Theme Park Travel Tips With Little Kids: Top Ten From a Mom

Theme parks get a bad rap from sophisticated travelers. They’re hot, crowded, touristy, packed with people who left their manners in the parking lot, and they come with an upcharge on everything down to the bottled water. No getting around any of that. But a handful of theme park travel tips, applied while you plan and while you’re in the gates, will help you look past the chaos and actually enjoy the good parts with your kids.

What are the good things about being a theme park tourist, you ask?

1. There are always things to enjoy together.

2. Nothing is more fun than seeing the kids excited about something new.

3. While the prices are inflated, the attractions have an all inclusive feel. You don’t have to hand a carny a fist full of tickets to ride the Gravitron at major theme parks.

Don’t write off theme parks just yet. Plan your trip and give it a whirl.

Quick Answer: The Whole List in One Breath

Pick a slow day. Check a crowd calendar. June is fine, Christmas week is a hostage situation.
Buy tickets ahead. Almost never cheaper at the gate.
Pay for line-skip if you’re a once-in-a-while visitor. Disney’s old free FastPass is gone — it’s all paid now.
Skip the daily park reservation panic. Most of the COVID-era reservation systems are dead. Date-based Disney World tickets no longer need one.
Make dining plans early (60 days out for Disney World), arrive at rope drop, and use Child Swap so the grownups still get to ride the big stuff.

What Are The Ten Best Theme Park Travel Tips?

1. Consult Crowd Calendars

2. Theme Park Tips to Save Money

3. Buy Front of the Line Passes

4. Make Theme Park Reservations

5. Plan Dining

6. Make a Touring Plan

7. Download Apps

8. Make A Theme Park Travel Packing List

9. Arrive Early

10. Utilize Child Swap Programs

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Top Ten Theme Park Travel Tips

1. Check Crowd Calendars – Theme Park Travel Tips

If you have flexibility in when you visit, check a crowd calendar. Avoid the most crowded days of the year. The parks are more crowded when school is not in session, but there is a huge difference between visiting in June (good) and visiting over Christmas break (apocalypse). You may also find lower rates during off peak times.

Crowd Calendar Theme Park Resources

My favorite resources for crowd calendars are:

Cedar Point Theme Park Ohio

Crowd Calendar Disney World

Note: Disney World is a special animal, because there are four theme parks in Florida from which to choose. You want to visit at a less busy time, and you want to choose the best day to visit each individual park during your trip.

Crowd Calendar Disneyland Resort

Note: Disneyland has two theme parks in California, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. It is much easier to choose between these two than the four at Disney World.

Crowd Calendar Kings Island

Knott’s Berry Farm Crowd Calendar

Crowd Calendar LEGOLAND Theme Park California

LEGOLAND Theme Park Florida

SeaWorld Theme Park Orlando

Crowd Calendar SeaWorld San Diego

Crowd Calendar Six Flags America

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Six Flags Great Adventure Theme Park New Jersey

Crowd Calendar Six Flags Great America Theme Park in Illinois

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags New England

Crowd Calendar Six Flags Over Georgia

Crowd Calendar Six Flags Over Texas

Six Flags St. Louis

Crowd Calendar Universal Studios Orlando

Note: Universal Orlando consists of Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, and Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Park. Check the crowd calendar for each park when making your itinerary.

Crowd Calendar for Universal Studios Hollywood

Theme Park Travel Tips – Parks Without Crowd Calendar Resources

For parks without specific crowd calendars available online, consider the following:

A. The park will be less crowded when school is in session.

B. Weekdays are better than weekends.

C. The beginning or end of summer break is better than the middle.

D. Holidays are a nightmare.

2. How Do You Get the Best Theme Park and Hotel Deals?

These theme park travel tips are supposed to get you the best deal, not encourage you to visit in the cheapest way possible. That guy from Extreme Cheapskates who asks strangers at restaurants if they are going to finish that should not be in your travel party.

There are plenty of reasons to spend a little more to upgrade your experience. Just don’t spend more unnecessarily.

Ways to save money at amusements parks vary by location, but some general theme park tips and tricks to consider are:

A. Buy Discounted Tickets in Advance

Do not wait until you arrive to purchase tickets. You can almost always find better deals on the park’s website and discounted sites like Undercover Tourist, Groupon, or Viator.

Disney offers more opportunities to save. In addition to discounted tickets, you can purchase discounted Disney gift cards to use to purchase theme park tickets and pay for purchases within the park. This definitely has some disadvantages. If you cancel your trip, you will have money sitting on Disney gift cards and not in your bank account. Decide what works best for you.

