Disney World is one of my favorite places to go and some of my favorite memories as a child. When we were younger, we went almost every year. Still as pre-teens and teenagers, my siblings and I begged to go there over other places on vacation. Something about it so magical and I love that my kids will get to experience it as well. Julian wasn't buying into my Disney Love until we went last year with Eloise. One time and he got it. He was hooked. We immediately started planning our next trip, which is Jan 2014. With two kids, we decided staying on the monorail would make life a little easier. We also needed a two room place. So we did some research and found David's Vacation Rentals (www.dvcrequest.com) and were able to book a 1 bedroom at the Bay Lake Towers. It is more expensive than staying in one hotel room (but that isn't an option for us) and it is more expensive than staying at the Art of Animation (which we loved, but didn't want to deal with the buses and being farther away). I know we can't totally get away from the buses, but we can definitely minimize our time spent with them. Plus, once both kids are older, staying farther away and having to take buses is no biggie. But, when one won't even be walking, and we have to plan around naptime/eating time, I feel the money spent will be worth it.
After booking our place, the next order of business is food. Some people don't plan Disney the way I do, but I think it is worth it to plan out the meals and get good reservations, at least for one meal a day. Plus, if you want to eat at certain places you have to book 180 days in advance NO EXCEPTIONS. With a daughter who can name every princess and her prince and the songs they sing, we needed to make sure we got a character meal with princesses. So the meals that we are planning on doing that need ADR's (advance dining reservations for those of you not obsessed with Disney and their terms) :
--Akershus in Norway (Epcot). I was between this and Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle. I think dining in the castle would be so fun and Eloise does like Cinderella. But, her favorite princess is Aurora and she really does like ALL the princesses. I think it would be more her style to be able to see Ariel and Jasmine and Aurora and Belle and whoever else rather than just Cinderella.
--Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary. Lots of people are coming for a couple days here and there throughout our trip. So, we are planning on doing a big breakfast here at Chef Mickey's. So we will be dining with my Aunt Judy, my cousins, my brother and Jen, my mom and sister and of course US! We don't have any other breakfasts planned because we are staying in a place with a kitchen (yay) and we are going to order groceries so we don't have to worry about rushing around in the morning.
--Mickey's Backyard BBQ. We loved this last time and we can't wait to go again. It was so fun for Eloise to be able to dance with the characters and it was really laid back and fun. Come and go as you please, don't have to stay seated. It was made for toddlers who don't like to sit still :)
--Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios. This is a character meal for breakfast and lunch only, and we will be going for lunch. They have characters like Jake and the pirates, Sofia, Doc, and Little Einsteins. I am not sure which ones will be there while we are dining. But, since these are some of Eloise's favorite shows, I am sure she will enjoy it.
We are planning on eating at other places as well, but they don't need 180 days in advance reservations and can wait until closer.
Some people might think we are crazy for bringing an 8 month old on vacation to Disney World. And even though he won't remember it, we are doing it more for Eloise. She loves Disney and she is at such a great age. Disney is only 'magical' for a couple of years for little ones. Sure, it is still fun now as an adult, but not as magical as it was when I was little. I want to make sure she gets to experience as much 'magic' as she can!
I am so excited for our first vacation as a family of four!
No comments:
Post a Comment