Growing up we always did family vacations, almost yearly, to Disney World. It was definitely our thing and some of my best memories as a child are from there. When my husband and I had kids I couldn’t wait to take them. We waisted no time and when my older son was 5 months we took him on his first Disney vacation. We were hooked! Why had we not come here together before having kids? In the past 4 years we have gone 6 times so I have learned alot about what to do and how to plan. So today I wanted to share with you how we do Disney World.
Plan Out Your Trip and Use the Disney Experience App
Now you don’t need to book your vacation a year ahead to plan out your trip out. We have booked as much as 6 months in advance and as little as 2 weeks in advance. No matter how much ahead of time the trip is actually booked you need to have your plan in place before you get on that plane. Luckily the Disney Experience App makes this easy for you. You can make all of your dining reservations up to 6 months in advance and reserve your fast passes 60 days in advance (if you are not staying in a Disney resort it is 30 days). I make sure we have all of our lunches, dinners, and 3 fast passes (which is the max allowed) reserved for each day.
Also the odds of the time slots you prefer being available are slim. However people are canceling their reservations all the time so keep checking back in the app constantly and I am sure you will see your time come up. That is how I always get what I want. I just keep checking. This app is also vital while you are in Disney. It tells you how long the waits are for each ride. There is a map to show you where you are in the park and how to get to where you want to go next. You can also order food and drinks and just pick it up so you don’t have to wait in lines. There is also a ton more you can do with it.
Also do back it up to the beginning. To book our actual trip I just go on the Disney website to book our airfare, and tickets. Super easy! We were going to stay in one of their rooms but our flight back home was pretty early in the morning so staying in an airport hotel seemed much easier to avoid fussy children. I have learned that the nearby airport offers decent Corporate Parking Rates so we may just have bring our cars to the airport next time.
Where To Stay
The past 6 times we have gone since having our family we have only stayed at the Grand Floridian. It’s funny because when I was little I use to walk by and think wow I would love to stay there one day. I feel so lucky to get to do that now. We stay there for many reasons. It is considered a Disney luxury hotel and it is just gorgeous. The restaurants are amazing. We personally love Citrico’s and Narcosee’s. We love the pool and the kids love the splash pad too. They are 4 and 1 so we still use a double stroller and the convenience of the monorail makes it more then worth it to me. You can also take a boat to the Magic Kingdom but we have not done that yet.
We always do club level because it is so worth the money. At almost all times during the day there is food out and set up. They have an amazing breakfast, then they do small plates and apps for lunch and dinner, and have snacks throughout the day. There is always beverages, coffee, milk, and even wine available. As well as cookies and desserts. You can also grab bottles of water and pieces of fruit to go and bring with you as you are leaving for the day. We feel like we save money by doing this but also love the convenience factor. I highly recommend doing this if you can.
What Our Days Look Like
Are kids are still small so they don’t really have a ton of demands yet or care too much what we do. We typically have stayed 3 nights but this last time did 4 nights. The first day we check in, have lunch, and just hang out by the pool, we don’t go to any parks. That first night we walk around Disney Springs, have a nice dinner, and just wonder around and relax. They have SO many great restaurants there. The last time we ate at STK and it was amazing. The next three days we do a park in the morning and leave after having lunch in the park. In the afternoon we hang out by the pool. Then in the evening we go to dinner at the hotel or at a place we can just take the monorail quickly to. The monorail goes from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom (no great dinner restaurants in my opinion), the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Epcot (you have to switch monorails at the transportation center though).
I also have to mention that Disney now offers a Minnie Van service. It is run through Lyft so you just download the Lyft app and request your ride. They all have 2 carseats and the drivers are all trained and certified to properly install them (they take mandatory classes). This has been a game changer for us because getting that big stroller on the bus is not fun lol All the Minnie Van’s are red with white polka dots on them. You can also call up to 6 months ahead and have them pick you up from the airport!
What We Like To Do At The Parks
The Magic Kingdom
The Magic Kingdom is just magical. It is usually a kid favorite because of all the rides but they also have a ton that we can all ride together with no height requirements which is nice when you have a baby. We always switch up the rides we do but It’s A Small World is usually one of them. My son also loves the train that goes around the park but unfortunately that was closed the past couple of years for refurbishing. Getting a Dole Whip there is a MUST too.
Epcot
I think every single adult loves Epcot. We skipped it the last time and I missed it! When we go there we usually do a couple of rides or meet the characters first. Then when the countries open we walk around all of them and have lunch. They have so many good restaurants there it is super hard to choose but we usually go to one of the one’s in Italy, they always have great cocktails. It is just so fun to have different foods and drinks from all the different countries. There are usually great shows and street performers to watch as well.
Animal Kingdom
This is one of our favorites! The safari ride is always at the top of our list and we always reserve a fast pass for it. You really feel like you are in a real safari. The kids are always in awe of it. They also have a really cute Dino Land there with lots of fun rides for small kids. We did our meet the characters in the Animal Kingdom last time, with a fast pass, and we did not wait all. The other parks when we do it we usually have to wait even though we have a fast pass. We always do lunch in the Rainforest Cafe before we leave. It is super cute for the kids.
Hollywood Studios
This past trip was the first time I have gone here since I was a kid. It is a great park with great rides, just not a ton for small kids. They do have a really cute Toy Story land now which the kids loved with quite a few rides. We also did the Disney Junior Dance Party which was really fun for them. The Star Wars was just opening when we went so it was pretty packed.
So that is how we do Disney World! We try to make it as relaxing as possible and not chaotic by having a good plan in place and by not running around like crazy! We also love going around Christmas time. Everything is so beautifully decorated and I find it extra Magical. If you guys have any questions feel free to email me or message me on Instagram!
Be sure to check out some of my other most recent blog posts here.
xoxo
Rachael