{ten points to the person who can tell me what broadway song I’m quoting in the title!}
Yes, something really good is coming! Except I’m not allowed to tell the one person that would love it the most, and it’s killing me.
Exactly one week from today – from this morning in fact – we will be sitting at the breakfast table like we always do. (Or, more likely, the kids will be sitting at the table and Ryan and I will be in the kitchen filling short-orders and brewing coffee.)
And just like every morning, Oliver will want to talk about what we’re going to do that day.
He usually suggests the zoo. The zoo or an experiment. The zoo, a science experiment, or trying a new popsicle recipe.
BUT exactly one week from today, I’ve got a whizz-bang answer all ready for him. And it blows the zoo, experiments and popsicles right out of the water! Because, as I said, I have a plan.
“Mom, what do you think we should do today?” he’ll ask.
And then I get to say it. The secret keeping will be over. And finally I’ll get to say, “I think we should go to Disney World!” And mean it.
And then I get it – that giant smile and those giant happy blue eyes. And I tell him that we need to eat a big breakfast because we’ll be heading to the airport in just a couple of hours.
Oh, I’m just giddy.
We’re headed to Disney for a week. Just my sister and me with our two 5-year-olds. And 3/4 of us has never laid eyes on Cinderella’s Castle. (Yes, I’m one of those three. My parents took Rebecca to Disney when she was little and left me behind – much like I’m doing to Hazel, I realize. Her turn will come!)
We’ve tried to tell him about Disney World just enough so that he knows what it is and will be excited to hear that we’re going – but not so much that he suspects what’s coming. All he knows (and I told him this in a weak moment) is that I plan to take him sometime before he turns six (in October). And anytime it comes up, I talk about it like it’s a long way off. It’s been a mighty dance. It’s even written on our family calendar in black and white on the kitchen wall, but he can’t read so we’re totally sneaky.
Ah! The information is right there in black and white and he has NO idea!
So, what I’d love to know from those of you that have done this before: any advice? One very kind blog reader happens to also be a Disney planning agent (hi, Melissa!) and she has helped bring us up to speed some of the ins and outs of the parks and how to plan our trip (I was Disney illiterate – seriously didn’t even know there were 4 parks or which one was Disneyland and which was Disney World). Still, I’d love to hear tips from y’all.
We have 5 days worth of tickets and no park-hopper passes. So we have to choose carefully. Also, we plan to hit the beach one of those days in the morning, so one of the days will be evening-only for parks. We definitely plan to hit Hollywood Studios on Saturday because of Star Wars Weekends (I mean, right? I’m pretty sure Oliver’s head might explode.)
Here’s what I’d love to know:
1. With 5-year-olds in mind, is it worth it to take a day for EPCOT, or should we hit the Magic Kingdom twice?
2. When y’all have been, have you taken a stroller? The kids are five and don’t really need a stroller, but we think it would be helpful for little, tired legs. How safe/easy is it to park a stroller when we want to ride a ride or something?
3. I don’t want to capture the entire week with my iPhone – I want to take my big girl camera. BUT, it’s sort of a drag to carry around. If I had to pick one park for the nice camera and pretty lenses, which should I pick?
4. I love food. (doy!) Any places we absolutely have to hit or food we’ve got to try?
5. Have any of y’all ever popped a Disney surprise on your kiddos? How did it go? Wish you’d done anything differently? Tips, please!
Okay, those are my most burning questions. Please help!
In the meantime, I’ll just wriggle my toes and walk around with duct tape over my mouth for the next week so I don’t spoil my happy secret for my little guy. I just can’t wait!
West Side Story :)
How exciting for Oliver!
nailed it! Now I need to go find my soundtrack :)
oh, and ten points!
Arrrgh, Meghan beat me to it! And now I have it in my head.
