Category Archives: Travel

Disney with Kids – Disney with Strollers

20 Thursday Apr 2017

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Today is the last of a six part Disney with Kids series.  I hope you enjoyed the practical stuff, and found some new info.

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I wrote an overview of our experiences at Disney, as well as about the Fast Pass System (twice), our hotel, and the Meal Plan before.

The 2017 Disney with Kids series:
Disney while Pregnant
The Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Disney with Strollers

Disney Stroller Basics

In my opinion, strollers are a necessary part of the Disney experience for anyone six and under.  Even if your child gave up the stroller years ago, there are big advantages to having one at Disney.  First, and foremost, there is a lot of walking.  I cannot say that enough.  Your small child will get tired.  And, you might be tired too.  They can get some variety being carried, but nobody wants to do that all day.

A stroller also gives you a place to put things.  For example, you will want water for everyone in your party.  You might want snacks, sunscreen, sweatshirts, dry shoes (hello Kali River Rapids), guide books, park maps, or other items.  You might purchase items in the park (though, make everyone’s life easier if you have those items sent to your on-property hotel or the park pickup location if you are staying off property).  While there is always a chance of theft, we have never had anything stolen from our stroller.

The first thing you need to understand at Disney is that your stroller will rarely be where you left it.  If you do not leave it in a designated stroller parking area, a Disney employee will move it to the closest one.  Depending on where you are, this may not be obvious.  Do not assume your stroller has been taken; ask a Disney employee where stroller parking is.  If you do leave your stroller in stroller parking, it will still move.  Disney staff are constantly rearranging strollers to pack more in.  Or, it might be moved by a fellow guest needing access to their stroller.  If you can’t find yours ask.

Many people choose to flag their stroller with a balloon.  Personally, we have not found this to be necessary, even when using a Disney stroller.  That being said, even our orange stroller has been tricky to spot in the inevitable ocean of strollers so if this would be stressful for you, a balloon might help.

If you enter a building, you will generally need to leave your stroller outside.  This is true for most restaurants, even the quick service ones.  It is also true for most of the shops as they just aren’t spacious enough inside.  I’ll try to point out the few exceptions to this on a park by park basis.

Your Stroller (or outside rental) vs a Disney Stroller

This is a common question.  You can run the numbers, but you should also consider the pros and cons of both options.  We have done both; it highly depends on your needs.

Disney strollers

Contrary to what you may read, my children have never found these strollers uncomfortable.  The doubles are reasonably easy to steer and have plenty of storage.  They are neither lighter nor heavier than typical double strollers.  I assume the singles are similar, but we haven’t used those.  We have brought our double stroller and rented one from Disney to hold all the kids when we had many little ones.

Disney strollers are picked up and dropped off inside your park each day.  So, you do not have them on the bus/boat/monorail or through security.  If you ride the train around the Magic Kingdom you will leave them at your boarding point and pick up a new one when you disembark.  Remember to take your name card and belongings with you.  The disadvantage of this is that you are less able to race for a ride to start the day as you will be waiting in line to pick up your stroller.  You can send one person to pick up the stroller while those who want to ride go ahead.  I recommend this approach even if the rest of the group waits outside as the stroller pick up and drop off areas are somewhat small and can be congested.

Your own (or outside rental) stroller

Your stroller will be with you all the way from your car or hotel.  This means you will have it on Disney transportation and through Disney security and ticketing.

Your stroller must fold in an umbrella fashion to go on Disney buses, parking lot trams, and the Magic Kingdom train.  Sorry, the big Bob-type joggers don’t work well.  Essentially, it needs to fit like a single person, or in the case of the buses, fit under the seat.  Because even double umbrella strollers will fit under most seats on the buses, I prefer using my own stroller.  This way, you can roll your smallest children all the way to the park, and your sleepy children home at the end of the day.  The stroller will need to be unpacked and folded, but it still dramatically reduces the amount of carrying you will be doing.  For the parking lot tram, it may make sense to walk with the stroller while the non-strolling members of your party take the tram.  Many times I have arrived at our car at about the same time this way.

The stroller does not need to be folded to go on the monorail or boats.  However, the monorail compartments are small and usually jammed full.  If you have a stroller it is much easier to take a boat across the lagoon to your car or Magic Kingdom resort.  You do not have to cross the lagoon if you are using the Disney buses.

Disney security is pretty stroller friendly.  Specifically, you do not need to remove your children from the stroller for either the bag check or Magic Band stations.  You will need to remove any bags from underneath.

Park by Park

Magic Kingdom

As you might expect, the Magic Kingdom is full of strollers.  But, there are obstacles.  First, you will find Main Street USA is narrow and has real curbs.  You must also watch for the trolley tracks, which can easily catch a wheel.

Strollers can go on the Liberty Square Riverboat, but they cannot go on Tom Sawyer’s Island. If you choose to take the Walt Disney World Railroad, you will bring your stroller, but leave a Disney stroller behind and pick up a new one when you disembark.  During the parade, the boardwalk is the only way to move between Frontierland and Liberty Square (rest of Magic Kingdom).  While this is technically possible with a stroller, I do not recommend trying to enter or leave Adventureland or Frontierland during the parade.  It is just too congested and too many access points are closed.  Plan your day around the parade schedule.

The only buildings you might be able to bring a stroller in in the Magic Kingdom are Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe and Starlight Ray’s Cosmic Cafe.  Even then, probably only at off hours.  Both can be crowded, especially at dinner when dining options in the Magic Kingdom are limited.

