks also close a little earlier (it ranges between 5pm and 8pm), and there aren’t any fireworks shows. There is one nighttime water parade, but it’s only viewable from a few resorts, so we didn’t get to see it.

No Extra Magic Hours. They suspended it when they opened Disney World last summer, say it’s not going to return.

A lot of dining places are closed. So if you have your heart set on a particular treat, you may not be able to get it.

Queues have plastic dividers between rows that are close together. This happens a lot on the loading zones for rides.

On that note, some rides have plastic dividers between rows on the actual cars/boats/space ships you ride. Most of the dividers are fine and didn’t bother me, but the did make it hard to see on the Frozen Ever After ride and the Kilimanjaro Safari.

Most rides don’t fill completely to allow for social distancing. For example, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jungle Cruise all had open seats in the rides.

There are lots of hand sanitizer stations and audio reminders to wash your hands. I appreciated all the hand sanitizer stations, especially in lines and at the end of rides. My kids love touching those queue barriers that like a million other people also touch.

Disney World still felt busy to me, even with reduced capacity, and I’m mostly basing that on how packed the stroller parking spots were. They were packed. We also went at the end of January, which I feel like should be a pretty non-busy time.

Our trip to Disney World was still a lot of fun and I definitely don’t regret going during the pandemic. My kids had a great trip and enjoyed going to Disney World for the first time. My husband, not so much, but then again he never really enjoys theme parks that much.

If you do want to go to Disney World right now, make sure you check out Get Away Today for their great deals on travel packages! You can even get $10 off with code LITTLES!

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This summer, we’ve taken three road trips of varying lengths, totaling over 2500 miles. I’m not even going to tell you how many times we stopped to go to the bathroom. 

Lucky for us, we’ve gotten pretty good at road tripping over the years. We’ve always lived far from family so we spend a lot of time traveling. We’ve picked up some tips along the way, but now that we have three kids and a dog, road trips are a little different. 

I tried out a few new things on our travels and really figured out what helps make our road trips go smoothly. After three trips, I’ve got a lot of good tips for you! 

If you’re planning a road trip with little ones in the backseat, here are 19 tips to help you survive a road trip with kids:

1. Patience, Iago.

Parenting already requires a good deal of patience, but when you all pile into a car and can’t escape each other for hours at a time, you have to have even more patience. Remember to breathe, that it’s not all going to be fun, and that it’s hard for everyone to be in the car for that long. And don’t forget to be patient with each other, too!

2. Have some down time.

You might think that being in the car is downtime, but it’s not. Stop at rest stops that have playgrounds and let your kids get out and run around for a little bit. When you stop for food, eat it outside in the grass and take your time. I know it’s hard because you just want to get where you’re going, but it will be a little easier on everyone if your kids can run around a few times.

3. Offer rewards in the car.

One of the best ways to encourage good behavior in the car is to offer rewards. I printed off some little “Car Bucks” from the Dating Divas website (the link for the free download is near the bottom), laminated them, and kept them in a bag up front. When my kids were good, I gave them a dollar. They could save up their dollars and cash them in for different rewards. I had candy, iPad time (an hour for $5), magic coloring pads, and a few other things. The Target One Spot is a great place to look for these. I 100% believe that these little dollars and rewards were responsible for my older two kids’ good behavior on our long trip to and home from Colorado.

4. Offer a visualization to show them how far your drive is.

Every parent hates the question “Are we there yet?” Another helpful thing I used from the Dating Divas were these little road trip countdown printouts. I laminated them (so I can use them again and again!) and then each day, wrote a few big cities along the way, ending the day with our final destination. I used clothespins to attach them to my sun visor, and then each time we passed through one of the cities, I took a printout down. I can’t even express how amazing it was for my kids to not ask how far we had left a billion times. All they had to do was look up and see how many cities we had left! Visual representation for the win! 

5. Keep an extra change of clothes easily accessible.

I know that when you pack, you (or maybe your husband) like to Tetris-style all those bags into the trunk of the car. Sometimes, your suitcases end up going in first, making them harder to get out. I recommend keeping at least one back-up outfit handy for each of your kids, just in case. Over the years we’ve had two barf incidents, a few pee accidents, and lots of messy spills. It’s a lot easier to get your kids cleaned up when you have a change of clothes handy!

6. Bring lots of snacks.

Have you ever noticed that any time you get a snack from a gas station, it’s almost ALWAYS junk food? And it’s almost ALWAYS overpriced? Yeah, we aren’t big fans. So we brought lots of different snacks in individualized snack-sized plastic bags. Lots of goldfish, veggie straws, pretzels, popcorn, applesauce pouches, granola bars, and even some cheese sticks in our cooler. We actually had so many snacks that we only bought food at a gas station twice the whole trip. That’s a win! Plus all those snacks kept our two-year-old from screaming the whole time we were in the car! 

7. Road trips are a lot better if you don’t have a set schedule or timeline.

Yes, I realize that’s not always possible, but if you can, it’s so nice. A lot of the discomfort from road trips comes because you have to get to a certain destination at a certain time and the timeframe is very narrow. For example if you’re driving 12 hours in one day, it’s hard to justify stopping to pee and eat and let everyone stretch. Our drive to Colorado was split into two days, so we drove about 8 hours (according to Google, it was really like 10 with all our stops) each day, and didn’t feel pressured or stressed. So much better, especially with kids!

8. If you have a DVD player get Redbox movies.

First, if you don’t have one, get one. We have these little 9″ DVD players that strap onto the back of your headrest and they are a dream (and only $50 on Amazon!). Second, if you do have a DVD player, you can get real tired of the same movies over and over again (I still have the songs from the My Little Pony Movie stuck in my head weeks later). So stop at a Redbox and pick up a new movie! Our kids rented The Lego Movie 2 in one city, watched it, and returned it in another city! It was the best!

9. Download games on your phone for you and your husband to play.

You’ve got to stay entertained, too! We enjoy doing trivia games, so we like the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Family Feud apps. They’re great when you start getting tired and need a pick-me up! Just make sure you are driving through an area with service, or your games might not work! 

10. Be prepared to stop a lot.

Growing up my dad used to hate road trips, and I get it now. We stopped so many times. To eat, to pee, to let our dog out, to pee again, to get more water, to change a diaper, you get the idea. So just expect it to happen and you won’t be as stressed when your child tells you they have to pee again twenty minutes after you left the last rest stop.

11. Bring water.

We brought a huge pack of water bottles, and it was one of the best decisions we made on our road trip! Our kids like to have water in the car, and we drink a lot of water, too, so bringing our own and not having to buy a bunch of $2 bottles of water every hundred miles was a life-saver.

12. Plan activities in the car.

This looks different for different ages, but the idea is the same. You’re not going to want to have to occupy your kids the entire road trip, so bring things for them to do in the car. For our toddler, this was a few board books, some toy cars, and a Water Wow! pad. For the bigger kids, it was crayons and a folder filled with different activities to do (plus whatever they earned with their car dollars). I included pages from this little hidden pictures book and this word search book (they’re both for kids 4-6 and were only about $2 each), plus a license plate scavenger hunt game and a map of our trip. These were such a huge hit and I’m definitely doing them again. 

13. If you’re driving longer than a day, don’t book a hotel until you’re close.

One thing we like to do is wait until we know how far we’re going to make it (usually a little before dinner) to book hotels. You might think you can make it a certain distance in a day, but not end up being able to. You also might not want to make it super far. Sometimes you just need to stop and rest for the night! So wait until you’re an hour or two out from where you’re planning on staying before you book a hotel.

14. Bring ear plugs.

Our two-year-old is the sweetest, cutest little boy, until you put him in the car. He screams, he cries, he yells, he fights. It’s miserable. So we learned early on to bring ear plugs in the car when we travel with him. My husband ended up using them once on our last trip, and we had one trip last year where everyone in the car (my parents included) put ear plugs in. They can help you keep your sanity when a child is crying (or when you can’t take hearing the theme song to your kids’ shows any more).

15. Pack a few sandwiches.

I know that sounds weird, and at first I just did it so we didn’t waste a loaf of bread, but every single one I brought got eaten. Hopefully this isn’t just my kids, but without fail, within 30 minutes-an hour of eating, my kids always tell me they’re hungry. And instead of feeding them snacks, I fed them PB&J sandwiches! Our toddler ate three of them, my husband ate one, and my 6-year-old ate two. It was such a great idea, friends! And it stopped them from complaining! 

16. Keep a designated place for trash. 

We bring a plastic bag or have a certain spot that all trash gets passed up to so that at each stop, we can empty it and keep a (relatively) clean car on our trip. It’s easier that way and takes less time to clean out the car at the end!

17. Use window shades.

Our van has built-in window shades, but if your car doesn’t, they’re great for younger kids taking naps in the car, older kids watching shows, or just blocking the sun out of your kids’ eyes when it’s right outside their windows. These sun shades have 4.4/5 stars with over 5,000 reviews on Amazon, so I’m guessing they’re pretty good!

18. Pick a hotel with breakfast.

If you’re staying in a hotel, picking one that serves free breakfast will save you money and time! You won’t have to stop somewhere to eat before you hit the road, and you won’t have to pay for an extra meal, either! Yay! 