B. Consider a Dining Plan

A lot of theme parks offer meal plans. Most are not good deals unless you plan to eat a full meal every hour. However, some, like the ones offered at Six Flags and Disney World, might make sense for you. The Disney Dining Plan came back in 2024 after its long pandemic hiatus, so it’s an option again if you’re staying on property. Disney posts the menus on its website. Do the math before you prepay — for a family that snacks instead of sitting down for three full meals, it rarely pencils out.

C. Shop for Theme Park Vacation Packages

Rooms on theme park hotel property are generally more expensive than those found at off property hotels, but theme park travel packages that combine tickets and a hotel stay may make sense for you.

On property stays often come with perks you cannot get off property, like free transportation to the parks and early park admission. These extras help justify the cost. Universal’s premier hotels even include Orlando packages with theme park tickets and Universal Express Unlimited, a huge savings if you plan to purchase these front of the line passes anyway.

D. Price Season Passes

Are you going to visit multiple times? If so, season passes may be cheaper than individual tickets. Consider your options.

E. Visit Multiple Days

Some parks offer tickets that get cheaper per day when you purchase multiple days. If you have some flexibility and would like to extend your stay, you might get a better value if you stay longer. This has the added benefit of allowing your family to slow down, a sanity saving measure that cannot be understated.

F. Don’t Park Hop

Some theme parks offer you the option of bouncing between multiple parks in the same day. These tickets cost more than single park per day tickets. In some cases, it is worth it, but is it for you? Are you really going to park hop?

Will you have enough to do in one park per day to entertain your small children? Do your kids need naps? Will transportation between the parks be a giant time suck? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, save your money.

G. Use Miles and Points

Make your credit cards work for you. Check to see which cards offer the best value when you make your purchase. You may want to use different credit cards for each element of your trip. While you’re at it, consider taking out a couple of new ones.

3. Are Front-of-the-Line Passes Worth It?

Don’t want to wake up early but still want to ride everything? Throw money at this problem. Most theme parks sell passes that get you front-of-the-line access. There used to be free options — Disney’s FastPass, Disneyland’s paper FastPass — but those days are gone. Line-skip is now a paid product almost everywhere, and most of these passes go for the price of a kidney on the black market. Whatever the cost, I think most are worth it if you don’t visit regularly and want to squeeze everything in before your toddler melts down at 2 p.m.

Busch Gardens Quick Queue

This FastPass Busch Gardens clearly took a page from SeaWorld (because SeaWorld owns it). Quick Queue allows you to skip the regular lines.

As of the time of this writing, options include:

Quick Queue Unlimited Busch Gardens

Quick Queue Unlimited lets you skip the lines at participating rides all day. It’s the tier worth buying. Pricing is dynamic now and rises on busy days, so check the current rate when you book rather than trusting the bargain numbers from a few years ago.

Quick Queue Busch Gardens

The single-use Quick Queue lets you skip the line once each at participating rides. It’s cheaper than Unlimited, but if the two are close in price, get Unlimited — you’ll use it more than you think. Prices are dynamic, so confirm the day’s rate at checkout.

Quick Queue Junior

The Quick Queue Junior pass at Busch Gardens lets you skip the line once each at the kiddie rides. It’s the cheapest tier. Whether it’s worth it depends on how line-averse your little one is — check the current price before you commit.

Cedar Point Fast Lane

Cedar Point’s Fast Lane lets you skip the regular lines on specific attractions as many times as you want. In addition to the standard Fast Lane pass, the park sells Fast Lane Plus, which adds a handful of the headliner coasters the basic pass leaves out. Pricing is dynamic and climbs on the busiest summer Saturdays, so buy online ahead of your visit and check the current rate — these are not the bargain-bin prices of a few years ago.

Disney World Lightning Lane (RIP, Free FastPass)

If you visited before the pandemic, forget everything you knew. Free FastPass+ is dead. So is the paid Genie+ that briefly replaced it. Disney World line-skip is now called Lightning Lane Multi Pass (the Genie+ replacement, renamed in July 2024), and it costs money — no more booking three free rides from your couch.

Multi Pass uses dynamic, demand-based pricing that has run roughly $15 to $39 per person, per day in 2025 depending on the park and the date. For a family of four, that’s real money — figure $60 to $156 a day before you’ve bought a single churro. You can start booking ride times the day of your visit; if you’re staying at a Disney-owned (or select) hotel, you can book up to seven days ahead for your whole trip, while off-site guests get three days.

