I love to travel.

I’ve been to 22 countries, and relish the adventure of exploring new places. My idea of a personal dream vacation includes large mountains, lots of walking, a good stash of books to read and cozy coffee shops for relaxing.
woman with purple coat and gray hat on, backpacking with mountains behind her
But right now, we have three small children. Two of them have feeding and mobility challenges. So my personal vacation interests don’t have much to do with reality. I’ll confess I’m a little jealous of friends who manage to take their small kids backpacking and camping, but it’s not possible for us right now. Unless something about our destination is going to make life a little easier for my husband and I, there’s really no point in even trying.
That’s why, when the idea of a short getaway trip came up earlier this spring, I immediately told my husband I just wanted to go to Disney World. (Granted, we live near by, so we are lucky enough to be able to do this as a staycation.)

So, I’m here to share with you three simple reasons Disney World won me over to choosing to vacation there during this season of our family’s life:

Disney provides loads of accommodations for babies and small children.

Need guard rails for your preschooler’s bed? They brought us two sets and helped set them up. Portacribs are, of course, always available too. Lately we’ve stayed at the Art of Animation Resort because it combines an economy price point with the family suite we need (one of our kids has a sleep disorder, so all sleeping in one room doesn’t really work.)
king triton statue

The Baby Care Centers in each park include bottle warmers, mothers’ rooms for breastfeeding, huge changing tables, high chairs, and they sell all the baby care products you may have left at home. With three kids under age five, having these things available just helps us focus on having fun instead of scrambling to get whatever we inevitably forgot.

Disney offers a lot for even my youngest kids to enjoy.

Two of my three kids aren’t yet mobile, but they can still enjoy plenty of things at Disney. My younger two kids love anything that lights up, spins, sings or blows wind in their hair. For them, Magic Kingdom is, well, magical. Now with magic bands simplifying fastpasses, we no longer wait in lines. (Again, we live nearby and don’t feel compelled to do every attraction when we go.)

Many of the resorts now have splash pads and zero-entry pools, making it easy for toddlers to enjoy the water and simpler for parents to keep track of multiple children while swimming. Pint-sized swim vests are available, too.

families in the teacups ride with teapot in the middle

Disney makes an effort to help your family have fun.

My son dropped his full cup of chocolate ice cream right before the fireworks began, and I knew a cast member would come help us get him a new one. Their disability access services are a huge help to us, too, since our three-year-old isn’t yet walking. I’ve never really desired to be “waited on hand and foot,” but let’s face it: just surviving with multiple small children can feel like a challenge, much less having fun together. Sometimes we just need a little respite, a little time away. At Disney, I can trust that someone will at least try to help make things easier, not harder, for our family amid our daily version of crazy.

One day, our family will move past the stage where we need “easy” to be so high on our list of travel musts. There are SO many places and experiences I want to introduce my kids to outside of Central Florida! But for now, I’m grateful for such a great local option for us. (And a not-much-further away alternative: Disney Cruise Line!) 

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