A Day at Disney

Living in Orlando really has it's perks. One of which is the ability to go to Disney on a whim. I'd say we aren't by any means "Disney Fanatics", but we live here, so why not go often and enjoy all the things, right?

There are a few things we take with us to anything Disney (including Disney Springs). For details on these items and our reasoning, check out this Blog Post.

1. The Double Stroller

2. Water Bottles for Everyone

3. Baby Chest Carrier

4. Our Park Bag

For now, I want to talk about our lessons learned - there are several.

1. Make Reservations

2. Don't Do it All

3. Make Reservations

4. Prepare for Emotions

5. Make Reservations

Did I mention Make Reservations? We have learned that reservations are ESSENTIAL for our family to survive a day at Disney. Last month we made a decision to go to Animal Kingdom an hour before we arrived at the park. Guess what? We still made reservations!

Dining Reservations ensure you have the opportunity to pause, eat, cool off and relax. Nothing ruins a day at Disney faster than a hot and hungry two year old. Forcing the pause and enjoying food can really change the trajectory of the whole day.

Did you know that Disney Rides can have lines that last over two hours? Two+ hours for a 4 minute ride. With three kids under five, that's a hard no for us. Lines lasting longer than 20 minutes get ignored from our crew. But just because we don't want to wait in a long line doesn't mean we have to miss out. Ride Reservations ensure you have the chance to ride at least something without the long wait times. We don't always get to ride everything we want, especially with our last minute trips, but making Ride Reservations always allows us to ride something, which really does add some magic to the day.

Even living here we find ourselves wanting to "do it all" at the theme parks. This usually just results in us being extra tired and quite frankly, frustrated, with each other. We're still working on really embracing this one, but man are the days better when we don't try to do it all. The goal for our next trip will be to pick 3-4 things ONLY to accomplish at the park. From there, we will let the kids (and my husband's) mood drive us either on an unexpected adventure, or directly to the parking lot. Which brings us to the next point. Just because you are at the "Happiest Place on Earth" does not mean your kids are going to act the happiest. The four year old will still complain about the lack of ketchup with his fries, the infant will still blow out the diaper at the most inopportune moment, the two year old will go on a rampage. Kids will be kids. Whether you are in a grocery store or at Cinderella's Castle, they will act the same. The key is to LET THEM. Expecting perfect kids for a perfect day is the best way to ensure you're disappointed. Try to focus on finding the fun, and rolling with the punches. And please, do not be embarrassed that your kid is throwing a fit at Disney, anything yours can do, mine can do louder.

Looking to book a trip? Reach out! We're all about meeting friends when we can! I'll never say no to a Mickey Ice Cream Cone, no matter what diet I'm on!

With Love,

Anslee