DISNEY! Just the name makes me smile! It really is the most magical place on Earth. As a kid I never went, but I think it was almost better to go as an adult, because I could experience it with my kids and see the magic through their eyes!

We have had two trips to Disney World and both were absolutely perfect, but our Disney learning curve would’ve been less if I had read a blog such as this telling me a few tips and tricks to maximize the Disney experience. So here goes:

USE A TRAVEL EXPERT

We used Be Our Guest Travel Company (travel expert Sara Hendrickson) both times and had a great experience. It felt like someone was along side me planning this vacation and just as excited for it as we were. They know Disney and provide the best advice and get the best discounts without charging extra for booking the trip through them. Can you say win-win!?

WAIT UNTIL YOUR KIDS ARE OLDER

Wait, what?! “This is terrible advice” you may say- “my kids are 1 and 3 and would love to see Mickey!” Well, they may, but they would probably have just as much fun at this age playing in your living room and sleeping in their own bed… And you will not have much fun dealing with the bulky stroller, the tantrums, and coordinating your day around nap time. You will save a several thousand dollars by waiting until they are older, too. They will remember the trip if they are atleast 4, preferably 6.. and everyone will have a better time. Trust me. No one looked like they were filled with Disney magic when they were wrestling with the stroller on the shuttle while their toddler had a meltdown. We took the older three kids the first time and they were ages 6, 8, 10 and the second time we had a princess trip with our 4 and 6 year old daughters. Both were good ages- we rode rides a lot the first trip and mainly did princess things the second time.

WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHES AND ESPECIALLY SHOES

Holy cow. I had no idea how tired I would be after a day at a Disney park. I feel like we walked nonstop for days! Having uncomfortable shoes would be a disaster! On our second trip, my little Disney princesses insisted on wearing their sparkly heels! By noon they were in their socks- haha!

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PACK LIGHT

When you are at the parks you don’t want to lug around anything extra because you will be walking a gazillion miles and riding rides. I used a small backpack and had a few umbrellas (because it rains most every day in Florida!), a few snacks, and a small wallet. We wore sunglasses and the kids each had a small string backpack for a water bottle and anything small that they wanted to bring.

LODGE ON THE DISNEY PROPERTY

We stayed at the Art of Animation- Cars room the first trip and the Polynesian Resort the second time. Both were amazing and had so much to do (pools, outdoor movies, arcades, playground, games, etc.) after we came back from the parks. It was so nice to be able to catch a quick bus and head to any of the parks. When you are ready to go and ready to come back the room the bus is right there and saves time and hassle.

GET A MEAL PLAN

We got the regular Disney dining plan both times and had more than enough food. It was so nice to have the food already paid for before we went on our vacation. When we would eat we would just scan our magic band and that was it. It is just nice to not think about how much anything is and tell the kids they can have anything they want. More dessert, SURE! A strawberry shake, SURE! Anything you want, dear! 😉

ADD THE MEMORY MAKER PACKAGE

If you are like me you are always behind the camera unless you happen to take a selfie. At Disney I did not want to ask random people who were trying to enjoy their vacation to take a picture of us – and then have it be a meh picture. The memory maker is around $200 and allows you to scan your magic band and have a professional Disney photographer take your pictures and then it is uploaded to your Disney app for you to have and share. It allowed me to completely be in the moment and not think about capturing photos.

USE THE DISNEY APP

Disney has a pretty cool app that does so many things. It allows you to see where you are at the parks if you happen to get lost. It is where the memory maker photos are uploaded to minutes after they are taken. You can reserve fast pass times for the rides and modify dining reservations. I even saw an option to unlock your room from the app, but we just used our magic bands. We used this app months before our trips to make dining reservations and fast past selections for the rides.

OUR FAVORITE DISNEY PLACES TO EAT

OUR FAVORITE RIDES

THINGS YOU MUST DO WITH LITTLE PRINCESSES AT DISNEY

1. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique– a dream come true for a little princess! They get to pick out their hairstyle, dress, makeup, and then do a photoshoot. It was so precious! But make reservations early!
2. Character dining with the Disney princesses! Cinderella’s Royal table is one of these restaurants and is located inside the castle at Magic Kingdom. Watching the little girls meet Cinderella while they eat dinner is the best! These also book fast, so make reservations early- like 3 months ahead!
3. Princess Fairytale Hall– this is where the little princesses can meet Elsa, Anna, Cinderella, Rapunzel, etc. The princesses are in full character and will visit with the little girls and take pictures. The magic in their eyes is so sweet!

I hope my list helps you on your next Disney adventure! We are thinking of taking a Disney cruise next! Give me all the Disney!!

Until next time,

Here are links to our Disney clothes: