Taking three little ones to Disneyland sounded equal parts magical and chaotic. With twins and a baby in tow, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. After our first trip, I'm happy to report that we made some wonderful memories—and learned a few valuable lessons along the way.
If you're planning a Disneyland trip with toddlers and a baby, here are the things that worked well for our family and a few things we'd do differently next time.
Things We Did Well
1. Character Dining Was 100% Worth It
One of the highlights of our trip was character dining. Instead of waiting in multiple character lines throughout the park, our kids were able to meet several Disney characters while we enjoyed the amazing buffet. It was a relaxed way to create special memories without spending precious park time waiting in line. Plus, all 3 kids were free because our twins are 2 years old, and our baby is 10 months old.
2. Packing Extra Clothes Saved the Day
Toddlers and babies are unpredictable. Between spills, snacks, diaper leaks, and water play, we were so glad we packed extra outfits for everyone. Having backups made it easy to handle messes without disrupting our day. I bought our twins these matching Mickey backpacks (with a tether so they wouldn’t get lost) and they were none the wiser (well except my daughter caught on that she wasn’t truly free to roam lol). But these toddler backpacks were great because I put a change of clothes in each of them and spare pull ups. This ended up being super helpful as we had a major accident one of the days.
3. Rope Drop Made a Huge Difference
We love watching Disney YouTubers like Fresh Baked and SoCal Disney Dad. We saw their videos about rope drop at Disneyland and we were inspired to do it for the first time…with three under three lol. A little ambitious, but it worked out really well! Getting to the parks before opening allowed us to enjoy several attractions with minimal wait times. Those first few hours of the day were some of our most productive and enjoyable. If you're visiting with young children, I highly recommend prioritizing an early start.
4. We Made Our Own “Disney Debit Card”
If you know, you know that Disney snacks can add up quickly. Before our trip, we loaded a Disney gift card with a preset amount specifically for snacks and treats and added it to our Disney app. We also earned a free $50 gift card from Fetch! I use the Fetch app every time I make a purchase, whether groceries, Amazon, etc, I earn points by scanning my receipts and then once I have enough points I can redeem for a gift card! Fetch has a great selection to choose from. Having a dedicated budget helped us enjoy the fun treats without worrying about overspending.
5. Renting a Quad Stroller Was a Lifesaver
Before going to Disneyland we did some research and we discovered that Disneyland does not permit wagons, so we were unable to bring our awesome wagon (watch my review here). Three little kids means lots of little legs getting tired. Renting a quad stroller gave everyone a comfortable place to sit, rest, snack, and even nap throughout the day. We initially rented a triple stroller but the night before our trip we were told a previous renter accidently damaged it so it was no longer available. They graciously offered us a quad stroller at no extra charge and it worked out great because we had an extra seat to hold our stuff! I didn’t want to bring our large diaper bag, but I did end up needing extra storage space so the 4th seat was perfect. For families visiting with multiple young children, this was one of our best decisions.
6. We Stayed on Top of Sunscreen
Southern California sunshine is no joke. Applying sunscreen before heading to the parks and reapplying throughout the day helped keep everyone comfortable and protected. I love using sunscreen with Zinc (you know the thick white pasty stuff) on our littles so I can see where I missed applying sunscreen. I just bought the SunnyStik and this is an incredible little tool to blend in the sunscreen so we don’t look like Padmé Amidala with her white makeup lol and also to help get those tricky areas on a toddler/baby’s face like under their eyes.
7. We Scored Two Nights Free at Our Hotel
I am a gold member for Hilton Honors and an AMEX Hilton Honors card member. Every purchase I make on my card earns points. I was able to redeem a two night stay for free by using my Hilton Honors points! And because I am a gold member, I was upgraded for free from a standard room to a theme park view. We were able to watch the Disneyland fireworks from our hotel room. After a long day with little kids, it was wonderful to enjoy the show without fighting crowds or keeping overtired toddlers and a baby out late.
If you are in the market for an AMEX credit card that earns you points to redeem at Hilton hotels, please use my referral link to start earning points today towards your next free hotel stay at the best worldwide hotels.
Things We Would Do Differently Next Time
1. I Would Wear Better Shoes
This may sound small, but it made a big difference.
My shoes were slightly too loose, and by the end of each day my feet were hurting and had a few blisters. Disneyland involves an incredible amount of walking and extra exertion pushing a stroller (or in our case a quad stroller!) Next time I'll make sure to find some really comfortable walking shoes.
2. We Didn't Need Lightning Lane
One thing that surprised us was how short many of the wait times were, especially since we rope dropped and focused on toddler-friendly attractions. Keep in mind that we visited at the start of the school year, when many kids were already back in class. Combined with the summer heat, that likely played a big role in the lower crowd levels and shorter wait times we saw. For our particular trip, Lightning Lane wasn't necessary. Every family visits at a different time of year, so your experience may vary, but for us it would have been an extra expense that didn't add much value. We also couldn't really use it because our kids weren't tall enough for many of the rides that had longer wait times.
Final Thoughts
Taking 3 under 3 to Disneyland was definitely an adventure, but it was also incredibly special. The character interactions, seeing the kids experience the magic for the first time, and watching fireworks from our hotel room made all the planning worthwhile.
If you're feeling nervous about visiting Disneyland with toddlers and a baby, know that it can absolutely be done. A little preparation goes a long way, and you may find that the memories are worth every bit of the effort.
Have you taken little ones to Disneyland? I’d love to hear your best tips and lessons learned! You can also check out the video I made about visiting Disneyland with little ones.
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