Tips on How to Make Your Family Disney Experience Extra Fun

I have said it once, and I’ll say it again, Disney is a wonderful place for anyone who visits, but for kids it is magical! Thanks to the generous hospitality of Hanes, I was invited to Disney to meet and mingle with the other members of the Comfort Crew. Also invited was my family.

This was huge because even though I have been to Disney quite often, I have never been to Disney with my family, and my husband and two little ones had never visited before at all! I was hoping to share some cute video footage of the moment when I gave the news to the kids, or any video footage that would show how excited they all were during the trip, however, this never happened because the minute I took out my camera my kids would run out of the room screaming or act the complete opposite of what I was hoping to capture, or would refuse to be video taped (or photographed) all together.

Oh the frustration!

I decided to put together a little guide on the best ways to avoid frustration as much as possible and make your trip to Disney as comfortable, if not more so, as it was for us.

Fast Pass and VIP Tour Guides

Oh, how we love thee! These timed entries onto coveted rides help in avoiding the long, long lines that form. Personally, and I am not judging here, I think it is insanity to make a small child wait on line for 40 minutes just so they can experience a 5 minute ride. Insanity, especially, for the parent. I don’t have it in me to do it. I mean, if I really, really must, of course I will, and if my kids were older, sure! But with little ones it just seems so daunting!

That’s where a Fast Pass, which is a part of your entry ticket, is so wonderful. But take note, they run out of these very quickly. So if you come to the park later than midday chances are most Fast Passes will be sold out, and you will have no choice but to linger for your turn in which case it could definitely serve as an opportunity for a life lesson on patience.

Have some extra cash? Then maybe you can spring for the VIP Tour Guides. These wonderful professionals will guide you through the park, past long lines, in great seats to live shows and parades, and offer a lot of convenience to your experience. The cost ranges between $135 to $315 per hour with a 6 hour minimum.

We got to enjoy the services from our VIP Tour guide, Cristina. She was friendly, professional, and tons of fun, and it was wonderful to get a couple of days with her getting us through long lines and onto our favorite rides. However, we really enjoyed being able to take an even slower pace on our own, no focus or set goal, other than leisurely walking through the parks and taking in the sights, something not really easy to do when you are racing from ride to ride with a paid guide.

Height Requirements and Restrictions

Want to avoid one of the biggest causes for major meltdowns at the park? Research the height requirement and restrictions for the park rides before you get there, and if your kid doesn’t qualify to get on the ride, either avoid the rides altogether, or plan a strategy or have a discussion on the issue beforehand.

There is nothing more heart-wrenching for a kid (and parent) when they get to the ride only to find out someone has to stay behind.

The information for all the rides can be found online here and a description of all rides can be found in the Disney website for each specific park.

Transportation

There is a lot to see in Orlando, FL that goes beyond the Disney parks. There’s of course Universal Studios, and Winter Park, SeaWorld, and much more. For this, you will need to rent a car. However, if you plan on making your trip an all Disney experience, from resort stay to park visits to Downtown Disney, then renting a car is not necessary.

Disney’s Magical Express Bus is a complimentary service from and to the airport for Disney Resort guests and Disney offers complimentary resort transportation from and to parks as well. A full list of these services and how they apply to each location can be found here. Speaking of airports, if you can at all avoid a connecting flight from the East Coast into Miami airport to Orlando, do it! The arrival terminals are almost always located on the opposite ends, requiring you (and your kids, with any carry-ons) to dash down long walk ways, up and down escalators, on a tran, to another gate, in another terminal with only minutes to spare. This has always been my experience when flying from NYC to Orlando, connecting through Miami. Talk about a work out!

It might be worth doing the math on the cost of staying in a Disney resort and not renting a car versus staying at a lower cost, off-site location and renting a car, paying for tolls, gas, and parking. That, and considering the convenience of not worrying about it.

We stayed at the Contemporary Resort with easy access to the monorail and to all the Disney parks. It was quick, easy, and we loved it.

Hotels

Speaking of hotels, I did a little review some time ago on the various price points for Disney Resorts. You can revisit that article here. My favorites tend to be on the higher-end of the price spectrum because I love all the different ammenities they offer, from fine dining restaurants to onsite shops to accesible transportation. Thus, the Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and The Contemporary are at the top of my list. However, my husband absolutely loved the rustic feel of The Wilderness Lodge where Hanes hosted a beach party for us, and the look and feel of The Ploynesian (which I find to be too dark but no one in my group seemed to mind).

Dining

Disney offers resort guests the option to customize their stay with the Disney Dining Plan through their Magic Your Way Vacation Package. These packages help you customize your options as well as help save you money. We’ve listed our favorite Orlando dining spots here, some of which are Disney as well.

If you want to dine at any of Disney’s fine dining restaurants, such a Jiko and others, you will need to make a reservation. You can do this through your resorts’ concierge services, online, or by phone. I had a very difficult time reaching a live person by phone, thus would recommend the first two options. I would also recommend that you reserve early on during your stay if not before your arrival as most restaurants fill up quickly.

Though the fine dining restaurants have strict dress guidelines, they are all family-friendly, and kids are always welcomed.

Helpful Phone Apps

Disney has a partnership with Verizon offering guests Mobile Magic, a phone app that provides you information to such things as Fast Pass wait time and availability, a GPS mapping system to help you navigate through the park, as well as character greet and meet times and locations. This applies only to the park that you are in while using the app.

Since we have an iPhone, we downloaded the WDW app for $2.99. We were able to get a lot of the same information offered through the Verizon app, including when rides were closed or down, closests restrooms, water fountains, eateries, etc.

Oh yes, about those photo opps

Well, let me tell you, it was harder then trying to get a picture with Prince William and Kate on their wedding day…or ever for that matter! My boys ran from me the second a took out a camera or Flip. What we didn’t know beforehand is that Disney offers a service called Disney’s Photo Pass Service. Get a Photo Pass card and find a professional photographer in any one of the four themed parks and water park. Whenever you want that family photo, let them take it for you! Then you go to the Photo Pass site, enter your ID and order pictures or print them on cups, t-shirts, or other gift items.

One thing I don’t have from our fabulous trip to Disney is a really awesome family picture. Well, there’s this one I took with my husband’s iPhone, on our hotel balcony.

It’s a start. Next time, I’m doing Photo Pass for sure. I did manage to get some cute shots though, check them out below from our Flickr page.

In case you loose a kid or two

Oh, one last tip: after having lost my kid the first day at Disney (Mother of the Year over here), I didn’t freak out at all. I have complete faith in the people of Disney. If I had to choose a place to get separated from my crew, it would be at Disney. They know how to deal with it quickly and effectively. But I also didn’t stress it too much because Hanes had set us up with name tags, and on these name tags were the names and telephone numbers of our group. I knew that when someone found him, they would be able to reach someone from group and let us know where to find him.

Of course, we did find him, already with a Disney cast member. Total time: 10 minutes.

So, my advice: if traveling with kids, create a little name tag with a contact number on it. Have your child wear it at all times and talk over instructions on what to do should you get separated. Don’t panic, find a cast member, and trust that they will find your child.

Our experience, though scary for a the little one, wasn’t at all traumatic and we all walked away feeling and remembering Disney as the happy, magical place it has always been for so many visiting families.

Disclosure: Travel, acommodations and admission to Disney were compliments of Hanes, Inc. as part of the Hanes Comfort Crew partnership. The views and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. For more information please refer to the disclosure page.

Tags: family friendly, kid friendly, travel, Vacations
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