Need Help Planning a Disney Trip?

You all know I love, love, love going to Disney World. But I'll be honest, planning a trip to Disney can be hard, especially if it's your first trip. There are so many things you need to think about - when to go, what resort to stay at, where to eat. What exactly are Fast Passes and how do you use them? And of course, everyone wants to get a good deal, right?

Then please, let me direct you to a dear friend of mine who has become a certified Disney travel agent. Her name is Shannon and she loves Disney as much as I do. She knows all the ins and outs of Disney vacations. And she'll be able to get you the best deal on your family fun!

 

Just click on the button above to go to Shannon's website. She can give you a free quote on any Disney vacation - not just Disney World.

I know Shannon personally and can tell you she has the highest integrity and desire to help others. She will look out for you as if you were her own family. If a Disney trip is in your future, let her do the leg work for you. You don't pay her a cent. She gets paid by Disney. 


So why not let Shannon help you plan your family's perfect Disney vacation? Tell her I sent you!

Our Disney Trip December 2013

This is why I've always wanted to visit Disney World at Christmas. The castle is spectacular!

We took our fourth family trip to Disney last week and had an amazing time. We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside resort and enjoyed it immensely. We paid a little extra for a Royal Guest Room with a princess theme, and even my guys said they'd stay there again.

The resort offered boat transportation to Downtown Disney, which was a nice way to get around. We didn't take advantage of the extras, but the resort also had surrey bikes for rent and horse-drawn carriage rides. We've already decided we'll do those things the next time.

Even though historically the week after Thanksgiving has been a low-crowd week, we found the crowds to be higher than we expected. Thanksgiving was late this year, so that may be part of the reason. But the taping of the Disney Christmas parade took place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All of the choirs, dance troupes and bands along with their families and sponsors descended on the place and it was packed! Not as bad as summertime, but we waited a little longer for attractions, bus rides, even meals, than we were used to.

But we didn't let that stop us from having a blast! The weather was fantastic. We were thinking it might be in the 70's. Nope, it got up to 80+ degrees every day. We never even got our rain ponchos out the entire trip, which is a first for us.

We ate at some amazing restaurants, too. My favorite was Be Our Guest in the new Fantasyland. Since it's the newest restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, it's pretty crowded. But it's based on the film Beauty and the Beast, my favorite Disney movie. I could have stayed in there all day.

Disney has been testing out a new feature called Magic Bands. You're given a plastic band embedded with an RFID chip to wear instead of being given tickets. If you make your trip reservations in advance, you can order them and choose what colors you'd like. They'll be delivered to you before your trip. If you don't order them in advance, you'll get gray bands upon your arrival. Your Magic Band is your ticket to the parks and it contains all of your reservation information, including meals and fast passes. You can also use them to charge purchases to your room. You can choose what members of your party have the authorization to make purchases.

We weren't sure if we'd like the bands. They were definitely more convenient than having to pull out four key cards every time we entered a park. And the bands were so comfortable that we hardly noticed we had to them on. The thing I liked most about them was that the kids could use them to get into our resort room, meaning we didn't have to be with them every second of the day. Every once in awhile there was a glitch - someone's band wouldn't work for park entrance or a fastpass - but the cast members were extremely helpful and solved each problem quickly.

 As much as we enjoyed being there during this time of year, we all decided we'd rather go back in February (not this coming February, of course) due to the low crowds. But I'm so, so happy that we got to experience Disney at Christmas.

Disney Journal Finally Complete!

And it's only been 13 months since our last trip to Disney World!

I've done scrapbook pages and even photo books in the past, but this time I wanted to incorporate some of the memorabilia and receipts we collected.

I started out with drawers full of stuff! Disney stickers, maps, scrapbooking papers and die cuts, you name it!

Not to mention Ziploc bags stuffed with papers and junk!

The above pictures were taken after I was finished, so there was tons more when I started!

I first thought of buying a travel journal and using that for pictures and stories. But then I realized I'd need a book that I could add pages to. So I purchased a regular photo album with rings at Target. I think it was on clearance, too. It already had all the photo page protectors I would need.

I cut my own strips for captions out of cardstock I had on hand instead of using the flimsy paper ones that came with the photo album.

I made cardstock divider pages for each section of the book, using tabs I already had.

Maps, stamps, stickers - it all got used!

I divided my book into sections - On Our Way (to document our road trip), Downtown Disney, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Our Resort, Restaurants, Special Moments, and Characters.

I think if I do a journal like this again, I'll divide it into Day One, Day Two, etc. Sometimes we went to two different parks on the same day, so I'd like to document that.

On each of the park divider pages, I made a pocket and included a park map. It's so handy to pull the maps out as we plan for our next trip!

I included leftover Fast Passes, our Key to the World cards (park tickets, room key, dining privilege and charge card all in one!), receipts, and even a special birthday card Mr. Lego received from the princesses at the Akershus restaurant.

 The dining plan is a big part the expenses for our Disney trips. I kept a brochure outlining what restaurants participated in the dining plan. And then I recorded where we ate, and in some cases how much it cost. See, we got the dining plan for free, and I wanted to keep track of how much we would have spent on sit-down meals.

Looks like we ate a lot in Epcot!

And of course I took pictures of the food!

Here are some other pages from the journal:

My advice if you want to make a journal commemorating a Disney trip (or any other trip, for that matter) is to keep everything - ticket stubs, brochures, maps, anything! And most of those items are free, so get several. You might want to cut them up later, like I did with the maps! If you have more than one of them, you can let your creativity flow and not worry about ruining a memento.