19. On the way home order groceries for pick up.

You might be like “uh, what?” with this one, but hear me out. When you’re on a road trip for a few days, you’re going to come home to a house with no food and you’re going to feel stressed trying to come up with something for dinner (or you’re going to go out, again). Then the next day you’re going to have to throw together a grocery list and go get groceries when all you really want to do is stay at home and decompress from your trip. INSTEAD, use a grocery pick-up service (I LOVE Walmart Grocery Pick-Up)! Order groceries either on the way home, or better yet, before you even leave, and then on the way home, stop by and pick them up! They’ll get loaded into your car and you’ll head home with fresh food to eat! Genius, right? I know. You’re welcome!

A road trip with kids can sound overwhelming and stressful, but it can also be a pleasant, fun adventure when you prepare and have a plan! Hopefully these 19 tips will help you survive your road trip and make some memories along the way! Happy travels!

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One thing my husband and I love to do is travel. We traveled before our kids were born, and we certainly are continuing to travel with all three of them in tow. 

Yes, traveling is a lot different with kids than when you’re on your own, but I absolutely think it’s worth the extra effort to travel with your kids. Even if traveling with kids becomes more of a trip than a vacation, there are a lot of great things about traveling with kids (just ask The Bucket List Family!).

I’ll be honest and say it’s definitely harder and more stressful and more expensive to travel with your kids. There are a lot of tears and whining when my kids get out of their routine and aren’t going to bed at their bedtime every night, but that’s not going to stop us from taking them to new places. I’ve heard a lot of arguments against traveling with kids, so today I want to talk about why you should travel with your kids!

Why You Should Travel With Your Kids

1. It’s a great way to bond as a family.

Sound cheesy? I know. But if you put your family in a car or hotel room or a tent and spend time doing things together that you normally wouldn’t do, you bond! I think my family growing up bonded a lot from our trips we took together, even if it was just a camping trip in the mountains. 

2. Your kids will experience new things.

Being home is great, but there are just some things your kids won’t get to experience if they never travel, no matter how diverse and fun your city is. They’ll be forced to try new foods, see new places and how other people live, and interact with people they wouldn’t get to otherwise. 

3. Even if they won’t remember it long-term, they’ll talk about it for a long time before and after.

One thing I hear a lot about why people don’t travel with their kids (especially to Disneyland) is that they won’t remember it. No, your 18-month-old isn’t going to remember seeing Mickey or meeting her favorite princess, but they’ll remember it for a while! My kids won’t remember half the trips they’ve been on in their lives so far, but they always love counting down to them and sharing what happened on our trips with other people. The joy that they experience in the moment, as well as before and after, is so worth it, even if they forget it in a few years.

4. The little experiences make it worth it. 

Last weekend we went down to Iowa for a few days. It was in the 90s with 1000% percent humidity and we were all sweaty and the kids complained and whined a lot. But there was one evening where we chased and caught fireflies for about 15 minutes, and out of everything else we did on our trip, that little experience made it worth it. I didn’t get any pictures and my kids will definitely forget about it one day, but I had so much fun and felt so much joy being with my family in the fading sun running around a park we used to visit catching and releasing fireflies. It was a memory that will definitely stick with me forever!

5. Traveling won’t be the same as it would if you didn’t bring them.

Sure, you could use this as a negative thing, but I’m calling it a positive. No, you won’t get to lay on the beach tanning and reading your favorite book for hours, but you will get to run and splash in the water with tiny humans you created. No, you won’t get to have a romantic evening walking the streets of old European cities, but you can still walk the streets and point out unique things to your kids. I love seeing my kids’ faces when they see something they’ve never seen before or learn something that blows their little minds!

6. You get to see things through your child’s eyes.

Another reason I personally love bringing my kids on trips is because I get to see things differently. Kids notice different things and are amazed by different things, and honestly it enriches my experience to bring them (even if it’s also harder!). They notice little things that we take for granted, and it’s so much fun to see new places through their eyes!

7. You get to do things you probably wouldn’t otherwise. 

Sure, you might not go to a quiet, historic museum, but it’s a lot of fun to explore local parks, go to beaches and swim, or go to an out-of-town carnival and watch your kids do rides. When you travel with kids, your itinerary is definitely a little different, but that’s not a bad thing at all! 

We love traveling with our kids. Sure, they’re more trips than vacations these days, but I wouldn’t trade the memories we make and the things my kids experience for anything. Next time you’re planning to travel, consider bringing your kids along. You’ll be glad you did! 

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Growing up, my family went camping a few times each summer. We’d load everything up into our car, drive up in the Rocky Mountains, set up camp, and have a great time. Sleeping bags, s’mores, hikes, and board games were a big part of my summers growing up. 

It wasn’t until we started camping with our own kids last year that I realized how much work it is to go camping with kids! It’s like packing for a vacation but EXTRA. You have to bring and cook all your own food, plan your activities, set up your own shelter, and keep everyone safe and warm. It’s hard, but it’s so much fun, too.

We went camping over Memorial Day weekend this year, and this time we even brought our new puppy, Penelope. It was a lot of fun, (even if we went home early!) and it sure was exhausting! Worth it for the memories, though! 

If you’re planning on going camping with kids, here are a few tips to help make it easier and more enjoyable for everyone!

Tips for Camping with Kids

1. Do a test run in your backyard.

We weren’t able to do this this time, but growing up we would camp in the backyard a lot, and I totally get why now! It’s so easy to test it out, see how your kids do, and make sure you know what you need to bring (or buy!) that you wouldn’t have thought of before!

2. Plan a kid-friendly menu.

There are so many yummy camping meals you can make, but it’s important to remember to plan things your kids are actually going to eat. Sure, a fancy Dutch oven casserole sounds delicious, but will your kids even eat it after you go to all that work? We planned simple things like pancakes, eggs, cinnamon rolls, hot dogs, sandwiches, quesadillas, and nachos (not to mention several delicious desserts!).

3. Get a campsite close(ish) to the bathroom.

Kids always need to go to the bathroom at the most inconvenient times. And they never have to go at the same time as anyone else, either. So try to get a campsite that’s relatively close to the bathrooms, but not close enough that you’re going to smell them from your tent!

4. Bring a lot of snacks.

I mean I think this is a good tip for camping no matter what age your fellow campers are, but it’s especially good for kids. Bring a good mix of healthy food and junk food (we’ll allow it) so you don’t feel bad if they constantly want to snack!

5. Set up a screened canopy tent. 

We don’t have one of these yet, but I really want to get one this year! If you’re going to be camping when the mosquitos or other bugs are out, it’s nice to have a place to relax that’s in the shade and free from bugs! Especially when you have kids! Plus, this is a perfect place for them to play games, read books, or color on the ground. This one has amazing reviews on Amazon (and the one minute set-up sounds divine!).

6. Bring kids’ camp chairs.

We got a few camp chairs for our kids last year and they have been the greatest. No more fighting over camp chairs or trying to share them with littles. We got ours at a camping store, but Melissa & Doug has some really cute ones that have great reviews and are under $20.

7. Bring extra baby wipes.

Like, way more than you think you’ll need. Baby wipes are great for wiping up messes, cleaning up owies, wiping dirt off of kids (or yourself), and of course, changing diapers. Regardless of if you have a child in diapers, bring some baby wipes!

8. Don’t forget lanterns and flashlights.

You’re definitely going to be making some nighttime trips to the bathroom, so make sure you have a few flashlights to help your kids see where they’re going! And a lantern is a great idea for inside the tent when you’re changing clothes because it’s hands-free! And bonus tip, bring glow sticks for your kids to play with at night!

9. Pack lots of water, and if you have a younger child, a sippy cup.

Getting dehydrated is the worst, and sometimes the water source is far from your campground, so bringing your own water bottles is a good idea! My 6-year-old and 4-year-old were fine drinking from water bottles, but my youngest is two and we brought a sippy cup to refill for him. 

10. Pack extra clothes.

We were going to camp for two days and I brought four outfits for each of my kids. You never know if your kid is going to fall in the water, the mud, or get covered in marshmallow!

11. Don’t go light on sunscreen.

You think a sunburn hurts? Just wait until your kid gets one! You’ll think they’re dying from the amount they’ll complain. So make sure you bring enough and apply it every few hours!

12. Keep the bugs away!

Bring either buy spray (and apply it a lot), a mosquito repellent bracelet (easy for kids and no trying to spray them down!), or a zone mosquito repeller (like this). Similar to kids with a sunburn, kids with bug bites can really ruin a camping trip!

13. Bring planned activities. 

You’d think kids would be able to occupy themselves in nature for a few days, but they get bored so fast! So bring a few activities (like this fun nature scavenger hunt, bubbles, or simple card games like Go Fish or Uno!). That way you’ll be able to get a little quiet time in!

14. Bring lots of layers. 

It can get pretty chilly at night when you’re camping, so bringing long sleeves, hoodies, and jackets is a good idea! That way you can just take things off as you warm up during the day!

15. Use paper plates for minimal clean up.

One thing I used to hate growing up was cleaning the dishes when we were camping. So this time we brought paper plates and plastic forks. It made things so much easier, and I didn’t have to worry about keeping an eye on the kids while trying to wash dishes!

16. Encourage them to explore, but set boundaries.

When we first got to our campsite, our kids were so excited to run around and explore and check things out. Which is totally fine, as long as you set boundaries! If your kids are older it may not be as important, but I wanted to be able to see my kids at all times, so they had to stay in front of our tent and within sight.

17. Bring bikes.

We actually didn’t this time, but so many people bring bikes to ride around the campground! It’s a fun, easy way to occupy your kids and get some exercise!

