Disney Tips & Tricks

As most of you know we are a Disney loving family. With two princess loving girls it’s hard not to be. We signed up for annual passes last October and have been going every other month since then to make sure we get the most bang for our buck.

I am by no means a Disney Pro but being a resourceful mama I decided to share a few tips and tricks that I have found work great for our family.

Accommodations

We’ve been visiting Disney with the girls since Henley was 15 months old. Macie had just turned one the first time she visited. As you would expect, traveling with a baby to Disney requires planning. The most important thing I look for in a hotel is a divided room, whether it be a suit or a full unit. When we are in the room for naptime or bedtime we need to be able to move around and hang out, especially with an older child.

Because of this the Disney hotels don’t fit the bill for us. Sure some of the hotels offer rooms like this but they are almost always outside of our budget. My ideal nightly price range for hotels is between $130-180 a night.

Caribe Royale has been our go to hotel for every visit. It was recommended to me and I haven’t been disappointed once. The base room is a bedroom and bathroom in one section with a door and then a little living area with a fridge, couch, desk, and TV. This has been great for us. The resort has a pool with a waterslide for the bigger kids and a kiddie area as well for the littles. There is also a little playground area with slides for them. Definitely recommend this hotel or one similar if traveling with children that still nap or go to bed earlier.

Packing for the Day

I’m not going to tell you the basics of what to pack. Most mom’s I know have extensive lists that were researched and are thoroughly thought out days in advance but instead I’m going to share things that some people (me!) either didn’t know about or frequently forget.

Bring snacks! Drinks and snacks are allowed so take advantage. Waiting in line is much more bearable for a two year old with goldfish or yogurt raisins.

Sunscreen. We forget this almost every time, being from Florida you wouldn’t think that was the case. I have no explanation for this.

This battery charger. We have a nice camera and I usually bring it with us but realistically I almost always use my phone. Between wrangling the kids and pushing the stroller, the phone is much easier to use. I got this charger for my husband and myself and it holds quite a few charges for your phone, my husband has used his on the boat a few times. Between using the Disney app and my camera my phone is usually dead within a few hours. This is a lifesaver.

Visiting the Parks

My first piece of advice is get there early. At park opening they do a little show for the guest in Magic Kingdom which is really cute. Also when you get there early you are parking much closer to the park and therefore can walk to the entrance versus breaking down the stroller and getting on the tram. We almost always walk because while I love my stroller I am not at all interested in breaking it down under the pressure of loading and unloading the tram.

Once in there are a million and one things you can do depending on what park you visit.  Make sure you have your Magic Bands and Fast Passes set and ready to go. I also look through the app the night before to add shows to our itinerary. These don’t usually need passes or reservations but it takes the thinking out of the equation the day of the park visit. The Dance Party in Magic Kingdom is always a hit with the littles, highly recommend. Also scout out the Baby Centers if you are traveling with babies that need to be changed and fed. These rooms are air conditioned and well kept. 

We typically don’t stay a full day. We usually leave around noon and let the girls rest. Around 3 we head to the pool to hang out and then to Disney Springs or another park to get some more in. We love Disney Springs--entertainment, fun for the kids, and great food & drinks. Portabellos Restaurant is my favorite so far.

Buy yourself a cake pop---just do it. Red velvet if you are taking my recommendations. You won’t be disappointed. No lie we’ve gone back to the park on a day we were planning to leave just so I could get another cake pop. That’s the benefit of annual passes though right?

Even though this list was short I hope it helped a little if you have a trip coming up. I never thought I’d be “one of those mom” at Disney all of the time. In reality though I will really doing anything to get my girls’ eyes to light up like they do when they see that castle.

Happy Monday!  Have a great week.