Disney
Disney is like the ultimate vacation that you have to plan, and save, for wayyyy ahead of time! People dream of taking their kids there, and the hype is real.
We’d been planning to take the girls for a couple years, but looking at all the choices was super overwhelming. We’d actually saved for the trip and put it in a separate bank account during Covid. Then we were stuck at home and weren’t doing much traveling.
Spring Break 2022 rolled around, and we thought … ‘Let’s do it. Let’s go to DISNEY!’
Our girls still believe in the characters and are old enough to remember the trip as they get older; Harper is 6 and Henley is 4.
Let’s jump in, and I’ll share what I learned on our first trip!
#1 My first recommendation is Book a Travel Agent.
Disney, is like it’s own world. Sooo many options. If this will be your first time to Disney… get a travel agent.
You could do it alone. But you don’t have to.
She booked our room, chose which parks on what days, and signed us up for character dinners! Worth it.
# 2 Get to know the Disney app. Get Lightning Lane.
You’ll basically live and die by the app.
It tells you your schedule, yes. But, most importantly, it will tell you the wait for the rides/attractions.
Sign up first thing in the morning, because the best rides will SELL OUT. Like …. you won’t get to do them ‘sell out.’
If the only thing your kid wants to do is ride the Slinky Dog roller coaster but you mess up and don’t use the app, you will regret it. Trust me :/
We wouldn’t have survived without lightning lane.
In my family, patience is something we could all use a little bit more of… but, at Disney there’s so much to see and do, ain’t nobody got time for that!
Just get it.
# 3 Expect rain. Don’t buy the cheap trash bag ponchos.
I bought a huge pack of the colorful rain ponchos on Amazon, but they did NOTHING for us. We were all soaked and the Disney employees will not let you get under shelters and block anything, so get the good ponchos.
Pro tip: bring shoes that can get wet. We didn’t she had to visit the hotel laundry room to dry our shoes!
# 4 Dining and meals.
For $300 per meal for a family of 4, you are better off to plan one (maybe 2) character meals. Use the app to eat at small restaurants/cafes found in the parks, order on the app and pickup. Much easier and less money spent.
Parent Hack: You can only get adult beverages inside the restaurants at Magic Kingdom. The other three parks served adult beverages throughout the park.
# 5 Tell your kids there’s a shop/rest day.
First, bring an extra suitcase for souvenirs!
Try telling the kids you’re going to have a rest day. Two days at the park, then a rest day, and finish with two more park days.
Rest day = pool in the AM and shopping at Disney Springs in the PM
We did let them look in the shops at the parks (at the end of every ride basically… touché Disney), but all we had to say was, ‘we’ll get that on shopping day!’ And on we went.
My biggest piece of advice is to let them be excited, run and touch things, and jump on the bed at the hotel!
Say yes as much as your budget will allow.
Because, we only get so much time with them.