A trip to Disney World is every kid and parent’s dream. Whether it’s magical because you’re the child experiencing it or the mom eager to see her kiddos having a blast, a Walt Disney World vacation will be a core memory for the whole family. But, as exciting as the trip sounds, planning a Disney World vacation is definitely intimidating.
Disney World has 4 massive parks with dozens of attractions in each one. Plus, for many of us, Disney World is a road trip or plane ride away! All that being said, traveling to Disney World and navigating the parks once you get there is one of the most daunting parts about the planning process.
So, today, we’re dedicating this post to tips for navigating Disney World safely and efficiently!
How to Navigate Disney World
1. Getting to Disney World.
First of all, you have to get to Disney World parks in the first place! If you’re flying in, unfortunately, you’ll no longer be able to take the “Magical Express” to the parks. This was discontinued in 2022. Instead, you’ll either have to ride-share, get a rental, or book a shuttle. Since your child’s car seat should already be with you from the flight, install the car seat in one of these vehicles on your way to Disney World. We don’t recommend renting a car seat, and read these tips on how to bring your car seat on the plane.
If you’re driving to Disney World, just drive right up to the facility, and you’ll be directed to parking! Parking is free if you’re staying on-site. If you’re not, each area of the parks has different pricing ranging from free to $55, depending on the location and type of parking you choose. Once parked, you’ll be given a free tram ride to the park. You can’t install car seats on the trams, and, truthfully, you likely won’t need your car seat for the rest of your stay in the park, so we recommend leaving them in your car.
Additionally, if you’re staying off-site and using an Uber or Lyft to get to and from the park every day, you’ll need to bring your own car seat or a Ride Safer Vest to use each day. Then, you’ll need a place to keep your car seat while you navigate the park, which is not an ideal scenario because it’s going to be bulky and heavy. We recommend people who stay off-site get a rental car instead, so you can keep your child’s car seat in the car.
2. Traveling within a Disney World park.
Within the Disney World parks, explore on foot and with a stroller. Definitely either bring or rent a stroller (more on that later) because it’s a lot of walking and plenty of time spent standing in lines. You can use the My Disney Experience app to track wait times for attractions. And, don’t worry too much about long lines at certain attractions, there’s always plenty to do!
If you want to secure certain activities, you can use the app to enroll in virtual queues and lighting lanes. These lanes allow you to skip lines a couple of times a day or reserve times for specific sought-after attractions like The Guardians of the Galaxy, Cosmic Rewind, or the Tron Lightcycle Run. Planning ahead is key for getting the most out of your day and avoiding lots of standing and walking, which aren’t every kid’s favorite things to do.
3. Navigating between parks.
As mentioned, Disney World has 4 parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Walt Disney World. You cannot walk between these parks! You’ll have to take one of Disney’s many transportation options and plan for 60-90 minutes to get to each destination.
Bus Transportation
The buses travel between all 4 parks and Disney accommodations. They’re totally free, and you can track their schedules on the app. They start when the park opens and continue until an hour after the park closes. You can’t use a car seat on the bus, but that’s okay because buses are intuitively designed to be much safer than your vehicle. Strollers will need to be folded up before boarding.
Ferries or Water Taxis
What’s more fun than traveling by water?! You can travel to all 4 parks for free using one of these services. Life jackets are available to everyone, but they don’t require you to wear them. We definitely recommend anyone, especially children, wear their life jackets while on board! As far as strollers go, on ferries, you can keep your child in their strollers while on board. However, on water taxis, your child will have to be removed and your stroller folded. Of course, car seats are not allowed on the boats.
Disney Skyliner
If you’d rather travel by sky, you can ride Disney’s sky tram to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and a few on-site accommodations. It’s free and doesn’t require folding your stroller or taking your child out. You can’t bring a car seat onboard the Disney Skyliner.
Monorail
Hollywood Studios and EPCOT are just a free train ride away! Your strollers can be rolled directly onto the monorail, and your kids don’t need to be removed. There is no way to install a car seat on the monorail, so go without!
Minnie Van Services
Minnie Vans are cute SUVs sporting Minnie’s signature polka dots. You can order them through the Disney app or through Lyft! They seat up to 5 people, and each one has one convertible car seat that the drivers are trained to install. We consider these seats safe to use! Infant carriers that are part of your travel system can easily be installed using the baseless seatbelt method, as well.
