Welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast!
In Episode 4, our host, Rachel, is joined by fellow Disney experts and Moms -Jess from Well Hello Disney and Meg from Meg.For.It. - to share everything we know about taking your kids to Walt Disney World. From the best age to go to where to stay to "must knows" before you go, we're here to help your family have the best Walt Disney World vacation.
Hop in to get all the Walt Disney World scoop including:
🐸 Let Us Help You Plan and Book Your Next Vacation! 🐸
💚 We’d Love to Stay In Touch! 💚
Welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast!
In Episode 4, our host, Rachel, is joined by fellow Disney experts and Moms -Jess from Well Hello Disney and Meg from Meg.For.It. - to share everything we know about taking your kids to Walt Disney World. From the best age to go to where to stay to "must knows" before you go, we're here to help your family have the best Walt Disney World vacation.
Hop in to get all the Walt Disney World scoop including:
🐸 Let Us Help You Plan and Book Your Next Vacation! 🐸
💚 We’d Love to Stay In Touch! 💚
Rachel (00:00:02):
Welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast where we bring together Disney Pros to share our tips for making your vacation extra. Magical, undercover Tourist is the trusted name and discount theme park tickets with over 20 years of experience under our frog belts. You can find us online@undercovertourist.com. On top of saving you some green. We've also created comprehensive planning tools to make planning your next vacation as stress-free as possible, including the number one ranked crowd calendar, our comprehensive blog park plans, and so much more. Hello and welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast. I'm your host Rachel with Undercover Tourist, and today I am so excited to be joined by my friends Jessica and Meg, to talk about visiting Walt Disney World Resort with kids. Welcome Jessica and Meg. We're so happy to have you here. Hey,
Meg (00:00:56):
It's so good to be here.
Jessica (00:00:57):
Hello.
Rachel (00:00:58):
For anyone listening who is not familiar with Jessica and Meg, they're both moms. They are super moms, they're absolute Disney World P Pros. They really do it all. So Jessica a k, a well, hello Disney. Your Disney packing videos with your kids popping in and out always brings a smile to my face on your Instagram. Your tagline is, even though you're all about minimizing parental stress, tell us a little more about you and your family.
Jessica (00:01:22):
Yes. So I was actually raised a Disney kid, meaning that my parents took me to Walt Disney World every year. And now I also have four kids and I'm turning them into Disney Kids as well. I have an 11 year old, 28 year old, and a two year old because we had to toss in that last kiddo, so we're getting to really experience all the Disney Junior stuff again. So that has been really fun.
Rachel (00:01:46):
Aw, I love that. And Meg folks can find you at Meg for it. As a local Florida resident, your family heads to the park often, and we know that you are all about keeping things simple, minimizing. I've even heard that your kids may have some Disney inspired names. So tell us a little bit more about you and your family. Yes,
Meg (00:02:05):
The rumor is true. <Laugh>, my son is named after Walt Disney, so his name is Walt and my daughter is named Daisy, but it just coincidentally is my grandmother's name. So it kind of just worked out. Everybody's got a little Disney name and yeah, we're local. We like to treat Disney World like our local park. We'll go for a walk in the evenings, we'll go for breakfast on the weekends. I love to show people on my platforms how to have a relaxing, uncomplicated Disney trip where you get the most for your buck without any stress. I'm gonna show you all the hidden gems, all the little known facts to make your experience unique and never basic.
Rachel (00:02:42):
Love it. How old are Walt and Daisy?
Meg (00:02:45):
They actually just had their birthdays just in the last week or two, so they turned eight and 10
Rachel (00:02:51):
Fun. Love it. And outside of my day-to-day job, helping families have their best vacations ever at Undercover Tourist, I busy with two daughters, 10 and almost 13. I cannot believe I'm gonna have a teenager here in just a couple months. And they have been visiting the Disney Park since they were under a year old myself. I've been visiting since I was a kid as well. So we are well-versed in the theme parks. Well, I think as a trio we added it up and we've all been to Disney World over a hundred times with kids of all different ages. So I'm so excited to share our top tips for kids no matter what their ages are. These trips are often once in a lifetime, they're filled with totally magical moments, core memories, but they're also a big investment of your time and resources. And if you add in the spontaneity of kids, it can sometimes feel a little, we'll just say unpredictable.
(00:03:41):
You might feel pressured to get everything in or some pressure to make sure that it's memorable for everybody involved or even to just get the very most for your money, the most bang for your buck. We are here to help. So we want you to leave today's podcast feeling ready to visit Walt Disney World with tadpoles of all ages. So here's what we're gonna talk about. What is the best age to take my child to Disney World? We'll go over an overview of some of the key things to know about visiting Disney World with kids, from dining to strollers, to special experiences to transportation. We'll talk a little bit about the most popular attractions for kids and how many days we recommend visiting each park. We'll talk about how to prepare for Disney World with kids, some easy ways to get you and your family ready to go.
(00:04:26):
Our very favorite places to stay with kids. I including some options for larger families. And of course, we'll address the question that we get all the time. Is it worth it to stay at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel? And then we'll close it out with some of our top tips for visiting Disney World with kids. Before we jump in, of course we wanna share that you can save money on your entire Walt Disney World vacation theme. Park tickets, hotel stays, rental cars, and more through undercover tourists. As you listen today, just a quick caveat. You know your kids and your family the best. All families look different. So while we're sharing some suggestions that have worked for our families, do what's best for yours. Some teenagers might be all about the thrills, some maybe not so much. Some littles may brave the coasters while others are more into the characters. Again, every family is different. So we're just gonna share some of what's worked for our families. Jessica and Meg, are you ready?
Jessica (00:05:18):
Ready? Yeah, let's
Rachel (00:05:19):
Hop to it. All right, let's jump in. Yeah, love it. We're gonna kick it off by talking about what you should know about visiting Disney World with kids. So this is some basic information on the most common topics that parents will wanna know. Things like tickets, dining, strollers, transportation, and more. But before we dive in, let's address the number one question. What age should I take my kids to Disney World? It's a multifaceted answer, right? Oh my gosh. Jess, do you wanna start us
Jessica (00:05:49):
Off? Yeah. So you know, especially for me, I've been going to Disney World forever. I've taken my kids. So when people ask me this question, I actually ask the adult and I say, well, are you ready to go to Walt Disney World? Because in my eyes, I just feel like it's not really about the kid being ready to go to Walt Disney World's. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, whatever adult, whether it's a parent or grandparent taking a kid to Walt Disney World. Are you ready to do the research? Are you ready for the days? And are you ready to build a vacation? And if you're ready to do that, then it's the right age. Oh, so
Meg (00:06:23):
True. Every time someone asks What is the age? When should I take my kid to Disney World? I say, yes, yes. <Laugh>, whatever age, it's
Jessica (00:06:33):
<Laugh>.
Meg (00:06:33):
Honestly,
(00:06:35):
The only thing that changes is gonna be your pace. So if you have a little six month old and you can wear them the whole time that you're walking around and you can ride some rides while you're wearing them, that's a whole different pace. Now, when your kids get older and maybe you have a stroller, maybe they're starting to walk and they don't wanna be in a stroller, totally different pace. I just took my grandmother in February and that was a totally different pace as well. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. But we got to experience things so differently. When you're slower, you see more, you experience things differently. So at any age, hop over it's time. Yes.
Rachel (00:07:11):
Totally agree with both of you. I think, yes, it's all, if you're ready to prepare and wanna take them, go for it. You're gonna make magical memories no matter what age they are. Let's talk a little bit about what to know about Disney World in itself. Meg, tell us a little bit about the size of Disney World.
Meg (00:07:27):
All right. It's huge. Okay. My favorite little known fact is that there 51 disneylands can fit inside Disney World. Wow. That's how big it's so it's huge. It's over 25,000 acres. It's about 40, 43 square miles. So it's the same size as San Francisco. It's big enough to have its own area code. It's a lot. There's four parks, two water parks, 24 onsite hotels. It's grand, it's massive <laugh>.
Rachel (00:07:56):
It's huge. And we'll, you'll see why that's important to know in just a few minutes when we talk about transportation. But of course with a resort that size, you need to know how you're gonna get around. So we'll get there in just a minute. Jess, what else should we know about going to Disney World with kids? So
Jessica (00:08:11):
The beautiful thing about Disney is I feel like it's so interwoven to like everyone's life. Whether it's the movies that you love from Marvel to Star Wars, to princess movies, music that you listen to, and then TV shows. So it's hard to say that Disney hasn't touched your life in some way. Yeah. And the one thing I always encourage families is start there with Disney. Because I'm sure based on the things you're already watching at home, listening to at home, you can find a variety of things at the parks, at the resorts. Yeah. That already touch your life. So that's what I love about Disney is there's something for everyone there, depending on what you're fans of, that
Rachel (00:08:54):
Is such a great place to start with your family, is figuring out what already speaks to them and working from there. So like Jessica said, there's something for all ages at every park. So you may have heard perhaps that Epcot is more of an adult park. There's still a lot to do for kids there. So why don't we go ahead and dive into some of our favorite things to do with our kids by park. So let's start with Magic Kingdom. We'll start there. That is the Castle Park. For anybody who is not familiar, you'll find the hub and spoke kind of formation. You'll find all the different land. So fantasy land. Adventure land, frontier land tomorrow land. Jessica, why don't you tell us some of what your kiddo's favorite things to do are at Magic Kingdom? So
Jessica (00:09:36):
Because of the age of my kids, magic Kingdom is actually a really good park for rides. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>, there's a lot of other theme parks that we don't focus as much on rides because of height requirement. So with Magic Kingdom we have like a system down on like how we tackle like Fantasy Land and Tamara Land. Even to the point where my two year old toddler will be like Time for Dumbo and we'll go direct us to Dumbo. And she literally can't direct us from Main Street to Dumbo. Love it. And so rides at Magic Kingdom, especially if you have multi-age kids, kind of like I do from toddler to pre-teen, you have so many rides you can choose from there that that park, we actually do a lot of rides there. Versus the other parks we might find other things to do or watch more shows. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, so Magic Kingdom is our ride park.
Rachel (00:10:27):
Yeah. It's the park with the most amount of rides without height requirements. So totally get
Jessica (00:10:33):
It. I think there's like 16 with no height requirement there. Yeah. So it's great. Mike, what
Rachel (00:10:38):
About you guys?
Meg (00:10:39):
Yeah, we love to do Magic Kingdom at night. That's kind of our special thing. So there's so much to do in that park. It's definitely one that if you've been, if you're just going for the first time, you gotta break it up a little bit. You can't consume everything all in one day. But we like to go just at night, get some dessert after dinner, ride one ride and then watch the fireworks because that's the nighttime show. That's the one that you gotta go to. You can't miss it.