Also, take a little notebook and jot things down that you want to remember - cute things the kids said or funny things that happened. Believe me, after 13 months, those things will be hard to recall!

Disney with Kids - How to Prepare Them

So you've decided your kids are old enough to go to Disney World. You've chosen a place to stay and you know when you're going. Not only that, but you've started your packing list so you know what to bring. But have you ever thought of how to prepare your kids for Disney?

Now, if you're planning a surprise for the kids and aren't going to tell them until you're on your way, don't follow these tips. You just might give it away. ;)

Our kids have three trips under their belts, so they know what to expect. But on our last trip in February, our best friends went with us. Dad and kids had never been, Mom had been as a teenager and things had changed a lot since then. They wanted to know everything about everything! So here are some suggestions we gave them to help prepare. These ideas can work for your family, too.

1. Watch videos about the parks to build excitement. Netflix offers several Disney park videos on their instant streaming option, some of them with behind-the-scenes footage. If you don't have Netflix, go to the Disney website's planning section. You can order a free planning DVD that features tours of the parks and an overview of the resorts. Even though we've been several times, we still order this free DVD and enjoy watching it. It's just fun to think about the good memories we're about to make!

2. Find out ahead of time what attractions your kids can ride - and the ones they can't. Believe me, this will save a great deal of disappointment if you already discuss ahead of time whether your child is tall enough to ride a certain attraction. Disney offers fantastic descriptions of all their attractions, including height requirements. For safety reasons, they are very strict about those requirements and will not care if your child is begging and pleading to go on Space Mountain. If they're not tall enough, they're not tall enough. But you can definitely play up the ones they CAN ride and get them excited about those! Several of the thrill ride descriptions feature videos to give you a taste of the adventure awaiting you, so watch those and get ready for fun!

The Tower of Terror is one of my favorite rides.

3. Get walking - now! Even if you're vacation if planned for next summer, start exercising with your family today. Even your small kids can walk along with you to get used to it. We didn't do any kind of pre-trip exercise and we regretted it! But we learned from that experience. We walked as a family through our neighborhood, and then when the weather got colder, we used a treadmill. Trust me, your feet and legs will thank you after your first day walking at Disney!

4. Give your kids opportunities to earn spending money. In the months leading up to our last trip, we started offering chores the kids could do to earn some extra money. These were not their regular, day-to-day chores like unloading the dishwasher or taking out the trash. If the lawn needed mowed, one of them could do it for cash. If hedges needed to be trimmed and cleared, they could step up beside Dad and help. They don't get a regular allowance, so this was a way they could get rewarded for their work and save for souvenirs. It was really interesting to see what they chose to spend their hard-earned money on. They weighed their options carefully, I can tell you that. And they've taken very good care of their souvenirs since they paid for them themselves. Amazing!

The Princess poses with one of her treasures, a parasol from China.

 5. Discuss with your children what they should do if they get separated from you. No one ever wants to think about losing their child in a crowd, but Disney World is a really big place. In fact, it's twice the size of Manhattan! Which means there are plenty of opportunities for a child to wander away. And if you have more than one child, you know how hard it is to keep them in view (or in hand!) all the time. So prepare them for what to do just in case they lose you in a crowd. There are cast members all over the place. Each attraction has several at beginning and end. Every shop is staffed with multiple cast members. Point them out to your children when you enter the parks so they'll know who to look for. Instruct your child to find a uniformed cast member and tell the cast member they're lost. Disney trains their staff to handle these kinds of situations and they do it well. Literally within seconds, word will go out via two-way radios and steps will be taken to reunite you with your child.

You also need to find the nearest cast member as soon as you realize your child is missing. They will ask for a description of him and her, including what they were wearing. Here's a little hint - if you have a digital camera, take a picture of them every morning as you're entering the park. That way you can show a cast member exactly what they look like and what they're wearing if the need arises.

On our first trip, when the kids were four and five, we tucked a 3x5 card into their fanny packs. It had our names, their names, our cell phone numbers and the resort where we were staying. We told them that if they got lost, find a cast member and give them that card. We never had to put them to use, but I felt better knowing that if my child was upset and unable to tell a cast member that important information, they could just pull the card out of their packs and hand it over. There are tons of other ways you can "tag" them with essential information - lanyards, dog tags, even temporary tattoos. Find whatever would work best for you and your kids.

I have to admit, I'm getting excited for our next trip as I'm writing this post! Just thinking about the fun we've had in the past makes me want to go again. I think I'll go watch a Disney park video on Netflix to get my Disney fix!

If you've ever been to Disney World, did you do anything special to prepare your kids? Share with us in the comments.

Disney with Kids - What to bring

Now that you've decided when you're going to Disney and where you're going to be staying, what should you bring with you from home (besides clothes, of course)? How much is too much?

Well, most of that will be determined by how you're getting to Disney. Are you driving (more space for stuff) or flying (less space for stuff)? Also, consider the age of your children. Will you need to pack a diaper bag, baby food, etc? Have you thought about each child carrying a fanny pack or small backpack? We let both children choose what kind of bag they wanted to carry. We felt like they should help carry their own stuff in the parks.

You can see all of our bags in this pic from 2009. The Princess and I carried purses that crossed our bodies, Mr. Lego loved his fanny pack, and Charles used a shoulder bag with a long strap he could adjust and wear across his body.

 Here's what each child carried:

Small flashlight - for dark rides that might scare them. Even though our kids didn't use them, they felt like they could if they needed to which greatly reduced their fear of dark rides. We found some on a string they could hang around their necks so they were accessible at all times.