These vans can take you anywhere within the resort, including Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the Disney water parks, but they do cost $22 as a flat fee, and then you pay per mile after that (the total usually ends up being $30-$70). If you’re committed to your child being in a car seat, this is the safest and best option!
20+ Disney Trip Must-Haves for Your Diaper Bag
Comfortable Shoes (That Can Get Wet)
This is huge. Everyone needs comfortable shoes to walk in. Make sure whatever shoes you bring have already been broken in and aren’t going to be too uncomfortable if they get wet. Sandals are best for little feet!
Stroller Caddy
A stroller caddy provides many extra storage and organization opportunities. It also keeps your essentials handy, so you don’t have to always dig in the diaper bag when your kiddos need a wipe or another coat of sunscreen.
Stroller Hooks
Stroller hooks will be helpful if you stop at any gift shops and have plastic bags to carry around. Rather than looping them in your arms, you can hook them on your stroller.
Portable Fan
Orlando Florida can get HOT. A portable fan can help keep your child cool in their car seat! If you have older kids who are walking, you could also get one of these neck air conditioners.
Sunscreen
It’s so important to keep everyone coated in sunscreen all day! Bring plenty of sunscreen and set a timer on your phone to reapply every two hours. To make the application go by faster, try a sunscreen applicator or a sunscreen brush.
Sun Hat
Keep your child’s head and face protected with a cool sun hat. Grab one for yourself, too!
Snacks and Drinks
You can bring outside food and drinks to Disney, and this is a great way to save money. So, pack a cooler with drinks, snacks, and formula/pumped milk (if needed.) You can’t bring ice to Disney, so make sure you use reusable ice packs instead. Store snacks in GoBe Snack Spinners and Stasher Bags to keep everything tidy, organized, and fun.
Bottles, Sippy Cups, or Water Bottles
No matter the age of your child, make sure you bring a refillable cup. This is another way to stay hydrated and save money!
Toddler or Baby Utensils
If you stop and eat at any of the Disney restaurants while you’re at the park, toddler or baby utensils will be very helpful for your little eater!
Burp Cloths and Bibs
Burp cloths and bibs will help keep your kid’s clothes clean while they eat!
Diapers, Changing Pad, and Wipes
Bring plenty of diapers and wipes! There are some available to purchase at the park if you run out, but it can be costly. Of course, also bring a changing pad so you can change diapers anywhere in a sanitary way!
Hand Sanitizer
Speaking of keeping these sanitary, bring hand sanitizer with you. Everyone is going to be touching a lot of germy surfaces, so hand sanitizer throughout the day can help keep your family safe.
Wet Bag and Extra Outfits
Always bring an extra set of clothes for all your kids—maybe even two for the younger ones! Of course, in a pinch, you could buy a new outfit, but save yourself the hassle by bringing wet bags for soiled clothes and something to change into.
Lightweight Blanket
First of all, do not use a lightweight blanket over the stroller to block out the sun. This is NOT SAFE. The temperature under that blanket quickly rises and it could put your child in danger of heatstroke or heat exhaustion.
Small First Aid Kit
You never know when someone is going to get a scraped knee or a cut finger. Have a small first aid kit handy to take care of common mishaps.
Poncho
When it rains, it pours at Disney, so have ponchos ready for everyone in your family to keep clothes dry.
A Few Toys
Lines can be long. Having a few open-ended toys on hand can keep your kids occupied and content until it’s time to jump on the ride. Some things that can provide plenty of fun without taking up your entire diaper bag include LCD drawing tablets, fidget tubes, toddler-friendly digital cameras, and suction spinners! For more toy ideas, head over to the Safe in the Seat Amazon Shop.
Are Wagons Allowed at Disney World?
No. Wagons of any kind are prohibited at Disney World. It doesn’t matter if they’re push or pull, either! This is to prevent too much congestion around the park.
