5 tips for traveling to Disney with small children

ORLANDO, Florida -- Disney World is known as the "Happiest Place on Earth." If you're planning a vacation there this summer with your children, here are some helpful tips - from one local mom - to help you beat the heat and enjoy your magical vacation.

1. Play it cool - When you arrive at Disney, there's nothing more enticing than getting into the parks and on the rides as fast as possible. However, in the heat of Florida summers, by 11 a.m. you'll all be so hot and exhausted that the rest of the day will be hard to get through. Disney allows you to bring in water bottles and snacks, so pack as many as you can carry and stay hydrated. It will cut down on costs of having to purchase water in the parks - or worse, wait in a long line to quench your thirst.

2. Hit the pools - If you can stand to wait until the heat of the day is over to hit the parks, take the morning to enjoy a dip in the pool. I had my three boys in the pool each morning for a nice swim and then after lunch they would take a nice nap (my children are all three and under, so if you have older kids this is a great opportunity for down time for them). By the time they woke up and we got into the parks, it was about 4 p.m. and the parks were actually clearing out. All the people who arrived early had reached their point of no return, so ride lines were shortened greatly and the heat was much more bearable. Plus, the kids were rested up from their naps so they could better enjoy the parks.

3. Get ready for rain - Florida summers come with rain. It rained every day we were at Disney right around 3 or 4 p.m. The good thing is, the rain cools everything off, only lasts a short period of time, and typically clears out the parks pretty quick. Pack a poncho or umbrella and batten down until the rain clears - or wait it out at your hotel and then head to the parks after.

4. Charge it - Disney has no shortage of goodies for the little ones to bring home. My children may be young, but they fully understand the desire to have as many toys come home with us as possible. To avoid any meltdowns while visiting the merchandise locations, give your children a Disney gift card loaded with however much money you have allotted them for merchandise. My boys took their gift cards very serious and made sure to really analyze their purchases because when their gift cards were empty, nothing else would be purchased.

5. Fast Pass, please - Fast Pass at Disney is a way for you to avoid wasting the day away in a line for a single ride. When you get into the park, use your park ticket and get a Fast Pass for the ride you want to ride most. Disney now offers Fast Pass for character greetings; this also bodes well for your little ones just busting at the seams to meet Mickey for the first time!

Disney is a magical place where memories for a lifetime will be made. These helpful tips come from a Woodlands mom of three little boys who travels to Disney yearly, and hopefully they will make your trip a little less stressful and a lot more magical!