Ear plugs - some rides are really, really loud. If your child is easily freaked out by a lot of noise, these are invaluable! We learned this the hard way. Definitely came in handy during the fireworks.

The Princess waiting in line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (2007)

Rain poncho - we always buy ours in the camping section at Walmart or Target during the off season. Very, very cheap compared to what you'll have to pay in the parks if you're caught in a sudden rain shower. And it's Florida, so it's going to rain at some point during your stay.

The kids and I in the rose garden at Epcot during a little rain. Wearing a ball cap under the hood kept the rain off our faces/glasses.

 Small fan - this is invaluable when you're standing in a long line, even indoors where it might air-conditioned. Get dozens of people pressed together and it's going to get warm! In the above picture with our bags, you can see a portable fan around Mr. Lego's neck. We found those at Walmart years ago. And the Princess has a folding fan attached to her bag strap. I think she bought it in the Chinese pavilion at Epcot. And how did we attach it? Small carabiner clips!

Of course, Charles and I carried a bit more in our bags in addition to all of the above. We each had a bottle of water because although you can get a cup of free water at any counter service restaurant, Florida water has a funny taste. So we just took our own. Also, we took a camp towel that could easily fold up and was super absorbent. You'd be surprised how many rides you get on that have water in the seats. Even Pirates of the Caribbean can get damp. It's nice to wipe off the seat before we sit our booties down. If you can't find one in the camping section, look for a Sham-Wow or other microfiber cloth.

You are also going to want a small first-aid kit handy. I simply used a snack-size Ziploc bag to hold a few band-aids, some Tylenol and Tums, and antibiotic cream. It's so much easier to have with you than looking around for a first aid station if you have a small cut or scrape. Also, a purse-size bottle of hand sanitizer and wet wipes are a must for sticky little hands. And speaking of Ziploc bags, tuck a few small ones in your bag to hold cameras and cell phones on water rides.

Some extras that I took along in my bag:
A small notebook to jot down memories and funny things the kids said. You'd be surprised how many details you can forget by the end of the day!
A camera and extra batteries.
Snacks like granola bars and fruit roll-ups. Chocolate stuff, not so good.
Gum - gum is not sold anywhere in the parks, per Walt Disney's own preferences. He was trying to save his maintenance staff the trouble of cleaning it up. You can bring your own, but you're out of luck if you wait until you enter the parks.
Autograph books (for characters) and fat Sharpie pens - if your kids wait in line to meet the characters, they might want an autograph. Each character has his or her own distinctive signature. So if you see Aurora in the Magic Kingdom and ask for her autograph, then meet her at Epcot later and get another autograph, the signatures will be identical. Cool, huh? Just one way of keeping the magic alive for the kids. For characters in costume like Chip and Dale, or even Mickey, fat sharpies are easier for them to use than skinny pens. Something a Cast Member told us.

Princess Aurora signs a jewelry box for the Princess during our meal at Akershus in Epcot

 Sunscreen - Charles and I both carried travel-size bottles with us. Even though I applied it liberally before we even left our room, the kids often needed another application later in the day.

We also bought our own light-up necklaces to take. After dark in the parks, vendors are everywhere selling light-up jewelry and toys and asking an arm and leg for them! We made a pre-emptive strike and bought our own like these.
Yes, we had to pay shipping, but even with shipping it was cheaper! And our kids didn't feel like they were missing out because Mom and Dad wouldn't pay $7-10 for the ones Disney was selling. If you really want to save money, just buy glo-necklaces and bracelets at the Dollar Store or Walmart. For a buck, your child can light up the night, too!


Also, take along some pennies and quarters for penny presses. This website publishes current lists of all penny press locations. This was one of our favorite things to do. It's a cheap souvenir, too!

Okay, so you know what to take into the parks with you, but is there anything you need to remember for the resort room? Yes! Take a power strip. You will need to charge your cell phone or laptop or even your camera. And there will not be enough outlets, I can guarantee you that. We actually have a power cord we bought specifically for vacations. We pack it for every trip, not just Disney.  And take your chargers for your electronics, too. For things we use so much, they are the easiest things to forget!

Every resort has laundry facilities for guests. You have to use your room card to access them. But if you're planning to wash a load of laundry or two during your stay, take your own detergent and lots of quarters. Each load of laundry requires $2 to wash and $2 to dry. I took a laundry bag too, so I'd have a way to carry the clothes from the room to the laundry area. Even though it was pricey to wash and dry clothes there, it was nice not having suitcases full of dirty to clothes to wash when we got home.

When you're packing, always bring a second pair of comfortable shoes. If your shoes get wet from rain or water rides, they might not dry out overnight in your room. So keep a spare pair for each person. Nobody likes hiking around an amusement park with soggy feet. And don't wait until the week before you leave for your trip to break the shoes in. Buy them a couple of months in advance and wear them often. You don't want to wear brand new shoes as you walk 7-10 miles every day.

If you're staying in a moderate resort, you will have a mini-fridge in your room. It's so nice to be able to keep grapes and other fruit in it for snacking. We also stopped at a Walmart before we got to Orlando and purchased milk and orange juice to drink the mornings. Value resorts don't provide mini-fridges unless you request them, and it's on a first-come, first-serve basis.

One other packing tip - you will most likely be returning home with more than you took. You're going to find all kinds of souvenirs to take home. Keep that in mind as you're packing all of the above so you have some spare room in your suitcase or vehicle for your newly acquired Disney treasures.

So, are you ready to start packing?


See my other Disney with kids posts:
When to go
Where to stay
How old should they be

And here is my Top 10 Disney Tips post, not necessarily kid-related but helpful.

Linking this post up to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.

