30 Days of Disney - Packing

It's that time...our ONE week countdown! That means it's time to wrap up all the little details and get ready to go! Today I want to talk about packing!

People often ask what the weather will be like in December and how do you pack for it.  The first thing I tell them is, it depends where you are from :) Many people are surprised we bring swim suits with us because they think it won't be warm enough. 

The average temperature in early December is low 70's during the day and 50's at night.  While that might not be warm enough to swim...if it go to the mid-70's we would definitely be swimming during the mid-day. We may not put a toe in the pool  but we pack just in case!

Know the range of temps for this time of year it's imperative to pack in layers.  It can give fairly warm during the day but when you leave your resort in the morning it will be chilly! Here is what will be in our suitcases:

• Jeans and Capri pants
• Shorts
• T-shirts
• Sweatshirts
• Sneakers
• Sandals

We'll most likely leave each day with shorts and sweatshirts and if it gets warm, we'll shed the sweatshirts.  I've been checking the forecast and and it will be cooler toward the end of our vacation (in the 60's).  We'll be prepared for the varying temperatures and hope for the best!

So what else is important to pack? (FYI this is not one of those lengthy, detailed lists...those can be very overwhelming!!)

• Clothes (see above...don't forget the underwear!)
• Shoes (more than one pair and make sure they are NOT new!) and socks
• Toiletries (Just go through what you use every day...deodorant, lotion, toothpaste, etc)
• SUNSCREEN (even during the cooler months)
• Band-aids in all sizes 
• Batteries
• CHARGERS
• Camera's and extra SD cards
• Autograph book and pen
• Sunglasses
• Medicine
• Disney Documents
• Magic Bands
• ID

Of course you can google ULTIMATE Disney packing lists and they'll list everything under the sun. There are things YOUR family  might need but I wanted to keep the list short and to the point.

A few more things to keep in mind before we wrap this up!

• If you are using Magical Express Disney only sends one tag per person. If you want more you'll need to request them
• Most airlines charge fees to check your bags. If you can combine suitcases you might save a little money!
• For the kiddo's we often pack outfits in ziplock bags. Then each day we pull out their outfit...no arguing over what to wear! This time Kennedy will have lots of Princess dresses so it won't be too much of an issue.

What are your packing tips? What is the one thing you always forget...or the one thing you always pack but never use?

 

 Be sure to like me on Facebook! 

www.facebook.com/LivingWithTheMagic

30 Days of Disney - Traveling with Grandparents

We are lucky that this isn't the first time that my parents have traveled to the World with us.  Albeit my father took a little more of a nudge than my Mom, they both enjoy going....but in different ways. Today let's talk about multi-generational trips!

Let's say you are in a position like we are...the grandparents are coming along and either one or both of them are not huge Disney nuts. They are coming because they want to experience something special with the kids, help out or maybe even just get a way for a bit (even if it is Disney). Let's talk about some things you can do to make the trip enjoyable for everyone!

1) Hire a travel planner to take care of everything...haha no seriously!  Whether you hire a professional or are planning it yourself, make ONE person in charge of everything.  You can manage multiple reservations from the same My Disney Experience account. It simplifies things and for those that don't go often this can be far less stressful!

2)Even though I said you should have one person in charge, that doesn't mean everyone shouldn't have an opinion! Let the grandparents/aunts/uncle/etc know what the plans are. Ask them their opinion on restaurants and attractions. This way they don't need to feel herded like cattle!  They might not want to know every second of every day (my Dad!) but they want a general idea of what's going on.

3) The Grandparents are there to have fun too...despite their varying degrees of love for Disney!  Don't rely on them too much as a baby sitting service BUT you might find that they'd love a little one on one time with the kids to experience their own Disney magic!

4) Depending on the age of your parents, be sure to have some down time planned. Whether it's heading back to the resort, checking out a nearby resort, heading to Downtown Disney...whatever! Just get out of the parks for a while and let them relax. Some grandparents will go, go, go all day so it just depends on the age of the people you are traveling with.

5) Photos! Take as many a you can! It's often easy to get wrapped up in the  moment and forget to snap that shot but you (and your kids) will want photos to remember this experience!  Disney's photopass photographers are located all over the parks to assist AND for just $169 you can have ALL the photos you've had taken (including some ride videos) with Disney's Memory maker.

I'd love to hear your tips for traveling with Grandparents! We can't wait for our multi-generational trip and we'll be sure to share when get home!