I remember listening to the soundtrack (mostly Maria and Somewhere) on repeat while doing my homework in high school :)
Hey Raechel, I don’t know if you know this, but when I was Ollie’s we lived in Orlando, so Disney World was a relatively big part of my life. At that age, I actually really did enjoy Epcot. Sure, a lot of the multicultural aspects are lost on kids that young, but I always felt like it was a VERY educational experience. It kind of gave me a framework in which to think about different civilizations, etc. So, while it doesn’t have all the rides and such, it definitely still has a lot of appeal for youngsters that are into learning, like O and B.
Thanks for the input, Logan! Nice to hear from you :)
Epcot has Soar’n which is so cool and also Test Track! Emma my soon to turn 6 loved Epcot!
Oh how fun!!! We are going in July and I can’t wait to go back. We love visiting Disney. We used to live in FL and this is our second time having annual passes. I think that it is worth it to spend a day in Epcot. It’s not my favorite park (but my hubs). And the kids do have fun. They have lots of hands on exhibits towards the front of the park. And cute craft in each country in the back of the park. My kids (8, 5, and 2) LOVE Spaceship Earth (in the big ball at Epcot). But you could totally spend two days at Magic Kingdom too! Its up to you. We take a stroller. Even my big kids get tired. Especially my 5 year old!!! Disney requires a LOT of walking. If you don’t want to take one on the plane, you can rent one from a company (and they will deliver it to you) or rent one from Disney if you don’t think you would need one each day. It is totally safe to park your stroller while riding a ride. Most everyone has kids of stroller age. They have stroller parking outside of just about each ride. I just take my backpack or valuables with me but leave other things in the stroller. We haven’t had anything touched, moved, or stollen (yet). Personally, I think that the Magic Kingdom would be the best for pictures. It seems to have the most magical places to take pictures, the most characters, and the easiest to carry it around. I would definitely try a Dole Whip in Adventureland (Magic Kingdom. Its ice cream but way better). You really can’t go wrong with the food at Disney. Are you staying on property or off (don’t want a name, just looking to give more tips if you want). Enjoy!!! You are going to have a blast!!!
I wish I had my own tips to offer, but I haven’t done Disney with my kids yet. I did want to let you know that Ashley at Handmade Home did a series on Disney in January called “Keys to the Kingdom” – there might be a lot of helpful tips there! http://www.thehandmadehome.net/category/keys-to-the-kingdom-2/ Try and get a picture of Oliver’s reaction! :D
That is a GREAT series. Just a quick comment. They are holding to your fast pass time now. She explains it all in her post, but that is something new. Wouldn’t want you to miss your ride!
West Side Story’s “Something’s Coming”!
Could it be? Yes, it could.
Something’s coming, something good,
If I can wait!
Something’s coming, I don’t know what it is,
But it is
Gonna be great!
Well… I have never taken my kids there, but my husband and I spent our honeymoon there. Here’s how I would do it…. 1. Rent a car… 2. Take said car to a Walmart, Target…. and get things for snacks, breakfast, etc to take with you. Food at Disney is EXPENSIVE! Eat breakfast at the hotel and then bring some snacks to tie you over in between. If you can, only eat 1 meal there if you have to. If you go…. splurge at Epcot. They have the most delicious Apple Dumplings in America!! Look ahead of time at the different options to eat there as some require reservations… I think Japan was one of them. 3. Best park for kids is probably the Magic Kingdom, but yes Hollywood Studios is very cool!We were there at Star Wars weekend too! Animal Kingdom is probably better suited for kids instead of Epcot. 4. If it were me… with a 5 year old, I would skip the stroller. There are many places to rest and when they need it you can grab some ice cream and have a sit for a while. I think it will be more trouble than it’s worth.
Hope this helps you… It’s been 7 years since I have been there, so things may have changed some.
Also.. I might go to Epcot in the afternoon and evening since they have a cool lights show on the lagoon at sundown. At least they used to…..
So excited to you and Oliver!
Take a video of his reaction!!!!