18. Bring sanitizing wipes or sanitizer.

Depending on how primitive the bathrooms are, you’re going to want to bring something to clean your hands (or more importantly, your kids’ hands). Plus, you never know where those dirty little hands have been before dinner!

19. Bring blankets and pillows along with sleeping bags.

Yes, of course, you want to bring sleeping bags. But blankets and pillows are just as important! We had to do extra blankets on our kids so they stayed warm at night, and they also worked great for cuddling with in the evening!

20. Expect dirt.

I know this should go without saying, but expect that your kids are going to get a little dirty. Or even a lot dirty. That’s part of the fun of camping, so try to take a deep breath and just accept it!

21. Bring a rug or basket for putting shoes outside your tent.

One thing that I remembered to do this time was bring a little outdoor mat to put outside our tent so that we didn’t get dirt in our tent trying to take off or put on our shoes! It was a great idea, especially for kids who constantly want to go in and out of the tent!

22. Pack a picnic blanket for the table and things to hold it on with. 

Sometimes those tables at campsites are sticky, extra dirty, or have weird spots you’d rather not touch. So packing a picnic blanket and things to hold it onto the table with (like these) is a good idea. Especially for kids who frequently don’t put their food back down on the plate (please tell me that’s not just my kids!). 

23. When you pack, keep it organized.

Of course this is a good tip for any camping trip, but it’s especially important when you’re going camping with kids! Especially because kids are not patient at all. We packed all our food in one cooler and one clear container, all our “camping gear” in another big bin, and each kid had their own bag with their clothes and stuffed animal. It was easy to find everything because everything had a specific place!

24. Make sure your tent is big enough.

Sure, a two-person tent was great when you were just a couple, but a four-person tent will not be comfortable for two kids and two adults. Kids move A TON at night and you’ll end up getting squished and cramped and all up on each other. We have five people in our family (plus we brought Penelope) and everyone had their own space in our Coleman Montana 8-Person Tent. 

25. Don’t plan on your kids going to bed at their normal bedtimes. 

Firstly because it won’t even be dark until 9:30 or later, and second because there’s so much noise and excitement all around the campground that they aren’t going to want to! We tried putting our kids down around 9, and they were so hyper and giggly that they didn’t end up falling asleep until my husband and I went in with them around 10. But I had planned on that, so it was fine!

26. Bring Bandaids and a First Aid Kit.

The very first time we went camping, our oldest was two and he fell on a stick he was running with and cut his cheek. The scar is finally almost gone (four years later). But we would’ve been in big trouble without a First Aid Kit! You never know what will happen!

27. Bring something for your kids to do when they wake up.

You think your kids wake up early in their own beds? Wait until you go camping! Our kids were up around 5:30 and there was no way we were getting up at that time. So we brought our iPad with some games a a few shows downloaded so they had something to occupy themselves until it was actually a decent hour to get up.

Alright, and now for some bonus tips if you’re planning on camping with a baby or a toddler!

Bonus Tips for Camping with Babies or Toddlers

1. Bring a Pack n Play with a sheet over the top.

First of all, a Pack n Play is a great place for baby to sleep and take naps in the tent. Second of all, it makes a great playpen outside the tent! Put a sheet over the top to keep out bugs and you’ve got a perfect area for baby to hang out safely!

2. Bring disposable diaper bags. 

When you’re camping with only a single trash bag for trash that’s kept at your campsite until full, you are not going to want to just toss poopy diapers in there! Bring some disposable diaper bags like these so you can toss the diapers (and their stench!) in the trash. 

3. Use a small umbrella stroller or cheap high chair to keep them contained.

You can’t hold your baby every second when you’re camping, so you’ll need somewhere to put them down that will keep them safe. Bringing a small umbrella stroller or a cheap high chair (like the Ikea Antilop high chairIkea Antilop high chair) is a super easy and light way to have somewhere for baby to sit while you eat or cook or set up the tent!

4. Bring a baby carrier or hiking backpack.

One of our favorite parts of camping is going hiking! And even if you aren’t going hiking, it’s a good idea to have a baby carrier or some way to keep your baby close and secure. Our favorite carrier for our babies has been the LÍLLÉbaby 4 in 1 baby carrier and we really like the Kelty child carriers for our toddler (and he likes ours, too!).

5. Bring a playmat with a pen or tarp with pen.

Another easy way to keep your baby or toddler contained is with a playmat that has a pen around it, or a big tarp that has a pen around it. The first time we went camping, our daughter was about 20 months, and my husband’s grandpa built her a playpen using a big tarp and the ramps from his trailer. It worked and was an easy way to let her be free!

6. If you want to do a bath, bring a big plastic bin.

We haven’t ever done this, but I heard it somewhere and thought it was a good idea if you’re going on a longer camping trip and want to give your baby or toddler a bath. Just bring a big plastic storage bin, fill it with water in the morning, put a lid on it during the day to let it warm up, and in the evening, you’ve got a portable bath for your little one!

Camping with kids is a lot of fun, although I’m sure by the amount of tips I’ve included you also now realize it’s a lot more work than camping before having kids! Hopefully these 27 (plus 6!) tips for camping with kids will make it easier and help you have a great trip! Have fun!

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Eight days ago, my husband and I ran the Star Wars Rival Run Half Marathon at Walt Disney World. We both had so much fun, were happy with our finish times, and we got to visit the different parts at Disney World the two days before. And we didn’t bring our kids.

What? I know. What kind of parent goes to Disney World and doesn’t bring their kids?

Honestly, it was because it was going to be a short trip and we didn’t want to spend all the extra money on our three kids. Plus, we would’ve had to find someone to watch them during our race on Sunday morning.

Sure, I felt a little bad about not bringing them, but I don’t regret the decision in the slightest! Going to Disney World without kids is a dream!

If you’re trying to decide whether or not you want to go to Disney World without kids, or you are just trying to plan a kid-free vacation and can’t decide where to go, here are some reasons why you should consider going to Walt Disney World sans kids:

It’s cheaper.

We all know Disney World is expensive. A one park per day child ticket starts at $104, and if you add on the park-hopper option so you can visit multiple parks a day, it’s $164 for a child ticket. And that’s just for one child, one day! And if you add in the cost of travel (in our case, flying) and food, the price can double pretty fast. Going to Disney World without kids is just cheaper!

You don’t have to share food.

Besides the half marathon, the thing I was looking forward to the most was the food. Disney is famous for having delicious food, and we came prepared. I had a big list of things I wanted to try, and if we had brought the kids, I would’ve had to share. No kids means more delicious food for me.

You can get around faster. 

Going to Disney World without kids means you can walk at your own pace, without leaving any little legs in the dust. Walking around Disney World in a group is a challenge because there are so many people and you have to make sure you aren’t losing someone every few minutes. When it’s just you two, you can weave through crowds, walk briskly (or run) to get to your next ride, and you take less bathroom breaks!

You don’t have to go on lame rides you don’t want to go on.

Kids are great, but they usually want to go on different rides than adults. I’m going to get some crap for this, but I hate It’s A Small World. I don’t want to stand in line for the Dumbo ride. And the teacups make me so sick I wouldn’t be able to do anything the rest of the day. When you don’t bring kids, you don’t have to wait in line for any of those rides! We were able to do Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train, Expedition Everest, and Slinky Dog Dash without having to worry if our kids were tall enough or brave enough to ride them! 

You don’t have to worry about naps.

When you bring kids who still nap (our youngest does) you have to plan around their nap time. Usually that means a nap in the stroller with parental supervision or going back to the hotel for a few hours and then coming back to the park. But when you go to Disney World without kids, you can just power through as long as you want! No naps means more Disney time!

You can stay out late and go in as early as you want.

Again, you don’t have to plan your schedule around your kids getting enough sleep! We were able to go do Magic Morning both days we were there without having to worry about the kids losing steam halfway through the day. And if we had wanted, we could’ve stayed until closing! We didn’t since we had to run 13.1 miles on Sunday morning at 5:30am, but we could’ve if we’d have wanted to!

No stroller to push around!

Okay, this is a biggie (especially with all the changes around allowed stroller sizes starting May 1st). Not having to push around a stroller is amazing when it’s busy, and like I said, you can get around faster! Plus you don’t have to worry about it getting wet if it rains, or trying to find a place to put it when you go on rides!

No bulky diaper bag.

When you don’t bring your kids to Disney World, you also don’t have to bring a diaper bag! All I brought with me was my Fawn Design Fawny Pack with my wallet, my phone, a phone charger, and my sunglasses. It was so nice not having to take it off every time we got on a ride, and my back didn’t get hot or start hurting halfway through the day! Yay! 

We didn’t have to wait in line to meet characters.

I say we didn’t have to, but we did wait in line to meet Chewbacca because he’s our two-year-old’s favorite and we wanted to send him a picture. But with kids, a lot of time spent at Disney can be spent waiting in lines to meet characters. So instead of doing that, we got to ride more rides and eat more food! It was great! 

Disney World without kids is a lot less stressful.

Disney is fantastic and so magical and just the best trip with kids, but it’s also exhausting and stressful. So take those kids away, and it’s a lot more relaxing! Personally, we didn’t feel like we needed to ride every ride or make sure it was the perfect, best day ever (which we have always felt like when going with kids). We were able to take breaks and just sit down when we wanted and we didn’t feel the pressure that comes with bringing kids to Disney World. It actually felt like a vacation!

You can eat wherever you want and whenever you want.

