Not to toot my own horn, but over the years of going to Disney World, I had created the perfect packing list for myself. Phone charger, refillable water bottle, sunscreen for reapplication – I had it all ready and at the go for whatever my trip threw at me. Of course, like all things, the best laid plans were thrown out the window the second I had a kid. For my first trip to Disney World with a then 18-month-old, I pretty much packed her whole room up into the car in preparation for anything that could possibly be thrown our way.
Now with more trips and parenting knowledge in my rearview, I’ve come up with a pretty good routine of the best toddler packing list for Disney World.
Toddler Packing List for Disney World
When bringing my two-year-old to Disney World, these are the travel items I always pack, no matter where we’re staying. On property and off, these are the items that make our time in the room (and the parks!) more pleasant for everyone in the party.
A Stroller That Can Reclines (Plus Accessories)
My toddler is a fantastic overnight sleeper (though I’ve likely just jinxed it), but her naps are, and always have been terrible. Because of that, I had little hope we’d ever be able to get her to take a midday nap in the stroller at the parks, and on our first trip opted for a travel stroller that would take up less room. The stroller ended up going unused for naps or general seating.
For later trips, I instead brought a bigger stroller that could recline with a full shade to keep her comfortable. The two that have worked the best for me have been the Thule Urban Glide 4-Wheel Stroller and Mockingbird Single-to-Double Stroller, both offering a fantastic recline for comfort, as well as a shade that reaches over most of her body to keep the sun away. With the help of a stuffed animal friend, she’s been able to fall asleep in each when she needed to take an earlier rest than normal. And it doesn’t hurt that both strollers come with tons of room for storing all of our things beneath (the Thule even comes with a cover for storage to hide any valuables).
And, of course, it’s essential to bring a few accessories like a stroller fan to keep cool, as well as a rain cover to keep the stroller safe from a downpour. Believe me from experience when I say you do not want to come off of a ride only to discover there’s been a downpour on your uncovered stroller during “it’s a small world.” I
Sleep Essentials
There are two sleep essentials I always bring with us when we travel: a travel crib and a white noise machine. While Disney World Resorts will offer a crib or pack-n-play for use during your stay, I’ve always preferred to bring our own because I love it so much. The Guava Family Travel Crib is the one I swear by for a few reasons.
One is how easy it is to transport. It comes with a comfortable mattress, as well as an on-the-ground design so it can be folded down small enough that it fits in its own backpack for travel, meaning it can be easily brought on a plane. But the real selling point for us has been the design, as one of the few travel cribs with a mattress on the ground. This helps so there’s no “shake” effect that wakes her up in the night as she tosses and turns (like there are with many other pack-n-plays). For that reason, it’s become a comfort while traveling, and something that’s worth bringing to get a better night of sleep on a trip.
The other item I typically bring is a white noise machine, which I’ve found helpful for getting her to sleep in an unfamiliar room because it’s something we do at home. However, I will say that on our last trip we had a lot of success with soundscapes from the Hey Disney! found in our Resort room, so make sure to check that out if you have a similar situation.
A Park Bag That Can Fit the Essentials
As a toddler parent, I’m still firmly in the diaper bag living phase of my life, and it certainly comes in handy for bringing the essentials for a park bag. In my bag I’ll typically pack diapers, swim diapers (for any water areas), sunscreen for reapplication, and Water Wipes. That latter one is particularly important, as I use them for everything. Not only diaper changes, but sticky fingers, food spills, anything you can think of.
I also make sure to bring a bag big enough to pack the dining and swim essentials, speaking of…
Dining Essentials
While my toddler can certainly eat off of a regular plate in a pinch, I have had far more success bringing an easy-to-clean suction plate and her own toddler-sized utensils to restaurants. Typically we’ll opt for a character breakfast for our table-service meal, and for that I love to bring suction plate and utensils. as well as a Minnie Mouse Kids Water Bottle that I’ll fill up throughout our day at water stations.
For snacks on the go, I also will typically pack a few easy snacks in a portable snack container that she can use while in her stroller.
Swimwear
As an adult in the parks, I never really took note of the water pads and splash play areas you can find throughout the parks. However, a toddler will bring you to them like a moth to a flame. I’ve started to prepare myself by bringing a swimsuit that’s easy to change in and out of (the MORI Rashguard & Swim Shorts is my favorite), as well as water shoes and a swim diaper. That way she can play to her heart’s content, and be changed back into her regular clothing afterwards.
Photo by Morgan Flaherty
Outside of the parks, I also bring our own swim vest with us. While Disney provides swimming vests at the pools, we bring a vest with arm floaties so that she is more easily able to float around and try swimming in the pool. This will depend on their age and swim ability, but as she is just learning her way with the water we’ve found these to be the best to bring with us.
Things to Pass the Time in Lines
While my daughter isn’t so into rides just yet that we’ve really had to wait in too many long lines, when we have chosen to wait in the standby line I’ve tried to bring a few items to distract her when she starts getting bored from the wait. So far, items like glow sticks and her Disney Little People figurines have done the trick. but once she’s a bit older I plan on adding things like her Water Wow coloring book to our Disney World packing list!
