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16 Tips for a Disney World Vacation

February 21, 2015 By Stephanie 18 Comments

21 Feb

CastleOver the past 6 years of planning vacations for my family to Disney World I have read thousands of tips. Some of them have been great. Some of them might be great but just not at this time in life for our family. And others I think could be skipped all together.

Here is some of my favorite advice and tips for a Disney World vacation:

1. Plan, Plan, Plan before your trip begins. I think the people who have bad trips to Disney World just didn’t plan properly.

2. If you are going for more than 1 day (which you absolutely should) stay on Disney property. There is something “magical” about not having to drive to the park in the morning and find your car at the end of the day. We get to our hotel and then never get back in the car until our trip is over and we are headed home. Less stress and less travel time wasted each day. Plus each of the resorts we have stayed at has been amazing!

3. Bring your own ponchos and if you have a stroller bring a cheap dollar store clear shower curtain to cover it in the rain. This has been a life saver for us.

4. Take a break midday and go back to your hotel. I never want to do this but I am always thankful that we did. And we enjoy our Disney hotel almost as much as the parks!

Spending time enjoying our resort. We were staying at Port Orleans French Quarter.

Spending time enjoying our resort. We were staying at Port Orleans French Quarter.

5. Get the dining plan. Every trip but one has fallen during free dining, which has been awesome. The one trip that didn’t, we paid for the dining plan. If money is tight, I do believe that you can save money by not using the dining plan, but if you can afford it or it is free then do it. I love relaxing on my vacation and not having to worry about money. I don’t usually like spending money, so, if we didn’t have the dining plan I would always pick the cheapest option to eat. With the dining plan I can actually look at the menu instead of the prices and choose something I want. Food is one thing I really enjoy about vacationing so I find it is always better to plan ahead financially so I can enjoy myself on the trip.

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Using the dining plan at ‘Ohana inside of the Polynesian resort.

6. Buy some special things before you leave home. I can usually find glow sticks and things like that at the dollar store before we go on our trip. My daughters can use them in the parks at night and we don’t have to spend a fortune on the ones that they sell in the parks.

7. Budget for souvenirs. How can you go to Disney and not come home with a few extra things. We always set a limit and plan before we leave so the money is there and we know when to stop.

8. Make a list of what is important to your family. We always know at the start of the day 1 thing that each family member really wants to do for the day. It might be a certain ride or a special snack and then we make sure that each person gets to do their 1 thing. There just isn’t time to do everything that we want to do, so if everyone gets at least 1 special thing they pick then everyone is happy in the end.

9. Memory Maker is totally worth the money. Again let me remind you: I don’t like to spend money. BUT, when it comes to a trip to Disney there are some areas that it just makes sense to me and Memory Maker is one of them. Disney has photographers all over the parks that will take your family’s pictures, but you have to pay for them if you want to have them in the end (and they are expense when purchasing them one by one). If you purchase Memory Maker beforehand, it includes all of the pictures that are taken on your trip (even the ones on the rides – think Splash Mountain). A little extra money is worth it to me when it means we get tons of pictures with all 5 of us instead of me and the kids or my husband and the kids. Just make sure that if you pay for it that you take the time to stop and have your photo taken, otherwise you are just wasting money.

Memory Maker photo at Epcot.

Memory Maker photo at Epcot.

10. Enjoy the atmosphere. Disney World is about more than rides and attractions. The atmosphere and details are amazing if you take the time to enjoy them.

11. Go to Tom Sawyer Island. I can’t explain it all the way but there is something awesome about going to Tom Sawyer’s Island and sitting in the chairs at Aunt Polly’s overlooking the water. You can see the busyness of Magic Kingdom in the distance but it is so peaceful on the island. And, if you get to Tom Sawyer Island earlier enough look for a paintbrush. If you find it and return it to a cast member you just might get something back, like a free fastpass!

The girls enjoying Tom Sawyer Island

The girls enjoying Tom Sawyer Island

12. Don’t be afraid to act like a kid. Disney is made for adults and children, but I promise you that you will enjoy it much more if you think like a child on some things. The first time we went as a family and I saw Cinderella Castle my eyes started to water. This might sound silly, but I felt like a little girl again and there was all the magic and amazement of princesses and fairytales! Don’t worry about people around you judging you. Who cares what they think? And most of them are enjoying themselves too and they aren’t concerned about what you are doing, so have fun and try to pull the sword out of the stone.