Disney with Kids - When to Go

Now that you know you want to take your kids to Disney, what time of year do you want to go? Well, here are some things you might want to consider.

First, if cost is a major factor for you, the off-season (non-holidays and non-summer) is definitely cheaper. Disney has several rate changes for different times if the year. Value season is the cheapest - January, February, August and September. Peak season, which is during most holidays and spring break, is the highest. The summer season is the next highest. Room prices can differ up to $40/night from value to peak season for values and moderates. You can save over $200 just by visiting during the off-seasons.

Check the Disney accommodations website and compare the rates to give you an idea of what different times of year will cost you. Prices will most likely increase in 2013 by $5 or $10 but it's a good place to start for comparisons.

Just a note - the above advice was obviously for those staying at a Disney resort. But most off-site resorts also offer cheaper rates during the slow season to attract more guests.

On an early February morning, we were cold!

Also, crowd levels might play a part in your decision of when to go. Obviously peak season is called peak season for a reason! The parks will be jammed with people seeking fun in the sun, especially during spring break! If you'd prefer not to deal with wall-to-wall people, consider the off-season times.

Here's some info from AllEars.Net about historic attendance levels to help you decide. Also, there are several special events throughout the year that will attract more visitors - Star Wars Weekend, marathons, concerts, and festivals to name a few. Check out Disney's special events calendar for more info. Just wanted to note that I've heard from several sources that the week between Christmas and New Year's is absolutely the most crowded week of the year.

The age of your children should also be taken into consideration. Are they old enough for school and do you want them to miss a few days or a week? Some teachers/schools are very understanding of family vacation time during the school year, others are not. Of course, we homeschool our children, so we use our Disney vacation as a great big field trip! And we can go any time of year.

Weather is a huge consideration, too. We've gone twice in February and had great weather both times. Of course, there were some chilly days, but the majority of the time was beautiful. It could just as easily be cold during that time of year. We joke that in February, you take your chances! We've also gone in October, and there were unseasonably high temperatures that week. So I guess you take your chances in October, too! We checked the Weather Channel's 10-day forecasts right up until the day we left to see what we might possibly have to deal with. And don't forget your rain ponchos. No matter what time of year it is, you will probably see a little rain. It's Florida, after all.

If you and your kids don't handle heat well, consider going in the late fall or even winter. If heat doesn't bother you, summer is perfect. Cause it WILL be hot! Our personal experience has been that it's easy to layer more clothing for cooler temperatures than to take clothes off in the heat. I mean, there's only so much you can take off before you get arrested! LOL. The Weather Channel has an average weather chart by month, so you can see what you might be in for.

Now, do you have a special occasion to celebrate? Disney World is the perfect place for a celebration! Plan your trip to include your special day, and Disney will make it even more special. For instance, both February trips coincided with Mr. Lego's birthday. He was given a birthday button to wear for the week, and nearly every Cast Member we came across wished him a happy birthday. He got special treats at several restaurants, too.

Mr. Lego got a birthday cupcake at the Liberty Tree Tavern, just one of many special treat

We celebrated our 11th anniversary at Disney in October 2009. We also were given lovely cupcakes at several restaurants. And at the Crystal Palace, we found a confetti heart waiting for us at our table! Cute, huh?

Special touches like this one make it worth going to Disney to celebrate a special occasion!

As much as we enjoy Disney during the less-crowded times of year, there are some downsides. Most attraction refurbishments take place during the off-season. In February, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, my favorite roller coaster, was closed for refurbishment. We also missed Dumbo, which was closed because it was being moved to another part of Fantasyland. It only makes sense for Disney to do this routine work while the crowds are lower, but it can be disappointing if you're counting on a certain attraction being open.

Working on the tracks of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Also, Disney hosts several national sports events during the off-season - cheerleading competitions, Pop Warner Superbowl, and the Disney Soccer Showcase. Accomodations might be hard to reserve during those times. Buses from the resorts will be crowded, too. Just a heads up, because we've been stuck waiting for buses with groups of 200 cheerleaders. Fun, fun, fun!

While crowds might be lower, don't go with the expectation that you'll walk onto every ride without a wait during the off-season. Popular attractions are still just as popular then as during peak seasons. Still, I think the longest we waited for a ride (Test Track) in February was 25 minutes, compared to an hour or longer during spring break. Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios always has an insane wait time, too, no matter what time of year you visit.

Our next trip is scheduled for the week after Thanksgiving in 2013. Historically, that week has very low crowds. Since the Christmas holidays are right around the corner, many people schedule their vacations for later in December instead of coming to Disney right after Thanksgiving. One of the things I'm looking forward to is seeing the parks decorated for Christmas!

Bottom line, no matter what time of year you choose to go with your kids, you WILL have fun! Just plan ahead and be prepared.

See my other posts on Disney with Kids:

How old should they be?
Where to stay?

And here's my Top 10 Disney tips post. These tips are general and not necessarily kid-related. But you might find some helpful info there.

Next Disney with Kids topic - What to bring for the parks

Disney with Kids - Where to Stay?

 Now that you've decided to take your kids to Disney World, where are you going to stay during your visit? Do you want to stay on-property in a Disney resort or off-property at a hotel or condo? This will depend on the size of your family, of course. I don't really have a lot of advice to offer on off-property locations, but check out this forum on the Disboards. You might be able to find some good info there.

