Let's face it, Walt Disney World (WDW) is a magical place, but it's not so magical during the months leading up to FINALLY standing in front of Cinderella's castle. The planning can be down-right stressful.
Nowadays, it's not just about buying tickets and showing up to see Mickey and friends, there's also added pressure of picking Fast Passes, booking character dining experiences and deciding if you should surprise your kids or not. All that means lots and lots of researching and Pinterest pinning to make it the best adventure ever!
I started planning eight months before we headed out the door for my daughter's first trip to WDW and Orlando. During those months, I learned some tricks of the trade from friends, family and strangers on the Internet --- now I'm here to share it with you!
MY FAVORITE WDW BLOG:
SURPRISE -- WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!
But, that apparently is NOT the case for some families! All you have to do is search for "Disney Surprises Gone Bad" and you'll see some hysterical videos of kids crying non-stop after finding out the truth. Not all kids can handle big surprises on short notices. Disney can be overwhelming for youngsters --- they can get anxious about meeting characters or flying for the first time. In one video I saw, the kids thought they were visiting the other mouse (Chuck E. Cheese), but that promise was suddenly broken while driving toward Magic Kingdom -- boy were they upset!
All you need is a sad reaction after your bank account is depleted and you've had sleepless nights of creating the perfect itinerary -- which may involve setting your alarm at midnight several nights in a row to book Fast Passes.
I decided to reveal my secret a few weeks before hitting the road to give my daughter some time for it to sink in.
Here's the scavenger hunt I made for her birthday party. Click here on Dropbox for a FREE copy of the clues! I made a boy and girl version for the last clue!
All you have to do is print out and put Cinderella on the stairs, Elsa in the freezer, Rapunzel in the bathroom, Figero on a bed and the last clue at the fireplace.
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| Clue One: Cinderella lost her slipper on the stairs at the Ball. Go down the hall, but don't fall. |
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| Clue Two: Elsa doesn't mind the cold. Go where things are frozen -- be bold! |
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| Clue Three: Oh no! Rapunzel's hair is a Tangled rat's nest! Put your brain to the test --- what would help her look her best? |
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| Clue Four: Figaro is in your house -- she's sleeping -- be quiet as a mouse. She likes to sleep in comfy beds, that's what Minnie Mouse said. |
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| Clue Five: "Some people are worth melting for." Olaf said near the fire. Anna was fading and they were under the wire. Where were they when she started to tire? |
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| Here's a basket with your last tip -- We leave in two weeks for a magical trip! Happy 5th Birthday to our awesome gal, We can't wait for you to meet all the Disney pals! |
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| The last clue had a basket of fun Disney themed gifts for our road trip. (stickers, autograph scrapbook, hair brush, pen ... etc) |
BIBBIDI BOBBIDI BOUTIQUE MAGICALLY GETS YOU IN THE PARK EARLY!
What does this mean for you? Your little one is not only looking soooooo incredibly adorable, but when your appointment is done, you're already at Cindrella's castle -- giving you a head start to meet Elsa, Anna, Cinderella and Rapunzel. Because we didn't stay at a Disney Resort, we had the disadvantage of waiting an extra 30 days to book Fast Passes and by that time the Elsa/Anna ones were gone. But, since we got in MK early, we were third in line!!! What!!! It was awesome! And then, we scooted next door to see Cinderella and Rapunzel -- easy peasy.
You have no idea how much pressure was lifted off my shoulders after that! My girl would have been devastated if we didn't meet them! Whew! And, as a bonus, because of her BBB glamour look, WDW workers called her Princess ALL day long-- it was so cute to see her smiling every time that happened.
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| Seriously -- we watched (while tucked away at Cinderella's Castle) the wave of people coming towards us on Main Street once MK opened. If you look closely, you can see the human chain of WDW employees keeping the crowd behind them. I felt like I was in a horror movie --- waiting for zombies to show up and attack. |
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| We were saved by our very own human chain of workers to lead us from Cinderella's Castle, around the carousel and toward Elsa, Anna, Cinderella and Rapunzel. |
WHAT TO PACK?
LITTLE GIFTS -- Before your trip, go to the dollar store or a party store and stock up on fun items that are sure to make your kid(s) smile. I got some glow-in-the-dark items and surprised my girl at the night-time parade. You may also want to see if they have rain ponchos -- much cheaper outside of the parks! A lot of dollar stores sell Disney themed items you can stock up on for the journey and maybe even make a surprise basket to put in the hotel room.
AUTOGRAPH PAPER/PENS -- Instead of buying an autograph book, I got a small scrapbook and took the pages to the park. I also brought several permanent markers (the big ones are good for the characters with big hands/gloves) and regular pens. After the trip, we glued the pictures from the character meet and greets next to the autographs -- she took the mini scrapbook to school and loved showing off her experience.
FOOD -- Pack a backpack with snacks! Yes, you can bring your own snacks into the parks which is a HUGE money saver! I liked having snack bags of animal crackers on hand for the times when we were waiting in long lines -- it's a great way to re-energize your clan. According to the WDW website, you can also bring in regular food (food that doesn't need to be heated), but there are strict details on coolers so check out the FAQ page on the official website.