If you have kids, I’m sure you’re familiar with the scenario where your kids can’t agree on where to eat, or they refuse to eat where you want to, and then an hour later, they’re hungry and you have to get them something else. It’s frustrating, and when you’re at Disney World, it’s especially frustrating. Leaving your kids at home means you can eat wherever you want (whether that’s something quick at Magic Kingdom or a sit-down place in Epcot), whenever you want (because adults can manage hunger a little better than kids!). Seriously, it’s a dream.

Going to Disney World without kids at first sounds crazy, mean, or even like bad parenting, but I can assure you, it’s none of those things. We loved visiting Disney on our own, and it really made a difference in how much we got to do, how much we spent, and how much we enjoyed our trip. I don’t know if we’ll ever get a chance to do it again, but if we do, I’m all for it! And I hope if you have the chance to go without kids, you jump on it, too!

The post Going to Disney World without Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

One thing we love doing here in Minneapolis is visiting the Mall of America. Once you go, all other malls seem inferior.

In case you didn’t know, the Mall of America is the biggest mall in the United States. It has three floors all the way around (with a fourth floor in part of it), over 500 stores, over 50 dining options, a theme park, an aquarium, and tons of fun events. It’s easily one of our favorite things to do in the Twin Cities.

Since we go so often, I thought it would be fun to put together a post all about things to do at the Mall of America with toddlers. You might think that taking your toddler to the mall wouldn’t be super fun, but the Mall of America is no ordinary mall. There’s seriously TONS for toddlers to do (besides riding around in the stroller or shopping!), and it’s the perfect place to go on snowy, rainy, or super hot days when you just want to stay inside! 

Also, a quick tip, if you park on the fourth floor, there aren’t any stairs to go from the parking garage to the mall. On the second, third, and fifth floors you have to go up or down a small set of stairs to get into the mall, and with strollers, that’s no good. So park on the fourth floor of the parking garage and you’ll be golden!

Here are ten things to do at the Mall of America with toddlers:

1. Play at the LEGO tables outside the LEGO store. As if the LEGO store wasn’t fun enough, they also have a few tables set up outside the store (between the store and Nickelodeon Universe) with benches around them and a bunch of LEGO bricks to play with. And there’s even DUPLO tables! So whether your toddler is younger or older, this is a fun place to rest and let them play for a while.

2. Paw Patrol Playground. I’ll admit this is not my favorite thing at the mall, but I’m including it because it is something to do. A few months ago they opened up a big Paw Patrol playground inside Nickelodeon Universe. It costs 6 tickets to get in for 20 minutes (which is $7.20). Going on Toddler Tuesday (see #6) is the best way to do it. If you go when it’s busy keep an eye on your little one because it can get kind of rowdy. We have been twice and our toddler loves it!

3. Build-A-Bear Workshop. What little kid doesn’t love picking out their own stuffed animal!? We went last year when my son was about 18-months-old and he had so much fun. He picked out a Chewbacca bear (of course) and loved carrying it around and giving it hugs. This is a good place to go if you have grandparents in town and they want to get your toddler a gift!

4. The Crayola Experience. This is more fun for older kids, but they do have a few things that my toddler enjoyed. They have a playground for younger kids, a light show room where they can color on whiteboards and run around on an interactive floor, a little area where you can use chalk or dry-erase markers and color on everything, and several other places where toddlers can color. They can probably do almost everything with a little assistance. It’s a fun place to visit!

5. Sea Life Aquarium. We just did this for the first time yesterday. It’s not a huge aquarium, but it’s perfect for toddlers! Lots of fish, sharks, turtles, jellyfish, and seahorses to look at! 

6. Toddler Tuesdays. If you’re going to take your toddler to the Mall of America, try and go on a Tuesday. Every Tuesday, the mall hosts “Toddler Tuesday” where kids can meet their favorite characters, do arts and crafts, and get discounted wristbands for Nickelodeon Universe ($12.99 for 5 hours valid on certain rides). They can also eat free with the purchase of an adult meal at more than 10 restaurants around the mall. Seriously, Tuesdays are the day to go with your toddler. 

7. Disney Store events. The Disney Store often has events that are fun for toddlers to go to. In October they have Halloween parties where kids can participate in a parade and a sing-along. You can see what events they have coming up here. They’re a lot of fun! 

8. Nickelodeon Universe. Besides the Paw Patrol Playground, Nickelodeon Universe has a lot of rides that toddlers can do. They have several rides that you have to be 36 or 39″ to ride without an adult, and then a lot that toddlers can ride as long as they have a chaperone. Plus, if you’re a required chaperone (meaning your child has to have an adult) you don’t have to pay for yourself! 

9. Treat stores! The Mall of America has several candy stores, chocolate stores, ice cream stores, bakeries, and even an edible cookie dough store! If your toddler has been good (or you need something sweet to distract them with), go get them a treat! We love the candy store It’s Sugar, and the edible cookie dough at Dough Dough is delicious! 

10. Train table inside Barnes and Noble. If you just want a quick break or a way for your toddler to get out some energy, take them to Barnes and Noble and let them play with the train table in the children’s section. All of my kids have always loved playing there, and it gives you a chance to just sit and rest!

And even though this post is focused on toddlers, there are also a few other things that are fun at the Mall of America that bigger kids will like. There’s a mini golf course, a blacklight mini golf course, a mirror maze, Flyover America (a flying ride), 5D Extreme Attraction, the American Girl store, and they’re putting in a virtual reality attraction that’s going to feature Star Wars (my kids are excited for that one!). 

The Mall of America is tons of fun for any age, and that absolutely includes toddlers. Don’t skip over it because you think there won’t be anything for your littles to do there! There are lots of fun things to do at the Mall of America with toddlers, and if you plan a trip, I hope you have a great time! Maybe we’ll see you there!

The post Things to Do at the Mall of America with Toddlers appeared first on Life With My Littles.

I received discounts in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Two weeks ago we had an end-of-the-summer hoorah and drove to Wisconsin Dells, the waterpark capital of the world. It’s an amazing little town with tons to do and the best waterparks in the country. Our best friends recommended the Wilderness Resort, and I am SO GLAD they did! It’s an incredible resort with three waterpark properties to stay at, eight waterparks (four outdoor, four indoor), and a bunch of amazing attractions! It’s America’s largest waterpark resort, and we had such a fun time. If you ever visit Wisconsin Dells, I highly, highly recommend staying here. Unlike other waterpark resorts, they have things to entertain toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged kids of all ages (rather than just one waterpark for young kids). And if you are going with young kids, it definitely will take some planning to have the best time you can because there’s so much to do. Today I wanted to share some tips for going to the Wilderness Resort with young kids, since that’s what we did, so you can have as fun of a time as us!

1. Bring grandparents or friends. There’s a reason this is the first tip! My parents came along with us, and it was great. They were able to help watch Little R so we could go on some of the bigger slides, and they even watched all three kids while my husband and I went on slides together! We also had Little R and Little A go to bed early one night, and my dad stayed with them in the room while my husband, mom, and Little J and I all went and did some attractions. It was the perfect set-up, and it allowed us to do as much as we could while we were there.

2. If you’re awake and ready, go to the daily duck races. I mean if you have young kids, you probably will be. Every morning there are duck races that kids can participate in. Check your schedule to see where and when. We didn’t get a chance to go, but I know my kids would’ve loved it! Winners even receive a prize!

3. Bring more than one swimsuit. Assuming you’re going to be there for more than one day, bring a second swimsuit! My daughter and I both have two, so we brought them so each day we were able to have a completely dry suit! My sons only have one, so they had to wear slightly damp suits the second and third days. This is also a good idea if you plan on swimming in the morning, doing some attractions in the afternoon, and then swimming again in the evening!

4. Bring floaties if your kids are really small. We brought our Puddle Jumpers floaties for all three kids, and I’m glad we did because I wouldn’t have let my youngest son have so much freedom without it! Wilderness Resort does provide life jackets, but the smallest ones still would’ve been big on our 19-month-old. I’d say bring them and then if you don’t need them, at least you know you were prepared! Also, all kids under 48 inches are required to wear floatation devices at Wilderness on the Lake, just FYI if you head over there!

5. Don’t pack towels. When you check into your room, you get one “towel card” for each person in your room. I LOVED this. At each waterpark, they had a towel desk (some of the waterparks had two) where you hand them your towel cards and they give you one towel per card. Each time you’re done, you can trade them back in for cards and that way, you don’t have to carry around wet towels! You can even trade them in for dry towels after you get out of the water. Anyway, don’t pack towels. You won’t need them and they’ll just take up space.

6. Bring empty water bottles or sippy cups for your kids, and make sure you fill them often! The Wilderness Resort has a great deal where you can buy a souvenir drink cup for $7.99, and then all refills are 99 cents. Assuming your kids don’t drink soda, I recommend bringing water bottles or sippy cups. There are drinking fountains all over, so you can refill them easily when you need to!

7. Plan for nap time. If you have a child that still naps, make sure you think about that when you plan your day. If they’ll nap in the stroller, great, but if not, make sure you take them back to the room to nap. Our youngest won’t nap in the stroller, so we left him in our room with my parents and he had a nice, long nap and was happy the rest of the night. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about vacationing with kids, it’s that they still need naps if you want to have a good evening with them!