Definitely take the strollers! It’s a lot of walking and his legs will get tired. Parking strollers is a breeze………they have stroller parking with actual attendents. It’s great! Enjoy :)
What an exciting week you’re going to have! We live in Orlando with Disney practically in our backyard (15 minutes away, eek) and even after all the times we’ve been there my boys (7 year old twins) STILL get so excited when we go. I think it’s very special for you and your sister to go with just the oldest. You will all be able to relax and enjoy it together so much more!
No reason to skip out on Epcot. There are tons of fun kid things to do:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/attractions/
Having a stroller is a good idea. Even at 7, my guys are pretty pooped after a few hours in the park. It’s very safe to leave it while you are on a ride, eating etc. You may prefer though to rent one at the park instead of dragging one back and forth through airports. The double size would work great.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/stroller-rentals/
I’d say Magic Kingdom is the best place to have your bigger camera. You’ll have more opportunities for pictures with princesses and characters here :)
Are you staying on property? Have you looked into the Disney Dining Plan? Food can get so expensive and we’ve found the dining plan to be ideal. Just an idea :)
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/planning-guides/in-depth-advice/disney-dining-plan/
If your planning a side trip to Downtown Disney or Disney’s Boardwalk there are lots of yummy places to eat. The kids might love the TRex Cafe or Rainforest Cafe. Margaritaville at Universal is yummy for a cheeseburger in paradise :)
I hope you have the most magical time!
15 minutes away for twin boys – that is amazing! Thanks for all the great tips and links, that’s going to help a lot!
we live in cali, so we’re disneyLAND people….and i can tell you, that moment when you tell him and see his face light up will be the best moment ever! have your camera ready! :) we’ve had season passes for several years and my girls STILL become giddy every single time i tell them we’re going. and they love when i wait and tell them as i’m waking them up the morning we leave! :) my advice is this…take your camera the first time you go to the park; you’ll want to capture those “firsts”! and you definitely want a stroller! my youngest is 8 and we took a stroller until last year! the walking, sugar laden foods and adrenaline induced excitement make for some VERY tired children by about mid-afternoon! we laugh every time we go because you can almost set your clock by the onset of tantrums throughout the park! you’ll have an amazing time and he will never forget it!! i’m so excited for you! :)
I say skip the strollers- they are 5. My 5 year old would not even possibly consider riding in a stroller, EVER. But yours may be different. :o) However, there are tons of places to rest, and you cannot have strollers in ride lines anyhow. While there are plenty of places to park them, I don’t think it would be worth it to have to keep up with them myself.
I will direct you here: http://herewegoajen.com/
She just did a series of posts about Disney- what to take, where to eat, etc. Perhaps may be helpful to you.
I’m a local (30 min for DW) and we have season passes. I also happen to have a 5 year old! :) Does this make me some sort of expert? :)
1. Double Magic Kingdom. EPCOT is boring for kids AND there is little shade. It’s REALLY hot.
2. Strollers : We bring one for my 5 year old, but park it somewhere easy to get to (At MK – I suggest next to Jungle Cruise). That way we can come back and get it late if we need it. The kids will be TIRED at the end of the day and it is a long walk to the monorail to the hotel. That’s the only time we usually use ours for our oldest. She’s stinking heavy so it makes life easier on us all. It’s no problem to park strollers all day.
3. Camera – I would bring good one for Magic Kingdom. Second choice would be Animal Kingdom.
4. Can’t think of much off the top of my head because we usually eat before we go. Both my kids are on the autistic spectrum so we eat the SAME thing every trip (nachos from Casey at the Bat in MK – in case you were wondering), but I would recommend the pineapple ice cream next to the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse. Yum!! Animal Kingdom has some yummy food in Africa.
5. We’ve had passes since my oldest was little, but I pick her up from school in Mickey Ears and then we head down! She loves it.
Definitely see the Lion King and Finding Nemo shows at Animal Kingdom. Hollywood Studios is our least favorite park, but some of the shows aren’t that bad.