 Be sure to like me on Facebook!

 www.facebook.com/LivingWithTheMagic

30 days of Disney - Day 5

Today is one of my favorite days...it's SINGLE DIGIT Day!! Just NINE more days until we are HOME! Today we talk about Day 5...our return to the Magic Kingdom!

We always plan at least 2 days at the Magic Kingdom and honestly, with 2 little one's in to we still won't see and do everything BUT we love every park so rather than spending all our time one place, we like to split things up a bit!

Today is what will be known as Belle day :)  Kennedy has already decided she's wearing her Belle dress.  We have a Fastpass+ for Enchanted Tales with Belle at Noon. ,followed by lunch at Be Our Guest at 12:45 p.m.  

A big moment came in our house this week as Kennedy reached 40". So that means we'll be hitting up a few coasters. We have Fastpass's for Big Thunder and Splash! We'll probably take a break in the afternoon to head over to the Wilderness lodge to check out the Christmas decorations and have some dinner before ending our night with Wishes.  A simple and sweet day at the Magic Kingdom.

 Be sure to like me on Facebook!

 www.facebook.com/LivingWithTheMagic

30 Days of Disney - Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

One of the best parts about Disney at the holiday's is Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.  I figured it would be a good topic for today as we still haven't decided if we are going to attend.

Pro's

Let's start with all the great things about that party

• It snows...on Main St! It's really kind of an amazing and magical thing (if it's not raining)

• Frozen, Frozen and more Frozen! We can't get enough around here!  When my hubby saw Olaf he said our daughter HAS to go (more on that later)

• Ok I know it's a bit blurry but how can you NOT want to go when you see how excited this little face was? While we'll probably leave the little one with Nana and Papa, I can only imagine how excited Kennedy will be at 3 1/2!

• Special character meet and greet! Country Bears are one of my favorite attractions and it was a blast meeting them! There are a bunch of other special opportunities as well!

• It's a party! Complete with free cookies and hot cocoa, dance parties and fireworks!! What's not to love?

Con's

Of course we have our hesitations...

• Cost...for our family of 4 (paying for 3) it's $200! That's a lot of money on top of park tickets...especially for a 3 year old
• Crowds. This year especially it seems the party popular and the crowds can get kinda crazy!
• Our schedule is already pretty full and I don't want the kids to be completely worn out. If we do the party it will be on our 3rd full park day.

Stay tuned to find out what we do! Be sure you are following me on Facebook and Instagram!

 

 Be sure to like me on Facebook!

 www.facebook.com/LivingWithTheMagic

30 Days of Disney - Stroller Review

Ahhh the great stroller debate! Do you bring one, rent one or skip it all together? Today I'm going to share with you a little bit about our decision and what we are using!

Before I get into what stroller we bought, let's talk about your options!

1) Bring your own. This is the cheapest option, although depending on the age of your kids, maybe not the easiest. If you are flying you can gate check your stroller but what if your kids are old enough that they don't normally ride, but you want to take it a long just at Disney? This can be cumbersome to drag through the airport.

2) Rent one from Disney...the problem with this is that it's an added expense PLUS they are super uncomfortable. You also can only pick these up at the park entrance, which means lugging potentially sleepy kids from the bus back to your room sans stroller!

3) Rent one from another company. Again there is an added cost but you get a much nicer option and will have it the WHOLE time, not just inside the parks.

We went back and forth on this one. When we were going to drive it was a no brainer but once we decided to fly, we knew we had options. Ultimately we knew we had to have a way to restrain them in the airport AND we could save money by bringing our own....that kind of worked :)  We bought a used stroller that I absolutely HATED so we finally bit the bullet and bought the stroller I really wanted!


Introducing the City Mini Double! We have this one in a single and just love it. Many of the local rental companies in Orlando offer this model! Let's do quick review of everything I love about this stroller!

It's small! This the is the stroller full compacted. Which is great for when you are riding the bus!

When it's closed it has this handy latch so it doesn't bounce back open!

When it's open it's not terribly wide, which I love, but both girls fit comfortably.

I also love that each child's shade can be pulled down individually, as well as each seat reclines on it's own. That way if one is napping I can cover her up. Our previous stroller had one big shade.

My favorite part about the City Mini...the way they close! You just pull up on these handles and VOILA! It just folds in half!

There isn't a ton of space but it has a good amount of storage under there...especially compared to the single stroller!

For the cost of renting vs. the cost of buying this, it was a no brainer. Plus we needed a double since having our 2nd daughter  anyway, so it's WIN WIN! We got a great new stroller AND in time to bring it to Disney with us!

 

 Be sure to like me on Facebook! 

www.facebook.com/LivingWithTheMagic