Disney With A Toddler
Rob and I have been to Disney quite a few times but this time it was going to be different with Parker. I wasn’t worried since Sarah and Tim were coming as well, but I wanted to be as prepared as possible. I was able to find loads of information online from other mom bloggers and blogs dedicated entirely to Disney vacations. Some of my favorites are All Ears, Disney Drawing Board and Military Disney Trips.
This post has taken me a few months to put together so I apologize for it’s length. I wanted to make sure to cover what I thought would be helpful for other parents planning their magical vacation.
We originally booked two rooms at Pop Century but had an unfortunate experience there with our reservation and even worse customer service, which is very unlike Disney. Long story short after getting the run around for hours, repeatedly being told the issue was solved (when it wasn’t) and speaking with the hospitality manager, we moved to another resort. I had to pack our room, load the car and wake Parker at midnight to move, but it was necessary.
We ended up at Caribbean Beach on the ground floor which was a much nicer resort and easier accessibility. While the process to get there was pretty horrible and wasted an entire day of our vacation, Disney ended up making it right and we had a wonderful time once we were all moved in.
We brought our Joovy Zoom 360 and while it was a little chunky on the bus but still manageable and well worth the comfort and storage space in the parks. You can see a more in depth review of the stroller here and more specifically on our Disney trip here.
The Disney Dining page is a great way to search for options based on experience, price range, cuisine, and what dinning plans are accepted. Making and changing reservations is very easy so you can always switch them around as needed. You can also link reservations right into your My Disney Experience account so you are always up to date on the days schedule.

Boma Sanaa
Price: $36 – $60 Price: $15 – $30
Style: Buffet Style: Sit down
Dining Plans Accepted Dining Plans Accepted
We were able to enjoy two restaurants at the Animal Kingdom resort. Boma which features vibrant flavors from over 50 African countries and a buffet style was a great way to try a variety of foods. Parker even enjoyed some of the options. Sanaa, a mix of African and Indian cuisine was delish and very unique. Both were on the slight fancy side for Parker’s taste but he ate off our plates and seemed to enjoy himself. It was nice to enjoy a good meal that was still appropriate for Parker.
We loved going outside and watching all of the animals walk around. It was a great way to spend some time before and after dinner.
Price: $36 – $60
Style: Buffet
Dining Plans Accepted
The Cape May Cafe was a decent buffet style restaurant. They take your stroller before entering, which I wasn’t a fan of. The food was typical but had a decent selection that made everyone happy. It was so hard for me not to eat more than the recommended amount of crab legs :/
Price: $15 – $30
Style: Sit down with entertainment
Dining Plans Accepted
Teppan Edo is a favorite of ours and restaurant we visit every time we are in Disney. The food is great, service is amazing, and the entertainment is always a good time. We were celebrating Rob’s birthday so he got a special hat. Definitely appropriate for kids although we brought Parker his own dinner and had bites of ours.
La Hacienda de San Angel – Epcot
Price: $15 – $30
Style: Sit down
Dining Plans Accepted
For our adult night out we decided to try La Hacienda de San Angel in Epcot. The food was amazing and Rob, Sarah and Tim all agreed that the adult beverages were very tasty. Similar to Teppan Edo, La Hacienda de San Angel is located within the World Showcase so you can walk around before and after your meal.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater – Hollywood Studios
Price: $15 – $30
Style: Sit down with entertainment
Dining Plans Accepted
Price: $15 – $30
Style: Character Buffet
Dining Plans Accepted
Price: $15 – $30
Style: All You Can Eat
Dining Plans Accepted
Rob and I had eaten at the Whispering Canyon Cafe in Wilderness Lodge before and was also a must on our list this time around. The food is amazing and you can eat to your hearts content. The milkshakes are also fantastic. I do recommend getting one at the end of your meal so you don’t fill up before dinner arrives. The wait staff is very involved with their guests and provide periodic entertainment for the kids throughout the meal.


