Traveling with 'Little Ones' Easier Than Ever

Disney's Magical Beginnings, presented by Hasbro, Inc.’s PLAYSKOOL brand, is a new, breakthrough program devoted to families traveling with toddlers or preschoolers. It was custom-designed based on both consumer research and guest feedback and is aimed at reducing the hassles and increasing the magic for parents when vacationing with toddlers and preschoolers.

"Magical Beginnings is all about making our parks and resorts even more accessible and appealing to a huge and important group of people -- families with very young children," said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "Magical Beginnings reinforces our commitment to creating an easy-to-plan, easy-to-navigate vacation filled with activities that allow families to create lifelong memories."

Disney theme parks in Florida and California have always been the perfect playground for the whole family, but new attractions, shows and amenities make the parks and resort hotels even more welcoming to "little ones."

Timeless attractions, special kid's menus, character dining, children's programs, length-of-stay stroller rental at the theme parks, plus kiddie pools, play areas and in-room babysitting at Disney resort hotels were all created with young guests in mind.

The new Magical Beginnings program offers value travel packages, captivating entertainment, targeted planning tools and a host of services and amenities to make navigating Disney parks with children five years and younger easier then ever.

Recent research released by travel marketing experts Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown and Russell (YPB&R) shows that eight out of ten families believe the ideal age to take a first major vacation with children is when the children are five years old or younger. The research revealed the families are seeking family-friendly destinations that offer activities for both kids and parents. Florida and California are the states family travelers want to visit most, with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort as the preferred destinations. And nine out of ten preschool parents would consider taking their young children on a theme park vacation as long as the park offered age-appropriate rides and services.

"Age-appropriate activities and attractions are very important to this group of family travelers," said Peter Yesawich, chairman and chief executive officer of YPB&R. "That's why theme parks and, in particular, the Disney parks, are a natural vacation choice for families vacationing with toddlers and preschoolers."

Rekindling childhood memories and creating new family traditions is easy at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts as each features myriad attractions and entertainment options relevant to preschoolers.

"We continue to survey our guests around the world and evaluate our attractions and entertainment to remain as relevant as possible," said Rasulo. "Magical Beginnings is really the product of that listening and research. We think this new Magical Beginnings season will really resonate with families with toddlers and preschoolers."