Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Disney FAQ

People often reach out to me with Disney questions and I love that they do because I love to talk all things Disney!! I get asked a lot of the same questions so I thought I'd compile them all here in one post in case anyone reading has wondered these same things. I'll try to link all I can.

Disney's Beach Club Resort

Where should we stay? I haven't stayed at very many Disney resorts but I have a few I love and a few I hope to stay at some day. We recently stayed at The Riviera and I couldn't have loved it more. It's brand new and so nice. The interior decor is exactly my style, the restaurants at the hotel are fabulous, the pool is wonderful and the Disney skyliner is literally right outside the hotel so you can easily get to Hollywood Studios and Epcot. The sleeping situation was perfect for our family of five. We had a lot of space and everyone was able to sleep well. I also love the Swan/Dolphin. I've stayed here several times in several different types of rooms they have. For the cost this resort simply cannot be beat. It's not nearly as expensive as some of the other Disney resorts but it's very, very nice. The location is the best part. I prefer this location over the Riviera. You can walk to Epcot from here in about 10 minutes and take a boat to Hollywood Studios in about the same amount of time. 

A few resorts I haven't stayed at before but hope to someday are Beach Club and the Grand Floridian. We always go to Beach Club when we go to Disney. They have great restaurants and I just love the overall vibe. I also love the location--steps away from Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The pool is considered the best pool at Disney. This is where I would love to stay the next time we go. I also have always wanted to stay at the Grand Floridian. It's very pricey but it looks wonderful! We love going to the Grand Floridian to eat breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. It's a beautiful hotel and so close to Magic Kingdom. This may be somewhere I would stay if just Scott and I went by ourselves simply because it is so expensive for just a standard room. Our family of five would be too squished in a standard room but their one bedroom villas are a lot more than some of the other one bedroom villas on Disney property that I actually think are nicer. 

Where do you get your ears? I always get my ears in the park! They have them literally all over the place. I have a few pairs and I love having them. I think they're a fun souvenir. I typically get mine at The Chapeau in Magic Kingdom. It's one of the very first stores on Main Street. They have a lot to choose from and they will also embroider your ears on the spot! That's where I got the boys ears and I had them embroidered with their names on the back. They're super fast so it doesn't take long at all. Surprisingly, the boys actually enjoy wearing their ears. Most people in the park have them on. 

Topolinos Terrace

Where should we eat for a special occasion? Topolinos Terrace in The Riviera would be my first pick. It's a very nice restaurant and the food is fantastic. If you can't get in at Topolinos my next recommendation would be California Grill in the Contemporary. If you're in Epcot I vote Le Cellier and if you're struggling to get a reservation to either of those, I love Schulas in the Dolphin and sometimes it's easier to get a reservation there than the others. 

If I'm going to Disney for just two days which parks should I go to? Ahh this is always such a hard question. Without a doubt Magic Kingdom for one of your park days. If I absolutely had to choose the other I would say Hollywood Studios. There's so much to do and see in Hollywood Studios. They have a lot of fun rides and so many good shows like the Disney Jr Dance Party, the Frozen Show, Cars Show, Muppets Show, etc. I love Animal Kingdom too but they don't have very many rides without a height requirement which is the only reason I would choose HS over AK--there's not as much for the littles to do there. If you don't care about rides, Animal Kingdom is such a beautiful and unique park. AK also has some great shows like The Lion King, It's Tough to Be a Bug and Nemo. Plus the safari is so cool and again, it's such a unique park. If you don't have kids with you then hands down I would choose Epcot. I love Epcot but kids can get bored so I wouldn't take a kid there if you only had two days. 


Where do you get your boys Disney outfits? Jetson Cubbington is my favorite place to get my boys Disney outfits! They are custom made so you have to order 12-14 weeks out. You can create the cutest pieces!! I absolutely love our JC Disney outfits!! I'm a hostess for JC so if you want one of their outfits the easiest thing to do is shoot me a message! Other cute places I like to order from is The Pink Pelican and Benoit and Matisse.