Any other specific questions, LMK.
Ooh, Über expert!!So much good advice – thank you!
Also, the picking your kiddo up from school in Mickey ears is just about the coolest thing I’ve ever heard! Amazing.
Eeeek! Best surprise ever! We took my daughter when she was almost three and didn’t tell her until we were rounding the bend and she spotted Cinderella’s castle. Seriously, one of the best moments of my life. Here are my little nuggets of advise — http://www.tourguidemike.com is a must — best $25 you’ll spend. Skip Epcot, definitely take a stroller and make sure to visit Animal Kingdom — it’s like a zoo on Disney crack :). I took my camera to every park, but we also took advantage of the Disney photographers. You can have as many pictures as you wanted taken throughout the week and then you can buy the disk for $100 online. Yes, it’s pricey, so take oodles of pictures so that you get your money’s worth. We figured we would want those pictures whether there were 3 or 300, so we kept our eyes open for the photogs wherever we went. HAVE FUN!!
Yippie for a Disney Trip!
Took 3 kids for a full 7 days of park hopping in 2010 & stayed in a Disney Resort.
~we did the dining plan so had made reservations for all our sit down meals…if you want to do any character dining, I would call the 800 # and try to make reservations before you go…you don’t want to wait to eat when kiddos are hungry.
~yes to an umbrella stroller! my then 9 year old wanted to ride in it too! lots of stroller parking & I left my diaper bag with stroller most of the time.
~best place for pics….um took my big camera a few times…Epcot has great spots & so does magic kingdom.
~ stay late at Epcot…amazing fireworks around 9 pm
~ we loved the food at the Rose N Crown Pub in Epcot.
~amazing aquarium at Epcot too…you can see it from the Nemo Ride but also inside the Coral Reef restaurant.
~ don’t miss the toy story ride at Hollywood Studios…make sure you go there as soon as you get into the park & get the fast passes.
~you can bring your own food into the park! I brought snacks everyday & also juice boxes & water bottle. I just filled it at water fountains.
have fun! We hope to go again with all 3 of ours in 2013!
‘Ohana restaurant in the Polynesian resort is always a must for us, we love it!! Its usually best to make reservations for it because it books up, but its really fun and the food is fabulous!!!!
Personally with 2 five year olds I’d do 2 magic kingdom days, one EPCOT, and do animal kingdom and Hollywood same day. If you can. You can’t skip Hollywood entirely because of Star Tours. One day won’t be enough at magic kingdom. :)
We go every other year – my parents are vacation club members – so I pretend I’m an expert ;)
Jenny
I would skip the strollers too….we went two years ago with a 3 mos old 3 yr old and 5yr old. the 3 and 5 yr olds walked ALL day and did super!! They of course got tired but there are lots of rides that you sit and tons of places to sit during the day!! I am excited for you!! I can’t wait to go back with my family!!
I LOVED Epcot when I was a kid so I think it’s definitely worth it! We always did one day for Epcot, but that was before Hollywood Studios was as cool as it is now! :) When you do go to Epcot, I’d suggest going right when it opens, and going ALL the way to the back of the park (actually you could use this rule for all the parks!) and working your way out. Everyone seems to start at the front and work their way back and so there is a major clog in the rides, etc. Also, the French restaurant is really yummy for breakfast at Epcot. There is a really good ice cream place right by 20,000 leagues under the sea too at Magic Kingdom! Have so much fun!!! I love Disney World! :)
I would definitely take a stroller! When we took our 7 and 4 year olds, we rented a double stroller, and we’re so glad we did! Plus, it makes it easier to carry your stuff. I think Epcot deserves a day, magic kingdom gets two, and the one each for the studios and animal kingdom. Epcot has the best food, I think. At allears.net you can view menus to get an idea. Have a great time!
Very exciting! Please video tape his reaction :)
I don’t know how much of this was suggested already but I thought I’d chime in anyway. We live in Southern California and go to Disneyland as often as we can, but I’m sure Disney on the West does the same things as Disney on the East.
