Tag Archives: disneyworld

Disney Packing Must-Have #5

A mini first aid kit, or at least a few supplies

Its unfortunate but true that holidays rarely go without some little medical mishap; sunburn, blisters, headaches, the list goes on.. And while Disney World has medical stations, and there’s drugstores in the area, its still better to be prepared with a few basics:

1. Plasters and blister plasters

2. Painkillers, including kid friendly ones

3. Allergy medication and anti-histamines

4. After-sun lotion or aloe vera

5. Travel sickness aids

And anything else you think you may need, better safe than sorry!

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Disney Packing Must-Have #4

Spare memory cards

You’re about to make some magical memories, the last thing you need is the dreaded ‘MEMORY FULL’ flashing across your screen as you’re about to capture them.

And although memory cards these days have incredible capacities (my dad just bought an 128GB card for his high-quality camera that will hold 19,000 hi-def images), you can never be too prepared. It may seem a little excessive, but I would recommend bringing 3: one in the camera, one spare in your bag (in a ziploc/waterproof bag) and one in your hotel to trade in if any get too full.

Say cheese..!

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Disney Packing Must-Have #3

drinks page

Flavouring for water

If you’re prepared, you never need pay for a drink in Disney World. Why?

Water is available everywhere, free of charge, from drinking fountains to counter service restaurants throughout the parks,all you need is a bottle to store it and you’re set for the day. During the summer months it’s so important to keep hydrated during the day, the last thing you need on your trip is to feel rubbish because you didn’t drink enough.

So if, like me, you prefer something with a bit of flavour to it, flavourings like Kool Aid or concentrates like Squash’d or Drops (a bit less messy than Kool Aid) are ideal; they’re small enough to pop in a pocket if you don’t carry a bag, and are super concentrated, so one little bottle can last ages. Plus, you’ll find it easier to get the kids to drink up!

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Disney Packing Must-Have #2

Little Mermaid

A swimsuit

While you might be thinking ‘duh, of course I’ll need a swimsuit!’, but its important that you bring an all-in-one style suit as well as a two piece bikini, and the reason for that is science..

Picture the scene: Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon, scorching Florida day, nice big slide opening out into a pool full of people, and while gravity might be pulling your body down, your top is going to want to stay put and fly back up. Its happened to everyone, embarrassing or what?

So save the bikini for the hotel pool or lying out in the sun, and save your dignity by packing a one-piece for the waterparks! 🙂

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Disney Packing Must-Have #1

The first of many posts, I’ll be posting a different packing must-have every day! 🙂

Mini Sharpies

As well as taking up less space, mini Sharpies come with handy little loop you can use to attach them to bags or zips, so you’ve always got one to hand; you’ll need them!

Sharpies make the perfect pen for autographs – nice and fat for characters to hold, don’t dry out easily, available in every colour imaginable and, of course, permanent, so perfect if you want autographs on tshirts or other unique items.

On top of autographs, having a permanent marker to hand means you can label your resort mugs, bags, strollers, valuables, children..

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50 Days Countdown

Eeek! Today marks 50 days til our Disney adventure begins and I’m beyond excited!

And while seeming like an eternity to wait, at the same time, there isn’t a lot of time to go, so here are a few things that everyone needs to make sure they get done in the last 50 days:

1. If you’re staying in a Disney resort, now is the time to start personalising your Magic Bands. If you don’t know what a Magic Band is, now is the time to learn! They are a rubber bracelet that every guest receives, and act as your room key, park ticket, Fastpass+, the list goes on.. So what do I mean by personalise? Well, they come in 7 different colours, and you can pick! You’ve got until 5 days before your arrival to personalise your band, and if you don’t, you’ll receive a generic grey..

2. Start stocking up on those essentials – glow sticks, suncream, pre-packed souvenirs, snacks etc.

3. Practice walking – while this may sound a little silly, preparing yourself for the amount of walking you’ll do in the park is wise, especially if you’ve got little ones. Take advantage of beautiful weather and walk instead of driving for shorter journeys; you’ll help save the environment, get fitter and prepare yourself for the Disney World parks.

4. Wear in your shoes – as above, you’re going to be doing a lot of walking, the last thing you need is uncomfortable shoes leaving you and the kids with blisters that will ruin the rest of your trip.

5. Ensure your clothes are holiday ready – if you’ve got clothes that haven’t made it out of your wardrobe since last summer, you might find alterations or repairs are needed, and you don’t want to find that out as you’re putting them into your suitcase the night before!

