Our first family trip to Disney World was in March 2025, when Frankie was almost 3. It was her first Disney trip and our first time experiencing Disney World as parents.
We had a great trip, but we also learned a lot about what works for our family and what doesn’t when you’re doing Disney with a little kid.
Now we’re going back. In late 2026, Frankie will be 4, and we’re taking what we learned from our first trip and using it to plan this one a little differently. We’re keeping the things that worked, changing the things that didn’t, and leaving plenty of room to adjust along the way.
This is Disney Take 2, and here’s what we’re doing differently this time.
Disney Trip #1 vs. Disney Trip #2
A lot has changed since our first trip to Disney World. Here’s a quick look at how our two trips compare.
Disney Trip #1
- Frankie was almost 3 years old
- Three park days
- No Lightning Lanes
- Limited dining reservations
- No park hopping
- A focus on keeping things simple, not a lot of planning
Disney Trip #2
- Frankie will be 4 years old
- More intentional planning
- Lightning Lanes
- More dining reservations
- Park hopping
- More flexibility
- More intentional breaks
- More family joining us, including my brother and sister-in-law
Having more family along will be another new part of this trip, but the biggest difference is that we’re going into it with a much better idea of what works for our family.
What We Learned From Our First Disney Trip
Our first Disney trip taught us a lot about what works for our family and what doesn’t.
There were several things we would absolutely do again. We loved staying at Saratoga Springs Resort and renting DVC points. Having a two-bedroom villa gave us room to spread out, eat breakfast early, and cook meals when we needed to. Driving, bringing a stroller, and having groceries and familiar snacks delivered to the resort also made the trip easier.
We also learned that we didn’t need to see and do everything. Some of our best moments happened when we slowed down, let Frankie set some of the pace, and didn’t worry about checking every ride and attraction off our list.
There were also a few things we would change. We underestimated the crowds and how difficult long waits would be with a nearly 3-year-old. We didn’t prioritize dining plans, and by the end of some days, everyone was more tired than we expected. Frankie wasn’t sleeping well, which meant we weren’t sleeping well either.
One of the biggest things we learned had nothing to do with park strategy, reservations, or rides. Our attitude sets the tone. Disney World with a little kid is going to come with tired moments, changed plans, lots of walking, and the occasional meltdown. We can’t control all of that, but we can control how we respond to it.
Our biggest lesson was that Disney with a little kid isn’t about fitting more into the day. It’s about making the day work for your kid.
That’s the mindset we’re taking into Disney Take 2.
What We’re Doing Differently This Time
Our first Disney trip helped us figure out what worked for our family and what didn’t. This time, we’re planning a little more intentionally while still leaving room to change our plans when we need to.
We’re Planning More Without Planning Every Minute
For our first trip, we focused on keeping things simple. This time, we’re doing a little more planning ahead of time. We’re thinking about which rides are priorities, where we might want to eat, and how we want to use our time in each park.
That doesn’t mean we’re creating a minute-by-minute itinerary.
The goal is to have enough of a plan that we have options when we need them. We know things can change quickly when you’re traveling with a 4-year-old, whether she’s tired, hungry, wants to do something different, or the weather changes.
We’re hoping that having more of a plan will actually give us more flexibility, not less.
We’re Using Lightning Lanes
One of the biggest things we’re changing this time is our approach to Lightning Lanes.
We didn’t purchase Lightning Lanes on our first trip. After our experience with the crowds, we’re taking a different approach this time.
We also learned that Frankie can only wait in line for about 25 minutes before we all start losing our minds. So, this time around, Lightning Lanes feel like a worthwhile expense for our family.
Now that Frankie needs her own park ticket, we’re also being more thoughtful about what we’re paying for. We don’t want to spend money on Lightning Lanes for attractions she isn’t interested in riding.
Three months before our trip, we’re already narrowing down which rides we think will be priorities. That should make it easier to decide which Lightning Lanes make the most sense for our family when it’s time to book them.
We also don’t want to spend our entire vacation staring at our phones trying to book rides. We’re planning to use Wait Magic to help manage our Lightning Lane strategy so we can hopefully spend less time on our phones and more time enjoying the trip.
We’re Making More Dining Plans
We didn’t prioritize dining very much on our first trip. This time, we’re planning more of our meals ahead of time.
One reason is that Frankie doesn’t exactly have a typical 4-year-old palate. She doesn’t eat pizza or burgers, so quick-service kids’ meals aren’t always the easiest option for us. Sit-down restaurants often give us more variety and more options that she might actually eat.
We’re reviewing restaurant menus ahead of time and creating a list of places we think we’d like to eat that have food Frankie will enjoy. That way, we’re not standing in the middle of a park, already starving, trying to search for menus on our phones and figure out where everyone can eat.
