So you’re going to bring your kids to Disney?  I’ve got some tips to help make your Disney vacation go smoothly so everyone has a magical time!

1. Plan Plan Plan…did I mention PLAN?

With littles, it’s important to make sure you’re planning your day around nap schedules and times when your kids are likely to be tired and hungry.  So you’re definitely going to want to err on the side of overplanning and scaling back when needed.  I’m not saying you have to plan every day down to the last second, but having a good idea of what you want to accomplish each day is definitely something you need.

2. Don’t try to do everything.

So you’ve planned everything out, but have you tried to stuff too much into one day?  Be reasonable about what you can logically fit into one day.  A lot of things at Disney take longer than you imagine they should, so you need to be a little flexible in your expectations.  That leads us to our next tip…

3.  Take a break!

Kids are notoriously low on stamina so be sure to take lots of breaks during the day.  This is especially important if you’re at Disney during the brutal heat of the summer season.  I 100% guarantee that everyone will have more fun if you take a few hours to rest during the day.  Go back to your room, take a little nap, maybe swim for a bit, then hit the parks again in the evening.  You’ll be glad you did.  And of course, staying on Disney property makes these breaks much more convenient.

4.  You need to eat something.

Believe it or not, sometimes you need to be reminded that kids are hungry little beasts.  If yours are anything like mine, they are ALWAYS hungry.  Pack some snacks or use a snack credit if you’re on the dining plan.  Disney also has lots of wonderful food so it really isn’t a hardship to always be noshing on something.

5.  Listen to your kids and be flexible.

When you really get right down to it, this is a family vacation so everyone needs to be happy.  Kids get tired and cranky and melt down, sure, but sometimes we need to slow down and listen to what the kids really want, even if it means throwing our best laid plans out the window.  If the kids are cranky, nobody’s going to have a good time.

I’d love to hear your tips for parents at Disney!  Leave them in the comments!