EXTRA SOCKS/SHOES -- My feet needed refreshing air for a bit, so I put on flip-flops while we had lunch or during down time. It gave my feet a second wind ... ha.
DISNEY GIFT CARDS -- Buy Disney gift cards for the kids before your trip. This gives them each a budget of what they can spend -- that way you don't break the bank each time you pass a store -- and there are tons of them! We decided to spend the gift cards at Downtown Disney the day before going to the parks so we would have to lug the very expensive souvenirs around the park! If you know you're going to Disney before holidays and birthdays --- ask friends and family for gift cards instead of toys.
CASH -- If you book a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointment, be sure to bring cash to tip your Fairy Godmother-in training -- they take credit cards for the up-do and make-up, but not for tips!
PHONE CHARGER -- this is something I didn't really think about until we got to the park. I didn't take into account how much I would be using my phone. I used it to take pictures/videos, send those said pictures to the grandparents, change Fast Passes on the "My Disney Experience" app, check email while waiting in long lines and to upload "in-your-face-I'm-at-Disney" amazing pictures on social media. It can't be that hard to find a plug around WDW where you can re-charge during lunch or it may be worth it to invest into a portable charger. You may need it at the end of the day in case you get separated from your group.
ID BRACELETS -- Speaking of getting lost, if you have young children, you may want to consider tagging them -- no, not on social media sites -- I'm talking about actually tagging them with your cell number. Before you head to the tattoo shop, search the Internet for less permanent options. You can buy or make ID bracelets with your cell phone number on them so if your kid gets lost, all they have to do is show their bracelet to security, a Disney worker or another mom with a cell phone to get you reunited. If you're looking to buy -- these are good ones ... Mabel's Labels 411 ID Bracelets.
MORE SPECIAL SECRETS ...
MAKE USE OF YOUR CELL PHONE CAMERA:
* Take a picture of your kid(s) before going into the park, just in case you need to tell security what they are wearing.
* Take a picture of the parking sign so you can find your car later. On a side note, if you're parking at Magic Kingdom, shoot for the Woody, Aladdin, Jafar or Zurg front lots. These are across the street from the monorail or ferry entrance. That way, at the end of the day, you don't have to take the tram to get back to your car.
* Take a picture of your Photo Passes from the Disney photographers. This advice came from our very sweet Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Fairy Godmother-in training. She told us to take a picture of the code on the back. I know I ended up with three cards in my pocket and was worried about losing them. If you capture the code, you can still see and buy your pictures online later!
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| The back of a Disney Photo Pass card |
STROLLERS:
We rented a stroller and it was well worth the money!
Pros:
* You won't hear "I'm tired" over and over and over again and again and again.
* You have a place to put your jackets, water bottles, snacks ... etc.
* Your kid(s) can relax and eat a snack while walking to the next ride. It's also nice for them to have a place to sit while waiting on the parades.
Cons:
* There are designated stroller parking areas and sometimes they are a long walk from the ride you want to go on. My husband would drop us off at the ride and catch up with us.
* Sometimes it's tough navigating through the crowds.
* You can't take the strollers out of the park, so you better be ready to carry some very sleepy kid(s) to the car. If you rent a stroller for more than one day, you show your receipt to get a different stroller the next day.
Stroller Advice:
* If you're feeling creative, you can make your own FREE stroller tag. Disney will provide a handwritten one, but it's nice to stand out and my daughter thought it was cool. I made a few copies to use on different park days. Click here for the WDW Prep School free tags!
* Buy or bring a balloon to attach to your stroller because while you're on a ride, workers move the strollers around. If you have a balloon, it's easy to spot.
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| Yep, this cost $10 to $12, but it was worth it to find our "carriage" later! |
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| See our stroller? |
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| This is why a balloon is a good idea! You really don't want to waste time searching for your stroller! |
OTHER RANDOM ADVICE:
* When booking your initial three Fast Passes, try to make them early in the day because after those are used, you will get another free one. Once that one is used, you get another and so on. The downside, the free ones can not be booked on your "My Disney Experience" app, you have to find a kiosk at the park and sometimes wait in line.
* If you're planning on going to the parade, I suggest grabbing lunch or dinner and then find a good spot early. We went in January, but missed the afternoon parade because all the street spots were taken an hour before it started!
* Don't be shy to hand over your camera to the Photo Pass photographers. They will take a professional picture with their cam and another one with your camera or phone. They don't mind! While meeting the characters, you're allowed to take your own pictures and I found the photographers very patient. I took pictures with my good camera and cell phone camera each time!
Overall, we had a MAGICAL time -- I loved seeing my daughter gleam each time she was called a Princess and I can still picture her getting shy while meeting her idol -- Queen Elsa.
I hope this blog will help you make wonderful memories too!
Enjoy!
Feel free to pin!
Kathryn