For us, dining plans are about more than just deciding where to eat. A meal can be a planned opportunity to sit down, slow down, and reset after spending hours in the parks.
One thing we learned on our first trip is that Frankie loves meeting characters, so a character meal feels like a great two-for-one experience. We get a meal and a character experience without spending additional time waiting in line.
We’re Adding Park Hopping for More Flexibility
For us, park hopping isn’t about trying to squeeze two full park days into one. It’s about having options.
Maybe we’re done with one park earlier than expected. Maybe Frankie wants to go back to a park she really enjoyed. Maybe the weather changes. Or maybe we’re hungry and want to eat somewhere in another park.
We also know there are parts of Disney World that aren’t a huge priority for our family. Neither Michael and I nor Frankie are particularly interested in Star Wars, so there is a good chance we won’t need to spend a full day at Hollywood Studios.
Having park hopping gives us the flexibility to leave when we’re ready and go somewhere else instead of feeling like we need to stay just because we paid for a full day at that park.
We’re Traveling at a Different Time of Year
We’re intentionally traveling at a different time of year for this trip.
We’re hoping these dates will work better for us from a crowd perspective, although we know Disney World can be busy at any time of year.
One of the biggest perks of these dates is that the Christmas decorations will be up. That was something we really wanted to experience, and we’re excited to see Disney World during the holidays.
Hopefully, we picked a less-busy time to visit. But after our last trip, we’ll be prepared either way.
How We’re Preparing for Disney With a 4-Year-Old
She’s Older, But She’s Still Four
One of the biggest differences between our first Disney trip and this one is, of course, Frankie.
She was almost 3 on our first trip, and she’ll be 4 this time. She can communicate much better now, understands more about what’s happening, and can tell us what she’s excited about. She also recognizes more characters and rides, and we’re able to let her have more input when we’re making plans.
But she’s still four.
We’re not expecting her to suddenly have unlimited patience, energy, or flexibility just because she’s a year older. There will still be moments when she’s tired, hungry, overwhelmed, or just ready to be done. We’re keeping that in mind as we plan our days.
Talking About Disney Ahead of Time
We’re looking at rides and talking about the parks so she has an idea of what to expect. We’re also talking about characters and letting her tell us what she’s most excited about.
Three months before our trip, she has already informed us that she does not want to ride anything fast.
We’ll see if that changes by the time we get to Disney World, but for now, we’re listening to her. Knowing what she’s excited about, and what she isn’t interested in, helps us make better decisions about how we spend our time.
Setting Expectations
We’re also trying to set expectations before we go.
There will still be some waiting. We won’t be able to ride everything. Plans may change, and sometimes we’ll leave a park before we’re “done.”
Sometimes Frankie will get to help decide what we do, and sometimes Mom and Dad will make the decision.
We’re hoping that talking about some of these things ahead of time will make the trip easier for all of us. But we also know that no amount of preparation can guarantee that everything will go according to plan.
And honestly, that’s okay. Part of what we learned from our first trip is that sometimes the best thing you can do is adjust your plans and go with what works for your family that day.
What Worked Last Time, So We’re Doing It Again
Not everything needs to change just because we’re going back with a 4-year-old. There were plenty of things that worked well for us the first time, and we’re sticking with them.
Our Park Bag
Our park bag will look pretty similar to the one we brought on our first trip, minus the pull-ups. We’ll be bringing the same basic essentials that helped us get through long park days.
You can see everything we packed in our Disney park bag for our first trip.
Breaks and Familiar Foods
We’re still planning for downtime and keeping familiar snacks and groceries on hand. Full park days can be a lot, so we’re going to continue giving ourselves opportunities to slow down when we need to.
The Stroller
Disney World involves a lot of walking. Having a stroller gives her somewhere to rest when she needs it and gives us one less thing to worry about when she’s tired.
What We’re Most Excited About
As much as we’ve spent time planning this trip, what we’re most excited about has very little to do with Lightning Lanes, dining reservations, or park hopping.
We’re excited to see Disney World through Frankie’s eyes again. She was almost 3 on our first trip, and while she remembers parts of it, this trip will be different. She’s older now, understands so much more, and already has opinions about which characters and rides she wants to experience, and which ones she definitely does not.
We’re looking forward to seeing what she remembers from our first trip, which characters she’s most excited to meet, and which rides become her favorites. We’re also curious to see if she changes her mind about those fast rides.
We’re excited to experience Disney World during Christmas, too. The holiday decorations and everything that comes with visiting during that time of year will make this trip feel different from our first one.
Our first Disney trip was full of great memories, and while we definitely learned a few things along the way, we wouldn’t change the experience. Now we get to go back with a little more experience, a slightly older kid, and a better idea of what works for our family.
Our second Disney trip isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing Disney better for our family.
