The Most Magical Place on Earth

IT IS TIME FOR MY DISNEY WORLD POST!

Last year, we were lucky enough to take our boys to Disney for the first time! Everyone was pretty excited about it, but I think I was most excited lol. I have always loved Disney, but it’s safe to say that since going last year, I am OBSESSED.  We drove from NY to FL for the trip, as I have difficulty flying due to medical reasons.  And while many people would be like WHAT it really wasn’t that bad. My hubby drove the whole way (bless his heart) and the kids (2 & 4) were really good!  But let’s be honest, it’s so much better nowadays to drive than when I was kid. These days kids have movies, tablets, electronics, etc to keep themselves entertained! All I had was my GameBoy and books.

I have compiled a list and guideline based off of our Disney experience last year, and what we plan to do differently when we go again this year. Feel free to leave your tips and tricks in the comments section!

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GENERAL TIPS

• Book early and during a promotion!  Whether you choose a free dining plan (if those dates work for you), or a certain percentage off, definitely book during a promotion!
• Keep important dates in mind!  You can start making Dining Reservations 180 days from your FIRST DAY IN YOUR HOTEL.  Fast Passes can be booked 60 days from your first day (30 if you’re not staying in a Disney property.)  Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique and Pirates League also book up 180 days out.  (We will be doing the Pirates League this year! SO EXCITED.)
• Get Memory Maker. And make sure to buy it at the latest a week before your trip. Otherwise, you will have to pay a step up fee to start using the photos immediately.
• Use the My Disney Experience app! This app is PHENOMENAL. You can check your hotel reservation, book dining, fast passes, order your quick service meals, check wait times, etc from this app. You can also get your Memory Maker pictures on here.
• Pictures. Take A LOT of them! And if going with multiple adults, set up a shared folder on your phones so you can all see each other Disney photos.
• Souvenir Popcorn Buckets. Buy them! They’re just a couple of dollars to refill each time.
• Breakfast. Eat breakfast in your hotel room. Saves so much time so you can just head out the door and get to Rope Drop!
• Take a break. If you feel you and your family can go from open to close, that’s amazing! We needed the break in the middle of the day and it felt great to come back to the parks refreshed!
• Room Delivery. If you are staying at a Disney property, you can have souvenirs you buy sent to your room! Just be mindful of what day you are leaving. This was SO helpful when we bought a BUNCH of ornaments from the Christmas store at Disney Springs.
• Make a plan. But also go with the flow. I’m a super Type A personality, and need to plan everything down to the last minute. BUT, I knew with Disney, and especially with little kids, you have to just kind of let things go and HAVE FUN.
• Shoes. Wear comfortable shoes that are appropriate for the season. I had originally planned on wearing Toms the whole trip, but then realized it will be 95*+ every day, so I wore 2 pairs of Crocs LiteRide Sandals. The hubby also wore a pair of Crocs Citilane Roka Slip-Ons that look like Vans, but were rubberized with holes, and the littles wore standard Crocs or Crocs sandals. We needed our feet to breathe! And we didn’t want our shoes getting ruined from the sweat or water rides.
• Backpack. Pack a park backpack! (Maybe 1 per adult.) My hubby used this one (which is great if you’re flying because it folds down to basically nothing.) I originally brought a tiny crossbody to use, but it got so annoying trying to get things in and out, that I ended up buying this adorable Mickey backpack from one of the Disney stores while there. I LOVE IT and got compliments on it even when I came back home and used it day to day.
• Dietary Restrictions. If you have dietary restrictions, most likely Disney can accommodate! I was able to get gluten free food VERY EASILY for the whole trip.

PARK BAG

Below is what we personally packed. Feel free to remove or add to accommodate your needs.

