It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Though Dickens wasn’t referring to the American rite of passage that is a Disney family vacation, the sentiment still reigns true. A trip to Walt Disney World can be a magical experience, bursting at the seams with bullish expectations for Hallmark family moments and once-in-a-lifetime fun…that is, until the baby has a blowout, your toddler backhands Mickey and your husband forgets to pack the emergency fruit snacks (rookie mistake).

Luckily, Disney knows a thing or two about family travel, including the stressors that inevitably come along with it. To help make your vacation a little less trying and a lot more fun, I’m letting you in on the Disney mom’s best-kept secret. Here are four baby and toddler perks you didn’t know existed, from how to snag a free meal to your in-park respite.

I’ve Been to Disney World Over a Dozen Times, Here Are 3 Things I Never Miss (and 3 I’d Never Do Again)