For the marquee headliners that aren’t included in Multi Pass — think Tron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train — there’s a separate, buy-it-individually Lightning Lane Single Pass. And if money is genuinely no object, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass bundles one-time access to every Lightning Lane in a park with no pre-selecting, for somewhere around $119 at Animal Kingdom up to a truly absurd $449 at Magic Kingdom, per person, dynamic. My take: most families do fine buying Multi Pass and adding a Single Pass or two for the rides their kids actually care about. Premier Pass is for people who light cigars with hundred-dollar bills. If you want the full money-saving breakdown, see my guide to saving on Disney trips and the rundown of which Magic Kingdom extras are worth it.

Disneyland Lightning Lane (Formerly MaxPass)

MaxPass is another casualty — it became Genie+, which became Lightning Lane Multi Pass in July 2024. The mechanics at Disneyland still work the way MaxPass did: there’s no free version, you can’t grab paper FastPasses like it’s 1999, and you book your ride times on the Disneyland app on the day of your visit. Pricing is dynamic and has started around $34 per person, per day in 2025.

Is it worth it? At Disneyland, more often than not, yes. Because everyone has to pay — there’s no free tier anyone’s competing with — the lines for the Lightning Lane move, and you’ll squeeze in more rides than you would standing in standby with a stroller. There’s also a one-and-done Lightning Lane Premier Pass (added in late 2024, roughly $300 to $400 per person, dynamic) for people allergic to planning. For most families, the regular Multi Pass is plenty.

One thing to know: the all-the-PhotoPass-photos perk that used to come bundled with MaxPass is no longer part of the deal. Disney’s photo downloads are sold separately now, so don’t buy Lightning Lane expecting free Memory Maker. Planning a Disneyland trip from scratch? My Disneyland trip planning guide walks through the rest.

Kings Island Fast Lane

The FastPass Kings Island’s website looks a whole lot like that of Cedar Point. There is a Fast Lane option that lets you skip the regular line on some attractions, and Fast Lane Plus that gives you access to even more.

Knott’s Berry Farm Fast Lane

Knotts FastPass is similar to that of Kings Island and Cedar Point. Fast Lane allows you to skip the regular line on certain attractions (with no Fast Lane Plus option).

Reserve ‘N Ride LEGOLAND California

The park does not have any free front of the line passes. Instead, it offers the Reserve and Ride LEGOLAND California system that allows you to reserve your place in line for a ride on the app while riding something else for an extra charge. The system allows you to multitask.

As of the time of this writing, your options are:

Reserve and Ride LEGOLAND Express

The Express option is the entry tier and trims your waits by roughly a quarter. It’s the one I’d buy. Pricing is dynamic, so check the current rate when you book.

Deluxe

The Deluxe option cuts your waits by about half for a step up in price. Worth a look on a genuinely packed day, but at a kids’ park you often don’t need it.

Ultimate

The Ultimate tier all but eliminates the wait — and the price reflects it.

My honest take: the Express pass is plenty at a park aimed squarely at little kids, and it’s the only tier I’d consider reasonably priced. Multiply the Ultimate tier across a family of four and you’re spending Disney money to skip lines that mostly aren’t that long to begin with. Save it. For more on this park, see my LEGOLAND California tips.

LEGOLAND Florida Fastrack

Fastrack allows you to skip the regular lines at participating attractions (which is most of the rides) at LEGOLAND Florida. Your options are:

Fastrack Unlimited

Fastrack Unlimited gets you onto participating attractions as much as you want. The only catch is that The LEGO MOVIE Masters of Flight is capped at once per hour. Prices are dynamic and vary by day, so check the rate when you book — assume it’s higher than it was a few years ago. For the rest of your visit, my LEGOLAND Florida tips cover what’s actually worth your time.

Fastrack 3-Pack

Fastrack 3-Pack covers just The Great LEGO Race, Coastersaurus, and The Dragon. It’s the cheaper option, but the limited ride list makes it a tougher sell. Pricing varies by day — confirm the current rate before you buy.

SeaWorld Quick Queue Pass

Quick Queue gives you front of the line access to specific rides as many times as you want. Options vary by the park. Some of these passes are definitely worth it. You walk onto the rides with almost no wait.

Quick Queue SeaWorld Orlando

As of the time of this writing, Quick Queue Pass Seaworld Orlando options are:

Quick Queue Unlimited

Quick Queue Unlimited gets you onto specific attractions as many times as you want. This is the tier I’d actually buy at SeaWorld — the park has few rides, so the lines for the big coasters get long, and walking right on is a genuine relief. Pricing is dynamic, so check the day’s rate.

