In November 2017, I started planning a surprise trip for our family to go to Disney on Memorial Day weekend! I knew Matt would be in, because he loves Florida and we had tossed the idea around already. I just needed to pull the trigger, and began planning with Stephanie of Traveling Ears.
Did you know that Disney planners offer FREE services? It is 100% worth it to have someone there for advice, booking meals and fast passes, helping to change plans, and just generally helping along the way. A Disney trip CAN be done without much planning, but I feel like it would be very stressful and not maximize the time and money you are spending.
We chose to drive down and stay off-property in a 3 bedroom condo. One decision kind of led to another, because if we were driving, we would want to stay for a whole week, and if we are staying a whole week, we couldn't afford a WDW resort. And staying off-property, you can't get the Disney Dining plan.
Our condo was perfect for us! Lots of room, a full kitchen, an end-unit where we couldn't hear any neighbors (and they couldn't hear us!) We were very close to the Publix grocery store, and about 30 highway minutes away from the parks. This is going to sound weird, but it was a good "starter trip" that helped us get the lay of the land. We were more comfortable in our own transportation rather than figuring out the buses this time around.
On Monday, we had a last minute brunch planned at 1900 Parkfare. I say last minute because I had never heard of the restaurant until a friend said it was their family favorite, and we added it onto our non-park day. The restaurant is inside the Grand Floridian hotel, which is worth seeing in itself! We were in LOVE! We got to park for free because we had reservations, and explored the little beach, gift shops, and gardens. It would be my dream to stay here one day!
Our brunch was a buffet, which is such a good thing with kids. Now that I have eaten on the dining plan, off the dining plan, buffet, and table service, I would definitely recommend buffets on the dining plan. The kids could get whatever weird combinations they wanted, and Matt and I could get as much as we wanted. The character interaction was adorable here. It was truly the best start we could have had to our trip!
For our first park on Tuesday, we headed to Animal Kingdom. It was a beautiful morning, but lines were already long for the parking lot trams. Security lines were SUPER long, and we quickly learned how to fold and unfold that double stroller (rented for $80 from Orlando Strollers) and to get our bags out and ready.
We had fast passes for the Safari tour, Expedition Everest, and something else I can't remember. The safari was cool. We got to drive through and see different African animals in an open-air vehicle, and my camera battery died on that attraction. So, I don't have many photos of that day. We probably won't go back to Animal Kingdom during the day time for a while. We have such an incredible zoo at home and this park just seemed SO congested. The kids weren't tall enough to ride most things, either. So...I think it looks like an awesome park for teenagers and adults or anyone who doesn't have access to an amazing zoo (and maybe the light show at night for families).
We ended our Animal Kingdom day pretty early, and were looking forward to EPCOT the next morning! We started it with an amazing breakfast at the Garden Grill. This restaurant is inside the Pavillion that also has a food court and 2 rides (The Land and Soarin'). The menu is completely different from any other, because meals are served family style. Having been there now for breakfast and lunch, I would definitely recommend the breakfast time over lunch. Eggs, Mickey waffles, breakfast meats, and fruit were a hit with all 4 of us.
If you want to see characters without waiting in line, character dining is perfect! Garden Grill is one of the only places to dine with Mickey, and you also see Chip and Dale, Goofy, and Pluto. They come to your table as the restaurant slowly rotates. You will have time for autographs, too, so have those autograph books ready!
We rode The Land, which the kids ADORED. It is not an exciting ride by any means, but it is an interesting trip behind the scenes of Disney and traveling through the history of farming. I was thinking that, as we used fast passes, we would get to add a new one each time. But I quickly learned that you have to use all 3 before you can add any more, and with our last fast pass at 5:30 PM, I knew we had to make a change! With the heat and crowds, we squeezed in a few more rides (Spaceship Earth, Figment, and another ride on The Land), took a halfway journey through the World Showcase, and called it a day.
I just remembered to mention that we were in Orlando at the same time as the first tropical storm of the season. Rain? To be continued....
Merry Christmas! Although I probably won't ever gift that again for Christmas unless we are leaving the next day!
We chose to drive down and stay off-property in a 3 bedroom condo. One decision kind of led to another, because if we were driving, we would want to stay for a whole week, and if we are staying a whole week, we couldn't afford a WDW resort. And staying off-property, you can't get the Disney Dining plan.
The kids loved having a little strip of land for playing, a balcony, and the 3 floors was nice for spreading out.
Amazing pool and clubhouse, typical FL pop-up storm
On Monday, we had a last minute brunch planned at 1900 Parkfare. I say last minute because I had never heard of the restaurant until a friend said it was their family favorite, and we added it onto our non-park day. The restaurant is inside the Grand Floridian hotel, which is worth seeing in itself! We were in LOVE! We got to park for free because we had reservations, and explored the little beach, gift shops, and gardens. It would be my dream to stay here one day!
Someone offered to take our photo and then knelt down to shoot upward for the most flattering angle (whyyyyy?)
Everyone enjoyed this little strip of sand and water at the Floridian.
Larceny's first favorite Disney movie was Alice in Wonderland!
I loved how Mary Poppins wasn't messing around and straightened Rhys out when we was being slightly naughty. You can tell how he felt about that.
Perhaps their favorite character on our whole trip was the Mad Hatter. Oh, he was so funny!
Pooh is just so sweet. You can either take your own photo while you dine or wait in line for a Photo Pass shot with him.
We had fast passes for the Safari tour, Expedition Everest, and something else I can't remember. The safari was cool. We got to drive through and see different African animals in an open-air vehicle, and my camera battery died on that attraction. So, I don't have many photos of that day. We probably won't go back to Animal Kingdom during the day time for a while. We have such an incredible zoo at home and this park just seemed SO congested. The kids weren't tall enough to ride most things, either. So...I think it looks like an awesome park for teenagers and adults or anyone who doesn't have access to an amazing zoo (and maybe the light show at night for families).
It looks like they are snuggling, but they were gifting in the road. They were using their heads like clubs!
One little kids' ride we found and liked (3/4 of us, ha!)
If you want to see characters without waiting in line, character dining is perfect! Garden Grill is one of the only places to dine with Mickey, and you also see Chip and Dale, Goofy, and Pluto. They come to your table as the restaurant slowly rotates. You will have time for autographs, too, so have those autograph books ready!
We rode The Land, which the kids ADORED. It is not an exciting ride by any means, but it is an interesting trip behind the scenes of Disney and traveling through the history of farming. I was thinking that, as we used fast passes, we would get to add a new one each time. But I quickly learned that you have to use all 3 before you can add any more, and with our last fast pass at 5:30 PM, I knew we had to make a change! With the heat and crowds, we squeezed in a few more rides (Spaceship Earth, Figment, and another ride on The Land), took a halfway journey through the World Showcase, and called it a day.
I just remembered to mention that we were in Orlando at the same time as the first tropical storm of the season. Rain? To be continued....
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