You must get a “1st Visit” button and even though your sister has been before she can get a “Celebrating” button. I always think it is so cool to see people wearing the 1st Visit button and people may stop and help you along the way.
Find out about rider switch.
Take advantage of fast passes.
Pack a lunch and bring your own drinks/water bottles (I think they have to be unopened to carry them into the park).
Get a park map when you enter. It will tell you show times and height requirements on rides.
Do you have a small point & shoot camera you can bring? Might be a good idea. I’ve brought my big girl camera and loved it, and I’ve also used my phone for pictures. Both are great but my phone ended up dying before the day was over. It would have been nice if I had a little camera slipped in my back pocket.
If you plan on visiting with a lot of characters or doing a character meal then I recommend buying an autograph book.
Don’t forget you must buy Mickey ears with their names embroidered on them!
Have fun! I can’t wait to see pictures!
Oh and download the Mouse Wait app for your phone. It gives approximate wait times for rides so you don’t have to walk all the way to them to find out :)
You are the most fun mom ever! So excited to hear all about it!
We did Epcot when we went last February with my then 5 year old daughter. It was a great place to meet all of the princesses, but that is probably not necessary for Oliver. If you do go, go for the evening only as they do have an awesome light show/firework thing at night and it is great place to try different foods from different countries. I would skip bringing a stroller because if it is that bad, you can rent double strollers at the park. They are big, but they will easily fit two five year olds. If you are staying in Disney, the meal plan is so worth it. As smart/nice at is to bring snacks, we did and never ate them. The food is too tempting and the granola bars in the bag, so didn’t compare to the ice cream cone there. The best ride at Hollywood Studios is the Toy Story Mania ride. Awesome! You must get a Fast Pass as soon as you get there. They run out fast and then you end up spending hours on line! It has been just over a year since we went and my kids are dying to go again!
Ohhhh how exciting!! We actually surprised our girls BIGTIME this past February with a Disney Trip. I’ve posted about the trip several times on our blog and am in the middle of doing some flashback Friday posts recounting many details and tips for others going there.
I definitely think two days at Epcot for the kids is fine. We did a day and a half there and had a great time. Make sure to do Animal Kingdom also because 5-year-olds LOVE it.
Here is a link to all of my blog posts about Disney this year filled with LOTS of tips :)
http://thevittfamily.blogspot.com/search/label/DISNEY%202012
HAVE FUN!!!
We did Disney World in March with our 5 and 3 year old daughters, and it was a blast! We did take a stroller, and they have stroller parking EVERYWHERE and it’s really safe, so go for it, even if the kiddies don’t ride in it, it’s great for storing all your water/cameras/sweaters/hats/etc. We did Magic Kingdom on for two days, and Epcot for one evening. Epcot is geared towards older kids, although the Nemo ride did go over well with our little ones. For the evening one, definitely do Epcot, the firework show is Epic, and will take your breath away. The night show at Magic Kingdom is really good too, they have the light parade on certain days, and every night they have a slide show of all the photos from that day and then a magical firework display which our girls loved. Definitely set some serious time aside for Magic Kingdom, there are so many rides, and characters and things to see. If they are really into meeting the characters, it’s totally worth investing in an autograph book and pen. Buy them at any of the gift shops, and next to each page is a slot to put a pic of the child with that character. Way cool. There are A LOT of photo opps at Magic Kingdom, and of course the huge Castle provides a great backdrop. We didn’t do Disney Studios or Animal Kingdom this time, we kept it short and sweet to that the girls didn’t tire of it. Take advantage of the rides and attractions that offer speedpasses, it really helps avoiding the wait, and getting there right at 9 a.m. when the park opens, also helps to avoid crowds, it really starts to get busy mid morning. Seriously, have a great time, take lots of water, and just enjoy seeing the magic through the eyes of your little ones, there’s nothing like it!