 For our family of 4, it is much easier to stay on property. There are several advantages to staying at a Disney resort. Here are some:
1. Free transportation to and from the airport via the Magical Express
2. Free parking at all the parks
3. Free bus service to all the parks, as well as Downtown Disney
4. Charge to your room privileges - you don't have to carry lots of cash
5. Dining plan offers, sometimes even free dining
6. Free delivery of purchases in the parks to your resort gift shop - great if you don't want to haul around that giant Tigger all day!
7. Extra Magic hours - almost every day, at least one park opens earlier or stays open later for guests staying on Disney property

And of course, the biggest perk for us is just the Disney magic! The attention to detail keeps us coming back.

So now comes the hard part - which Disney resort is right for your family? For most of us, cost is usually the first consideration. But you might also want to consider what amenities you find desirable, what type of theming the resort has, and how large the rooms are. Here's a chart with room sizes in the various resorts to give you an idea of how much space you will have available.Think about how much time you want to spend in the room, too. You might not mind a smaller size if all your family is going to do is sleep there!

The Princess in our room at the Coronado Springs Resort in 2012

 Disney resorts are grouped into four categories - value, moderate, deluxe and deluxe villas. Cost is, of course, the main difference. As you go up the ladder in price, you also get more amenities. For example, each value resort has a pool or two. Some of the moderate resorts have a main pool with another "quiet" pool per building. Most moderates also have hot tubs and fitness clubs. Deluxe resorts offer closer proximities to the parks. The deluxe villas are just that, villas with one, two or three bedrooms, along with a kitchen or kitchenette.

By the way, every pool on Disney property is heated, so you can even take advantage of the pools in the cooler months. We had great fun this past February at our resort's pools!

To see descriptions, pictures and rates for the Disney resorts, visit Disney's accomodations page. You can see what the rooms and pools look like and get a feel for the amenities offered in each one. You can also check out the theming, which is different for each resort.

Where we've stayed

For our first two visits, we stayed at the All-Star Movies Resort. We requested the Toy Story building and got our request both times. Also both times we were close to the bus stop so we didn't have far to walk to hop a bus to the parks.

Mr. Lego in the Toy Story courtyard 2007

This resort was very kid-friendly. The theming was great and we enjoyed wandering around and exploring it. Because it was kid-friendly, it was also pretty noisy. If you're looking for peace and quiet, you might want to upgrade to a moderate. But for the price, it was great for our kids when they were smaller.

Also, the bus service to the resort was shared with two other All-Star resorts. So it was almost always crowded and there was nowhere to sit and wait for it.

On our last trip in February, we chose to stay at the Coronado Springs Resort. We chose a moderate because all the bed are queen-sized, while the value resorts only have double beds or one king per room. The theming for this resort was Southwestern, and it really felt like were were in Mexico or Arizona!

The Dig Site pool was amazing

We liked the bigger beds, quiet pools, hot tub and the relaxed atmosphere. But this resort was very spread out, so it took a bit to walk to the main building or the bus stop. Overall, though, the bus service was very good and we rarely waited longer than a few minutes.

I think from this point on, we will try to stay at moderates. With the kids getting older and bigger, the larger rooms and beds are a must. In fact, we're already planning our next trip for November 2013, and we're hoping to stay at Port Orleans Riverside. They have refurbished some rooms into Royal Guest Rooms complete with princess theme. Since the kids are getting older, we thought it might be our last chance to stay in a themed room without them feeling too childish.

If you have any questions about either resort we've stayed at, please ask. I'm no expert by any means, but I'll honestly share our experiences with you.


See my previous Disney with Kids - How old should they be? post

Next Disney with Kids topic - when should you go?

Disney with Kids - How old should they be?

A while back a reader asked me to give some tips on taking a trip to Disney with kids. So I've decided to break it down into a series of posts ranging from what age they should be when you take them to choosing a resort to learning opportunities for kids. I'll also share some travel tips as well. If you want to read my Top 10 Disney tips (which are more generic), click here.

So let's tackle our first topic. How old should your children be when you take them to Disney World?

The Princess was four and Mr. Lego was five, almost six on our first trip.

Well, it's really up to you. You know your child better than anyone. You know their abilities and limitations. But here are some considerations to keep in mind.

1. Is this a once-in-a-lifetime trip for your family? If it is, wait until all of      your children are old enough to remember the experience. Your children might be spread out in age, but be assured that Disney offers something for everyone of all ages. If you plan to take your family several times as they grow up, it can be fun watching them experience the magic of Disney at different ages. Here's a tip - I wish I'd thought of it before this year! Take a photo of your children in front of the same ride, statue or landmark every time you go. You can capture the changes and growth of each one through the years.

2. Do you want to push a stroller around all day? If your child is a toddler, chances are they're not going to be able to walk, walk, walk all day long. And since the average guest walks about 7-10 miles per day, your young child might not be able to keep up. Strollers can make for some tight manuevering through crowds. And they are not allowed in queue lines, so you have to park them outside the rides. If your wait time for a ride is 30 minutes, you're going to be standing in line either holding or holding on to your child. Also, if you aren't able to bring a folding stroller from home, you can rent one at the parks. But don't forget to budget that expense as you plan your trip. Click here for info on renting strollers at the parks.

3. How important it is that you ride the big attractions, like Space Mountain or Expedition Everest? There are height requirements for every ride, so your young children may not be able to ride everything with you. Oh, there are plenty of toddler-friendly rides like Dumbo and Peter Pan's Flight. But some guests feel they aren't getting their money's worth if they can't ride every single ride. Fortunately, there is a rider switch option for some of the bigger attractions that allows one parent to ride with the children who are old enough while one parent waits with those who can't. The waiting parent then switches with the parent who just rode without having to go to the back of the stand-by line. Just ask the Cast Member at the entrance to the ride for details. Click here to see descriptions and height requirements for all Disney attractions.