Epcot

Counter-intuitively, Epcot is the most stroller friendly park at Walt Disney World.  The walking paths are largely open and smooth, and the crowds are not as packed in as other parks.  You don’t even need to fold your stroller to take a boat across the lake.

Unlike the other parks, strollers can go in many of the buildings.  You can explore Project Tomorrow and Innoventions in FutureWorld East. You can go in Imageworks, the Land Pavilion, and the Seas Pavilion in FutureWorld West.  In the Land Pavilion you can go to the Sunshine Seasons food court with your stroller.

In the World Showcase, you will find opportunities for al fresco dining.  You can also take your stroller in the Circle-Vision films inside the China and Canada pavilions.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom doesn’t have the curbs and trolley tracks of Magic Kingdom.  But, the walkways are similarly narrow, if not more so, and they are both hillier and bumpier.  That being said, Animal Kingdom is likely to be your most relaxing day so definitely take advantages of all the paths through the animal viewing areas.  They are all stroller accessible.  You can even take your stroller (not a Disney one) on the Wildlife Express Train.

Stroller parking does seem to be farther from the attractions.  In many cases this is because it is at the exit of the attraction and you have to walk back to the beginning.  At Kilimanjaro Safaris, you will hand your stroller to a cast member who will bring it to the stroller parking area.

I don’t believe any of the buildings in Animal Kingdom are stroller friendly.  But, most of the dining is al fresco and spacious enough to accommodate strollers.

Hollywood Studios

Despite being much newer, Hollywood has many of the same stroller problems as the Magic Kingdom.  Namely, curbs and narrow streets.  Therefore, it is not as stroller friendly as one would think.  Sunset Boulevard is shockingly narrow, especially with the vendor carts, and has actual curbs (as many Disney “streets” do, unfortunately).  It is also easy to get stuck in the Center Stage area also as it is mostly accessed by stairs.

Be prepared to walk/stand in line with your normally stroller bound children for the rides.  Stroller parking is clustered and therefore not really near anything.  Unlike other parks, it can sometimes be covered, which is nice on rainy days.  And, because the shows are rather long, they all have some level of line so your small children will be free or carried more often than at the other parks.

The only building you can go in with a stroller is Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream.  Frankly, though, unless you’re looking for stroller friendly AC, it’s not worth the time.

Summary

If you are traveling with kids (for admission purposes Disney kids are under 10), you will probably want a stroller.  This does not limit what you can do.  If you don’t need it much, use it as a home base.  In most parks, you can leave the stroller in one parking area and do multiple attractions around it.  If you would normally leave a baby/toddler in it all the time, realize that to experience most parks you will need to take them out.  Disney definitely tries to accommodate strollers.

 

Disney with Kids – Hollywood Studios

13 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by in Travel

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First, a disclaimer, which will be at the top of each park review.  There are plenty of websites that will give you the top rides or restaurants in each park.  So, I will cover three topics for each park: over-rated attractions, under-rated attractions, and nap strategies.

The 2017 Disney with Kids series:
Disney while Pregnant
The Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Disney with Strollers

Overview of Hollywood Studios

If you’re going to skip a park on a Disney visit with young children, it should be Hollywood Studios.  It’s not that its a bad park.  It’s that so much of it is geared towards elementary and up.  Young kids will have a lot of time on their hands.

For a newer park, it is not as stroller friendly as one would think.  Sunset Boulevard is shockingly narrow, especially with the vendor carts, and has actual curbs (as many Disney “streets” do, unfortunately).  Thankfully, it largely goes to attractions young children won’t visit, including the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.  There is a shady waiting area near these rides though, so if you make it through the crowd it is a reasonable place to pass some time with the non-riders in your group.  Fantasmic is also at the end of this road; we’ve never been.  One of the large theaters is about halfway down if Live Shows are of interest.

It is also easy to get stuck in the Center Stage area also as it is mostly accessed by stairs.

Over-rated Attractions

Young Star Wars fans may be interested in Jedi Training, which is offered for ages 4-12.  It is cute.  But, you and your child must race to the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost first thing in the morning to register in person.  This can take a very long time – think an hour plus.  And, you may not be able to get a time slot that doesn’t conflict with your Fast Pass/Meal timeslots for the day.  With many of the attractions in Hollywood Studios being around 30 minutes, and only happening a few times a day, adding a random chunk of time at the last minute can really throw off your plans.  Get your Star Wars fix by going on Star Tours as many times as possible.

Instead, I’d recommend making a bee-line to Toy Story Mania, which will have a very long line later in the day.  Note:  Toy Story Mania has been closed for technical problems for significant chunks of the day each time we’ve been there.  If you have a Fast Pass, they will honor that if the ride reopens, or you can use it on another ride.  But, trying to go first thing in the morning also gets you in before the ride breaks down.

 

 

Under-rated Attractions

Everyone who is tall enough should ride the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  I know this is a bigger name attraction with Fast Pass, but a lot of people are scared of the name.  It moves around a lot, but if you can handle the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, you can handle the Tower of Terror.  The set design in the lead-up to the ride is fabulous.

Everyone should go on The Great Movie Ride.  You should not need to use a Fast Pass for this one; there are better Fast Pass options for all ages.  Spoiler Alert: With the exception of some fake gunfire and the Alien, this is a pretty tame ride.  Adults will enjoy seeing bits from famous movies and there’s still enough going on the keep the attention of the little ones who don’t really know what they’re looking at.

