Disneyworld Two Questions

We just got back from a trip to Disney World. The best tip I got before we left was a web sight called Garden Grocer.

http://gardengrocer.com/

It is basically the same as shopping online at any grocery store. They deliver to all Disney World hotels. We ordered ahead online and paid for it online. We had them deliver our order to the front desk of our hotel, so we would not have to be at the room when they delivered it.

When we arrived, the hotel brought all the groceries to our room, along with our luggage. (We used Magical Express).

You did not mention if you were staying on property or not. Depending on which place you stay will depend on if you have a refrigerator or not. You can pay extra for one if you are staying on Disney property and your room does not come with one. Or, there are refrigerator share services you can find online.

We took snacks to the park everyday. The only time we were stopped was when I tried to bring in a mocha - and that was because it was in a glass bottle.

We did a lot of research before we went. I could probably answer most questions you might come up with. :o) Feel free to email me with any questions. I might be able to help!
R.

I completely recommend buying her her own seat, also, and bringing the car seat for her to sit in on the plane (kids know how to "be" in that seat). Also, having a bunch of cheap little toys to surprise her with throughout the trip will save you! That may be nice for your older kids, too. Have fun!!

I can't offer you anything re' the travel, but what we did with our 3 kids to keep the cost down on food is this. We took along plastic ceral bowls and spoons. We bought a pkg of cereal and a 1/2 gallon of milk each morning from a 7-11 or Plaid Pantry and ate that at the motel each morning. Then in about 3 hours when there was a little hunger starting we got some kind of drink or smoothie and that helped hold off the next meal for a couple of hours. We then ate one regular meal at a Disney World Restaurant and then kept on with the attractions until another 3-4 hours went by and got one more snack type item. We then had a fast food supper outside of the park. My kids were all school age so no little one that was as small as yours. C.

I remember from many years ago that the best snack they had was a frozen banana dipped in hot chocolate--very filling, delicious, and healthy.

The plane ride will be okay if you get bulk head seats that give you more room to stretch out. Give the older ones books, hand held computer games, etc and they'll be fine. The flight is not that long, bring a couple of new unseen toys for your little one. Plan the trip for her nap time, bring her soothing toy, and let her sleep.

Have fun.

We just did a Disneyland trip (not Disneyworld) with an almost 2yo, 4yo, and 6yo. We have also taken a trip with my stepkids, a 10yo and 12yo a few years back.

The first trip with the older kids we were on a strict budget. Our hotel was across the street from IHOP and they had a buy an adult meal, kids eat free promotion which we used a lot. I was SICK of IHOP by the end of the trip! We also bought some snacks in the park, and it actually was worth it. The giant turkey legs are worth it, the kids split one and were happy. We also ate those frozen bananas, which not only were yummy and semi-healthy, but soothing on a hot day. We did take along a lot of snacks which we packed from home...or if you can find a grocery, buy them when you get there. Examples: beef jerky, cheese sticks, cereal snacks, cheese-n-cracker packs, pretzels, etc. I didn't take enough on that trip, but it helped and YES, they will check your backpack upon entering the park but have never said anything to me about the food I bring (I don't pack it to the gills but it's obvious I am bringing food). I asked the gal who was checking about it this last time - she said they are checking for things like firearms and glass bottles - no glass allowed!

On that trip, we were horrified by the cost of a drink in the park. At $2-4 a pop, you can go broke quickly. We tried to bring and use refillable water bottles, but we hated the taste of tap water. It's very minerally in California (might not be so in Florida).

So, on our second trip, I brought along a water bottle for everyone. I also brought a BUNCH of those single serving powdered drink mixes (Crystal Light or you can buy the generic brand at Walmart). This was the BEST idea ever! We all drank much more and stayed hydrated, we could mix it up as we went, and even the baby loved the taste! And there was no cost to us for buying overpriced coke or junk food drinks in the park!

We normally pack milk and bring cereal when we travel for a fast, cheap breakfast in the hotel room. This time it was not possible. I do know that at Disneyworld it is very hard to get to the outlying area if you don't have a car (it is so large). If you have a car, go find that stuff and keep the milk in the fridge. It makes less stress getting everyone into and out of as few restaurants as possible!