Rachel (00:11:04):
Love it. Well my kids I, I mentioned are a little bit older, so 10 and 13, so now they're still into the thrills. So they love Big Thunder. That is the one they had too all of the time. Whether it's daytime or nighttime, they have some of those cool lighting effects too. So super fun one to ride at daytime, nighttime. What about food? What's your favorite, do your kids have like a go-to snack at Magic Kingdom?
Jessica (00:11:26):
We're always at Storybook Treats <laugh> at Magic Kingdom. It doesn't, it's like nine 30 in the morning and they're like, it's storybook. I'm like, no, it's nine 30 and I'm not gonna let you have I scream at nine 30. Like, but for some reason that has become like our favorite place to go for treats. It just, I think for them it feels like home once they get like their ice cream combo from there. So we love Story Bud
Rachel (00:11:54):
Treats. Love it.
Meg (00:11:55):
Yes. Oh I love that. We love the the sweet and savory of sleepy Hollow. Those waffles, they have waffles with Nutella, waffles with fruit, waffles with ice cream. They have a spicy chicken one happening right now. So ugh. We love those.
Rachel (00:12:12):
We are also big ice cream people. So my kids really like the, like soda floats from Sunshine Tree Terrace. Oh. And of course they're big Dole fans, so always, always with the soft serve anywhere we can get it, we're all about it. The thing that they used to like when they were really little is actually the carousel, which I always think is funny cuz we can go anywhere and they're like bee lining it for the carousel. I don't know if your kids are the same, but I'm always like, there's all these other rides in the carousels. But they love the carousel. They do. And as they've gotten older, they also really love right in front of the carousel as the sword and the stone. So Excalibur where you can kind try to pull it out. Have your kids ever been successful at that?
Jessica (00:12:49):
Never. No. We're trying every time. Every time.
Rachel (00:12:52):
Not yet. And us too. You did? That's so exciting. No, not
Meg (00:12:55):
Yet. One day
Rachel (00:12:56):
Yet. I thought you were saying one like Yes and I was like Ooh, lucky Meg. But not yet.
Jessica (00:13:00):
We'll have to contact each other if it ever happens. I
Rachel (00:13:02):
Know, I'm,
Meg (00:13:03):
I'm waiting. Sure. <laugh>.
Rachel (00:13:05):
But that's such a fun moment. I've seen other people get it and I know there's lots of, when little kids when they feel that sword actually coming up, oh the look on their faces is just so precious. What about animal kingdom? So that one's kind of the animal experiences, that's also where you'll find Pandora, the world of avatar. What are some of your go-tos for your kids animal kingdom? So
Meg (00:13:26):
For us Animal kingdom's all about the shows. My kids love that Nemo musical. Mm-Hmm They love the Lion King show and I love that both are like indoors and air conditioned. Yeah. So that's like our favorite thing to do. Cuz those shows are incredible.
Jessica (00:13:41):
Yeah. They are. Those I we love those too. Our favorite thing is probably the Safari. We spend a lot of time in Africa. We, my parents when they went with us, we love the the drummers whenever they come out. Yeah. And we just like dance and have fun and my little niece's name is Zu so we always go to Zu Sweet Shop. Aww. And so that's like our place when we're there. And then it's an easy train ride to Rami's Planet watch. So that is our whole, you know, we spend a lot of time in Africa at Animal Kingdom and the Safari first thing in the morning. You just can't beat it. And we've seen a lion roar twice Ooh. By doing the safari in the morning. So yeah, it was pretty cool.
Rachel (00:14:23):
That is so fun. Just tell us more about Wiki's Planet Watch. Cuz I feel like a lot of first-timers may not know what it is Yes. Or what you find there.
Jessica (00:14:30):
Well there's so much to do there and even my germaphobe heart has a hard time sometimes there because they do have, they have the affection section, which is where you can go in and pet like baby goats and pigs and all this stuff. Which is wonderful for all of my animal loving children, but very hard for their mother. <Laugh>. So they love going in there. They have the animation experience there, which the last time we were there we drew Bambi, which was amazing. My kids are also very into reptiles. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. So being able to learn facts about all of like the different frogs that are there. There's a poison of start frogs that are there and my son is obsessed with that. So we love RAF's Planet Watch. There's also badges there for the wilderness explorers. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> where you take a booklet and you get badges all over the park. RAF's Planet Watch has a couple of badges but it also closes early. So you wanna make sure that's like a stop you make earlier in the day. And the train ride is awesome cuz a lot of times you can catch the rhinos behind the scenes in their backstage area. So we love it over there.
Rachel (00:15:42):
Those are great tips. And going back to your earlier trip about kind of meeting kids where they know Disney. Yes. I know on Disney plus there's the magic of Animal Kingdom Show <laugh>. And at Rafiki Yess Planet Watch, you can actually go in and learn about the different animals and how they're being cared for. You may even get to see like a live medical procedure. They have some open rooms where you can watch it, which is so cool. So if you watch the show, you may recognize some different areas from the show as well. On my end my kiddos, again a little bit older, so they're all about the thrills. Everest is a must do for them. Going back to the, the ice cream, they love the Yeti sundae right in front of Everest, which like has a cute little chocolate piece that looks like a Yeti with some vanilla and chocolate soft serve. And they also are super into Boba. So they like the night blossom over at Pongo Pongo in in Avatar. I
Meg (00:16:37):
Love that you mentioned that Disney Plus show. Cause my kids got so into it and going to the parks and knowing the names of the animals and like I know seeing where they do the procedures. Oh my gosh, that was a fantastic idea for them to do.
Rachel (00:16:49):
Very educational. Let's move on to Hollywood Studio. So this is Hollywood. It's where you'll find Galaxies Edge, which I think is the big draw for people now seeing everything that's their for Star Wars. It does have a few more thrill rides, but like we were talking about earlier, it also has a ton of entertainment to offer for some of the younger kids. It's also where you'll find Toy Story land. So let's talk about the best things for kids to do there. So
Jessica (00:17:13):
Hollywood Studios is tricky if you have a toddler just because there are nine rights there and there's only two without a height requirement. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And so you have to plan your day a little bit differently, especially if you have kids of mixed ages. But it doesn't mean that it isn't a full day in a lot of fun. The one thing I love about Hollywood Studios is their character interactions are different. So in Galaxy's Edge you get that like almost nostalgic characters walking around and meeting you inside of Galaxy's Edge. And my kids are big Star Wars fans and so they love that. But then you also have the characters that are on the lawn. Chippendale come out, Daisy and Donald come out. Yeah. And now Pixar Place is back open. Yes. Which we love. So we're so excited about that. So with Hollywood Studios and like my mixed age kids, we have a combination of rides shows and also dining experiences because there's so many unique dining experiences there. So it's, we plan it a little different because we can't get on all the thrills because we have someone who is 32 inches with us. So, but we still love it. But I would say my kids' favorite thing there is probably Hollywood and Vine, which is a character dining experience. <Laugh> Yeah.
Rachel (00:18:35):
And many changes her outfit, well the everybody does right. Depending on the season. So she'll swap it out. Yes, they
Jessica (00:18:40):
All do. She has five outfits throughout the year and we are missing one. So that's, we only haven't seen the springtime. We could never get there from March to May. It's the shortest window of that outfit. So we're like, oh, one day we will get her springtime outfit
Rachel (00:18:56):
So fun. Meg, what about you guys? Yeah,
Meg (00:18:59):
I do feel like Hollywood Studios is probably the most consumable park. Like there's, you can try to get all the rides done. There's a lot of surprise performances which makes the the park really fun cuz you don't know where or when the characters are gonna be. And that kind of makes it more special when you do see them just pop up on a lawn like you said, or just walking around performing. That's kind of exciting. But yeah, the dining is our favorite thing there. We do the, the fifties primetime cafe. We love the sci-fi theater dinner. That one's really cool. And then of course the Hollywood and Vine, those are really fun because it's the theming is so on point and you get so like, surrounded by the theme. Oh that is just so fun. Especially for kids by age who are a little bit older. That's almost more fun than some of the rides. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.
Rachel (00:19:52):
Yes. And mine, even though they're big riders, they like the big thrill rides. Slinky is like right up their alley that's almost like perfect for their age. And it's also a great first coaster when they're a little bit younger. Yeah. rock and Roller coaster is still a little too intense for them. They have both been on, but they both walked off and were like, I don't know about this one. I don't know. It goes in a loop. So it's kind of on Disney property. It's probably the most intense thing you'll experience right now. And same thing, tower of Terror. They both will ride guardians at Disneyland a million times, but the theming of Tower Terror, they just cannot do. They think it's too scary. So we've taken the emergency exit a couple of times there, so just an fyi. But they, they love Slinky, they love everything else at Hollywood Studios. I know that I've mentioned, I feel like I'm realizing that my kids are very food and coaster motivated
Jessica (00:20:46):
<Laugh> as we talk
Rachel (00:20:47):
About this. But they love going to Woody's lunchbox for the Lunchbox Tarts, lunchbox Tarts, oh my goodness. Tongue twister. For all of the different Pop-Tart flavors. So they always love those. That's also where you'll find like a really amazing grilled cheese. On the blog a few months ago we actually had a mom ask us for all of the locations of onsite grilled cheeses because I know that's another kind of thought when you're visiting with kids right? Is sometimes you have kids that'll only eat certain things. You might have kids that have, you know, dietary restrictions and there's, there's all kinds of things to think about. So if you're looking for a great grilled cheese, Woody's is where it's at. They also really like Fantas, but for kind of a funny reason, they like to sit down to enjoy shows. So unlike the fireworks where you're kind of having to stand or you might sit on the ground, they love having the bleachers to be able to rest for a little bit.
Meg (00:21:41):
Yeah. For Hollywood Studios, for us the top ride is Rise of the Resistance. And if you can get on that ride at least once on your trip, that's really the top one. If I were to say One Ride not to miss in Hollywood Studios, that's the one.
Rachel (00:21:56):
Yeah. Oh, and Jessica, I know that you have a little that loves Disney Junior. So I, that's where you can find Disney Junior characters. Right?