Nap Strategies

Napping is a bit of an issue.  First, if all the kids in your party still nap, this probably isn’t the park for you.  Get your Frozen fix over at Epcot.

The only show quiet and comfy enough for napping is Voyage of the Little Mermaid.  But, its only 17 minutes long so just as they get settled you’re off again.  There are plenty of smooth paths and shady areas if they will nap in the stroller.

Hollywood Studios is largely geared towards an older audience.  The height restrictions are taller and on most rides.  Small children will be largely limited to Theater shows.  To get those in you will need to check the schedules in advance and plan your day as each show is roughly 30 minutes and may only happen 2-6 times.  The shows are also very loud, which doesn’t work for all kids.  But, they are generally good so if one looks right for your party, definitely put it in your vacation plan.

 

Disney with Kids – Animal Kingdom

06 Thursday Apr 2017

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First, a disclaimer, which will be at the top of each park review.  There are plenty of websites that will give you the top rides or restaurants in each park.  So, I will cover three topics for each park: over-rated attractions, under-rated attractions, and nap strategies.

The 2017 Disney with Kids series:
Disney while Pregnant
The Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Disney with StrollersDisney with Strollers

Overview of Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is one of the newer parks.  It is a great change of pace from the Magic Kingdom.  It feels like there is more space (though you find out quickly the main paths are still quite narrow).  It is shady, less hectic, and just generally more relaxing.  Plus, Animal Kingdom closes earlier than the other parks so it forces you to have a big of a slower day.  Consider a day in Animal Kingdom to recharge instead of taking a day off.

Over-rated Attractions

It’s Tough to Be a Bug! is a Fast Past attraction, but its definitely not what I would use my Fast Passes for in Animal Kingdom.  The description on the brochure says “Some creepy crawly moments in the dark.”  They are not kidding!  While the show is ok when the lights are on, the dark and creepy crawlies make this an unfriendly show for adults and kids alike.  Steer clear!

DINOSAUR is a good ride and one I definitely recommend for older elementary on up.  However, its height restriction of 40″ implies younger kids can ride.  They technically can, but this might be the scariest ride in all of Walt Disney World.  If you choose to take a preschooler or early elementary child on this ride be prepared for some seriously scary moments with the dinosaur animatronics.

Finding Nemo – The Musical is well executed.  However, don’t use your Fast Pass here unless you have a Nemo loving child in your group.  And, if your children are not fans of Nemo or unfamiliar with the story this may not be your best choice.  The musical covers the entire plot very quickly which can be confusing to those who haven’t seen the movie.  It also spends a high percentage of its time on the sadder/scarier parts of the story for plot development, which can be hard on a young viewer.

 

Under-rated Attractions

My top recommendation in Animal Kingdom is to use your time to explore the animal trails.  Even if you live near a large, well populated zoo, the Maharajah Jungle Trek in Asia and Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in Africa are well worth your time.  If you do all of the animal explorations (and you should) there is more in Animal Kingdom than you can do in one day.  It takes about a day and a half to see everything.  Or cull some of my over-rated attractions off your list to fit in the good stuff.

Flame Tree Barbecue is a not-to-be missed stop in Animal Kingdom.  The excellent food provides a welcome respite from the so-so hamburgers and chicken nuggets found at so many of the quick service restaurants throughout the parks.  Also, grab some onion rings or other sides on the menu as they are very good and can count as snacks for those of you on the meal plan – ask the cashier about that option.  There is usually plenty of seating, but it is a big spread out so you may have to head a bit farther in than you realize.

The Kilimanjaro Safaris and Festival of the Lion King are our family’s must see attractions in Animal Kingdom.  If you are not using your Fast Passes for the thrill rides (Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids can have very long lines without Fast Passes), use them here.  Otherwise, head for Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing in the morning to stay ahead of the line.  You can also check the app for wait times during the day also, but Animal Kingdom is big enough that you will prefer to make an organized loop vs criss-crossing the park to go to and from rides.  A Fast Pass for the Lion King gets you closer to the action, but the theater offers good seats for everyone so just jump in line if you don’t have a fast pass.

 

Nap Strategies

 

Animal Kingdom does not have built in nap options.  But, it is much quieter and shadier than the other parks.  It also generally opens earlier and closes earlier.  Treat Animal Kingdom as a relaxing day.  If you have young children who still nap, you will not be racing for the big name rides.

If you can get there promptly at opening, the timing generally works to hit the Kilimanjaro Safaris and then go directly to the Festival of the Lion King.  From there, explore the animal trails and you take a relaxing loop around the Discovery River.  Head in a clockwise direction and you will end up in DinoLand U.S.A. where you can ride the TriceraTop Spin and then play in The Boneyard until they run out of energy.

If you choose to head counter clockwise, just realize that not all the seats at the Festival of the Lion King have backs so you may end of supporting your sleepy child.  That being said, that show is a good way to end your day also.

Note than Animal Kingdom is a long way from any resorts, even those in the Animal Kingdom area.  This, combined with its relatively short open hours, make it the least favorable park for returning to your hotel for a rest during the day.  However, if your child will sleep in the stroller, the miles of shaded walking trails make it a good place to keep the rest of the party entertained.

