Growing up, we were a Disney World family through and through. I feel so fortunate that our spring break family vacations were spent in Florida each year. I also give my parents a lot of credit for putting up with the crowds and the heat and the excitement all of those years.
I fancied myself quite an expert in the ways of Disney World, navigating the parks and building itineraries in my head. Other than my self-inflicted obsession with planning, having a Disney trip set in stone before even flying to Florida wasn’t necessary. But that was a simpler time.
When Zack and I decided to take Stella to Disney World in 2016, it had been about a decade since we last visited the parks. And hot dog, a lot of things changed. Let’s just say that back in my day when FastPasses were first introduced, you could only get one at a time. You had to insert your park ticket into a machine at the location of that ride, and the machine gave you a physical paper ticket to carry around and present to the cast member at that ride during your time slot.
What I learned when I went down the rabbit hole of Disney blogs was that so much of going to Disney, especially with children, meant a ton of planning on the front end. There are a lot of moving parts with dining reservations, FastPasses, shows, naps and more that it feels like a very complicated puzzle.
While the process of planning our first Disney trip as a family was intimidating, especially because we hadn’t been in several years, I always enjoy the thrill of the minutia that comes with a vacation. Zack doesn’t care about the minutia, but I care enough for the both of us. And, he might agree, my obsession with minutia makes our trips run pretty smoothly. The ability and necessity to plan ahead when it came to visiting Disney World helped my over-thinking mind go into autopilot mode when we got there.
Our quick Memorial Day weekend trip with Stella two years ago gave us the confidence and desire to go back this spring with both girls. Although, to be fair, Margot was in my tummy last time:
At times, I wonder if we are crazy to bring a one-year-old to Disney World, or to be heading back so soon after the last trip. But that’s the thing about Disney. It’s deeply rooted in my memories and heart, and seeing it through the eyes of our children brings back those feelings of wonder and magic. Our first trip with Stella was only over a few nights, but we covered a ton of ground. We were also exhausted. The beauty of a longer trip with less stress over covering every single experience is what makes me especially excited to head back to Disney this time. Plus, there’s only so much time that Margot will be free to fly and get into the parks.
There’s also less stress because of these little nuggets of Disney knowledge I learned from the last trip. Here is how we are going to not only survive, but enjoy Disney with the girls.
I get help from a Disney travel agent! One of the ways that these last two trips have been much easier to plan is the help of Kelly Rodriguez, a concierge agent with Wishes Family Travel. I learned about Kelly through a metro Detroit mommy Facebook group. Kelly knows so much about Disney World and can set everything up from flights to hotel to dining to FastPass selections. Her services are also free (!!!) because she receives credit through Disney for booking trips. I have referred friends and family to Kelly the last two years because of how easy she makes the entire Disney process. She gives great tips and has answered my many questions.
We stay at a Disney hotel! There are countless benefits to staying at a Disney property, and many of them are especially helpful with young kids. One of the biggest perks is Disney’s Magical Express, a complimentary motor coach that takes families from the airport to their Disney hotel. The motor coach doesn’t allow car seats (neither do the shuttles to the parks, which are another major perk of staying at a Disney hotel), so if you’re planning to only stay on Disney property when in Orlando, there’s no need to travel with car seats! This is so huge when traveling with little kids. You also receive luggage tags prior to your trip, so once you check your luggage at the airport, the luggage is magically taken directly to your hotel. No need to drag suitcases around the Orlando airport!
Another key benefit of staying at a Disney hotel is the ability to schedule dining reservations 180 days in advance and make FastPass selections 60 days in advance. This sounds nuts, but some of the most popular restaurant experiences book up immediately, even with that much notice. Any little edge (and a lot of luck) helps make sure you get reservations for the things you really want.
This trip, we will be staying again at the Art of Animation resort. We were very happy with our first experience at this value hotel. I’ve recommended it to friends and family because the rates are reasonable in comparison to other Disney hotels, and it offers Family Suites. The suites are very child-friendly with their themed rooms (we loved our Finding Nemo suite), and allow for separate areas to sleep and two bathrooms. This is so key! While some Disney hotels are closer to the parks, the bus system was very efficient and we didn’t mind the longer drives.
I downloaded the My Disney Experience app and use it religiously. One of the best changes to Disney in the digital age is its My Disney Experience app. The app (and also the My Disney Experience site) is crucial in the planning stages prior to a Disney trip, and priceless when we’re at the parks. All plans can be made with the app, and our complete trip itinerary is so easy to view on the go. The app features maps of the parks with live wait times, which is super helpful and saves time. FastPasses can also be selected with the app, which is a vast improvement from the old ticket system.
I like studying the park maps every couple of days to see which attractions seem to have the longest wait times. It helps with deciding which rides or character meet-and-greets we should make a priority for FastPasses. Which gets me to…
I prioritize character experiences over rides, and schedule accordingly. While Stella enjoyed the attractions she was tall enough to ride last time, the best moments of our first trip came with meeting her favorite characters and princesses. These interactions were so special to her and gave us many laughs and priceless photos.
We had the chance to eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom and the Akershus Princess breakfast at Epcot, meaning Stella was able to meet most of the princesses without waiting in line or needing a FastPass.
And instead of meeting Mickey and the gang at Magic Kingdom, we instead got a FastPass to meet them at EPCOT, a park where there aren’t as many rides she can go on anyway. This upcoming trip, we’re doing a couple of character meals where the girls will be able to meet Winnie the Pooh and his friends, and the Disney Jr. characters. These character meals knock out a lot of the characters in one spot, freeing up time and so other FastPass opportunities.
Because dining reservations can be made so far in advance, I started plotting out our trip and park days based on available reservations. From there, it is easy to fill in the gaps with FastPasses, and go from there.
We spring for the Memory Maker photo package and I step in front of the camera instead of behind it. The Memory Maker was something I didn’t know about until Kelly explained it to me as we planned our trip two years ago. The package allows all of the photos taken by photographers in the park or on rides to be saved and downloaded through the My Disney Experience app. When Stella met different characters, I could watch the wonder on her face instead of taking crappy photos on my iPhone. After an experience, the photographer scans your Magic Band and within minutes, you can view the photos on the app. The photo quality is wonderful, and there are several photos to choose from. With the package, there isn’t a limit to the number of photos that can be taken or downloaded. And most importantly, I’m able to be in the photos instead of behind the camera.
While this list of tips isn’t exhaustive, these are the things I’ve found to be the most helpful for our Disney trips. I can’t wait to build more memories as a family this spring.
What are some of your favorite Disney tips?