Jessica (00:22:04):
You can't. So there's a couple of places where you can find Disney Junior we love. Okay. Once again, Hollywood and Vine is our spot. It actually took me a while. This is a little bit of funny story. I actually would like not suggest Hollywood and Vine cuz I was like, it's, it doesn't have like the glitz and glam of like some of these character experiences. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. But we kept booking it every year and like multiple times a year. And then I realized it's because we love the food and the character interaction there. And I was like, okay, Hollywood and V is at the top of our list and they have a Disney Junior breakfast that has fancy Nancy Vina Goofy and Doc McStuffin. And literally you can't like, that is like the upper echelon of Disney Junior characters for my kids. And then you also have meet and greets and animation courtyard with them and a Disney junior dance party. And so with Littles, that's what I was talking about. There may not be a lot of rides, but there's so many experiences there for them that Hollywood Studios is definitely a must do for us because we have that toddler and that's where she's gonna see v Purina, which is like her favorite Aww person. They also have Olaf, which is her second favorite <laugh>. So we love that. Yes. He's
Rachel (00:23:18):
So fun. Let's talk a little bit about Epcott. So this is where you'll find for anybody who's not familiar, this is kind of the big ball, right? You'll have world showcase so you can travel around the world. You've got different characters there as well. A ton to eat, a ton to do and see what are your favorite things to do there with your kids?
Meg (00:23:39):
Oh my gosh. That's my, that's our favorite park. That's like our go-to park where if we just wanna go the four of us, that's the one that they choose every single time. My kids love guardians because it is the best ride in Disney. You can fight me <laugh>
Jessica (00:23:56):
<Laugh>
Meg (00:23:56):
So good. But my kids recently discovered on the play app that there is a ducktails scavenger hunt mm-hmm. <Affirmative> that is throughout the whole world showcase. And it's not just a scavenger hunt where it's, you know, you find something and you're like, great. I found it. It is so interactive that there's things that come up from the water. Signs will completely change. Things will pop out of like what seems like nowhere in stores all around. The country's things will Zipline in front of you. It's the best kept secret in Epcot, especially for kids. And it's totally free. You just, you just download the Disney Play app and you could do this scavenger hunt throughout the world show showcase. It's really fun.
Jessica (00:24:39):
So I completely agree. Epcot is our number one park. It is our favorite park. It was my favorite as a child because the reason why we went to Disney so much, so much is because my dad worked for MetLife and the Body Wars ride was at MetLife and it was the sponsored ride by MetLife. Mm. And so that's why we were there every single year. So now I pass it on to my kids. Meg is right that Play app is the most underrated app that we don't talk about. And so I really encourage you to download it. There's so much great stuff on there. We like Epcot one, there's a lot of rides we can ride together. My kids are obsessed with Figment, which I'm not sure where that came from <laugh>, but they're very obsessed with Figment. So we always have to hit that up.
(00:25:28):
Then there's Finding Nemo. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And so we go there and we see the manatees. There's also a Dory's friend scavenger hunt there that we always do. We like to go up to the nursery and see all the small sea creatures there. And if a cast member's there, they'll talk to you about the different animals that are in the water. So that's also really amazing. So Epcot and Guardians, I mean you can't, you can't go wrong with guardians, but you know what, good. I've never gotten this song Conga and I'm a little upset because I've ridden it now 20 times and I've never gotten Conga. I
Rachel (00:26:03):
Literally only get Conga. I don't know how many times I've ridden it. Every time I get Conga. Yes. At this point I feel like I'm being pranked cuz I, I always walk in and I'm like, what? How, how is this the only song I ever gave?
Jessica (00:26:15):
No one time have I gotten Conga? Every, you guys gotta
Meg (00:26:19):
Ride it together.
Jessica (00:26:20):
Not everybody wants to. I know. And maybe that's what we need to do. We need to together and I'm gonna sit with you because Gloria Stefan's my favorite and I wanna hear that song on that ride. But I never have. But everybody wants to rule the world is what I usually get. And that's a great song to get to Guardians too.
Meg (00:26:35):
That one fits so
Jessica (00:26:36):
Well. So we also love test track too. So yes, that's a fun one. Those are like our most do and I feel like Efco is the easiest to rope drop and actually get on a lot of rides in the morning. Yes. If you rope drop Epcot you can have a pretty solid day and then if you wanna explore the world showcase, you have kid caught activities that you can do mm-hmm. Along with the Disney Play app. So it's just, I feel like it's the most well-rounded family Disney Park. Agree. Which flies under the
Rachel (00:27:05):
Radar. I hate agree with you <laugh>.
Jessica (00:27:06):
Yeah, I
Rachel (00:27:07):
Totally, I agree. Yeah. The very first time that we went we were told that like it's not a not a super kid park and so we had planned like, I was like I've never been, let's go for a half day, we'll just go check it out. And it was during Flower and Garden and you better believe we were there from Rope Trop until the park closed <laugh> because we were having so much fun. There's all kinds of little play areas too. There's some outside. Yes, there's some inside. So there's a lot of variety for kids. My girls' favorite throwing a curve ball with all these thrill rides. They love guardians but they also really love the Grand Fiesta tour in Mexico, which is like
Jessica (00:27:42):
<Laugh>,
Rachel (00:27:44):
Which is like a slow boat ride. I don't know what it is, but they love it. I don't know if it's cuz there's never a very long wait for it or what, but they Yeah. Love it. The highlight, we took like a girl's trip once and we ate in that restaurant that's in there and they thought that was like the bees knees. They thought that was the coolest thing. That's awesome. That's Oh that's so cool. And being bubble tea, you know the Boba fans that they are, they love the bubble tea at Joy of Tea in China as well. We're also huge fans of the Annapolis to the Point Meg that my husband came out the other day and he was like, I learned this thing on TikTok that you can ask for the recipes. And I was like, wait a minute, show it to me.
(00:28:21):
Where did he learn that? Sure. I was like, I know her. It's, it's my friend Meg. I know her. She gave that tip. So we, we love the Apple. Oh that's my favorite tip. That was the coolest tip. It's such a good one. And then we also really like the character dining at Acosh Acosh. Oh I'm gonna say it wrong. Yes. But it's got all of the princesses there and you're actually greeted when you go in by Belle in her yellow dress, which was a big deal for my youngest who Belle is her absolute favorite. So she had like the biggest fan girl moment, meaning Bell Belle in her beautiful yellow dress and then seeing all the princesses. So they have these, their breakfast is one of my favorites too. But they have these like cheesy potatoes. Do you guys know what I'm talking about? Yes, yes I do.
Jessica (00:29:04):
So good.
Rachel (00:29:05):
They're so good. I legitimately dream about them sometimes. They're so good. So that's one of our, our favorites as well.
Jessica (00:29:11):
Epcot is literally just the best. I mean we could just go and we only go to Epcot and
Rachel (00:29:15):
There's so much coming. Yes, there is. Yeah,
Jessica (00:29:18):
Exactly. So I'm excited. I'm excited.
Rachel (00:29:21):
Should be fun. Well let's move on. So that should give you a good recap of what each of these parks are like and what there is to do there. But this is really just scratching the surface of everything that there is to do there with kids. So highly encourage you to check out our blog to check out Jessica and Meg on social to learn more about these parks as well. Let's talk about what to know about tickets when you're visiting Disney World with kids. So the biggest one to know is that kids under the age of three are free. So that means no ticket is necessary if they are under three an undercover tourists. When you're traveling with kids or even if it's just your first time, we generally recommend base tickets just so that way there's less hopping around. And with kids that also means a lot because that means there's less hopping around with strollers.
(00:30:04):
So for a four day base ticket you can save up to $43 a ticket. When you purchase through undercover tourist, that's roughly the equivalent of a character dining breakfast with two kids and two adults. So don't underestimate those savings. They definitely add up and they're the exact same tickets that you would get from Disney. Four less with no catch. With older kids, park hopping can be kind of hit or miss. So you might consider throwing in a party or an event depending on the kiddo might actually love the after hours events. But for kiddos who are younger or may not be late, you know, night owls might not be for them. But we offer discounts on all of those tickets so make sure to check them out. How do you guys feel about park hopping? Are you park hopping families?
Meg (00:30:48):
It depends. It depends on how many days that people are going. But in one day I do wanna let people know that if you leave the park you can come back. That's probably the most common question in my dms that yes you can leave and come back, same ticket, same day. It's okay if you wanna go to a different park then that's a park hop ticket, but you can go back to the resort and come back. No issues whatsoever. But these parks, yes are are huge. Disney world is huge. You won't get everything done even if you go to the park for an entire week in a row. So consume it little by little and I think if it's your third, fourth or fifth time park, copying is a great idea. But if it's your first time mm-hmm <affirmative>, I think, I think you can do it. You know, stay in one park for one day and really enjoy it for that day.
Jessica (00:31:35):
I completely agree because especially I, I still take two strollers to the park right now and we actually recorded how long it takes to just even get back to our room and it takes us almost an hour by the time that we decide we're gonna leave, get on whatever mode of transportation. Especially if we're staying at a resort that requires a bus, that means we have to unload the strollers, fold them, get on the bus and then make it back to our resort, then get to our room with four kids. By the time you've done that, it's almost an hour. So especially for the first trip and if you have a stroller or littles, I just don't recommend park hopping because I also encourage a midday break because those nighttime shows are so awesome and you wanna make it all day and a two-year-old cannot be at a park for 12 hours and not fall asleep. Yeah. So we always take a midday break. So I am team, no park hop if you have littles. Now once they get older I will be all about park hopping and I will love to do that but right now we just can't handle it.
Rachel (00:32:40):
Yep. Agree. Let's talk a little bit about dining at Disney World with kids. So almost every restaurant is going to have kids' menus. The exclusions are things like the very, very fine dining establishments. So things like Victorian Alberts that have like a chef's table. The nice thing too is that you can see all of these kids' menus ahead of time in the My Disney Experience app. So if you are one of those moms that commented and asked about where to find grilled cheese, for example, if you know you've just got a chicken nugget eater, like it saves so much time to be able to look and be like, that's a no, that's a yes. Here are the places I can go with my kids. You can get a sense for whether or not it's a good fit for them. But the other thing that you may not know is that you can actually bring your own food into Disney World.
(00:33:24):
There are some size restrictions on the coolers that you can bring in, which will we have linked in our blog, but you can cannot have loose or dry ice. But other than that you can bring in food. So you can absolutely have a picnic. We used to love in park picnics and I would just pack some PB and Js in like some Disney themed Tupperware or Ziplocs just to add like a little bit of pixie dust. But no shame in bring in some of that food in especially snacks to keep you satisfied throughout the day. Easy tip there. There's also at Disney World, you can make advanced dining reservations for any of the restaurants that we've talked about in this podcast and those can be made 60 days in advance on the My Disney Experience app. If you're not able to get it 60 days out, just keep checking.