As for rides, just take it easy and slow. We did split up a bit - for example, one night my husband took the 6yo out for the fireworks and extra rides, and I stayed home at the hotel. It was really nice to get the extra rest and the youngest two were tired as well. For the most part, we stayed together and everyone learned to take turns. The nice thing about Disney is that there's always somewhere to sit, always something to watch, and I didn't mind waiting around nearly as much as I thought I would! And the rides seem to appeal to all ages. The 12yo actually loved Dumbo! Which cracked us up. But once I got on it, I understood.

We did have parkhoppers, but did only one park per day. In Disneyworld, I think the layout is larger, so definitely don't overdo it! You will be walking a LOT. We did have a list of MUST see things, and then some which were not so important and could be skipped. Since we were there in December, we had been told to expect long lines - but it was not that way all over. Some of the rides that I wanted to go on like Small World were decorated for the holidays and the line was huge. We skipped it. We definitely wanted to go on the Haunted Mansion, though, so we got a FastPass for that one. The one that was toughest to get on as far as lines go was Finding Nemo. We had one early in the park day and used that time to get in line immediately. It only took about 15 minute wait that way. It was not a ride that I loved, but for the little ones - they did enjoy it. It was important to them and we fit it in that way so it was least hassle all the way around.

We rented one of their strollers, it was more than adequate - and we got to avoid the hassle of taking our own stroller on the airplane. And we got the multi-day pass for it to avoid standing in line to pay each time. We made it thru the airport ok, just took longer as we let the littest one walk a lot.

I was having foot problems and we rode on a lot more transportation in the park than we normally would have. It was very fun, actually! We took the train, fire truck, and horse-drawn carriage, and it was one of those magical things that turned out to be a great memory.

I packed a bag of busy toys and some diversional things for the plane trip. Coloring books and the triangular crayons that don't roll...the coloring pads that have the invisible writing that comes out with the special pen...etc. We also had gum and small lollipops in case the plane ride affected their ears. I packed the kids' handheld games (leapster) and invested in earplugs so they didn't bug the other passengers.

Have FUN!

S.,

If you plan on eating out at all in the parks, make your main meal at lunch instead of dinner. The lunch menu is cheaper than the dinner menu. I am not sure if you have another adult going with you but your older kids will want to do many things that your 1 year can't do. So it is helpful for one adult to take the 8 & 11 year old, and another adult to take the one year old. I don't know how long you are staying, but it is rare that you will be able to see everything. It's just not possible. I advise you to get a Fodor's travel book of Disney World. It lists the top three things to see in each park with lots of advice. Once you get there, you will feel like you have to hurry and see it all. But that attitude tends to make the kids miserable. Just slow down, relax and enjoy. Have a great stroller for your one year old and great walking shoes for the rest of you. Go to bed early and get up early. If you are staying at a Disney Resort you can get into the parks an hour earlier. Rest often with the one year old. It can be overwhelming. The Magical Dinners are worth the cost. I hope this helps.

I just got back from Disneyworld with my two year old daughter. We had fun, but it was hard to expect when taking a two year old. We spent 3 hours at the park, but that was totally fine.

We have travelled twice with our now two year old. For the plane, I completely recommend purchasing a seat for your daughter even though she is still little. It will give you free arms and since she will probably sleep a good majority of the time, you won't be having to hold her in one position for the a long period of time. Just make sure your car seat is FAA approved. If your daughter still fits in a sling, take that for the airport. Be prepared to take it off a security. But it will give you easy the rest of the time. Take a small stroller. You can gate check it and it will be wonderful at Disneyworld too.
While at the mouse place, their policy is no outside food, but it is pretty lax. They don't really care if you bring stuff in, just to lug in a giant cooler. Hopefully your stroller has a basket, if not, by one of those organizers that attach to the back of the stroller. I got one with a hang down basket that had so much room, it was awesome. Take bottle water with you. It is so expensive in the park that if you only have to buy an extra one or two, it isn't so bad. Take easy pack stuff - cherrios, puffs, etc for the baby and granola bars,whole fruit, roll ups etc for the older kids and yourself. We ate breakfast at the hotel, then snacks I brought at disneyworld and then ate dinner back at the hotel.We did have ice cream at the park and the was a nice treat.
Sunscreen, sunscreen sunscreen!
Don't waste your money and get the park hopper pass. JUst do one park a day. If you are staying inside the park, you can always take the monorail back to your hotel and then come back to the same park later. Plus it give the kids a break and who doesn't like a mid afternoon break at the pool!
The lines can be long for a lot of the rides, but they have fast pass which is wonderful. Your little one can go on most rides within fantasy land, but some rides, even like winney the pooh is loud and kind of frightening for a young child. They offer a deal called baby swap where you stand in line and one parent goes on the ride and then once they are done, they can change and the other parent can go. That was nice.
Hope you have a great time. I am sure that your 8 and 11 year old will love it.

