It was such an amazing trip! I am so glad we did it. It was so worth every penny spent to watch Eloise light up every time she met Mickey, Minnie, a princess, etc.
It was amazing to watch her interact with the characters and not be scared. We are already planning a trip for 2014!!
Here are the things that we did that we would definitely do again and things we would change for next trip...
- Rent a stroller from Orlando Stroller Company!!!! You pick a time and day and they drop it off at your resort and it was cheaper than renting at the parks! Plus the stroller was really nice and lightweight. Two out of the three days at the park, Eloise napped in it. I am definitely renting from them again! It was comfortable for her, and reclined but also lightweight and easy to fold up and carry on the bus. Everyone at Disney rents from them, the same stroller is all over the parks. I might even buy the double once baby #2 comes!
- Stay in a suite! I know it's just a place to sleep, but the extra room makes it very nice! We loved our resort (Art of Animation) and I would stay here again in a heartbeat. We do want to try out different places, so we might stay somewhere else next time, but I wouldn't mind staying here again. It is a value resort but very nice! There were three different buildings that had suites and one building with regular rooms, each with a different theme. We stayed in Lion King but I know that Julian wants to stay in Cars next time we stay there :)
- Mickeys Backyard BBQ!! We did this for dinner our first night and Eloise got to dance with Minnie and she got a hug and a kiss from her. She was so excited, it made Julian and I tear up! So sweet! It was a great way to meet some characters.
- Spend nap time going around the world in Epcot. No kid likes that part, but it's cool as an adult and it takes a while to get all the way around. Eloise napped for about two hours while Julian and I strolled the streets. It was super nice and missy got a nice nap. Then, once she woke up, we headed over to future world in Epcot where she met some more characters and could go on some rides! Figment is scarier than it used to be and we will definitely skip this one until she is older.
- Skipping animal kingdom! We spent one morning here but it defintely wasn't worth it if you dont' have the time. It was a nice morning to stroll around, but there were other places I could have gone. I had never been to Animal Kingdom before and I don't really see the draw. I guess there are some cool roller coasters but I couldn't go on them anyway, so with young children, there are better things to do.
- Eat more lunches in our hotel. I didn't mind eating lunch out before we strolled around Epcot while she napped. But, for the most part, I would prefer if she napped in the hotel. There aren't too many places I would want to walk miles while she napped (Epcot being the exception). It was nice to come back, eat a *cheaper* lunch, and then have her nap in the hotel while Julian and I rested and made a plan for the night. But, sometimes it is difficult to make it all the way back AND have lunch before little ones fall asleep. Disney is high energy and when she was crashing, she CRASHED HARD. She needed her sleep big time.
- figuring out the dining plan. It seems like a good savings, but we just need to do some research. We didn't do it this time, but it intrigued us. We will be looking more into next time!
Those are my recommendations and tips from our first trip as a family! I can't wait to start planning our next one! I told Julian I'd wait until the summer to start. I can hardly wait :)
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