A Disney vacation with multiples

or several young children.

[I would like to note that when I refer to Disney, I am writing about Walt Disney World - the one in Florida. I'm sure that most of my tips are relevant for vacations to Disneyland - the one in California - but there are obvious differences in resorts and transportation.]

Where to Stay

I will go into more detail regarding resorts and the advantages/disadvantages of staying onsite versus offsite in a future post but, for now, I simply want to mention that a new value resort is scheduled to open in May. Most resort rooms at Disney can only be booked for 4 people.

And I know that you can lie and squeeze 5 people into a room designated for 4 people and get away with it (which would require separate purchase of park tickets and not being on the dining plan if it was offered for free for that extra person) but let's suppose that everyone is playing by the rules. It is sometimes easier that way.

Disney classifies its resorts into three categories: value, moderate and deluxe. Obviously, the value resorts are more inexpensive than the deluxe. Currently, the only value resort with family suites is the All-Star Music Resort. These suites sleep up to 6 guests and contain a separate bedroom and two bathrooms.

Disney's Art of Animation Resort, which is scheduled to open in May, features suites with a master bedroom and two bathrooms for up to 6 guests.

These suites may be more cost efficient then renting two connecting rooms.

Strollers - Rent vs. BYO (bring your own)

Even if your kids are older and "out of strollers," you may find that you need one at the parks. There's a ton of walking and standing involved. So much so that some adults have trouble keeping up. My advice is to bring your own and here's why:

Disney does have strollers (singles and doubles) that you can rent in the parks. The costs per day are $15 and $31. They do offer a bit of a discount if you plan to rent for multiple days. In that case, the costs are $13 and $27 per day. These strollers are the hard plastic type but, yes, they serve their purpose.

Another option is to a rent a stroller or strollers from an outside vendor. For example, Orlando Stroller Rentals. They rent all those gotta-have, push with one finger strollers. I would suggest paying for the insurance because strollers have been stolen. (Not necessarily these rentals, just in general.)

So let's suppose that my family is going to be vacationing in the Disney parks for 5 days. Here's how much it would cost us to rent both a single stroller and a double stroller for those 5 days:

From Disney - $200

From Orlando Stroller Rental - $190 (that's with insurance b/c knowing my luck, a stroller would be stolen)

Right now, I would not consider just renting a double and letting the girls take turns. Anna would need to ride for most of the day and like I said before, there's a TON of walking. Sometimes it's much quicker to move from Point A to Point B if all three munchkins are in a stroller as opposed to strolling.

A final word on strollers - as you can imagine, there are a billion strollers in the Disney parks. Make yours stand out so that you can easily find it. We always keep a handful of baby receiving blankets in the van so we simply tied one onto the handle of the stroller.

Must Bring Items

Keep in mind that you can bring food and drink items into the parks and I would definitely take advantage of that considering the cost of those items once inside the parks. Some people suggest throwing some water bottles into the freezer overnight so that you will have some cooler water later in the day. If you have little ones, I would most definitely bring snacks for them.

Sippy cups! When we went to Disney, my kids could easily drink out of regular cups or straw cups but sharing a bottle of water or a large juice bottle became a bit of a headache. Some food vendors did give us extra cups upon request but not all would or could, especially those that had self-serve fountain type drinks. Bringing sippy cups with us was extremely helpful.

Autograph books. The girls were 3.5 years old for our first visit and they LOVED collecting autographs. LOVED it. I actually thought that they wouldn't be into it and hadn't planned on purchasing books for them. One of their aunts gave them the books before our trip and I'm so glad that she did.

Post-it notes. Especially if you have girls who are potty trained. Auto-flush toilets spray and can easily freak kids out. They freak me out. The solution is to place a post-it note over the sensor so that it doesn't flush before I'm ready for it to.

Transportation

If you are thinking about using Disney transportation (the buses), have a plan for loading and unloading your kiddos, your gear and your stroller(s). Suppose it is you, your husband and your two year old twins. You have all of your gear in backpacks and your husband has folded up the stroller to carry onto the bus. You, the mom, are going to have to get those kids on and off of the bus while your husband is manning the stroller.

Some folks recommend bringing lightweight umbrella strollers, which would also be easier to push around than a bulky double.

Packing the stroller

Theft does happen, even at Disney, so be aware that anything you leave in your stroller may be taken. Folks have noted the theft of resort mugs to diaper bags to souvenirs. Unless you plan on having everything in a backpack, which you bring with you on rides, I would suggest keeping food and drink items in plastic grocery bags in the bottom of the stroller. In my unprofessional opinion, a thief is less likely to bother with it.

Have Fun

Just remember that this is a FAMILY vacation, which means that while you may have the opportunity to experience the "big kid" rides, you should plan on spending a great deal of time riding Dumbo and waiting in line to meet Mickey.

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So after reading this over, I realize that it may not be that helpful. I tried.