Disney World Planning Tips

My son just turned 4 years old today and for his birthday we took him to the 'happiest place on earth' - Disney World! He absolutely loves Mickey and his pals. Here's a few suggestions for your Disney travel.

1. Pack light
It's a good thing we forgot our heavier stroller back home. We were able to rent a stroller once we entered Magic Kingdom which worked out really well. I also brought a change of clothes for my 1 year old daughter and my son, wipes which I kept easily accessible, antibacterial gel, bottles, Capri Sun fruit juice, and a few snacks. I was able to carry everything in two diaper bags which I placed on each one of the strollers, making it really easy to carry.

2. Check the weather
The low was 48 degrees Fahrenheit with a high of 61. I brought a jacket for each one of the kids which I also carried in the stroller. They came in really handy as the temperature dropped when the sun came down.

3. Pick the RIGHT line
It's shorter if you stay to your right. We went on the speedway race cars ride and went to the left line only to realize that the right line was actually shorter due to the way the left line wrapped around the right line!

4. Fastpass
My son is pretty good now about waiting patiently in line, but my 1 year old daughter doesn't want to stay still. It's best to get a Fastpass when possible to shorten the length of time you'll be waiting in line. For example, when we went on the Jungle Cruise ride, the wait said 30 minutes. I checked the Fastpass time and the Fastpass was good starting 45 minutes from then. So it was 5 p.m. and we decided to do the Fastpass. We walked around, got the kids a snack to eat, they played around and then we went back about 10 minutes before our fastpass return time of 5:45. The person working the line was kind enough to let us go, even though we still had 10 minutes before we could go. We went right to the front of the line and got on the jungle cruise boat in like 2 minutes. It was so worth doing the fastpass! Instead of wasting 30+ minutes in line with a cranky baby, we let her burn some energy playing around and went straight on the ride. It was awesome! We did the same thing when we went to Tomorrow Land for the Buzz Lightyear ride. The line was about 45 minutes long and the fastpass return was exactly 45 minutes. So again, we ate hot dogs and chips and withing 35 minutes were on the ride.

Just remember that you can only do one fastpass per ticket for a certain allotted time. So if you and your son are going to do one ride while your husband and daughter will do another, then only get a fastpass for the ride you want using your ticket.

5. Quick Exit
Take the monorail right before the fireworks show to the parking lot and you can watch the fireworks right where the ferry docks but get to miss the huge crowds of people leaving the park at the same time!

6. Don't sweat the small stuff
When travelling with children, they'll often get cranky, cry or pout, but don't sweat the small stuff. I was so excited to be just a few feet away from Mickey during one of the parades and they invited the crowd to dance on the street. What an awesome opportunity for him to dance with Mickey! I thought he'd be thrilled, but all he wanted to do was go to the race car, and he loves Mickey! So just remember that it's their day and it's our jobs as parents to make it magical. Once we got to the racing, he was beaming with joy!

Happy Travels!

Travelling with Toddlers and the Kindle Fire

I received my Kindle Fire this Christmas. I immediately fell in love. I don't have an ipad and don't really know much about apps, etc., but I'm learning.
I'll tell you who else loves my Kindle Fire: my son! He loves to play angry birds on it, he can access netflix and watch many of his favorite cartoons, we can access starfall.com which is a great learning tool, especially for reading and teaching him sight words. It's really easy to navigate, it's small and light enough to fit into any purse of diaper bag, and it is a real life saver when you're stuck in a major traffic jam, have to keep the kids quiet during a meeting or phone conference.

I get to read some of my favorite books, watch some of my favorite tv shows, and catch up on the latest news. It's easy to use, easy to learn for any mommy that has been so preoccupied that she needs to get back in the loop of everyday grown up life, and it's easy to carry.


If you don't want to spend the money on an ipad yet because you know your munchkins are a handful and chances are that you'll probably end up damaging the ipad within about a two week period, then this is an amazing alternative for you. Don't forget to get a case so that your little ones don't damage it.

Travelling with Kids Everyday Tips: Your Trunk

Just last week when the holidays were over and school was back in session, I left my house at 6:30 a.m. as normal and arrived to my daughter's daycare at 7:00 a.m. When I went to get her out of the car, I noticed that she had no shoes or socks on. She's 14 months and this is what she likes to do now: take off her shoes and socks every time we're in the car! So I went on a manhunt to get her shoes and socks on before I was late to work. I found both pairs of socks but couldn't find one of her red shoes. Ah! I was definitely going to be late.

I looked in the passenger side, in the back seats, on the floor, under the seats, just about everywhere. No shoe to be found! So my daughter spent her day in socks! Sad but true. I left during my lunch break to Macys to see if I could get her a pair of shoes so she could at least join the rest of her class in the playground. But the shoes were pretty expensive. Knowing that she had so many pairs of shoes at home, I just couldn't justify spending $40+ on another pair.

So she spent the day in her socks!

When I got home, sitting on the bench outside my door was the other red shoe, glistening under the sun, staring at me. One of the neighbors probably found it on the driveway or, even worse, on the street! They were kind enough to realize it belonged to my daughter and left it for me outside my house. To this day I haven't solved the mystery of the Cinderella shoe story.

When had my daughter taken off her shoe? When I carried her from the door to the car? When I was buckling her in her car seat and she threw it out the door or window? Don't know. These 14 month olds are quite unpredictable some times.

Lesson learned: When travelling with kids, always think of the unthinkable and plan ahead. Your trunk is like your locker and it'll be your lifesaver when you need to be rescued.

I now have a separate diaper bag that contains an extra change of clothing, diapers, socks, shoes, wipes, pacifier, sippy cup, pajamas, and some nonperishable snacks. These are some of my favorite snacks to have around:


The funniest part of this story is that at the daycare, she had an extra pair of shoes in her cubby! Mommy had planned for this moment of shoe crisis back in September, only to forget it was there when I needed it! Ah! But now I know I am always prepared just in case.