13. If you bring a stroller find a way to mark it. We have always brought our sit-n-stand stroller and there are thousands of them in the parks each day. We tied a red bandana around the handle of ours and it makes it much faster for us to spot in the crowd.

14. Go to the special events. We have loved Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. I think they are worth the extra expense. For each of these you pay for a separate event ticket and it gets you in the park at 3:00 pm even though the event doesn’t officially start until later. On event days the parks close earlier for everyone else and then only those with the tickets get to stay and play. The lines are short and it is so much less crowded. Some restaurants and rides are closed, but this hasn’t been much of a problem for us. At Halloween you get to trick-or-treat around Magic Kingdom. The kids got tons of candy. At Christmas we got hot chocolate and cookies (the hot chocolate was amazing). There are special fireworks, special parades, and some special characters that aren’t always at Magic Kingdom. We like to buy tickets for the event and then spend the first part of our day either at Downtown Disney or at the hotel pool. It is a great way to relax in the morning and enjoy the festivities in the evening.

The five of us on main street. We are from Michigan and wearing coats and are cold!

Enjoying Magic Kingdom decorated for Christmas.

15. Bring some of your own snacks and water bottles. I found on clearance at the store a few years ago the water bottles that have their own filters in them. We take these into the parks with us and refill them at the drinking fountains. The water taste good, it’s cold, and keeps us hydrated even on the hot days. We also bring in some of our own snacks like trail mix, goldfish, apples, and things like that to keep us going. We get a snack included with our meal plan, but we like to use those for special treats (like Mickey ice cream) and we make sure to have other snacks to help keep us going.

16. Character meals are worth the time and money. If you can get a reservation at a character meal I would recommend it. They book up early so you should try to get your reservations 180 days in advance. You get to sit and eat and the characters that are at the meal come to your table and get pictures with your family. This has saved us so many hours waiting in line in the parks to get character pictures. If you go to Chef Mickey’s or Donald’s Safari Breakfast you can usually see almost the whole Mickey gang without ever waiting in a line. My youngest loves all the Pooh friends at Crystal Palace, but wasn’t crazy about some of the others on her first trip.

Lunch at Crystal Palace.

Lunch at Crystal Palace.

I could go on and on, but will wrap it up for now. What tips have you learned along the way to make your Disney trip smoother and more enjoyable?

 

 

Filed Under: Disney

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ashlyn says

    February 23, 2015 at 8:01 pm

    This just makes me want to go back to Disney now!

    Reply
  2. Danielle says

    February 24, 2015 at 5:21 pm

    This list is great! My kiddo is still a little young for Disney World, but I myself cannot wait to take this trip as a family! I’m saving your list for later, I think it will be enormously helpful!

    Reply
  3. April G says

    March 2, 2015 at 12:35 am

    I’m going to pin for the next time I go to Disney. I was completely unprepared for it. I used to go with out planning as a child, but there’s so much more now!

    Reply
  4. Raquel says

    March 4, 2015 at 5:18 pm

    Thanks for the helpful tips! It has been a while since we have been to Disney world. I think it is time to go again!

    Reply
  5. Love Keil (MunchkinTime) says

    March 19, 2015 at 6:36 am

    I can’t wait to go to Disney with my girls! Love all of these tips!

    Reply
    • Stephanie says

      March 19, 2015 at 7:53 pm

      It has been the best vacations with our kids!!

      Reply

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Stuck in Your Rut - Stephanie


Today has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very
Today has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 

Some days are like that.

And sometimes those days are our fault.

My day was caused by a toxic client. As much as I would like to blame her, I take responsibility because I knew from the beginning that I never should have worked with her.

When we go down paths we shouldn't go down, we usually have painful consequences.

Several valuable lessons were learned today and I would like to share them so I don't have to relearn them again in the future and maybe I can spare you some future pain too.

