Here Is Our 4 Day Itinerary, How We Saved Money, And What We Actually Used.
For my birthday this year, I could have chosen a massage. My birthday always lands during Spa Month in Miami, so really, the opportunity was right there. I also could have chosen a quiet hotel somewhere on Miami Beach, a long dinner with my husband, maybe even a morning when nobody needed anything from me.
Instead, I chose to drive four hours in our minivan with my husband, my mom, our four year old twin boys, and our three year old daughter. At the end of August. In Florida.
I know. I know. Insane.
And yet, somehow, we survived. Actually, we did more than survive. We genuinely had a nice and easy trip.
Was it hot? UNBELIEVABLY. Did it rain? Of course it did. Did we bring enough things to suggest we were permanently relocating to Orlando? Absolutely.
But somewhere between the strollers, snacks, little sweaty hands reaching for mine, and watching their eyes light up at the Castle, believing it was the real castle with real princesses, and that Mickey Mouse was really there, really waving and saying hello to them, I understood.
I had never really thought about why they called it the Magic Kingdom.
But on my birthday, I saw that light in their eyes.
That was the magic. And the BEST GIFT ever.
OUR 4 DAY ITINERARY
The biggest thing I would tell another family traveling with very young children is this: DO LESS.
Three and four year olds do not care how much a park ticket costs or whether we “get our money’s worth.” Their legs get tired when their legs get tired. They get hungry when they get hungry. And eventually, no amount of Disney magic can negotiate with a preschooler who is simply done. So we built the trip around that reality instead of fighting it.
Day 1: Miami to Orlando + Disney Springs
We drove from Miami, checked into our resort, let everyone settle, and did not attempt a park.
That night was my birthday, so Mom stayed with the kids while my husband and I escaped for dinner at Jaleo in Disney Springs. José Andrés happens to be one of my favorite humans, and his chicken croquetas are TO DIE FOR. I bought giant coloring books and puzzles for the kids, so they stayed at the villa entertained with Abuela while my love and I enjoyed a quiet dinner.
Day 2: Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom was the big day, but we were not going to run back and forth across the park trying to conquer it. We stayed mostly around Fantasyland, followed a loose rhythm, and used the Disney app to check wait times.
We arrived around 10 a.m. and started with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. My daughter hates me for this decision.
TBH, I personally would not take my three or four year old on it again, even if they meet the height requirement. Watching our videos afterward, I did not love how little control they seemed to have of their heads and necks.
#notmybestdecision :(
From there, we did It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, Dumbo, the Carousel, and The Little Mermaid, with lunch somewhere in between. We cooled off at the splash pad, braved the harsh sun for the 2 p.m. parade, and found some much needed shade to meet Daisy, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald. Then we got strategic.
Buzz Lightyear had a 25-30 minute wait, so Dad got in line with the kids while I went for Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwiches. Suddenly, a 25 minute wait wasn't quite so offensive.
My suggested Magic Kingdom strategy with little ones is simple: start with the ride you care about most, stay in one area, eat before everyone is starving, and give yourself permission to leave when the children are done because you can always re-enter. We made it until a thunderstorm rolled in around 5 p.m. By then, one twin had crashed in his stroller and our baby girl had taken a disco nap on Papi’s shoulder. Success IMO.
Day 3: Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom felt different after Magic Kingdom. There was more space to see animals and slow down.
Maybe TOO slow for my preschoolers. Mine did not care AT ALL about the kangaroos or the Bluey conservation station. It was a hike to get there, plus the long line, and they just wanted to leave. Unless your child is crazy for Bluey, I would use that time elsewhere.
For preschoolers, I would start with Kilimanjaro Safari first. Mine LOVED Festival of the Lion King, the safari, and Kali River Rapids. Mom and Dad were also able to enjoy cold beers here. Two were around $25.
Regular parking was also only about a four minute walk from the entrance. Even the parking attendant told us not to waste our money on preferred. TIP: There were quite a few things we couldn't ride because of height requirements, so check out the rides online first and heights before buying your tickets!
Day 4: Resort Morning + Drive Home
We considered adding a third park because the Florida resident offer made it tempting. It was only $20 more per person. But by 4 p.m. on the first park day, the kids were already asking to go back to the hotel, which confirmed we made the right choice. Our resort also had an amazing water park with slides, so we decided we'd save that for our last day. On Monday, we asked for a late checkout, packed the car, left out one bag with dry clothes, and spent the morning swimming. After two questionable weather days, Monday was beautiful!
