Today’s is part 1 of a 2-part post covering highlights from my family’s 8-day maximum-experience Disney vacation. And what a long, strange, WONDERFUL trip it was!

I thought I would be ‘Already Gone’ by the first day of this trip. But instead, for eight straight days, I had TONS of fun! 

For “The Definitive Disney 10,” I will be covering 10 talking points from the 8-day Disney vacation my family took last August 20-27, in 2 separate posts. My overall goal? I don’t know, actually. Amusement? Sure. To inform? Perhaps!

Reluctant Disney Rookies NO MO’

Color me impressed! The whole Disney experience was a LOT more enjoyable than I ever could have imagined! Though of course I still totally hate people (because hey-I’m still me!), in general, folks ‘got to me’ much less than is typical throughout the duration of our trip.

Overall, my family’s Disney vacation was just a wonderful time from start to finish. An expensive time too, but the proverb ‘you get what you pay for’ applies in spades when it comes to Disney, I have come to discover. Disney indeed goes above and beyond to take excellent care of their vacationing guests and holy heck, that totally makes a HUGE difference- especially when vacationing with children.

All four Disney parks that we visited: the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom were unique, beautifully maintained, and full of delightful activity choices. The Disney resort we stayed at, the Port Orleans-Riverside, was also lovely. One of the highlights at the Port Orleans was actually the Mousekeeping Housekeeping, I have to say. They made up our kids’ bed to look ‘homelike’ a few times, with their own blankets and stuffed animals displayed.

Additionally, all of my pre-planning over the past 6 months for this trip was just totally, absolutely, and completely worth it. The Disney Magic Band system? Absolutely Ah-MAY-zing. Beyond convenient. Whoever invented Magic Bands deserves weekly treasure boxes of mad Disney Duckets for life! I wish all credit cards and keys could just be worn around my wrist and activate by touch. That technology should be an everyday thing! Call them ‘Reality Bands.’ I bet people would buy them!

So without further adieu, I present…

Call Me Da Mouse Master: The Definitive Disney Ten

Below I have summarized five learning experience highlights from our Disney trip. Hope you enjoy the read!

#1: It’s not the early 2000s any longer, thus there is no need to arrive at the airport three hours before takeoff. Especially when you resemble basic, middle-aged family folks like us.

We arrived at the airport too early. Waaaay too early.

Considering the fact that Mike and I were both young adults when one of the most sudden and tragic catastrophes in modern history unfolded on September 11, 2001, I suppose our current air travel habits make sense. I mean 9/11 changed the way my whole generation viewed air travel, many aspects of which will likely never return to pre-9/11 levels.

However, some things have changed over the past 17 years. No longer needing to arrive at an airport THREE HOURS before a departing flight? That would be one of those changes.

When Mike and I traveled pre-kids and post 9/11, he was often ‘randomly’ taken aside and searched. Perhaps he looked menacing, or even slightly suspicious. Who knows? One thing Mike and I knew back then, however, was that we always needed to make sure that we arrived at the airport several hours early. Beyond just the possibility of hitting traffic driving to Newark, we always added: “Plus, Mike will probably get searched.”

Nowadays, however, much has changed. Sorry, Mike. With little S4 draped over your shoulder whining about not wanting to take her shoes off, no longer do you look shady in the least. In the general security line at Newark Airport en route to our departing flight, all four of us were quickly moved up to the very obvious “elderly and kids limited risk line.” We had left home by car at 9:30 am, parked by 11:30 am, and were shuttled, through security, and sitting in the waiting area by 12:18 pm.

For a 2:19 pm flight departure time.

LONGEST. TWO. HOURS. EVER.

😩😩😩

#2: Talking to Disney insiders coupled with good, solid planning in the months preceding a Disney vacation helps a ton.

Disney does NOT F around. So many bases can be covered beforehand if you just take the time to plan and customize your trip BEFORE you go. Up until Disney, Mike and I have always been “spur of the moment” or “last minute” travel planners. However, now that I’ve tasted the feast that is a pre-planned vacation…

I’m now team #vacationplanner4LIFE. I have seen the light, and it’s definitely mouse-shaped. Because that Mickey knows how to plan a trip!

 

 

The secret? I’ll tell you in rhyme:

To ALWAYS plan the Disney way,
Start 6 months prior to the first vacation day!