Quick Queue Junior SeaWorld

Quick Queue Junior lets you skip the lines at the kiddie rides once each. It’s the cheapest add-on, but I’m not sold it’s worthwhile — the kiddie-ride lines rarely justify it. Check the current price and skip it unless it’s nearly free.

Quick Queue SeaWorld San Antonio

Unlimited Quick Queue and Reserved Seating

This bundle gets you unlimited line-skipping on specific attractions plus reserved show seating. If the included rides are ones your crew actually wants to ride, I’d seriously consider it. Pricing is dynamic, so look up the current rate before you decide.

Quick Queue SeaWorld San Diego

Quick Queue at SeaWorld

SeaWorld San Diego sells Quick Queue, and it’s worthwhile here too — the coasters draw the longest waits in the park, and skipping them is the whole point. Check the current price when you book, since it shifts with the date. Want the full rundown of this park? See my SeaWorld San Diego guide.

Reserved Seating

Reserved Seating lets you sit in a special section for the shows as many times as you want. In my opinion this is totally unnecessary and a massive waste of money — whatever they’re charging. There is plenty of regular seating; show up ten minutes early and save the cash for funnel cake.

Six Flags FLASH Pass

The options vary by the park. The FastPass Six Flags allows you to virtually get in line and come to the line when it is your turn, similar to LEGOLAND’s Reserve ‘N Ride. The passes have different tiers with different levels of waiting. Prices vary.

Universal Express

Universal doesn’t hand out free line-skip to anyone who won’t cough it up. It does, however, sell Universal Express, and it’s nothing short of awesome. Is it worth it? Universal Orlando’s certainly can be; Hollywood’s is questionable. If you’re tacking a Universal stop onto a Disney trip, my guide to adding Universal to your Disney vacation covers how to make the days work together.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood offers Universal Express, a pass that gets you front-of-the-line access to every show, ride, and attraction one time each. It’s pricey and dynamic — recent pricing has commonly run in the neighborhood of $209 to $309 per person, dipping lower or spiking higher with the date. At a park this small, where you can realistically do most of it in a day without help, I’d think hard before paying that. For the bigger picture, see my Universal Studios Hollywood visitor tips.

FastPass Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando also has Universal Express, but there are two options from which to choose at a more reasonable rate.

Universal Express Pass

The Universal Express Pass gets you front-of-the-line access to most rides once each. Pricing is dynamic and has crept up a lot — gone are the flat bargain rates Universal used to publish, so check the day’s price and expect it to land well above what it was a few years ago. Even so, when you compare it to Disney’s Lightning Lane — where you’re nickel-and-dimed per ride on top of Multi Pass — a Universal pass that covers basically the whole park can be the better deal on a busy day.

Universal Express Unlimited Ticket

Express Unlimited lets you skip the lines as many times as you want, all day, on nearly every ride that accepts the pass. It costs more than the single-use version, and like everything else it’s now dynamically priced — check the current rate. If you’re at Universal Orlando on a crowded day and plan to ride the headliners more than once, this is the tier that earns its keep.

Pro tip: If you stay at one of Universal Orlando’s three Premier hotels, Express Unlimited is INCLUDED for every guest in the room. If you were going to buy Express anyway, the room nearly pays for itself. One important caveat that’s new since this post first ran: the included Express is good only at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. It does not cover Volcano Bay, and it does not cover Epic Universe, the brand-new park (more on that below) — not even if you stay at Epic Universe’s own hotels. So don’t book a Premier hotel assuming it buys you skip-the-line at the newest rides. It doesn’t.

Hotels with Universal Express Unlimited:

A. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

B. Hard Rock Hotel

C. Loews Royal Pacific Resort

What About Epic Universe and Its Express Pass?

Here’s the biggest change to the Orlando map in years: Universal opened Epic Universe, its fourth gated park, on May 22, 2025. It’s a whole separate gate from Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, with five lands — Celestial Park (the hub), the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, and the monster-themed Dark Universe. If you have Nintendo-obsessed or Harry Potter-obsessed kids, this is a genuine reason to add a day to your trip.

The line-skip situation here is its own beast. Epic Universe Express Pass is single-use only — there’s no Unlimited option like the other Universal parks — it’s dynamically priced (recently in the ballpark of $160 to $360 per person, per day), and it is not bundled with any hotel stay, including Epic Universe’s own hotels. So the “stay Premier, get free Express” hack does not work here. For a brand-new, crowd-magnet park, arriving at rope drop matters more than ever.

