The Chocolates will be Disney bound in just a few short weeks. I have been up to my eyeballs in Disney for the last few weeks reading websites, forums, books to get us ready for this trip. To be honest I think I am just as excited, if not more so, than my children (since one doesn’t know what Disney is and the other only has a vague notion). I will be doing a series of posts leading up to our trip about what we are bringing, what our tentative schedule breakdown will look like as we balance a 4 year old and a 1 year old, our hotel review (we are staying in a family suite at the Art of Animation), food reviews, photography tips (and fails) and anything else that comes up. This post is dedicated to Disney extras or secrets I have been trying to find before we arrive.
Ever since I learned about the Disney store opening ceremony, I realized that Disney truly is a place that wants to make magical memories for children. If they do a special ceremony at their stores, you have to imagine their parks must have a few wonderful things hidden up their sleeves. Since Drake and Juliet are both still young and not really Disney lovers to begin with, I am really keen on finding ways to make this trip memorable for them. These are some tips I’ve gathered:
– If you board the Liberty Square (a large replica steamboat), children who ask may be allowed to go into the steering room with the wheel and get to “steer” the boat. They also get a certificate at the end as a souvenir.
(image via disneyworld)
– On Prince Charming’s Carousel, there is one horse with a gold ribbon tied to its tail; that is Cinderella’s own horse.
– Before the Fantasmic show in Hollywood Studios, there are usually a lot of characters out and about near the Main Street area. I’ve read it’s a good place and time to see a lot of characters.
– If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary, etc., you can get a free button at guest relations.
– At the Indiana Stunt show in Hollywood Studios there are signs that say, “Don’t pull” or, “Warning don’t touch” and if you do, something can happen… not always good.
– Many of the hotels offer movies under the stars, which might be the perfect way to get little ones ready for bed.
– The Animal Kingdom Lodge has viewing areas where you can see giraffes and zebras as they live in enclosures around the hotel.
– Chip & Dale offers a sing along nightly at the Wilderness Campground where you can meet them, roast s’mores , and watch a movie under the stars. The event is free, but you have to buy your own s’mores stuff. They also have pony rides and a petting zoo in the area.
– Kids can decorate a figure and have it stamped in each country at Epcot. You can even buy a passport (around $10) and do it that way for a neat souvenir.
– There are hidden Mickeys all around the parks. I think it might be a fun game to play with Drake and it might help take up some of his attention when waiting in lines.
– I think most parks open about 20 minutes before the actual start time. Being early in general is always the best they say with crowds anyway.
– You can ride swap with a partner, meaning if you and your partner both want to ride on a ride with your child you can. One person goes on the ride initially and when they come off your child stays on and you switch with the other parent so they can go with them as well.
– Disney pin collecting is a huge thing (I am hoping to try this with Drake and plan on making a separate post about this later on). I learned that green lanyards mean that the cast members will only trade with children and blue means they will trade with everyone.
And all in all Ive heard that cast members are beyond friendly and delighted to help you have a magical vacation with your family!
GOLD / coconut / 8266 posts
A park will open early each day for guests who stay at Disney resorts. You’ll get a list of early openings and late closings when you check in!
Download the My Disney Experience app. It will give you up to the minute ride waits, let you check on reservations, make dining reservations, make Fastpass + reservations, etc.
blogger / coconut / 8306 posts
We went in December 2010, over Christmas, and stayed offsite at a timeshare. It was sooo crowded at the parks! I read on a forum that they’ll randomly open early, and one morning we got in at 6am even though we stayed off site!
It was really cool, and we got to do everything we wanted to. It felt like we were the only people in the park!
pear / 1861 posts
Great tips! I’d say make sure you have enough days because it seems like we didn’t get to do all I wanted, we were SO tired! LOL! I know there are more trips, but man, wayyyy too much to see which is a good thing!
pear / 1698 posts
We stayed at the Animal Kingdom resort and from our room we could see a ton of animals. They get so close that they warn you not to hang your swimsuit on the balcony since the giraffes have been known to steal them. It was such a neat place to stay!
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
My friend and I went to Disney for his birthday and he received a button. We were skipped to the front of the line on a couple rides and a few places wouldn’t accept payment from the birthday boy when we bought drinks and snacks.
blogger / honeydew / 7081 posts
So cool! I want to go to Disney – but I should probably wait until K is a little older. Hope you guys have so much fun!!
persimmon / 1194 posts
All the reasons you listed are the reasons why we love disney! We’ve been to all the other parks such as knotts and sea world and its given us such an appreciation for the experience that Walt Disney created for children and families. Not only are their cast members beyond friendly their facilities are always nice and clean! While it’s more expensive than the other parks we find it totally worth it and have been passholder a for 10 years.