6. Make sure your Goodie Bags are packed and autograph books are at the ready!

7. Ensure you’ve got chargers, spare batteries and spare memory cards for all your tech: cameras, phones etc.

8. If you haven’t done so already, make your Advanced Dining Reservations

9. Get your spending money sorted – whether like us you need to convert pounds to dollars, or just want to sort out the kids spending money, the sooner the better!

10. Lastly.. Get the kids excited! Create a countdown calendar and get everyone to take turns crossing a day off, watch Disney movies, show the kids pictures of the parks and hotels, they’ll love it 🙂

Go, go, go!

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Why get #fitfordisney?

Alongside a number of other upcoming events in my life, Disney is a big reason for improving my fitness levels.

‘Why do I need to be fit to go to Disneyworld?’

Yes, its a theme park, not an assault course, but there are still a number of reasons for hitting the gym before your trip;

1. You underestimate how much walking you’re going to do – the average guest covers around 7 miles per day in the park (I’m going to do some research on this during my trip with the help of my Fitbit), and if you’re not accustomed to walking long distances, or if you’re going in the scorching summer season, it can be a shock to the system.

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2. Disney food is to die for – the last thing you want on your holiday is to be on a diet; where’s the fun in that?! With ice-cream sandwiches, bakeries on every corner and some of the coolest restaurants in the world, you shouldn’t have to be concerned with calorie counting, skipping meals or feeling guilty about what you eat.

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3. Disney workout clothes – check out what Lookhuman have to offer, but Etsy and other places have amazing stuff too!

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4. If you’re going to run just one distance race in your life, runDisney – runDisney organise running weekends and festivals, and yes, the course you run is around the parks! Each weekend/festival usually has a 5k, 10k and half marathon, as well as a Fitness Expo, and these events run throughout the year at both Disney World Florida and Disneyland California. A runDisney half marathon is very high on my Disney bucketlist!

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5. Looking good on your holiday – whether its a summer bikini body or just slimming down for photos, a holiday is one of the most common reasons people give for wanting to get fit. It also gives you an excuse to splurge on new clothes, especially if you’re going to be hitting the outlets!

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I’m not a total selfie nut, promise! These pictures are from my Instagram @lottiedoesdisney and I tag my workout pictures with #fitfordisney 🙂

Now.. how #fitfordisney are you?

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180 Days to Go!

With 180 days to go til our trip, any seasoned Disney World tripper knows it’s ADR time!

‘What’s an ADR?’ I hear you ask. Well at certain restaurants in Disney World, it’s fairly crucial you make Advanced Dining Reservations, and these can be made up to 180 days before your trip.

Now while these shouldn’t be wasted, I definitely wouldn’t recommend overdoing it for a few reasons.

Firstly, while I’m a big fan of planning and timetables, you don’t want to be tied down to meal commitments, especially when enjoying yourself in the parks. This does depend on your holiday though – if you’re only spending a short time at Disney and want to get everything done, or you’re travelling with small children who don’t like long waits, timetabling your trip can be a real godsend (there are some fab websites designed specifically to produce timetables for you that minimise your wait times on rides), and if that’s how you want to go then daily ADRs could work in your favour. If, like me however, you’re going to be in the happiest place on Earth for a good length of time (2 weeks in my case!), time isn’t of the essence – you’re on holiday, you can afford to chill out a little, eat when you feel like it and not worry about having to wait a little while for a table.

My second reason for not going nuts with ADRs is that you have to give credit card details in order to place a reservation, and depending on the restaurant, if you don’t show up you may be charged. You can cancel any ADRs without being charged until 11.59pm Eastern Time on the night before you’re arrival, but any later than that may result in your credit card being billed. Although this may not seem like such a big deal, you’ll be on time for your meal no problem, you never know if you’ll be trapped in the queue for a broken down ride, or caught up in parade traffic, and if you have ADRs every night, you increase the risk of losing money.

All this considered though, you shouldn’t waste the opportunities for fabulous meals your family will remember forever, so plan carefully. So here’s how to play it:

1. Decide what restaurants you really want to go to – www.disneyfoodblog.com has a full list of all the places to eat at Walt Disney World, with reviews, menus and dining advice for each. There are hundreds, but the majority of them are counter service or snack vendors which don’t require reservations. Flick through them all, and make a note of those that require reservations.

2. Think about what meal you want to book for – if you want to watch a parade on a certain night, you may decide to make lunchtime reservations so that in the evening you can grab a snack and make your way to a prime viewing spot.