Tips to help make it easier with little kids? You will definitely want to have a stroller even if your kids haven't used a stroller in years. Campbell and Bennett were fighting over getting to ride in the stroller this last time. I prefer bringing my own stroller and I'm never worried about it getting stolen. Ever. But you can rent strollers here if you don't feel comfortable taking your own. A clip on fan is a nice bonus too. It's hot and humid! We took the boys Yeti cups this last time and Scott and I commented over and over what a solid move that was. We filled them up with ice water before we left the hotel and the water stayed cold well into the afternoon. They always want just a sip or two so it works so much better than having to stop to find water all throughout the day. Next time Scott and I both said we would bring Yeti's for ourselves too. There are baby care centers in each park and they are very nice to visit for a diaper change or whatever else you may need. I wrote more in detail about them here. Disney is exhausting so we try to stick to our sleep schedule as much as possible. We never go back to the hotel for naps and just cross our fingers for a stroller nap. It would just suck up way too much of the day to leave the park for a nap. We like doing sit-down meals for a chance to get in the air conditioning and wind down for an hour. It always helps us re-group and re-energize. Finally, get the balloon as soon as you get to the park. They won't stop asking you about it if you don't.

Coffee in hand--proof this was taken as soon as we got in the park haha!

How do you always look so fresh in your photos? Ha! This is a sweet question I get a lot. I'm flattered you think so. Trick? Take the photos as soon as you get in the park. I promise I look disgusting after just a short amount of time in the parks. I get all the photos I want of everyone as soon as we get there. My family knows this about me by now. Take pictures for mom right away, then it's fun time from that point forward! I would be lying though if I said I didn't pack a hairbrush and a little bit of makeup to touch up throughout the day. The boys hair (and mine) looks so much better after a quick little brush.

A margarita and tostada in Epcot's Mexico. My favorite snack in Epcot!

Where should we eat in each park? Magic Kingdom: The Plaza, Crystal Palace, Be Our Guest. Animal Kingdom: Tusker House, Yak & Yeti. Hollywood Studios: The Hollywood Brown Derby. Epcot: Le Cellier, San Angel Inn or just snack around the world. We usually eat "lunch" in Epcot by snacking around the world and we love it!

What's the best bag for me to carry in the parks? I've carried several different bags in the parks over time. I love my Freshly Picked backpack and it's a great bag for the parks. It's kind of big but of course you can leave it in the stroller which is nice. Lately I've been carrying just a small crossbody bag. I like wearing my bag on the ride with me because I have cash, cards, phone etc in it so I don't really feel comfortable leaving my bag in the stroller. It's definitely more comfortable riding the rides with a small cross body than it is the big Freshly Picked backpack. Other fun bag options are the Loungefly bags. You can purchase them in the parks or find them online too of course. I have a little cross body Loungefly bag that's fun to carry around Disney. 

Breakfast at Topolinos Terrace

Best character meal? Our favorite character meal at Disney is breakfast at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian. By a landslide. The food is amazing and I love the character experience + the atmosphere. Close runners-up are: Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom, Tusker House in Animal Kingdom and Topolino's Terrace in The Riviera. Honestly just go ahead and do all four because they're all so great. Ha! 


What shoes are the most comfortable to wear in the parks? I never really put much thought into this for myself. I just wear whatever shoes I want to wear. If it's a shoe I wear at home all day that doesn't bother me I will wear it in the parks too. The boys like wearing their Natives and I like for them to wear Natives too in case it rains (which it probably will). They have also worn their Sun San's. I usually pack some sandals and sneakers. I mostly like packing a super cushy house slipper for me to wear once I get back to the hotel because I feel like they do my tired feet some good!

Christmas Day at Magic Kingdom 2019

What kind of clothes should I pack for November-February? We spent Christmas at Disney in 2019 and wore shorts the entire time. It was hot! I know locals say you never know what to expect so you should pack for all the seasons. I did bring a little cardigan for Wells and light jackets for Campbell and Bennett + a cardigan for myself in case it was chilly at night. I think I wore my cardigan one evening when Scott and I snuck out late to watch the fireworks. Other than that I don't think we ever needed them.


Any other tips I should know? My biggest tip is to make sure you book your dining reservations ASAP. Reservations get booked quick and if you want nice meals, you HAVE to have a reservation. You would never be able to just walk in and sit down. Even if you didn't get a restaurant you wanted, keep checking on the MyDisney Experience app. I was able to get us a reservation to Topolino's Terrace for breakfast two days prior and I had been checking consistently for 60 days before that!! People's plans change and they will cancel their reservations so just keep checking! Another tip I have is to not pay for bottled water in the parks. You will get thirsty and want some water but you can get cold ice water for free. It actually tastes better because it's ice cold and it's more refreshing than a bottled water that will quickly get hot unless you drink the entire thing at once. Plus the bottled water in Disney is expensive. Paying for bottled water several times a day adds up! Here is a great list where you can find all the free ice water in Disney. Finally, a lot of people are under the impression that there aren't very many rides for little kids. It's actually the opposite. There are more rides that an infant can do than aren't. Disney was made for little kids and kids of all ages can have the absolute best time there!

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