If you arrive before opening they have a special opening ceremony where they the cast members lead you into the different lands at opening time and the cast members on Main Street wave to people with mickey hands. Just a nice way to start your disney day. If you are staying in a disney hotel make sure to ask for the “magical hours” special hours just for hotel guests.
Also per disney cast member, the best days to go to the parks are Tuesday and Wednesday, worst day by far is Sunday.
We use the Mouse Wait app to get wait times, restaurants, etc.
Hope you have a great trip!
guest
My family, also including a one-year-old and four-year-old, will also be going to Disney World next month. I will be eagerly awaiting your reports to get ideas for our trip!
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
You can get a button for the kids as First Time visitors! Its a great free souvenir!
Usually you can find park opening/closing times posted ahead of time.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
Great tips! I hope we can make a trip to Disney World someday!
persimmon / 1364 posts
I love Disney(land.) Living in Southern California I’ve definitely been many times and it just never gets old. As an adult I really have no desire to go to other amusement parks anymore, (Knotts, Six Flags, Universal Studios, etc.) But there is just something magical about Disneyland that keeps me happily coming back. Plus all the fun, special food they have is reason enough alone. Mmmm I could so go for a cream cheese filled pretzel right now.
Also, not sure if there is a Blue Bayou restaurant at the Disneyworld park but I will say that it’s SO worth it to eat there. Make reservations ahead of time and be prepared to pay for a nice meal. But the food is legitimately high quality and the atmosphere is phenomenal.
blogger / pomegranate / 3491 posts
So great! When we are past the baby stage, I would love to take c and his sibling(s?) to Disney.
guest
Buy pins on ebay to trade with cast members! That way you don’t give away pins you love.
pomegranate / 3779 posts
At night, they often have night vision binoculars available to look at the animals at Animal Kingdom. I really want to go back, but I want to wait until LO is old enough to remember.
guest
Be sure too to give the kids the time the magic takes. It will not always be when you expect it and if you are too busy or in a hurry you miss it. The skipping fountain at Epcot by captain eo was a big one for my kids
pomegranate / 3791 posts
I love Disney so much! There’s so much attention put into detail, so don’t get to caught up in the rush from attraction to attraction – the little moments and things like the signs/props you mentioned outside Indiana Jones, the fountain at Epcot, ‘eavesdropping’ on the phone in the hat shop on Main Street at Magic Kingdom, the Singing in the Rain umbrella at Hollywood Studios, all of that stuff is what can make a trip extra-special.
And my #1 tip, especially when traveling with kids? NAPS. Seriously. We take a break every day to go back to the hotel, even if no one is tired we just chill out, swim in the pool, look at cool stuff in the lobby, etc. Not doing so leads to people having way less fun than possible by the end of the day! That’s how it always goes for us anyways.
guest
Here are some cool things my 15 month old daughter likes at th Disney parks. We are annual pass holders, so we are there A LOT!:
The aquariums and manatee viewing area as you exit the Nemo ride at Epcot; the petting zoo at Animal Kingdom (you take a train out there); the dinosaur digging area in DinoLand at Animal Kingdom; the Beauty and the Beast “ride” at Magic Kingdom where all of the kids get to play a part in a the scene from the movie and have a meet a greet/photo with Belle; the little splash pad at Epcot; and soooo much more! I hope your family has a blast!
nectarine / 2210 posts
@Meowkers: No, Blue Bayou is just at Disneyland. It wouldn’t really fit at Disney World since they don’t have a New Orleans Square. Instead Pirates is in like Adventureland. That does mean of course that you don’t get to eat inside Pirates there.
blogger / pear / 1563 posts
So fun! We have no imminent plans to go to Disney until Little P starts insisting. It just sounds like such an overwhelming and exhausting family trip! For now I’ll just go to the beach. hehe
blogger / nectarine / 2687 posts
so awesome!!! i definitely have to keep this in mind for next time we go!
GOLD / grapefruit / 4555 posts
This is so neat! Incredibly jealous and can’t wait to hear more. I actually used to collect pins just for fun. Ones that made me laugh or smile or have a memory of somewhere we’d been. I can’t wait to see what pins you end up with! Be sure to take before and after shots of what you have!
bananas / 9973 posts
This is so awesome! Even though we live so close to Disneyland, all the cool extras really make me want to do a Disney World/Orlando trip in the future!
coconut / 8430 posts
My biggest tip is to make sure you understand how the magic bands system works. My understanding is that there are some quirks that can help you if you know to take advantage of them.
pea / 16 posts
we love wdw! our first visit was may 2013 and second in march of this year. we bought no expiration tickets since we knew we would be back multiple times and saved a bit.
we didnt do the pins but the autograph books were a hit. I customized the cover and made my own on some cardstock. also stock up on quarters and pennies, its an inexpensive souvenir that doesnt take up a lot of room!
def read up on how fastpass+ works and for us, prepaying for the photopass saved me the worry of capturing pics.