This may be something you have seen before but it makes me cry everytime! My children would probably jump around like lunatics but this little girls reaction is precious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOpOhlGiRTM
We took an umbrella stroller for our very active 5 yr old boy. It was the best decision/$10.00 we ever made/spent. We bought it at CVS literally on the way in one morning but we used it over our 5 days so much that it was shot and we threw it away as it’s poor small $10.00 life was used up. We were pooped at the end of each day and we are adults in good shape. He walked and then rode when he got tired. It was easy to park or fold up and go on some things- we never once lamented having to deal with it. The Animal Kingdom and Epcot were toss ups as to what we would leave off next time. Epcot was good enough- we loved the countries and he tolerated all that pretty well. He did love the Land and the cool boat ride through the greenhouses and as we have a wonderful zoo in Atlanta- we’d actually probably skip the AK next time if we had to choose. We also did the Epcot fireworks when we were there that evening. It was the only night we did so I can’t compare but it was really amazing. All the food we had was good, we did enjoy Asian in the AK, The Land for lunch at Epcot, and the Italian place in MK for the Lady and Tramp (can’t remember the name). Don’t fret- No one ever doesn’t have fun on a Disney Trip!
How exciting!!! My best friend and I surprised our two little ones in Feb and the looks on their faces as we passed under the Disney arch was PRICELESS!!!
Take a stroller…it will be totally safe parked in the designated spots..tie a fun ribbon around it so that you can spot it easily. Keep a small insulated cooler in it for drinks/small snacks. It will be worth it when entering and exiting the park and when he gets tired.
2 days a Magic Kingdom. Arrive 20 minutes early to catch the “Rope Drop” welcoming ceremony. He will LOVE it. You can watch it on YouTube…the characters arrive on a train-so cute! Head straight to Peter Pan in fantasyland before it gets too crowded.
Try a Dole Whip in Adventureland.
Don’t miss shows, parades, and fireworks at parks-they are AWESOME!!!
I would do 1/2 a day at the beach and the other 1/2 at Epcot. Great food and some neat rides—Soarin is AWESOME!!
Character meals are great. Tusker House at Animal Kingdom and Chef Mickeys are my 2 faves.
Go straight to safari 1st at Animal Kingdom while it is cool and the animals are awake:)
Get an autograph book. Let characters sign right side and take a pic of Oliver w/ character to put on left side.
Get to Hollywood Studios about 20 min before they open, head straight to get FastPass for ToyStory and then ride the ride. You will be glad that you have the FP b/c you will want to ride again! Get cupcake at Starring Rolls-YUMMY!!!
Wow, these are all really good and really specific tips. Bookmarking them all – thanks!
Oh! Buy the 2012 birnbaum’s guide to WDW. It’s the best resource and O will love looking at it later. Great keepsake. My 7 yr old pours over ours planning his next visit :)
We did a Disneyland surprise for our kids right before Christmas this year. We live close (like 30 minutes from there) and we had asked for $ for passes for Christmas. So, we told the kids we were “going to get their present.” They were so excited once we got there! Disneyland is different than Disney world, but to answer your questions, here are my tips.
1) bring in as much water and snacks that you can fit. I bring a canvas type bag with all the food and water and store it under the stroller. If you bring a re-usable water bottle, restaurants will fill it up if you buy food from them. I take my 5 year old and he still wants a stroller. It is super safe. Never had a problem.
2) I also bring my big camera, it is no biggie.
3) Explain your expectations for food and snacks in the park. (I say one treat to share each trip).
4) I bring a clutch type wristlet purse with the necessities (phone, chapstick, sunscreen stick or tube and my drivers license and one credit card and cash). I carry that on every ride, but leave the food bag in the stroller.