(00:34:09):
You can continue to check up to and even on the day of your trip and you can also check for walkup availability in there. What about transportation? So Jess, you already talked a little bit about the time it takes just to get from point A to point B, which is something to consider when we're talking about the size of this resort so big. But as we're talking about how large it is, you'll need to take transportation to get to and from the parks in most cases. In some cases you can walk, which is great, but for other modes of transportation you're gonna need to bring that stroller on and off and sometimes you do need to empty and collapse it and those are on things like buses, the parking trams, the boats. So you'll wanna factor that into getting to and from theme parks as well on the monorail and the skylander you can often just roll your stroller right out without collapsing, which is great for those sleeping babies too, but of course defer to the cast members there. One other thing to know is that while staying at a Disney World Resort Hotel, you do get complimentary transportation to and from the theme parks. You do not have transportation to and from the airport. So you will need to arrange a mode of transportation to and from the airport. There is also a Disney service through Lyft called minivans that operate on property that have room for about seven and have car seats on board. Have you taken minivans on site, Meg or Jessica?
Jessica (00:35:27):
We take minivans. Anytime we attempt to rope, anytime we attempt to rope drop and I say attempt because we're running late and there's a couple of great things about minivans. So they use the Graco Forever car seat. So that means that they can take from a newborn infant all the way to your toddler. So they will install it for you and they install it properly. They're trained on that. So it's wonderful because I can, I always know that there's a car seat and they actually carry two in the minivans now, so that is also a big bonus. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. The other amazing thing is when you're going to places like Magic Kingdom, there's a Ticket and transportation center, which is about a mile from the actual park. If you take a minivan, you get that v I P service and you're dropped off right in front. Yes. Which is why we take it when we're trying to rope drop <laugh>.
Rachel (00:36:18):
Mm-Hmm
Jessica (00:36:18):
<Affirmative>. So we love minivan service.
Rachel (00:36:22):
We do too. Even when it's just my husband and I, we take it, which I've talked about in previous podcasts, like he loves it so it's easy to book. You do it through the lift app and it's super fast. The other thing I love is that these are actual cast members so they will, they are always, they, they just have a different standard. They are so polite, they'll interact with your kids, they'll tell them jokes, give them trivia. Often they have stickers. I think there's actually a transportation card for minivans now too. So if you're doing that you can get one of those as well. Oh, that's such a good tip. Yeah, it's super fun. So talking a little bit about strollers and how those often have to be emptied, collapsed, which is, you know, as we talk about preparing to go there, we always joke that like snap out, snap in, snap out, snap in, just getting used to it. But just what else should people know about strollers at Disney World?
Jessica (00:37:10):
So there's a couple of things with strollers, there are restrictions on the size of the stroller, so you need to make sure that it fits within there. They can't be larger than 31 inches wide or 52 inches long. Most standard strollers fit within that range. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. The one tip that I do give with strollers is I have a, what I call a stroller bag. So a lot of times if you're taking a stroller in, you do have a bun, a diaper bag, the water cup, the mo, the fan that you're putting on the stroller. I take a foldable bag or one of those giant Ziploc bags and when I'm going through security I put everything in there because you'll have to empty out your stroller to go through security. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> with all of those bags. There's also really cute strollers that you can rent from Disney if you wanna do that.
(00:37:59):
And a tip I always say is to just bring a cheap rain cover with those strollers as well. That way you have something to cover it. In the rain of Florida, a lot of times I do bring my own stroller, but there are a few times, especially on my one-on-one trips with like the twins, I like to rent a stroller. Those strollers are hard plastic so I really suggest them for kids that are three years and older. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. It really wouldn't be conducive to my toddler because she's gonna wanna sleep and they're not really built for that. They don't recline. There's not a lot of storage on it. But for my, when they were 5, 6, 7, and eight, they were perfect. So I would get a multi-day rental for those strollers at Disney. Just keep your receipt. That was the only thing I had to always remember when I did a multi-day. Yes. Cause I'd have to turn it in <laugh>.
Rachel (00:38:48):
Yes. And the only thing to note too about renting is that you do have to turn it in when you're leaving the park. So if you have a little that is very reliant on strollers or if you as a parent are very reliant on your stroller, know that that doesn't go with you everywhere. So that'll, that'll stay at the park. It's just for kind of getting around while you're in the parks.
Jessica (00:39:06):
Absolutely. Absolutely. And dead weight at the end of the night when they're asleep is not fun. Oh yes. So if you, so you need a stroller. Ringer. Ringer. They weigh so much more at night when they're asleep. I'm like, what happened? So, but I have a feel I will be in strollers for a few more years because the other thing I tell people is we don't use a stroller, especially for the twins at home. When we go to the zoo at home, we're not in strollers, but when we are at Disney, the amount of walking we're doing, it's not the same. Yeah. And they actually need a stroller. Even my 11 year old is trying to crawl into the stroller at the end of the night. Yes. So I do recommend, like if you have kids that are eight or nine that don't use strollers at home, but they're not used to walking 25,000 steps in a day, I really would recommend considering that stroller.
Meg (00:39:55):
Yeah, that's a fantastic tip. That's how we were, I mean when my kids were like two and four, they were like, we're done with the stroller and they would just walk around. But when it came to Disney we always brought a stroller. I rented one or I would borrow one from a friend because if you're there for the entire day or let's say we wanna close out the park and the fireworks are done, my kids are for sure asleep and are we both gonna be carrying our bags and the children the entire mile? It is to walk back. It was just so much better to have a stroller. They're nice and tucked in. They have their little blankies and then we just like hop onto wherever we need to go. I really suggest a stroller even if you don't use one at home.
Jessica (00:40:35):
Yes.
Rachel (00:40:37):
The other thing to know in the parks that might be new to people who have never been is there are designated stroller parking areas. So when you show up to a ride or a show, you'll wanna park your stroller in that area. But there's kind of an important caveat. Do you guys know what I'm thinking of when I say this?
Jessica (00:40:53):
Yes. Moves <laugh>. Exactly. It's not stolen, it's just moved.
Rachel (00:41:00):
Yes. Yes. So often cast members will kind of move things around. They're not there to get after your stuff, they just need to move things to clear walkways. So if you come out and your stroller is not where you left it, do not panic <laugh>, it's there. It's just
Jessica (00:41:15):
Moved. And that's why I always put like an identifier on my strollers. We always, I always buy a Mickey balloon the first day. That way it can be deflated by the last day. So <laugh>, so I always time, that is my tip. Buy it the first day. That way you don't have them asking for one the whole trip. And then it ties on my stroller, we know what color we got and then we also have like name tags or like a bandana mm-hmm. <Affirmative> or something that you can just quickly identify your stroller and that you can, you'll see it once you come out and you know it's moved, you'll see your balloon. So I always say do that on the first day. Make it so that you aren't freaking out whenever it's moved down the line.
Rachel (00:41:56):
That is a great tip. Well that was a little bit about what you can expect when you're thinking about visiting Disney World with kids. But there are some ways that you can actually prepare for your visit to Walt Disney World with kids. So let's talk about ways that you can prepare, whether that's for your kids or for you and some research that you may want to do ahead of time to see if there certain services that are available onsite are right for you. So the first thing I would recommend is doing your research to create the perfect plan for your family. So we do have a undercover tourist, a jumpstart guide that'll give you a sense of the must-dos in each park. We recommend asking your family for the three things that they most want to do to prioritize that and get all of that in in the trip.
(00:42:37):
So whether that's food or coasters or a show that they really wanna see, have them identify some of the things that they really wanna get done so that way you can create a plan. The second thing to do is to research height requirements at Undercover Taurus. We also have a super helpful infographic over on Instagram that is not a surprise. You wanna find out day of as you're trying to get measured up to find out that you're not tall enough. So it's a great way to kind of make sure ahead of time that you know which rides your kids are able to ride. The other thing we recommend that you do and we have all of these over on YouTube, is to watch videos together of the rides to see about ki it gives kids a feel for the ride, right? Sometimes you may not know that they're dark or sometimes there may be something unexpected that makes them say no thank you. But you wanna, again, the more that you know ahead of time, the better prepared you are on the day of. Have you guys run into any of those ride surprises where you think your kid's gonna love it and then there's something that you're like, I did not know that that was a no for you, but noted moving forward.
Meg (00:43:37):
Oh my God, the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom <laugh>. Yes. That is such a fun little 3D show, but it's also terrifying. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> if your kids don't like, I don't know, bugs or spiders or the dark, that's one that even still when I ride it now or I watch it now, there's kids in there screaming like oh my god. And they didn't know what to expect. So I love the tip of just looking it up ahead of time. A little POV on YouTube so you know what to expect and which ones are gonna be scary.
Rachel (00:44:14):
Yes.
Jessica (00:44:15):
I always describe Dark Rides too as shows so they understand we have to go into the show. That's why it's dark. Oh that's smart. Because even like Peter Pan, which is like the sweetest ride, they're like, I don't wanna go in there. And I'm like, well the show is in there so we're gonna walk in and it's gonna take us to the show. So I call it shows. Oh Jessica, I love that. So much works. That
Rachel (00:44:37):
Is so smart because my youngest, gosh, the very first time that we went with her, she was like six months old but you know, she was a lap sitter and in those dark rides too, it's kind of loud. And so I'd have my hands, you know, around her little belly and I could just feel the crying start when we'd go in them and I was like, oh no. So again, had no idea that dark rides were no-no for her, but she hated them. Again, it could be something as fun as Peter Pan and just not, not for her cuz it was dark and scary. So we skipped them after that. But you know, some things obviously six months old may be hard to show YouTube videos to see whether or not they'll like it. <Laugh>, that one's gonna be a try and find out. But on the Orlando theme Park Day app from Undercover Tourist, you can actually go through and see everything all in one place.
(00:45:19):
So height requirements, short videos, you can customize your own park plan, but it also has a filter for things like dark rides, wet rides. So if you suddenly are in my position and you find out that one of those is a no-no for your kids, you can easily kind of filter those rides out to create your day. Let's talk about planning our day. So there's a lot of things to consider, right? We've talked about height requirements, individual likes and dislikes. Let's talk a little bit about how you plan your days with your families. Jessica, do you wanna get us started?
Jessica (00:45:51):
Yes. So the first thing I actually do is I go onto Undercover Tourists and I look at the crowd calendar and I look at what in terms of crowd levels it's going to be. Because I always know it needs to be a longer trip if the crowd levels are high because I don't wanna ever put us in a situation where we're trying to do certain things but because of the crowd level maybe we can't get a, a lot of things done that day. So I check that first. And what I always tell other families, we never start at Magic Kingdom. And if you've never been up to Walt Disney World, I actually suggest don't start in, don't start at Magic Kingdom. And I know it's hard for people cuz they wanna get there and they wanna go to that castle and they're like, but it's like that's Disney.
