Once your child hits 40 inches, there are a lot of great rides available to them. When we took our son last time he was very close to 40 inches with shoes on. I was really worried about him not getting to ride on things like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. I went to Target and got him sneakers with thick soles.
When we got to the parks we had to get him measured at all of the 40 inch rides and I discovered two things. First, all of the height bars were actually different heights. For example, 40 inches at Test Track was a little taller than 40 inches at Star Tours. The other thing I discovered is that the cast members really want to let your child ride! They would often encourage my son to stand as tall as possible and stretch until his head hit the bar. As a result, he was able to ride on all of the 40 inch rides.
I really wish Disney had one measuring station at the entrance and then give out wristbands (or add the info to their magic bands) so the kids only have to be measured once. My son got tired of being measured so often and ended up having a meltdown (he was 2) during one of these measurements.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Traveling with Different Ages and Heights
It would be fun and easy to go on a Disney trip where everyone can ride all the rides and want to do all of the same things but that usually doesn't happen.
If you are traveling with just your immediate family and want to go on rides that your youngest kids aren't tall enough for, take advantage of the rider switch service. Most of the big rides offer this feature and you can find the list on their website or on the park map. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/rider-switch/
Traveling with extended family in a large group can be hard at times, but it makes splitting up a lot easier. We found that the grandparents are happy to bypass the wilder rides and take the younger grandchildren on tamer rides while the parents and older kids go on the wild rides. You can also time these wild rides during naptime which gives the grandparents and younger kids a chance to sit down and take a break in the shade. We have also scheduled special appointments like the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique during naptime.
The Fastpass+ system allows your group to select different fastpasses for the same time period. For example, on our upcoming trip half of us have a fastpass to ride on Space Mountain while the other half have fastpasses to ride Dumbo.
You will have to feel out beforehand how the younger child will feel about not being able to ride certain rides. Usually the toddlers are oblivious an don't mind. Our preschooler did not like the idea of his big sister getting to ride the Rock n Roller Coaster and not him so we made the decision to just say that neither kid was going to ride it. Our daughter is barely tall enough to ride it but we thought she might need to be older (she's 6) before doing a roller coaster that goes upside down.
Some kids will be tall enough to ride the bigger rides but might not be mature enough for them. Or they might just not like thrill rides. My only advice is to just feel out your kids when you get there and decide with your spouse beforehand if there are rides you want to avoid (rough, scary, etc.).
If you are traveling with just your immediate family and want to go on rides that your youngest kids aren't tall enough for, take advantage of the rider switch service. Most of the big rides offer this feature and you can find the list on their website or on the park map. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/rider-switch/
Traveling with extended family in a large group can be hard at times, but it makes splitting up a lot easier. We found that the grandparents are happy to bypass the wilder rides and take the younger grandchildren on tamer rides while the parents and older kids go on the wild rides. You can also time these wild rides during naptime which gives the grandparents and younger kids a chance to sit down and take a break in the shade. We have also scheduled special appointments like the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique during naptime.
The Fastpass+ system allows your group to select different fastpasses for the same time period. For example, on our upcoming trip half of us have a fastpass to ride on Space Mountain while the other half have fastpasses to ride Dumbo.
You will have to feel out beforehand how the younger child will feel about not being able to ride certain rides. Usually the toddlers are oblivious an don't mind. Our preschooler did not like the idea of his big sister getting to ride the Rock n Roller Coaster and not him so we made the decision to just say that neither kid was going to ride it. Our daughter is barely tall enough to ride it but we thought she might need to be older (she's 6) before doing a roller coaster that goes upside down.
Some kids will be tall enough to ride the bigger rides but might not be mature enough for them. Or they might just not like thrill rides. My only advice is to just feel out your kids when you get there and decide with your spouse beforehand if there are rides you want to avoid (rough, scary, etc.).
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Be Our Guest Restaurant - Lunch Reservations Starting February 25th!
We ate lunch at Be Our Guest on our last trip to Disney World and it was fantastic! At that time, we had received a fastpass invitation to dine there. Starting on February 25th, you will be able to make a lunch reservation. I have a feeling this will be a stressful experience as the amount of people calling/logging on to make this reservation will be overwhelming. It is not just the people who have a trip 180 days out that will be trying to make a reservation, but everyone who is planning a trip to Disney World in the future.