3. Where will you be?- If you want to go to a certain park on a certain day, maybe if there are Extra Magic Hours, then booking lunch in another park could make you lose hours from your day by travelling between parks.

4. Think kids first – if your little ones are used to having their meals at specific times, or having a big lunch/dinner, plan to what they’re used to most. The last thing you need is over-tired, over-excited children upset because they’ve missed their main meal of the day.

5. Consider your dining plan – if you have the Quick-Service dining plan, you’ll be paying extra for all of your Table-Service meals, and therefore you might not want to go too crazy with bookings; it could end up being more expensive than upgrading your dining plan.

6. Friends and family experiences – it may be, like us, that someone you know has recently come back from their trip. Find out what they did, what they thought and what they recommend; our friends sung great praises of Coral Reef (Epcot) which is somewhere I hadn’t considered before.

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Now I’ve put great thought into our ADRs. There are plenty of restaurants I’d like to visit, but overall I’m not fussed about when specifically we go to them. There are, however a few must-dos..

1. Crystal Palace – You can book for breakfast at Crystal Palace before the Magic Kingdom opens, meaning first access to the park (you can get some great empty park photos and avoid the early queues). Book this for your first proper morning at Disney World (we arrive at Disney late afternoon/early evening, so won’t be venturing into the park straight away due to jet-lag) so that on your first steps into the Magic Kingdom – especially if you’re a first-timer – are completely clear, and you can enjoy the park in all its glory before the masses descend. My girls who have never been to Disney World before will love this!

2. Chef Mickey’s – I last visited Disney World when I was 5, so most memories are fairly foggy, but one of my few clearer memories is Chef Mickey’s. Mickey, Minnie and the gang come to the tables, pose for photos, and perform the famous napkin dance!

3. Spirit of Aloha Polynesian Luau – probably the best dinner show at Disney.

4. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall – located in Norway at Epcot, if travelling with little girls who love the princesses, this is one for you. Not only do all the princesses hang out here, but of all the princess meals in Disney World, this is the best value for money.

5. Sci-Fi Dine In – set up like an old fashioned drive-in movie theatre, you eat your dinner in car booths while classic Disney plays on the big screen.

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I have a load of dining myths to test on our trip, so we’ll be eating at all of these plus many more, but for now.. Get booking!

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WDW Dining Plans for Beginners

With our 180 day countdown fast approaching, we’re starting to consider our dining plan options for our trip.

Dining plans are essentially your meal tickets: depending on what you have, you can get certain meals, simple.

Now you don’t have to have a dining plan. Some people prefer to just pay for all their meals as and when, it all depends on your budget (and appetite!).

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, here are some basics for Disney beginners:

1. There are two types of meals, Quick-Service (QS) and Table Service (TS). Quick Service, aka Counter Service, is what it is says on the label: anywhere where you serve yourself or order fast-food style, whereas Table Service is anywhere with a proper restaurant format: waiters take your order etc.

2. ‘Snacks’ can be found everywhere, and cover a tonne of things from coffee to ice-cream to popcorn to cupcakes.

3. Credits rollover – if you don’t use your snack credit one day, get two the next day! Some TS restaurants require 2 TS credits, so depending on your dining plan, you may skip a big meal one day to save your credits, or if like us you’re planning on taking a day or two out of the park, the credits from those days can be used later in your stay.

4. At breakfast, QS credits cover an entree and a non-alcoholic beverage, and TS credits give you an entree and non-alcoholic beverage OR a buffet (if available)

5. For lunch or dinner, QS credits get you and entree, a dessert and a non-alcoholic drink, and TS credits cover an entree, dessert and non-alcoholic drink OR a buffet (if available)

6. Kids aged 3-9 have to order kids meals, but there is nothing to stop anyone over 10 ordering a kids meal.

7. Children under 3 are not covered by Dining Plans, but they can share from an adult meal at no additional cost, or order their own meal for the regular price.

8. Depending on which resort you stay at, you can have in-room dining or pizza delivery!

9. At any counter service restaurant you can ask for a cup of ice water for no charge.

10. Like a particular meal? You can ask for the recipe!

11. To be in with the best chances of having the best meals, make sure you make ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations).

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There are 3 main dining plans – Quick Service Dining Plan, Disney Dining Plan and Deluxe Dining Plan.