4. Are you willing to take breaks throughout the day? Some parents are commandos, meaning they won't stop for anything. But remember that a small child is used to taking naps throughout the day. That's not going to change simply because you're at Disney. Their little bodies still are going to need recharging. And don't forget that older children may need a break, too. Go back to your resort and take a swim, if the weather permits. Then head to the park again for the evening. Bottom line, taking small children to Disney requires flexibility.

Our Experience

We took our kids to Disney when the youngest was four. Here's why we waited.

1. We weren't sure if we'd ever have the opportunity to go back, so we wanted her to remember the trip. Four was the perfect age, as she was still young enough to think everything was magical. And she remembers it very clearly.

2. We didn't want to deal with the stroller issue. Outside every ride is a sea of strollers that you have to wade through to get to yours. So we felt like we'd be spending a lot of time unloading the kids for a ride, trying to find our stroller, then loading back up again. Also, on the Disney bus system, all strollers have to be folded up, so we thought it would be a hassle every time we got on or off a bus.

3. We wanted both kids to be able to ride as many things as possible if they wanted to. On that first trip, there were only a few things they weren't tall enough to ride. Disney enforces their height restrictions, so if your kids aren't tall enough, they're not riding even with you. If I recall, the only ride the children really wanted to go on but couldn't was Primeval Whirl in Animal Kingdom. After riding it myself, I could see why. The twists and turns on the ride really throw you around!

4. We didn't want to worry about diaper changing or potty accidents. By age four, my child could tell me when she had to go soon enough that we could find a restroom. Silly, maybe. But not something I wanted to deal with at Disney.

Please keep in mind, that these are OUR reasons for waiting. If you want to take children younger than that, you will get no criticism from me. You know your children and what they can handle. You also know you and what you can handle!

Now, here's a great video by the Wolf family. They clearly know how to have fun and not worry about what people think of them. And they're making fantastic family memories at the same time. Enjoy!

Ever had a Dole Whip at Disney?

If you have, you'll love this recipe. I took several recipes I found online and simplified them into three ingredients - pineapple juice, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream. Easy and yummy!


I took a 46-oz can of pineapple juice and placed it in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. I placed the bag in the freezer for a couple of hours until the juice was slushy but not frozen. I think the next time I make this, I'll use a glass dish to freeze the juice because dipping the slush out of a bag was a tad messy.

I let the vanilla ice cream soften up. You can scoop the ice cream into a mixing bowl and beat it with the paddle attachment to break up any hard ice cream chunks. Those don't make it through a straw very well.

Then I whipped a 16 oz container of heavy whipping cream until soft peaks formed. It was the perfect consistency for this yummy treat.

I layered a scoop of ice cream, then a scoop of pineapple slush, then a scoop of whipped cream. And because there was room left in the cup, I repeated the layers. Then a good stir....and it's time to sip! (That's our dog, Alexandra, in the picture. She was hoping for a taste.)


There was enough pineapple slush to make 10l arge servings. If you don't need that large amount, cut down on how much pineapple juice you freeze and how much whipped cream you make.

I can't tell you how delicious and refreshing Dole Whips are. You have to try one for yourself. And if you don't have a trip to Disney planned in the near future, whip it up at home.

Chocolate from Around the World

When we went to Disney for vacation, I decided to collect some chocolate from other countries. It was easy enough at Epcot, where the World Showcase hosts pavilions from 11 countries. You can shop for authentic clothing, food, and toys from around the world.

But I focused on the chocolate. And oh my! Was it fun to taste test them and decide which one we liked best. We had studied the history of chocolate when we talked about the Mayans and Aztecs, so I turned it into a homeschool lesson that was tasty and fun!

Here's a picture of the different kinds of chocolate we tried:


Dairy Milk is from the UK and is made by Cadbury. I asked a cast member in a UK gift shop which kind of chocolate was her favorite, and she pointed me to this. Stratos and Melkesjokolade are both from Norway. Again, I asked a Norwegian cast member his favorite and he helped me out. The Stratos was his favorite, but he said Americans tended to favor the Melkesjokolade. Kinder and Milka are both from Germany. Milka is white chocolate which is different from the others. The last kind is Ghiardelli which is made in America. I chose a bar with a high cacao content so the kids could see the difference between really dark chocolate and milk chocolate.

I created a taste test comparison sheet, and we all rated the chocolate on a scale of 10. We had to tell what we liked or disliked about the chocolate, too.


The overall favorite was Dairy Milk. It was the most similar to the milk chocolate that we are used to here in the US, but this chocolate was creamier and smoother. The good news - you can find it at WalMart!

Our least favorite was the Ghirardelli. The chocolate was almost bitter. That is easily explained by the high cacao content.

None of us really liked the Stratos from Norway, either. It had air bubbles in it, and it seemed like it didn't have enough chocolate taste. The Kinder was very sweet. It was a milk chocolate bar with creamy filling. Even though I prefer milk chocolate, the Milka was very good. Most white chocolate bars have a chalky aftertaste, but this was very smooth and creamy.

We had a lot of fun as a family, looking for the chocolate then tasting and comparing it. If you ever make the trip to Disney World, take a minute to hunt down some yummy chocolate from another country.

Our Top 10 Disney Tips

We just got back from a wonderful week at Walt Disney World. It was our third trip with the kids, and we've learned quite a bit about getting the most out of our vacations at Disney. We always stay on property, meaning at one of the Disney resorts. We can use the bus transportation system to get from the resort to the parks and Downtown Disney, and we can take advantage of the dining plan or even free dining offers. I know it may be cheaper to stay off site, but the convenience of staying at a Disney resort is worth the extra cost to us.