Price: $15 – $30
Style: All You Can Eat
Dining Plans Accepted
We had breakfast at ‘Ohana for one of their character meals. We were welcomed with fresh fruit, eggs, breakfast meats, and mini Mickey Mouse waffles. Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, and Pluto walked around welcoming guests, signing autographs and taking photos. It was a great way to start the day and we all left extremely satisfied! I was also very impressed with their customer service. They offered a pitcher of a mixed fruit juice. Since we are still unsure of Parker’s allergy to pears we asked if they knew what was in it. The waitress was unsure and we said it was not a big deal, we would just give him apple juice. Next thing I know, the chef was at our table addressing our concern.
I talk about this a little more in depth in my Disney Packing List post but, we decided to bring items for Parker to eat at meal time. Kids meals can get a little pricey and he is still a little to young to eat everything or like what is offered. For the most part he ate off our plates and what we brought for him. We picked up Uncrustables (PB&J), goldfish, grapes and cheese sticks during our trip to Walmart. Most of these items are also available in the resort convenient stores. This was his typical lunch and then dinner he would usually get a Plum pouch, fruit and then a protein and veggie from out plates. We also brought along our Brita water bottle and small bottles of apple juice to drink throughout the day. We bought milk at Walmart which he got for breakfast in the room and at night before bed.
I knew going into our trip that having the right gear was going to be essential. I read tons of mom blogs and compiled a pretty extensive list. One of the benefits of taking the Amtrak Auto Train was that we weren’t limited on what we brought. I quickly realized when I started this section that it really needed to be a separate post. Here are a few snapshots of some of the gear we used. Click here for more photos, a complete packing list, and tons of links.


To help alleviate my worries, we decided to purchase the Skip Hop Zoo Safety Harness. I know many people are against “leashes” for their kids. I am not one of them. This was a great way to keep Parker from wandering off if we got distracted by something because lets face it, parents aren’t perfect. You never know when your childhood idol, Goofy, may come walking by and for a split second you are in la-la land.
I partnered up with Lovable Labels to review their KID Bands!. Parker wore one each day in the parks which helped put my mind at ease. KID Bands! are waster resistant and tear proof one time use bands that can be customized for your specific needs. For $19.95 you get a pack of 34 wristbands available in 10 different patterns. Check out my full Lovable Labels: KID Bands! here.
Strollers
We saw an attendant at almost every stroller parking section who was specifically stationed there. Their job was to move strollers around to fill in the gaps as people came to pick theirs up. The first few times I had to search for ours I was a little annoyed. Then I saw areas where they didn’t have an attendant and it was a disaster. The area just kept expanding out into traffic because people would drop theirs off at the closest spot instead of in the gaps.
This little guy was able to eat a full meal by munching off food left uncovered underneath the different strollers. Definitely make sure to bring baggies and coolers with zippers so you don’t have your meal stolen by a real life character!
This is a great place to take toddlers who are in the stroller for awhile during the day. They can run around, stretch their legs and get a little stimulation.
- Private nursing room with rocking chairs
- Changing room with tables and a unisex bathroom
- Feeding area with highchairs
- Kitchen with microwave, oven, and sink
- Main room with television, table, chairs and sofa
- On-site shop offering formula, baby food, juice, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, over-the-counter medications and clothing for purchase
- Location where where lost children are brought and looked after until their parents can come and pick them up.
If you are not familiar, Kids Nite Out is a Disney approved service that allows adults to enjoy their Disney experience through in-room and in-park services. Staff are 18 years or older, have previous childcare experience, are basic first aid certified and child/infant CPR certified. They are thoroughly interviewed and screened. References are checked and criminal backgrounds are performed.
Our sitter arrived promptly with a bag full of activities and games. She asked a lot of questions about Parker’s evening routine and took detailed notes. She also could tell I was nervous and offered to text me every half hour with updates. Parker started playing with her right away and didn’t even notice we left although I said goodbye to him and gave him a kiss like I always do. Yes, that picture above is my spying before we left.
Even though I was nervous up until I arrived back to the room I will say it was really nice to get out one night and I still had a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend this to anyone going.
Reservations are strongly recommend and I say they are a must. It was very busy inside and the stylists were moving from one appointment right to the next. They do children and adults cuts and styles and even beard/mustache trims. The prices are very reasonable and Parker’s ended up being $15 before the tip.
Before we left for the trip, we all downloaded the free mobile app so that we we could see all of our dinning and fast pass reservations. The mobile app also lets your see the wait times for attractions, showtimes, locate character greeting locations, and view maps.
For the remainder of the trip all we had to do was swipe to get into our rooms, enter the parks, enter the Fast Pass+ line, order food, have our picture taken and even purchase merchandise. No need for cash, credit cards, and park tickets. Parker saw us swipe so many times he started doing it and even now asks for his Magic Band to be put on and swipes at cabinets and doors to open!
I absolutely loved this service and am so glad we have so many amazing photos to remember our trip by. Although we took a ton of our own photos, sometimes it’s nice to have everyone in the shot.
You can see more photos from our trip in my Disney In Photos post.