Okay, so we went at the end of April...actually that's not too bad considering it's been August since I last blogged period. I will try to post more often, I will try to post more often, I will try to post more often...If I keep repeating this perhaps it will happen. Maybe. Worth a shot.
On to the topic at hand - DISNEY!
The last week of March we decided that the time had come to take the family to Disney World. We wanted to take advantage of the lovely spring weather and my second-trimester-burst -of-energy which meant we needed to leave pronto! Planning the perfect trip to Disney with two kiddos under 5 can be daunting in and of itself but planning it to leave in three weeks is a task only a type-A, I-like-a-challenge, wanna-be-super-mama, like myself, would endeavor to take on. ;)
I armed myself with a book or two from my local Barnes and Noble, read way too many websites and blogs full of tips about Disney planning and felt delightfully, overly-prepared as we embarked on our vacay.
The results were spectacular...seriously, it was the best family vacation we've ever had. And now it is time for me to share some of the tips and tricks that I think helped make our trip so special.
1. MAKE A PLAN: (Yes, I know. Earth shattering tip.) I'm not saying plan every minute of every day (You'll want to shoot yourself if you attempt this...and so will everyone in your party.) But seriously, make a general plan for each day of the week. Here's how we planned our days - because we were not staying at a Disney hotel (and therefore could not take part in the "extra magic" hours) we looked at which parks had the extra magic hours one day and would plan to visit them the very next day to take advantage of fewer people. It worked. We arrived to each park early. (SO important!) Taking the first shuttle bus from our resort every day allowed us to arrive about 20-30 minutes prior to the gates opening. This was plenty of time for potty breaks, grab a map and schedule for the day, lather up with sunscreen, and be ready to make a mad dash for our "top" ride the moment the gates opened. Once the gates opened we would head straight to the priority ride for a fast pass (or go ahead and ride it if the line hadn't gotten too long. You'd be surprised the length of a line that can form in the first 10 minutes of opening...especially for any new attractions.) I knew before arriving to the park which rides/shows were on my MUST-DO list for the day. Try not to make this list too long. I had about four things for each park that I absolutely HAD to do. Just being able to accomplish those four things made the day feel successful. Limiting the MUST list allowed flexibility for when the kids wanted to stop and have an ice cream in the shade of Cinderella's castle or dance along with the street musicians outside of Pirates of the Caribbean. We had flexibility to really ENJOY the day without feeling like we needed to rush around the whole time. Making a game plan is really necessary (did I already say this?) because you have no idea how many families I saw wandering about aimlessly with their maps the first hour in the park trying to decide "What should we do first?" Make a plan = be happy.
2. BOOK RESERVATIONS: You (and your kiddos) will be so very sad when you try to simply have lunch at the park and find the wait is 90 minutes. This is not just for eating at Cinderella's Table...but any sit-down restaurant in the park (any park!) We didn't mind grabbing a quick service meal a few times but for this preggo mama there was something so relaxing and necessary about sitting down for a nicer meal. Having only three weeks to plan the trip means we didn't get to enjoy the princess dining at Cinderella's Castle...but we WERE able to have lunch with princesses in Akerhus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway (Epcot). Which may have been even better! There were fewer little girls and more princesses in attendance than in the Magic Kingdom. It was also less expensive (whoo hoo!) The entire family enjoyed character dining at Hollywood Studios with the Disney Junior characters. The food at Hollywood and Vine was actually quite good, as was the food in Epcot. My kids didn't know most of the characters there, unfortunately, but they were excited to see "Jake" from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Next time we go I think we'll book breakfast with Pooh and friends at The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. Assuming Beckett is still in LOVE with Pooh bear...this plan may change if the next visit occurs when he's 12 years old! Want your little princess to experience becoming a princess? BOOK IT! It fills up so very fast...I'm surprised we were able to still get in. (More tips on the Bibbity-bobbity-boutique below!)
3. HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS MUST-DO:
- Disney Jr. LIVE show - This was precious. Oh so precious. It happened to feature the only four shows (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Doc McStuffins, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Sofia the First) my munchkins have actually watched and so, of course, they were singing along and completely enthralled the entire time. So fun to watch them experience the "magic" of Disney.
- Toy Story Mania - This ride is perfect for ALL ages and we ALL loved it! Super popular - so you'll want to make a bee-line for this one or get a fast pass EARLY! We got our fast pass at 10am and still had to wait until 7pm to ride it...that's how popular it is! Wish we could've ridden it twice.