Travelling with an Infant Tip #3: Take care of you BEFORE boarding the plane

Once you board the plane, you're going have very little wiggle room (that is, unless you're travelling in first class). You need to make sure that you take care of your needs before you board the plane. It's much easier to go to the bathroom with your baby and the bags and the stroller at the airport, than it is to move up and down the aisle of a crowded plane holding your baby and the rest of your stuff and trying to use those tiny airplane bathrooms with your baby in one hand. Very uncomfortable!

Before you board the plane make sure that you eat, especially if it's a long flight. Hopefully the baby will fall asleep on the plane, but some times he won't so you may not be able to keep the drink they provide you on the plane, even if it's water, from spilling onto the person sitting next to you (especially if they're a stranger).

So make sure that you eat, use the restroom, and have the things you'll most likely need neatly organized at the top of your diaper bag or carry on so that you don't have to search in your bag for your child's favorite rattle or bottle. Even though travelling with a baby isn't the end of the world (most moms do it just fine), careful planning will make it that much less stressful for you and your baby.

So don't forget, take care of you before you go on the plane so that you can take care of your baby and hopefully enjoy your flight.

Travelling with an Infant Tip #2: The stroller

There are some people that will tell you to leave the stroller at home since it's heavy, could get damaged at the airport if it's checked in, and will delay you getting off the plane and onto the luggage carousel because you have to wait for it.

Personally, I love having my stroller with me. It makes getting around the airport much easier and many airlines allow you to take it all the way to the gate and you can fold it to be stowed away right before boarding. It's also good to have after the flight because your baby will feel more comfortable once he/she can finally stretch out a little bit after having been sitting on a plane for all that time.

One thing to keep in mind if you are taking your stroller is that you probably won't be the only one with that type of stroller on the plane. So in order to avoid an embarrassing moment where you're putting your baby in someone else's stroller, consider a luggage tag that stands out so that you know it's yours.

Now, I'm Hispanic and I'm sure you've seen the suitcases with the red and colorful ribbons on it all around. Yes, tacky, but it works. Trust me. However, if you want to be a little more chic, consider some nicer luggage tags. Here are some of my favorite:

Travelling with an infant Tip #1: Packing Your Carry On Diaper Bag

Depending on the ages of your kids, you need to make sure that you pack everything you'll need, without over packing.

I have a three year old boy (soon to turn 4) and a 16 month old girl. When my son was just 4 months old, we went to New York. It was in the middle of June and it was scorching hot!

When you pack, one or two days before you pack, make a list of everything you use from the time the baby/child wakes up until you go to bed. So for example, in the morning, it's changing a diaper, you need wipes, diaper rash cream, powder maybe, etc. How many changes of clothing do you normally go through on a daily basis? Do you use bibs? I like the waterproof ones like Cutie Pie Waterproof Baby Bibs Boys Colors 5/pack PVC Free for boys and Bumkins Waterproof SuperBib, 3 Pack, Girl for girls because you can do with just a couple of bibs instead of 6 or 8. All these things need to be packed.

I recommend taking the number of diapers you use on average and adding two per day that you'll be travelling. This way you'll have enough. Also consider where you are travelling to. If it's your parents' house, then you know you have a grocery store or Walmart close by so you really could buy more diapers there so you don't have to waste the space on your suitcase. But if you're going to Europe or out of the country, then you might just want to bring your own diapers and bring enough of them, without going overboard.

You want to pack light for the plane ride since you'll have a stroller to worry about that you'll have to fold and close when you get to the plane. So a large bag or diaper bag is best. Here are some essentials for your diaper bag (Cocalo Couture Kayla Satchel Diaper Bag, Geo Piece):

1. Change of clothes for the infant in case he vomits or poops on the plane

2. Change of clothes for you! At least another shirt or top because if the baby vomits on you and you can change her clothes, you'll smell like vomit the rest of the plane ride. Gross!

3. Diapers, wipes, rash cream, changing pad (should come with your diaper bag)

4. Pacifier (bring 2 just in case! no one likes a crying baby)

5. Bottles - depending on the travel rules, you might be able to bring on board your breast milk, or if you're giving formula to the baby, make sure you have one of those compartmentalized containers that already divide the amount of formula you need so you don't make a mess on the plane

6. Entertainment for your baby. You need a toy (not an annoying one with lots of sound that will disturb the rest of the passengers), a rattle, soft baby album with pictures like this one Baby's My First Photo Album of Family & Friends, small dvd player or a small tablet to show their favorite cartoon, etc. But you need something to keep the baby occupied and quiet during the plane ride. If you can time it so that the baby sleeps throughout the entire flight, that would be great for you! Although you still won't have your hands free to read a book or flip through a magazine!

7. Snacks for the baby. On one flight I asked for milk to give to my son before take off and the flight attendant gave me this mean face. She finally gave me the milk, but do plan on bringing your own snacks in small ziplock bags that you can feed your child. Airlines are not so accommodating these days due to budget constraints so plan for this.

8. Small first aid kit with neosporin and bandaids just in case. My favorite is Johnson & Johnson First Aid Kit, Safe Travels (Pack of 2)

9. Disposable diaper sacks (Munchkin Arm and Hammer Diaper Bag Dispenser, Colors May Vary) those that come scented and in a small case to dispose of any stinky diapers.

10. Blankie - get one that's big enough to cover you and the baby, one that's got lots of colors so it hides dirt or stains easily, and one that's soft and cuddly for your baby to feel at ease.

Travelling with an infant is a lot of work, but it's great that you at least don't have to pay for their plane ride (yet). Happy travelling!