 

 

Disney with Kids – Epcot

30 Thursday Mar 2017

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First, a disclaimer, which will be at the top of each park review.  There are plenty of websites that will give you the top rides or restaurants in each park.  So, I will cover three topics for each park: over-rated attractions, under-rated attractions, and nap strategies.

The 2017 Disney with Kids series:
Disney while Pregnant
The Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Disney with Strollers

Overview of Epcot

Epcot is one the original parks and on the monorail, but often associated with adults.  Disney has been adding more kid-oriented rides in an effort to appeal more to families, but I don’t know what effect it is having.  All that being said, it is one of the boys’ favorite parks.  They love the rides and they love the food.  Food is a big part of Epcot and definitely something not to be missed.  Assuming you spend an entire day, you will have plenty of time for both a sit down lunch and a sit down dinner.  It is a good opportunity to use those meal plan credits.

Over-rated Attractions

I’m not sure Journey into Imagination with Figment is over-rated as much as it is terrible.  And, one can waste a Fast Pass on it!  The ride takes you through a number of rooms demonstrating elements of the five senses.  The trouble is, it is dark and you are startled; it’s just not fun for kids or adults.  ImageWorks, where the ride ends up, is fun.  But, if you want to see it just go in directly and skip the ride itself.

Turtle Talk with Crush is a cute show, especially for the preschool set, but don’t use your Fast Pass here.  You will get in and all the kids are invited to the front to watch anyway.

Under-rated Attractions

I’m not sure everyone realizes there are rides on the World Showcase side of Epcot (though Frozen Ever After has probably educated most of those who were unaware).  Gran Fiesta Tour Staring the Three Caballeros in the Mexico pavilion is an underappreciated gem.  It rarely has a line, is a good length, and is fun for the whole family who can appreciate Donald Duck and Co.’s antics from different perspectives.

Living with the Land is a must ride attraction for our entire family.  There’s no need to use a Fast Pass as you can often walk right on, especially in the morning.  It can get more crowded around lunch as it is adjacent to a food court.  The kids appreciate all the different plants, the different styles of growing, and spotting the hidden Mickeys.

My third recommendation is Spaceship Earth.  Who doesn’t want to go in the giant golf ball!  Like the Carousel of Progress, the ride is a bit out dated.  But, the story is good and can be understood by even the smallest children.  And, it moves quickly enough to keep their attention.  Plus, the slow ups, downs, and spins are just fun.  The line can vary throughout the day so use a Fast Pass if you have an extra, or just check with the App or the signs throughout the park to see the current status.  You shouldn’t have to wait long if you’re flexible on when.

Nap Strategies

Epcot has many large, air conditioned buildings that you can stroll through if your child falls asleep in their stroller.  While large, Epcot is less tiring for children.  There is less sensory overload than the Magic Kingdom, almost all the attractions are indoors and therefore air conditioned, and even most of the lines are inside.  It’s a lot of walking for the non-stroller folks and therefore one of the most tiring parks for those who have recently outgrown the stroller.  There are fewer go-to nap attractions here.

My first choice is The American Adventure as it appeals the least to small children, but is reasonably dark with auditorium seating.  The downside is that it is on the far side of the lake and you don’t want to be criss-crossing Epcot if you can avoid it.  However, if you’ve just had lunch in the World Showcase, it is a good choice.

Back in Future World, Ellen’s Energy Adventure offers 45 minutes of seated, air conditioned calm.  The seats do move (in large blocks), and there are animatronic dinosaurs to draw the attention of the young ones, but there’s not a whole lot of over stimulation.

Epcot can be a relaxing day with young children.  Things are generally calmer and more spread out.  So, even if it is the park most likely to be open late, another option would be to forgo the nap and book an early dinner.  None of the restaurants are surprised to find a child asleep at the table.

Disney with Kids – The Magic Kingdom

23 Thursday Mar 2017

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First, a disclaimer, which will be at the top of each park review.  There are plenty of websites that will give you the top rides or restaurants in each park.  So, I will cover three topics for each park: over-rated attractions, under-rated attractions, and nap strategies.

The 2017 Disney with Kids series:
Disney while Pregnant
The Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Disney with Strollers

Overview of the Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is the park most people associate with Disney and probably visit first.  It has something for everyone and many opportunities to see well-known characters.  Plan to get there early one day to see the park opening show with the train overlooking the ticket plaza.  The closer you can get the better, but it the show can be seen reasonably well from fairly far back.  As with most of the parks, after you pass through the gates, walk directly and promptly to your favorite attraction to get an extra ride in before the line builds.  The Magic Kingdom offers the opportunity to take the train to the opposite side of the park.  I don’t think this would be faster than walking.

Over-rated Attractions

Hands down the most over-rated ride in the Magic Kingdom (if judged by wait times) is the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  The idea is cute – ride around in a big honey pot to see friends from the books.  But, unless the line is under 15 minutes don’t waste your time.  And, don’t waste a Fast Pass.  The honey pots are jerky and feel much older than other similar rides at Disney.  The ride also stops frequently and therefore takes much longer than anticipated.  If you’re looking for a pre-school friendly ride in that area of the Magic Kingdom, Peter Pan (also long lines but worth a Fast Pass) and It’s a Small World (Fast Pass rarely needed) are better options.

The Astro Orbiter is not a bad ride.  But, the wait takes an eternity that the ride doesn’t make up for.  Kids have an especially hard time with the process – groupings, alternating elevators, and an additional wait when you get to the top.  It also is more dizzying than it looks, making it not the best choice for everyone.

