Tips for Disneyland with a Toddler AND a Baby and how to use Max Pass and Rider Swap!
You are never too young to enjoy the magic of Disneyland! I’ve been a fan since my parents took me the first time as a young girl, and I’m so glad we are fortunate enough to take our children. Hudson had been talking about the Dumbo Ride and Mickey Mouse since we visited back in January, and we couldn’t wait to go back! Took a little more planning this time around, but I love that Disneyland is so baby friendly! Couple of tips we learned – Download the Disneyland app before you go, and bring a fully charged phone (or external charger)!
Mark’s sister and brother in law were visiting California from England, so we decided to meet them in San Diego for a few days and make a holiday out of it. It was their first time meeting Grace!
We visited in early October and happened to pick a couple of days when the park was really busy. I recommend looking online to see if there are any special events or school holidays in the states before you plan your dates! It didn’t really matter, as we still had an amazing time and decided to get the Max Pass, which I will explain a bit more about below!
We always get the “Park Hopper” tickets so we are able to go between both The Magic Kingdom and Disney’s California Adventure in the same day! We started with the Magic Kingdom because we were with family who had never been! Someone’s first impression of Disneyland should always be walking down Main Street towards Cinderella’s castle (in my opinion)!
Because there were four of us adults and two small children, we knew that two days would go by quick and we wanted to experience as much as we could. Having different interests, we maximized by each getting the Max Pass attached to our ticket. It was $15 extra per day while we were there, but definitely worth it! We also took advantage of Rider Swap which I will explain below!
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge was incredible! Holy smokes, if you are a Star Wars fan, you will be blown away. This new land features incredible rides, attractions, snacks, and of course characters!
We stayed walking distance to the park and on day 2 came back to the hotel mid-day for a little rest and a dip in the pool. It was hot, and a little re-fresh was very much needed by us and the kiddos!
So happy we decided to get a double travel stroller before the trip! We visited buybuyBaby and picked out the Mountain Buggy Duo, which was absolutely perfect for both kids. This Stroller is easy to fold, park, push, and nap in! Great storage underneath, fits through all doors, and probably the best stroller for a day at Disneyland with two kids!
So Disney’s Max Pass (purchased on the Disney App and linked with our tickets), basically gives you access to reserving fast passes for rides on your phone. It saves you running around in circles and going to the actual ride hours before (like we used to have to do if we wanted to snag a ride’s fast pass). It also gave us unlimited access to photopass photos taken by the park photographers!
We alternated toddler rides with rides that had height requirements and it worked out great! Hudson loved the Dumbo Ride of course, which is such a classic. It’s so great that all 4 of us can ride in the same elephant and enjoy it as a family altogether!
Best Disneyland Rides for Toddler and Babies, and which ones to avoid!
Definitely stop and get a Dole Whip. It’s become a cult favourite and while we were there, they were only allowing orders through the Disneyland App. Another reason why having this App and a fully charged phone for your visit is crucial! YUMMY!
We were constantly looking for characters for Hudson! TIP: They hang out near the entrance to Main Street, so if you are around this area you’ll see them often. There are various doors they come out of, and you can literally follow them to get in line and get a picture!
If you want a picture in front of the castle without crowds of people behind you, go to either side rather than smack in the middle where it’s the busiest walkway.
Grace slept the entire time we were in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. It’s safe to say this land was not the highlight for her!
“Rider Swap” (also called Rider Switch, Baby Swap, or Child Swap) allows members of a group to take turns riding attractions with height requirements, while the rest of the group cares for the group’s young non-riders. The first part of the group waits in line, and then the second part of the group is able to ride after with little to no wait.
Rider Swap works great whether or not you have the Max Pass, however with our Fast Pass tickets for attractions on our app, we could hold alternate bookings and carry two at the same time. For Example: I booked Space Mountain for 2 tickets (you can’t book another fast pass until a certain time), and meanwhile Uncle Sean booked 2 fast pass tickets on his app for the Haunted Mansion. We went to whichever ride during it’s Fast Pass time, asked for a “Rider Swap” and one couple watched the kids, while the other couple went on the ride! Hope that makes sense.
Another Character TIP if visiting with young kids…. Book a Character Breakfast. We booked ours the morning of the day we were leaving and checking out. By this time, Hudson was very tuned into Disney’s friends, and he was given tons of attention from them without having to wait in long lines or chase them around.
They even had a dance party at Donald’s Seaside Grill, and it was so much fun! Breakfast Buffet with Mickey Pancakes and smiles all around! With toddlers, the character breakfast is so worth it!
Questions or Comments, please let me know!