Another HUGE secret to Disney vacation success, I learned?

Talk. To. Disney. People.

Disney people, Disney people, where for art thou Disney people? In my world, everywhere! I couldn’t believe how many folks I knew who were legitimate Disney vacation insiders. Typically, these peeps truly enjoyed discussing all things Disney, too (something I truly didn’t “get” until now) and thus were quite willing to help clueless ‘ol me with my endless Disney Dunce questions. I totally embraced and took advantage of the advice all were willing to give.

In fact, I received so much great advice, tips, and ideas from my Disney-expert friends that I never even opened the damn Birnbaum’s Disney bible I shelled out $13.59 for last year. In fact, I just found it today, a week after we flew home!

A colleague of mine, Karen, is a boss level Disney vacation expert. She lives nearby and was kind enough to meet me for lunch to discuss my Disney trip on two separate occasions, too! The first time was during the very early stages of my planning, where I didn’t even know where to stay. To help me decide, Karen told me all about Disney resorts, as well as the three-tier system of resort price point categories.

Because Karen is NO JOKE.

After our powwow, I decided to book the Port Orleans-Riverside Disney resort for my family’s trip. The Port Orleans-Riverside is a moderately-priced Disney resort or the middle tier between “Premium Resort” and “Value Resort.” Basically, I wanted to stay at a classy place that was away from any possible younger, louder, possibly more obnoxious crowds. Therefore, I was willing to shell out a bit more dough, but not upwards of premium-level resort prices. Maybe next time.

Karen and I met one other time, around 180 days before my family’s arrival so that she could walk me through reserving character dining on the Disney app (and Fast Passes later on at 60 days out). The character meet and greet meals  (we ended up doing 6 of them) ended up being S4’s favorite part of the whole trip, and I am SO THANKFUL that I booked them.

The character meals were also by far the biggest expense of the whole vacation week, too, at $150-$200 per meal, just to put that out there. Those breakfasts and dinners were not included in our travel package like, say, the 6-day Magic Your Way Pass with Park Hopper tickets were.

But I’ll pay off those meals, eventually.

From character meals and theme park meet and greets, S4 ended up filling an entire autograph book with Disney character signatures. She even started a second book! And the look on my little girl’s face each time she met a new Disney princess or character… her unbridled happiness instantly became my own. I’d pay double the cost of those meals in order to give S4 the wonderful character dining experiences that she had on this trip. One thousand percent.

In conclusion, every person planning a Disney vacation needs a Karen. And to Karen? Thank you. Again.

#3: The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is an incredible experience for young kids. Less so, however, for the pre-teen set.

I booked two 12:30 pm appointments at the Magic Kingdom’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for our first full day at Disney. Of course, Disney day 1 was going to be spent at the Magic Kingdom, which is where one of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutiques are located (the second location is at Disney Springs).

Many of my Disney peeps, as well as numerous Disney blogs I had read prior to our trip touted the BBB as a must-have experience for those of us Disneyers blessed with daughters (they also have ‘Gallant Knight transformations’ for boys, and I’d hope that if boy wanted a princess makeover or a girl, a knight transformation, they’d oblige without hesitation.)

So 6 months in advance, I called the BBB and attempted to book two morning princess makeover appointments for Tuesday, August 21. Please Note: I totally, absolutely, and completely asked S12 if she wanted to do this before I booked her an appointment. The BBB princess makeovers are advertised for ages 3-12. With S12 being on the far older end of that range, I figured I’d better ask and give her the opportunity to decline if she so desired.

Let the record show: S12 responded: “Sure, I’ll do it.” 😤 😐😬

Anyway, because I called in the afternoon of the first possible booking day 6 months in advance of the appointment I desired, rather than calling the literal MOMENT the damn boutique opened that morning, the earliest double-slot they could offer me was 12:30 pm. The first FOUR HOURS of the day were already full by that afternoon.

WHICH. 👏  IS. 👏 INSANE. 👏 TO. 👏  ME. 👏

Though it did all end up working out better for us with the afternoon time slots. Vacationing, Disney-style reminded me how much my family members are not morning people (except S12 who is both a morning and a night person, and quite possibly beyond mortal).

