Where We Went:
- Magic Kingdom
- Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Epcot
- Animal Kingdom
- Back to Magic Kingdom
- Polynesian Village - 3 Nights
- Grand Floridian - 3 Nights
Day One – Chicago > Walt Disney World
Considering we had an early flight to Orlando, it went rather smoothly. My parents met us by O'Hare at a parking garage where we had two spots reserved. You never know what you're going to get when you're flying with three kids, especially a baby on his first flight, but we flew American and it was uneventful. When we landed, thanks to Disney's Magical Express, we didn't even have to pick up our luggage or find a ride. It was wonderful!
Our first stop when we got to the Polynesian Village was to grab some lunch by the Lava Pool. Then the girls had to go swimming. It was the perfect weather for it! Somehow we lucked out (haha) and the temperatures peaked around 90 degrees the week we were there. Usually it isn't quite that warm at the end of March.
That evening we went to Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show and it was fantastic! The food was delicious and the show held the attention of Margot (3 ½) and Isabelle (5 ½). Margot even whet to the front to try out some hula dancing.
Day Two – Magic Kingdom
After a quick breakfast in our room, we took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Wow, I knew it was going to be busy, but there were a lot of people! Although with Tom's expert Fast Pass planning, we got on a ton of rides that day, like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mickey's PhilharMagic and Prince Charming Regal Carousel. Isaac (6 months) even went on a lot of rides. It was so funny to see his expressions, especially on his first ride, Peter Pan's Flight. I think my favorite was Enchanted Tales with Belle, because Margot volunteered to be the Salt Shaker in the little reenactment. She was so, so cute! And guess what, Belle is her now favorite princess. So surprised, right? We spent pretty much the entire day in Fantasyland, including lunch, a break for ice cream and meeting Rapunzel, Tiana, Minnie Mouse and Daisy. At the end of the day we took the water taxi back to the Polynesian. It was a very relaxing way to travel. For dinner we made the girls sandwiches and got take out for the adults. We had adjoining rooms with my parents, so it was really nice to hang out in one room while the kids fell fast asleep in the other.
After a quick breakfast in our room, we took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Wow, I knew it was going to be busy, but there were a lot of people! Although with Tom's expert Fast Pass planning, we got on a ton of rides that day, like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mickey's PhilharMagic and Prince Charming Regal Carousel. Isaac (6 months) even went on a lot of rides. It was so funny to see his expressions, especially on his first ride, Peter Pan's Flight. I think my favorite was Enchanted Tales with Belle, because Margot volunteered to be the Salt Shaker in the little reenactment. She was so, so cute! And guess what, Belle is her now favorite princess. So surprised, right? We spent pretty much the entire day in Fantasyland, including lunch, a break for ice cream and meeting Rapunzel, Tiana, Minnie Mouse and Daisy. At the end of the day we took the water taxi back to the Polynesian. It was a very relaxing way to travel. For dinner we made the girls sandwiches and got take out for the adults. We had adjoining rooms with my parents, so it was really nice to hang out in one room while the kids fell fast asleep in the other.
Day Three – Disney's Hollywood Studio
It was another busy day that started with a shuttle bus ride over to Disney's Hollywood Studio. I'll just say this, I'm not a fan of the shuttle bus. At least when strollers are involved. Once at the park we started off with the Toy Story ride where we spun around in a car playing a 3D video game. (It was 1000% better than the Buzz Lightyear version at the Magic Kingdom.) We also saw the Frozen Singalong show (my favorite), the Disney Junior show (the kids' favorite) and rode the Great Movie Experience ride. Isabelle and Margot also met Sophia the First and Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. The lines were pretty reasonable at MGM and no fast pass was needed to meet the characters. For lunch we ordered from Min and Bill's Dockside Diner. Their pulled pork sandwiches and loaded nachos were delicious! The girls devoured their hot dogs and chocolate shakes. Bonus, we found a spot to sit in the shade and could still see part of the Star Wars show. After a long day at Disney's Hollywood Studio, we went swimming at the Polynesian's low-key Oasis Pool. It was Isaac's first time swimming and he loved it! The girls didn't want to leave so Tom made sandwiches for the girls and they ate by the pool. The adults got take out from the Oasis Bar and Grill. Later that night Tom and I went for a walk around the resort. Our main goal was to buy Margot a little treat (we didn't forget the other kiddos!) because she had been dancing around my parents' room and got a nasty bump on the head. Thankfully she was fine, but the new Minnie Mouse bracelet helped improve her mood.
It was another busy day that started with a shuttle bus ride over to Disney's Hollywood Studio. I'll just say this, I'm not a fan of the shuttle bus. At least when strollers are involved. Once at the park we started off with the Toy Story ride where we spun around in a car playing a 3D video game. (It was 1000% better than the Buzz Lightyear version at the Magic Kingdom.) We also saw the Frozen Singalong show (my favorite), the Disney Junior show (the kids' favorite) and rode the Great Movie Experience ride. Isabelle and Margot also met Sophia the First and Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. The lines were pretty reasonable at MGM and no fast pass was needed to meet the characters. For lunch we ordered from Min and Bill's Dockside Diner. Their pulled pork sandwiches and loaded nachos were delicious! The girls devoured their hot dogs and chocolate shakes. Bonus, we found a spot to sit in the shade and could still see part of the Star Wars show. After a long day at Disney's Hollywood Studio, we went swimming at the Polynesian's low-key Oasis Pool. It was Isaac's first time swimming and he loved it! The girls didn't want to leave so Tom made sandwiches for the girls and they ate by the pool. The adults got take out from the Oasis Bar and Grill. Later that night Tom and I went for a walk around the resort. Our main goal was to buy Margot a little treat (we didn't forget the other kiddos!) because she had been dancing around my parents' room and got a nasty bump on the head. Thankfully she was fine, but the new Minnie Mouse bracelet helped improve her mood.
Day Four – Epcot
Our day started with packing and getting our luggage picked up so we could switch resorts. So easy! Then we got stuck on the monorail. That's right. We were coming from the Polynesian and the monorail pulled into the Grand Floridian, but the doors wouldn't open. It had the same problem right before we got on. Should have known better! They had to pull off one of the doors and we had to break down the double stroller to get it out. Other people in our car had to climb over the seats to get out. Then it was taking eons to get on a shuttle bus, so we took a cab (a large van) to Epcot. Best decision ever! It really wasn't that expensive and we didn't have to break down the strollers. They just put them in the trunk. We had already missed a few of our Fast Pass rides, so before leaving the Grand Floridian, I did speak to Guest Relations about our experience. First they gave us a No Strings Attached ticket to get on the Nemo Ride. Then another person with Guest Relations gave us a No Strings Attached ticket to get on ANY ride that day at Epcot. (Although it still wasn't good for the Frozen ride. Luckily that Fast Pass was later in the day.) Once at Epcot, we had a blast! The Nemo Ride was cute and the Frozen ride was a favorite for the girls. Isaac wasn't a fan of the water, but he was a trooper! My favorite part was the World Showcase and visiting all of the countries, especially Japan, Germany, France and Morocco which is where Tom and I went on our honeymoon. For a second it really did feel like we were back in Morocco. We had a dinner reservation at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and not only was the food excellent, but the girls saw Belle again and met Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel. Isabelle and Margot were dressed up in their costumes we brought and walked in the princess parade. They were thrilled! Isaac was thrilled because he sat in a high chair for the first time in a restaurant. Nothing like a new vantage point for a baby. We ended the night with a trip to Mexico and a monorail ride home...luckily we didn't get stuck that time! We came back to our new room at the Grand Floridian where could see the Electrical Water Pageant! It ended up being a great day!
Day Five – Animal Kingdom
Today we didn't chance it and just decided to take a cab to the Animal Kingdom. It was a great idea! The highlight for the kids was the Lion King show. It was a shorter version of their Broadway show, which I saw ages ago. Very cool! The kids were so excited! Even Isaac was jumping around! My favorite was the Kilimanjaro Safari. We saw so many animals up close and I have never seen that many giraffes at one time! For lunch we went to Harambe Market in the Africa section of the Animal Kingdom. The food was outstanding and I would love the recipe for their Black-eyed Pea Salad. So delicious! My only regret that day is we never made it Kali River Rapids ride. When we got back to the Grand Floridian, we ate by one of the pools that had a really fun kids area which Margot, Isabelle and Tom enjoyed. It was a beautiful night and after the kids were tucked into bed Tom and I went for a walk and stopped by the Mizner's Lounge, where we listened to the orchestra play away. When we got back to the room, we watched some of the fireworks from our balcony, the Electric Water Pageant and we could even see Cinderella's castle all lit up!