Now on to some tips to make your Disney vacation more enjoyable and special.

1. If you're eating in the parks, plan to eat early. Since most people start looking for places to eat lunch around noon, try slipping into a counter service location around 11:00 or 11:15. Same idea for dinner. Try eating before 5:00. Your wait for service and food will be greatly reduced. When making reservations for table service meals, it's almost always easier to get early reservations than regular lunch or dinner hours. I know some people hate making reservations because they don't want their park experience to completely revolve around where they're eating, but would you rather spend time waiting to be seated for a meal or waiting in line to ride an attraction? Early dining is always the way to go.

2. Even though it's more expensive, get park hopper tickets. These allow you to move from park to park on the same day. If a park closes early, like Animal Kingdom almost always does, you can hop on a bus to another park for the rest of the evening. Or if you want to catch the Wishes fireworks show after you've spent the day at Hollywood Studios, you can head to the Magic Kingdom. Without the park hopper option, you can only go to one park per day. So when that park closes for the day, you're done.

3. Take your time. Most people hurry through the parks and never see the incredible detail that goes into each building and pathway. Take a less travelled path instead of the one everyone else is crowding into. You never know, you might find a character or two in out of the way places. We once found Peter Pan sitting in a window sill on a walkway between Adventureland and Frontierland, not another person in sight. We chatted and took pictures without having to wait or hurry to get done. Look for hidden Mickeys while you wait in queue lines. You'll be amazed at all the intricate details in the parks and even the resorts. Don't be in a hurry. Be observant and you'll see all kinds of wonderful things the average person misses.

4. Bring a poncho from home. We all know that it rains in Florida just about every day. Or so we've been told. It's good to be prepared by bringing a fold-up poncho to the parks. We purchase ours from Target or Walmart at the end of the camping season and have never paid more than a couple of dollars for them. At the parks, they sell them for $10 or more. If we bought one for everyone in the family, that would be forty bucks! So we'll stick to our cheap clearance ones.

5. Pack a first aid kit to take to the parks. I bring bandaids, antiseptic wipes, Advil, chewable Pepto-Bismol, and antibiotic cream to pack in a baggie. It's small enough to fit into my bag and is so much handier than trying to find a first aid station.

6. Try to go during the off season. Since we homeschool, it's easy for us to go during the school year. Prices on resorts are cheaper and often discounts are offered to entice people to come during the slow season. Crowd levels are lower, too, so you won't have to wait in line as long as during the summer. Weather is generally more pleasant, too. We had two cold days last week, but I'd rather deal with the cold than the heat of a Florida summer. It warmed up and we even got to swim in the resort pool later in the week. If you can, plan your trip for the slow season and hope for the best weather possible!

7. There are tons of penny press machines throughout the parks and resorts, so take some pennies and quarters with you. For $.51, you can get a cool souvenir, often with your favorite rides and attractions featured on them. This is one of our favorite things to do, look for the penny press machines.

8. I know this one will sound kind of weird, but buy some Monistat anti-chafing gel to avoid getting blisters. You'll find it in the feminine product section at Walmart. I use this on the backs of my heels and one the bottoms of my feet near the base of my toes. It prevents your socks and shoes from creating painful blisters as you walk throughout the parks. Did you know the average person walks 7-10 miles per day while at Disney? That's a lot of potential for blisters! I've never gotten one since I started using this product. It's similar to what runners use to prevent their thighs from chafing as they run long distances. Take my advice and don't take chances on getting blisters.

9. Make use of the Photopass photographers throughout the parks. You will find them in front of all the major "landmarks" - the castle at the Magic Kingdom, the "ball" at Epcot, etc. They also take photographs at most character meet and greets. They will give you a Photopass card that they swipe when they take your pictures. All of your Photopass pics are saved on that card you can use to order prints. The prints, however, are expensive. The good news is, the photographers will also use YOUR own camera and take the same shots. Meaning everyone in your party can be in a group shot! And you won't have to pay for the expensive prints.

10. My number one tip - pack a power strip. This doesn't just apply to Disney vacations, but anywhere you stay in a hotel. Inevitably hotels don't have enough outlets for all of our technological stuff - cell phone chargers, laptop chargers, tablet chargers, etc. Taking a power strip along adds several outlets so everything can charge up. Don't forget to bring your chargers, though! And since you're packing things to plug in, take along a simple night light. Hotel rooms are usually very dark, and without a nightlight, it would be nearly impossible to find the bathroom. So we plug in a nightlight, and the problem is solved.

These are just some simple things we do to make our vacation less stressful and more fun. Hope they help you, too!

This post is linked to We are THAT Family's Works for Me Wednesday.

Disney Dining Reviews, Part 2

I've already given you my reviews of The Crystal Palace, Akershus, and the 50's Prime Time Cafe. Today we're headed to Africa, France, and the good ol' USA.

On Wednesday we spent the day at Animal Kingdom. We decided to stick with our African theme of the day and eat at Boma. The restaurant is located in the Jambo House section of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, so it's not actually in the park. We had to catch a bus to the resort, which was no problem. Boma is an all-you-can-eat buffet, so it's a good value for your money.

The decor was amazing! Everything was in dark wood with thatched roof accents throughout. And the food was spectacular. Well, I thought so. Charles didn't care for the sweetness of many of the dishes. But I could have licked my plate, over and over. I didn't, though, just so you know.

I especially enjoyed the Carrot Ginger Soup and the Coconut Curry Chicken Soup. There were also a variety of yummy salads, including a curried pasta salad that was delicious. For picky eaters, there were many chicken choices, as well as standard rice and potatoes. Mr. Lego loved the Durban spiced chicken, returning many times for more.


