Hi Guys! So sorry I took yesterday off from the blog, I was incredibly tired and went to bed super early after our super fun weekend at Disney. If you followed along on insta stories, you saw that we had the most amazing time EVER. I can’t even put into words how wonderful it was to see Olivia enjoy this trip. Her huge smile never left her face and she has not stopped talking about it. We started our day at 8:30 and did not go to bed until 11:30, crazy! Olivia got a good 2 hour nap mid day, but we definitely had a full fun day of activities. Since I “planned” this trip with about 5 day notice, it was a bit different when it comes to planning Disney trips. Most families have to plan MONTHS in advance. I got a ton of questions about what we did, stayed, ate, wore etc, so I wanted to cover it all for your here.

Romper | Shoes

WHERE WE STAYED

This trip we stayed at the Wyndham Grand Orlando at Bonnet Creek. We absolutely loved the hotel and location. It is about a 10-15 min drive to the Magic Kingdom Transportation hub and then you take the short ride on the Metro to the park. The hotel has numerous restaurants and a fantastic pool. Olivia LOVES the pool so we spent our first night swimming and hanging out there. The rooms are also very big! Our room had a king size bed and even two bunk beds. It was more than enough room for us.  Last year we stayed at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge property and we loved that too. There are TONS of reviews on all the properties around Disney so do you research before booking. Also each hotel should have transportation to the parks. If they don’t there is a service they can connect you with.

Livies Outfit is from Gap

WHAT WE DID

Since this was last minute, I didn’t have high hopes on getting into all the places we wanted. To my surprise, we did! I have heard from numerous people to always check reservations via the Disney App the week leading up to your trip because people change their schedules and cancel reservations. I booked our most sought after reservation, the Cinderella table, 2 days before our trip! For larger families it will be a bit tougher to do this, so be sure to plan well in advance. Below are my favorite things we did while in Disney

Breakfast at Cinderella’s Castle

Hands down the best money I have ever spent at DIsney. We did not get the chance to do this on our first trip two years ago, so I was super excited to get a reservation. When you arrive Cinderella is inside where you get to meet her and take pictures. After that they call your name and bring you upstairs to the dining area. The meal options were pretty amazing and the food was very good. The meal for kids is preset and includes, eggs, a Mickey waffle, bacon, and juice/milk. They also bring out a full plate of yummy pastries before the main course. Just as you are about to finish your meal, the princesses start to come out. They announce each one before they make their grand entrance and then they come to each table. We saw Snow White, Ariel, Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. It was INCREDIBLY special and Olivia was on cloud 9. After the meal they bring each princess a magic wand and wishing star. Worth every single cent! Keep in mind that you will have to make your meal purchase when booking your reservation.

Bippity Boppity Boutique 

This was another reservation I didn’t think we were going to score, but someone made a cancellation and we got in. There are two locations, one a Magic Kingdom and one at Disney Springs. We went to the Disney Springs location. The prices here can be a bit steep, but honestly if you add up everything you get, its worth it. When you arrive, they call back your princess and you head back to the dressing room. We did the full package so Olivia got to choose from tons of princess dresses. She ended up choosing Aurora and her dress was waiting for her in the dressing room. They leave you to change and a bit of magic happens on the mirror (don’t want to give it all away haha) After getting dressed and getting your matching wand and crown, you head back to the salon.  Olivia chose a full up do for her hair style (there are three options) and they got to work. They make it a full on princess experience. They do their make up (nothing crazy haha) nails, and even give them a carriage necklace at the end. You get to take home everything they used, plus makeup remover and shampoo, in a cute little bippity boppity boutique backpack. After you are done at the salon, they take you back to get your picture in front of Cinderella’s carriage. The entire experience was around 45 min and so much fun! There are numerous packages you can choose from and you can also bring in your own dress. Keep in mind, the dresses can run around $100 if you purchase them at the parks.