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set - This is basically a playground for kiddos and the perfect place to burn off some energy! I really think our kids would've stayed all day, sliding down giant pieces of grass and crawling through mammoth cheerios...so much to explore. It was the perfect spot to play after seeing a few sit-down shows...and it ensured that Beckett would take a nice long nap in his stroller.
- Muppet Vision 3D - This one had been around for a while but my kiddos loved all the 3D shows at Disney. Especially fun when water sprays out at you or confetti falls from the 'sky.'
- Soarin' - Best ride ever. Really it showcased the BEST of Disney "magic." The basic premise is that you are "hang-gliding" over California. The amazing details make the ride awesome - wind in your hair, smell of orange blossoms and pines trees, such a neat ride. The height requirement for this one is 40 inches which meant Beckett couldn't ride (but doing the "baby-swap" it meant Blake got to ride twice, once with each parent and only had to wait in line once.)
- Baby-Swap or Rider-Switch: One adult can wait with the non-rider while the rest of the party experiences the attraction. The waiting adult can then board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again when another adult in the party returns to supervise the child or children who do not ride - either because they do not meet the height requirement or simply do not wish to ride.
- Turtle Talk with Crush - First of all, I kinda love this turtle in "Nemo." Second, he totally talked to ME. ;) Like, totally dude.
- Princess Dining at Akerhus Royal Banquet Hall.
- World Showcase - I LOVE Epcot for this reason alone. Where else can you sample authentic foods from so many different countries...and so many different beers. Bryan may, or may not, have thoroughly enjoyed his time at Epcot.
- GREAT place for autographs! Blake got entirely carried away with getting character autographs during our week at Disney. (I might have egged her on a bit.) She got the most autographs, by far, in Epcot. She keeps her autograph book on her nightstand now and I'm sure it was the highlight of her trip.
- The NEW Fantasyland - Everything about this new section of the park is wonderful...seeing Rapunzel's tower and the Beast's castle, the new Dumbo rides, Goofy's Barnstormer (Blake LOVED this kiddie roller coaster.) RUN, do not walk, to this area first thing. It get crowded quickly and will stay crowded.
- Enchanted Tales with Belle - So wonderful, so magical, seriously I cried...I am not ashamed. This is not a ride or a show but an experience like I've never had at Disney...it is truly something new and groundbreaking. You are a part of the story...it is a character meeting experience but so much more. Boys and girls will enjoy it equally in my opinion.
- Other kid favorites: Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight, Jungle Cruise, Mickey's Philharmonic.
- Strolling down main street with your family is too sweet of a moment not to savor - Enjoy it! (Preferably with a caramel apple in hand.)
- Make reservations as soon as you book your trip!
- BEST TIP: Unless you want to pay $200 (yes, $200) for the "Castle Package" bring your own dress! I am soooo glad we did this. Blake had received a "deluxe" Rapunzel gown and shoes as part of her Christmas gift from her Nana and Papa. So we took our own gown, and shoes to the boutique. The quality of Blake's gown was FAR superior than the kinda-cheap-looking tea-length gowns that were included in the package. They had dressing rooms there for girls to change in before the transformation began. I purchased the $65.00 (cheapest) "Coach Package" which included everything the "Castle Package" did - minus the dress and shoes. So with her nails, make-up, hair, glitter, and tiara, all in place, we left the boutique with other moms' asking "Where did you find the floor length gowns?" and "I didn't see any dresses that elaborate here!" My advice if you don't already own a gown is to go to the nearest Disney store or order one online...you'll save a ton of money, and look better in the end! :)
- Food in the parks is pricey. Surprise, surprise. ;) Bring your own snacks and a water bottle to refill! We packed half a suitcase full of granola bars, applesauce squeezies, trail mix, nuts, ect. and then had the space to use for souvenirs on the return trip home. Bringing a watter bottle was perfect for always keeping us hydrated. There are water fountains everywhere and the water was cool and tasty. WAY better than shelling out a few bucks for bottled water throughout the day.
- Drop by Guest Relations your first day at any of the parks and pick up a free button for the kids to wear. Blake and Beckett wore their "1st Visit" buttons everyday and received a little extra attention from park workers, characters, and such. It was a small way to make the trip extra special.
Safe travels and Enjoy!