• Magic Bands/Tickets.
• Wallet. ID, cash, credit cards, etc.
• Water Bottles. We used these. They have a filter inside the bottle so you can fill up at any water fountain. We personally don’t like the taste of Florida tap water, so were happy to use these. You can also get free iced water at the parks.
• Diapers/Pullups & Wipes. I can’t wait until my kids are out of diapers….
• Extra set of clothes for the littles.
• Bandaids and/or moleskin.
• Tylenol/Motrin.
• Hand sanitizer.
• Sunscreen. DON’T FORGET TO REAPPLY.
• Sunglasses.
• Waterproof Phone Case. We used these. Great if you want to take pictures on Splash Mountain or the Kali River Rapids.
• Tissues.
• Portable Power Bank for your Phone. Amazon doesn’t have the one I bought on their site anymore, but here’s one that’s comparable. I found myself not needing it as much as I thought since I left my phone on “low battery mode” the whole day. My phone actually lasted, even with all the pictures we took!
• Collapsible Straws. We personally didn’t mind the paper straws, so this one is up to you.
• Ponchos. We didn’t use them since we felt the rain was refreshing. My mother in law was the only one that used it. Good to have just in case though. Will definitely pack again.
• Stroller. TIP: Find some way to mark your stroller so it’s easy to find in the stroller parking. We put red tape on our handles – made finding it a breeze!
• Stroller Caddy. Very useful to keep your phones, bottles, etc.
• Rain Cover for Stroller. TIP: ALWAYS put the cover on, even if it’s bright out. You never know when it’s going to rain, especially if you’re inside waiting on line for a ride.
• Snacks. We usually packed a juice box, some goldfish, fruit gummies, and pirate booty. Helps keep the littles in check when they get cranky.
• Foldable Blanket. We used it while waiting for the fireworks to start (or at least I did lol). We got this one.
• Ziploc Bags. You NEVER know what you may need them for. Ended up using some to put phones in while on Splash Mountain or the Rapids. Great for soiled clothing, etc.
• Autograph Books. We got these. These were great because I was able to put pictures of the kids with the characters on the same page as their autograph! TIP: use clicky top markers – makes it easier for the characters to sign.
• Sanitary Items. You know why -_-
• Hats. My littles didn’t want to keep theirs on. You know, after they made us buy them.
• Cooling towels. Definitely helps on those hot and humid days!
• Fans. These little portable misting fans were great for the super humid days. We just left them clipped onto our backpacks.
• Wrist Leash. I know. I KNOW. I used to judge the hell out of parents who had to use some form of leash to keep their toddler in check. And then I had my 2nd little WHO IS AN INDEPENDENT SOUL. And a runner who does not listen. So, we got these wrist leashes. These are good because he can still venture a couple of feet away and not get lost ((or stolen.))

RIDES & FAST PASS

My littles are still, well little. Therefore, I had to consider that when booking our FP. Luckily, most of the rides have no height requirements – only the really cool ones lol.  I know most people will recommend booking your FP within a certain time frame of each other, and while that is EXCELLENT advice, a lot of times it’s hard to do because everyone is trying to do the same thing.  I had plans, so many plans!, of booking certain FP at certain times based on the ride’s locations in the park. But, when it came time to it, I booked WHATEVER I CAN FIND.  Granted, at the time I was booking for 7 people, so that probably had something to do with it, but I just booked whatever time slots I could. I got lucky that I was able to book most of the FP in the morning/early afternoon, so between that and Rope Dropping some rides, we were able to finish our days at the parks around 2/3pm, head back to the hotel for some pool time, and then go back in the evening for dinner, a couple more rides, and the fireworks displays!  If you would rather go from park opening to park closing, by all means, go ahead! For our family, with our littles being 2 and 4, and the humidity, that break in the late afternoon worked perfectly for us.

FAST PASS RECOMMENDATIONS (based off our own experiences)

EPCOT

• Soarin’. I LOVED this one! I actually had to remind myself that was NOT in fact flying over mountains. It is so immersive and so well done! My 4 year old got scared in the middle because *spoiler alert* a plane flies toward you and then at the last minute zooms up, but it’s loud. He was grumpy for the rest of the day (keep in mind, this was our first ride – for the day, for Disney. PERIOD.)
• Test Track. We happened to be stuck on line while the ride broke down, so we had to wait about 45 minutes, but it was worth it! My 4 year old loved it. Warning: there are sudden stops and accelerations. Will definitely FP again.
• We had a 3^rd FP for Mission: Space, but cancelled it since my 4 year old got grumpy during Soarin’. If we go back to EPCOT this year, we will FP this one and try it.