Under-rated Attractions

All three of these rides have been around for decades.  But, they still stand up to the power house modern rides.  Since none of them have lines, its easy to fit them in between your Fast Pass destinations.  They are all worth your time.

My favorite under-rated attraction is the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. These are four person cars on a flat, horizontal track, continuously traveling above Tommorowland. There’s never a line, it is reasonably long, and it has just enough curves, darkness, movement to be interesting for older children while not scaring the younger ones.  Note that it will go pitch black in one section and there are no seatbelts.  So, if you have little ones inclined to move about you may want to be on the same seat so you can keep in touch with them, literally, in the dark.  The ride goes through Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin as well as outside so you get the full Tomorrowland experience.

My second recommendation is Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.  While a very simple ride, it is enjoyable for all ages.  Each room shows a portrait of life at a different era of the 20th century and through a calendar year.  The boys still talk about it and sing the song.  It’s indoors in auditorium seating so it provides a good, air conditioned respite from the rest of the park.  There’s no line so the only wait is for the batch of seats to become available.

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is my final recommendation.  At face value, singing birds may not seem like the most exciting thing in the Magic Kingdom.  But, it is so much fun.  It is indoors, so shady and air conditioned.  There are benches to sit on so it gives your feet a rest.  The songs are catchy and the show, while kitchy, is enjoyable for all ages.

Nap Strategies

Unfortunately, the Magic Kingdom is logistically the most difficult park to get in and out of.  So, the often suggested strategy of returning to your hotel room for naps will take a huge chunk out of your day.  Even if one is staying at the Contemporary, which is within walking distance, there is still the full length of Main Street USA to walk just to get to or from the attractions.  If walking is not an option, you have to take the Monorail or Water Taxi across the lagoon to your car, or one of the shuttle buses or boats to your hotel.  All this takes time.

Thankfully, the Magic Kingdom has a few good air conditioned napping options that improve upon a shady place to park the stroller under a tree (though, those exist too).  Note, you will need to remove your child from their stroller before entering any of these attractions.

First choice, hands down, is Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.  I wrote about it above as an under-rated ride.  It is also a great place for a nap.  It is air conditioned with dim lights and relatively repetitive, calm music.  The seats are padded theater style so very comfortable.  The theater rotates a few times to move from scene to scene which is like a rocking motion.  And, the ride is relatively long.  Even adults fall asleep here (though its a shame to miss the show.)

Another option is the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square.  This 22 minute show is also air conditioned with theater seats.  The theater doesn’t move and the sound is mostly talking vs music.  But, it is cool, dark, and comfortable.  The show, while interesting, is also less appealing to the younger set.  Unfortunately, it also seems to attract an older set who can be snipey about small children interrupting while they try to listen to the history lesson.  Personally, in a child-oriented theme park I think some quiet questions are to be expected.

If you don’t want to stay in one place while your child naps in their stroller in the shade, board the Liberty Square Riverboat.  You probably won’t get a bench and there’s no air conditioning.  But, its a relaxing ride with plenty of shade and reasonably quiet.  Travel the full circle, hope for a nap, and get off to continue with the attractions.

I hope that gives you some outside the box ideas for your next trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Disney World with Kids – Disney while Pregnant

16 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by in Family, Travel

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Today is the first of a six part Disney with Kids series.  I realize there are plenty of recommendations out there already.  This is the truly practical stuff.  Not the top rides (which get plenty of press), but the rides that aren’t worth it.  Recommendations on where to get naps in without having to go back to the hotel.  That sort of thing.  Hopefully, you’ll find my take a bit different from the others.

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I wrote an overview of our experiences at Disney, as well as about the Fast Pass System (twice), our hotel, and the Meal Plan before.

The 2017 Disney with Kids series:
Disney while Pregnant
The Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Disney with Strollers

Today will be an overview of the cons of being at Disney World while pregnant.  The next few weeks will cover each of the major parks.  I’ve been pregnant at Disney twice with other kids in tow.  Frankly, I can’t think of any advantages of being pregnant.  And, you need to consider your specific circumstances.  But, assuming you are up for travel and a lot of walking, you don’t have to sit on the sidelines.

Let’s start with walking.  You will walk a lot.  You need comfortable shoes.  Benches are not as frequent as you might like and are often taken.  How comfortable are you on a low wall or grassy surface?  All that being said, you will not be alone.  There are always lots of pregnant women at Disney.

Similarly, Florida is usually hot.  Not always, but often.  Hot and pregnant are not the best combination.  You will need lots of fluids and more breaks than usual.  But, there is shade fairly readily available so that’s a plus.  If you have the meal plan you can use your snack credits on bottled water and other beverages in the parks.  Personally, even having drunk regular municipal water for years in many parts of the US I think the tap water in Florida tastes terrible so I’m going with bottled.  You may read tips on maximizing the snack credits by bringing your own drinks and/or using the refillable cups they give you.  Nothing beats a cold drink, which is what you will get with a snack credit.  Since the regular meals have plenty of food, often some you can hold for later, and you’ll have lots of snack credits consider using them for drinks.

Sticking with meals, if you are at a nauseous stage of your pregnancy you may have a hard time.  Most Disney quick service food is mid-level fast food.  And the volumes are huge.  I recommend a sit down restaurant for lunch if you can schedule one (this is particularly tricky in the Magic Kingdom where choices are limited and they book up fast).  This will offer you a natural break in an air conditioned environment with a bathroom.  All very handy while pregnant.