Disney Wagon Rules & Stroller Rules
- No wagons of any kind (whether pushed or pulled)
- Must be no larger than 31 inches wide and 52 inches long
- Not allowed on escalators
- Children can’t be in their strollers while on the parking lot tram
- Don’t leave personal belongings unattended in the stroller
9 Best Strollers for Disney
Travel System: Evenflo Gold Shyft Travel System
One of our favorite strollers is the Evenflo Gold Shyft Travel System. It’s Disney-approved and has dozens of configurations for different ages, whether you’re clicking in your infant carrier or strapping in a toddler. Users also say it’s easy to maneuver, lightweight, and has a super smooth ride.
Convertible Stroller: Graco Modes Element LX Travel System
Here’s another travel system if you need something that’ll fit an infant carrier (or if you want a stroller that will grow with your child. It has a large storage space underneath, it’s easy to fold, and people tend to like its maneuverability! You’ll also appreciate it comes at a pretty affordable price.
Convertible Stroller: UPPAbaby Vista V2 Stroller
At Disney, you can’t have side-by-side double or triple strollers. They take up too much space! So, you have to do front-to-back options. If you need to hold a lot of young riders, the UPPAbaby Vista V2 is perfect! It can hold a single rider, two riders, or three riders with an added stroller board!
Double Stroller: Austlen Entourage 2.0 Sit and Stand Stroller in Navy
We love the Austlen Entourage 2.0 because of its versatility! You won’t find a stroller that has more cargo space and the capability to hold pretty much any size child. It has a weight limit of a whopping 200 lbs and the second seat can be an infant seat, a toddler seat, a child seat, a standing space, or an extra cargo area. Perfect for toting around kids and all their stuff while at Disney!
Double Stroller: Graco Ready2Grow LX 2.0
If you want a more straightforward double stroller that’s affordable and practical, the Graco Ready2Grow is a great choice! It can comfortably fit two riders and plenty of cargo without exceeding Disney’s max width and length. And, regardless of the age gap you’re working with, this stroller can handle it. You can use a combination of the stroller seats, bench seat, standing platform, and infant seats to find a functional configuration.
Lightweight Stroller: Contours Bitsy Elite Compact Fold
When your goal is to be minimalist and roll with something simple, the Contours Bitsy Elite doesn’t disappoint. When folded, it’s very light and compact, which is great if you’re jumping on water taxis, buses, and other transportation systems. This one also fits in airplane overhead compartments and is compatible with more infant car seats!
Lightweight Stroller: Bugaboo Dragonfly City Stroller
This lightweight stroller is also super compact and fits into airplane overhead bins! Despite its small size, it has lots of storage options and offers an extremely smooth ride. There are also lots of extras you can add to make it more functional for you, like a changing backpack, stroller cup, and bumper bar.
Travel Stroller: gb Pockit+ All-Terrain Compact Stroller
Compact is key for some Disney-goers, and the gb Pockit is about as compact as it gets. It’s carry-on compliant, fast folding, and handbag-shaped for easy carrying. Some people do complain that it’s so light it doesn’t feel sturdy.
Travel Stroller: Ergobaby Metro+ Compact Stroller
Unlike the gb Pockit+, the Ergobaby Metro+ has a bassinet and infant carrier compatibility. It’s extremely light and compact when folded. It fits in overhead bins and there’s even a carrying bag to make travel a breeze.
Strollers for Rent at Disney
If you don’t want the hassle of bringing a stroller or measuring to make sure it’s the right size, you can rent one when you arrive! They have both single and double strollers with rain covers/sun shades over the top.
Single strollers are $15 for one day, but you can get that discounted for $13 if you rent them for multiple days. Double strollers are $31 for one day or $27 for multi-day rentals. The strollers can only be used at the parks and can’t be taken to your accommodations, Disney Springs, or any of the water parks.
These strollers are nothing fancy. They’re not super comfortable, they don’t accommodate infants, and they don’t have any added storage space to make your trip more convenient. Plus, they can’t be taken on any of the transportation systems, so you’ll have to get a new stroller at each new park you travel to. (You don’t need to pay again, though.) It’s definitely good to weigh the pros and cons of each stroller option!
Make your Disney World vacation easier by planning how you’ll navigate about the parks!
To make the most out of your Disney trip, you need to have a good plan for travel and navigation. Ensure you consider all car seat and stroller options before heading out. Work out all the details so your child can sit back, relax, and enjoy the magic!
For more vacation car seat safety information, head over to the Safe in the Seat blog! We’ve got everything you need to know from safe air travel to road trip essentials.
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