One of the biggest concerns parents of toddlers have when visiting Walt Disney world are the meltdowns and temper tantrums that children this age are prone to throwing at any moment. When at Disney, those tantrums and meltdowns seem to come on faster and more frequently, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. In the land of all that is magic and happy, there are several things that you can do and ways to prep to prevent the meltdowns all together.
Use these tips before your trip and during to help prevent toddler meltdowns while visiting Walt Disney World.
Watch Disney Park Videos – Disney is great about sending out promotional materials to guests that are planning their trips, and one of the goodies is a video that gives toddlers their first look at the upcoming trip. Before taking your trip sit down with your toddler so that they can watch the video and talk about all the things they are going to see and do. This also helps you figure out which rides and aspects of the park they seem to become more excited about than others so you can plan those into your days.
Talk About Taking Turns – Toddlers understand the concept of taking turns, especially when they have other siblings around to practice with. This is a skill that comes with practice so make sure you get in plenty of sharing time and waiting for others to take turns. Specifically focus on taking turns to do different activities that everyone needs to participate in. This helps when you get to the parks and are trying to balance out what everyone wants to do during the family visit.
Never Make Promises You Can’t Keep – As parents, we like to promise our kids a lot of things, things that will make them happy and delight them. At Disney its very easy to make a lot of promises that you are in fact able to keep, but all it takes is one broken promise to see a specific beloved character to ignite a toddler meltdown. Instead of focusing on seeing and doing specific things, talk to children about all the rides and all the fun they will have, without getting too specific. There are always changes and park crowds that are going to keep you from being able to get in everything so a promised chat with Cinderella is going to be heartbreaking if it doesn’t happen.
Pack Snacks and Games – The lines at Disney are enough to drive an adult insane, and it is often where most toddlers stage their meltdowns because they are any combination of bored, tired, hungry and hot. Pack a small bag specifically for your toddlers to help combat all of these issues and nip any meltdowns in the bud as they arise.
Create a Guaranteed Distraction – One of the best ways to prevent and stop toddler meltdowns is through the use of a carefully chosen distraction. It’s Disney so there is bound to be something in the park that is going to get the attention of your toddler. Whether Tinkerbell, trains or pirates are a favorite, encourage kids to be on the lookout for their favorite things and make a game out of it. Make sure that they know they’ll be rewarded for their efforts in the end and when a meltdown strikes use that as a reminder that bad behavior can lead to the loss of the prize they have been working so hard for.