I suggest the stroller. I have never taken a 5 year old to Disney world, but I know Oliver and Bea will probably have tired legs after all the excitement. Please share the photos of this trip. I can’t wait to see how much fun they have. It is a dream come true for them :)
My grandparents have taken all 20 of us twice, now, and it never, ever gets old! In my honest opinion? I would skip the water park; it was okay, but none of us were overly thrilled with it. The other parks have water rides, which we thought were just as great, if not better, than our experience in the water park, and there are pools in the hotels or on the grounds.
The last time we went, we did a day in Animal Kingdom, a day split between Universal Studios/MGM/whatever it’s called now and Epcot, 2 days in Magic Kingdom, and the last day our group just split up and some went to one park, while the others went somewhere else. We went about this time of year, too, so I would definitely take sunscreen, and even the strollers. My 7 year old brother took his breaks in them, too. As others have said, I would definitely invest in the meal plan because it allows snack breaks in the parks, too. And take your “big girl” camera! A lot of us had them, and you can easily stow them if you can’t take them on a certain ride. Warning: The Mount Everest ride in Animal Kingdom is hands-down one of the best roller-coasters I’ve ever been on. Big Foot does kind of jump out in it, and a couple of our littles were scared by him, so you may want to warn your kiddos if they get freaked out pretty easily.
Can’t wait to see your pics!
Hi, great news about Disney. I’m almost 40 and never been. It’s a true regret of my life. I always thought I’d go when I had children, then the children never came. And a 40ish loner walking around Disney alone? I’m pretty sure there are signs warning people about that.
Anyway, I know you will have a blast. I hope you video his reaction. I never knew until last year that there is a whole cult following of “surprise, we’re going to DISNEY!!!” fans on you tube.
The reason I came to your blog-
I wanted to order some sugar scrub and so I searched for nourish organics. This is what I got-
http://nourishusda.com/
I do not see sugar scrub, though. Do I have the name wrong? Is it NOT “nourish”?
Oh, I think you should definitely go anyway! I know LOTS of people who go as just adults – with friends, on their honeymoon, whatever. They have races that you can participate in, too! There’s NO reason you should stay away if you want to go!
As for the sugar scrub – Nourish isn’t mine anymore but the website is nourish-organics.com
Best!
how exciting!!! have a blast!
Guess what guess what!
I finished my bag, and blogged about it: http://www.kentandmicaela.com
Thank you for everything! I learned SO much.
I was in the College Program at Disney World for a whole semester in college! I haven’t been there with our toddler yet, but I was a frequent visitor of each of the parks. I thought Epcot was kinda boring…the country exhibits are neat for grown-ups but probably not for kids. I definitely think you should go to Magic Kingdom two days. I also think that’s where you should take your nice camera. How can you leave Disney World without a picture in front of the castle? Plus that park doesn’t really have any rides that would damage the camera if you took it. here’s a secret, if you take the Disney transportation, you can visit the different resort pools. Just walk in like you know what you’re doing and you can experience all of the neat pools and walk around the resort grounds.
Have a fun trip! He’s never gonna forget it, it’s gonna be his favorite memory ever!!
Been a long-time reader… not much of a commenter (on any blog)… but this, oh yes, this… deserves a comment!
Yeah you! This will be so fun. We did Disney with our 5 and 3 year old girls last May. We never in a million years thought Epcot would be worth it… BUT it was. Now, the difference is girls versus boys… if you are planning do do character/autograph books- tons of princesses are in Epcot along with Mickey, Minnie, etc. Autograph books- plan to take your own picture too (you can take a pic or 2 before the photographers) and its so worth it- the Disney picture CD is very expensive, you will want those memories captured.
Stroller- we did the umbrella type stroller, but really our 3YO used it mostly. Because we had it, our 5YO used it… it was nice because the little leggies are going to be really tired. If in a pinch, you can always rent a park stroller. Parking the stroller- we did it all the time and had no problems, it may get moved a little in the area, but that was it.
When you go to Hollywood studios, go to the Toy Story ride 1st thing and get a fast pass. That line is REALLY long, and fast passes are gone very early in the morning. BEST RIDE EVER!