We hadn’t been at the Magic Kingdom long when we arrived at the Boutique. At the resort, we had met up with my mother who drove over from her senior community nearby, and then all of us took the shuttle bus from the resort to the Magic Kingdom (free to Disney resort patrons and yet another FABULOUS Disney perk). Once inside the MK, photos were taken in front of Cinderella’s castle, maps were quickly scanned, and we were off to Bibbidi Bobbidi Land for our two princesses’ princess makeovers!

Which started off… not so great.

In the waiting room, impatient S4 was rocking back and forth on her bottom and ended up hitting her head pretty hard against the wall, causing some substantial crying and a little panic as head injuries worry me to death. After assessing S4 to be fine, S12, the moment she sat in the chair, had a mood about her that was 100% driving me INSANE. She was wearing what I refer to as her ‘thundercloud face’ expression while giving one-word short answers to anything she was asked. Then, the moment S4 was placed in her salon chair, she started to cry-again about her head. About to lose it, I called Mike who was waiting outside the boutique.

And I started to cry.

Yup, I cried at Disney. Don’t tell me I haven’t experienced Disney everything, cause I have.

My stress-cry ended up having an effect on S12, I am quite certain, as she toned down her moody attitude significantly after seeing me so distraught. However, I could also tell that she SO wasn’t into this experience, like at ALL. She didn’t like being called “princess” by the stylists, or the fact that they wouldn’t (couldn’t) break character to just #realtalk with her. Additionally, S12’s hair was a bit too short for the style she chose, and though the stylists offered an alternative version of the hairstyle, S12 insisted they just do the best they could to recreate the original style on the salon menu.

Then, after her hair was finally done, S12 of course remarked, “I should have just let them do the alternative version they suggested. I don’t like the way my hair sticks out in the back like this.”

These adolescent years already got me like 😩😩😩😩

And I, personally think S12 looked GREAT. She got The Crown Package for $64.95 with the Color Star Style. Click here for more info on the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique offerings.

In the case of S4, my mother was her main attendant at the beginning of her princess transformation, because when S4 and my mom see one another, they instantly become inseparable BFFs for the duration of my mother’s visit. I bought S4 the slightly more expensive Courtyard Package for $109.95, which had everything S12’s did, as well as a boutique t-shirt and tutu that I thought she’d like (and she did). S4 chose the Fairytale Princess style for her hair, and though initially, she was still upset about her head, the moment she saw the makeup, tiara, nail polish, etc… she was sold. From that point forward, S4 had the time of her life at the Boutique.

S4 loved every moment of being spoken to and treated like a princess. She 100% ate it up and was smiling ear to ear, completely captivated.

Disney photographers were swarming that place, and along with my iPhone photos, I ended up with a TON of pictures. The pictures all went straight to my PhotoPass account with a photographer’s touch of my Magic band for each girl’s specific photos, too. This was probably the ‘easiest’ part of our whole BBB experience!

After the girls’ makeovers were complete, Mike and I took a few pics outside the Boutique. I then de-stressed and cooled down by sitting on the floor of the supremely air-conditioned Castle Couture gift shop while the girls browsed for souvenirs (each had a $150 trip spending allowance I accumulated in creative ways. More on that next post). After they paid for their bounty, Mike, bless that man, escorted both girls to a pro-shot post-makeover Disney sisters photo shoot right inside Castle Couture. Those pics again, with a touch of the ol’ Magic Band, were added straight to our PhotoPass account, as well!

When all was said and done, though the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique was stressful AF, after this photo appeared in my Disney Photopass account:

I didn’t care. The stress was 100% worth it.

Also, I snapped this matchy-matchy pic after our Cinderella’s Royal Table 2:30 pm lunch that followed the Castle Couture photo shoot. Of course, S12 changed into her regular clothes and took our her BBB hairstyle 10 seconds after I snapped this, but whatever. I got my #twinning photo.

While S12 changed the moment I told her she could, conversely, S4 wore her bun and tiara to bed that night. As well as to Epcot the very next day.

#4: If you have a child small enough to ride in a stroller, rent a stroller at Disney. Even if “he/she hasn’t ridden a stroller in years!”

Holy heck, I almost didn’t rent a stroller, due to the exact sentiment above crossing my mind. Also, Mike seemed pretty ambivalent about the idea of stroller rental, as he really doesn’t like dragging extra ‘gear’ along when traveling. This is likely because he knows who will be the one carrying said ‘extra gear.’ (Him).