(00:46:35):
And I'm like, but it's also the most challenging because it creates so much fomo. You always feel like you're missing out at Magic Kingdom cuz there's always something going on. Yes, there is so many rides there and if you don't understand how parks work or how really big Walt Disney World Parks are mm-hmm <affirmative>, you're going to overplay in your day, which ensues tantrums, everyone's hangry and then all of a sudden you're melting down and it's the most magical place on earth and you're like, this is not feeling very magical <laugh>. So mm-hmm <affirmative>, I always say don't start with Magic Kingdom. Don't go to Magic Kingdom on Monday. Check undercover Taurus's crowd calendar and always have a rest day after Magic Kingdom. So those are like, that's how I start with planning my trips. And then if you have young children, so let's say my age 11 and younger, I always take a rest day after two days. If I don't have any babies or toddlers, you can push it to three days and then a rest day. But I don't know, the resorts have so much, so I always am like two days, parks rest, two days, parks, rest.
Meg (00:47:47):
Yeah, that was fantastic. I'm probably gonna echo a lot of things that Jessica said cuz I totally agree with her. Yeah, I think three to four days is great. Like if you're coming for the first time and you can't come for like a week long thing, three to four days is a nice time. It's consumable, you won't feel rushed. And like I said, you wanna have stamina throughout those Disney days. You don't wanna burn out in that first day. So I say take it slow, have the first day or the last day be your resort day where you just hang out by the pool. You do all the fun crafts and activities and things that there are to do at the resort. Yeah, there's a ton of things to do at these resorts and then take it slow When you are in the parks, you only need to accomplish three great things when you're in the park. So one favorite ride, one favorite character, one super cool snack or food item. And then everything else is just icing on the cake.
Rachel (00:48:44):
Yes, completely agree. And you know, not over planning your travel days too. Travel days are stressful enough, like having to get through the airport, worrying about getting to your resort, thinking about travel delays, like I don't know about you, but if the less I have to plan for my travel day, the better. So yes, I love that advice to kind of plan that your travel days are rest or resort days. So that way you don't have to worry about it, just go with the flow. Go hang out at the pool, check out your resort, play at the playground. Great advice. One other way that you might wanna prepare for your trip is considering some of the onsite services that are available. So one of the newest ones is Genie Plus Service. Meg, tell us a little bit more about what that is. <Laugh>.
Meg (00:49:26):
All right. Genie Plus I always like to tell people remember FastPass, it's like that, but you pay for it. That's kind of like the simplest way to explain it. If they've experienced Disney before, if you haven't experienced Disney before genie Plus is a paid add-on service that you can add on to each ticket. And this essentially lets you to skip the line in the Walt Disney World Park. So it costs anywhere between $15 and $35. It depends on which day. Like some days are more crowded, it's gonna cost a little bit more. And like I said, this system replace the old FastPass system and you can choose your time the ride, and it's supposed to be less of a wait. And I should also say every morning you do have to purchase it for that day.
Rachel (00:50:11):
Yes, you absolutely do. And right now ride photos are actually included with Genie Plus service too, which was something we'll talk about in just a second. But I'm interested in your approaches to using Genie Plus with kids. What do you think?
Meg (00:50:26):
I, I mean it's, for us, it's different because we kind of live so close. I will not, you know, spring for it unless it's like a big group of us on Thanksgiving. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, I went with, I mean my whole family in-laws and my sisters and her in-laws and every, it was a huge group of us. And then we decided for certain days to buy Lightning Lane, individual Lightning Lane mm-hmm. <Affirmative>. So that was, we paid specifically for a ride, specifically for a time that we would show up and essentially skip the line. I'll use it for that. But most times if it's just the four of us, we'll go, we'll rope, rope drop, we'll get there right when the park opens, go straight to the ride we wanna ride and we'll usually wait less than 10 minutes.
Rachel (00:51:11):
That makes sense.
Jessica (00:51:13):
So for me it's different. So we make it down to Walt Disney World on average three times a year with the kids. And we use Genie Plus every day, every time it's part of our budget. So we always budget the highest cost that way. We're pleasantly surprised on the days that it's lower. But we use it strategically cuz we don't have as much time since we aren't locals and we're coming for, you know, four days, five days. And then we usually do like a weeklong or a 10 day trip once a year as well. Yeah. So Genie Plus helps us maximize that time at the park because we're waiting in line less. We typically save anywhere from four to six hours. Wow. By using Genie Plus every single trip. And you know, we went in April and we used Genie Plus and I actually was like timing it so that I could show people who follow me on Instagram so they could see how much time I actually saved. And if we didn't use it, there's no way we could have gotten in all the rides that we did and see the shows. And we took a three hour break midday. So we, we live by Genie plus
Meg (00:52:26):
<Laugh>. Yeah. Worth
Rachel (00:52:27):
It. That's amazing.
Jessica (00:52:28):
Yeah. And we use it with just our family and then we use it on our big family trips too. So with 12 people and it, we love it. So
Rachel (00:52:36):
We always go in saying we're not gonna use Genie Plus. And then my husband starts to look wait times and he is like, yeah, we're doing this. I'm like, yeah, <laugh>. So we we're the same, we we're not as smart as you Jessica. We don't budget it in, but we usually end up using it. Now there have been a couple of days where we're just wanting to do like one or two rides. So for us it's not a big deal to go wait if we know that it's gonna be like more of a show heavy day. Or if we're just going in, like a lot of times we usually stay at Fort Wilderness so sometimes the girls will just wanna take the boat over to like get an ice cream or watch Happily ever After. Right. So of course in that instance we're probably not gonna spring for Genie Plus. But yeah, I totally agree with you. When you're wanting to get a lot in Genie Plus is the way to go. If you're having a more leisurely day, maybe not for you, there's another service on site that I think a lot of people actually don't know exists and it's totally free. So Jessica, can you tell us more about Rider Switch?
Jessica (00:53:28):
So Rider Switch is a service that is provided for anyone. It's a free service that allows you to be able to have your group ride. If you have a toddler or baby or maybe a child that doesn't wanna ride the ride but you wanna ride, one adult will stay back while the rest of the group goes and rides and then you will get a chance to ride with one of the riders. So let me tell you the process of setting this up because I feel like this is the tricky part that people don't know. So if you do need to use Rider Switch, which we do a lot because like I said, our toddler's 32 inches. So basically anything with a height requirement you can't ride right now. So you'll all go and you'll find a cast member that has an iPad and that cast member's in charge for setting up Rider Switch at the particular ride.
(00:54:19):
You'll tap in as the adult that's waiting behind with whoever's not riding. And now Disney only allows you to take one rider back. So that rider who's gonna go back will also tap in with that cast member. And essentially what it's doing, it's giving you a lightning lane for that ride. Mm-Hmm. But you have to set it up before people get in line. That's the key. You can't have them get a line and then say, oh well I was doing ride or Switch. Especially if you're waiting standby and you don't have Genie plus that day, you really need to set it up beforehand. But it's a wonderful service because it allows you to have a chance to ride with someone in your party and you're not riding by yourself. So yeah, we, we love it, we use it, we're grateful that it's a service there and they acknowledge the fact that, you know, sometimes you can't all get on a ride together.
Rachel (00:55:09):
Yeah. It's a super helpful service for sure. Thanks for that overview. The other thing you might wanna think about before you visit again, talking about budgeting it out, right? Is photo pass. So that's the photo service that you'll see around the resort. So you'll see they're now in like little green shirts, but you'll see some photographers around the parks in front of icons, sometimes they have special props, they're there to help take your family photo and then it'll automatically appear, well you scan and then it'll appear in your my Disney Experience app to kind of review. That's also where your ride photos will appear. But it is an additional cost. So there is a service called Memory Maker and if you purchase it at least three days before your trip, you'll save $30. Which is like, again, these savings all add up. So if you know you wanna do it, you'll wanna do it ahead of time to save that money.
(00:55:57):
So for me personally, I found it totally worth the money for longer trips because I usually have my phone away and I'm trying to be kind of in the moment, I am the worst at remembering to take photos. So it's just one less thing for me to have to think about during the day because I see that green shirt, I know that that's a cue for us to get in line and get that family photo. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, I know that ride photos are gonna show up, so I feel like it's just taken care of ahead of time for me. So for us it's been a must do, but I'm curious about how you guys typically feel about it for your trips.
Meg (00:56:29):
Yeah. Unless it's a bunch of us. Like for last Thanksgiving it was my whole family, my parents, my grandmother, my sister and her in-laws. It was a huge, huge group of us and that was definitely worth it. It's really hard to get everybody together for a photo anyway. And then these photos are taken by professional photographers. The camera quality is great. Mm-Hmm. And then they'll add little animations, they'll add characters to it, like props and stuff. It's definitely way more unique than if you were just trying to take pictures on your own, on your phone inside of the parks. You save a little phone battery. I think it's worth it for a big group.
Jessica (00:57:06):
So we use it every time. This is another like genie plus thing for us. Yeah. I noticed when I there was a time that I was going to the park with twin, a one-year-old and a three-year-old. So <laugh>, I realized I was in no pictures and <laugh>. Yes. we kept going. Yeah. and I wasn't in any pictures and so we always made sure that we use the service and we have never left Disneyland or Disney World with less than 300 pictures. Yep. So we like use it, use it. Oh, even my husband is like, photo pass, let's go. We do, we do. We ask for the magic shots. We do all of them. I mean, we create albums just based on our photo pass for photography. So if you purchase the service, like really use it, you'll get some of the best family pictures. So we love it. Yes.
Rachel (00:58:03):
And there are some moms that are so on top of it, right. They take a ton of photos, they know how to get themselves in photos, they're all over it. And so for those moms, maybe it's not right for you. Yeah. For locals or people who visit really frequently, like Meg, maybe there's specific use cases where it makes sense. So keep that all in mind. The other thing that I know we just mentioned is that ride photos are included with Genie Plus Service Now. So if all you're interested in is ride photos and you're purchasing Genie Plus, there's a little bit of overlap there if you're wanting some of those other shots. So if you're not going to take a family photo in front of the castle with a, with a photo pass photographer, you just wanna do it yourself. Stuff to keep in mind there.
(00:58:41):
So that's a little bit about how you can prepare for your trip with kiddos. Let's talk about staying on site at Disney World and our very favorite places to stay. So question that we get really frequently is, is it worth staying onsite at Walt Disney World Resort with kids? If you're just listening to this audio podcast, I can see Jessica and Meg both shaking their heads Yes. Right now in front of me. Yes. Yes. And my head is also shaking. Yes. So tell me one reason why you love staying onsite at Walt Disney World Resort.
