Disney Reflections, Tips, and Favorites!

Our trip back was definitely long, and that's when Ryan and Tyler started to feel bad.  Yes, friends, it was a long 10 hr drive, but I can't complain because I think I slept 75% of the drive!  I was exhausted!  Josh was feeling a tad bit better Sunday, so thankfully he drove us back.

Our trip to Disney was all I hoped it to be.  Sure, we had detours, but we really handled everything pretty well without losing time.  The boys were just amazing.  NO temper tantrums, very little whining, and all on little sleep.  I truly have great kids!

Tyler really seemed to enjoy himself, but I will say that I wish we had gone when we was younger.  Already at 6 1/2, he seemed to lack a little of the excitement that Ryan had.  But he still had a great time!  Ryan was a joy to watch through this experience.  His eyes would light up as he watched and absorbed it all.   Overall, traveling with a 6 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old worked out in our favor.  And doing it in 5 days (3 1/2 days in parks) was the perfect length! 

But on to some tips and favorites!  Here are some things that helped us out, things we learned, and some of our favorites!

Tips:

1. Dining Plan--Whether it's actually cheaper or not to do it, it saves a lot of headache to have it!  We actually got it "free" with our trip.  They had a fall special where it came included.  The only thing that was an issue is that we had to still tip.  And considering Disney meals are majorly expensive, we were tipping on meals ranging from $80-100!  We also had to pay for one meal a day.  We tried to make this a breakfast since that would be the cheapest.  Or, like on our day at Hollywood Studios where we had a late breakfast, we just didn't eat lunch that day.  We also had to buy out of pocket stuff for Ryan on occasion since he wasn't included in the plan.
2. Jedi Training at Hollywood Studios--I can't urge enough to say that if you want to do it, you have to be there before the park opens to sign up!  It was sad to see the kids come up later in the day and ask the staff members how to get into the show only to have them find out they missed their opportunity.  Do your research, people!
3. Double Stroller--I cannot believe I ever thought I wouldn't need one! Tyler was in it more than Ryan!  We rented from Kingdom Strollers which had the best prices and good reviews.  They delivered it on time to our resort when we arrived.  Though it was HUGE and caused some difficulties at times, it was WELL worth it!  The cup holders and extra pouches came in handy.  It also reclined flat for Ryan to nap.  They also included a small cooler which attached to the stroller.  We got the largest one they had because of Tyler's height.  I called it our cadillac!  We got many compliments.  The company put a bright orange sign on our stroller that same our last name so that it would be easy to recognize from a crowd of parked strollers.  $100 for four days was well worth it to me!
4. Speaking of Strollers--Josh and I couldn't grasp the idea of just leaving our stroller while getting on rides, etc.  But it's what you do!  The stroller parking areas are everywhere,and we would just bring the book bag and the camera with us on rides. 
5. Touring Plans App--I lived and breathed this app on my iTouch.  FYI, Disney now has WiFi, so for those ancient people like me who don't have smartphones, I could still connect through my iTouch!  Anyway, before I left I loved this service because I knew what the crowds would be like each day.  And while I was at the parks, I loved using it to find out the wait times for each ride so we didn't have to walk over and find out!  It's a MUST app!  You do have to subscribe, and I know there are other free apps, but I think this one is by far the most accurate and most informative.
6. Travel on a Low Crowd Day--Assuming you are going at a reasonable time of year like we did, you will have much better wait times than that of the spring and summer.  However, there are still days that are better than others for parks.  Touring Plans has a crowd calendar that tells you the rating 1-10 of each park's crowds.  And it's ACCURATE!  I will say that it makes a huge difference to go to a park on a 1.7 day versus a 7 day!  Our first day at MK was rated 1.7.  It was AWESOME!  No lines and no crowds!  Our day at Hollywood Studios was at a 5, and it was definitely crowded but not horrible.  Our last day at MK, it was a 7 and was insane!  If we had not had a great first day at MK, I would have been really disappointed!
7. Pack Your Book bags Well--Again in reading and researching, I discovered the essential things to put in our book bag for the parks.  They included:  change of clothes for both boys, pullups/wipes, sunscreen, Ziploc bag with snacks, Advil/Tylenol, band-aids for blisters, glow sticks for night time, empty grocery bags for wet clothes, trash, etc., one beach towel to wipe surfaces or sit on during parades, autograph books/pen.  As a side note, security will check your book bags when you enter the park, so make sure you have everything packed easily so it can be removed!
8.  Don't Buy the Autograph Books at Disney--I knew better, but in case someone reading doesn't!  If you are going to buy them, you can get them at Amazon and other vendors MUCH cheaper.  I ended up making the boys theirs out of a mini photo album.  I put cardstock on top and then used stickers to decorate the covers.  Turned out cute, and I got a lot of compliments :)
9. If You can Swing it, Surprise the Kids!--I am SO not a surprise person by nature.  You couldn't have paid me to not get an anatomy ultrasound when I was pregnant.  But somehow this surprise was easy.  Granted, I only had to keep it a secret for four months.  I know many people plan trips for a year in advance.  The reaction of the surprise was really awesome, and best of all...I didn't have to hear about it for months prior to our trip or during our drive :)
10. Speaking of Driving--If you drive, make an activity basket for the kids.  I got some ideas from blogs, and it was a lifesaver.  My movie-obsessed kids didn't watch but one DVD the entire trip!  I had Disney books (hehe), coloring books, crayons, trucks/cars, word puzzles for Tyler, etc in the basket. 

Favorites:

Favorite Park:  Magic Kingdom, hands down.  We only visited Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.  While I liked both for different reasons, if you want the Disney "magic" feeling, you definitely get it more at Magic Kingdom!

Favorite Ride at Magic Kingdom:  Tyler says Dumbo!  I say Peter Pan!  Josh says Space Mountain!  Ryan probably liked them all :)

Favorite Ride at Hollywood Studios:  Toy Story Mania!

Favorite Show at Hollywood Studios:  Lights, Motor, Action Show!

Favorite Counter-Service restaurant at Magic Kingdom:  Pinnochio Village Haus

Favorite Counter-Service restaurant at Hollywood Studios:  Pizza Planet

Favorite Sit-Down Meal:  Josh and Tyler say T-Rex cafe, and I say Be Our Guest by far!!!

Favorite Moment of the Trip:  Tyler says getting his light saber (I could have bought that HERE!!!).  I say our first day at MK walking through the gates onto Main Street.  Josh says spending time with the family. 


They say as soon as you get home from Disney that you start planning your next vacation.  Well, I'm not planning, but Josh and I are already talking about going in the next 1-2 years with our family included!  Our trip was amazing, and I'm blessed to have been able to pay 100% out of my photography money stash for our family to go!  That's where side jobs come in handy :)