Planning to Disneyland vacation can be exciting but also a bit stressful. If you’ve never been to the Disneyland Resort before, or if it’s been a long time since your last visit, you might be overwhelmed with features like Genie+, mobile order, and all there is to do and see. If you’re planning to visit Disneyland with a toddler, you might have even more questions.

Visiting Disneyland with a toddler is a magical experience. You really need to know that first and foremost. There’s nothing like taking a child to Disneyland who is old enough to recognize the characters and young enough to 100% believe that he or she is meeting the “real” Mickey Mouse, Elsa, Daisy, Moana, Spiderman, etc. This is a magical age to plan a trip to Disneyland.

Sure, you might have friends and family tell you that your child is too young to visit Disneyland, but that’s not true. What is true is that your child may not remember this trip very well or at all as he or she gets older; however, YOU will remember. You will remember the magic and joy in your child’s eyes.

While visiting Disneyland with a toddler is magical, there are a few things I wish I had known before my first trip to Disneyland with small children. That’s why I have compiled my top tips and tricks for taking a toddler to Disneyland so that you can learn from my experience. These tips range from things to know about strollers, tips for food options, my experience with kids and souvenirs, what rides to go on and what to avoid (hint: lack of height limit does not necessarily mean your toddler will like the ride), and more.

In brief…

• Bring a stroller.
• Plan to rope drop.
• Plan to mobile order food.
• Go to Fantasyland first.
• Don’t skip naptime.
• Talk about souvenirs ahead of time.
• Use the Disneyland app.

Want to know more? I would too. That’s why I put together a short video with more details about the tips mentioned above plus other advice about characters, shows, and photos. You can watch it below.

Are you planning a trip to Disneyland with toddlers?