Today we didn't chance it and just decided to take a cab to the Animal Kingdom. It was a great idea! The highlight for the kids was the Lion King show. It was a shorter version of their Broadway show, which I saw ages ago. Very cool! The kids were so excited! Even Isaac was jumping around! My favorite was the Kilimanjaro Safari. We saw so many animals up close and I have never seen that many giraffes at one time! For lunch we went to Harambe Market in the Africa section of the Animal Kingdom. The food was outstanding and I would love the recipe for their Black-eyed Pea Salad. So delicious! My only regret that day is we never made it Kali River Rapids ride. When we got back to the Grand Floridian, we ate by one of the pools that had a really fun kids area which Margot, Isabelle and Tom enjoyed. It was a beautiful night and after the kids were tucked into bed Tom and I went for a walk and stopped by the Mizner's Lounge, where we listened to the orchestra play away. When we got back to the room, we watched some of the fireworks from our balcony, the Electric Water Pageant and we could even see Cinderella's castle all lit up!
Day Six – Magic Kingdom
Today was our last day at the parks and we spent it at the Magic Kingdom. Our first stop was Adventureland where we went on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, toured the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, experienced the Enchanted Tiki Room and went on a Jungle Cruise. Remember those No Strings Attached tickets we got? Well, my mom dropped her sunglasses into the water while getting off the Jungle Cruise boat and viola, she didn't even have to ask. They just gave her a No Strings Attached voucher to get a new pair of sunglasses. We had lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern and it was so nice to sit down and relax while we ate. After lunch it was back to Fantasyland where we went on many more rides, like Its a Small World and Isabelle and Margot's first roller coaster – The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. They loved it! We ended our day in Tomorrowland and Margot's only regret was not going on the Astro Orbiter to fly in a rocket ship like the cartoon Miles from Tomorrowland (surprisingly nowhere to be found at Disney). We said we would do it the next time we came. For dinner we went to the Grand Floridian Cafe and we got there just in time to miss walking through a big downpour. We lucked out!
Today was our last day at the parks and we spent it at the Magic Kingdom. Our first stop was Adventureland where we went on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, toured the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, experienced the Enchanted Tiki Room and went on a Jungle Cruise. Remember those No Strings Attached tickets we got? Well, my mom dropped her sunglasses into the water while getting off the Jungle Cruise boat and viola, she didn't even have to ask. They just gave her a No Strings Attached voucher to get a new pair of sunglasses. We had lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern and it was so nice to sit down and relax while we ate. After lunch it was back to Fantasyland where we went on many more rides, like Its a Small World and Isabelle and Margot's first roller coaster – The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. They loved it! We ended our day in Tomorrowland and Margot's only regret was not going on the Astro Orbiter to fly in a rocket ship like the cartoon Miles from Tomorrowland (surprisingly nowhere to be found at Disney). We said we would do it the next time we came. For dinner we went to the Grand Floridian Cafe and we got there just in time to miss walking through a big downpour. We lucked out!
Day Seven – Walt Disney World > Chicago
This morning we had breakfast and finished packing while the kids burned off some energy. Once we were ready, we checked our luggage in at the resort – one of the best perks of staying on property. Soon it was time to hop on Disney's Magical Express and head home. We had a GREAT vacation!
Disney tips
- Buy the book, The Unofficial Guide to Disney World. It was full of great information, like traffic patterns, which rides to use the Fast Passes on and the best places to eat. Personally, I loved all of the ride descriptions. Those were good for a laugh!
- Order groceries from Garden Grocer ahead of time. When you get to the resort, they will deliver them to your room. We had tons of snacks, breakfast food, fruit and veggies, water and juice. It was great! (Although I did go a little overboard ordering bananas.)
- If you're looking for a great deal on rooms, check out David's Vacation Club Rentals. That's how we could swing deluxe studios at the Polynesian and a two-bedroom suite at the Grand Floridian.
- Amazon delivers to the resorts! Perfect when you loose something you need for the flight home.
- The Polynesian and Grand Floridian both had little shops where you could pick up basic groceries, diapers, more water and of course, beer and wine.
Tips for traveling with a food allergy:
- Disney will do an allergy cleaning of your room if you request it. So great!
- At all of the Disney restaurants – sit down and quick service – they have a binder available that lists any and all allergens their food contains. For a sit down restaurant, they will even make your meal in a separate kitchen to prevent any cross contamination. Oh and the soft serve ice cream and chocolate Mickey Ears were free of peanuts and tree nuts (except for coconuts). We all ate a lot of ice cream!
- Bring a lot of Wet Ones!
- Instead of a large bottle of Benadryl, I brought single dose vials at Walgreens (their brand). I could put a couple in the Epipen case. Game changer!
- Crib size fitted sheets fit perfectly over the seats on the plane.
- Even though many airlines specially state they won't make accommodations for food allergies, many gate agents will let you preboard to wipe down the seats. I just asked when we got to the gate and they were so accommodating!
