Our October trip to Disney World with our two girls ages 4 1/2 and 9 was nothing short of magical! The best part about it was spending Halloween night with all of the Disney greats! Trick or Treating around Magic Kingdom at Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party was absolutely thrilling!
This was our first to trip Disney as adults and there were a lot of decisions to be made while planning, more then I had realized but it was also so exciting and fun to plan. As I planned I checked out websites to review other peoples experiences during their Disney Vacation, so I thought why not share my own?
The first decision was, where would we stay?
We looked at all of the Disney resorts but with two girls who are head over heels for The Little Mermaid the value resort; Art of Animation caught our eye. This resort is made up of four different buildings; The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Nemo and Cars, 3 of which have their own themed pools (The Lion King did not not have its own pool).
The Architecture was amazing, the price was right, it was nothing short of Fantastic to look at as you walked the hotel grounds. The rooms were small but we didn't spend much time in the room anyway. The decor was cartoonish but kid friendly and neat! The gift shop was big, bright and filled with an abundance of Disney fare from key chains to Christmas decorations to board games, stuffed animals, jewellery and more. The Quick Serve restaurant; Landscape of Flavours was large, very clean and stocked with a variety of yummy meals like pastas, pizza, grilled sandwiches, burgers, fries, tasty desserts, a slew of drinks, baked goods and so much more. It was a wonderful place to eat! The arcade was a great place to chill out and do some gaming. There was also a calendar of fun activities going on for the kids each day, ie; trivia by the pool complete with prizes. (Scroll all the way down for Art of Animation Resort Pics)
When arrived we received 4 bracelets, which served as our room key, meal ticket, park entrance pass and fast pass admission, with just one simple scan.
*The one and only drawback to staying in the Little Mermaid Area, is the longer walking distance to the hotel lobby/reception/restaurant/bus stop, Nemo and Cars are the closest. But the awesome Little mermaid themed po ol area made it all worth while.
Would we take the 7 day Park Hopper option?
Yes! This allowed us to visit more then one park in the same day! So we could spent all day at one park and then skip over to another for dinner or fireworks. We visited Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom and they were all a total Blast! However I have to say Magic Kingdom was our favourite and that is where you will see the most Princesses!
What Meal Plan would work for us?
We decided to go with the standard meal plan which includes, 1 Quick-Service Meal, 1 Snack and 1 Table-Service Meal per person per day or until used up. We chose to use the snack credits for breakfast, we would get a muffin, croissant, toasted bagel or yoghurt. The Quick Service and Table Service where either used for dinners or lunches depending on what we had booked for that day. The meal portions were so large that the kids shared their quick service meals and we had some extra credits that we could put towards a late night meal to share as a snack if we wanted. This meal plan was plenty of food for our family of 4.
Where we booked our Table Service Meals
The one thing I quickly learned was, as soon as you book your trip, jump online and book your meals. RESERVE, RESERVE RESERVE! Being a Disney food planning newbie I took a chance at booking our Table Service meals but the end result was 6 fantastic meals in 6 fantastic settings. (did not get to book our 7th Table Service meal due to flight times)
Tonys Town Square Restaurant, Magic Kingdom Main street, USA.
After a wonderful Magic Kingdom Parade, we went for dinner at Tonys Town Square Restaurant. The place where Lady and the Tramp shared their first kiss was the perfect place for Spaghetti and Meatballs. The service was great! The atmosphere was pretty and even the dessert plate below had Lady and the Tramp embossed in it! This was a fabulous place to eat!
This was our first to trip Disney as adults and there were a lot of decisions to be made while planning, more then I had realized but it was also so exciting and fun to plan. As I planned I checked out websites to review other peoples experiences during their Disney Vacation, so I thought why not share my own?
The first decision was, where would we stay?
We looked at all of the Disney resorts but with two girls who are head over heels for The Little Mermaid the value resort; Art of Animation caught our eye. This resort is made up of four different buildings; The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Nemo and Cars, 3 of which have their own themed pools (The Lion King did not not have its own pool).