Fast Passes 

You are allowed three fast passes per park ticket. We chose to meet Rapunzel and Tiana at the Fairytale Hall, the Belle Enchanted Experience (SO cute) and Buzz Lightyear’s ride. The princess lines can get very long so keep that in mind when booking your fast passes.

Fireworks

If you are not absolutely exhausted after your day, you HAVE to go back and see the fireworks. It is absolutely magical! The entire production is so well thought out and your entire family will enjoy it.

RIDES

There are a ton of rides that kids can ride at Magic Kingdom. We rode, Ariel’s, Buzz Lightyear (where you shoot the aliens), Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo Flying Elephants, and the Carousel.

What to Wear

This was probably my most asked question. We have now been in the early summer and in November. Both times it was incredibly warm during the day. We 100% dress for comfort. While there are lots of little girls running around in princess dresses, I always dress Olivia in a light airy outfit and sneakers. Princess dresses can be itchy and uncomfortable which will make for one angry toddler haha. Olivia didn’t complain once about being hot and didn’t fuss with her outfit. I also dress for comfort and wear light colors. I wore a fun Mickey T Shirt and a linen loose skirt. I wore cut offs when we went back at night. My favorite places to look for adult disney clothes is Asos, Zara and H&M. For Olivia I always check out Gymboree, Crazy 8, Nordstrom, Gap, H&M and Zara.  Below are my current favorites!

(after ice cream that melted ALL over of both! We still laugh about it haha)

MORE TIPS

Disney Experience App

This is a must download. You will have your entire schedule at your fingertips, wait times at each ride, appearance times for each character, see your Memory Maker pictures  and you can book your fast passes/reservations on the app too. It will also give your walking directions to each attraction.

Nighttime at the Park

I was honestly surprise how dark it is inside the park at night. I figured there would be more lighting, but there was little to none around the back side.  We went to 3-4 rides right after the fireworks and headed back to the hotel. This may  just be me being super paranoid haha, but I wanted to mention it because it surprised me. If this doesn’t bother you, the lines are not near as long and you can get a lot in, in a short amount of time.

What to Bring 

I try to not over pack because you will have to carry it around the park the entire day, but there are essentials you need.  I always pack snacks, hand sanitizer, wipes, sunscreen and a change of clothes for Olivia. I sometimes bring a couple of water bottles, but usually just purchase those at the park as they can get heavy in your bag. Each child is different and just think about your typical daily needs and pack accordingly.

Disney Memory Maker

There are photographers EVERYWHERE to capture your magical experience. Each time they snap your picture they scan your memory band or card to load them to your account.  I did bring my camera, but wish I would have just left it at the hotel. It is $60 to purchase for one day and there are different packages for longer stays. You are also able to view the images, with watermarks, before making the purchase.  I took a ton of pictures off my phone too and they are very respectful to you so that you can get your own pictures at each attraction/experience. They did such a great job of capturing everything and I loved all the images they took!

Character Lines

On the app you will find the times that each Character makes their appearance. I recommend arriving 5-10 min early before their scheduled time. They also close off the line about 15 min before the the time slot ends, so don’t arrive later or they will not let you see them. We loved seeing  Merida (she was amazing,) Alice in Wonderland, Gaston and Buzz Lightyear(one of Olivia’s favorites!) We saw the Mickey crew on our first trip as well as Pluto and Chip/Dale.

FOOD

I wish I had more tips on Food, but besides Cinderella’s Table, we did most of our dining at our hotel. We visited the Ice Cream Parlor which was delicious and snacked on different things throughout the day. We ate at Crystal Palace on our first trip which is wear the Winnie the Pooh characters are. There is also a Lady and the Tramp restaurant that you can go to in the morning and it comes with a VIP ticket to the daily parade!  We have also eaten at the Beauty and the Beast restaurant and the dining rooms were really beautiful. There are tons of restaurants at all the parks and they book up quickly, so make sure you reserve well in advance.

I hope this helps if you are planning a Disney Trip! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email me! Have the best day! xoxo Tara