8. Bring a light stroller for the walking. Speaking of strollers, make sure you bring one that’s pretty light. There are a few places where it’s easier to go down one flight of stairs than finding an elevator to take. And if you have a small child with short legs who either doesn’t walk or who walks MEGA SLOW like mine, you absolutely have to bring a stroller. The Wilderness Resort is huge (more than 500,000 square feet), and you are NOT going to want to carry them around the whole time! My husband got over 20,000 steps one day, just to give you an idea of how much walking we did!

9. If you have kids who can’t sit in a tube by themselves, look for the green double tubs that have mesh bottoms. I didn’t realize this until the second day, but some of the green double tubs have a mesh bottom on one side so kids who are too small to sit in a tube by themselves can sit on the mesh and still enjoy the lazy river! Little A LOVED having her own side of the tube to herself!

10. Plan out what you want to do when you get there, but be flexible. With eight waterparks and a bunch of amazing attractions, it’s a good idea to prioritize what you want to do and make a plan! We decided not to go over to Wilderness on the Lake (even though I’ve heard Cubby’s Cove Indoor Waterpark is PERFECT for young kids), and even without that we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to! It would probably be easier to plan if you go in the fall or winter when the outdoor waterparks and attractions are closed, but still, there’s so much to do. So make a plan.

And if your kids happen to fall in love with one of the waterparks, be flexible and let them play there longer than you had planned! We had planned to check out all the waterparks, but only went to Wild WaterDome, Klondike Kavern, Wild West, and Lost World because our kids didn’t want to leave those parks! The kids loved Lost World because of the dinosaurs, and slides (there’s even a slide on the lazy river!).

We also went to Wild West twice and Klondike Kavern twice. They both have body slides, tube slides (double and for 4 people) and big play structures with tipping buckets in the middle that are perfect for older kids, and little areas off to the side for toddlers to play in. Klondike Kavern also had a lazy river that we all floated for a while!

We didn’t love Wild WaterDome, but only because it’s mostly a massive wave pool (the biggest in the country, actually!) with a small area for younger kids on the side, and our kids got bored with it fast. If you have bigger kids who like wave pools, it’s probably more fun! The big Wisconsin Dells tube is there to take pictures with, though!

11. Do the waterparks during the day and attractions at night. One thing we planned on that worked great for us was to do waterparks during the day and then attractions in the evening. That way we were able to shower and get dressed before dinner and then we didn’t have to change again later. This probably isn’t that big of a deal for you if your kids can wash and dress themselves, but our two youngest still need help bathing and we didn’t want to have to do it twice in one day!

12. Bring a waterproof phone case for pictures! I have a waterproof phone case that I brought to take lots of pictures, and it was perfect because I was able to get right in the water and get pictures and not have to worry about my phone getting wet or splashed. You can’t bring any phones on the slides, so don’t try, but I definitely recommend getting a waterproof phone case so you can capture lots of memories while you’re there!

13. Eat at the Wild Canyon Cafe for breakfast. We didn’t try their dinner, but the breakfast here was fabulous! And the best part is that kids 8 and under eat at the buffet for free when you purchase an adult buffet! Which is great when you have three kids because kids’ meals are expensive and they add up fast. I suggest trying the donuts and waffles!

14. Check in is at 4, but you can get there as early as noon and enjoy the waterparks. We had to drive from Minnesota, so we got there around lunchtime, and it was perfect because even though our room wasn’t ready, we were able to get our wristbands and start using the waterparks right away! I packed one bag that had all of our swim stuff, so we left everything else in the car, changed in the locker room, and just went and played! I highly recommend doing this so you can maximize your time there!

15. Check out as late as you can and then play until you have to go home. Along the lines of the last tip, to get the most out of your visit, stay and swim or do attractions for a few hours after you check out. Check out is at 11, so we put on our swim stuff, cleared everything out of our room, and went down to one of the waterparks with a bag of clothes so we could change when it was time to leave. They have showers in the locker rooms, too, so we were able to rinse off before getting dressed and then drive home after a few more hours of play!

16. Check the schedule for the WildKids Club. We didn’t get to do anything in the WildKids Club, but they have several fun activities and crafts kids can participate in during your stay! You can create your own Stuff-A-Critter or design your own tie-dyed Wilderness t-shirt! You can get a schedule of activities when you check in, so make sure you look at see if there’s anything your kids want to try out!

17. Bring sunscreen. Four of the waterparks are outside (they’re closed from Labor Day-Memorial Day), and then there’s one indoor waterpark (the Wild WaterDome) that has big glass windows that let the sun in. You’re definitely going to want to bring sunscreen for those so your kids don’t get burned! Yes, even in the winter! And don’t forget to put it on well before you get in the water. Little J’s sunscreen on his face washed off (my fault) and his little cheeks got burned.

18. Go any time of year. If you’re planning a trip to the Wilderness Resort, you’re probably wondering if it would still be fun to go during the winter. YES! Like I said, there are four indoor waterparks, and all but one are connected by indoor walkways so you don’t even have to go outside if you don’t want to. Plus, there are a bunch of arcades and attractions to do indoors that will keep you busy during the colder months. The Wilderness Resort is definitely one you can go to during the winter and not get bored at all!

19. Get the Fun Pass. Guys, these are absolutely worth the money, even with young kids. Our oldest son (he’s 5) could do all the attractions on the pass, and our daughter (who is 4) could do all but 1. There’s both an indoor and an outdoor Go-Kart track (kids have to be 4 or 36″ to ride with a parent, or in the kid karts on their own) that my kids LOVED. The Cosmic Go-Karts are outdoor, fast, and powered by gas, and the Wilderwoods Go-Karts are indoors, two stories, and they are electric. They drive differently, so it’s fun to try out both!

We also had fun at the Marshall Training Lazer Maze where you can test your skills and see how good you are at avoiding the lazers (spoiler alert: we were horrible). Our oldest son, my mom, my husband, and I did the OK Corral Lazer Tag while the younger two were sleeping, and we had a blast. We told my son he won and he wouldn’t stop telling people about it! My husband and I also took our oldest son on the Northern Lights Sky Ropes, which is an AMAZING ropes course in the Wild West Region of the Wilderness Hotel, located above the Glitter Gulch arcade. Even if you don’t get the Fun Pass, it’s well worth the $9 for 30 minutes! You have to be 48″ to do it alone, and kids under 48″ have to have an adult come with. Our son was pretty brave and did a great job!

We also tried out the Wild Abyss Mini Golf, which was indoors, and the Jurassic Mini Golf, which was outdoors. Our dinosaur-loving daughter loved the outdoor course, but was too distracted by all the dinosaurs to play! My dad, husband, and oldest son did the indoor mini golf and really enjoyed that.

The only attraction on the Fun Pass that I didn’t like were the Wild West Bumper Boats, and that was because they are more spray-people-in-the-face-boats than actual bumper boats. My husband enjoyed them, though! The Fun Pass is only $29.95 plus tax, which I think is a great deal since you get to try everything out once. And you can upgrade them to unlimited for $19 more, which would be cool if you were staying an extra long time! Anyway, get the Fun Pass. Very worth it!

20. Check height restrictions before promising your littles they can do things. This is always one of my tips when visiting somewhere fun with kids because you don’t want to tell them they can do something and then find out they can’t when you get there! Some of the slides and attractions have height restrictions, so look them up before you go. No sad kids, please!

21. Visit the Timberland Play Park. YOU GUYS. This was the most amazing indoor playground! It’s a massive 4-story structure that has slides, swings, and tons of tunnels and steps to climb. My kids had so much fun here! You have to be wearing dry clothes and socks to play, so make sure your kids have socks! There is a vending machine on the side of the play park that has socks in it, just in case! Anyway, you have to check this out. It’s just for kids 12 and under (and parents with them), and it was definitely one of my kids’ favorite things. We went right around lunch time and there was hardly anyone there! My mom even went in it with Little R and got all the way to the top!

21. Think about where you are going to stay. With several different options for lodging, make sure you think about where you want to stay before booking your trip. We stayed at Glacier Canyon Lodge (a condo resort), which we loved. It was super nice and our room had a bunk bed for the kids, two bathrooms, a master bedroom for my husband and I, and a kitchen. My parents stayed in the adjoining room, which even though it was a typical two-queen bed room, it was still super nice. And we had a great view of Lost World! One thing I really liked about staying at Glacier Canyon Lodge was that it was close to most of the waterparks, but it wasn’t overly busy or loud. I’d definitely stay there again! Wilderness Hotel is another option, and it’s the main resort. The rooms there are very similar to hotel rooms, so if it’s just your family going and not your extended family (or if your family isn’t huge), this is a great place to stay! Wilderness on the Lake is another place to stay, and while it’s not connected to the main resort, there is a free shuttle you can take to access the main part of the resort and all the attractions and waterparks there. It’s also a condo resort, like the Glacier Canyon Lodge. The resort also has several villas, cabins, and frontier condos, so it really just depends on if you’re going for a quick family vacation, a family reunion, or a long visit to the Dells. We really did love staying in Glacier Canyon Lodge, though!

22. Bring a waterproof bag to put your stuff in at the waterparks. I brought a cheap little tote we got from a city event, and it was perfect. I just tossed in our room key, water, sunscreen, a few snacks and extra swim diapers and wipes for Little R, and the kids’ goggles, and we were set! I didn’t have to worry about anything getting stolen or ruined from a little splash, and it was nice not having to carry around my whole diaper bag!

