We just finished up our first family trip to Disney World. I’d been before: but never as the person that actually paid for the trip, which does change the way you view Disney. While it’s easy to become overwhelmed, I do think there are some luxuries that are worth their money.
One of my favorite features was the stroller rental. My kids are 4 and 2, so we knew we could manage them at the airport without a stroller but for touring the parks I wanted a stroller. You are able to rent them daily at each park, but some genius people have started stroller rental companies for Disney guests. You can pick it up at the bell desk as soon as you arrive. I rented the city mini double, which was perfect and super handy. With the theft and damage insurance it was $90 for 6 days and included a small cooler bag and rain cover. The company we used offered free grocery delivery, so I ordered some fruit, snacks, pop, a case of water and a 12 pack of beer to help my husband feel the Disney magic.
For us, the Disney hotel was an excellent choice for several reasons. They offer amazing service for getting to and from your hotel, after arrival you head to the Magic Express desk and get on a bus. Your bags will arrive in your room in a few hours. When you depart you can drop your bags at a desk at the hotel and hop back on the Magic Express to the airport. The Disney transportation system is really great. Busses are running constantly and while you can wait up to 15 minutes for a bus and sometimes they are crowded, its so nice to have drop off service at the entrance. Personally, a huge selling point for us was that the boys’ car seats would remain in Minnesota. Disney hotel guests also have early and late access to parks. The specific park and schedule depends on the time of year.
We picked the Art of Animation, which is a value (cheapest) resort. However, we did stay in one of the suites. My boys are in love with Cars so that area was perfect. It had a separate bedroom and bath, a table that folded down to a bed, small kitchenette and sleeper couch and TV and an additional bathroom. Plus the road cone lamps were an added bonus.
Character meals are a great experience. We went in September when we could get the dining plan for free, but because we were at a value hotel I did have to upgrade to a dining plan that included character meals. During character meals you casually eat and each character will come to your table and take a picture and spend a little time with you. I wasn’t sure how my boys would react, but they loved it. We are still laughing about when our 2 year old saw Handy Manny for the first time.
My FAVORITE feature was the photo pass. Basically, Disney has photographers everywhere that take your picture and scan your magic band (the bracelet you wear to get your meals, into the parks, pay for souvenirs and the key to your room). Then you go to your Disney app and view your photos. If you purchase the photo pass you can download them all. Without the pass you have to pay to download each one. Several character meals, each character in the park and the pictures from a few rides were included. Plus I didn’t have to bring my camera along and I was included in many of the pictures. The photo pass is $169 if purchased 3 days before your vacation and $199 during your vacation.
Although Disney can be an expensive vacation, they really have perfected the art of making everything seamless and enjoyable for all members of your family. I’m sure you could spend a lot more or a lot less, but I felt like we did well as far as budgeting and getting the best value from our trip.