So far Disney has not said what time these reservations will open up. I'm not sure if it will be in the morning when the usual dining window opens or if it will be at 12 AM on February 25th. We recently made our fastpass reservations and learned the hard way that if Disney doesn't specifiy a time, it can start at any time. We were at our computers at 12 AM and were clicking refresh until 1 AM when we were finally able to make our fastpass reservations. From what I saw on the internet, this happened to some people while other people were able to make them right at 12 AM.
The ordering process was a little slow and confusing for some, so I'm curious to see if it will run smoother this time. It sounds like you will be order your food online before the day you dine.
We all enjoyed our meals which seemed a step up from the other quick service restaurants in the parks. After our meal we took the time to walk around to the different rooms in the castle and take pictures.
So far Disney has not said what time these reservations will open up. I'm not sure if it will be in the morning when the usual dining window opens or if it will be at 12 AM on February 25th. We recently made our fastpass reservations and learned the hard way that if Disney doesn't specifiy a time, it can start at any time. We were at our computers at 12 AM and were clicking refresh until 1 AM when we were finally able to make our fastpass reservations. From what I saw on the internet, this happened to some people while other people were able to make them right at 12 AM.
The ordering process was a little slow and confusing for some, so I'm curious to see if it will run smoother this time. It sounds like you will be order your food online before the day you dine.
We all enjoyed our meals which seemed a step up from the other quick service restaurants in the parks. After our meal we took the time to walk around to the different rooms in the castle and take pictures.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Experience
When my daughter was almost 5, we took her to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We scheduled it mid afternoon, around the time her younger brother was due to take a nap in his stroller. My daughter was obsessed with the princesses (still is!) and this was the perfect activity for her. I knew she would love the experience but I was not prepared for just how well it is done.
We arrived early as recommended and were checked in at the front desk. At our appointment time, her fairy godmother escorted her to her chair. The fairy godmother was so sweet, patient, and was 100% in character the whole time. My daughter was dressed up as Rapunzel and as an example, her fairy godmother would say, "I remember when I was braiding Rapunzel's hair the other day, all seventy feet of it!"
The fair godmother took her time putting my daughter's hair into the princess bun. I requested that it not be as tight as normal and she was very accommodating. You can pick from other hair styles at the boutique but this is what my daughter picked. She did her hair perfectly and talked to her the whole time. While her hair was done, another lady came by to do her nails and makeup. They let her pick but also tried to match it to the the color of her princess dress.
At the end of the experience they told her to close her eyes as the Fairy Godmother "transformed" her into a princess and said, "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!" Then they turned her around to look at herself in the mirror. That moment and the look on her face were priceless. She really did think she was a princess the whole time her hair was like that. I gave the Fairy Godmother a generous tip and she deserved every penny of it.
The hairstyle lasted for a couple days and then eventually came out when she swam in the resort pool (we still gave her a bath, just did not wash her hair before that point).
She left the boutique with a gift bag that contained two colors of nail polish, a makeup palate, princess sash, and stick on jewels for the face.
One last tip that I picked up from the Disney Store back home was to buy a princess dress that was made for warm weather. Half of the year (usually leading up to Halloween) they sell dresses that are longer and with long sleeves. These are not good for the warm temperatures in Florida. Try to buy a dress that is made for summer (short sleeves, shorter length) and walking all day through an amusement park. If you can pair that with a friends and family sale, you will get the perfect dress at the perfect price! The dresses from Costco are great for playing dress-up but rip easily. To this date, our only dress that has held up to wear and tear is the one we got from the Disney Store. You get what you pay for!
We arrived early as recommended and were checked in at the front desk. At our appointment time, her fairy godmother escorted her to her chair. The fairy godmother was so sweet, patient, and was 100% in character the whole time. My daughter was dressed up as Rapunzel and as an example, her fairy godmother would say, "I remember when I was braiding Rapunzel's hair the other day, all seventy feet of it!"
The fair godmother took her time putting my daughter's hair into the princess bun. I requested that it not be as tight as normal and she was very accommodating. You can pick from other hair styles at the boutique but this is what my daughter picked. She did her hair perfectly and talked to her the whole time. While her hair was done, another lady came by to do her nails and makeup. They let her pick but also tried to match it to the the color of her princess dress.
At the end of the experience they told her to close her eyes as the Fairy Godmother "transformed" her into a princess and said, "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!" Then they turned her around to look at herself in the mirror. That moment and the look on her face were priceless. She really did think she was a princess the whole time her hair was like that. I gave the Fairy Godmother a generous tip and she deserved every penny of it.
The hairstyle lasted for a couple days and then eventually came out when she swam in the resort pool (we still gave her a bath, just did not wash her hair before that point).