Magic Kingdom

• Peter Pan’s Flight. This ride was cute. However, I do not understand why people would wait 90 minutes without a FP for this ride. The ONLY reason I recommend the FP for this is the ridiculously long wait without it.
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. DUH. IT’S THUNDER MOUNTAIN.
• Splash Mountain. Same as above.
• Seven Dwarves Mine Train. This rollercoaster was possibly the SMOOTHEST ride I have ever been on. Fair warning, it is a short ride, but again, without a FP, you’re looking at 2+ hour wait times.
• Haunted Mansion. So cute, and the effects are pretty awesome! Don’t worry, it’s not scary!
• Space Mountain. My oldest probably would have been tall enough for this one last year, but I was worried he’d get too scared as he gets overwhelmed with lights and loud noises (and he was only 4). We will definitely FP this one this year.

Animal Kingdom

• Kilimanjaro Safaris. This is the main attraction (in my opinion) at Animal Kingdom. FP THIS RIDE. Preferably in the morning or evening. We did it at 2pm on the most humid day of our trip. Tempers flared.
• Na’Vi River Journey. We didn’t FP Flight of Passage because the littles were too short, so we did this one instead. It gets a lot of hate, not sure why. Yes, it’s a boat ride a la It’s a Small World, but the colors and animatronics are AMAZING.
• We had a 3^rd FP for Expedition Everest, but ended up cancelling it. My oldest was just a smidge too short, but even if he made it, I think he may have gotten scared. DEFINITELY FPing it this year.
• Adventurers Outpost. We used our 3^rd FP to meet Mickey and Minnie at the Adventurer’s Outpost. They were so cute dressed in their safari outfits!

Hollywood Studios

• We were originally blocked out because it was so soon to Galaxy’s Edge opening, so I will have more information on the rides after our trip this year.

RIDES WE WENT ON WITHOUT FAST PASS

Magic Kingdom

• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.  We just kept checking the app for wait times 20 minutes or under.
• Under the Sea – Journey of Little Mermaid. There was NO wait for this one because it had just rained and people weren’t venturing out yet. IT WAS SO COLORFUL AND BEAUTIFUL.
• Pirates of the Caribbean. We waited until wait time was 20 minutes or less. We went when it said 15 minutes, but honestly, it was more like 5.
• Barnstormer. We were able to ride this one back to back on both days. Just wait until the wait is 20 minutes or less because it is a VERY SHORT ride. The 2^nd day we rode it, we went right after it rained, so again, people hadn’t started coming out from stores or restaurants yet.  This was the one rollercoaster my 2 year old was able to go on (35” height requirement), and he LOVED it.
• Tomorrowland Speedway. This was one where we didn’t mind waiting 30 minutes if we had to. We went after it had just rained and opened back up (it won’t run if the track is too wet), but I have to say I wasn’t impressed with it.  The cars are very hard to drive, and if you get stuck behind a person driving slowly, it’s basically like sitting in stop and go traffic. I’m from NYC. I get enough traffic as it is.
• Dumbo. My 2 year old loves Dumbo! The first day we were about to get on line, but saw the wait was 45 minutes, and it’s definitely not worth that. Later on in the day, and the 2^nd day, the waits were like 15 minutes, so it was fine.
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Basically the same ride as Dumbo.  With both of these, if you get nauseous easy, make sure you don’t let the kids control how fast you go up and down lol.
• Monster Inc. Laugh Floor. The wait for this was about 20 minutes, but it was so cute! The littles were entertained.
• PhilharMagic. It was nice, but you can easily get dizzy with the 3D. We may go again just to get out of the heat and humidity.
• It’s a Small World. THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE RIDE EVER. IT IS SO DARN CUTE. The littles loved it, the adults loved it, and it is a good time all around.  Just be prepared to have “It’s a Small World” stuck in your head for the duration of your trip.
• Mad Tea Party. Wait times for this usually don’t go past 20 minutes. It is adorable, but easy to get dizzy. PARENTS, TAKE CONTROL OF THE SPINNER WHEEL.
• Country Bear Jamboree. My mother in law insisted on this one. It is 30 minutes of my life I will never get back.
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. SO CUTE. Wait usually doesn’t go over 15 minutes.
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover. I’ve lost count of how many times we went on this, but it was great! It’s a nice way to see parts of the park, you get to see the inside of Space Mountain (or in our case, saw what the coaster actually looks like! It was under repair so the lights were on.. LOTS OF TWISTS.) And of course, my train loving kids had no trouble going over and over and over and over. The wait was never more than 10 minutes because it is constantly in motion.