Food- we didn’t do anything with reservations or sit down… kiddos were too excited. BUT, most rules went out the window… kids want popcorn at 10A- ok. You can bring water and snacks in… we did that and it saved us a ton of money. We did granola bars, 100 cal packs of cookies, and all types of stuff. Pack a variety in your carry-on- you’ll save a small fortune.
Camera choice- i took my little point and shoot nikon… didn’t want the big one, and my pictures were amazing.
I have tons of tips and love talking about our Disney experience, if you want more, let me know! HAVE FUN!
We surprised our girls when they were 9 and 4 11/12 (the boy was 9 months and was just happy to have formula, food and people around) and it was fantastic. We drove to Florida and checked into the hotel insisting we were just there to visit a friend and enjoy the sunshine because we couldn’t afford Disney. Then the next morning we had breakfast and told them we were going to Disney. The younger one jumped up and down screaming. The older one took 5 minutes to convince.
We just went a few years ago with them again..this time they were 6, 11 and 16 and we brought the moms and sister-in-law along. It was a blast, although this time it wasn’t a surprise.
I would skip the strollers. We find that half a day in Epcot is all we want, and two days in Magic Kingdom is necessary. Luckily we had park hoppers, because we did Epcot and the Animal Kingdom in the same day and that was good.
I will second the meal plans. I shunned them at first for our last trip, but it really was a way more economical way to eat. And the food we were able to get was AMAZING. Everywhere. Actually, at the end of the week we all agreed we were tired of eating.
Have fun. You have to record a video of you telling him!
Oh man! I miss that I cant write things down like that now. We would do that with Jake but he reads now. I used to think it was so funny!
Hi Raechel – I’ve been “stalking” your blog for quite some time. So glad to finally say hi. I used to work at WDW, so if you have any other questions, let me know. I’d be glad to share my experiences with you.
1. I wouldn’t take a day for Epcot, but maybe the afternoon/evening. If O can make it to stay up late for the Fireworks, in my opinion, Epcot’s are the best and you shouldn’t miss them. They start at 9 I think, so sometimes we just go for that.
2. stroller parking is really easy and safe. I’d recommend just using a backpack though. There are plenty of shows and things you can sit down and wait for. At 5, I don’t think they’ll get too tired. If they do, you can always rent a stroller.
3. I’d bring it to the park you think O will have the most fun at. If he’s into a lot of animals and stuff, bring it to DAK. If he loves MK, bring it there.
4. I LOVE Prime Time Cafe in the Studios. All the servers are your aunts and uncles. They make mom and dad sit in the corner. The kids love it!
1. I’d do Magic Kingdom twice. 5 year olds will get bored with Epcot. I almost did. There are a few fun rides, but they probably aren’t tall enough for them anyhow. We were there for 7 days and spent 2 at Magic Kingdom and didn’t regret it.
2. A stroller would be nice when they get tired….I would just recommend taking a small bag with valuables in it that you can just sling on your back when you are eating or on a ride and not have to worry about it. I’d probably rent one.
3. I’d take your big girl camera to Magic Kingdom probably. Can you borrow a good quality point and shoot from a friend or family member, perhaps? I took my point and shoot instead of DSLR and could just carry it in my pocket but I still got great pictures. I think we all know iPhone pictures don’t capture movement well at all….I think you may regret just having your iPhone at other parks.
4. I have no real recommendations for food. Nothing was super stellar.
5. My husband actually surprised me AND my son on Christmas morning 2010. We left the next morning….so I have just Christmas day to pack for a 9 week vacation. I could have killed him if it wasn’t such a huge surprise!
My parents surprised us with a Disney trip one, and they told us by giving us suitcases for Christmas! And then we watched the Disney parade on TV.
Meghann at Meals and Miles goes to Disney World a lot and has a bunch of posts on it, not sure how kid-appropriate everything is, but it’s worth checking out: http://mealsandmiles.com/my-orlando/theme-parks/