She left the boutique with a gift bag that contained two colors of nail polish, a makeup palate, princess sash, and stick on jewels for the face.
One last tip that I picked up from the Disney Store back home was to buy a princess dress that was made for warm weather. Half of the year (usually leading up to Halloween) they sell dresses that are longer and with long sleeves. These are not good for the warm temperatures in Florida. Try to buy a dress that is made for summer (short sleeves, shorter length) and walking all day through an amusement park. If you can pair that with a friends and family sale, you will get the perfect dress at the perfect price! The dresses from Costco are great for playing dress-up but rip easily. To this date, our only dress that has held up to wear and tear is the one we got from the Disney Store. You get what you pay for!
Celebrating Birthdays at Disney World
Birthdays are a lot of fun to celebrate at WDW! When we went in 2013 we were celebrating my niece's 2nd birthday and my birthday. We both stopped by guest services on our first day in the parks and picked up our free birthday pins. We really felt special with all of the cast members wishing us a happy birthday. Our actual birthdays fell on different days in our trip but we wore our pins each day because I had read that you could! Apparently you can also wear the birthday pin if your birthday wasn't that week but a month or two before or after your trip.
We didn't get a lot of freebies except for a couple of freebie desserts, probably because we were on the Disney Dining Plan and already got desserts with most of our meals. The restaurants we dined in would stick a candle in our desserts and sing happy birthday to us.
We officially celebrated our birthdays with a meal at Cinderella's Royal Table. My sister surprised us by ordering not one, but two birthday cakes to be delivered to our table in addition to our included desserts from the restaurant. Yes, it was overkill but it was so sweet of her and she wanted both of us to feel special. You can order these specialty cakes (along with other gifts and treats) beforehand and have them delivered to your hotel room or a restaurant. They packed up all of our leftover cake and we took it back to our rooms. We enjoyed it a different night while hanging out by our resort pool.
It never hurts to let cast members and your resort know if you are celebrating a special occasion. Everyone at Disney World wants you to have a magical trip and you never know what Disney magic will be done in your honor!
We didn't get a lot of freebies except for a couple of freebie desserts, probably because we were on the Disney Dining Plan and already got desserts with most of our meals. The restaurants we dined in would stick a candle in our desserts and sing happy birthday to us.
We officially celebrated our birthdays with a meal at Cinderella's Royal Table. My sister surprised us by ordering not one, but two birthday cakes to be delivered to our table in addition to our included desserts from the restaurant. Yes, it was overkill but it was so sweet of her and she wanted both of us to feel special. You can order these specialty cakes (along with other gifts and treats) beforehand and have them delivered to your hotel room or a restaurant. They packed up all of our leftover cake and we took it back to our rooms. We enjoyed it a different night while hanging out by our resort pool.
It never hurts to let cast members and your resort know if you are celebrating a special occasion. Everyone at Disney World wants you to have a magical trip and you never know what Disney magic will be done in your honor!
Additional Dessert at Garden Grill
Special Dessert (not on Buffet) at Boma
Specialty Ordered Cake
Specialty Ordered Cake
Saving Time and Money on Breakfast
As much as a hot meal from our resort food court sounded
great every morning, I was glad that we had planned ahead for other options for
breakfast. We brought a couple packages
of store bought bagels from home, along with some butter and jelly packets, and
apple sauce cups. We would eat these
while getting ready in our hotel room or on the way to the shuttle bus
stop. We also found that the resort gift
shop sold boxes of doughnuts and bags of bagels. They were a little more expensive than buying
them at a regular grocery store, but still cheaper than eating in the food
court. Other breakfast food items you
can bring from home are fruit cups, dried fruit, cereal bars, and individual
boxes of cereal. I also brought some
instant oatmeal from home and used the microwave in the food court to cook it. Our last morning we ate a hot breakfast at the
food court, using a couple of our leftover quick service credits. It was nice for a change but I’m glad we didn't
start each day with a heavy meal. My
sister’s family ate at the food court most mornings and as a result, usually
arrived at the park later than us. The
first hour of a park being open is the best time to go – almost no lines!
Art of Animation Resort Review
We stayed in a Little Mermaid room at the Art of Animation Resort in the fall of 2013. The resort was fairly new at that point and we loved staying there! The theme is very well done and we liked walking around and exploring.
The Little Mermaid room is on the small side but we didn't mind so much since we were spending most of our time in the parks. Our kids loved the Little mermaid decorations throughout the room, especially the shower. Our daughter would sing, "Part of Your World" in the bathtub that was decorated to look like Ariel's grotto.