Meg (00:59:13):
Oh my gosh. One reason I have like 52 right now in my head that I can spill over. But you're in the Disney bubble. There's transportation anywhere that you would like to go. You wanna go to a different resort, you wanna go to any of the parks, you wanna go to Disney Springs, you wanna go to a water park. You do not have to worry about transportation. And remember, because it's all Disney, everybody connects, everyone can look you up in the systems. Anything gets lost. You need to reconnect with somebody. You're all in the Disney bubble. And then the quality, the quality of the places and the theming. It's like you never leave Disney when you're in. Yes. That little bubble.
Jessica (00:59:55):
I 100% agree. I feel like part of the magic is the Disney resorts, so I just can't now, it's hard for me to even think about staying offsite. Yeah, we do occasionally, but we've stayed at every single resort except for Beach Club, which we're getting this August and yay. The, I'm like we got 'em all. But the resorts are magical too. So like I just love, I can't, it's a wonderful place to be.
Rachel (01:00:25):
They're so fun. The themeing is amazing. And of course there's some great benefits too. So you've got early theme park entry for hotel guests where you get into the parks 30 minutes early every day of your trip. Like Meg mentioned, there's complimentary transportation, which makes things a breeze. There's also pools and splash pads on site. There's free parking at the parks and at the hotel and at Deluxe Resorts. Kind of like Jessica will get to experience at Beach Club when she goes. There's also extended evening hours on select nights that allow you in for a few hours at either Magic Kingdom or Epcott on select nights. So lots of reasons to stay on site for sure. And like we were talking about with that kind of arrival and departure day, and this really goes for any day, but there are so many hotel activities. Like I know that we've, I've talked about this I feel like in every episode of the podcast so far, but really, truly do not underestimate how much there is to do around your resort. There are also hotel options and room options for families of all different shapes and sizes. So let's talk about our very favorite onsite hotel from each of us. Jessica, do you wanna kick us off?
Jessica (01:01:31):
Yes. So this is, it's hard because honestly if you ask me, I love every single resort at Walt Disney World cuz it has something different. But for me, because I'm a larger family, there's only specific ones that have rooms that really fit us comfortably. My daughter is two, so technically right now she's considered what we call a Disney infant. So I'm still able to squeeze into some of those fifth sleeper rooms that are at Port Orleans and Caribbean Beach because she's on the reservation but doesn't technically count as an adult body in the room. They'll bring in a crib or a packer play for pack and play for her. But I can still get in there. But she turns three this summer, so I'm about to be booted out. So then I moved to, I love the cabins at Fort Wilderness. Mm-Hmm. but I will have to say our favorite overall resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge. Oh, it's so fun. We just
Rachel (01:02:28):
Love fun
Jessica (01:02:29):
There. Yes. We love it there. We love the Savannah View. It's far away and it only has buses. So I know sometimes it's not a draw for people, but I truly feel like I'm on vacation at Animal Kingdom Lodge because of all the different things and I just love the food there. So if you ask my kids what their favorite resort is, they're going to say Animal Kingdom Lodge every time.
Rachel (01:02:53):
I mean, where else can you wake up and see a giraffe out your window? Oh, I mean, seriously, while you're having coffee mean it like, it's
Meg (01:02:59):
<Laugh> magical. It's
Jessica (01:03:00):
Amazing. It's amazing. So,
Rachel (01:03:03):
So fun. Meg, what about you?
Meg (01:03:05):
I would have to say it's kind of a tie between the campground and the cabins. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, because the cabins feel so isolated. You have your own little hot tub, like it's such a beautiful experience and it's huge. You can get a multi room one where you can fit, you know, you could bring the grandparents also the couch pulls out. You can fit a lot of people in there. You have a full kitchen. But the campground is such a cool vibe. We have an rv so we bring the RV there and it's still a deluxe resort. You get all the deluxe resort amenities and things, but the vibe is so relaxed. It's like remote and luxurious and everything's Mickey shaved at the same time. It's, it's my favorite.
Rachel (01:03:48):
It's so fun. If you've listened to the podcast before or if you're my producer who is probably giggling behind the scenes right now, you already know my answer cuz I talk about it so often. But we are huge Fort Wilderness people. We camp all the time. That's our favorite. We go in the summer a lot. We drive from Texas. We love staying there. It's like camping out in Frontier land. Like you can't beat it. The music, the vibes I should say too, no matter where you stay, you're going to feel immersed in the magic Yes. And the themeing of that resort. But this is the one that has spoken to our family the most. Yeah. The other one that we've really loved staying at is Coronado. It's one of our favorite pools. I also love the pool at Caribbean Beach, but my girls, even though they're older, and this is part of where this like don't underestimate the hotel activities comes from, is they will swim all day.
(01:04:38):
We could, I, like, I could almost not buy park tickets for them because they're so into swimming. So those are some of their top pools. They love the pool at Fort Wilderness. They love Coronado, they love Caribbean Beach, which is has a cool like pirate vibe. So those are some that we've really enjoyed. As a family of four, we fit into most of the rooms. So we like the moderates cuz they feel just a little bit more spacious, but they're also at a great price point. Every hotel that we just talked about is available at a discount through undercover tourist.com and you can save even more when you bundle your tickets and your hotel stay. All right. I think this is gonna be the juiciest, the most dish worthy portion of the podcast. So yes, let's talk about our top tips for visiting Disney World with kids plus some freebies around the resort.
(01:05:27):
So I thought a good way to kick us off would be to talk about our biggest mess ups and our most magical moments that we've experienced when visiting with kids. So, oh, there's so many. Jess, do you wanna kick us? I know, I know where, what to choose from <laugh> for magical moments. Anyway, hopefully there haven't been too many mess ups, but let's be real. We're parents. It happens. Jess, do you wanna kick us off with, should we, let's do mess ups first. Tell us about the biggest mess up you've experienced when visiting with your kids.
Jessica (01:05:57):
So this was still in my adjusting and over planning because you transition from like being like a, a Disney kid to like a Disney adult just doing what you want and then you take your kids to the park and it's like you've never been there before. <Laugh> all of a sudden you're like, we can't accomplish all of this. What are we doing? So I had my overplan schedule and I didn't have all the stuff I needed. I had two year old twins, but forgot to pack extra clothes. I don't know why. So we take our first spin on the Teac cups and guess who throws up all over themselves? No, no. After the teacups. So what do we have to do? My husband runs to the emporium to try to find him clothes and I was like, yeah, I probably should have packed an extra pair of clothes. I mean, there were two, so that's like, you know, but it was just this kind of like, you're out of your element and you're still trying to do all the things that you did before as just like a regular adult going to the parks and not shifting to like parent mentality. And I was like, okay, we we're gonna have to do Disney a little differently. So over planning and being under-prepared for taking still like toddlers and infants. So that was, that was special.
Rachel (01:07:18):
Understandable though. It happens. Meg, what about you?
Meg (01:07:23):
Yeah. Oh, my brain is flooding with different things I've probably done wrong. <Laugh> as a mother. And anyway, so I do remember one particular time, it was 2017, the fall of 2017 and we were not local so we had bought a one day ticket and we were gonna spend the entire day in Magic Kingdom. So I decided to make this printout because I'm so type A, this is everything we're gonna do in Magic Kingdom in one day. We're gonna try to hit almost every single ride and we're gonna try to hit almost every single snack. And at the time my kids were two and four so delusional. So it only took maybe two hours before my youngest was crying and it was hot. And I was like, why did I try to schedule so much in this one day? So he scrapped the entire plant.
(01:08:13):
I literally put it in a, in Frontier land. I was like, forget this, why did I do this? And we let the kids lead the rest of the day. So if they were like, we wanna go here, we wanna ride this, we just wanna go to like the Dumbo ride and stare at it. Sure. We'll just stay in the playground. Whatever you wanna do. They led the rest of the day and it was such a great memory. I even like started recording clips and made a little YouTube out of it. It was the best day. It was the most memories we did the least amount we've ever done in that park. But it was truly so magical and I think from that moment on I was like, no more planning. Maybe we'll plan one thing that we wanna do, but for the rest of the time we're just gonna let them lead. We'll go at their pace and anything that pops up is just gonna be this like magical cherry on top of the day.
Rachel (01:09:08):
Yes. Yeah. Extra bonus. Yeah. So let's flip flop it then. What was your, does anything st and this is where I think it's gonna get hard. Does anything stick out in your mind as the most magical moment you've had with your kids in the parks?
Jessica (01:09:23):
I can I think I have like my top memory that will never be beat and not because like, there aren't like a ton of magical moments but mine, so I had, I had a baby during the pandemic, which was also very special. And it was actually, it was my fourth child. She, it was the first time that I ever had postpartum depression. Oh. Ever. I had had twins and I didn't have postpartum depression, but I think it was like the combination of the pandemic, our house sold the day of the shutdown. So we had nowhere to move to. So it's all this stuff. And of course me being like the Disney person I am, one of my concerns was like, oh my gosh, my child is not gonna get to go to Disney in her first year. Which I know is totally like, you know, but when you're in the middle of like your postpartum depression and everything, you just are like, it was just kind of a weird time in the
Meg (01:10:20):
World, you know? Yeah.
Jessica (01:10:21):
Where you're like, okay. So it's 2021 and we do get exposed to Covid and we all were fine Disney reopens. And I look at my husband, I go, we are running an RV and we're going to go visit our family in, in, in Disney World. Like there were no fire fireworks, there were no parades, there were no like character meals. There wasn't anything but just like raw Disney. And I remember like Magic Kingdom was like closing at seven o'clock. Like it was really early. Yeah. But it was just, I'm gonna tear, it was just so magical cuz I was like, we're never gonna have Disney like this again. It's never gonna be this empty. Like our family is complete and we're done. This is our first Disney trip as like our unit and it was just like amazing. It didn't have the extravagance that everyone looks for at Disney. And it was still more magical than any trip I've ever been on. So it was, it was perfect. So.
Meg (01:11:23):
Aw, that makes me teary-eyed to hear that. That's so beautiful. That's the power of Disney where it doesn't have to be extravagant.
Jessica (01:11:30):
Yes, it really is. It really is. So it, to this day it will still always be, you know, the best. So,
Rachel (01:11:37):
So special. Meg, what about you?
Meg (01:11:41):
Yeah, there's been so many little moments, especially if you go often you get to, you know, have some little milestones happen where your kid takes, you know, some steps in Disney, they lose a tooth, you know, magical, cute things like that. But I do remember, I believe it was 2000, I wanna say 16 or 17. And it was when wishes was going away and I was like, that's the one I grew up with. That was the firework show that I saw every night. So we went for the last showing and recorded it with my kids and saw it for the, the last time. And then we came the next day and saw Happily Ever After for the first time. And just seeing them experience a new fire show for the first time. And oh, I was getting all teary-eyed and now every time I watch it I'm like, oh, remember when they were like one and two when they were seeing it for the first time? I'm like transported back to that moment. Yeah.
