It Starts With Coffee

We just got back from Disney World and I have A LOT of Disney related posts coming up. This first one is all about things every mom should know before going to Disney World. Mostly, it’s stuff we either figured out or happened to do and are glad we did. Disney can be a really stressful experience, a fun experience, and an expensive experience. But like you would imagine it’s oh so magical.

5 Things Every Mom Should Know Before Going To Disney World

Gift Cards: Since we had planned this trip for about a year our family and close friends knew we were going. For birthdays and Christmas the past year this is what the kid got from a lot of people! It was great because they were able to have “money” to pick things out for themselves and it helped with the overall cost because DISNEY IS EXPENSIVE!

Buy treats before: This was another way we sort of saved a little money. I got the kids cute Disney sunglasses, hats, some coloring things, a lovey, and autograph books. Each day at Disney they got a treat. They still got to buy stuff at the park but it definitely cut down on the gimmes a bit.

Low expectations: If you do nothing else go in with low expectations. My kids are 5 and 2.5 and a lot of people thought we were crazy to bring Charlotte. She could actually do nearly everything. There were of course rides she wasn’t big enough for but for every ride or experience she was big enough for she did and loved. She was just so happy to be there and was fine taking stroller naps in the park and just happy the entire time. We had a few meltdowns of course with both kids but our expectations were so low it never seemed like a big deal.

Build in rest time: THIS IS KEY if you have little kids. While I could have let my kids hang in the park for 10 hours we were all pretty wiped after hour 6 each day. We went to the parks as soon as they opened and knocked out a ton. Then we would come back to our hotel between 1 and 2 and either have rest time in the room or pool time to rest. I know a lot of people build in a rest day but we did 5 park days in a row. So instead we built rest time into each day. That way my kids weren’t totally hitting a wall. It was good for them and good for us.

Stay at a Disney property: Most people will tell you this but I am so glad we did. We stayed at Art of Animation which is a middle-tier Disney property. We didn’t want to spend a ton on the hotel (it was still expensive) and we wanted a family-style suite with room separation. This checked that box for us. The location was right on the Skyliner which is how we got to Epcot and Hollywood studios and it was honestly great. The best part about staying at a Disney property is that you get into the parks 30 minutes before they open each day. This is always enough time to knock out a ride that usually has a long wait.

I will be sharing a lot more Disney-related posts and tips so definitely stay tuned on that.

Just remember going to Disney is a marathon, not a sprint. There’s a ton to know, and figure out. We used a planner and she was beyond helpful and wonderful but there were still things we researched and I am so excited to share it all.