Hey there, Flower Buds! Planning a Disney vacation for you or your family? My family and I just recently spent a week in Florida and of course we had to go to the most magical place on Earth-Disney World!!
We all learn from our mistakes and we take notes from our experiences, so I thought I'd provide some helpful tips for those planning a future trip!
Attire
Now, don't get me wrong, the weather is beautiful in Florida (if you like that sunny, hot, and humid thing); however we could all go without the sporadic spurts of rain. I thought it would be a good idea to pack my Kate Spade backpack for our Disney trip and boy was it a good plan! Inside I packed an extra pair of sandals, travel can of Lysol, Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, sweat towels, phone charger, and a miniature umbrella (a poncho would be great too). Why an extra change of shoes? Well, just as I thought-Converse aren't great for walking around an amusement park. By the time we were done for the done my small feet were tired! I never ended up changing my shoes, but if you can't bare the pain after 6+ hours, girl change your shoes or simply wear your Nikes, period!!
My jean shorts weren't bad, but I also would have been even more comfortable in some workout leggings, shorts, or biker shorts (with large cell phone pockets of course). If you don't have a decent size backpack, a fanny pack would work too!
Outfit details are linked under Blossoms Social Share
Masks
I'm sure you're probably wondering if masks are required in the park (#Pandemic). Masks are only required when taking the Monorail from the ticket counter to the official park entrance. Once you get off, you can rip that thing right of your face; but hey, if you want to be extra cautious-and sweat like crazy-wear you mask!
The Commute
Our hotel was right off International Drive, or as the locals call it, I-Drive! We were about 15-20 minutes from the park, so the drive was not bad. To prevent from having to park and pay an additional fee to, we opted to take a taxi (Uber was roughly the same price, but a large vehicle wasn't available at the time). You can get picked up right from your hotel and dropped off right at the ticket entrance. As you can imagine, there are multiple Disney resorts close to the park that will also provide transportation.
The Disney App
Gotta love technology right? Wondering how long the wait is for the rides? Looking for places to eat? The My Disney Experience mobile app provides you with everything you need to map out your trip! Make reservations for restaurants, link your tickets, view a map of the entire park, and more!
The Parks & The Characters
Disney World consists of four parks-Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. If you're wanting to experience all of the parks, you will definitely need to plan a multi-day stay. We got through Magic Kingdom in a day, and would have loved to experience another-such as Animal Kingdom, but unfortunately, we were a day away from heading back home to St. Louis.
With a Multi Day ticket at $109/day, per person, you'd have a chance to visit each park.
A FastPass+ or Magic Band can also be purchased to allow you to move closer up in ride lines, charge all expenses, etc.
As for the characters we all know and love: If you, or your kiddo, are looking for the famous characters, unfortunately they're not roaming around like usual (sigh!). The only way to see them is during the parades or shows the are held throughout the day. So don't expect to find Mickey or Minnie standing there awaiting to take a picture with you for your memories. You'll just need to capture the moments as the parade passes (sorry to break the news).
Disney vacations can definitely extend well over a week as there are tons of things for families to do in Orlando! My family and I enjoyed our time, but we couldn't leave without letting my munchkin experience his first trip to Disney.
Until next time, keep blossoming....