1. Be careful when doing business with people whose values don't align with yours

2. When you feel you should get out of a situation, do not delay

3. Never do any type of work that leaves you feeling your values were compromised

4. Toxic people can play nice... for awhile... But their true colors will always show through in the end

5. Trust your instincts

6. When you turn a situation over to God, it doesn't mean the way out will be pain free

And finally remember, some days feel like terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, but it doesn't have to stay like that.

Happy Friday!

I've been pondering this a lot in the past week.


I've been pondering this a lot in the past week.

I do a lot of work in the mental health space. I believe in the benefits of therapy and medication as needed. 

But as I help people share this message that "therapy is for everyone," I'm starting to wonder if we are spreading the wrong message.

Yes therapy can be for everyone. And there are some people who absolutely need the support and guidance of mental health professionals. But does everyone actually need therapy to be mentally well? 

That seems to be the trend we have taken as society.

Therapy can play an important role in helping people heal and live healthy, but are we becoming too dependent on believing we ALL need therapy? Have we lost the ability to process through difficult situations on our own or with our own support system?

I'm not sure. I'm still pondering. But I would love to hear your thoughts.


We see what we look for.

In our first house, we h
We see what we look for.

In our first house, we had beautiful sunrises and sunsets over farm fields. A few years ago we lived by the ocean where we saw stunning sunsets regularly over the water. 

Beautiful sunrises and sunsets is one the things I've missed since living in a neighborhood in a suburb of Louisville Kentucky. The trees around us block out most of these beautiful moments every morning and night.

I was up early this morning and decided to sit outside and enjoy the cooler air and I had the opportunity to watch an incredible sunrise from this small little section.

It reminded me that we often get what we look for in life. If you want to see all the bad, you will. If you look for the good, you can find it. And just because we don't see good things happening at every moment (like I don't usually see the sunrises) doesn't mean they aren't still happening all around us.

#thankfulgratefulblessed #tuesdaythoughts #beencouraged


Wow! So true.

I came across this incredible remi
Wow! So true. 

I came across this incredible reminder in an email today from @lysaterkeurst and @proverbs31ministires.

Yesterday was a rough day. I got myself into a difficult conversation with someone and ended up saying things that I regret out of my frustration.

Too many times in life I have allowed my emotions to get the best of me which never ends in me feeling better than I did in the beginning. Carefully planned words are ALWAYS better than speaking in the heat of the moment.

Sometimes we need to say difficult things to people, but we can choose to do it out of love instead of frustration and anger.

So, I cannot control the actions of others or many details of this specific situation, but I can control my words in the midst of it, and I can control how much power I allow the situation to have over my life.

Sharing in case my failure can help anyone else do better.

#workinprogress #stilllearning


The power of our minds and the way we choose to th
The power of our minds and the way we choose to think is amazing!

A couple weeks ago on vacation, we had the chance to hold a baby alligator. There were grown people on the boat who were terrified to sit next to a person holding the alligator. Then there were those, like Macy, who took advantage of a new opportunity and gave it a go.

If we really think about it, this is exactly what happens in life too. Some people are too afraid to take a risk and try something new when the opportunity comes and others are willing to give it a try. 

Some are afraid to let their friends and family try a new adventure because their own fear is so strong so they discourage them from doing the thing even if that person really wants to try it.

Our minds and our thoughts are so incredibly powerful but the good news is that we get to choose our thoughts and actions. A new situation may feel scary, but that doesn't mean you can't choose to move past that fear and try something new.

#tryingnewthings #overcomingfear #chooseyourthoughts

Have you ever thought about how a click of a camer
Have you ever thought about how a click of a camera button has the ability to capture a moment in time? Pretty amazing!

We always make a point to take pictures of the big moments or the things we do when we travel, like our day trip to Nashville yesterday.

But there are so many day-to-day moments that make my heart happy too, like seeing my daughters cooking dinner (which they choose to do a lot - blessed mom right here!) or when my husband is helping the girls build garden planters for our veggies. I need to make an effort to take pictures of these moments more so I can be reminded of these simple joys. The days seem long but the years are going fast!

What is something you see in day-to-day life that brings you joy?

Do you ever just wish you had a quiet moment alone
Do you ever just wish you had a quiet moment alone?

I loved this little bit of time I had on our Tennessee vacation, sitting on the porch swing listening to the rain.

