Hi Jordan,
I remember visiting Walt Disney World when my daughter was a toddler. It is such a magical time in their lives to make these visits! Seeing the magic through their eyes is truly wonderful. Let me offer you some thoughts on when we would choose to
travel with our little one to Walt Disney World.
There are a couple of considerations for traveling with little ones. Because your toddler is not yet in school, you do not have to consider planning around the school year calendar. This is a huge benefit. If you can travel when older children are in school, Walt Disney World will have fewer guests. Within these times, if you can avoid holidays or other times that children would typically have school vacation, this will also be helpful. Additionally, traveling when older children are in school allows you to choose times of year when the weather is not as hot as it can be during the summer.
As you mention, January or February are excellent times to travel with a little one. It is cooler and many guests have children back in the schools following the winter holidays. This is also typically the time of year for the
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. This festival is a celebration of visual as well as auditory and theatrical arts. I imagine that your little one would likely love toddling around this festival! Another time of year that I would recommend is September or October. Again, most families with school-aged children will not be visiting at this time as children have just returned to school. The weather is cooling off from the heat of the summer. During this time frame, you can experience the
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. With a focus on delicious global cuisine, it is a wonder to experience. Our daughter has always loved tasting new foods from around the world during this festival. Because you can try many smaller-sized items from the global marketplaces, it is a wonderful way to introduce your little one to many different types of food.
You mention that you would like to stay at a resort with
monorail access. I think that this is a great idea. With a toddler, quick monorail access means quick access to Magic Kingdom as well as EPCOT. The Disney resort hotels with monorail access are
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa,
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and
Disney's Contemporary Resort. While these are all lovely resorts and any would be a fabulous place to stay, with a toddler, I would recommend Disney's Polynesian Resort. The theme is so beachy and fun, and the pools and water play areas are super appealing to little ones. This would be my choice for a resort with monorail access to stay at with a toddler!
I would love to help you plan more Jordan; however, I am limited in the amount of space that I have to answer. Feel free to write back with any further planning questions you may have!
~ Mona Leigh