Now for the parks!

Magic Kingdom

Disney recommends against Big Thunder Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Barnstormer, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Tomorrowland Speedway.  The first four I totally understand and agree with as they are roller coasters.  Splash Mountain has a bar that may be an issue for pregnant women.  However, I rode Tomorrowland Speedway with no issues.  There is some bumping and gasoline smell.  If either of those would bother you, don’t ride.  It’s also a little tricky to get down into the cars.  But, I found it totally fine.

There are also two rides that Disney lists as fine for pregnant women that deserve comment.  First, I’m not prone to motion sickness, but the Astro Orbiter makes me queasy  even when I’m not pregnant.  I would not recommend this or the Mad Tea Party.  Also, the Swiss Family Tree House is fun.  But, its a lot of stairs, some of which are narrow and crowded so you should keep that in mind.  In contrast, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is a great ride and doesn’t actually involve much spinning so there’s definitely no need to avoid it.

Epcot

Disney advises against Test Track and Mission Space.  You definitely need to abide by those guidelines.  Both are great rides, but not while pregnant.

Disney says you can visit both O Canada! and Reflections of China while pregnant.  But, they’re both standing movies and the picture motion coupled with standing can be difficult.  Definitely the bottom of the list.  If you’re looking for a movie style option, The American Experience is better.  Soarin’, on the other hand, is a great ride that you might not think you can do while pregnant.  You definitely can!

Hollywood Studios

Disney recommends against Star Tours, Tower of Terror, and the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster.  I have to agree with all three.  Nothing else even needs a warning.  Hollywood Studios is a rather show oriented park so on most things you’ll have seats.  They don’t always have backs, but at least you’ll be sitting down.

Animal Kingdom

Disney recommends against Expedition Everest, Primeval Whirl, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids, and Kilimanjaro Safari.  I’ve actually not been on the first four because someone always had to stay with the kids who were too small and the pregnant lady seemed an obvious choice.  But, based on what I know I don’t recommend any of them.  Kilimanjaro Safari, on the other had, I’ve been on multiple times while pregnant with no issues.  It is somewhat long (especially if the line is considered) with no bathroom breaks available.  It is also somewhat bumpy, but not worse than some potholed city roads in the springtime.  I think it deserves consideration.

The animal viewing trails are shady and generally uncrowded.  They can take a lot of time and add many extra miles of walking.  But, they would be a good option if you’re up to it.  There are a number of shows also, many of which (The Lion King aside) have seats with backs.  Even if you can’t go on many of the rides, I wouldn’t skip Animal Kingdom just because one is pregnant.

Summary

Disney can be fun while you’re pregnant; it doesn’t need to be avoided.  But, consider how you feel and any guidance from your doctor.  Set reasonable goals and expectations for yourself.  Schedule time for meals and drinks.  Since many of the rides you won’t be going on have FastPass+, you’ll have more flexibility than the average guest to change things up if you need to.  Finally, enjoy the vacation before baby!

Disney Review 2015 – the Meal Plan

13 Friday Nov 2015

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For the first time, we tried the Disney Dining Plan.  We had the standard option which gave us 1 snack, 1 table service, and 1 quick service meal per person per day.  Because our oldest was 10 and youngest 2 on this trip, by Disney’s definition we had 3 adults, 3 kids, and 1 infant.  In theory the kids have to order off the kids menu (Disney usually, but doesn’t always, differentiate), adults from the adult menu, and anything ordered for the infant is extra.

First, some obvious points.  This is only beneficial if you actually plan to use table service meals.  They will take longer and often require reservations so if you want to maximize your time in the park and/or plan less, you may want the stepped down dining option that is quick service meals only.  There’s also a few levels of stepped up options that offer three meals, all table service meals, etc.  Overall, though, we felt the standard option was a pretty good compromise.

Second, the way Disney counts “days” maximizes the number of meals you get so you may need to go to a two point table service meal, for example, to actually use all of them.  Specifically, we arrived for dinner and left before breakfast – I think this would be pretty typical for a group traveling by air.  We also brought/bought breakfast for our room so we only ate two Disney meals per day.  This gave us a couple of extra meals.  We actually had planned to eat at a number of two point table service restaurants so those were fine.  But, we were going to have extra quick service meals.  Some of those were used up purchasing a 7th quick service meal for the “infant”.  Note:  as far as I can tell Disney does not track adult vs kid quick service meals.  They do for table service.  The others worked out as we ended up with a lunch reservation at Be Our Guest.  It turns out to be quick service at lunch, though two table service points at dinner, which worked out great for us.  I believe in the end we had to purchase one round of table service and a few quick service meals additionally, which is certainly better than paying for more than you use.

What about those snacks?  I knew going in that we’d have extra snacks so we weren’t too careful about using them.  We did bring our own water to the parks each day vs use a snack credit for a bottle of water.  We used the snack credits for the occasional extra (popcorn, pretzel, etc) or cold beverage (soda, Dole whip, slushies, etc).  All that being said, we still had over 30 snacks with two days to go.  Thankfully, we had a day at Epcot planned and the Food & Wine Festival was underway.  So, we snacked our way through lunch and the rest of our snack credits.  However, if this option had not been available I’m not sure how we would have used them up besides buying snack items that could be brought home (entirely unnecessary so I’m glad we could avoid that).