4. Do You Still Need Theme Park Reservations?

Good news: for most parks, you can relax. The daily park-reservation systems that sprang up during the pandemic — where you had to claim a spot before you could even walk through the turnstile — have mostly been retired. The biggest headline here is Disney World: date-based tickets no longer require a separate park reservation (that requirement was dropped in January 2024). A few admission types, like some annual passes and certain non-dated tickets, can still need one, so it’s worth a five-minute check before you go rather than showing up to a turnstile that resembles the Battle of the Bastards.

Here’s where the major parks stand. Because these policies change, treat this as a starting point and confirm on the park’s own site close to your trip.

Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens dropped its pandemic-era daily reservation requirement, so general admission no longer needs one. You’ll still pick a date when you buy date-specific tickets — verify on the park site before you go.

Cedar Point

Cedar Point no longer runs a daily reservation system for general admission at its park in Sandusky, Ohio. Just show up with your dated ticket or pass.

Disney World

This is the big one: as of January 2024, date-based Disney World tickets no longer require a separate park reservation. Buy your dated ticket and walk in. The exceptions are mostly on the annual-pass and certain non-dated ticket side, where reservations can still apply — check your specific ticket type.

Disneyland

Disneyland reopened back in 2021. Today, standard date-based tickets do not need a separate park reservation. Reservations mainly apply to certain annual-pass dates, so pass holders should double-check the calendar before driving to Anaheim.

Kings Island

No theme park reservations required.

Knott’s Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm has long since reopened and does not require a daily park reservation for general admission.

LEGOLAND

LEGOLAND Florida has you select a visit date when you buy date-specific tickets, but there’s no separate daily reservation hoop to jump through.

LEGOLAND California reopened years ago and works the same way — pick your date at purchase and go.

SeaWorld

The SeaWorld parks dropped their pandemic-era daily reservation requirement for general admission. If you’re holding an annual pass or a special promo ticket, it’s still worth confirming — the park reservation pages are here if you need them:

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld San Antonio

SeaWorld San Diego

Six Flags

Six Flags parks are open and, for the most part, no longer use daily admission reservations. (Note that Six Flags and Cedar Fair merged in 2024, so don’t be surprised if some park apps and branding shift around.) As always, check your specific park before you go.

Universal

Reservations are not required for Universal Orlando or Hollywood.

5. How Should You Plan Theme Park Dining?

You know how without fail you see hangry kids throwing temper tantrums while their parents stand in long lines in the sun to buy $20 hot dogs? Don’t be those people. If the park you are visiting accepts advanced dining reservations, make them. Why not make your life easier?

At a minimum, you should decide where you want to eat before you arrive. You can wing it at some theme parks, but not all. You don’t want to resemble the Pirates of the Caribbean animatronics by the end of the day.

Pro tip: Eat at an off time. We eat snacks for breakfast before rope drop then have an early lunch when the park is starting to fill up.

Theme Park Dining Reservation Policies – Theme Park Travel Tips

Busch Gardens

No dining reservations are accepted.

Cedar Point

No dining reservations are accepted.

Disney World

Timeframe: 60 days in advance (the standing policy — verify when you plan, as Disney does adjust it)

Dining reservations can be made 60 days in advance of the beginning of your trip. You can book dining reservations for up to 10 days when your reservation window opens. You don’t have to log on each day to book reservations at exactly 60 days from the date of your visit.

Reservations open around 6:00 a.m. EST. You want to be on at this time if you care where you eat.

Pro Tips to Get Competitive Reservations:

A. Make your plan BEFORE you log on. A bunch of Disney nuts will duke it out to the death the second their booking window opens for reservations at Cinderella’s Castle.

B. Figure out which reservations are most difficult to obtain and make those first. Do not make your reservations in chronological order.

C. Plan to visit the hot ticket restaurants toward the end of your trip. There will be more times available when your window opens. People arriving the week before you have already had the opportunity to make reservations for the first few days of your trip.

D. Make sure you can log on to the My Disney Experience app before your window opens. It is glitchy to say the least.

Disneyland

Timeframe: 60 days in advance

Disneyland dining reservations can be made 60 days in advance of the day of your visit. There is no 10 day bonus booking window like the one offered at Disney World. Good news. You don’t need it. Dining reservations at Disneyland are not that hard by which to come. Disneyland is visited largely by locals who don’t care where they eat.