I liked that there was a curtain you could pull across to separate the vanity area from the rest of the room. You could use this as a place to change in private or you could have the light on and do your morning/bedtime routine while the kids are sleeping in the room in the dark.
We had a connecting room with my parents. This was nice as we could open the door while we were awake and the grandparents could help out. We also stuck one of our kids in their extra bed and had our other kid in the second bed in our room. They weren't used to sharing a bed at that point so we thought it would be easier.
The Little Mermaid rooms are farthest from the lobby. We were okay with this since we are in good shape and had strollers for the kids. If our kids were walking or we weren't in good walking shape, it might have been an issue. We found that it was quicker to walk the route along the parking lot to get to the bus stop rather than going through the main path through the resort.
My sister's family stayed in one of Lion King suites. These were very nice and spacious. I was curious to check out the fold down table/bed in person and it was pretty cool and looked comfortable. They did not need the extra bed so they did not use it. They requested a free pack n play from the resort. You can call Disney before your trip and add requests like that to your reservation (as well as connecting rooms, specific buildings, floors, etc.) I think the Finding Nemo rooms would be fun to stay in, are closest to the lobby and food court, but are also next to the main pool which can be noisy.
My son loved checking out all of the cars in the Cars section. We wished they had signs stating the names of the cars as there were a few we weren't familiar with.
We swam in the Big Blue Pool in the Finding Nemo section. They have life vests the kids can use for free. Music is piped in under the water.
Each night they would show an outdoor movie in The Lion King section. This was a neat activity and I only wish we had been able to take advantage of it more often. Some of the movies we saw playing were Cars and Finding Nemo.
The food court was large and had many options. We ate there for breakfast and picked up snacks and smoothies at other times. They also have a microwave and toaster that you can use in one corner.
The gift shop was large and had a great selection. Most of the gift shops in the parks and resorts carried the same merchandise so you don't really have to visit a lot.
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The Little Mermaid room is on the small side but we didn't mind so much since we were spending most of our time in the parks. Our kids loved the Little mermaid decorations throughout the room, especially the shower. Our daughter would sing, "Part of Your World" in the bathtub that was decorated to look like Ariel's grotto.
I liked that there was a curtain you could pull across to separate the vanity area from the rest of the room. You could use this as a place to change in private or you could have the light on and do your morning/bedtime routine while the kids are sleeping in the room in the dark.
We had a connecting room with my parents. This was nice as we could open the door while we were awake and the grandparents could help out. We also stuck one of our kids in their extra bed and had our other kid in the second bed in our room. They weren't used to sharing a bed at that point so we thought it would be easier.
The Little Mermaid rooms are farthest from the lobby. We were okay with this since we are in good shape and had strollers for the kids. If our kids were walking or we weren't in good walking shape, it might have been an issue. We found that it was quicker to walk the route along the parking lot to get to the bus stop rather than going through the main path through the resort.
My sister's family stayed in one of Lion King suites. These were very nice and spacious. I was curious to check out the fold down table/bed in person and it was pretty cool and looked comfortable. They did not need the extra bed so they did not use it. They requested a free pack n play from the resort. You can call Disney before your trip and add requests like that to your reservation (as well as connecting rooms, specific buildings, floors, etc.) I think the Finding Nemo rooms would be fun to stay in, are closest to the lobby and food court, but are also next to the main pool which can be noisy.
My son loved checking out all of the cars in the Cars section. We wished they had signs stating the names of the cars as there were a few we weren't familiar with.
We swam in the Big Blue Pool in the Finding Nemo section. They have life vests the kids can use for free. Music is piped in under the water.
Each night they would show an outdoor movie in The Lion King section. This was a neat activity and I only wish we had been able to take advantage of it more often. Some of the movies we saw playing were Cars and Finding Nemo.
The food court was large and had many options. We ate there for breakfast and picked up snacks and smoothies at other times. They also have a microwave and toaster that you can use in one corner.
The gift shop was large and had a great selection. Most of the gift shops in the parks and resorts carried the same merchandise so you don't really have to visit a lot.
Lion King Section
Little Mermaid Section
Ariel Building
(Smaller) Little Mermaid Pool
Double/Full Size Bed
Housekeeping Decorated with our Pool Toy
Cozy Cone Motel
Lightning McQueen!
Curtain in Front of Vanity Area
Shower Curtain
Big Blue Pool in the Early Morning
Small Table and Chairs
Vanity
Shower/Bathtub Combo
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