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My one issue with the Disney Dining Plan is that every adult meal, and table service kids meals, include dessert.  This is entirely unnecessary.  Since we had more people than adults we shared to mitigate the problem, but I could have done without desserts all together.  I did discover that at Flame Tree BBQ I could get fries or onion rings instead of dessert, and used that option.  But, I didn’t come across any other quick service places that offered alternatives.

In summary, I did feel the meal plan was worth it (count your planned meals first to see which plan works for you).  For us, breakfast in the hotel room works best.  However, its similarly better for us to eat dinner in the parks before leaving (plus we like the table service dinners) vs trying to cook in a condo or eat at a non-Disney restaurant; the kids are just too tired by that point.  Yes, I would use this option again.

Disney FastPass – Post Mortem

06 Friday Nov 2015

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For those of you who read my post about booking FastPasses, you’ll remember I was less than thrilled with the process.  Well, having now used them I can’t say I feel any better about it.

The only positive about FastPasses is that you do have a few rides per day where you don’t have to wait in line.  And, these are usually the more popular rides with longer lines.  And, as I said in my previous post, if everyone is doing the same things every day the system works fine.  BUT, I suspect most families/groups at Disney do not want everyone to do the same thing all the time, but much of the time.

I won’t reiterate what I wrote earlier, just update based on my experiences in the park.

First, nothing that happened at the parks improved my opinion of the FastPass system.  It is definitely my least favorite part of the Disney experience.  First, it locks you into certain parks/rides at certain days/times which reduces flexibility (with the advantage of shorter lines).  But, more importantly its implemented horribly.

We used what we wanted of the FastPasses we had booked.  Then, similar to what I experienced when I originally set them up, I had basic issues that just shouldn’t have been when trying to sign up for the 4th FastPass at a kiosk.  Specifically, because it is such a pain to break into groups (and we weren’t sure what big kid rides the 4y would want to go on) I often had a few FastPasses go unused.  As would be expected, there were never any top rides available by the time we booked the 4th FastPass.  But, there was no way at the kiosks to regroup everyone to go on the group friendly rides that were available.  Even though the time slots had passed it wanted me to rebook FastPasses for the random leftovers that hadn’t been used and the 4th for others separately.  So, I had to stand there and cancel the unused FastPasses on my phone which then allowed me to book a ride for all of us together.  First, the kiosk should let you do this (and, in one case the attendant insisted it just wasn’t possible, was shocked that I could do it using the phone, and insisted he’d never seen anyone trade Test Track for Spaceship Earth).  Second, once the time slot has passed, the system shouldn’t have you locked in anymore.

Also, I saw/heard a bunch of folks swapping bands in the parks.  I don’t think anyone had issues, but it made us wonder why the Fast Passes aren’t for the group, vs the individual, like the meals.  I suspect Disney would express concern that the thrill rides would book up first.  But, at least in the Magic Kingdom Peter Pan, princesses, and other kid rides have some of the longest wait times.  And, I’d far prefer to wait 60 minutes with my 10y than my 2y.

Finally, in between these two posts I tried using the phone number to book a few FastPasses for our group (we had four join us for a few days making a total group of 11).  Apart from their being more familiar with the system than the average user, there is really no benefit to this.  They can’t do anything you can’t do on the regular system.  So, if there aren’t any more FastPasses available at whatever timeslot you booked first, they still can’t add the new folks.  Frankly, the only advantage of the “Add” capability is that it does try to put them in the exact same timeslot vs being off by 15 minutes, but this is a weak benefit when compared to all one would assume it can do, but can’t.  And, if you do add them, they’re in your group meaning you now have even more people to group/regroup depending on attraction.  I do not recommend adding friends and family to you fast pass.  Similarly, there’s no point in calling the phone number unless you’re actually having trouble with the system.  Its advertised as a help for large groups, but since their capabilities are similarly limited there isn’t much benefit to trying to get in touch with them.

I’ve copied my recommendations from before below (1-5), and added new ones based on the in-park experience.

The Way I’d Like to See the Fast Passes Work

  1. Keep the current system, because if everyone wants the same thing it is great.
  2. But, allow people to book one Fast Pass at a time.  That way, you could book everyone in your group into The Mine Train without having to grab the same number of Anna/Elsa tickets (for example).  Then let people add Fast Passes, up to three total per person.
  3. This option would also let folks grab the critical (to them) Fast Passes and then think about how to flesh out their schedule later.
  4. Similarly, if you copy a Fast Pass over to another member of your group, you should be able to copy only one ride vs the entire set.  And, you should be able to choose which one of their Fast Passes is being replaced, rather than losing the whole set.  As it stands, if subgroup 1 books critical attraction A and subgroup 2 books attraction B, there is no way to regroup them and switch one of their Fast Passes to a shared attraction without attempting to get overlapping Fast Pass time slots (or losing the critical attractions already reserved).
  5. If you find later that you need to split the group, you should be able to switch attractions before switching time slots.  Ie, your tall preschooler refuses to ride The Mine Train at the last minute – the app should let you quickly see what other Fast Passes you can get for the current timeslot, or slightly later.  Families often want to spend time together so being able to ride in parallel is highly beneficial.
  6. Once a FastPass timeslot passes without use, it should automatically be marked as used in the system and freed to be booked again.
  7. If you can do it on the phone ap, you should be able to do it at a kiosk.  Deleting remaining FastPasses to enable regrouping is the obvious one here, but I bet there are some other features that don’t exist in both places.
  8. Finally, make the FastPasses good for the group, not the individual.  This would make life a lot simpler for everyone involved.