But boy oh boy, I am SO GLAD I listened to my Disney peeps and just rented that damn stroller anyway. Mike likely is grateful we rented it too, though of course, he hasn’t admitted it. Likely, our vacation’s enjoyment quotient would have suffered greatly without wheely transport for S4.

Therefore, Orlando Strollers, I salute you.

At home, I can’t even recall the last time S4 rode in a stroller. I actually don’t even know where her stroller is any longer- did we sell it? Is it in storage? Not a clue. In my opinion, it is not that S4 is too old for a stroller, she just typically doesn’t need one. At supermarkets or department stores, she rides in a cart if she is tired and at places like the county fair, she is usually fine on her own two feet for several hours of corny carnival-type fun.

But Disney is a whole other level of foot travel, and four-year-olds deplete energy in bursts, rather than steadily. Plus the August Florida heat and humidity make everything requiring human movement 200% worse. Therefore, I am convinced that S4 would have been an absolute nightmare without the stroller. Likely, Mike would have ended up carrying a 42 inch, 46 lb four-year-old around a hot AF theme park for several hours, for several days in a row.

And ended up in a Magic Hospital, rather than a Magic Kingdom.

I honestly didn’t know how S4 would feel about the stroller idea. Typically, she is, well, unpredictable. Sometimes the most insignificant thing can set her off, and other times she will embrace hardship or discomfort without question. Luckily, right away, S4 was ALL ABOUT that stroller. She absolutely LOVED IT. She laid in it like a damn diva with her water, sunglasses, and snacks looking like the family princess. At the resort, she even channeled her inner Chandler Bing and sat in the thing watching YouTube Kids on her iPad.

Another plus? The stroller held a ton of crap that we didn’t have to carry ourselves. Extra waters, drinks, and snacks, souvenirs, a huge spray fan I bought at Epcot for $20 because the Florida heat usurped all my financial sensibilities, and whatever else nobody wanted to carry.

Orlando Strollers dropped off the stroller before we arrived on Monday and I picked it up at bell services Monday night. Mike dropped it off Sunday night for pick-up on Monday. We rented the Summit X3 Single stroller advertised for kids aged 4-7 that supports weights up to 75 lbs and heights to 49 in. The stroller came with a sun canopy, rain cover, and a small cooler we were allowed to keep as a gift. For a seven-night rental, the stroller cost $65 plus $20 insurance in case it was stolen (which I was happy to hear is very rare at Disney, especially since strollers aren’t really allowed in any indoor Disney places).

Having access to a stroller for S4 was totally and completely worth the $85 rental fee for the week. Big thanks to my Disney insider friends David and Lucretia for your insistence that a stroller would be a necessity for us. You were both absolutely, totally, and completely right about that and your suggestion likely saved my family a TON of potential issues!

#5: When Disneying with two vastly different children in two vastly different developmental stages, the best parental sanity-saver? Divide and Conquer.

Beyond the fact that a 4-year-old is going to run out of steam at a theme park well before a 12-year-old for physiological reasons alone, S12 and S4 are also wired completely differently when it comes to how much “out and about” fun each can tolerate.

In the case of S12, crowds, heat, fatigue, and constant stimulation don’t seem to phase her at all. Good times, novel experiences, fun, and socialization are like fuel for S12, and she will keep going hard, experiencing all that she can, and refuse to slow down one iota until basically, the party is over, the theme park closes, the rest of the girls at the sleepover are in dreamland, or she is told that its time to go home. My husband is also like this-having a good time fans his energy flames to maximum height. Also, extreme temperatures don’t affect S12 (or Mike) much at all, either. Which bodes well for them both when on vacation in Central Florida, during the month of August, or as I like to call that particular setting, Satan’s Armpit.

Though S12 and I share many more similar personality traits than S4 and I do, in this case, S4 is my spirit animal. No matter what time we arrived at any particular park, by 3-4 pm, Miss Thing has had just about enough, thank you very much. “Can we go back to the hotel now?” she would start to ask, repeatedly. The first day that question was uttered was our first full day at Disney, right after the Boutique and Cinderella’s Royal Table lunch. I don’t even think we had ridden a single ride yet, other than the carousel right before our Boutique appointment. In response, S12 gaped at her sister’s audacity to ask such a thing, giving S4 a look that could likely shatter glass.

