We are now officially a Disney with a Pre-schooler family. After last year’s Disney with a toddler part 3 post, I swore that we would take a year off from Disney. But it turns out we couldn’t stay away that long.
One Sunday morning, before my husband left on a business trip, my husband broke the news that the night before he had booked Disney – again – and we were leaving two weeks later.
We decided that we wouldn’t tell Valentina until the day we left to make it a true surprise for her – and to also remove the element of anticipation that can often be challenging for all of us when preparing for this type of trip. I sprang to action planning our time there so it would go as smoothly as possible even though it was a last minute trip.
As a family that has been to Disney four years in a row, one thing I’ve learned is that every trip is different which makes it interesting, but we also fall back on some of the same habits to keep it familiar.
DISNEY TRAVEL ADVISOR AND ITINERARY
We used the same Disney planner we always use to map out the schedule and park days. Last year, I messed up the park days, but this year, I put them in my calendar so I wouldn’t forget them.
Here’s our itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival – we took the last flight out of NYC so we didn’t arrive and check into our hotel until 11 PM. We went right to sleep to prepare for our first big day.
Day 2 Daytime: Epcot
Day 2 Evening: Magic Kingdom
Day 3: Animal Kingdom
Day 4: Magic Kingdom
Day 5: Resort Day and departure
ARRIVAL DAY
We usually arrive much earlier and use this day to get settled in, shop and have dinner at Disney Springs. Because we left after work and school on a later flight, we didn’t do this. It was fine.
DAY ONE: Epcot
We got the Park Hopper tickets which allowed us to go to more than one park in a day, but this was the only day we took advantage of it.
When we arrived at Epcot, we immediately bought Valentina an autograph book. Luckily, she was more open to rides this year, but we still met our fair share of characters. We ate lunch in Mexico and had a margarita. By far the best ride was Soarin’ Around the World – it was a complete sensory experience.
Day 1 Rides: Journey Into Imagination with Figment, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Soarin’ Around the World, Princess Meet& Greet (Snow White), Character Meet & Greet (Mickey & Friends – Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Minnie Mouse)
DAY ONE: MAGIC KINGDOM
After a day at Epcot, we went back to the hotel to rest, then headed to Magic Kingdom for the fireworks. The benefit of Disney with a Pre-schooler is that they’re old enough to stay up a little later for the fireworks show. Our Disney planner helped us book the Dessert Party at Magic Kingdom which gave us reserved seating for the fireworks. If reserved seating is important to you, that’s the hack. If it’s not, the Dessert Party probably isn’t worth it.
We were happy to see the fireworks show but getting out of the park after wasn’t easy. I would recommend staying longer if you can to let the crowds thin out.
DAY TWO: ANIMAL KINGDOM
Our second day at Animal Kingdom was much-needed since last year our day at this park was cut short by rain. We started at Festival of the Lion King which was every bit as vibrant and enchanting as the Broadway show. Valentina loved it. We then moved on to some rides and of course plenty of Meet & Greets.
Day 2 Rides and Character Meet & Greets: Festival of the Lion King, Kali River Rapids, Na’vi River Journey. Meet & Greets – Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Chip & Dale, Moana, Pocahontas
DAY THREE: MAGIC KINGDOM
We ended our trip at Magic Kingdom which I know like the back of my hand by now. Once again, we rode some rides and met some characters. I have always loved “it’s a small world” and we ride it every year, but this year Valentina was learning the song in music class in Spanish and Mandarin so I loved that we got to take her on that ride and she could have the entire experience.
Day 3 Rides and Meet and Greets: “it’s a small world”, The Barnstormer, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Meet & Greets – Cindarella’s Evil Stepsisters, Stitch, Donald Duck, Goofy, Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse.
DAY FOUR: Resort Day & Departure
Our last day, we spent at the resort pool before a later departure. It was nice to build that in since one of the things we love about where we stay every year is the pool. They have a splash pad for kids, movie night in the pool and this year Valentina was into the water slides, too.
What I loved about this trip is that we did some of the same rides, but had a chance to try new ones and create a completely new experience than we have the past few times. What we didn’t do well is plan and build in lunch stops. We brought some snacks but my husband gets hangry. Valentina and I can run in adrenaline with a couple of snacks, but he needs to stop and eat a meal so we could have improved in that department. We used the quick service food stops and ordered ahead on the app.
We didn’t do Bippity Boppity Boutique or character dining on this trip and I don’t think any of us missed it.
MOUSE EARS + STROLLER RENTAL
I use the same mouse ears from year to year which you can find here.
I rent our stroller through Scooter Bug. The prices are reasonable and they pick up and drop off at your hotel.
MOUSE EARS + STROLLER RENTAL
I use the same mouse ears from year to year which you can find here.
I love renting our stroller through Scooter Bug. The prices are reasonable and they pick up and drop off at your hotel. Ours was there waiting for us when we checked in at 11 PM and we gave it back to the bell stand for them to pick up when we were finished. Even though Valentina is five and doesn’t use a stroller day to day, I felt having one for her at the parks was a MUST.
GENIE+ AND MEMORY MAKER AT DISNEY
For me, the jury is still out on Memory Maker. I don’t think we get the best photos, but it does take some of the pressure off of having to get all of our own (even though I still like to do that). It is expensive though and the quality of the photos isn’t stellar.
Genie+ has evolved over the years. It’s now Lightning Lane, I believe, and you can choose a certain number of rides several days before your planned park days. I’m not an expert on it and never have been, but of all the times I’ve used it, this time felt the easiest – and we were able to hit the most rides. So my advice is to buy it for everyone in your party.
Once again, we had a great trip as we do every year. Our family is proof that even if you go to Disney every year, you can have a different experience each time.
heck out my other Disney with Toddlers posts:
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