As much as I loved the main dishes and salads, I knew I had to save room for dessert. And am I glad I did! The dessert bar consisted of a variety of cookies as well as sample-sized servings of African favorites. I enjoyed being able to sample them all without filling up on one.


Everyone but Charles gave this restaurant 5 stars. And even though he wasn't wild about the cuisine, he is glad he tried it. There was a balance of sweet and spicy dishes and the serving staff was helpful and friendly. We all enjoyed Boma very much.

Thursday's meal was eaten as Les Chefs de France located in the French pavilion at Epcot. I had read mixed reviews of this restaurant, so I wasn't sure if we should try it. But in the end I'm glad we did.

Before we got started with our meal, Remy from the movie Ratatouille stopped by our table. That was a nice touch, we thought. He moved from table to table with his handler while we were there.


The wait staff was friendly, but as the restaurant started filling up, it took longer and longer for refills and food to be brought to our table. That was the biggest drawback, in my opinion.

The food was adequate, but nothing was absolutely amazing except the chocolate mousse for dessert. I had beef short ribs in a Cabernet sauce and Charles ate a salmon dish served with a red pepper/tomato sauce. Without the sauce, the salmon would have been very bland. And while my Cabernet sauce was very tasty, the beef had a lot of fat. Our friend Matt enjoyed his duck confit very much.


The atmosphere in the restaurant was wonderful. We really felt like we were in France. We would rate this restaurant with 3.5 stars.

Our final table service meal was lunch at the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom. The theme of this restaurant is a colonial-era tavern with servers dressed in mobcaps (women) and breeches (men). Since I'm a history buff, I loved it!

The food was very hearty and flavorful. I enjoyed lamb stew with wild rice, while Charles had a very large burger. The Princess had chicken and Mr. Lego ate pasta. The chef was very accomodating to change the pasta sauce to something tomato-based instead of the cream sauce listed on the menu.


We all enjoyed dessert. Mine was an ooey gooey toffee cake, but I have to say I liked Charles' choice better. It was a rich, chocolately cake with heavenly coffee icing. I believe it was called Martha Washington's cake.


We give this restaurant 5 stars for the wonderful food and service.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about our experiences. I realize that everyone has different tastes and expectations, so you may not have the same good experiences we had. But I do hope I've been able to to give some insight at what to expect at these table service dining options at Walt Disney World.

Disney Dining Reviews, Part 1

Last week my family and our good friends vacationed at Disney World. In addition to the rides and attractions, we always enjoy good food. In the past we have always booked the dining plan, which allows you to prepay for your meals prior to your trip. We received one table service meal, one counter service meal, and one snack (such as a Mickey ice cream bar or pretzel) per person per day. This time we took advantage of a free dining plan offer, so basically we ate for free!

Because Mr. Lego was over the age of 9, he could order from the adults menu, which opened up a new vista of food for him. But it also presented a few problems as sometimes the items included didn't appeal to him as much as the kids menu. But we overcame the pickiness and no one went hungry.

One of our favorite meal experiences is breakfast at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. We always book an early reservation so we can enter the park before it officially opens. It's peaceful and quiet, a huge contrast from later in the day when the park fills with guests rushing here and there.

Some of the items included were pancakes, Mickey waffles, an omelet station, and hubby's favorite, Pooh's breakfast lasagna. It's a layered concoction with fruit, cream, pancakes and waffles. There was also bacon, sausage, potatoes, fruit, yogurt, cereal, biscuits, sausage gravy, and bagels.

This is a character meal with Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. Each character comes to your table and stops for pictures and fun. We really enjoyed the interaction and food. We'd give this restaurant 4 out of 5 stars. We did have some wait time for the characters that slowed us down, but the food was very good and there was plenty of variety.


Another character meal we liked was Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway pavilion at Epcot. A cold buffet with various kinds of fish, cheese, bread, salads, and fruit starts off the meal. You then order from a selection of Norwegian favorites. I ordered the seared salmon cakes with cauliflower soup on the side. Yummy! The best part of the meal was dessert, which is served family style. We had a choice of fruit tart, chocolate mousse, or the always delightful rice cream.

This meal featured princesses, which of course, the Princess loved. Belle greeted us as we arrived, then four more princesses stopped by our table. Ariel wanted a picture of the Princess since the Princess was wearing a picture of her (Ariel). Very sweet! This restaurant gets 4 out of 5 stars, mainly because the tables are close together and there isn't much room to get around. The food, however, is excellent, though I can see people not enjoying Norwegian dishes.


At Hollywood Studios, we ate dinner at the 50's PrimeTime Cafe. As you can tell by the name, the theme of this restaurant is the 50's. The tables are laminate with small TV's playing clips of black and white television show at each one. The servers pretend to be your brothers and sisters, threatening to tell "Mom" if you don't eat your veggies. The whole atmosphere is fun and light-hearted.

I chose the salmon with mushroom ragout. I loved the mushroom ragout, but the salmon was a little bland. Charles got the chicken pot pie and he raved over it.



The desserts were served in large sundae glasses reminiscent of a soda shop. I don't think anyone was able to finish theirs because the portions were so huge! But it was fun trying.


Out of 5 stars, we'd give this a 4. Nearly every dish had a sauce component which Mr. Lego didn't care for. But we were able to finagle it so he could eat something by sharing with his sister, who could still order from the kids menu.

I've got some more table service meals to review, then I'll post our favorite quick service meals, too. Maybe the next time you go to Disney, you can try some of our faves.