23. Check the hours for each water park when you get there. Each waterpark has different hours, so make sure you look and see which ones open early and stay open late so you can play accordingly! I’m not sure if it’s like this all year long, but when we were there, the waterparks opened and closed at different hours.

24. Ask for a portable crib and/or high chair. The bag on our pack ‘n play is broken, which makes it super hard to travel with. I called ahead and asked if they had any portable cribs available to put in our room, and they did! So if you’re traveling from far away (or just don’t want to bring yours) call ahead and see if they can put a portable crib in your room before you check in. They even left us a nice high chair for Little R to use!

25. Try out Klondike Pizza. We ate at a few of the restaurants while we were there, but our FAVORITE was Klondike Pizza. Guys, it was incredible. I swear the cheese in Wisconsin really is better! Everyone in our family loved it, and they even have free delivery (so if you’re in your room or at one of the waterparks, you can still try it!). It’s right by Klondike Kavern, and you seriously have to try it. So good.

Well that’s it! The Wilderness Resort is an incredible play to take your family, especially if you have young kids. There are so many things to do, and everyone will have a great time. We’ve only been home a few weeks and the kids are already asking when we can go again! Make sure when you go you use these tips for going to the Wilderness Resort with young kids, because I guarantee they’ll help your stay go smoother!

The post Tips for Going to The Wilderness Resort with Young Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Valleyfair.

Last month we took our first visit with our three kids to Valleyfair here in the Twin Cities. We had so much fun! We had never taken them to an amusement park with so many big roller coasters and adult rides before, and I was a little worried at first that they weren’t going to have a lot to do. Fortunately, they had a blast! Valleyfair has thrills in all sizes and TONS of fun things for young kids. We even made it through the day without any crying or whining! Which, when you have three kids under six, is a big deal!

While we were there we picked up a few tips for going to Valleyfair with young kids. Here are a few tips if you’re planning on going with babies, toddlers, or preschoolers in tow:

1. Bring a stroller. We brought our double stroller because it is super easy to push, has shade canopies that extend, the seats can recline, and it has a big storage area on the bottom. If you don’t have a stroller, or you just don’t want to bring yours, you can rent single and double strollers inside the park. Either way, you’re going to use one while you’re walking around all day!

2. Bring a friend. We went with our best friends and it was perfect because we were able to take turns going on rides with the kids, and we were able to swap watching the kids and go on a few adult rides, too. My husband and I don’t get to ride roller coasters together very often, so it was fun to be able to go together while our friends watched our kids! There’s also a new family thrill ride this year called Delirious that features ten revolutions in less than a minute. Kids have to be at least 48″ tall, so it might be one you ride without them!

3. If you can’t bring a friend, take advantage of Valleyfair’s parent swap service. You can get a slip from guest services (located at the front of the park) and one parent can ride while the other parent watches the kids, and then you swap and the other parent gets to ride while the parent who rode first watches the kids. I love when amusement parks offer this, and I don’t think a lot of people take advantage of it when they should!

4. Bring sunscreen and apply it a few times. This is a must when you have littles with delicate skin! Make sure you apply it every few hours, especially if you’re going to the waterpark or riding water rides!

5. Bring extra clothes or a swimsuit if you’re planning on getting wet. Valleyfair has a great waterpark called Soak City that is included in the price of your admission (two parks for the price of one!). If you want, you can spend all morning riding rides and then spend the afternoon cooling off on the waterslides! The waterpark wasn’t open when we went so we just wore regular clothes, but if you’re planning on going to the waterpark (or riding any of the water rides and don’t want to be wet), bring some extra clothes or your swimsuit. There are also a few water rides outside of the waterpark, too, so just be prepared!

6. Bring a sippy cup or water bottle. The last thing you want is a dehydrated child, so make sure you bring either a sippy cup or a water bottle. You can fill it up with ice water at several locations around the park, and you’re going to need to a few times if you’re there all day!

7. Look at the height requirements before you go. There is a whole area for young kids called Planet Snoopy (did you know Charles Schulz was from Minneapolis!?) that has rides even toddlers can ride with an adult, as long as they can walk (Little R couldn’t do any of the rides because we’re still working on that last part!). But there are also lots of other rides around the park that kids can do either with an adult or without. Seriously, our kids rode rides all day long and there were only a few that they rode twice because there were so many for them to ride. But make sure you look at the height requirements before you go because you don’t want to tell your child they can go on a ride and then find out that they are too short!

8. Take advantage of the Pre-K Pass. Valleyfair offers a free Pre-K Pass that grants complimentary admission to kids 3-5. For the 2018 season you have to register online by June 10th and bring in your voucher before June 29th. If you are reading this after those dates, just make a note and sign up next year!

9. Use the Family Care Center. I probably went in here three or four times! It’s amazing! Located in Planet Snoopy, the Family Care Center has a room with a TV and bean bags for kids to lounge in, a kitchen with a microwave and high chairs, private nursing rooms, two family bathrooms, and a room with two changing tables. Plus, it’s air conditioned and so, so nice. I definitely would recommend it to all families with young kids!

10. Do adult rides in the afternoon when kids are tired. We spent all morning doing kid rides, and then mixed in a few adult rides in the afternoon after we’d had lunch and the kids needed a break. Little R even took a quick nap in the stroller while we were on the Xtreme Swing!

11. Bring a backpack diaper bag. I’m assuming that if you’re reading this post you probably use a diaper bag. I recommend bringing one that is a backpack style so you don’t have to worry about keeping it on your shoulder or it falling off while you’re walking around. You can of course put it in your stroller if you have room, but I like to have mine close and easily accessible.

12. Go during the week (if you can). In my experience, parks are always less crowded during the week, and if you’re going with kids, you want to maximize your ride time because they can be impatient!

13. Get the refillable drink cup. One of my favorite things to do at parks we go to often is to get their refillable drink cups. Valleyfair has an All Season Bottle that allows you to get free soda refills all day and free soda refills throughout the entire 2018 season! It’s absolutely worth it in my opinion, and you get a cool souvenir cup!

14. Plan on dining in the park. Valleyfair has a lot of delicious dining options, from snacks and treats to full meals. We did the All Day Dining Plan, which allows you to get an entree and a side when you go to the participating restaurants at the park. I loved the pizza and breadsticks from Mama Chetta’s Pizzeria. I heard good things about Nordic Waffles, too, but didn’t get a chance to try them. Valleyfair also has several Minnesota-themed food events where you can taste local flavors throughout the season, including Food Truck Fridays, Minnesota Eats, Corn Feast, and Hot Dish & Hops. It’s definitely worth checking out!

15. Use the app. Having a physical map is great, but the app has several features that I thought were useful for going with kids, including the Friend Finder (in case your group splits up), rides broken down into categories like thrill rides, family rides, or rides in Planet Snoopy, and a map that tells you where you are and what rides and dining options are close to you! My kids also always argue over who gets to hold the map (and then we eventually lose it), so I’m glad I downloaded the app before we went!

16. Go to the character meet and greets and shows in the summer. Not only can you take pictures with the PEANUTS™ characters in Planet Snoopy, but you can also enjoy several shows during the summer! There’s a stunt dog show, a sing-a-long show, a dance party with the PEANUTS™ gang, marching band shows, and several different shows on the Midway Stage. Shows are a great way to take a break while you’re there and sit down for a few minutes!

17. Bring a carrier for your baby. I don’t know about you, but when my kids were babies, they got tired of the stroller easily so we would have to switch them to a baby carrier when we were out for long lengths of time. If that sounds like your baby, make sure you bring a baby carrier so you can keep your little one happy!

18. Bring hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes. Don’t worry too much about this one, but just clean little hands before they eat.

19. Go to the PEANUTS^TM Playhouse. I think my kids’ favorite part of Valleyfair was the PEANUTS™ Playhouse. It’s basically a big indoor, air-conditioned playground with soft balls and plenty of space to run around. There are even benches for parents! We went in here a few times during the day, and all of the kids (ages 1-5) loved it.

20. If you have a child with sensory processing concerns, use the Multi-Sensory Room. I didn’t get a chance to look at this before we left, but I read about it on the map and think it’s worth mentioning. Valleyfair provides a room next to guest services that has tools for families to either intensify or reduce sensory stimulation in a controlled environment. A day at a theme park can be a lot for some kids, and I think it’s awesome that they have this special room!

21. Register for Kidtrack. I also didn’t get a chance to check this out, but it’s a free program that assists in quickly reuniting lost children with their parents. If you’ve got kids who won’t be in the stroller or you’re going when it’s going to be busier, this is something you might want to take advantage of! You can register for this safety system Guest Services or the Family Care Center.

Valleyfair is a lot of fun, no matter how old your kids are. It’s such a big park and there are tons of rides and shows for every member of the family. You definitely don’t need to wait to go until your kids are older, and you can bet we’ll be back a few times this summer (especially for some of those special food events!). Plan ahead, use these tips for going to Valleyfair with young kids, and you’ll have a great time!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Valleyfair.

The post Tips for Going to Valleyfair with Young Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

I received complimentary LEGOLAND California tickets in exchange for this post. This post also contains affiliate links.

Last month we had the chance to visit LEGOLAND California as a family for the very first time! Our four-year-old is LEGO obsessed, and he had so much fun the whole day we were there. He was so excited to see LEGOs everywhere he looked, to ride LEGO-themed rides, and to play with LEGOs while we were there. It was pretty much his best day ever!