I'm guilty of filling my day too full and trying to do too much and tiring myself out.

This morning I was reminded of Luke 5:7 "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

It's important to be intentional about creating space to withdrawal and pray.

Some days it looks and sounds pretty. Most days, it's finding the one quiet place in my house. All that matters is that we do it.

How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Y
How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of chatting with several different women. I'm getting ready to write website profiles for them and wanted to learn more about them.

I noticed something that got me thinking during one of the calls. 

I asked the question "Who do you enjoy working with?"

The woman gave me a long list of the people she didn't feel qualified to help. She shared her heart for people but would then explain the areas she felt she was lacking. 

I'm sure she didn't realize she was doing this. I know I struggle with doing the same thing. It's so easy to spot in other people what we miss in ourselves. 

So, how do you think and talk about yourself? Do you focus on where you are lacking and where you don't feel "good enough" or qualified? Or, do you acknowledge your skills and strengths? 

We all have areas we can grow and improve but we are unproductive when those are the main areas we focus on.

#focusonyourstrengths #thoughtlife #positivethinking #buildconfidence


I was reading the book Friendship - It's Complicat
I was reading the book Friendship - It's Complicated by @andiandrew this morning and came across the saying "healed people heal people." It really struck me.

I've heard many times the old saying "hurting people hurt people" but this simple switch made it so different. 

It made me really reflect on my actions, words, and behaviors to see if I was helping or hurting others. It made me think about what areas of my life I needed to walk in healing so I could help bring others along.

I also love the way this shifted from the negative to the positive. "Hurting people hurt people" can be used as an excuse if you've experienced pain in your life. "Healed people heal people" is so much more of a calling to rise up out of painful situations to make a positive difference. It gives your hurtful experiences and pain a new purpose. 

Just something to think about.

#encouragement #movepastyourpast #womensupportingwomen

Let's talk about meerkats for a minute—stick wit
Let's talk about meerkats for a minute—stick with me here.  
 
On Thursday, I took my kids to the zoo for a few hours. We've had an exhausting couple of weeks. Things haven't gone as planned. Work has been hectic and I've been working long hours. We're in the middle of trying to make some big life decisions again (which seems to be the constant state of life).  
 
Can you relate?  
 
The zoo is one of our happy places, so we picked the warmest day of the week and took some time off to get outside and enjoy ourselves.  
 
Some of my favorite animals to watch at the zoo are the meerkats. 
 
If you ever watch a gang of meerkats, you'll probably notice that there is almost always one meerkat that is standing up checking the skies and looking around while the others are off doing their thing. Why? 
 
That meerkat is watching for danger. They are checking the skies and surrounding areas for predators. They remain alert in order to allow the others to find food and do what they need to do. 
 
On this trip, I could relate to that poor little meerkat standing up, not enjoying herself in order to try to protect her family—not realizing they are safe from predators. As a wife and mom, I think that instinct comes pretty naturally to us women. I've been so caught up lately in trying to figure out how to balance what the different members of my family need that it's been harder to enjoy the good things in each day.  
 
But I'm not a meerkat. There really aren't predators circling around me, trying to get my family. Yes, there are dangers in this world, but when that's all I focus on, that's all I see. I miss all of the good things that are taking place and the positive moments I could be enjoying. 
 
So, if you can relate to that little meerkat too, here's your reminder to take a break. Be present in the moment.

There are hard parenting days - which we've had qu
There are hard parenting days - which we've had quite a bit of lately - and then there are the days when your kid surprises you with a homemade card. 

The world is full of scary, hard things right now and it's easy when you focus on those things to forget all the good that is right around you.

I'm getting started so I can be organized and on m
I'm getting started so I can be organized and on my game for 2022 thanks to help from my new planner by @christybwright

Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things
Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things that are within our control.

You can't control what others do to you... but you can control what you choose to do after that. If you're holding onto unforgiveness towards someone, it's going to seep into all areas of your life.

Being easily offended and staying offended and angry gives things outside of your control power over you, your day, and your attitude.

If you're tired of not making progress in life and often feel angry, I encourage you to look inward. Sometimes I'm caught off guard by the things I thought I had dealt with and moved on from that I didn't.