Rachel (01:12:37):
There's something so magical about seeing it all through your child's eyes. And that's part of what makes these trips all so special is literally watching them seeing the magic come to life for them. I know too, for my girls, it was like watching these characters that they've seen on TV and then suddenly Mickey Mouse is in front of you. Right. Or Van Purinas Yeah. In front of you and you're, they don't know what to do. They're like, oh my goodness. So it, there's so many and it's truly like around every corner too, you'll find moments like this that give you goosebumps that are core memories that'll stick with you for a lifetime that you get to build with them there. So thanks for sharing those moments with us.
Meg (01:13:18):
Yes. Yeah. Bring your tissues when you go to Disney. Yes. Seriously.
Jessica (01:13:22):
It's
Rachel (01:13:22):
Amazing. Every time. Every time I cry. It's amazing. So we're talking about tips and Meg, something that you just said actually brought up another tip for me, but the Tooth Fairy doesn't make it to Disney World if you lose a tooth, but she does appoint someone very special, another fairy that she knows to come deliver something special. Do you guys know about
Meg (01:13:44):
This? Yes. You could ask the resort for Tinker Bell. Yes. They'll give you a little like package thing.
Rachel (01:13:51):
Yes. Yes. So if your kiddo loses a tooth, make sure you let the hotel know because yeah, tinker Bell fills in for the tooth ferry while you're on vacation, believe it or not. Let's talk a little bit about packing. So whether that's your stroller bag, Jess or your diaper bag or just packing for a vacation in general, when you're headed to Disney, what is a must have for your bag?
Jessica (01:14:15):
So it really depends on the season. Disney has seasons because you have a summer which you try to survive <laugh> and then winter. So during the summer, since we're, since we're going in the summer, let me give you the summer must-haves. You always have to have sunscreen. We always have to have some kind of fan device, whether it's a neck fan or a hand fan. We always take a poncho. We always have a refillable water and we always have some type of water shoes. Those are our absolutely must-haves because of the midday rains at Walt Disney World. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>, we don't wanna have to stop just because of rain. Especially like a park at like Epcot where a lot of things are indoors. So we just change into those Crocs, put our ponchos on and then we can keep going If it's super hot, we have our hand fans and we keep that sunscreen applied all day long. So for my park bag, those are some of my must haves. And then of course snacks because we don't need any hangry business going on. <Laugh> like, I'm like, you're sounding like you're a little hungry right now. Go ahead and have that snack <laugh>.
Rachel (01:15:26):
Yes. No, that's good. And it's a great way to save money too, by bringing your own snacks, having a way to refill their waters, not buying water bottles. Yes. And I will say too, for us, we're ponchos are must for us as well. Sometimes you don't know when that rain is coming. I mean, how many of us have been stuck in random random rain that you didn't know was gonna happen until it's on top of
Jessica (01:15:45):
You and you're it comes outta nowhere. Mm-Hmm. Comes outta nowhere. So people laugh at our family now because we look like such like uniformed Disney goers, <laugh> and it starts raining and we know we go into the closest store and we all change. And I remember one family looked at us and goes, well you guys are prepared <laugh>. Yep. Like we're professional Disney goers.
Meg (01:16:04):
So Yep. That's what experience does.
Rachel (01:16:07):
Yep. We also bring an extra pair of socks for rainy days just because we hate our feet getting wet. So sometimes that rain, you know, those puddles will get up in your shoes and if you can't switch shoes, at least you've got some fresh socks to, to change out and get a little bit less sappy. So Meg, what about you? What do you, what is a must have for you when you go to the parks with your kids?
Meg (01:16:29):
Yeah, that's interesting. Cause I'm definitely a minimalist. I don't like to carry a bunch of stuff. So I have a totally different like vibe. I wrote perspective, yes. But I went to Disney a couple days ago. I literally just walked in with my phone and then my ID and my Passholder card in my back pocket. That's all I walked into the parks with and that was it. I was like, I have, I've got
Jessica (01:16:49):
Nothing else that's amazing <laugh>.
Meg (01:16:50):
But when I go with my kids, I definitely bring my, my little backpack and I usually only have five things. I bring that fan because I know they're gonna get hot. I bring a refillable water bottle because you gotta, you gotta keep 'em hydrated. I bring a poncho, I bring an external charger just to keep my phone battery. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> up because I seem to use it all the time. And then some sunscreen, I only bring, you know, those five things in my bag.
Rachel (01:17:15):
Great suggestions. I know some people too. And my kids are old enough now that I don't have firsthand experience with this, but I know that they sell like little almost white noise machines as well that are kind of tiny that you can put in your stroller. Yes. So that might be a good suggestion as well.
Jessica (01:17:30):
Yeah. When I had, when my daughter was, before she was two years old, we always had a white noise machine and a fan, two fans on the stroller just because she slept a lot during the day in the stroller mm-hmm. <Affirmative> and you just don't know if they're getting overheated or, or not. Mm-Hmm. So I always made sure that fan was blowing on her while she was sleeping in the stroller. And then the white noise machine would keep her asleep because she would get good like two hour naps while we were doing it. That's
Rachel (01:17:57):
Amazing.
Jessica (01:17:58):
Wow. Yeah. And now she even continues napping. If you follow me, you will see videos of her napping while we're doing stuff. And I really think it's because those first two years she would take serious naps in that stroller. So
Rachel (01:18:12):
That's incredible. So talking about those little ones, I know we mentioned that there are a ton of rides that don't have height requirements and you can actually set them on your lap. Jessica, can you tell us a little bit about which rides those might be and how Lap Sitting Works?
Jessica (01:18:26):
Yes. Yes. So there's quite a few rides that she still sits on her lap for just because she's so little. Even on rides like Dumbo, she will sit on our lap or will wear her. And one of my favorites that I always like to talk about is Mickey and Mickey. Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway <laugh>. That ride is great. It is a family ride, but I remember she, she was an infant the first time we wrote it and I'm just enjoying the sites cuz it is such a great visually, you know, visual rise. And so we get to Daisy's room and we're dancing all slow and then all of a sudden she starts Congo Coning and I lost like the baby and no, so there are some rides that maybe you should just wear them so they're tight to your chest and you can basically wear them on almost any ride, especially when they're infants on teacups.
(01:19:20):
I wear her toy story mania, she still sits on our lap because she's not quite big enough to sit in that seat even though there's no height requirement for it. So you can always ask a cast member if it's okay to wear them if you're unsure or if they can sit on your lap during that ride just because they're small and even if it has no height requirement, the lap bar may not go down far enough for them. Even on Jungle Cruise and Pirates, she still sits on her lap right now as a two year old.
Rachel (01:19:51):
Aw, I miss my being. It's sweet. Teeny tiny.
Jessica (01:19:54):
I'm soaking it up. I am, I'm soaking it up with her. She, she really does kind of, I mean she sets the tone for our day. So yeah. We go at her pace mm-hmm. <Affirmative> and it's, it is really fun and it's very magical. Like we've all said, you know, today set the tone at their pace and you really do experience the magic of Disney through that.
Rachel (01:20:14):
Yeah, for sure. The other thing that parents may have questions about is safety. Right? Like we've talked about how huge these parks, these resorts are and it is sensory overload in the best way. A lot of times at these parks you'll see, I mean think about being little, right? And turning around and seeing there's Mickey on one side and here's a balloon and there's, I see a lady with snacks over there. Like there's so much going on that sometimes they, you know, you wanna have a plan to keep everybody together or ways that you can help kind of prepare ahead of time to teach your kids about what to do if they get separated from you. So Jess do you have any advice on that?
Jessica (01:20:52):
Yes. So my mom was always the makeup plan person for getting lost. It was like her greatest fear, but it never happened to any of us. But I have lost my child
Rachel (01:21:03):
<Laugh>. Oh no. At,
Jessica (01:21:04):
Yes, I lost my child at Universal Studios and because of the way my mom was with us, we always had a plan and he was probably lost for almost 15 minutes. Oh. And we executed the plan without even realizing it, but it's because we talk about it every day. So I'll just kind of walk through like what we do. Yeah. so like I said, we have a plan in place with our kids. My kids are not old enough to have like a meeting spot or know to go somewhere. So I always teach 'em to look for a cast member. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, they know what cast member badges look like. And the reason I say specifically cast member is because Disney cast members are trained on lost children. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. So instead of looking for a parent or someone to help 'em, they know, look for a tag, find a cast member and let them know that you're lost.
(01:21:58):
Then my husband and I also have a plan. And that's the key that I feel like a lot of people miss is they have the kid plan but not the parent plan. He knows I wouldn't be able to stay in place. So I'm the runner parent. So our kids know, go back to the last place you remember and find a cast member. So as the runner parent, I run to the last place we remember seeing our child and I try to find, I start there, he stays in place and finds the closest cast member and alerts them to know, like let them know we've lost a child because the cast member circle will start working. Yeah. And they will be on alert that a child is lost. The other thing we do is we always take a picture right before we leave the hotel room.
(01:22:41):
That way if we're not wearing matching shirts or bright colored shirts, I know exactly what they were wearing because we took our morning picture. Our kids just think it's our morning picture for the park day. Mm-Hmm. But really it's also a tool so I can identify this is what they were wearing. Yeah. This morning you can use safety items like tattoos or wristbands or safety harnesses. A lot of things are sold on different websites that you can put like your phone number and put, it's a, you know, water tattoo you can put on your child. If that will make you feel more comfortable at Walt Disney World. You should also know where kids go is another big thing. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> if they're 10 and under, they go to the baby care center. If they're older than 10, they go to guest relations. And then the big one that happens now are, I call them tracking devices.
(01:23:26):
Yeah. But the air tags, the gizmo watches, those kind of things alert you to where your kids are. Air tags will they now have I call it the hot and cold feature. So it will actually beep if you're getting closer to your child. Oh. and so it'll help you locate them. So, and then also like know where kids get lost and know your kids. Like I have a wanderer and that was the child that got lost and it was coming out of a theater. So any big exit out of a theater crossing bi bridges where groups narrow, like that's where kids get separated and it's very easy to get lost. So the thing that helped us find our child is he did follow the rules. He went back to an exit, found a cast member, but my husband immediately staying, we lost a child, he's wearing a red shirt, he has brown hair, brown eyes. Someone in line at the next ride was like, I saw that kid and they ran back. Wow. And so you have to start verbally saying I lost a child. And so we found him. It was probably 15 minutes, felt like an hour, but I'm sure,
Meg (01:24:38):
Oh my gosh.