Even as an adult, it’s an impressive place! We went to the LEGO Americana Roadshow in Texas, and LEGOLAND is like that but on a much bigger scale, plus rides! The people who build all of those LEGO models are amazing! Definitely fancier than the little things I build with Little J!

But as any parent knows, traveling with kids under five can be hard! Since we hadn’t been to LEGOLAND before, I did some research before to make sure we were prepared and were all set for a fun-filled day! Here are some helpful tips for going to LEGOLAND with a toddler:

1. Watch what your toddler puts in his mouth. Depending on the age of your toddler, this one is super important. Is it just me, or when toddlers walk around do they find all kinds of potential choking hazards on the ground? There are lots of little places where your kids can play with and build with LEGO bricks, but that also means that there could be random LEGO pieces on the ground all around the park. So just watch your toddler and be extra vigilant!

2. Bring sunscreen, and apply it a few times. California is sunny, and there are few things worse than a toddler with a sunburn. Make sure you apply sunscreen when you get there, and then again after lunch. If you’re going to be at the LEGOLAND Water Park, make sure you put it on after being in the water, too.

3. Wear bright colors. Dress your child in something bright so that if you happen to get separated, you’ll be able to spot them quickly.

4. Write your phone number on your toddler’s arm. I actually brought a permanent marker along on our trip specifically for this reason. I wrote my phone number on the inside of my kids’ upper arms so that if they got lost, I would be just a phone call away.

5. Get an identification bracelet for your toddler when you get to the park. So I didn’t know about this until after our trip, but you can stop at the Guest Services when you get to LEGOLAND and pick up an identification wristband for your toddler, so that if you get separated, it will be easy to be reunited!

6. Use the Baby Care Center. If your toddler is on the younger age, you might want to check out LEGOLAND’s Baby Care Center, located in the Fun Town area. It has a baby-changing area with rocking chairs for nursing mothers and highchairs, as well as a refrigerator and microwave for preparing meals. Your toddler might be too old for this, but even if you just go there to change their diaper, it’s a great resource!

7. Bring a stroller with shade and that can recline. Since your toddler will probably be taking a nap or two in the park, make sure you have a stroller that will accommodate them. We love our ZOE XL2 BEST v2 double stroller because it reclines almost all the way down, and the shade covers expand and almost completely cover your toddler (it’s also AMAZING for travel because it’s only 16 lbs and you can get a special travel bag for it). ZOE also makes a single stroller if you don’t need a double. And having a stroller that’s a bright color is a plus, too, because it helps your stroller stand out when you’re looking for it after going on rides!

8. Bring lots of snacks. There are a lot of fun rides at LEGOLAND, and if you want to do them, you’re going to have to wait in line. So bring some snacks to keep your toddler busy (and to prevent them from getting hungry and whiny!).

9. Bring Grandma. We were lucky enough to have my mom come along on our trip, and it was amazing because she was able to spend time with us and watch our baby and toddler who couldn’t go on the bigger rides. A lot of the rides at LEGOLAND have height requirements that aren’t toddler-friendly, and if you aren’t planning on doing the Parent Swap, having Grandma there will be a huge blessing.

10. Use Parent Swap. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a grandparent or friend come along, make sure you utilize the Parent Swap. Basically, everyone gets in line together (even the toddler who can’t ride), and when you reach the front, you tell the ride operator you want to do the Parent Swap. Then one parent rides the ride with the older child and when it’s done, the other parent can then ride with the older child. It’s an awesome feature that I don’t think many people know about!

11. Use the app. The LEGOLAND app is great because not only does it provide an interactive map, but it also has wait times, height requirements, a car finder (so cool!), and daily entertainment. It’s nice because sometimes when you have a toddler you don’t want to wait in a long line, and you can easily look at the app to see which rides have shorter wait times!

12. Go during the week and not on a holiday. Unfortunately, we went the day before Veteran’s Day and all the local schools were out, which meant the park was super busy and we didn’t get to do very many rides. So if you want to maximize your time and do as many things as possible, try to avoid holidays and weekends.

13. Bring refillable cups for water. We don’t give our kids juice or soda very often, and since you can bring your own water into the park, we made sure to bring their little refillable cups so they wouldn’t get dehydrated! California is a warm place, and it’s important to make sure your toddler gets enough to drink! We love these Munchkin Miracle 360 cups.

14. Bring sanitizer or sanitizing wipes. Any time we go somewhere where thousands of other people have been, I get a little worried about my kids picking something up. So after rides or after playing with LEGO bricks, or even just before meals, make sure you clean your toddler’s hands. Sanitizer or sanitizing wipes are an easy way to get them clean!

15. Bring a backpack diaper bag. I love my Fawn Design backpack diaper bag. I’ve had it for a year now and it’s still in great shape. It fits everything I need for three kids, and it lets me be hands-free! Super important when you’re going to be chasing a toddler around LEGOLAND!

16. Check height requirements before you go. One thing we made sure to do was to check what rides our daughter would be able to do before we went. That way she didn’t get excited about something and then have a meltdown when she wasn’t able to ride it.

Here are a few tips on things to do with your toddler in different areas of LEGOLAND:

Explorer’s Island: Check out Dig Those Dinos (where your toddler can dig for “dinosaur bones” in sand) and Fairytale Brook (a fun little boat ride)

Castle Hill: Walk through the Enchanted Walk (a walk-through display) and play on the dragon playground outside the line of The Dragon

Imagination Zone: Check out the DUPLO Play area (where kids can build with DUPLO bricks) or the 4D show (if your toddler is willing to sit still!)

Miniland: Ride the Coast Cruise (a boat ride where you can see animated LEGO models and international landmarks)

Fun Town: Ride the LEGOLAND Express (a cute train that goes around a LEGO farm!), run around DUPLO Play Town (a playground), and stop by the Baby Care Center

Heartlake City: Ride Mia’s Riding Camp (the merry-go-round!)

Pirate Shores: If you brought your swimsuit, Swabbies Deck is a fun splash pad!

Land of Adventure: If your toddler is at least 36″, they can ride the Cargo Ace (a cute plane ride)

LEGOLAND California is a lot of fun with little kids, and I’m glad we got to go! It’s definitely a great place to visit with toddlers and young kids, and if my four-year-old had his way, we’d be going back again ASAP! Hopefully these tips for going to LEGOLAND with a toddler will come in handy on your trip, and if you think of any others, let me know!

The post Tips for Going to LEGOLAND with a Toddler appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Save big on Disneyland vacation packages from Get Away Today! Check out all the current deals here (including their layaway plans where you can hold a future vacation for just $175 down)! And don’t forget to use promo code LITTLES to save an extra $10 off your already discounted package! Check it out HERE!

I received complimentary Disneyland tickets in exchange for this post. This post also contains affiliate links.

Guys, it’s true what they say. Disneyland really is the happiest place on earth, and it’s even better as a parent.

Last month we got to go to Disneyland as a family of five, and it was so much fun. Last year we went to Disneyland with two toddlers and had a blast, and it was fun to go back again with a baby in tow. We visited both Disneyland and California Adventure, and I loved seeing the Christmas decorations they had all over the parks! The attention to detail is amazing!

Our oldest is now four and is even more Cars-obsessed than he was last year, so it was the best taking him to Cars Land and getting to experience Radiator Springs and ride all of the Cars rides. He was even brave enough to ride The Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout ride not once, but twice!

Our daughter’s favorite part of our trip was getting to meet her favorite Disney princess, Moana. It was the cutest thing to see her next to Moana in their matching Moana costumes. I think she was a little starstruck because she only said a few words to her the whole time! Our daughter was also tall enough to ride the big rides, so that was a lot of fun, too!

Our youngest was nine-months-old, and seriously, he was a champ while we were there. Since it was our first time going to Disneyland with a baby, I made sure to prepare so that we would be ready for anything! Traveling with a baby can be hard, especially to somewhere like Disneyland! You need to be prepared!

I wrote down a bunch of tips for going to Disneyland with a baby before we went, and added a bunch more when we were there! It made all the difference!

And don’t forget to check out Get Away Today! They have great discounts on Disneyland tickets and packages (like adult tickets for kid prices!), and you can get $10 off any 2-night or longer Southern California package with code “LITTLES” (hotel and 2 ticket minimum purchase to qualify for the discount).

Tips for Going to Disneyland with a Baby

Bring a good stroller that can recline and has shade covers

Bringing a stroller that can recline is important because your baby will probably be taking naps while you’re in the park, and having one with shade covers is important because California is sunny and you aren’t going to keep your baby in the sun all day.

We love our ZOE XL2 BEST v2 double stroller because it reclines almost all the way down, and the shade covers expand and almost completely cover your baby (it’s also AMAZING for travel because it’s only 16 lbs and you can get a special travel bag for it). ZOE also makes a single stroller if you don’t need a double yet. And having a stroller that’s a bright color is a plus, too, because it helps your stroller stand out when you’re looking for it!

Utilize the Baby Care Centers

If you’re bringing a baby to Disneyland, this is a must. The Baby Care Centers in Disneyland and California Adventure both have quiet, private rooms for nursing and pumping, several nice changing pads, tiny potties for kids learning how to potty train, feeding areas with high chairs, kitchens, and a main room for any other guests to wait in. They’re super nice and very comfortable.

I nursed baby boy in both the Disneyland Baby Care Center and the California Adventure Baby Care Center, and they were exactly what I needed. This is definitely one tip that you have to know when you go to Disneyland with a baby!