The Architecture was amazing, the price was right, it was nothing short of Fantastic to look at as you walked the hotel grounds. The rooms were small but we didn't spend much time in the room anyway. The decor was cartoonish but kid friendly and neat! The gift shop was big, bright and filled with an abundance of Disney fare from key chains to Christmas decorations to board games, stuffed animals, jewellery and more. The Quick Serve restaurant; Landscape of Flavours was large, very clean and stocked with a variety of yummy meals like pastas, pizza, grilled sandwiches, burgers, fries, tasty desserts, a slew of drinks, baked goods and so much more. It was a wonderful place to eat! The arcade was a great place to chill out and do some gaming. There was also a calendar of fun activities going on for the kids each day, ie; trivia by the pool complete with prizes. (Scroll all the way down for Art of Animation Resort Pics)
When arrived we received 4 bracelets, which served as our room key, meal ticket, park entrance pass and fast pass admission, with just one simple scan.
*The one and only drawback to staying in the Little Mermaid Area, is the longer walking distance to the hotel lobby/reception/restaurant/bus stop, Nemo and Cars are the closest. But the awesome Little mermaid themed po ol area made it all worth while.
Would we take the 7 day Park Hopper option?
Yes! This allowed us to visit more then one park in the same day! So we could spent all day at one park and then skip over to another for dinner or fireworks. We visited Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom and they were all a total Blast! However I have to say Magic Kingdom was our favourite and that is where you will see the most Princesses!
What Meal Plan would work for us?
We decided to go with the standard meal plan which includes, 1 Quick-Service Meal, 1 Snack and 1 Table-Service Meal per person per day or until used up. We chose to use the snack credits for breakfast, we would get a muffin, croissant, toasted bagel or yoghurt. The Quick Service and Table Service where either used for dinners or lunches depending on what we had booked for that day. The meal portions were so large that the kids shared their quick service meals and we had some extra credits that we could put towards a late night meal to share as a snack if we wanted. This meal plan was plenty of food for our family of 4.
Where we booked our Table Service Meals
The one thing I quickly learned was, as soon as you book your trip, jump online and book your meals. RESERVE, RESERVE RESERVE! Being a Disney food planning newbie I took a chance at booking our Table Service meals but the end result was 6 fantastic meals in 6 fantastic settings. (did not get to book our 7th Table Service meal due to flight times)
Tonys Town Square Restaurant, Magic Kingdom Main street, USA.
After a wonderful Magic Kingdom Parade, we went for dinner at Tonys Town Square Restaurant. The place where Lady and the Tramp shared their first kiss was the perfect place for Spaghetti and Meatballs. The service was great! The atmosphere was pretty and even the dessert plate below had Lady and the Tramp embossed in it! This was a fabulous place to eat!
Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Disney Yacht Club Resort
We spent the day at Hollywood Studios then travelled by boat (from Hollywood Studios) to this super cute beach resort for a fabulous steak dinner at the Yachtsman Steakhouse. We couldn't believe our pricey steak dinner was part of the Disney Dining Plan, but it was and it was delicious! Service was nothing short of wonderful in this fine dining establishment. My kids enjoyed their meal although the atmosphere was catered more to the adults. This was my husbands Disney favourite meal! We also enjoyed touring the resort grounds beforehand, as we got there about a half hour before our reserved time.
1900 Park Fare (Character Dining, buffet at Disneys Grand Floridian Resort & Spa)
We took the Monorail from Magic Kingdom to Disneys Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for a fun filled dinner at 1900 Park Fare. The inside of the hotel was beautiful, very Victorian in style. The Restaurant was a buffet with an entertaining twist. On that special night, as we dined we were greeted by non other then Cinderella and her handsome Prince. We were also graced with the sarcastic presence of Cinderellas Evil Step mother and sharp witted step sisters. At the end of the dinner, the children joined Cinderella on the dance floor for a special dance. This dinner is a must do! The kids had an absolute blast.
Coral Reef Restaurant, (Epcot; Future World)
We decided to try out this much heard about restaurant for lunch, it was a wonderful to dine in an under the sea-like environment. Our table was in the middle of the restaurant but the experience would have been even better if we were alongside the Aquarium windows. Oddly enough the menu consisted of a lot of seafood!!!! but if your mantra is "Fish are Friends" there was also chicken, steak and more!
Hollywood and Vine (Hollywood Studios, Echo Lake)
This buffet was a hit, great food selection for dinner and the dessert complete with chocolate fountain was extremely delectable. This restaurant offers character dining at select times throughout the day. We did the Fantasmic Dining Package! With our dinner we received tickets for VIP seating at the Fabulous night time show Fantasmik! This show is a 30 minute, firework, waterwork show that is nothing short of Amazing. You will see Disney Princesses, Villains and other fabulous surprises!