Kings Island

No dining reservations are accepted.

Knott’s Berry Farm

Timeframe: 90 days (maybe)

The majority of the restaurants at Knott’s Berry Farm do not accept reservations. At least one restaurant, Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner, located outside of the theme park, recommends reservations which can be made on Open Table.

LEGOLAND

Timeframe: 90 days in advance at the resorts (maybe)

LEGOLAND Florida generally wants reservations for its hotel restaurants. You can book through OpenTable. They don’t publish a hard timeframe, but the window tends to run about 90 days out based on what’s typically available.

LEGOLAND California recommends reservations for larger groups at the resort. You can make reservations over the phone.

The LEGOLAND parks do not accept dining reservations at the theme parks.

SeaWorld

Timeframe: Reserve when you feel like it.

SeaWorld does not accept dining reservations for most restaurants, but you can make reservations for the Dine with Orcas meal. These times seem to be posted well in advance, in some cases more than a year before the date of your visit.

Six Flags

No dining reservations are accepted.

Universal

Timeframe: Up to 90 days in advance

Universal is like the Wild West. Some restaurants take reservations up to 90 days in advance, others 30 days, and some not at all. If you call the reservation phone number, they sometimes magically find available reservations for restaurants that claim to not accept them. Start early and try multiple avenues. The scrappy bird gets the worm here.

Theme Park Travel Tips Chocolate Emporium

Can You Bring In Outside Food?

I don’t recommend lugging around a cooler with a bunch of lukewarm bologna. You already spent this much money. You might as well go all in at this point.

With that said, I understand why some people want to bring in some snacks and water. Will the park let you bring those in?

Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens means business. It has the worst policy of any theme park in Florida. Water only. If you have a special dietary need, you have to contact Guest Services.

Cedar Point

Cedar Point wants your money. This is not its first rodeo. You are allowed to bring in water and food for those with dietary restrictions and medical necessities. There are picnic facilities outside the park if you want to let your food bake in the car all day.

Disney World

Shockingly, Disney has the most liberal policy regarding outside food of the theme parks in Orlando, the theme park capital of the world. Outside food and non-alcoholic drinks are allowed as long as they are not in glass and don’t have a pungent odor. Seriously. There is nowhere to heat or refrigerate food at the parks.

Disneyland

The policy is identical to that of Disney World. You can bring things in that aren’t in glass and don’t smell like used gym socks. There is nowhere to heat or refrigerate food.

Kings Island

Kings Island does not allow outside food or beverages except for baby food and for those with dietary restrictions.

Knott’s Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm only lets you bring in water, baby food, and food for guests with dietary restrictions.

LEGOLAND

LEGOLAND allows you to bring outside food and drinks, but you cannot bring in glass containers, coolers, or alcohol. There is nowhere to heat or refrigerate food at the park.

SeaWorld

SeaWorld’s policy is odd. Coolers are allowed in, but they can only contain individual sized snacks, water, and baby food. Family sized portions and picnics are not allowed in. Exceptions are made for those with special dietary requirements.

Six Flags

Six Flags likes when you buy its churros, so the outside food policy is not generous. They do not even specify that outside water is allowed, but I can tell you from personal experience that an empty sports bottle will make it through. Guests with dietary restrictions can bring in two sandwich bags and one snack in a small cooler. Baby food is allowed.

Universal

Universal has a restrictive policy. Glass, open containers, and coolers are not allowed. They make exceptions for the following:

A. Bottled water (up to 2 liters)

B. Small snacks (with the word “small” being subjective)

C. Food for those with dietary restrictions and medical necessities

D. Baby food

6. Why Do You Need a Touring Plan?

The single best way to have a miserable theme park day is to walk in with no plan. Casually skipping down Main Street with no concept of the theme park layout and what rides are popular ensures you will wait in some seriously long lines in the heat.

Fortunately, there are plenty of free resources with amusement park tips and tricks to help you do so. You can often find plans with multiple options, including those that cater to families with small children.

Resources for Touring Plans – Theme Park Travel Tips

Touring Plan for Cedar Point

Disney World

Disneyland

Touring Plan LEGOLAND Florida

Touring Plan Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida

Personalized Touring Plans – Theme Park Travel Tips

TouringPlans allows you to make free personalized itineraries that can be refreshed throughout the day on the free Touring Plan app for the following parks:

Disney World Touring Plan App

Touring Plan for Disneyland

Touring Plan Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure

Tips for Parks Without Specific Touring Plans

Busch Gardens Theme Park and Zoo

Go to the rides first. The theme park zoo animals will still be there when the park gets crowded.