Disney Review 2015 – the Resort

31 Saturday Oct 2015

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This is the second post about our trip to Disney World.

As a reminder, we’ve never stayed on property so we weren’t entirely sure what to expect.  We chose Port Orleans, French Quarter.  At Port Orleans we could get adjoining rooms without costing ourselves a small fortune.  The French Quarter side is smaller so things like the restaurant, bus, pool, etc are all closer, which was important to us.  By chance we ended up with a ground floor unit.  While I normally would not prefer this, the layout was such that we had very few people walk by our windows and no noise.  And, it was much easier to get the boys and stroller out every morning.

Our reaction was overwhelmingly positive.  (And, I’d request a ground floor again for ease of egress.)  True to description we were close to all the places we needed.  The rooms were plenty spacious, quiet (even to the adjacent neighbors), and reasonably well laid out.  There was no true closet, but there was plenty of high shelving to keep items from the two year old, which was wonderful.

We used the pool a few times, and the laundry once.  Neither was far.  Both were clean and modern.  My one issue with the pool is that the sight lines are terrible.  So, it was basically impossible to see more than one child at a time.  This seems to be a Disney thing as the same problem presents itself in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Dinosaur play areas.  But maybe they’ve figured this out because the sight lines at the newer Dumbo play area are much better.  But, the pool has lots of lifeguards who seemed to be very attentive.

We were particularly happy with the on-site restaurant.  It’s a food court which is a bit difficult with seven people, but by the second visit we had figured out how to handle this.  Also, being our first time on the meal plan we didn’t make “proper” selections the first time.  This was handled well also.  But, the food (specifically the ribs and fried chicken) were very good and a welcome break from the usual Disney burgers one finds in the park quick service restaurants.  We only ate dinner there so I can’t speak to breakfast or lunch.  We were so happy with it we ended up there two additional times when we decided to leave the parks early and swim after dinner.

Finally, the front desk handled all of our requests/questions well.  And, the store was both well stocked and reasonably priced.  We did not buy and souvenirs, but did purchase a few food items.  This got us through breakfast the first morning (before our order was delivered) and provided sandwiches and snacks for the plane ride home for much less than we would have had to pay in the airport.

Overall, I would try a Disney hotel, and specifically this one, again.

Disney Overview – 2015

23 Friday Oct 2015

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This is the first of what will be many Disney review posts.  I’ll try to break things down by topic over the next few weeks.

For perspective, this was our third trip to Disney World.  That being said, it was the first time we’d stayed on property or used the meal plan.  We also were there for nine days, which is a very long time.  Because we’d gotten the stomach bug on both previous trips our original intention was to take a few days off (TBD based on illness) over the course of the week.  But, (YEAH!) this time nobody got sick so we had nine days in the parks.  We used all this extra time to not drive ourselves to exhaustion.  Every day (except one) the boys ate dinner and were in bed on time, the adults were in bed early, and we woke reasonably easily in the mornings.  I think staying on schedule was crucial in keeping everyone sane.

Today, I’ll do a quick review of Disney Transportation.  I’ll talk about the resort, meals, Fast Passes, and parks in later weeks.

Our first experience with Disney Transportation was the Magical Express, which takes you from the airport to your hotel.  We used the yellow stickers to send our bags all the way through without our having to grab them at the airport.  Since we’d been warned that this would mean that we might not get our bags until 3-4 hours later, we put the boys’ pjs in our carry on bags.  As it worked out, we landed about 5 pm and the bags were in our room when we got back from dinner.

The Magical Express was clean, comfortable, and pretty efficient.  The bus was ready to go when we arrived in the depot area and we were the third or fourth stop on Disney property.

The trip back to the airport was a bit trickier.  First, we had a 9:30 am flight so we had to board the Magical Express about 6:30, which is early for us.  But, we made it.  This time we did not have them handle our luggage since we’d been told it needed to be dropped at 5:30 (before we got up).  But, as it turned out the distance from the bus depot to baggage check was very long.  Since we were able to print our boarding passes at the resort, it would have been easier to check the luggage also.

Our experience with the internal Disney buses was similarly positive.  We had no trouble getting to the parks by 8:30/9:00, even in the few cases where we had to wait for a second one.  About half the time we were able to get seats.  And, when the bus was quite full it didn’t make extra stops on the way to the parks.

The one exception was when we had dinner at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and needed to get back to our resort.  Disney has no internal mechanism of getting from one resort to another (unless they’re both on the monorail).  Because we had to take two buses and transfer at an intermediate destination (Downtown Disney in our case), it took over an hour to get from the Lodge back to our resort.  I think as Disney puts more of the branded restaurants in the hotels they should consider an internal taxi service.  Especially since one is making dinner reservations anyway, it would have been no problem for us to identify way in advance that we would need to move x people from A to B hotel following a x:xx dinner reservation.  I’d even pay a few extra bucks for that, especially if it was as good or better than the Magical Express, meaning 2-3 stops max on your journey.

In advance of our trip I’d read a lot about what a pain Disney Transportation was and how we should rent a car even for internal trips.  We did not find that to be the case at all.  Maybe it was the season, but we would use the buses again.