#movingforward #dontbeeasilyoffended #inspiration #armorofgodstudy

There are few things I find as beautiful in nature
There are few things I find as beautiful in nature as a tree with fall colors on a bright sunny day. ❤️🍁

#fallcolors🍁🍂 #louisvillezoo

It can be so hard to ask for things that we want.
It can be so hard to ask for things that we want. The fear of the "what ifs" always want to get in the way. But what if we change our thoughts and expect the best instead of assuming the worst?

My dad has been an incredible example of just asking. He doesn't overthink asking questions to people and because of it, he learns all kinds of cool things. He doesn't worry about if the person says "no" or responds negatively. He doesn't let fear stop him. 

Over the years, my husband and I have learned to ask for things we want. We asked for work from a church without knowing if they would be interested. We asked to barter handyman services and home repair in exchange for lower rent. 

We've asked for some weird things that don't seem like they should have worked out, but they did. And we would have never had those opportunities if we hadn't been willing to ask for them.

Are there questions you've been avoiding asking out of fear?

This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change bec
This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change because it's uncomfortable and painful. But so many times the life we want is on the other side.

#motivation #thursdaythoughts #growthmindset #growingpains #pushpastthehardthings


What if you don't wait to get started until everyt
What if you don't wait to get started until everything is perfect? What would that look like? 
 
I'm giving you a sneak peek into what my incredible workspace looks like today 😜 
 
Today I have a few calls so I'm working with my messy bed as my desk so I can have a quiet space. Sometimes I work from my kitchen counter. My family of 5 lives in a small rental house right now. I don't have any space for an office, but I'm running a growing business by working like this. 
 
If I had waited to get started until I "knew everything" or had the perfect setup, I would have wasted the last 5 years. If I had waited until I "knew just a little more" or felt a "little more ready", I still wouldn't be doing anything. Even after 5 years, I still have LOTS to learn but I'm so much further along because I took the step of getting started.
 
It sucks to hear, but you have to get started before you're "ready". That's just the way it works. Don't let your circumstances get in your way. And - this might sound tough but - stop making excuses. Look for a way to make it work as best you can right now. 
 
 
 
#getstarted #femaleentrepreneur #makeitwork #midweekmotivation #takeachance #mompreneur #homeschoolingentrepreneur #overcomefear #buildyourconfidence

This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 ye
This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 years ago, I had such little confidence. I let fear control so much of what I did.

I was working to grow my freelance business and almost skipped an opportunity to take on work because the potential client wanted to schedule a phone call instead of just working through emails and messages. I broke out in hives just having to talk on the phone.

I couldn't handle ordering a pizza because I was too nervous about not knowing what to say. I overthought everything.

Fear controlled what I did and didn't do. It caused me to struggle in my thoughts and postponed my ability to go after the things I really wanted to accomplish.

Learning to overcome my fears took a lot of time. But slowly, I started to make progress. They were little changes at a time. I didn't even notice the growth as it happened. 

But then one day, that same client pointed out to me how much more confidence I had. And then another client mentioned how much I had grown in my confidence and ability to share my thoughts and opinions.

It ended up impacting every area of my life. 

But don't get me wrong, some days are still a struggle. Sometimes I still get hives when I have to talk on the phone or do a zoom call with someone I don't know, but not every time.

If you struggle with fear and confidence, know that you can improve and grow in this area. It doesn't have to be how you remain for the rest of your life. And so much of what you want is on the other side of pushing past that fear.

#overcomefear #buildconfidence #personalgrowth #growthmindset #motivationalquotes

Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you
Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you're on vacation? This picture is from over the summer when we did a mini vacation. It's easy when you get out of the routines of everyday life to start to think outside of the box and see new opportunities. 
 
But then we get back home. Clients need my attention. The house needs to be cleaned and dinner needs to be cooked. The kids have activities. And before I know it, I've fallen right back into going through the motions instead of really living each day. 
 
Here's your reminder for the day. I know it's Monday and it's easy to drag through the day. But choose to get outside of your comfort zone. Choose to look at things in a new way. Choose to start building the life you want to live, even if it's one tiny decision at a time. 
 
#mondaymotivation

Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going
Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going to. Choose courage and push past it and just watch as your confidence starts to build.


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