Kings Island

Visit the newest rides and roller coasters first.

Knott’s Berry Farm

Visit the big rides first.

Touring Plan LEGOLAND California

Start in the back of the park. LEGOLAND is largely frequented by little kids with short legs who move like molasses. You can run faster. Hustle to the back.

SeaWorld

SeaWorld doesn’t have many rides, so the lines for all the big ones are long. Try to hit the rides early or late in the day. It is easy to get a seat at the theme park shows, so you can save those for the most crowded part of the day.

Six Flags

Generally, the newest rides and theme park roller coasters will have the longest wait times. Figure out what those are and go there first.

Touring Plan for Universal Studios Hollywood

Harry Potter. Harry Potter. Did I say Harry Potter? Go there first. The rides are popular, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is so much more enjoyable when you don’t have to throw elbows to walk through the crowd.

Pro Theme Park Travel Tips for All Parks

A. If you are visiting a hot park, try to alternate between indoor and outdoor theme park queues so you don’t bake in the sun for hours at a time.

B. Visit the most popular attractions early in the morning.

C. Consider starting your day in the back of the park. Most people get distracted by something shiny in the front and are not in on this amusement park ride tip. There is less competition in the back.

D. If you have the luxury of time, build in a break day to your trip as opposed to a break in the middle of the day. Waking up at the crack of dawn is much more palatable if you only have to do it a couple of days in a row. Build in time for relaxing, swimming, and sleeping in.

E. Lots of people like to take breaks in the middle of a park day, but by the time you travel back to your hotel and get your kids to sleep, you have burned multiple hours. This seems like a waste of time and money to me. When my kids needed naps, they slept in the stroller, but to each their own. If you will need a break, build it into your plan.

7. Which Theme Park Apps Should You Download?

A good app makes all the difference. It is a treasure trove of information to make your day go more smoothly. These apps will provide wait times, dining information, and theme park maps, among other things.

Busch Gardens

Cedar Point

Disney World Touring Plan Orlando

Note: In addition to Disney World’s app, download the Touring Plans Disney World app to map out your itinerary.

Touring Plan Disneyland Attractions

Note: Additionally, download the Touring Plans Disneyland app.

Kings Island

Knott’s Berry Farm

LEGOLAND California

LEGOLAND Florida

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Theme Park San Diego

Six Flags

Touring Plan Universal Hollywood

Touring Plan for Universal Orlando

Note: Also download the Touring Plans Universal Orlando app.

8. What Should You Pack for a Theme Park Day?

Everything a theme park sells comes with an upcharge. That $20 mini-bottle of sunscreen must have been made with the same water Shannen Doherty uses to wash her hair. I hate to pay extra for something stupid, but I also don’t want to drag around a bunch of crap I don’t need in a theme park backpack.

Consider packing the following in your theme park bag. For a leaner, no-junk version, my ultimate theme park checklist for minimalists strips it down further:

A. A sports bottle for water

B. Sunblock

C. Sunglasses or hats

D. Headache medicine

E. Motion sickness medication

F. Baby supplies

G. Ponchos

H. BAND-AIDs

I. Portable phone charger

J. Tickets and identification

K. Gum (which is often not sold at theme parks)

End of theme park travel list.

9. Does Arriving Early Really Matter?

Theme parks are at their most glorious first thing in the morning when the people who are not taking this seriously are still sleeping. You will get more done in the first couple of theme park hours than you will the rest of the day if you are doing it right. If you want to sleep in every day, prepare to battle the masses.

10. Child Swap at Theme Park Programs

This is an important theme park travel tip for those who want to enjoy larger rides sans short people. If your kid is dragging you down, check to see if the theme park has a program that will allow two adults to ride separately without waiting in line twice. If you have older children as well, they can often ride with both parents.

Sometimes, one of the most important amusement park tips for toddlers is to ditch them.

Busch Gardens Child Swap

Child Swap Busch Gardens allows one adult to wait with the child who is too short, then switch with the other adult. The official policy seems to be the older child cannot ride twice unless the ride attendant is in a good mood.

Cedar Point Parent Swap

Cedar Point Theme Park Sandusky Ohio only requires one person to wait in line. After the first adult rides, the other adult is allowed to walk to the exit to ride. You must have a child that is too short to ride to qualify.