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Epcot; Norway)
Dinner at Akershus was such an amazing Character Dining Experience. As you walk in, there is a camera ready Princess at the door waiting to pose for a picture with you. (these pictures are then printed for you in a special folder at no extra cost) The Princess who was happy to greet us, was Belle! As we dined, the Disney Princesses each came to our table to say a friendly hello, they were quite happy to sign our girls autograph books and pose for a picture too !
Next up...Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party!!!
The highlight of our trip to Disney fell on Halloween night. We were able to Trick or Treat around the one and only Magic Kingdom while attending Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party, and when I say "we" I mean all four of us, yes adults get to Trick or Treat too! The Halloween Party tickets had to be purchased separately from normal admission and the park remains open for the Party Guests only. This party runs for several select nights but we thought it would be cool to book our tickets for October 31st! My husband purchased some Mickey Mouse ears along with a Mickey shirt, I sported the Minnie Ears! My oldest daughter dressed as Ariel and my youngest; Rapunzel and off we went to Magic Kingdom for a night that was beyond fun! We each received a bag to collect our Halloween goodies, as well as a map to show where the Trick or Treat stations were located. The lines looked long at some stations but they moved fast. The Boo to You Parade began with the Headless Horseman racing down the street! The parade also included many villains you do not normally see during your trip to Disney World, which was very entertaining and the Halloween light show on Cinderellas Castle blew us away! This was the latest night out of our week long trip, and it was also a night we will never forget!
The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!
There are two Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutiques within Disney World, one is located in Magic Kingdom (Fantasy Land) the other is Down Town Disney. Appointments book up quick and Disney actually advises you make an appointment approx 180 days in advance.
What a fabulous way to pamper your little Princess! Not cheap but a magical experience worth doing at least once! You pick the package and the Fairy God Mothers in training get to work! Below is a 2013 example of the packages to choose from...(We saved money by bringing our own costumes that were purchased at a costume store for much cheaper then they are Disney World)
There are two Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutiques within Disney World, one is located in Magic Kingdom (Fantasy Land) the other is Down Town Disney. Appointments book up quick and Disney actually advises you make an appointment approx 180 days in advance.
What a fabulous way to pamper your little Princess! Not cheap but a magical experience worth doing at least once! You pick the package and the Fairy God Mothers in training get to work! Below is a 2013 example of the packages to choose from...(We saved money by bringing our own costumes that were purchased at a costume store for much cheaper then they are Disney World)
We arrrived on time and only had to wait approx 10 minutes, my girls were shown the change room where they went to put their costume on, one Ariel, the other Rapunzel. They selected the FairyTale Princess option and enjoyed their primping session very much! They were not allowed to see the final result until they chanted "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!" they were then turned around to check out the results of their Princess makeover in the mirror. The Fairy God Mother in traning provided them with a special Princess sash, as well as a backpack with the make up and nail polish that they used for their make over. Their hair was adorned with a fancy mickey clip and a sparkling Tiara! When my girls think back about our Disney Trip, The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is thought of as super MAGICAL and fantastically FUN!
What else Can I say about our Trip to Disney in October?
- The weather was great all week, sunny and warm except for one morning of heavy rain. Always bring a rain coat or poncho, that way you can take advantage of the small crowds and next to nothing wait times for rides and attractions on a rainy day.
- The longest we waited in line the entire week was an hour in Ariels Grotto, we also utilized our 3 Fast Passes/per day that are allotted to Disney Resort guests, and they sure came in handy
- Buses arrive often to take you to your desired park or to take you to your resort, I was extremely impressed by the short transit wait times. You cannot go from park to park or hotel to hotel by bus, you must take the bus from hotel to park or park to hotel.
- I would definitely go back in October, this trip was absolute ly Wonderful.
Below are pictures related to our stay at the fabulous Art of Animation Resort...
Tid Bits
- Gum is not sold in Disney World, if you want to chew, bring your own
- If you are bringing a stroller bring something flashy or unique to tie around the handle for easy retrieval
- Lanyards with Disney pins are popular within Disney World, they can be purchased at each park and kids can trade pins with Disney Cast Members (staff) at any point during their visit
- If you are staying in a WDW resort you will be given a refillable mug that can be filled up multiple times at your resort restaurant. (not valid in parks)
- Kiddies may want to bring an autograph book and pen to receive some fancy signatures from all their Disney faves. (Can buy in Disney, but will be pricier)
Do you have any Walt Disney World tips to share? How was your Disney experience?