Disney with 2 toddlers. What do you carry on the parks and how?

[sherezada]

Hubby and I traveling with DS5 and DD2. I'm thinking of taking our double stroller because it's worked very well for us at home. It allows them both to nap if they want to, and I think it would be easier to handle for parent swapping than if we took 2 umbrellas.

1) We are driving so we won't be taking the buses. Is there any other possible concerns I might have with this? Like the monorail to get from parking to MK, or taking the train within MK?

2) Also, I would like to hear from other parents with 2 toddlers on what things they brought with them to the park (a park-packing list of sorts ). DD2 is potty-training now and I'm pretty confident she will be fully potty-trained by the time of our trip in April, so I'll be glad not to have to carry any diapers.

3) How did you carry everything? Did the parents carry backpacks? Did you attach any sort of bag/sling to the stroller to carry stuff? Was the stroller storage enough?

 

[chris1212]

Ours are almost 2 and almost 4 and we are on our 3rd disney trip with them both. We use a double stroller, definitely worth it!! Youngest can have a nap, we can do rider swaps and not worry about having to push around two strollers. We have had no problems bringing it on the monorail, just need to make sure there is room in the car. Never been on the train so can't comment on that.

We try to pack efficiently for the park and not bring too much. Bring a little bag that fits under the stroller. We pack: diapers, wipes, extra set of clothes for both, lots of little snacks, rain jackets if the forecast looks like rain, sun hats, water bottles, sunscreen. We leave everything under the stroller so don't need to worry about carrying it around or on rides. Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[Jennytoon]

Our first trip was DD8 DS5 DS1.5 (at the time). We did not take two strollers, the 5 y/o walked (and was very occasionally carried). We left the park for naps. We took two bags, but we were more likely to hang them on the stroller than carry them. We brought one backpack with diapers and wipes, sunscreen and a small cooler lunchbag that we filled with apple slices, mozzarrella sticks, and the like for snacking in lines (the lunchbag fit inside the backpack). In addition, we brought a separate lunchbag that we used to hold three re-fillable water bottles. Like PP, we often left the bags hanging on stroller when on rides.

Although we were fairly minimalist and did plan to leave the park for naps (sounds like you may not), the one issue I think you may have to contend with is folding the double stroller to get on trams. We always used an umbrella and it folds easily and quickly to fit in any row of the trams, while there is a larger row at the front of each tram car that will take a double stroller, it does reduce your ability to just head for any door when the tram pulls up. Of course, if your double folds very compactly then that won't be an issue, but most doubles we have seen over the years do not fit in the regular width rows in the trams.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Take along a stroller rain cover if you can. (We kept ours on the stroller but pinned back so it wasn't like a greenhouse in there.) Idk if you can even find rain covers for sale in the parks, but the one we took along with us was fairly cheap and well made. We were constantly asked by other parents where they could find a rain cover.

 

[cgattis]

Ditto on the "lots of little snacks." A small cooler bag with CapriSuns or juice boxes, small waters, and snack-size bags of fruit, goldfish, etc. will save you tons of cash and time standing in line for snacks. Makes waiting in lines or for parades MUCH easier . Plus, I always have a small pack of wipes, even now that my kids are 13&11. Feels so much cleaner than hand san or napkins. And I never go without my good camera; it's worth it to me to lug it. Have fun!!!!!

 

[davkata]

I don't consider a 5 year old a "toddler" however, I do think you will want and most likely need the stroller for both the 5 yo and 2 yo most days. We had 5 year old twins and a 2 1/2 year old our first trip and brought our single/reclinable stroller (not an umbrella but only a little larger than one). Having only one double will enable one adult to be folding it up when necessary and the other to tend to the kids. If you had 2 strollers, while the umbrellas are smaller and lighter, it still means one per adult plus a kid per adult. Our 5 year olds would have loved to ride and/or nap in their sister's stroller at many points, but it was not to be. With twins plus one, we streamlined early on. LOL!

Agree with packing snacks/juices, wipes, mini first aid kit with band aids, etc. Pretty much as you would for any outing at home to a park or zoo, etc. We used a backpack and would put it in the stroller basket when on rides, keeping just the valuables with us.

Enjoy your trip, those are great/precious ages for WDW!

 

[lauradis]

Lots and lots of Vodka.

All joking aside. I would do a double stroller, pack light. http://wdwprepschool.com/the-ultimate-disney-world-packing-list/ here's a list to start with.

only take what is basically a must and will fit under the stroller.

 

[Dismama2boys]

Definitely take the double stroller. We had planned to head back to the hotel for naps, but the kids usually just napped in the stroller which was super easy. We put everything in a bag that fit under the stroller, which made bag check at the parks faster since we could just pull it out, rather than them having to dig around under there.

 

[daisynan]

My DD was 2 and DS was almost 5 when we took them for the first time. We took our double stroller (it's the long kind, not side by side) and we had no trouble getting through the parks and parking it. Tip: Tie something bright around your stroller handle. The CMs will quite often rearrange the strollers, so yours might not be exactly where you left it. I tied an orange and while polka dot ribbon on our stroller and we could spot it amid the sea of strollers instantly. As far as the monorail, we were able to push the stroller right on with the kids still in it. It was a bit more cumbersome riding the bus to and from the resort and parks, but I still loved the bus system.

I kept a bag in the stroller storage with some snacks, water bottles, ponchos, diapers/pullups just in case, bandaids, sunscreen, maybe some crayons and paper to keep the kids busy during a meal, tissues, etc. I packed cheap Dollar Store glow sticks in my stroller bag to pull out at night when they start selling those crazy expensive glow in the dark items. I also carried a small backpack with wipes, hand sanitizer, the kids' autograph books and pens, and my camera for easy access. Another Tip: Invest in a cheap clear shower curtain and some clips. If it starts to rain, you toss the shower curtain over the stroller and clip it on. It keeps your kids AND the stroller dry until the shower blows over. This was a life saver for us during the first day of our trip in Epcot. We could leave the stroller covered in the plastic while we were on a ride and put our kids back in a DRY stroller when we were done.

 

[dcassetta]

You can roll a stroller right onto either the monorail or ferry. Strollers must be folded on the train.

 

[mrsR123]

Our first trip was DD7, DS4, and DS1.5. We took a second trip one year later. We had a double stroller both trips and were so thankful for it. I had full-on diaper bag; it was convenient because I could hang it off the stroller. I kept all usual diaper stuff, since we weren't yet out of diaper stages.

After the diaper years, though, I carried for years in a big tote: extra clothes, extra socks, sunscreen, frozen water bottles wrapped in washcloths and bagged in plastic, small snacks. The kids were usually wearing ball caps that I took when we went of any rides where they might lose them. I also had my camera, sunglasses/glasses case, Epcot Passport (for stickers), DD's autograph book, room keys and tickets. The kids usually had Teva-type sandals, and it was nice to have socks in the early part of the day, no socks when it rained every afternoon, and dry socks again for later. Some years I had personal fans or spinner toys for evening parades.

Needless to say, I missed that stroller for a couple of years because the "parks" bag got heavy! Eventually, though, everyone was old enough to haul their own darned stuff! Now, I'm down to my camera bag and Magic Band with DD 20, DS17, and DS15. Have a wonderful time!