You must obtain a pass at Guest Services, Town Hall, or the Resort Entrance Gate to participate in Child Swap Cedar Point. You cannot walk up to an individual ride and expect this to work without the appropriate paperwork (like when Wayne and Garth put on that concert).

Disney World Rider Switch Program

Child Swap at Disney World lets you use the program if one of the guests is too short or just doesn’t want to ride one of the big ticket attractions. Your party waits in line together, then adults can switch without waiting in line a second time. Older kids will likely be able to ride with both adults with the Child Swap Disney World program.

Disneyland Rider Switch Program

Child Swap Disneyland is essentially the same program as that of Disney World. The party waits in line together. One adult waits with the non-rider, then the adults switch. The older kids can usually ride both times with Child Swap in Disney.

Kings Island Parent Swap Pass

You must obtain the Parent Swap Pass from the Help Center upon arrival. The first party waits in line, then the second party enters the ride through the exit. Older kids can ride twice.

Knott’s Berry Farm Parent Swap

Knott’s Berry Farm requires the family to wait together in line, then lets the adults switch. Older kids can ride twice.

LEGOLAND Child Swap

Child Swap LEGOLAND is offered at all theme park attractions, not just the most popular ones. Of course, there are less big ticket attractions at LEGOLAND because this is clearly a theme park for kids, so it probably evens out. Kids must be too short to ride (and not just not feel like it). Everyone must wait in line together. The older children can ride twice.

SeaWorld Child Swap Program

The Child Swap SeaWorld program exists, but the park seems to want to advertise it about as much as it wants to promote Blackfish. The second parent enters through the Quick Queue SeaWorld entrance after the first rides. It is unclear whether the older child can ride twice, but it is certainly worth a shot to ask with Child Swap at SeaWorld.

Six Flags Kid Swap

The Child Swap Six Flags process seems to vary by park, but generally, one adult can ride, then the adults switch. Some parks seem to require you to get a pass from Guest Services, while others just require you to tell the ride attendant. It appears the older child may be allowed to ride a second time, but verify with your specific park upon arrival.

Universal Hollywood Child Switch

Child Swap Universal Studios Hollywood allows you to utilize the program if your child is too short or just doesn’t want to ride. There are designated areas to wait while each party rides. Older kids can ride twice with Child Swap in Universal Studios.

Child Swap at Universal Orlando

Child Swap Universal Studios Orlando offers designated family rooms near the theme park entrance to the ride vehicles. One adult rides while the other waits in the room with the child, then the adults switch. Older children can ride with both adults with Child Swap Universal Orlando.

Theme Park Travel Tips: FAQ

Is Disney FastPass still free?

No. Free FastPass+ is gone for good, and so is the paid Genie+ that briefly replaced it. Disney’s line-skip is now Lightning Lane Multi Pass (paid, dynamically priced, recently about $15–$39 per person per day at Disney World and starting around $34 at Disneyland), with Lightning Lane Single Pass for individual headliners and a splurgy Premier Pass on top. Plan to pay for it.

Do I still need a park reservation for Disney World?

Not for standard date-based tickets — that requirement was dropped in January 2024. Some annual passes and certain non-dated tickets can still need one, so confirm your specific ticket type. Most other parks that adopted daily reservations during the pandemic have quietly retired them, too.

Is Universal’s Epic Universe worth it with little kids?

If your kids are into Nintendo or Harry Potter, yes — Super Nintendo World and the Ministry of Magic land are the draws, and there’s enough gentler stuff in Celestial Park to keep small ones happy. It opened May 22, 2025 as Universal Orlando’s fourth gate. Just know its Express Pass is single-use only, separately priced, and not included with any hotel stay, so rope drop is your best free tool.

Which Universal Orlando hotels include free Express Pass?

The three Premier hotels: Loews Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Royal Pacific Resort. All room guests get complimentary Express Unlimited — but only at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. It does not cover Volcano Bay or Epic Universe. If line-skip is your main reason for booking, that distinction matters.

When is the best time to visit a theme park with little kids?

Weekdays while school is in session, and the shoulders of summer rather than the middle. Avoid holiday weeks like the plague. Check a crowd calendar for your specific park, and if you can swing it, go in a lower season when hotel rates dip too.

Final Thoughts – Theme Park Travel Tips

Amusement park traveling is a grind, but in a beautiful, fun way. A good plan will help you look past the less than ideal parts to enjoy the day with your kids. They will only be this age once. Now is the time. Visit theme parks with your family. You will (probably) not regret it (with a plan utilizing good theme park travel tips).