November 2011

Another trip to Walt Disney World! Bryan, Sophie and I had a wonderful trip to Orlando. We were accompanied by some of my friends from work. We spent the first four nights staying at the Pop Century Resort. It's a value resort, so less frills. But I did appreciate being located pretty near the cafe area and within a few minutes walk of the theme park bus stops. We spent time at all four parks. Lucky for us, the Epcot Food & Wine Festival was going on while we were there and we had a Disney dining plan as part of our package, so we were able to eat our way around Epcot-- YUM! It was Sophie's first time at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. She enjoyed the Toy Story Mania ride, watching all of the shows and meeting characters. But her favorite part of the trip was probably just being able to go swimming in the lovely heated pools at the resorts. For the last three nights of our trip, we moved over to the Coronado Springs Resort, where my work conference was held. During those days, Bryan and Sophie spent their time exploring theme parks and hanging out at the resort. Jack stayed home with Grandma. I've already promised to bring him next time!

Stress-free Disney travel tips

Epcot Center (yes, I know that's the old name)

We've been so lucky to have taken two trips to sunny Orlando, Florida within 10 months! And we've learned a thing or do about traveling to Disney World with kids. If you're planning a trip to WDW soon, here are some tips that might help you out:

Schedule breaks into your day

Sophie did so much better when we took 3+ hours off in the middle of the day to return to the hotel room, take a nap, go for a swim and relax. It also gave me time to do some laundry, take a shower and rest my feet.

Bring in-flight entertainment

Bringing the iPad on the plane was a great idea. I bought Sophie a pair of child-size headphones, installed some videos and downloaded a few kid-friendly apps. It entertained her for quite a while. If that's not an option for you, on our last trip, we brought along a few small toys, a coloring book and some crayons. We also made a Cheerio necklace to bring along on the flight.

Rent or bring a stroller

Sophie in the CARES Harness

On our previous trip, Magic Strollers delivered a fabulous double stoller to our resort the day we arrived and picked it up on the day that we left. It was all done through the bell hop and the company sent me a text message when the delivery was made. The stroller reclines completely and it features an extra large sunshade. We liked the stroller so much, we ended up buying the same one when we got home!

On our most recent trip, we brought along out Maclaren Volo stroller. Weighing in at only 9 pounds, it is a perfect travel stroller. It was durable enough to withhold being gate checked and folded up quickly when we needed to board a bus. The small basket underneath held a water bottle and change of clothes for Sophie. The only downside of this stroller? Since it's so lightweight, it tips easily if you have anything hanging from the handlebars.

Should we bring a car seat?
If you're planning on renting a car, yes! On our previous trip, we rented a minivan (hot!), so I bought a hand truck/dolly to schlep our two car seats through the airport. It folded down flat and stored easily in the airplane's overhead storage bin.

On this trip, since we were staying on-property and using Disney transportaion, we used the CARES Harness for the fight. It's FAA-approved for take-off, landing and everything in-between. I was never even questioned by the flight attendant, but I had along the FAA certificate, just in case. The entire harness was easy to install and only weighed a few pounds, but unfortunately, since Sophie was sitting upright and strapped into her seat, she could never get comfortable enough to take a nap.

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

Some great planning websites
If you have a Disney-related question, chances are, the folks on DISboards have your answer. Their companion website, WDWinfo is also helpful for planning.

MouseSavers gives vacation-planners updated coupon codes for car rentals, tips on picking the best dates to go to WDW and steals on off-property resorts.

TouringPlans is the company website to The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World. The best Disney-related app is the LINES app, providing you with up-to-the-minute wait times for rides and other attractions. It's worth the membership fee! The guide is the best that money can buy.

Have fun!


What I'm looking forward to the next time we go back to WDW :)
- staying at the Art of Animation resort (opening May 2012)

- the new Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom (scheduled to be completed in 2013)