Animal Kingdom

• DINOSAUR. We Rope Dropped this one, and it was GREAT! Apparently, there are 2 different versions of the ride, and since we were there early I think they only had the “lighter” version open. Fair warning, it is bumpy, with many stops, but really cool! I warned by 4 year old that there may be dinosaurs roaring at him, and to just roar back.
• Kali River Rapids. Had I known I wasn’t going to ride Expedition Everest, I would have FPed this one. This was the only ride we were willing to wait about an hour for. It was VERY humid that day, so the water was necessary. And it was fun! Definitely will be FPing this one this year.
• It’s Tough to Be a Bug. My mother in law took the 2 year old to this one while we were on the big rides with our 4 year old.  It’s like PhilHarMagic, except THERE ARE BUGS. And WATER SPLASHING YOU. AND BUGS CRAWLING ON YOU. Neither she nor my little liked this one.
• TriceraTop Spin. Basically the Dumbo/Aladdin ride with dinosaurs. My 2 year old rode on this 6 times in a row and still wanted more.

CHARACTER MEALS

• Chef Mickey’s [Disney’s Contemporary Resort]. This was cute! And if you haven’t gone yet, definitely do it at least once in your life. My hubby went when he was a kid so naturally we had to go with our littles. The décor is dated, and the food is OK, but it really is great seeing all of the characters. A big plus was also being able to see the monorail nonstop (my littles love trains so they were very happy.)
• Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast at Cape May [Disney’s Beach Club Resort]. WE LOVED THIS. It is so cute seeing all of the characters (except Mickey) in their beach gear! And, the breakfast was DELICIOUS. We will be going to this one again this year!

Things we are doing differently this year

• Stroller. We will probably be bringing a single stroller instead of a double this year. My 2 year old (will be 3 at Disney) likes to walk, and my 4 year old (will be 5 at Disney) likes to be strolled along, so they will probably be fine swapping as 1 gets tired.
• Lunch. We will be bringing in Uncrustables sandwiches ourselves from Target or Walmart and bring those for lunch for the littles this year. It’s a good way to save a little bit every day (about $16 a day for lunch) and I know they’ll devour them. We may even bring lunch for hubs and I this year. That’s the great thing about Disney!  You can bring in food as long as it’s not in a glass container (and doesn’t need to be heated up).
• Rider Swap. Last year we went with my hubby’s parents, but it will be just the 4 of us this year, so we will be taking advantage of the rider swap since our little will still be too short for some of the cooler rides.
• MNSSHP. This year we will be going to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! I’m hoping to go the same day I book the Pirates League for the boys that way they are already in costume and ready to go!
• Food. We will most likely be skipping table service for most of the meals this year. Honestly, the quick services places were delicious, and it’s a big plus that you can order ahead for most of them. The exception will be Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast and possibly the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian (so bummed we couldn’t book that hotel this year.)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that’s my general-ish guideline/semi review to Disney World!  If you have any questions, comments, or tips, feel free to leave them in the comment section! I will be following up with another post with reviews on food and hotel as well, and maybe a post on how to do such a long ride with toddlers in tow.  But remember, the most important thing at Disney is to HAVE FUN!

xo
VC

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Valerie Coastal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.