S12’s face be like: I. Don’t. THINK SO!! 

Meanwhile, S4 had ridden the carousel, taken photos, had a princess makeover, ate a huge lunch, met princesses, and bought Elsa and Anna souvenir toy kits at Castle Couture that she was totally jonesing to open up and play with. Quietly. At the hotel, in the air-conditioned room, with some snacks, TV, and relative comfort, peace, and quiet.

I totally get it, S4. I feel you. I could go for doing that, too!

Faced with this dual-kid ying-yang desired-activity dilemma, Mike and I were left with little choice: we needed to devise a plan that would make BOTH kids happy, or else one of the two would be absolutely miserable every single day. Nobody wanted that. Because when either kid ain’t happy, ain’t nobody in the family gon’ be happy.

So that first Tuesday, my mother and I took S4 back to the resort around 4 pm, and Mike and S12 stayed at the Magic Kingdom until closing. I love that the two of them spent that time together, as lately, they haven’t had a ton of Daddy-daughter moments (which makes sense. Not many 42-year-old men and 12-year-old girls have a plethora of similar interests). The quality time Mike and S12 shared at Disney resulted in wonderful memories for both of them that I know they will always cherish, too.

On Wednesday, my mother stayed late at Epcot with S12 for some Grandma-granddaughter fun. Mike, S4 and I returned to the Port Orleans around 4 pm. I even got to take a solitary walk and grab a smoothie when we returned to the resort! That was BLISS, indeed.

On Friday, my mother and I took S4 back to the resort at around 5 pm, and Mike and S12 stayed until closing time at the Animal Kingdom. The two of them rode every single ride at the park that night. Mike was exhausted the next day, but also, exhilarated.

On Saturday night, S12 closed the Magic Kingdom… with me! And a very-exhausted Mike got to take S4 back to the resort and go to bed early. As a family, we didn’t go out until 5:30 pm that day though, so S4 and Mike were out with us at Cinderella’s Happily Ever After dinner at the Grand Floridian Resort, and then ferried with us to the Magic Kingdom until about 9:30 pm! I don’t recommend following such a schedule with a 4-year-old more than once or twice at Disney, however, unless the child is like S12 was at age 4 (which is just like how she is now-energy personified, never tired). That night, S4 got to see the nightly fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom, too, and I was so glad!

We were late so only caught a side view of the show, but still, it was a pretty impressive sight. Pro tip: if you are not into watching the firework show at the MK at night, its a great time for the rides as the wait times are typically silly short. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was only a 10-minute wait during this spectacle!

On Sunday, S4 made it from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm at the Magic Kingdom! I was quite impressed by that. S12 and I left Mike and S4 at the Magic Kingdom around 3:30 pm waiting in line so that S4 could meet Tinkerbell. After that, Mike and S4 had a mini photo shoot together (so cute), went back to the hotel, and S4 swam in the pool til closing time! Apparently, my youngest becomes more energetic as her vacation progresses.

After dropping Mike and S4 off to meet Tinkerbell, S12 and I took the monorail to Epcot so that she could get a photo with Mulan at her final 4:30 pm appearance time (Mulan was the only princess photo S12 desired), eat dinner, and ride Soarin’ again (my favorite ride of the trip).

After that, S12 and I monorailed over to Hollywood Studios until their 10 pm closing time. We had to cut our day trip there short on Thursday as the weather was just atrocious and thus had planned to come back in the evening on our last full Disney day. S12 and I rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride twice, and then we just barely made it into the last group for a second and final ride on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at 9:58 pm! Talk about ending our final Disney day the right way-with some classic rock and a thrill ride! Woot!

Utilizing the parental strategy of “divide and conquer,” Mike and I were able to meet both of our daughter’s vastly different needs this trip, ensuring that they both got all they could out of our family’s incredible 8-day Disney vacation. The only drawback? By trip’s end, Mike and I were looking at one another like, “Hey! How you doing? I miss you, spouse o’ mine.” Sniff 😭

However, everybody knows that family vacations are not romantic vacations. They never will be, either. And I can’t complain- Mike and I did get one night out alone at the Magic Kingdom by ourselves, too, which I will cover in The Definitive Disney 10: part 2, coming soon!

Thanks for reading! Until next time!