Stay close to the park

There are a lot of great hotels at and around Disneyland. The Disneyland Resort Hotels are great because they are super close so you don’t have to commute to the park (which is no fun with a stroller in tow), you can enter the parks an hour early with the Extra Magic Hour, and the hotels are themed, which is super fun!

You can also stay at one of the Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels that are Disney-approved. You don’t want to stay too far away from the park because if your baby has a meltdown, you run out of backup outfits, or you just need to go back to the hotel and rest, you want to be close enough that you actually can. (In the past, I’ve recommended Airbnb, but we had a horrible experience this time and ended up staying at one of the Good Neighbor Hotels instead.)

Don’t plan on regular naps

No matter how good of a sleeper your baby is, you shouldn’t plan on having them stick to their regular nap schedule when you’re at Disneyland. They’re probably not going to sleep as long, and they might have more short naps throughout the day.

Don’t stress about getting them “down for their nap,” and try to go with whatever they want. Our little guy regularly naps twice a day for about an hour or two at a time, but at Disneyland he had three or four thirty minute naps both days.

Check to see what rides your baby can come on

Some of the rides don’t have a height requirement, so your baby can actually come with you! Some of the rides your baby can do at Disneyland are Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, The Haunted Mansion, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Some of them at California Adventure are Toy Story Midway Mania, Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue, Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train, and The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. There are a few more, and you can see all of them on the Disneyland website if you use the search filter for “any height.” Your baby can have a good time, too!

Bring a baby carrier

Since we were there two days in a row, baby boy got tired of being in the stroller and sometimes he just wanted to look around and have a little more freedom.

He loves his líllébaby 6-in-1 COMPLETE baby carrier because he can ride in facing forward or facing backward. My mom and I both wore him for a while, and it was a nice change from having him in the stroller when he started getting restless.

Bring two bags

The first bag should be a lightweight backpack/fanny pack that you can keep your valuables in so that when you go on rides and leave your stroller, you don’t have to bring a big bulky bag packed with all your stuff.

The second bag should have things like snacks, jackets, backup outfits, diapers, and wipes, and it can be as big as you want because it’s basically a stroller-only bag.

This tip will save you when you’re going on rides and don’t want to bring a giant bag with you every time you get in line. (Here’s a helpful list of things to pack in your diaper bag for a day at Disneyland)

Bring baby food and snacks to entertain your baby

If your baby is old enough for solid food, bringing some squeeze pouches and snacks to feed him while you’re in line or waiting for people to do rides is a good idea. Making sure you have stuff to keep your baby entertained while you’re waiting (because you do a lot of that at Disneyland) is important. Plus a full baby is a happy baby in our house, and snacks definitely helped keep our little Pua happy!!

Get the MaxPass

This tip is one I would give someone even if they weren’t bringing a baby along, but it is also helpful if you’re bringing a baby.

MaxPass is a really cool new feature that you can add to your ticket for only $10 per day, and not only does it gives you the ability to get FastPasses through the Disneyland app while you’re in the park (which I will talk about next), but it also gives unlimited PhotoPass downloads for the whole day. This is huge!

Last time we went to Disneyland, my husband was running all around the park collecting FastPasses for us so that we could shorten our ride time. It was exhausting and made his feet super sore by the end of the day. And I, on the other hand, was always trying to get the perfect picture and finding someone to take our picture in front of the classic Disney landmarks like the castle and and with the princesses and other characters.

The MaxPass changes all of that because you can get FastPasses from your phone wherever you are in the park, and then you can download all of your ride photos and photos taken by Disney PhotoPass Photographers.

In terms of why this is great when you have a baby in tow, it helps shorten line time, makes it so you’re not splitting up or running around to get FastPasses, and you can download all of the pictures taken by the photographers of your baby’s first visit to Disneyland! We got some really cute pictures with baby boy in Cars Land, and they were all included with our MaxPass purchase. Seriously guys, it’s worth the extra $10.

Use FastPasses

Another quick note about FastPasses. I still think it’s crazy that some people don’t use them. Even if you don’t get the MaxPass, FastPasses from the kiosks are included with the price of your ticket. And if your’e going to Disneyland with a baby who can’t ride the big rides, you’re going to want to use the FastPass feature so you can shorten your wait time and shorten the time your baby (and baby’s chaperone) has to just sit there and wait.

Use the Disneyland app

This is sort of a general Disneyland tip, but I have to include it in this post because it’s so helpful for anyone going to Disneyland.

The Disneyland app is really well done. It has a map with all the attractions and wait times, it tells you height requirements, it tells you where the characters are, it tells you show times, it tells you where bathrooms and restaurants and Baby Care Centers are, and it even shows park hours and which rides are closed for the day. It’s a great resource, and way more helpful than a plain paper map in the park.

Bring water in a sippy cup if your baby needs it

If your baby doesn’t use a sippy cup yet, obviously disregard this tip, but if your baby can use a sippy cup, bring them one! California is usually pretty warm, and if your baby drinks water, having a sippy cup on hand will help keep them cool!

Don’t worry about souvenirs

You really don’t need to worry about souvenirs because babies don’t care. Unlike a toddler who will cry when you say no to something they want, your baby isn’t going to care if he has a cute mouse ear hat or a new stuffed animal (although we did buy our son a stuffed Pua because we call him that!). If you’re trying to find a way not to spend a ton of money in the park, this is something you can cut out.

Check the weather and bring ponchos

We were lucky and had sunny skies the days we went, but when we went to Disneyland last year, it rained two of the three days we were there. I wish we had brought ponchos for us and one for the stroller, too, because we had to buy them in the park and they were more expensive.

And yes, bring one for your stroller, especially if your baby will be in it or you’re going to be leaving it outside while you go on rides. Babies don’t like wet strollers.

Bring someone to stay with your baby so you can do big rides

Your baby can come on some rides, but a lot of rides have a height requirement and your baby won’t be able to come. My mom was able to come with us and she was a lifesaver because she stayed with our youngest while my husband and I went on the big rides with our two older kids. It was perfect because we were able to all ride the big rides like Space Mountain and Radiator Springs Racers together instead of having to split up.

If you can’t bring someone with you, utilize Rider Switch Service for rides with a height requirement

Of course you aren’t always going to be able to bring a chaperone for your baby. And for those instances, make sure you utilize the Rider Switch.

Basically, your whole group goes up to the ride entrance, you tell the cast member at the ride entrance that you want to do the Rider Switch, and then you split up into who is riding the first time, and who is waiting with the person who can’t ride (in our case, this was my husband, my two older kids and me, and then my mom and baby). The cast member then scans your tickets (if you have the app, they scan them on your phone), and then the first group goes and rides the ride. When they are done, they come back and you switch who waits with the person who can’t ride. They go back up to the cast member, who scans their tickets, and then they get in the Fast Pass lane and go ride the ride. The person who waits gets to bring up to two other people, so my mom was able to ride with my two older kids while my husband and I waited with Little R.

Hopefully that makes sense, because I tried reading the Rider Switch instructions on the website a few times and didn’t really figure it out until we actually went to the park and tried it out. It’s a great service if, like I said, you don’t have someone to wait with your baby but you all want to ride the rides.

Bring a strap for toys/pacifiers

Another great way to keep your baby entertained is to bring a few toys! Even better if they’re new because they’ll probably keep his attention longer. But you don’t want to be constantly bending over and picking them up, so bring a pacifier clip with a strap and hook it onto the toys so they won’t fall!

This worked wonders for our son because his toys stayed within reach. And if your baby takes a pacifier, bring a pacifier clip for that, too!

Bring several outfits and lots of diapers and wipes

The second day we were there, our son had a poopout before we even stopped for lunch (that kid). Luckily, I had packed an extra outfit for him, as well as lots of diapers and wipes. You can purchase Huggies diapers and wipes at the Baby Care Centers in the parks, but it’s always better to come prepared.

And seriously, bring more than you think you might need. Babies have a way of pooping at the most inconvenient times, in the most inconvenient ways (please say that’s not just my baby?).

Bring hand sanitizer and/or sanitizing wipes

I’m not a huge germaphobe, but babies ALWAYS put their hands in their mouths, and if your baby is going to be going on rides and touching handlebars that one million other people have touched, you might want to sanitize their hands after. We did this with our older kids before they ate meals, too.

Put sunscreen on your baby (if they’re older than six months)

Again, California is sunny, and you want to make sure you protect your precious baby’s skin, especially on their little feet or legs if they are going to be in the sun. Put sunscreen on them (a few times throughout the day) so they won’t get burned and so you protect them from UV rays. We love Coppertone WaterBABIES sunscreen!

Use the shows as breaks throughout the day for napping or nursing

If your baby takes a long time to nurse, or if you just don’t want to use the Baby Care Center, feed him during one of the many Disneyland shows! There’s usually seating for the shows, and sometimes they are indoor, dark, and air-conditioned, which can provide a great place to nurse or let your baby nap!

Take lots of pictures

If this is your baby’s first trip to Disneyland, make sure you get some of the classic pictures with him! Get a picture with Mickey, a picture in front of the castle, and a picture anywhere else you want. Your baby only goes to Disneyland for the first time once, so make it special (the PhotoPass is helpful for this tip, too!).

Going to Disneyland with a baby is a lot of fun, and it doesn’t have to be stressful or even exhausting. Just follow these tips, be flexible, and remember that you’re going to Disneyland!!! Have a great time!!!

The post Tips for Going to Disneyland with a Baby appeared first on Life With My Littles.