As someone else said :) we do Disneyland. Actually, I lived 20 min away for a few years as a child...so it's a real treat to head back down there with our son.

We actually never eat in the park...but that's in part because we head back to the room/**POOL** 2-3 times a day, and, to a lesser degree, because you weren't allowed to bring food in when I was growing up, so we were trained not to consider it an option. We also stay on property so it's super easy. So, too, doing one character breakfast early on is a riot, and a perfect photo op. It also means you aren't chasing down every costume you see when you're in the park. :)

For in the room: Groceries. & Pizza. & Cereal. & Sandwiches. Stuff to cook, and stuff to eat on the fly when you don't want to cook.

You didn't ask...but FASTPASS & (darn, I forget the name) the ticket that's for whoever is staying with a young child that can't go on a particular ride(+1 other person to go with them) is THE way to do it with a multiage group. That way someone gets to go twice (!!! Which is what sells staying together with older kids), and line standing is at a minimum. Otherwise, you're split into two different groups all the time. In CA you get the jump to the head of the line +1 tickets either at the entrance to the ride or at the fastpass booths. One would assume FL would be the same way.

Also...cellphones are a must, it's amazing how easy it is to look at something shiny and miss people coming off the ride, and how annoying it is to be waiting and waiting when "X" is just 20 feet that way. Writing the cell number in sharpie on the skin of each of the kids isn't a bad idea either, in case anyone gets separated.

Now, as I said, we do Dinseyland (not disney world)...and we always get parkhoppers...but there's not a lot of distance between the parks. If you DO get a park hopper, you can get fastpass tickets (only one per person per hour PER PARK) to both parks...but be warned it can mean quite a bit of running around.

You'll be doing a LOT of walking, so I highly recommend pool/food/movie breaks to keep energy & tempers in good condition. Especially with 10 days. You'll have time to see it all. :) So have fun doing it.

First off, get the 1-1/2 year old her own seat. You will be tempted to save money by holding her in your lap, but it will be a much more pleasant ride if everyone has his/her own space. You will need an airplane approved car seat since your daughter is not yet 2. Secondly, to help with the pressure change, give her something to drink and/or eat during take off and landing. The swallowing helps. During the flight, read books, color, have snacks.

If you are traveling with another adult, either you or he get on the plane to set up the car seat while the other one works off some energy with your toddler at the gate.

For snacks at the park, maybe take fruit (grapes, apples, oranges), Goldfish crackers, reusable water bottles that you can fill inside the park, granola bars, and perhaps PBJ sandwiches.

Have fun!

This months Parent's magazine has a section devoted to saving tips while at Disneyworld. I also saw that several of the mom's in there gave websites to visit before the trip.

I saw that a couple of folks said to buy the 1 1/2 year old their own seat. I would say it depends on your child. We traveled across country with my son several times and he never had his own seat until he was 2. Of course, it saved us a lot of money but to be honest, he wasn't the kind of kid that would stay in his own seat anyway. He always wanted to be on my or my husband's lap - even when we were on a plane with extra seats.

We do disneyland. I usually take a box of cereal and plastic spoons and disposable bowls with me and the kids eat breakfast in the room before we go. I also take some peanut butter, jelly and a loaf of bread and sandwich baggies too. I make them a few sandwiches in the morning and cut them into 1/4 sections. then when they are hungry they can have part or all of their sandwich. I have a plastic shoe box that the bread fits into nicely so it does not get smashed in the suit case.

Talk to your doctor about this, but mine told me to give the kids a small dose of benedryl before the flight. it helped with their ears and also they get a bit drowsy. a few toys that are not too loud and maybe rent a portable dvd player and watch nemo or something that will entertain the kids.
Good luck.