No lines. No rushing. No itinerary. Just the kids playing before the drive home.
It was exactly how we needed to end the trip.
HOW WE SAVED MONEY WITHOUT MAKING THE TRIP FEEL CHEAP
I recently resigned from my six figure job because I wanted more time with my children, to preserve my mental sanity, and to be a more present mother, wife, and daughter. Naturally, as any normal Virgo would, I immediately began calculating every financial implication of that decision.
At first I thought, There is absolutely no way we are going to Disney if I am not working.
Then I realized that if I were still working, I probably would not have been able to take the time off anyway.
So we went. But we chose carefully.
We drove from Miami, packed lunches, snacks and drinks, bought Disney toys at the huge Walmart almost next our resort, and skipped Lightning Lane because the lines that weekend simply did not justify it.
At one point, a ride showed a 5 minute wait with Lightning Lane and 10 minutes in the regular line.
For five minutes, I am keeping my money. And when you multiply almost anything by 3 children, suddenly the “little” purchases are not so little.
But budget did not always mean cheapest. My mom had a torn meniscus, so we rented her an ECV at Magic Kingdom. We also paid for preferred parking that day. Both made our lives easier and were worth the money.
That became our philosophy for the trip: Spend where it makes your life better. Save where it does not.
How We Ate at Jaleo for $0
We use inKind at participating restaurants and had enough credit saved that my entire birthday dinner at Jaleo literally cost us $0. If you have never used it, you can sign up through [MY INKIND REFERRAL LINK]. Depending on the current offer, you may also receive a bonus or credit when you sign up. You will be surprised how many restaurants take it and it is like paying with apple pay, but instead with the app.
A birthday dinner at one of my favorite restaurants for $0 vs $170. That was a nice gift my friends.
WHAT WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT
Driving with three children is the reason our Kia Carnival looked less like we were leaving for three nights and more like we had decided to permanently relocate to Orlando.
But almost everything we brought, we used.
Our Own Strollers
Because we were driving, bringing our own made much more sense than renting. The kids could rest in them, we knew the storage, and we had them outside the parks too. With a three year old and two four year olds, a stroller is a nap station, storage unit, snack bar, and occasionally a containment device. Ours were also Disney Approved. We have the GB Pocketit foldable stroller for our girl and a double Jeep stroller for the twins.
The Portable Potty
If you take only one piece of advice from a mother traveling with three preschoolers, let it be this: keep a portable potty in your car. A three year old does not care that the next rest stop is 18 miles away. A four year old does not understand I 95 logistics. When they have to go, they have to go. Luckily we held up until the rest stops! And we use these disposable toilet covers or this foldable one always when going to a public restroom!
Cooling + Park Bag Essentials
Late August in Orlando is approximately the surface of the sun. Our cooler backpack, stroller fans, refillable water bottles, portable chargers, stroller organizers, ponchos, and heat friendly snacks all earned their space.
The point is not to buy 47 new things before going to Disney. Please do not. It is to bring the handful of things that keep you from buying something overpriced because you are hot, hungry, wet, tired, or standing next to a preschooler who has suddenly declared an emergency. These things made our life there MUCH EASIER.
SHOP THE BABETTE EDIT:
DISNEY WITH LITTLES
These are the things we actually used and would pack again.
Amazon List: https://a.co/d/0h4fumij
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WOULD I DO IT AGAIN?
Yes. And not for another year.
Which may tell you that Disney has some sort of spell over parents, because this trip involved three small children, a drive across Florida, August heat, strollers, rain, approximately 100 bathroom conversations, and more snacks than any family should reasonably consume. But it was also my birthday. I was with my husband, my mom, and my three babies. There are things about motherhood that feel endless while you are inside of them. The snacks. The strollers. The bathroom emergencies. The tiny voices asking how much longer until we get there. The imagination you play along with. And then, somehow, quietly, they end.
One day nobody will need the portable potty in the back of my car. Nobody will fall asleep in a stroller. Eventually, they will see just a guy working in a Mickey Costume. I know that day is coming. But it isn't here yet. For now, they still believe. And I want to be there for it. They didn't know what we paid extra for. They didn't know what we skipped. They didn't know what anything cost.
They only knew we were together and happy.
And perhaps that is the part I want to remember most.