Quick-Service:

2 x Q-S meal credits, 1 x Snack Credit and 1 Refillable Resort mug per person per day

Disney Dining:

1 x Q-S meal credit, 1 x T-S meal credit, 1 x Snack Credit and 1 Refillable Resort mug per person per day

Deluxe Dining:

3 x T-S meal credits, 2 x Snack Credits and 1 Refillable Resort mug per person per day.

When choosing a dining plan, think about whether or not you’ll save money by upgrading. If you are on the Quick Service dining plan, but plan to pay for a TS meal daily, it may be cheaper for you to move to the Disney Dining plan. Alternatively, if you fork out for Deluxe Dining but your kids prefer to eat counter service, you might find you’ve wasted a lot of money on food you didn’t have. Visit the Disney World Official website to find menus and prices, work out what you might end up spending, then compare it to what your considered dining plan might cost. Disney Food Blog have a list of all the places to eat in the parks, along with menus, reviews, and details of what dining plans they accept.

For our party, we’ll be using the Disney Dining Plan. This gives us the option of a table-service meal everyday, and as we’ll be spending a few days out of the park, the rollover credits give us the opportunity to have some of the better meals that require two credits.

My best piece of advice to you is to do your research – it’s fun, I promise! 🙂

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Disney Goodie Bags

As I’ve mentioned before in my Pre-Disney Shopping post, the best way to save yourself time and money is to pre-buy souvenirs (whether it be before you leave for your trip or nipping out to the local Walmart or Target upon arrival), then surprise the kids with these little bits and pieces throughout your trip. This means that your little ones are less likely to want the ‘must-have’ park souvenirs which cost two to three times the price.

So I’ve put together a goodie bag for each of my girls, and the plan is to sneak them into their hotel room once we’ve arrived.

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Expensive? Not at all. I spent about £15 on each, which includes the personalised drawstring bag and all the goodies inside.

Each bag is filled with little Disney goodies like notebooks, pencil cases, iPod cases and earphones, and also some park necessities such as glow sticks, water ponchos and mini fans, and none of these items cost more than a few pounds.

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You can buy these bits and bobs in all sorts of places. Ebay is a great place to buy the more techie items like mini fans, flashing lights, earphones etc, and also a haven of personalised goodies, while places like supermarkets and bargain shops are ideal for stationery and accessories.

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You might want to keep some goodies back to surprise them with throughout your trip, for example I’ll be bringing an enormous stash of glow sticks, and some flashing light toys to whip out for evening parades.

With 210 days to go (eeek!), I may yet add more goodies as I find them! What are your must-pack Disney goodies? 🙂

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Pre-Disney Movie Marathon

If, like us, you booked your Disney holiday very much in advance (over a year in our case!), it can be hard to keep that initial ‘WE’RE GOING TO DISNEYWORLD!’ excitement alive, especially with little ones.

Countdowns are great, but over 350 days can lose their impact, so are probably best saved for the final run up, but I wanted something to keep my girls excited for our trip, and also ensure they’re fully educated on Disney films and characters (I always worry, coming from a generation who were raised on the classics, that kids these days don’t know of some of the lesser known, older gems such as Hercules and Atlantis), so I came up with..

A year long Disney movie marathon! You could obviously shorten the length of your marathon, depending on how long it is until your holiday, but for us it worked out to one Disney movie a week (we started with 43 weeks to go), taking us right up to our departure!

Movie Night Girls

Once a week I pick the girls up from school, we pick a film, I make popcorn and snacks, and we get cosy on the sofa to enjoy the film. The girls like picking the film, and if they can’t agree on one between the three of them, they take turns to choose, and I just like re-watching my favourite childhood films – I get a lot more of the references now – and having the excuse to buy Disney DVDs (check out how I get FREE DVDs here!)

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FREE Personalised Park Maps!

Yes, you read right – totally free!

Pop on over to Disney’s customised map maker to create your own park maps, which you can print off at home or have delivered to your home address (US only though – shame!)

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It couldn’t be simpler – pick your favourite attractions to be highlighted on your map for each park, select a theme, and print/ship! Disney veterans may know exactly which rides to hit up on their trips, but if you’re a Disney first-timer, you can choose a ‘pre-set menu’ of attractions; there are suggestions designed specifically for pre-schoolers, big kids, teens or all ages.

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You can create maps for each of the four parks, and everyone in the family can make their own! It’s a great way to make the kids feel like they are contributing to the planning process, and if you’re making a scrapbook of your trip, why not make one selecting your favourite rides and attractions!

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Look how cute they are!

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