Jessica (01:24:39):
Log sounds. So it was 15. It was, it was. But that's why we have a plan and it was executed. So that is
Meg (01:24:46):
So smart. I think that's such great advice. Thanks for sharing with us. Yeah. Yeah. I mean I loved all the advice that you had. That was fantastic. What I used to do before the kids knew my phone number by heart is I would write it down on them and then paint over it with clear nail polish so that even water rides or anything, they, they couldn't sweat it off at the end of the day. And then, yeah, always take a picture of them before, but take note of what shoes they're wearing cuz that's how the Disney security will communicate in case a a, something happens with your child and someone puts a different shirt on them or something, know their shoes, what shoes they were wearing at the time. That's a, a really important one. But first aid of is kind of like my little specialty.
(01:25:31):
Being a nurse for 13 years, bringing a little first aid kit is so helpful with extra sunscreen, moles, skin to put on, you know, those little blisters mm-hmm. <Affirmative>. But then also the first aid in every single park will have band-aids, Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, whatever you need, you can go in there and ask for it. And there are nurses and practitioners in there that can help guide you if you have any, any issues or emergencies. Or maybe you just feel overheated and you just wanna get evaluated or something, you can go in there.
Rachel (01:26:03):
Absolutely. And Jess, you briefly mentioned this, but while we're on the subject of free and nice services on site, let's talk a little bit about baby care centers.
Jessica (01:26:13):
Oh, my home away from home <laugh>, I, I could not survive without those baby care centers. They are so necessary. Especially if you have littles. So baby care centers are located at every Walt Disney World Park. You can look on your map and type in baby care centers on your my Disney Experience app and it'll show you the exact location of them. But they have private nursing rooms, rocking chairs, changing tables, they have seating areas with like a tv if you just need to get out of the heat. There's also diapers, wipes for sale, any supplies that you need, if you need to pick up another umbrella stroller because you didn't bring one like I did. You can also get them there. There's high chairs, which was huge for us because I could just take a break because sometimes when I'm, when I was nursing especially, I would just need to take a break from like the group and go and sit down with her nurse, rock her because I also was getting dehydrated because you're nursing.
(01:27:17):
So I still live by them. She's potty training now, which is a joy at the parks <laugh>. So it's really nice. It's really nice to be able to go there because they have little potties in there. And so it is a great resource for you. If you have any child that's five and under really utilize that center. They're there to help you. And it's a place where I could just like disassociate too, especially when I was taking infants to the park and just get them to sleep, you know. So I love 'em. Use 'em, there's microwaves in there, there's a sink in there to wash like your pump if you're pumping at the park, which is something I also joyfully. Did you have a sink there? And soap. You can wash things. They have everything you need.
Meg (01:28:07):
Yeah. Or if you forget diapers or you forget wipes Yes. Or formula or you run out. Yeah. They've got everything you need.
Rachel (01:28:14):
So while we're on the subject, do you guys have any more, I guess let's say the best way to save some green, do you have any money saving tips?
Jessica (01:28:24):
Well, I always push the celebration buttons because I do feel like when you wear a celebration button, cast members give you little stickers, especially for the kids. The other thing I noticed is they do, if you have younger kids, don't be surprised if you're getting a lot of stickers at rides and meet and greets from cast members. Kind of forgot that they did that. And then another thing that I always used to do, especially when we didn't have a lot to splurge is what we talked about earlier. The packing, the picnics for me was actually a cost saving measure. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. So I actually would bring a full lunch and then we would eat breakfast in the room just to reduce the cost and we would go eat on the hub grass. So my kids thought it was like the coolest experience, but it was really because I had no money. And so I was like, this is something I'm gonna save some money and we can do like some fancy dinner is we're gonna have this picnic on the hub grass and we're going to eat our meal here and make a little picnic. So
Meg (01:29:24):
Yeah, bringing your food really is kind of the number one way to save money, especially if you've got a big group or you've got kids and you don't wanna sit down in a restaurant and spend money and spend time bringing food is like the number one
Rachel (01:29:37):
Food. And those reusable water bottles, like, you know, we talked about that the heat and humidity can be up there. So when you end up adding up the cost of water bottles in the park for your whole family all day, having those refillable water bottles, you're getting your free cups of water or game changer. Yeah.
Jessica (01:29:54):
Yeah. And that's another thing. You have like the refillable water bottle stations and then you can also go to the quick service mm-hmm. <Affirmative> windows and get a cup of water. And I think a lot of people don't realize you can get those free cups of water. So Yes.
Rachel (01:30:09):
Yep. At the end of the night you'll just see them all stationed ready to go. So cast members are ready, they're ready to add em to your tray, they're ready to hand 'em out, they're ready to keep you hydrated.
Jessica (01:30:17):
Yes.
Rachel (01:30:19):
So naturally being a frog, I know I just said we have ways to save you some green, but of course wanna remind you that you can save money on your entire Disney World trip when you purchase through undercover tourist, including tickets, your hotel stay and rental cars. We've also got a brand new app called My Orlando Vacation that kicks off the planning process in the palm of your hand. So you can actually tell us, you can answer a few short questions about your party size, your interests, the dates that you'll be visiting, and then you'll be able to see our crowd calendar, you'll see pri ticket prices by date. You'll see it all kind of in the palm of your hand and then you can go ahead and go through that process and book if you're so inclined. Jessica and Meg, I know you guys got kind of a sneak peek. Do you wanna tell us what you thought of it? Like what you thought the process was like?
Meg (01:31:06):
Yes. I think it's one of the best ways to plan ahead for your individual needs and then see that number, see that budget number at the end. So, so different than the way that I had always done it, which was just writing it down on a piece of paper from all the different, from the car rental to the, you know, what I'm gonna spit on food and, you know, doing it all separately. It was great to see it all in one place.
Jessica (01:31:34):
I definitely, it's going to be a game changer for people in playing their trip. It needs to really be their first stop, honestly, to see all the options, to see the cost and you can see the cost at different levels. So if you want like a deluxe stay, you can do all of those things. Or if you want more of the value resorts, I mean I, I loved it. It it is going to be the first step for everyone when they're going to Walt Disney World for sure.
Rachel (01:32:00):
Yay. Well we cannot wait to share it. That should be coming soon. So we're gonna go ahead and add a link in our description for anybody that wants to download that. Let's talk about two ways that you can kind of plus up your vacation or ways that you may choose to spend a little bit more. And that is character dining and some special experiences that are available on site
Jessica (01:32:19):
Character dining is the best. I don't think that I have been to Disney World in the last decade and have skipped out on doing character dining except for when it wasn't available during the pandemic. Like it is a must every single time for a lot of reasons. One, the food is delicious. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> and then two meeting five characters, five princesses, Disney Junior characters at one meal. Like you can't beat that. Yeah. The kids have their autograph books ready to go. The characters are so interactive, they'll get down on their level and they really spend time with your kids and these character meals. So I love it and will continue to do it until my kids tell me to stop, which I hope is never <laugh>.
Meg (01:33:04):
Never, never.
Jessica (01:33:05):
Cause I really, I enjoy them so much too. And so it is a special thing to add to your day and honestly it gives you a break too, cuz character dining takes a little bit of time and usually you'll book it and you'll get there and you're like, okay, we needed this break to sit down anyway. Enjoy a good meal together, slow down the day. And so it's a 10 outta 10 for me. Especially it places like Topos that have like sour cream waffles for me, but still Mickey waffles for the kids. It's a perfect balance. So
Rachel (01:33:40):
Yes. Meg, do you have a favorite on site?
Jessica (01:33:44):
Ooh.
Meg (01:33:47):
(01:33:47):
I do love the breakfast, the brunch at the, the Beach and Yacht Club where everybody's in a little, you know, Mickey and Minnie and, and Goofy and Donald mm-hmm. <Affirmative>, they're in like their little summer bathing suits and outfits and the food is just so, so incredible. Definitely different from like, let's say a breakfast buffet that you would normally see at a, at a hotel. It's just like 10 notches above that. Yes. That one I think is my favorite. It's also the first one we ever did, so maybe there's a little nostalgia in there. Yeah.
Rachel (01:34:22):
Special place in your heart though.
Meg (01:34:24):
Yes.
Rachel (01:34:25):
There are some other special experiences that you can reserve ahead of time that do cost a little bit more. Meg, do you wanna tell us more about what some of those might be?
Meg (01:34:34):
Yes. Okay. There are so many little extra things that aren't necessarily advertised or talked about as much, but there's so many in the parks outside of the parks. There's the Bibb Bob Boutique where you're a little kid can get a makeover, a prince makeover, a princess makeover. You can pick spa services at your hotel. They have cake decorating classes at Disney Springs. There's the Behind the Seeds tour in Epcot mm-hmm. Where you can kind of get like a a behind the scenes of the living with the land. There's also some behind the scenes animal tours and interactions that you can book at Animal Kingdom in Epcot. There's also a diving tour swim with dolphins at the seas. So I do recommend if you are gonna do these types of events, they're a couple of hours. So do them in the early afternoon or do 'em on like a non-par day so that you can still kind of plan your day and it doesn't take over the entire day. But if you can spring for them, I think they're totally worth it and just like a really cool different way to experience the Disney magic.
Rachel (01:35:39):
Yes. Well that is a wrap on episode four on visiting Walt Disney World with kids. So we talked about what you should know in visiting with kids, how you might try to prepare where to stay, and of course our tips and tricks. So we hope we've given you all of the information that you need to know to plan your next trip to Disney World with your family. If you're ready to start planning Undercover Tourists can help Check out our brand new app and jumpstart, guide your one-stop shops for all of the information you need to get your vacation planning rolling. From information on Genie Plus to ticket pricing and projected crowds by date. We've got it all and we are happy to help. Again, we'll link that information in the descriptions. That way you can pop in. Megan, Jessica, this was so much fun. You have so much amazing insight to share and I'm sure that our audience will wanna pop in to hear even more. So Jessica, for even more stress-free tidbits, where can our audience find you?
Jessica (01:36:32):
Basically if you Google, well, hello Disney. I'm all the, well, hello Disney. So I'm on Instagram, I have a podcast, I have a YouTube channel, I have a blog. So just put in, well, hello Disney, but you'll find me the most on Instagram. You'll see me there daily.
Rachel (01:36:47):
Awesome. And Meg, where can our audience find you for even more Disney World tips and tricks?
Meg (01:36:52):
You can find me sharing the magic on meg fort.com and at meg fort on Instagram and TikTok.
Rachel (01:36:59):
Amazing. Well, this was so much fun. I can't thank you both enough for being here. And to our audience, thank you so much for Hoppy along with us. Bye. Happy planning. Bye. If you enjoyed the expert Disney Planning Tips podcast, please let us know in ratings and comments. Make sure to visit our site for discounts on theme park tickets, hotels, and more. And follow us on social at Undercover Tourist on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook. And at Theme Park Frog on Instagram.