My first Walt Disney World experience was nearly 30 years ago, and although I can’t recall many details of my experience, the one memory that cemented in my mind was the unforgettable rides and meeting all my favorite childhood characters, Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck and Pluto.
Fast forward to today, I wanted to ensure that my daughter’s would have that same magical experience as I did as a child and even more.
Although, amusement and themes parks were not our typical travel adventures, it was an experience that we wanted to ensure that our girls would have at least once in their lifetime. Believe it or not, Disney was a part of our bucket list and had actually started planning on how we could afford it, even before the girls can walk and talk.
And so we did A LOT of advanced planning, nearly 3 years, and we finally fulfilled our girl’s dreams to Disney.
Make sure to read our other blog post on how we practically got this trip for FREE!!
Planning For Disney
There’s nothing more unforgettable than surprising your kids with their dream vacation and we figured that 5 and 7 years were the perfect age for their first Disney experience. Check out our surprise Disney video and see their priceless reactions!
Walt Disney World has a total of 4 theme parks: 1) Magic Kingdom 2) Epcot 3) Hollywood Studios and the latest one 4) Animal Kingdom . As well as two water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.
With just a week of vacation during the Summer break, we figured a 4 day Disney park pass would be sufficient to see and do the many highlights of our favorite Disney parks.
We highly recommend staying at one of the affiliated Disney resorts to have a more magical and less stressful experience. Here are our top reasons why:
1. Complimentary shuttle buses/boats/monorail to the front gates of all the Disney theme parks from your hotel and return trips from the Disney parks. The shuttles are very convenient and accommodating, and usually often run within 30 minutes and stress free. You don’t have to worry about driving after a fun, but nonetheless exhausting day and you can also save on the daily parking expenses.
2. Early access to Fast Pass selections on any of the Disney Parks per day. You will have to purchase your ticket passes in advance to link you Fast Pass experiences. Believe it or not, this is such a big perk, especially during the peak summer vacation seasons. You are able to bypass the regular line-up and cut your wait time at least by half. You will have to create and link all your reservations on the Disney website. Also, downloading the Disney app on your phone will help you to select your rides on the go and also link any food reservations, making it convenient in case you have to make any changes to your times. Free wifi is offered throughout the Disney parks, and convenient for international travelers.
3. Enjoy the extra magic hours, before and after, the regular operating park hours. Only a few of the Disney parks offer this access and limited time throughout the year. Click here for the days and times that are offered. Should you take advantage, you will have priority access to all you favorite rides
Our Hotel – Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
We had saved up enough points with our SPG rewards points to earn our free night stays at our hotel. The hotel offers many family friendly restaurants, amenities, and activities and is also adjoining to the Walt Disney Swan Hotel. The guests are welcome to access either one of the many dining options and amenities of both hotels. We had a fun whole day relaxing and exploring both hotels. The boardwalk is also minutes away from the hotel, and on a spare day, a nice place to explore the many shops and dining options in the area and is actually within walking distance to epcot.
MAGIC KINGDOM
The most popular and oldest of the 4 Disney theme parks and there’s so many reasons why, that we actually had to come back again! The moment you walk in to the park, your attention is already encapsulated to the main attraction, Cinderella’s castle but there are so many fun productions and shows along Main Street to add to that first experience. Disney has definitely stepped up the game on the amount of effort and quality that they put on each and everyday to warm the hearts of thousands of visitors that come from all parts of the world. There are 6 main sections of Magic Kingdom: Main Street, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasy Land, and Tomorrowland. It would seem almost impossible to see all the shows and go on the rides in one day and best to set your focus on the main rides that you would like to experience. Our main goal was not so much to go on all the rides but also to catch the parades, shows, and meet with the many fun Disney characters. My girls favorite encounter was meeting with Pooh-Bear and of course our adventures would not have been complete without an invitation at Cinderella’s castle. We had an unforgettable time meeting all the Disney princesses, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Snow White, and Jasmine and a delicious lunch to add to it. Our highlight of Magic Kingdom, was the spectacular display of fireworks, light show at the castle, and we even caught Tinker Bell flying from the castle. Such an awe-inspiring experience to see in person.
EPCOT
The second of the 4 parks built after Magic Kingdom in 1982. Epcot is the acronym for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow and popularized by its iconic spherical globe. Disney had envisioned EPCOT to be the community of the future where people can live and work. We had a great time exploring this park and the many countries that were represented: Mexico, China, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, Canada, UK, France, Morocco and the US. Our favorite pavilion was the Mesoamerican Pyramid exhibit in Mexico. The inside had been depicted to look like a Mexican village and marketplace, and the decor and shops were inspired by the Disney Movie Coco. There is a really cool hidden gem inside, a restaurant called San Ángel Inn Restaurante. Also, a fun boat ride experience inside, called the Grand Fiesta Tour, starring the Three Caballeros. Epcot hands down, has one of the best foodie experience and such a vast selection that you will never get bored. Each of the country offers a popular and authentic dish in each of their Pavilion. The daily highlight at the end of the day is the Illuminations: Reflections of the Earth and features one of the amazing fireworks, lasers, water fountains, fire, and synchronizing in the background, are the countries pavilions being lit up.
ANIMAL KINGDOM
Celebrating 20 years of its existence in 2018, Animal Kingdom is also the largest of the 4 parks, spanning over 580 acres and centering its theme around a very zoo like experience. A variety of live animals, and of course Disney characters, can be encountered here. Popularized for the Pandora – The World of Avatar exhibit, and the most sought after rides in the Park: Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’avi River Journey. The park is also divided into 5 other sections: Oasis, Discovery Island, Dinoland USA, Asia and our favourite exhibit Africa. The highlight and most iconic structure in the park is located in epicenter, called the Tree of Life. One of our most favorite ride was the Kilimanjaro Safari and seeing the likes of live animals including: zebras, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, rhino’s and many other exotic animals. Typically, lions and elephants could also be spotted but depending on the time of day you go, they may not be available. I highly recommend this ride in the morning or late afternoon, as generally animals are more active during this time. Animal Kingdom is the only park that does not have a fireworks show at the end of the day, as this could prove to be disruptive to the animals. Their daily highlight is the, Rivers of Light show, which combines water, light and sound as projections of animals silhouette with water sprouting from lotus flowers appears. At the end of the show, the lanterns of animals are all beautifully lit up.
Disney draws so many crowds from around the world, from all ages and backgrounds, every year and there’s a reason why people keep coming back. Our first family Disney adventure was everything we had hoped it would be and more. We did not have the time to explore Hollywood studios during our stay, as we decided that the girls for their age, would appreciate Magic Kingdom more the second time around. Depending where our travels takes us in the next few years and when the girls are older, we will try to have that opportunity to re-live all the Disney parks experience again. Whether your young or old, I encourage everyone to start planning that once in a lifetime Disney experience and create your own adventures.